Definitely Not a Paperless Society

In this post we’ll tell you about the types of documents you should keep. In a future post we’ll discuss how to keep them safe.

There are at least three types of documents you should keep:

1.    Identity
2.    Financial
3.    Historical

Identity documents include:

• Birth certificates
• Driver’s License
• Health Card
• Passports
• SIN cards
• Military documents
• Death certificates
• Marriage and Divorce Certificates

Financial documents include:

• Your Will
• Power of Attorney
• Insurance
• Property deeds
• Car ownership
• Investment and retirement plans
• Tax returns (and the documents and receipts that were used to complete the return) for the past 7 years
• Receipts for items under warranty
• A Will or POA for which you are the executor

Historical

• Your most advanced Graduation Diploma
• Family photographs

There are also items you don’t need to keep. Keep only those bills and receipts that you may to refer to in the future, for example for warranty information. Once you’ve recognized the purchase has been properly recorded on your credit card statement you can destroy the receipt.

Bank transaction stubs are not required once you’ve confirmed your bank statement has captured the information correctly. Pre-approved credit card solicitations should also be discarded.

For any document you’re destroying use a paper shredder to make it unreadable. Some of these documents will have enough identity information on it that thieves could use it to steal from you.

We encourage you to seek professional advice; your lawyer and accountant can provide expert advice. This post is to help you begin thinking about, and doing something about all your papers.

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Five Wishes

In Ontario there are three legal documents you should have in place to help you in case of an incapacitating illness, or death. These are:

• Last Will and Testament
• A Continuing Power of Attorney for Property
• A Power of Attorney for Personal Care

Your lawyer can describe and provide advice on the use of each these legal instruments. There are also books available describing the use of each these legal documents. Many bookstores and office supply stores carry “Will Kits” which can help with a simple will.

The Ministry of the Attorney General has a kit available to setup the Power of Attorney documents, if you choose not to have your lawyer draw them up for you.

In the U.S. there is an organization that has developed a document that can be used to provide direction on medical care in case of serious illness. This is “Five Wishes.” It is a legal document in 40 states that describes what the writer would like to happen if they are unable to care for themselves.  The wishes are:

• The Person I Want to Make Care Decisions for Me When I Can’t
• The Kind of Medical Treatment I Want or Don’t Want
• How Comfortable I Want to Be
• How I Want People to Treat Me
• What I Want My Loved Ones to Know

There are two discussions that may be difficult to have with your loved ones. The first is about what will happen when you die – your funeral arrangements, and the disposition of your estate. Your Last Will and Testament should describe your desires.

The second discussion is what to do if you are ill and unable to provide medical direction. Five Wishes helps with this.  Ask your loved ones to read it and then discuss with them what your wishes are. Let them know how you’d like to be treated when you’re seriously ill. Then incorporate this information into the Power of Attorney for Personal Care.

At the same time, ensure you have appointed a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property to help with your financial affairs while you are ill. Finally, make sure you have given copies of both of these documents to the people you have appointed to speak for you when you cannot.

We encourage you to seek professional advice for complete information on any legal matters; this post is to help you begin thinking about the documents we all need to have in place.

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A New Word

On a recent trip to the States I picked up a copy of the U.S. version of More magazine.  They had a tongue-in-cheek article on “Repurposing.” I loved it.

The examples they showed included:

• An outdated mini skirt made into a lampshade
• A now “painful” stiletto shoe transformed into a flower planter
• The itsy-bitsy bikini bottom we no longer fit into turned into a log carrier
• A sanitary napkin no longer needed by the menopausal woman fashioned into a soothing eye mask

These may seem to be bizarre new uses for outdated or no longer needed items, but this may be the best way to tackle a cluttering problem.  We need to put a new spin on things and find uses for items we are storing, but will likely never use again in their originally designed form.

This also reminded me of someone I spoke to recently who was setting up a business to “repurpose” family heirlooms. If you just can’t get rid of grandma’s old china why not turn a couple of pieces into a work of art that can hang on your wall rather than storing the whole set in boxes in the basement. . I also remember my mom taking a lot of old gold jewellery and having it melted down and reformed into one pendant that she then wore all the time.

Let your creative juices flow. You might be able to breathe new life into some sentimental favourites and clear out the clutter in your closets. What better way to make decluttering fun, but then to add a bit of wit, whimsy and innovation to the process.

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Five Items You Shouldn’t Save

We’ve spent hours and hours helping people declutter. There are number of reasons why our clients want to declutter:

• They’ve got so much stuff they’ve run out of space
• They’re downsizing
• They’ve lost enjoyment in their home; it’s no longer relaxing to be at home amongst all the accumulated stuff

Here’s the first part of our list of things you shouldn’t save.

1.    If you’ve lost half of a pair of shoes, then dispose of the remaining half. You might keep the unpaired shoe for a little while, – a week or so – just to see if the missing shoe will turn up. But when it doesn’t, get rid of the shoe. At one of our client’s home we found 37 unpaired shoes.
2.    If an item is broken and cannot be repaired, dispose of it. Don’t put a note on it that reads “broken” and then store it. Storing it will not make it magically repair itself. It’s just taking up storage space needlessly.
3.    If a fry pan has a hole in it, it can no longer be used. The end. No reprieve. No miracle uses. Dispose of it.
4.    There are lots of disincentives now to using plastic grocery bags. Some stores now charge for each bag, some encourage you to switch to reusable bags by selling them inexpensively. The best habit to get into is to not use these bags. But, if you do need to use them, then remember to take them back to the grocery store for recycling. Don’t store them.
5.    Books. This might be a controversial item for some. For many of our clients books are a “clutter” item because they are all over their home, not neatly stored on shelves. If your books are not being read, pass them on to someone who will enjoy them.

What are you storing?

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Change

Barack Obama was elected, in large part, because he promised change and hope.

As Seniors Move Managers we work with seniors who are apprehensive of their move to a retirement or assisted living home.

For many people change can make them fearful. If your parent has fears about moving, work with them to put things in a better, more hopeful light.

First, acknowledge that change can be scary. But, also talk about how change can be exciting – new activities and new friends. If your parent has had difficulty getting out for groceries, then living in a retirement home will make it easier for them to have tasty, nutritious meals.

Second, focus on all the positive aspects of living with others. If your parent has been feeling lonely or isolated, a retirement residence ensures there are others around every day with whom to socialize, and activities organized by the residence.

Finally, discuss how living with others will help keep them safe.  Depending on the level of care, there may be around the clock nursing assistance available. Professional and friendly people will see them everyday and make sure they’re doing well. If problems arise, they’ll get help quickly.

Living in a retirement residence does not have to be seen as restricting your parent’s life. Rather it is a way to open up their lives to less stress, and more social interaction.

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