Peninsula Daily News Column 3-21-2013 "Lighten up, growup and get up to live"

          Today’s column is designed for those of us who are old enough to know better, and young enough to still care, so if that doesn’t sound like you to you, your time will probably be better spent considering options for your next tattoo; for the rest of us…

          Considering that we’re better than halfway through March, I thought it was probably time I pointed out that it’s 2013! Say that out loud: 2013! Do you believe that? Remember when “1984” was “futuristic?? Me, too; mercifully, things went a bit…better than anticipated.

          And, in all likelihood, 2013 will, too – It just doesn’t feel like it. I understand.

          But here we are; more-or-less in one piece, more-or-less still standing (really, or metaphorically) and anticipating any number of things that we can’t control. It’s easy to worry about things that might happen to us – Geez! That’s an art that most of us have spent decades perfecting! What if…?! And then, what if…And THEN…!

          I know; but what if we do what we can do? – What if that? Don’t panic, because I have no intention of going on about “resolutions” (Why do you suppose that I waited until March to point out that we’re in a “new” year?) – But I am going to talk about doing what we can do. If that’s already scary, consider a tattoo.

          So, what can we do? Well, for one thing, we can get off of our you-know-whats and MOVE! Move around Walk around! Pace! Do stuff! Can’t get up off your you-know what? OK, then move what you can move! Bodies were designed to move, so if we stop them from doing what they were designed to do, they’ll stop doing what they were designed to do – Consider that.

          In case you haven’t noticed, this whole “healthcare thing” is getting weirder and weirder; no, I’m talking about “ObamaCare” and NO! – I’m NOT talking about health insurance! I’m talking about health care! So, we’d better figure it out, because the good, old days when we could just live, live, LIVE, then be rescued by Marcus Welby with a black bag in the bedroom are gone.

          If you’re supposed to be taking medication, then TAKE IT! Take all of it and take it correctly! Having trouble keeping track of it? OK, then get a box or a device or somebody who likes you to help you keep track of it. And get rid of that old crap, before it kills you or somebody else.

          Are you sick? In pain? Did something stop working right or start doing things it didn’t used to do? Then, go to the doctor or the clinic or whomever and say so! Too expensive? Probably, but do you think “it” will be less expensive when “it” gets worse? Probably not.

          Or are you just scared: “I don’t want to know what it might be…” I get that – Oh boy, do I get that! But it’s relatively rare that “it” will magically go away and you’ll feel great; what’s more likely is that we’ll stall and stall and then we’ll have an emergency (probably an expensive emergency!) and people who we claimed to love will get to pick up our pieces and take care of us and generally sacrifice major portions of their lives, because we were “chicken” – Really?

          If you need help with something (Money? Bill-paying? Figuring out the meds? Laundry? Vacuuming the ceiling?), ask for it! If you’re having trouble now, you probably won’t need less help later. Or if you do only need help for a little while, then ask for a little help for a little while – The people who you ask, will thank you.

          Figure out your health insurance. Oh, Good Lord, NO! I am NOT suggesting that you become a Medicare wonk (or whatever) or that you need to spend four days per month poring over your policies, but you do need to have some general familiarity with what it does and doesn’t cover – And you just might find that it covers some cool preventive stuff or a “nurse line” or whatever, that could keep you out of that expensive emergency.

          And when you get stuff from Medicare or your MediGap or your health insurance, OPEN IT! No, I’m not talking about 19 lbs. of marketing BS – I’m talking about the real stuff from your real health insurance – OPEN IT! Look at it. Attempt to read it; then, attempt to read it again. Most of us are surprised at how (relatively) quickly stuff begins to make sense if we just read it – Then, re-read it. You’re not required to enjoy it – Like, everything else you’ve ever had to do in your whole life was fun? Oh, come now.

          Eat better. I didn’t say “eat perfectly,” I said “better” – And Yes, you do know how. Drink water – I’m serious; you’re not required to enjoy it, but you might – Just do it. It’s one of the prices we pay for residing on the planet.

          Figure out your money – Where it’s going, and why. Want to change something about that? Then do it, because money almost never changes itself.

          Say something nice to somebody and do something nice for somebody. Are you kind of limited in what you can do? OK, then do what you can do, not necessarily what you “used to do” or might “like to do” – What you can do. Yes, you can, if you just think about it.

          Make fun of yourself – Out loud! – Oh, yes. I AM serious! Look at the weird stuff you do and the weird stuff you think – You don’t think any of that is funny? Really?? Well, you can just keep it all inside, where it will just get bigger and bigger and weirder and weirder and darker and darker OR you can do it out loud and laugh at it – And feel free to invite others to join in laughing at you! You might be surprised at how quickly they’ll start laughing at themselves!

          Now, some of us will (and, perhaps, already have) set achievable goals – With timelines! – And clear, behavioral and verifiable outcomes – WOW! Great! But some of us won’t – We just…won’t.

          But what some of us can do is lighten up, grow up and take some responsibility for our own stuff, because it’s 2013 – Because when you wake up tomorrow, it won’t be yesterday. It never was.

          Happy New Year!



Peninsula Daily News Column 3-14-2013 "Help is just a call/email/visit away"

          Here’s a question that I get asked fairly regularly: “What do you actually do?” – Which is an absolutely reasonable question; regrettably, that doesn’t guarantee a reasonable answer, but I’ll try.

          People see a column in the PENINSULA DAILY NEWS and think, “Oh, he writes a column for the PDN.” OK.

          Or they hear a radio show on KONP and think, “Oh, he does a radio show on KONP.” OK.

          Or people see me at the post office and think, “Oh, he gets mail…” Well, yeah…

          What I really do is work with “Information & Assistance.” It used to be called “Senior Information & Assistance,” but then we changed it because we noticed that not everybody with a question was 60 or better. Let’s back up.

          It’s our job to know everything there is to know about every program, service or resource that could possibly have anything to with anybody 60+ (…right…), and then to provide any level of assistance that anyone 60+ could possibly need to access or understand that program, service or resource. Did that help?

          We’re “guides” – I’m a guide. It’s my job to help you know or find whatever it is you need to know or find in order to be reasonably OK, most of the time, and to “remain independent in your own home.” So, that’s why I go on about Medicare, for instance, or Medicaid (which is totally different) or caregiving or Social Security or Durable Powers of Attorney or advance directives or or or…Get it?

          Now, can I guarantee that I/we have the magic answer to everything, so all you have to do is call any of the numbers at the end of this column and Voila! – All is solved, all is well and all is right with the world? Of course not! This is America, planet Earth – Life doesn’t work that way! But I’ll tell you this: Ignorance (not stupidity – Ignorance) and isolation do more people more harm than anything else you care to name, politics included.

          Let’s try an example: Mom has been in the hospital for hip surgery and is going to need some help at home, for a while, and you’re trying to bust her out on Discharge Day. Mom is saying, sweetly, “GET ME OUT OF HERE!” The discharge planner comes in, and says to all of you,” Ktyo plfzz hmewsr pt lkksm ewqalmms…,” just for openers. Mom says, “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”

          So, you get Mom out of there, get her home, and about 24-36 hours you all begin to realize, “Oh…DEAR! This is going to be TOUGH! What did that discharge planner say?” Right. We can help you understand it, so you can decide what to do – Or not do. And what else might be out there that could help. Think, “In-home care.”

          Here’s another: Did you know that if you live in the City of Port Angeles, so your utilities are provided by the City, and you can’t afford to pay your heating bill, there might be help? Yes. If you’re combined household income was $3,375 or less for the previous three months, you might qualify for a discount – And there is NO “asset test!” Did you know that?

          We did, because it’s our job to know that.

          Did you know that there’s help figuring out Medicare (and just about any other kind of health insurance) and/or dealing with billing mistakes or qualifying for Medicaid? Did you know that it’s free? We did, because…Right.

          Did you know that there’s free legal information available? Or support for caregivers? Do you even know what a “caregiver” is? Here’s my standard definition: A “caregiver” is somebody who is taking care of somebody who needs to be taken care of, whether they like it or not. Could you use a little help?

          Not sure if you need a will? What’s a “community property agreement?” How does somebody apply for Food Stamps? I can’t afford “long-term care!” I can afford “long-term care,” but I have no idea what I’m looking for! I need somebody to advocate for Dad, who’s in a nursing home. What’s “home health?” What’s “home care?” What’s the difference? Who’s on 1^st????

          And on it goes. We’re guides. If we don’t know “it,” we’ll find somebody who does.

          Here’s my favorite one: Somebody just needs to talk to somebody, because they have no idea what they need – They just know what’s wrong, or what’s happening or what might happen – So, they need to tell their story and have somebody “think back” with some ideas, then they can decide what to do or not to do.

          For the bureaucratic wonks among us, “Information & Assistance” is a program of the Olympic Area Agency on Aging, which is not the State and not the Feds, but does get State and Federal dollars and serves folks in Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor and Pacific counties – Feel smarter? Good!

          So, there is, literally, no such thing as a “dumb question” – Well, OK, I suppose it’s possible, but most of us don’t know what we don’t know – If we knew it, then we’d know it, right? – Just pick up the phone or walk in the door and start talking. Here’s what I can guarantee you: Genuinely decent people will listen and try to help, and nobody will try to sell you anything, because we don’t have anything to sell.

          If you’re big on “planning,” circle May 3^rd on your calendar, because we’re throwing a “Staying Independent Fair” at the Port Angeles Senior Center and we’ll all be all over the place, but we’ll talk about that some more, as it gets closer.

          Nothing we do will cost you anything; now, we may give you an idea that you decide to act on that could cost you something (you do know what planet you’re on, right?), but not for what we do – Not for listening, or answering questions, or giving you information that you have a right to or helping solve a problem.

          So, the column in PDN and the show on KONP are just other ways of saying, “There might be help, and you don’t have to go it alone.”

          Checking my mail has nothing to do with it.



Peninsula Daily News Column 3-7-2013 "Financial papers are from Mars, right"

          It’s the last day of February, which doesn’t seem to matter much to anyone because “stuff” keeps coming up.

          Since we launched 2013, we’ve all been talking, off and on, about Elders and safety and respect and negotiation and a lot of other things. If you’ve been paying attention, you know what we’ve all been talking about – If you haven’t, I’m not about to put the rest of us into a coma by recapping everything, so just jump in and hope for the best (because hoping for the worst would be stupid).

          What a lot of this conversation has come down to is any Elder’s right to live their own lives and call their own shots, while a lot of the rest of us (i.e. people who care about them) are on the sidelines trying to “help.” “Why won’t he listen to me?” “How can I get her to accept the help that we’re glad to give?” “Doesn’t he know he’ll be better off…?” “…but I want her to be safe!”

          And we’ve even bumped into when we have to accept that nothing is all we can do.

          It has to do with freedom and personal responsibility an independent choice; sometimes, it has to do with fear – Fear that “they” will put me somewhere that I don’t want to be if they know how much help I really need, which usually isn’t that much and is very rarely true.

          One of the life spheres where this comes up – A lot! – Is money. Or just about anything that has anything to do with finances. Think about it: In my world, it is not uncommon to need to discuss…toileting – I’m sorry if that’s not exactly what you wanted to hear on a Thursday morning, but it’s true. And my experience is that it’s often easier for folks to be forthcoming about “toileting” than it is about “money.”

          This is America, and “money” is a very personal thing; Well, OK, so is toileting, but that’s universal and the fact is that we all know pretty much everything there is to know about that – But money? Oh, NO! That’s intensely personal AND it’s secret. There are a lot of reasons why it’s a secret, but we don’t have enough space in this newspaper to climb all over that! And I’ll bet you real good money that if you stop and think about it, you’ll realize that you do the same thing.

          So do I. So what?

          Well, sometimes this financial stuff can get pretty complicated. Maybe an Elder made an investment along the way, or bought a product – Or bought several! – That seemed like good, long-term planning at the time and, in all likelihood, it was. But here we are, 15 or 40 years later; and maybe we don’t have quite as much energy or maybe there are quite a few more medications or maybe we have this-or-that condition or diagnosis or maybe we just forgot about the darn thing, then something comes in the mail.

          Something that is, often, utterly incomprehensible.

          “Universal life” policies are a great example; now, there’s nothing “wrong” with universal life policies – Or illegal or unethical or whatever – But they are “complicated” (at least, for many of us). So, you got one of these 25 years ago and over time, because you’re a human being who doesn’t do this stuff all day long, you’ve “simplified” it: I pay money and I get life insurance (in case I die) and at the same time I’m building up a nest-egg, in case I don’t die.

          Well, kinda, but the point here isn’t to dissect universal life policies; the point is to go back to the part where something incomprehensible showed up in the mail and you don’t really get what it means (because it’s written in Martian) but you know what you decided to understand and remember 24.5 years ago and you don’t really have the energy or the inclination to devote a lot of energy and inclination to trying to figure it out, so you put it “over there.”

          And there it stays, until something happens – And “something” is almost never good.

          Look: I know people in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s who aren’t very good at this stuff. So, what many of us do at a time like this is to jump into it with both feet and try to figure it out OR we go find somebody who knows what-the-heck this incomprehensible thing means, so can help us figure out what-the-heck to do. OK, so why doesn’t someone in their 80’s do the very same thing?

          You know why and so do I. And so do they, so from here on, let me just talk to them – Elders, OK?

          Look, guys: Most of us have helped other people, one way or another, most of our lives – Maybe it was a “little” thing, maybe it was a “BIG” thing, maybe it took an hour and maybe it took weeks and months and years. We did that because (a) we’re decent human beings, and (b) somebody needed that help and we were able to provide it.

          And we usually remember those times fondly, because what we did made us feel good about us – We helped - Genuinely, sincerely, and then we moved on. Somebody was better off because of something we did. It’s one of the nicer aspects of being a human on Earth. Helping.

          So, ask somebody for help with that utterly incomprehensible thing. I know that isn’t always easy to do, because it can make us feel “less than” – “Stupid” – “Weak” – Old. But none of that is true. We haven’t gotten to here on a solo flight, so nothing has really changed, except our own willingness to be brave. To have the courage to ask for, and accept, help. You probably would have done it when you were 40, so why not now?

          Right; besides, most financial stuff really is written in Martian, and most of us flunked that in high school.

           



Peninsula Daily News Column 2-28-2013 "For a 'bad' time, call..."

          I think most of us are familiar, directly or indirectly, with the phrase, “For a good time, call…”

          …but how about “For a bad time, call…” – And, YES! I am serious. Look:

          If you ask most of us who are old enough to have figured out that we’re probably not going to live forever what scares us the most, you’ll get a more-or-less predictable litany of responses: Alzheimer’s, the kids moving back in, Medicare Part D “open enrollment,” the sudden realization that she or he was right when they said, “I TOLD you to go before we left…” etc., but in there, somewhere, you’re probably going to hear something like, “Being put in a nursing home.”

          We probably mean any “residential facility,” but what comes out is “nursing home.” We see it as a sentence to the 9^th level of Hell, for eternity, totally a-l-o-n-e, forgotten – Disposed of – And life goes on…Without us.

          Now, the fact is that, statistically, most of us will never reside in a facility for more than a week or two for rehab, and another fact is that, mercifully, most of our facilities around here are really pretty good, most of the time! – But that doesn’t matter, because we’re already scared and “facts” don’t always take fear away.

          …and, of course, some of us do end up there, usually because there’s no other place we can be.

          But, what if there were folks who spent some of their time being with you in that facility? Being on “your” side? Taking your side? Or just spending some time with you without messing with your body or telling you what you “need” to do? What if that?

          Well, there are, and there have been, for a quite a while. They are the good folks who volunteer for the “Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program,” going into facilities all over the Peninsula to be on your side – “Their” side – Our side.

          These are good and decent people who have had to “apply,” have their backgrounds checked, go through several days of serious training, do monthly reports, go to monthly meetings, don’t get paid and proceed to give away significant chunks of their lives for you – Her – Me. Sound fun?

          I didn’t think so; thus, for a bad time call Jane Meyer at 417-8556, or 1-800-801-0070, and tell her that human beings matter enough to you that you’re willing to be a human being. Jane runs this “Ombudsman” program in Jefferson and Clallam counties, and is looking for some more help to help make sure that a lot of those things that a lot of us are afraid of don’t happen.

          If you take a minute to visualize being in a facility, because you have to be, and something is “wrong,” it won’t take long for you to figure out that it could get pretty scary pretty quick - Whether the facility or the staff “deserve” it or not - It could. And if you can keep your eyes closed for another minute, and visualize yourself walking into that room and being with that person for no reason other than to say “hello,” or solve a problem, or advocate, or “be on their side,” you’ll get the drift.

          …and you’ll probably be able to figure out what’s in this for you; if you can’t, you’re probably not who I’m looking for, anyway.

          So, Yes: I’m asking you to call Jane by the Ides of March, 3/15; then, fill out paperwork, get interviewed, have your background checked, go through some pretty serious training blah blah blah…Then, give away a piece of your life on a regular basis and get absolutely nothing back for it, except what you visualize when you say to yourself, “There, but for the grace of God…”

          Don’t think about this long enough to talk yourself out of it. OF COURSE you don’t have time! -

          You also don’t have time not to. It’s the best “bad time” you’ll ever have.



Peninsula Daily News Column 2-21-2013 "Court improves Medicare 'standard'"



          Remember last November? Don’t feel bad, because I don’t, either; I think there were a few traumas sprinkled in there somewhere, like Part D “open enrollment” and an election and a holiday, and probably a few others that don’t need to be publicly shared, but for the sake of this morning’s missive, harken back to that part of last year and think, “Jimmo Settlement.”

          What?

          Good question, so let me take us down a rabbit trail on the way to an answer. And in order to get there from here, we need to understand a little something about Medicare, remembering that a “little something” is all any of us will ever understand about Medicare.

          Here’s the deal: As way too many of us well know, for years and years Medicare has had an “improvement standard” that limited our access to Medicare-paid skilled nursing and therapy services (think, among other things, “Home Health”); in other words, when you stopped “improving,” services stopped.

          …hmm…So, if I had a condition that was stable, chronic, not improving or that required such services to just keep things from getting worse (“maintenance only”), I was out of luck. Here are two surprises:

1. A lot of us have conditions like that;
2. Said “improvement standard” isn’t in Medicare law!

It was just some rule or regulation or standard or whatever that got injected into the mix somewhere along the way and became gospel; thus, those of us who need such services to keep from getting worse (a reasonable goal, if you’re in that situation) should have access to them, right?

Right; now think about that, then say, “Wow!”

The true wonks among us (or the few of us who can actually remember something I wrote last November) may be recalling this as the “Jimmo Settlement,” and correctly so. When last we left Jimmo, it was securely in the hands of federal District Court, awaiting a decision as to why something that was never in the Medicare law got into the Medicare law; apparently, the federal District Court judge was not amused and has agreed to get rid of something in Medicare law that was never in Medicare law.

We like that. Why do we like that? Well, let’s try a little Q&A:

*”Skilled services” – Does that mean “…only in a nursing home?” No, it could mean at home, outpatient OR in a skilled nursing facility.

*Will this only apply to certain diseases, diagnoses or conditions? No. It applies to any Medicare beneficiary who requires “skilled services” to keep from getting worse.

*Will this add to the number of days that Medicare will pay for in a nursing facility? Good question! But I’m sorry to say “no,” because the famous “100 days” is specified in Medicare law (alas), but it does change how you might qualify for same.

*Won’t this just cost Medicare (which is, of course, us) more and make this whole “healthcare thing” worse? …ooohh, you’re good…Well, we shall see, but a study was done through the Veterans Administration model where people had access to services like this and it appeared that it actually cost less, because hospitalizations and nursing home costs went down! Why?

          Well, because if we have access to what we need, when and where we need it, we tend not to get worse and cost more, which seems to border on “intuitive.”

          So, the judge has approved the settlement and has ordered the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid services to revise its “Medicare Benefit Policy Manual,” along with numerous other non-existent policies, guidelines and instructions and to develop and implement a nationwide education campaign to inform us all of what is now true.

          I have no idea how long that will take, but here’s something I do know:

          These “new” standards apply now – Right now. Today.

          In fairness, it is entirely possible that local healthcare providers may (a) not know this, and/or (b) be more-than-a-little gun-shy of doing anything Medicare-related that isn’t clearly specified in a manual the size of New Hampshire – I understand that. I also understand that “Mrs. Jones” needs what she needs when she needs it, and she may well need it now, so…

          …IF you or somebody you like is being denied Medicare coverage based on the now non-existent “improvement standard,” you can go to http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/take-action/self-help-packets-for-medicare-appeals/ and get some good info on how to fight back, remembering that healthcare providers aren’t the “enemy.”

          I’m not trying to pretend that this will be easy, because I have yet to encounter anything in healthcare or health insurance that is “easy,” but this is your life, and you have a right to it.

          In my world, not getting worse is getting better!

Peninsula Daily News Column 2-14-2013 "Caregiving styled to individuals"

          Today is February 14 – Valentine’s Day, and I fervently hope that isn’t news to you; if it is, put this down right now and go do what will be in your eternal best interests to do – The PDN will still be here when you get back.

          Actually, I had hoped to get a little mushy for Valentine’s Day. I like “mushy!” But then, something really important came along and I thought,”…well, I’d better do this, instead…” and then I debated and considered consequences and went back-and-forth and…I think I’d better just quit while I’m ahead – Or, at least, no further behind.

          Anyway, a couple of weeks ago a number of us were having a conversation about respect, negotiation, safety and, finally, doing nothing – When nothing is all there is to do. I said:

          “In my experience, negotiation, respect, empathy and a willingness to take ‘baby steps’ (a little help, then maybe a little more – You get it) works pretty well, most of the time, but not always – Because nothing is ‘always’; sometimes, you (me, whomever) can do everything ‘right,’ and an elder just refuses to accept any help…

          Maybe it’s fear… Maybe it’s stubbornness. Maybe it’s saving-for-a-rainy-day, when it’s really just ‘cheap’. Maybe it’s ignorance. Maybe it’s denial (‘I’m not old!’). Maybe it’s control or greed or…stupidity.

          Now, if it’s honestly dementia/memory loss or a diagnosable mental health condition, those are game-changers, and we’re in a whole, different ballpark…”

          I got a reply to that, from Mindi Blanchard of “Bridge Builders.” After a few kind words, Mindi said:

          “…we also hear from family who are at their wits end regarding their parents or other elderly family members. However, I want to point out as a Certified Professional Guardian that even when the Court determines someone is incapacitated, it does NOT mean that the ‘game’ changes and the client can be forced to do something he or she doesn’t want to do. I realize that public perception regarding guardianship is that guardians can do whatever they please. That may have been true fifteen years ago but it is not true today. Certified Professional Guardians are required to follow the Standards of Practice developed by the Guardian Board that oversees us. This means that we have to advocate for what our client says he/she wants even though that client really doesn’t know anymore what he/she wants. I have had extremely frustrating situations where a guardianship client with dementia needed to have medical attention for a separate medical issue but the client was resistant and the mental health professionals won’t touch anyone with the first diagnosis being “dementia.” That said who wants to drag someone kicking and screaming to the hospital or into a long-term care facility? Not me! And no facility wants someone who loudly proclaims they don’t want to be there…

So, what to do? Well, a little tough love can go a long way. Families often fall into the ‘enabling’ category without realizing that they’ve done so. The goal is making the client uncomfortable in his/her current living situation. This looks different for each client. For some, just not being as available as in the past; for example, telling Mom that you just can’t take the time to take her grocery shopping but that you would be happy to call a local caregiving agency to send someone to assist. Of course, Mom would need to pay for the service. If Mom objects, apologize but don’t rescue. For some we have had to establish a “team” including but not limited to caregivers, Adult Protective Services, law enforcement doing welfare checks, etc. During this process we always treat our client with dignity and respect. We also tell them their options and graciously accept their answers declining these options. Our goal is to plant ideas because over time the client may decide on one of the options as his/her own idea. If it seems that a client really needs to move to some sort of facility, we talk with the client about visiting facilities ‘just in case’ they might need to move into one and facilitate visits if they agree. When they complain that no one is helping them, we go through the options with them again, and again, and again. It can take many months before the client decides they would like to try a different option or it may take a medical crisis. It is time consuming and emotionally exhausting, even for those of us who don’t have the emotional connections that families do.”

So, there we are, and I thank Mindi Blanchard for caring enough to jump in. While I might argue that what she describes is a “changed game,” I think that’s about semantics – And people matter more than semantics.

Some of us will read this and a light will go on – “Oh!”

Some of us will be shocked or, perhaps, offended – “That’s cruel!”

Some of us will need to think about this in the context of respect, negotiation, safety and…doing nothing.

And many of us will just need to think about it – For a while. If we’re smart, we’ll think about it this way: “What if it were me…”

What if it were?

Love is a funny thing.



Peninsula Daily News Column 2-7-13 "Try program for help with 'tax thing'"

          In deference to, and recognition of, the simple fact that this Thursday exercise is called “Help Line,” do you suppose we ought to, at least occasionally, do something genuinely helpful? Me, too – So, we will.

          Think: taxes; well, OK, think anything you want, but the fact remains that in the not-too-distant future, many of us are going to have to think about taxes, which means that many of us are going to want to think about TAX-AIDE.

          We do this every year, because taxes (specifically, income taxes) happen to us every year. TAX-AIDE are the good guys! These are the unpaid volunteers who volunteer to spend major portions of their holidays studying tax law, then thinking about it and asking questions about it and taking tests about it, and then give away substantial portions of their lives helping us prepare our tax returns so we don’t have to do any of that. And they do it for free, which is why we call them “volunteers.”

          Did you get that? Free, as in their-help-doesn’t-cost-us-anything, and Yes: We should be grateful.

          Here’s the deal: They’re trained to help most of us low-to-middle income taxpayers. If you’re the CEO of a multi-national corporation, go to the back of the line, but for the rest of us – For MOST of us! – These are the people we want to go see.

          You don’t have to be broke and you don’t have to be or 60-or-better or anything like that. What you do have to do is show up at one of the sites (hang on, we’ll get there) and bring:

*Photo ID;

*Social Security cards for taxpayer, spouse and dependents;

*W-2’s, 1099’s and any/all other documents necessary to complete a tax return;

*Bank account routing and account numbers (a check would work) if you want a refund deposited directly (which would be smart), and…

*…last year’s tax return.

          NOTE: Think this all the way through, because it doesn’t help you, the TAX-AIDE folks or the people waiting behind you for you to show up and not have all your stuff. Good.

          Now, starting last Friday, February 1, here’s where these TAX-AIDE folks will be, in order to help us:

*At the Sequim Senior Center on Wednesdays, 12:30-4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00-4:00. Appointments are required, so call 683-6806 to make one;

*At the Port Angeles library on Wednesdays, from 9:00-3:00 and Saturday mornings, from 8:30-12:30 – No appointment, so just show up, bring a book and a patient good nature;

* The Port Angele Senior Center on Mondays, from 9:00-3:00. You need an appointment, so call 457-7004 to do that;

*At Forks City Hall, from10:00-4:00, on Feb. 16, March 2, 16& 30 and April 13. Call 780-2287 to make an appointment;

*At the Sekiu Community Center on March 1, 10:00-2:00 – No appointment, just show up;

*At the Port Townsend Community Center, Tuesdays and Fridays, 10:00-2:00. Call 385-9007 to make the appointment;

*…and at the Tri-Area Community Center on Mondays, 10:00-2:00 and on Wednesdays, from 3:00-7:00. Appointment? Yes, so call 732-4822.

          I know what you’re thinking, because I know what I’m thinking: “With the ‘fiscal cliff’ and debt ceilings and Lord-only knows what else, how bad has the whole ‘tax thing’ gotten?” Answer: Not much; well, at least, not much worse.

          If you’re single and make more than $250,000/year, or married and make more than $300,000/year, things have changed; for the rest of us, not really. The tax rates are the same, the capital gains and dividend rates are the same, the “Child Tax Credit” and “Earned Income Tax Credit,” etc. are the same. Sales taxes are still deductible, if you itemize and there’s still some “relief” for folks who lost a home to foreclosure, etc – So, really, for most of us, this year looks a lot like last year – At least, tax-wise.

          OK? Now remember, we call this “Help Line,” not “Tax Line,” so this as far as I’m going with this topic, because I know when I’m out of my league, but when you show up for help from these TAX-AIDE folks, feel free to thank them – Profusely: We are getting our taxes done! All they’re getting is a migraine.