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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Record attendance for Latino student gathering Robotics teams showcase their creations at ScienceWorks in Ashland on Saturday RVTD decides against moving Talent bus Wet weekend predicted for Rogue Valley New Ashland cell tower light angers neighbors Education Record attendance for Latino student gathering Robotics teams showcase their creations at ScienceWorks in Ashland on Saturday Rogue Valley musicians shine in OLLI’s spring class schedule Work your body to save your braaaaains Ashland robotics team fares well at Oregon City Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Legislature might be divided on clean fuels bill, but these Ashlanders weren't Ashland Rowing Club members put their backs into Emigrant Lake clean-up The birdman of Bellview Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Ride & Drive: 2015 Honda Civic sedan Silvio Calabi: Mercedes-Benz ML250 raises the diesel 4×4 stakes Ride & Drive: 2015 Chrysler 300 Silvio Calabi: Volvo XC60 is sexy safety in an SUV Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out today Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Federal investigation of Kitzhaber to focus on potential financial crimes Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Jolie Ann Eleanor Johnson Henry Allen Hamlin Shiela Marie Death Notices Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Young shoots Ducks into Pac-12 title game Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Raider softball team opens league play with split at Northwest West's 32 powers No. 21 Southern Oregon into Elite Eight Cold-shooting Raiders fall to Tabor in second round High school Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Grizz snowboard team heads to state with repeat potential Grizzlies let second-half lead slip away in season-ending loss to CV Williams named first-team all-star Southern Oregon University Young shoots Ducks into Pac-12 title game Raider softball team opens league play with split at Northwest West's 32 powers No. 21 Southern Oregon into Elite Eight Cold-shooting Raiders fall to Tabor in second round Ducks get hot, fend off Buffaloes in Pac-12 quarters Voices Latest Stories Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war Letters to the Editor, March 14 Matthew T. Mangino: Leniency or smart punishment strategy Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Editorial Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Our View: Ashland backs residents over visitors in lodging decision Our View: No need for blame in Hannah Thomas-Garner case Our view: Ashland tackles school attendance areas the right way Letters Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Letters to the Editor, March 11 Letters to the Editor, March 9 Letters to the Editor, March 7 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Guest Opinion: Growth carries risks Columns Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Jeffrey Gillespie: The opaqueness of Hillary Clinton Editor's Notes: Rooting for Eliza Schaaf in The Arc dance competition Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Movie listings: March 13-18 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Community blog: Take a peek at poet Scott Wozniak Community blog: Memorize poems with your whole body Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Ticket availability Thanks for the Memories presents 'Anastasia' Ticket Availability Music The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Alice DiMicele plays Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Another career highlight for Kelly Clarkson Music on the Mountain: Ski area launching concert series Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Movie review: ‘Cinderella’ is an instant classic Shailene Woodley returns as Tris in ‘Insurgent’ Movie listings: March 13-18 'Chappie' fails to make you care Food and Drink Sammich does it Chicago-style Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Inner Peace: A man is influenced by the company he keeps Community Blog: Grievances or Peace: That is the question Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Life Lessons and Loves: The year of the stamps — and their many values Looking Up: Amazing age of discovery Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ticket Availability ... Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war ... Ticket Availability ... Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war ... AGING HAPPENS AGING HAPPENS: Two considerations for in-home caregivers Comment By Ellen Waldman For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Ellen Waldman For the Tidings Posted Mar. 9, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Mar 11, 2015 at 10:22 AM By Ellen Waldman For the Tidings Posted Mar. 9, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Mar 11, 2015 at 10:22 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Exercise, socialize and stay happier • Aging, romance and sex: It's never too late • Here's what you need to know if you're getting older » Social News Over the years, families have asked me if they need to actually employ the private caregivers who are working in their home. If they are truly employees, this would require that the family or client set themselves up as a household employer. Part of that requirement includes creating payroll, enrolling in Worker’s Compensation, and having appropriate tax documents filled out. These are generally items best suited to and might require the services of a bookkeeper, or maybe a tax preparer. Obviously then, this is not a simple question to answer, but it seems to pop up with some regularity. I am not an attorney, a bookkeeper or a CPA, so I always defer to those professionals on questions like this one. Recently, I attended a Webinar on this topic called, “In Home Caregivers: The Advantages of Hiring Legally and the Consequences of Hiring Under the Table.” Sounds ominous, and it actually can be if you aren’t sure what you’re doing. According to this presentation, there are all sorts of consequences of hiring illegally. Some have to do with federal or state tax fraud laws, for instance. It turns out that if you were in the wrong, you could end up facing expensive penalties. What if the caregiver at the end of their service with you tried to receive unemployment benefits? There could well be a problem at that point. The presenter, who is an attorney, went on to explain all the benefits of hiring legally, meaning the caregiver is your actual employee. The benefits for both you and the employee are numerous. Besides doing it correctly from a legal standpoint, everyone is well-protected from any charges down the line. Clearly, his advice was that in almost every situation that arises, the person who is your caregiver in the home is your employee. If you are concerned about the possible implications of this and its complexities, get some professional advice. Please note that I’m only referring to those individuals who do not work through a licensed caregiving agency. Their employer covers all these obligations. This information affects only those who work as caregivers independently and are not provided by an agency. Besides this vital question of legality when hiring someone as a caregiver, the next important requirement is being well-trained. Just because someone took care of their mother or friend, does not mean that under a different set of conditions, they would know what to do. Common sense does not always pan out when working with people who have dementia, for instance. There is a whole different skill set that comes into play here, and it’s not one that is naturally developed. It takes training and education. If you’re faced with this caregiving task, my best recommendation is to get some training for yourself. Also, make sure that anyone who comes to work for you has had a least six months of verifiable experience successfully caregiving for someone who has dementia. Your family is not the training ground where you want them to begin learning these skills. Beginning this month, a series of courses for caregivers is being offered for free in Medford. This series is funded by the Oregon legislature, which recognizes and supports the importance of training for caregivers. These trainings are designed for family members helping coordinate or provide care at home for a loved one. It’s also designed for paid and unpaid caregivers, health care and public safety workers, and social workers. Visit the website Oregon Care Partners at www.OregonCarePartners.com, or call 1-800-930-6851 in Portland, to register. I encourage families facing this need, and those who wish to work with this group of individuals, to get as much actual training as possible. Here’s a look at the local offerings. There is a huge offering of online courses on their website as well: • Living with Early Stage Alzheimer’s — For Caregivers. 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 11 and March 18. First United Methodist Church, 607 West Main St., Medford. • Challenging Behaviors: Effective Approaches to Common Behaviors in the Non-dementia Adult Population. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 19. Medford Library, 205 South Central Avenue, Medford. Before bringing caregiving help into your home, consider these two areas of employment and training. Everyone will benefit when you make the best informed decisions possible. Ellen Waldman is a certified geriatric care manager. Email questions about aging and Ashland-area aging resources and column suggestions to her at [email protected].   By Ellen Waldman For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Ellen Waldman For the Tidings Posted Mar. 9, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Mar 11, 2015 at 10:22 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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