Podcast for caregivers helping loved ones with dementia. Even the best made plans need more to lighten the load of caregiving. My parents had Estate Plans, but getting the Power of Attorney accepted at the bank so I could help pay the bills was a difficult task on top of the difficult role of being a family caregiver. My journey through this phase of my life led me to launch MemoryBanc. All members of our agency serve as professional family members who are insured, bonded, and skilled to know how to manage the bills and taxes for individuals and couples dealing with dementia and cognitive impa ..read more

I created a resource to help me manage and help my parents that launched me into a new life path. For over a decade, the business I launched helps individuals and families navigate the financial aspects of caregiving. People want a quick and simple tool to do it, so I created The What If Kit that is a free download and I don’t need any of your information for you to get it. I just want you to have it and use it. It takes less than hour to do and provides the basic information someone would need to help. Here is an interview I do with the Federal News Network that helps give some insight into ..read more

What I learned as the adult child that lived near my parents and spent time with them was that what we noticed for years were really early signs of dementia in my mom. She would say things that made me realize she was having trouble with her memory but when we tried to look into it further, she would pass on all options. Instead, she said we needed to focus on my dad who was the problem. Turned out, they both ended up being diagnosed with moderate stages of their dementia’s more than ten years after my husband and I noticed changes in my mom. Getting a diagnosis early gives the individual diag ..read more

On a recent visit with a loved one that is diagnosed with Younger-onset Alzheimer’s, I was happy to see that over my visit, they got more communicative, and emotions began to emerge back to familiar patterns. While I have many clients that have been diagnosed with varied health issues, the concept of the long goodbye is a very apt description as you engage with a loved one diagnosed with most forms of dementia. While I regularly interact with clients diagnosed with dementia, when it’s someone that has been in my life for decades and I see the loss, it is emotionally more difficult. I try to n ..read more

The length of time it takes to get a Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) accepted at a bank seems to only get longer and more frustrating every year. In our work at MemoryBanc helping clients navigate forward when estate plans need to be put into action a large portion of upfront time is explaining that getting recognized as POA takes time. It sounded so easy when you sat with the lawyer. Two weeks ago, I took in the power of attorney and the local banker sent it in to the back office. Two full weeks and 10 business days later, they still haven’t responded or recognized me in the banking divisio ..read more

It’s been a while since I had to deal with anger from my Mom or a client diagnosed with dementia. My Dad never lost his cool even through moderate Alzheimer’s. Angry & Righteous Today There is no easy salve to navigate these situations. I support an individual who lives in a retirement community managed by seasoned professionals, work with a savvy agency that supports his health (Aging Life Care Managers), and have the complete support of his only living relative, but none of this helps when the client has decided he needs to buy a car. Two years ago a letter of incapacity was written. His ..read more

Recently, I have visited several banks to set up banking access using the Durable Power of Attorney (POA) in which I am named. Even when visiting with my clients and doing it together, it is no easy or smooth task. Every bank is different and most of the bankers you sit with don’t know much about POAs. They typically have to follow a “protocol” and I just advise you to be patient and kind … even when you get frustrated and angry at the process. That is really a reminder for me because often I find myself getting aggravated and feisty and ALL the blockades the banks throw up under the guise of ..read more

A colleague of mine called to ask for some help. She and her two sisters are stepping in to help their parents and shared the never-ending battle they are having with a company called PowerHome Solar that recently rebranded to Pink Solar. See the link to recent news story about this icky business … apparently they are notorious for their misleading tactics and the law suits are mounting. This is just one family’s story about the struggle to fend off a predatory business. However, as daily money managers at MemoryBanc, we run into these situations often with our clients. Sometimes that phone i ..read more

The isolation experienced during COVID has made most of us reconsider how we want to care, and be cared for when we need it. Many of us had to watch as loved ones declined during the long isolation. I noticed it the most for clients that I worked with who were in retirement and assisted-living communities. It was a tough road and we are still navigating how to balance safety and engagement. My mom and I after her community had a tie-dye party. I liked hers much better! Had I known how my parent’s care journey would end, I would have made some different choices. I see families facing these cho ..read more

I work with families who have a loved with who has been diagnosed with a cognitive issue and almost without fail, their first step was to add someone to the bank account. While I am not a lawyer or banker, I can speak to the basic practical issues this can create and when this can be the right next step. Everyone whose name is on an account can write checks, withdraw money, and use the account for bank transactions. However, it also becomes an “asset” of those named on the bank account. If one account holder owes money, a creditor can try to collect money from the joint bank account. It could ..read more