By Greg Schwem

For a week I sat in a lawn chair next to our mailbox, waiting for the sound of the U.S. Postal Service truck. Or UPS. I didn’t care who delivered it. But the wait was unbearable.
“Not today,” our mail carrier said as she handed me an armload of back-to-school catalogues, casino invitations and a property tax bill, the latter requiring my immediate attention. “I’m sorry, Mr. Schwem.”
“It’s NEVER gonna get here,” I wailed.
“You should look into Amazon Prime. Guaranteed two-day shipping,” she said before continuing down the block.
Finally, the blessed day occurred. “There’s a package for you in the hall,” my wife said, waving her hand in that direction as if I had forgotten where our foyer was located. “Are you expecting something?”
I charged toward our home’s front door, nearly colliding with the dog. A brown, skinny cardboard box lay on the coffee table.
“It’s here. It’s finally here,” I squealed in delight.
“WHAT’S here?” my wife asked.
“My selfie stick.”
“That doesn’t say ‘selfie stick,’” my wife said, glancing at the now opened box. It says, ‘Premium All in One Telescopic Pole.’”
“That’s the fancy title. It’s a selfie stick.”
“And what are you planning to do with that?” she asked as I extended the stick to its full 47-inch length, nearly knocking a decorative plate off the table in the process.
“What WON’T I do with it?” I replied, attaching my iPhone to the universal Smartphone mount, hitting ‘record’ and aiming the stick directly at her face. Might as well capture this teaching moment.
“Honey, the possibilities are endless,” I continued. “I can take it to concerts and sporting events and block the views of people sitting behind me while I record hours of shaky, out-of-focus footage that I know I’ll never watch!”
“Is that all?”
“Of course not. Now I can walk through airports holding the stick in front of me and talking to it!”
“And what does one say to a selfie stick?”
“Something profound like, ‘Hey, I’m in the airport. I’m walking toward the gate now and pretty soon I’m gonna get on a plane and go to Orlando. But first I’m gonna stop at Starbucks.’ Then I’ll spend the flight editing the footage on iMovie and, by the time the plane lands, I’ll have it posted on YouTube so everybody can see just how narcissistic I am!”
“You think people will want to watch that?”
“Of course. Because my life is AWESOME. Everybody with a selfie stick thinks the same thing, which is why we want to share the minutest details of our existence.”
Just then the door opened. My 18-year-old daughter entered, wearing headphones and bathed in sweat. I pointed the stick her way.
“Hi, honey, have you been out jogging?” I asked, the camera still rolling.
“No, Dad, a bucket of water fell on me from the sky,” she replied. “Wait, what are you doing? Why are you following me?”
“I’m not following you. I’m just casually walking behind you and recording this without your permission. That’s what you do when you own a selfie stick.”
“Dad, I’m about to take a shower. Mom, make him stop!”
“Lower the stick, Greg,” my wife commanded. “NOW!”
I switched the phone off. The battery had dropped from 76 percent to eight, one of the drawbacks of continuous photography and movie making. I plugged it into the nearest charger. Selfie stick owners need a steady supply of juice.
“I don’t want to see that thing in the house,” she said.
“Can we have this conversation later?” I asked. “When my phone is recharged? I’ll record it and add it to my recently created ‘Arguments With My Wife’ YouTube channel.”
“If you want to use that stick for work, promotion, whatever, that’s fine. But you’re not putting our lives on display. Got it?”
“Selfie stick owners don’t like hearing ‘no.’”
“Would this owner like his selfie stick broken in half?”

“Fine. I’m going outside to mow the lawn now.”

“How long will that take?”

“About 45 minutes. Maybe longer if the lighting is good. I need a new video for the ‘Guys Mowing their Lawns’ channel.”
“I don’t know you.”

(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad,” available at http://bit.ly/gregschwem. Visit Greg on the Web at www.gregschwem.com.)

(c) 2015 GREG SCHWEM. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC

Dear Savvy Senior, An old family friend recently asked me to be the executor of his will when he dies. I feel flattered that he asked, but I’m not sure what exactly the job entails. What can you tell me? Concerned Friend

Dear Concerned,
Serving as the executor of your friend’s estate may seem like an honor, but it can also be a huge chore. Here’s what you should know to help you prepare. Rules and Responsibilities
As the executor of your friend’s will, you’re essentially responsible for winding up his affairs after he dies. While this may sound simple enough, you need to be aware that the job can be tedious, time consuming and difficult depending on the complexity of his financial and family situation. Some of the duties required include:
· Filing court papers to start the probate process (this is generally required by law to determine the will’s validity).
· Taking an inventory of everything in his estate.
· Using his estate’s funds to pay bills, including taxes, funeral costs, etc.
· Handling details like terminating his credit cards, and notifying banks and government agencies like Social Security and the post office of his death.
· Preparing and filing his final income tax returns.
· Distributing assets to the beneficiaries named in his will.
Be aware that each state has specific laws and timetables on an executor’s responsibilities. Your state or local bar association may have an online law library that details the rules and requirements. The American Bar Association website also offers guidance on how to settle an estate. Go to americanbar.org and type in “guidelines for individual executors and trustees” to find it.
Get Organized
If you agree to take on the responsibility as executor of your friend’s estate, your first step is to make sure he has an updated will, and find out where all his important documents and financial information is located. Being able to quickly put your hands on deeds, brokerage statements and insurance policies after he dies will save you a lot of time and hassle.
If he has a complex estate, you may want to hire an attorney or tax account to guide you through the process, with the estate picking up the cost. If you need help locating a pro, the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (naepc.org) and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (naela.org) are great resources that provide directories on their websites to help you find someone.
Avoid Conflicts
Find out if there are any conflicts between the beneficiaries of your friend’s estate. If there are some potential problems, you can make your job as executor much easier if everyone knows in advance who’s getting what, and why. So ask your friend to tell his beneficiaries what they can expect. This includes the personal items too, because wills often leave it up to the executor to dole out heirlooms. If there’s no distribution plan for personal property, suggest he make one and put it in writing.
Executor Fees
As the executor, you’re entitled to a fee paid by the estate. In most states executors are entitled to take a percentage of the estate’s value, which usually ranges anywhere from 1 to 5 percent depending on the size of the estate. But, if you’re a beneficiary, it may make sense for you to forgo the fee. That’s because fees are taxable, but Uncle Sam in most states don’t tax inheritances.
For more information on the duties of an executor, get a copy of the book “The Executor’s Guide: Settling A Loved One’s Estate or Trust” for $32 at nolo.com or call 800-728-3555.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

A Hughes County funeral home director has been sentenced for embezzling more than $125,000 from 28 families. An investigation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit led to the charges against Donald Williamson, 57, of Wetumka.
“I’m proud of our Anti-Fraud Unit for uncovering this crime,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “If they hadn’t stepped in when they did, there is a very good chance a grieving family would have been faced with the added pain of an unexpected expense. Thankfully, we were able to keep that from happening.”
Williamson owns Williamson-Spradlin Funeral Home in Wetumka. He admitted accepting money for prepaid funerals but not establishing trust funds or purchasing the insurance policies required for payouts. Instead, Williams deposited the money into the funeral home’s banking account to use for operating expenses. Investigators found 28 victims from Nov. 2011-Dec. 2014. By the end of the investigation, nearly $75,000 meant to pay for funerals was missing. Approximately $50,000 was still in the business banking account.
Williamson, who took out a personal loan to repay his victims, pleaded no contest to embezzlement and guilty to violating the Prepaid Funeral Benefits Law. The judge gave him a seven-year deferred sentence.
“We spent months working on this case,” said Rick Wagnon, Anti-Fraud Unit Chief. “Commissioner Doak hosted two town hall meetings in Wetumka to speak with possible victims. Both were standing room only. We’re just glad the victims got their money back.”

by Tina Singleton

Home Health Care and Home Care sound the same, but actually they are different. Home Health Care agencies offer skilled services such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech therapy. In order to receive these services you must be homebound, and have a doctor’s order telling what kind(s) of skilled care you need. The visits are usually an hour or less, two-three times a week. As long as there is a skilled need, they can also send a home health aide to assist with bathing one-three times a week. This type of service is commonly used for people who have new diagnosis or new conditions in which they would benefit from visits from a nurse or a therapist. Some of the reasons that Home Health Care may be indicated would be: § Diabetes § Wound care § Broken hip or hip replacement § Stroke § Congestive heart failure/ COPD § Frequent falls § New medications
Home Health is covered by Medicare. There is also a benefit for Hospice covered by Medicare.Hospice doesn’t always mean that a patient is lying in a hospital bed waiting to take his or her last breath. As long as a doctor is monitoring a decline of someone with a terminal diagnosis, they are eligible to receive this benefit as long as needed. There is no need to wait until an individual has only weeks left to live to take advantage of this benefit. An example of a terminal diagnosis for Hospice might include: § Alzheimer’s or other Dementia § Cancer § Congestive Heart Failure § COPD § HIV/AIDS § Chronic liver or renal disease
Medicare will pay for medications, supplies, medical equipment, nursing care, aide visits, social work assistance, and chaplain outreach through the Hospice benefits.
Home Care can be received by anyone. It is non-skilled care. A client may be someone coming home after having surgery who just needs a little extra help with meals or laundry, or have someone there to assist them, if they need anything. The typical client is someone who is elderly who is no longer safe to stay at home alone and needs help with their personal care such as bathing, bathroom assistance, dressing, light housekeeping, medication reminders, and meal preparation. Home care can also be companionship. Sometimes just the companionship of another person makes a huge difference. So many times you see the elderly go through loneliness and even depression because they have no one to talk to or to do things with. Services can be adjusted to fit a client’s changing needs, anything from just a few hours a week, all the way to 24 hour care. Home care does not require someone to be homebound, and there is no doctor’s order needed. Home care can work alongside a Home Health Care, or Hospice agency to compliment the services already being offered. Home care is private pay, although here are a few ways you may be able to get some help in paying for the services: § VA Benefits – Homemaker Program or the Aide and Assistance Program § Long term care Insurance § Respite vouchers § Reverse mortgage § Life insurance policy
There are some programs offered to Medicaid recipients also. They can be utilized in a combination of skilled care and non-skilled care. These services have to be arranged by a Medicaid case manager, and provided by a Medicaid licensed home healthcare agency.
To sum this up for you, Home Health is short term, intermittent skilled visits paid for by Medicare. Hospice is care for those with a terminal diagnosis that is declining, and Home care is non-skilled care that can be tailored to the client’s needs and is private pay.
For additional information, please contact Tina Singleton, Right Choice Personal Assistance (405) 595-7066 I hope this is okay.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 13, 2015- Haverland Carter LifeStyle Group (HCLG), a mission driven, faith based New Mexico not-for-profit 501(c) (3) has purchased Sommerset Assisted Living and Memory Care Center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Formerly a family owned, for-profit community, the name will be changed to Sommerset Neighborhood and become a not-for-profit affiliate of HCLG.
HCLG is an integrated retirement lifestyle provider currently operating one LifeCare Community, La Vida Llena in Albuquerque and has another under construction, The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Its new acquisition, Sommerset Neighborhood, was built in three phases between 1998 and 2005 with a total of 124 studio and one bedroom apartments providing Assisted Living, Memory Care and Progressive Care. HCLG will bring its 30+ years of experience operating La Vida Llena, Albuquerque’s only LifeCare Community, and has a history of excellent care in its nursing home, assisted living and memory care. La Vida Llena consistently holds a 5 star rating, the highest rating from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services that administers the Medicare program.
“This acquisition is in perfect alignment with Haverland Carter’s not-for-profit mission of offering senior housing and health care options. The experienced leadership of HCLG will benefit the residents and employees of Sommerset,” stated E. DeAnn Eaton, the CEO of HCLG.
“There will be no dramatic first day changes in employment or provision of services to the residents,” stated Ms. Eaton. “Our plan is to gradually adapt Sommerset to the HCLG branding best recognized by being named One of the Top 10 Best Places to Work Large Employers in New Mexico in 2014 by The Albuquerque Business First and as “Albuquerque’s Best Senior Living Community” in 2015 in a survey of readers of The Albuquerque Journal.
“It is within our strategic plan to grow business either by building new or through acquisition. Our strategic plan,” continues Ms. Eaton, “is to seek new opportunities to provide care and services beyond our existing boundaries. Certainly going into Oklahoma has us expanding our geographic presence, but also has us diversifying by adding a freestanding Assisted Living community to our LifeCare Communities.”
“HCLG current affiliates, La Vida Llena and The Neighborhood in Rio Ranch, will not be affected by this acquisition.” Explained the CEO.
Connie Bailey, JD and Ida Dunn, the previous owners, were dedicated to the residents and the staff of Sommerset and wanted the best possible outcome as they decided to retire from being the owner/operators of Sommerset. “We were impressed with HCLG as a mission driven, not-for-profit organization and felt they would assure the best care for the residents and preserve continued employment for the staff,” stated Connie Bailey, “We are leaving Sommerset in good hands.”
Haverland Carter is committed to excellence in retirement community management. It is our mission to enhance the well-being and quality of life for older persons with competency, compassion and ethical behavior.