Sounds like a good name for a rock band, right? Its a book title, though. Review to follow...
Book ReviewThe Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of ClutterBy Margareta Magnusson Scribner, 2018, 128 pp. Reviewed by Shelley D. Coelho, Esq.Published April 2019 Margaret Magnusson provides a pragmatic approach to döstädning, or “death cleaning,” in her recent book, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter. Magnusson, who professes to be “aged between eighty and one hundred,” prefers to deal with disposing of her belongings herself, instead of placing the burden on her family after her death. She relates her experiences of clearing out after the death of her mother and husband and philosophizes that most people will not want to “take care of what you didn’t take care of yourself.” Magnusson’s approach includes doing the work in a meaningful way, such as leaving items with those who will most appreciate them, starting with the easy items (e.g., clothes) and saving the most difficult items (e.g., photos) for last. She writes of keeping a small box of items that are only meaningful to her and marking the box “throw away” to spare her family from having to take the time to sort items that are meaningless to them and others. With a lighthearted approach, Magnusson mentions taking care of the “secrets” (Grandfather’s ladies’ underwear and Grandma’s 15 dildos), but in doing so reminds us that there may be secrets that, if discovered, could hurt those we leave behind. Although the idea of this book is to bring our attention to eliminating clutter and making the clearing out process easier on our loved ones when we are gone, she also speaks of how good it makes her feel to clear out. After all, she relates, this isn’t just about things — it is also about memories. It is something we do for ourselves, and if started soon enough (she suggests at age 65), it allows us to contemplate the history of our belongings, recalling the memories and considering the worth of the items. She suggests sharing the story of the retained items with others so that they can also appreciate their worth and history. Magnusson invites us to ask ourselves, “Will anyone I know be happier if I save this?” If the answer is “no,” she suggests sending the item to the shredder or donation bin. She further postulates that, if clearing out is left to others to accomplish at the time of our passing, the items that we appreciated and would likely be appreciated by others will simply land in the dump. She speaks briefly of the planet perishing under “the weight of consumerism.” Magnusson suggests that it is our duty to take care of our possessions and that, in doing so, we may minimize discord among family members, protect the planet, simplify our lives, foster a greater appreciation of the possessions we keep or share, and make the process of clearing out after we die easier on those left behind. The book is easy to read and is filled with useful ideas, especially for those who find it difficult to part with belongings. This book is relevant to elder law attorneys because we often counsel clients on the very subject of how to dispose of someone’s belongings. In our practices, we see too often the stress related to the handling of tangible goods. We have all heard stories of a family member who tucked valuable items away in the most unlikely places, families that were broken apart when many family members wanted the same item, and the many dollars spent on the disposal of goods. The idea of döstädning is something for us to consider and possibly discuss with our clients. About the Reviewer Shelley D. Coelho is an attorney with offices in Easton, Massachusetts. She concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law, guardianships and conservatorships, special needs planning, business planning, and taxation.
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Okay I am basically begging here: If you have guns in your home, at any age, think about how they are stored and secured. Two real reasons: 1) if they are not secured they are valuable assets that are ripe targets for thieves or anyone who has access to the home. This is dangerous because as we age, many folks are needing in-home care or special assistance. Guns are an attractive valuable asset, since they are portable, in demand, and may not be missed for a while. Which would a thief rather steal--a 50 inch plasma TV or an antique pistol? 2) if they are not secured you are just ASKING to have problems with any invitee into the house having an accident. Then you would perhaps be liable to the person who shot themselves in the foot.
In addition--think of your kids! They are naturally curious and even if briefed on the danger and reminded on a daily basis about "never touching a gun!" They CAN find a way to get into anything you own, it is just a question of WHEN. Note: I do NOT support red flag laws. But anyway, check out this article. Many Older Adults Keep Guns Unlocked, Loaded at Home By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, April 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Many older adults, including those who are mentally impaired, don't lock up their guns and ammo, University of Washington researchers report. Almost 39% of the more than 4,400 seniors they surveyed in Washington state said they had a firearm in their home. Nearly a quarter said they keep at least one gun loaded and unlocked. Fewer than a third said they keep all firearms locked up and unloaded. These unsafe practices make suicide easier and endanger kids and visitors, researchers said. "Findings of this study highlight the importance of addressing access to firearms among older adults, especially those who display signs of dementia or suicide risk factors," said senior researcher Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, an associate professor of epidemiology. Every year, about 10,000 older Americans are wounded by firearms, he said. About 6,500 die of their injuries. And the risk of suicide is greater among older adults than among any other group. "We know that the overwhelming majority of firearm deaths among older adults are suicides," Rowhani-Rahbar said. Survey respondents who had guns in their home were more likely to be white, male and married. Men in rural areas and military veterans were more likely to keep their weapons unlocked and loaded. About 1 in 5 respondents with loaded weapons not locked away had been diagnosed with depression, the study found. About 1 in 8 had experienced memory loss in the past year. Easy access to guns is a special danger to older people with impaired thinking. People suffering from dementia may use the weapon to kill themselves or to shoot others because they are confused or increasingly agitated and aggressive, researchers said. Among older Americans, 91% of gun deaths are suicides. Given the link between mental decline and depression, researchers said having a gun at hand may be an avoidable risk. Although the study was done in Washington state, Rowhani-Rahbar thinks the findings apply throughout the country. "We need to do better to promote firearm safety among these households and practice policies devised to prevent firearm injuries and save lives in this population," he said. The way people with dementia and cognitive decline own and store their firearms is similar to other Americans, according to Dr. Megan Ranney, from the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine. "An important step would be to see how we, as a society, can best talk to older adults and their families about what to do with the older adults' guns as their dementia worsens," she said. Michael Anestis, a spokesman for the American Society of Suicidology, said getting older adults to give up or lock up their guns isn't likely to be easy, but some strategies can help. "We need family members and folks from law enforcement to get the message across about how guns relate to suicide and why it's important to store your firearms in a way that lowers risk," he said. Keeping guns locked up makes suicide harder, and just by making it harder, the risk drops, Anestis said. "Any obstacle we can put between a lethal method is going to help," he said. Emergency risk protection orders -- also called red flag laws -- that allow police to take guns away temporarily from people who are likely to harm themselves or others also can be a useful tool, he added. But family members are a big key to keeping their older relatives safe, Anestis said. "The car key analogy is really important for suicide with firearms," he said. Telling an older person that it's time to stop driving is a tough conversation, and telling someone that it's time to give up their guns is just as hard, because their guns are often an important part of their identity, Anestis said. If that person's thinking is impaired, the conversation is even tougher. "Ideally, they are planning for this ahead of time," he said. "I'd rather see folks storing their guns safely before we get to that point." The report was published April 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Be cognizant of this if you have an older relative with hearing loss.
Hearing loss tied to increased risk for depression Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - Older adults with hearing loss may be more likely than peers without hearing difficulty to develop symptoms of depression, a research review suggests. Globally, more than 1.3 billion people currently live with some form of hearing loss, and their ranks are expected to rise with the aging population, the study team notes in The Gerontologist. About 13 percent of adults 40 to 49 years old have hearing loss, as do 45 percent of people 60 to 69 years old and 90 percent of adults 80 and older, the authors write. To assess the connection between hearing loss and depression, researchers analyzed data from 35 previous studies with a total of 147,148 participants who were at least 60 years old. Compared to people without hearing loss, older adults with some form of hearing loss were 47 percent more likely to have symptoms of depression, the study found. “We know that older adults with hearing loss often withdraw from social occasions, like family events because they have trouble understanding others in noisy situations, which can lead to emotional and social loneliness,” said lead study author Blake Lawrence of the Ear Science Institute Australia, in Subiaco, and the University of Western Australia in Crawley. “We also know that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to experience mild cognitive decline and difficulty completing daily activities, which can have an additional negative impact on their quality of life and increase the risk of developing depression,” Lawrence said by email. “It is therefore possible that changes during older age that are often described as a ‘normal part of aging’ may actually be contributing to the development of depressive symptoms in older adults with hearing loss,” Lawrence said. The connection between hearing loss and depression didn’t appear to be influenced by whether people used hearing aids, the study also found. One limitation of the analysis is that it included studies with a wide variety of methods for assessing hearing loss and symptoms of depression. Still, the results of the analysis do add to evidence suggesting that there is a link between hearing loss and depression, said Dr. Nicholas Reed of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. First, hearing loss impairs communication and influences balance, which can lead to social isolation and decreased physical activity that, in turn, result in depression, Reed said. Hearing loss may also cause tinnitus, or perceived ringing or buzzing in the ear, that can be especially debilitating in some cases and contribute to depression, Reed, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. In addition, hearing loss may trigger changes in the brain that contribute to depression. “When we experience hearing loss, it also means that we’re sending a weaker auditory signal to our brains for processing,” Reed said. “This weak signal may mean our brains have to go into overdrive to understand sound (i.e. speech) which may come at the expense of another neural process (i.e., working memory). Also, the weak signal may cause certain neural areas and pathways to reorganize, which could change how our brain, including aspects that regulate depression, function.” While the study doesn’t examine whether treating hearing loss can prevent depression or other health problems, people should still seek help for hearing difficulties, said David Loughrey, a researcher at the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College Dublin who wasn’t involved in the study. “Hearing loss has been linked to difficulties in daily life including difficulty with socializing and fatigue due to the increased mental effort required to understand speech, especially in noisy environments,” Loughrey said by email. “If someone is experiencing difficulties due to hearing loss or if they have any concerns about their mental wellbeing, they should consult a medical professional who can assist them.” SOURCE: bit.ly/2Is8P4d The Gerontologist, online March 5, 2019. Music has the power to express emotions and speak to people in ways other than the original creator sometimes intended. All the songs I posted the lyrics for, a few days ago, featured a description or theme "high hopes". I must say that the emotions expressed by these songs range from silly to serious. There is nothing wrong with having high hopes, and being optimistic about things in general. And the songs are great, right?
Here is what I want to talk about today. I am having doubts about the viability of this law firm and the future of the same. I have high hopes for the future, and this firm was birthed with high hopes of success--of getting clients, winning their business, and making happy customers for life. I also thought this firm would be a gateway to the future for my family. Instead, having this firm has exhausted nearly all my savings, the patience and tolerance of everyone around me, and quite honestly, virtually destroyed my formerly high hopes. Or I guess I should say that the non-success of this firm has dashed my high hopes. It was never solely about "money" or "winning" but instead was about helping people. Helping people get their legal affairs in order so that their survivors could avoid costly and time-consuming probate. Helping people get their financial affairs in order. Helping people get the affairs in order of their elderly family and friends. Helping. Not making a ton of money--helping and making a comfortable living. Instead, its been five months and I have yet to obtain ONE client. I have yet to help ANYONE do anything, using my skills and intellect and talents. This is incredibly disturbing. Also incredibly disturbing is the complete lack of support from people when I needed it. Dont get me wrong--plenty of people "said an encouraging word" but that doesnt make for a successful law firm. This sure is a negative post, huh? What does the future hold? I cannot say. It is still murky. I have a little bit more time to run this firm before other options must be explored. I still have high hopes that somehow, someone will come through and become my first client. Not having clients isn't fun. It's basically people telling me that they either dont believe in me or they think I have no idea what I am doing. It is incredibly discouraging to be treated like this. When it all comes down to it, high hopes are not good for much. Onward to tomorrow. Educational resources today... Click below.
https://blog.eldercounsel.com/medical-aid-in-dying-becomes-law-in-new-jersey?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=72045495&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-88yEo8Eb4RCTyWDEY0WUyDVQ2xgz6hVgZrJWoIseRsdS2qnTYfo_Be9wIqVEDjqBsNg2Emb3T_PJVrrfkqUGNYmMWa2w&_hsmi=72045495 |
AuthorJeff Sodoma, MPA, Esq. is a lawyer based in Virginia Beach, Virginia Blog!Hello, there! Welcome to my blog. I will use this blog as a platform for my writing. I will write about topics in the legal world, certainly, as well as everything else under the sun, because I have many interests (and viewpoints). All views expressed in this blog, unless otherwise noted, are mine alone. One of my interests is music--my wife believes that I should go on "Beat Shazam" because I know so many songs--and I will be, from time to time, analyzing song lyrics and how they relate to the legal world.
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