Not all Power of Attorneys are created equal

Power of Attorneys (POA) are useful documents to have when you can no longer make financial and medical decisions. The problem is that most documents are not prepared correctly or the verbiage does not fit the situation.

For example: does your financial (Durable) Power of Attorney allow you to create a Trust? Does it allow you to gift to yourself or others? Apply for Medicaid or Estate Planning? And many other complications.

Last week I met a young lady that needed help for her mother. She was so happy because she thought she had covered all her bases. She had the correct POA for Health Care, Mental Health and Living Will (http://www.azag.gov/life_care/POA_HealthCare.pdf). But she had taken a Durable POA from the web (one page document) and because the one paragraph stated it covered everything she thought it meant everything.

Well, the bank we went to to get an Income Only Trust read it and said, "this does not give you the power to open or create a Trust; you need to have your mother sign one giving you permission". Except, her mother is no longer capable of signing any document and in order to qualify for State assistance this trust was needed. We were able to resolve the issue but sometimes things can go in a different direction such as needing a Guardianship/Conservator ship which is an expense that could be avoided.

Please do not go to the Web to pick a legal document that is so important. Get professional help, make sure your document is clear about your powers.

Iron sharpens iron

Have you every thought how some people rise and shine to any occasion?

I always thought it had to do with luck, being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people.

I learned that there are three things you need in order to succeed and make it happen.

A true burning desire to succeed.

A willingness to face rejection and tribulation in order to achieve success.

A willingness to serve your community and families.

How often do we follow this path? Even in our everyday activities? I know that I will follow this path; I will become great at what I do and reap the rewards. Will you?

AZ Medicaid for married couples

ALTCS (Arizona Long Term Care Systems) AZ's Medicaid program for married couples is much easier to receive than for single individuals. As long the applicant is medically eligible assets can be repositioned to qualify.

There are 3 steps to get the ball rolling:

A resource assessment will be needed to determine the amount the well-spouse can keep and the applicant's reduced/repositioned (an application is made to ALTCS so that they can determine the amount).

The 2nd step is to spend down/ reposition the assets that belong to the applicant.

The 3rd step is to apply for ALTCS to start in-home care, nursing home payment, and/or assisted living/group home assistance.

One word of caution DO NOT reduce the assets until ALTCS gives you a notice with the amount the well- spouse can keep. You may have an idea of what the amount is but until ALTCS says so you could be in danger of spending more than you should have OR the applicant may not have been medically eligible to begin with.

ALTCS is great program but doing it on your own is a challenge.

Medicaid Eligibility in Arizona

Most people that need Medicaid do not know where to go for help. Others think that if you qualify for Medicaid you will be "put in a nursing home". Arizona's Medicaid is called ALTCS (Arizona Long Term Care Systems); you must meet certain criteria to meet qualifications. You must be income eligible ($2,022 gross income), resource eligible ($2,000 or less for single individuals), and meet medical eligibility. This means that the person applying for assistance must need daily assistance with bathing, getting dressed, transferring from/on bed, toilet, chair, and having a diagnosis such as dementia, Alzheimer's or other helps.

Having someone help getting through the process helps as well. An Income Only Trust is available to those with income exceeding $2,022.

The Area Agency for Aging is another avenue for assistance. Please understand that housekeeping is not a need.

ALTCS will help with in home care, doctors, hospitalizations and other needs.

Pay $10 for 60lbs of vegtables and fruit

Market on the Move (MOM)

The Market on the Move was created to enable the supporters of The 3000 Club distribute free produce to the hungry and the needy.

The 3000 Club is a group of like-minded individuals, small business owners, volunteers and non-profit agency(ies) and organization(s) who contribute either $100, $500 or $1,000 per year or $10 per month in order to help rescue the millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables that would be thrown in the landfill in Nogales, Arizona and distribute it instead for free to the needy and hungry families, especially their children.

Due to the challenging economy we are currently experiencing, thousands of families have lost their jobs. Men and women, especially the children are at risk of getting Type Two Diabetes for lack of fresh, nutritional fruits and vegetables in their diets. The people who need the free produce may very well be your next door neighbor or your close friend who are undergoing transition in their current lifestyle.

Market On The Move provides a Farmers’ Market atmosphere at locations throughout the Phoenix and Tucson Metropolitan areas where partners and supporters of this program can come on a regular basis to not only pick up the free produce for distribution but also to acquire health education on Diabetes and Cancer Prevention as well as many other health issues.

The volume of produce being thrown way exceeds our ability to rescue and distribute it to the needy thereby creating a need for thousands of partners and supporters to join with us in our food rescue efforts.

We need your support and encourage you to join us in meeting our goal this coming produce season to distribute over One Million pounds or $1.5 Million of free produce thru Market On The Move!

Go to https://www.the3000club.org/the-project/market-on-the-move-mom for more information about this great agency.

Frontotemporal dementia

What is Frontotemporal Dementia?

By Mayo Clinic

Frontotemporal dementia (frontotemporal lobar degeneration) is an umbrella term for a diverse group of uncommon disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain - the areas generally associated with personality, behavior and language.

In frontotemporal dementia, portions of these lobes atrophy or shrink. Signs and symptoms vary, depending upon the portion of the brain affected. Some people with frontotemporal dementia undergo dramatic changes in their personality and become socially inappropriate, impulsive or emotionally indifferent, while others lose the ability to use and understand language.

Frontotemporal dementia is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or as Alzheimer's disease. But frontotemporal dementia tends to occur at a younger age than does Alzheimer's disease, typically between the ages of 40 and 70.

For more information about Frontotemporal Dementia, check out Mayo Clinic.

January's birthstone

Garnet is the birthstone for January. It is the stone of: Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, Leo and Virgo. A gift of garnet is thought to be symbolic of love and the desire for a loved one's safe travel and speedy homecoming. Garnet is associated with the base charka (1^st and 2^nd) and is said to awaken the Kundalini. Garnet will stimulate the senses, and increase your vitality and stamina

Some of the metaphysical properties of garnet are; friendship, love and fellowship. This stone makes you very attractive to other people by bringing out your best qualities. Many people experience loneliness as they change jobs, relationships, and move to a new home. This stone can help attract new friends and relationships that will be attracted to you for who you really are. This stone will help to attract like-minded people to you. Stimulates life force and negates stubbornness. Garnet is the stone of passionate devotion to your family, your friends, yourself, and your purpose or goals. Many people call garnet the lucky stone: lucky for love, lucky for success, and lucky for goals.

I need to add this to my jewelry choice as I love purple and wear amethyst more than anything else.