November Newsletter
By Michele | December 3, 2009
If you missed our November newsletter, you can read the archived version by clicking here.
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October Newsletter
By Michele | November 5, 2009
If you missed our October newsletter, you can read the archived version by clicking here.
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September Newsletter
By Michele | October 15, 2009
If you missed our September newsletter, you can read the archived version by clicking here.
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Aug Newsletter
By Michele | September 24, 2009
If you missed our August newsletter, you can read the archived version by clicking here.
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July Newsletter
By Michele | August 14, 2009
If you missed our July newsletter, you can read the archived version by clicking here.
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Promises to Keep
By Michele | July 29, 2009
Diligent. Helpful. Loyal. Does this sound like you? Do you walk on burning coals to meet other people’s needs? What about your own? You don’t have to be a family caregiver to fall into this trap. Many baby boomers, male or female, succumb to this people-pleasing syndrome that Dr. Harriet Braiker calls The Disease to Please.
As we race along this collision course called life, we are desperately hoping to please our boss, our parents, our partners, and our friends. Somewhere in this scramble, we lose ourselves. As the burden of caring for aging parents or other loved ones weighs upon us, we drop our dreams by the side of the road.
We spend every last ounce of energy in our quest to be the perfect employee or angelic omniscient caregiver. We make promises to our co-workers, to our siblings, and to people we just met. But what about the promises we made to ourselves?
Maybe we promised that we would lose 50 pounds or save for retirement. Maybe we promised ourselves to finally finish writing that book. By now, you’re probably hip to the fact that I’m talking about myself here. I’ve been writing a book since the dawn of modern civilization. I’ve become that boring cocktail party pariah who sends people scurrying to freshen their drinks. Enough already!
So here’s the deal. I’m taking a self-imposed summer sabbatical to embark on my own book blitz. My goal is to complete the manuscript, including the reference section, by the second week of September. I reserve the right to blog about my progress if the spirit moves me.
See you in September. If you’re a boomer, those song lyrics may conjure up some memories. I never made it to Woodstock, but my flower child persona embarrassed my conservative sister so much that she refused to walk next to me unless I lost the head band and love beads.
By the way, what promises have you made to yourself? As Dr. Phil would say, "How’s that working for you?"
Topics: Caregiving | No Comments »
Who Will Speak for You?
By Michele | July 17, 2009
It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. When you choose a patient advocate for you or your loved ones, make sure that person is someone who is both competent and able to communicate your wishes. Your closest family member may not be the best choice if that person is not assertive or has physical challenges that limit his or her ability to battle on your behalf. I have seen some real nightmares play out in hospital halls when well-meaning but ineffective relatives frustrated themselves and everyone else in their failed attempts to advocate for their patient. No amount of tears can compensate for confused communication.
On a recent hospital visit, someone asked me, "Are you a nurse?" My response was, "No, I just hang out with a lot of sick people." Here are a few things I’ve learned on my own path through the medical maze.
Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones:
- Designate someone who can communicate, speak for you and advocate on your behalf.
- Execute Advance Directive documents. A Living Will spells out your wishes about medical and end of life issues. A Health Care Proxy, a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions, or a Health Care Power of Attorney are variations of a document that allows you to authorize someone to act on your behalf and make decisions about your medical care when you are no longer competent to do so.
- Enlist the aid of the social worker at the assisted living or rehab facility. He or she may be able to intercede with the doctor and communicate your concerns. Ideally, engage the services of a geriatric care manager early in the process.
- If you do not want the medical team rushing in "full code" with a defibrillator, talk to your doctor and ask that a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) Order be placed in your file. Inspect your file to see that it’s there.
On this blog, I share my personal experiences in the hope that you may avoid some of the mistakes I’ve seen and made along the way. I am not a medical professional or an attorney. Please consult your own advisers about the choices that are best for you and your loved ones.
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June Newsletter
By Michele | July 9, 2009
If you missed our June newsletter, you can read the archived version by clicking here.
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New Job Postings
By Michele | June 30, 2009
Calling all members of The Untapped Workforce! Are you looking for work? If not, there’s a good chance you know someone who is. I invite you to check out the recently updated career center at hirepotential.com.
HirePotential, Inc., the leader in integrating and employing The Untapped Workforce, is a gold mine of resources for veterans, mature workers, people with disabilities and members of special niches who are seeking temporary or long-term positions.
You can search current job postings and apply online for positions in customer service, engineering, information technology, finance or administration. Perform a keyword search or submit your résumé for general consideration. Browse current job postings and search by location and category for direct hire, project-based or project-to-hire positions. Save wear and tear on your nerves and the environment by searching for current openings within a 5-mile radius of your zip code.
On their website, HirePotential recently posted direct hire opportunities for case analysts and a case manager at a client’s facility near LAX in Los Angeles. The case manager oversees the case analysts who support clients as they navigate the Social Security disability process. Case analysts answer questions, help complete pre-hearing claim forms and mentor clients to better understand the procedures involved in the application process. Visit hirepotential.com for complete job descriptions, required skills and other qualifications.
If you don’t find job opportunities that meet your search criteria, you can save your searches and have emails sent when postings are a match for you. While you’re visiting the site, explore the other employment resources, including career coaching. I’m honored to be listed there as a referral source for people who are experiencing a midlife transition. Let’s get started with a complimentary coaching session to see if we’re a match.
Topics: Career Transition Coaching | No Comments »
No Free Lunch
By Michele | June 19, 2009
Any woman who waits for her knight in shining armor will find herself cleaning up after his horse.
This was a poster during the height of the feminist movement. While humorous, it does contain a kernel of truth. There really is no such thing as a free lunch. Today, men and women concerned about their investment portfolios are flocking to so-called free seminars in search of The Holy Grail. Some veterans of the old timeshare courtship rituals are hip to the process and know there’s going to be a pitch. Yet many seniors and other less sophisticated investors are snared by slick marketing and fancy hotel lunches when they can least afford it.
During these hard times, financial predators are coming out of the woodwork. In an effort to stop these cockroaches dead in their tracks, AARP is recruiting people to put an end to misleading "free lunch" investment seminars. Similar to retail mystery shopper programs, AARP created a free lunch monitor checklist. The form tracks numerous issues including the presenter’s credentials, implied endorsements and guarantees of low risk or high rates of return. Seminar attendees take the checklist to events, rate the presentation, and return the form to AARP which then shares it with securities regulators.
Not everyone who offers a free seminar is a scammer. Anyone in sales (and if you’re in business, you’re in sales) knows about the marketing funnel or pipeline. We’ve memorized the mantra that, "People do business with people they know, like and trust." I routinely register for free teleseminars and I do so hoping that I will learn some valuable information. I sign up fully expecting to get a pitch about a product or an upcoming paid workshop. But paying someone $97 for a workshop is a far cry from entrusting someone with my life savings.
There are many honest financial professionals who put the needs of their clients before their own. They offer seminars to educate prospects and to begin to nurture a relationship. But if the person in the front of the room is offering you pie in the sky, remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch. To be a free lunch monitor, visit aarp.org/nofreelunch or call 1-888-OUR-AARP.
Topics: Retirement | No Comments »
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