New Jersey - Bergen and Passaic Counties

Spring is a great time for cleaning and organizing. As the trees show their leaves and flowers bloom, it feels good to refresh your home by working on decluttering, organizing and cleaning. Because spring is also a time when people are starting to think about putting their home on the market, now is the perfect opportunity to start downsizing. Lets get started!  Plan ahead This job isnt something for a spontaneous weekend. Planning your cleaning and organizing takes a little bit of work to make it worthwhile. First, decide what your goal is. Do you want to clear clutter from every room? Are you trying to downsize for a smaller home or get the basement organized? Do you want to deep clean your entire home? Whatever your goal is, make sure youve considered all options. Clutter-busting in your bedroom is very different from cleaning out your garage. Second, pick your process. While some people like to concentrate on a room or section of the house, others like to sort like with like. For example, some people gather all the books in the house in one central place and start from there. Others like to start with the messiest place in the house. Use whatever works best for you. Third, decide where unwanted items will go. Can you sell a collection or gift it to a friend? Will you donate to a favorite organization? If you need to trash some things, do you know your citys pick-up dates and rules? It helps to know this in advance so you can work effectively. Finally, gather any supplies you might need. If you are cleaning, make sure to have enough rags, paper towels, cleaning solutions, furniture spray, etc. If you are downsizing, you will want to stock up on boxes, tape and markers. You can also ask for some help from family or friends. To make sure you stick to your goal, take breaks and reward yourself when you get a big chore done.   Tackle one area at a time If youve decided to take on one room or area of your house at a time, choose the one that is the most in need of help. Getting the biggest chore off your plate and finished will spur you on to keep moving to other rooms. One method is to start in one corner and move around the room. This gives your cleaning and organizing a focus so you dont get overwhelmed. You can pay attention to each section of the room, whether youre cleaning, organizing or downsizing. Another method is to actually take everything out of the room and then sort, purge and clean as you put things back. This forces you to see how much is in the room and touch almost every single item.   Try sorting by categories  You can tackle this seasonal chore by item as well. Choose a category and go through it thoroughly and toss, sell or donate what you dont need. This can include things such as: Clothing you havent worn in the last two yearsPaperwork that isnt needed any longer Office or school items such as empty folders or old notebooksUnused electronics that no longer work or are not usedMismatched items including  single socks, storage bins without a lid, etc. Kitchen supplies such as expired spices or long-forgotten freezer items Books that have already been read Old make-up, nail polish or creams that are dated or dried out Use the 4-pile method  The professionals at WayForth often recommend four separate piles to help you sort and organize. These include: KEEP, SELL, DONATE and TRASH and what they like to refer to as The 4-Pile Method. The KEEP pile includes things that you are currently using, are going to take with you in a move or give to a family member or friend.  The SELL pile can be items that are designated for a yard sale or through an Internet sale site such as Ebay. Think about consignment shops or even online auction houses if you have a lot of items.  The DONATE group includes things that will go to charity organizations. Make sure you are realistic about what you are donating; items that are broken or stained will eventually be thrown away by the group.  TRASH is just what the name implies. This is the pile that is going to be thrown out. If you are disposing of electronics, old paint or other household materials that may include chemicals, be sure to know what guidelines you must follow in your area.   Helpful resources for donations If you have a list of organizations that take donations, it can be a lot easier to move things out. Make a list of places in your city that will be happy to make use of your donations. Weve gathered a few national organizations and other ideas to get you started. Habitat For Humanity Appreciates donations of gently used furniture, appliances, housewares, building materials and more. Global Literacy Project Accepts donated books in order to foster community-based literacy initiatives throughout the world. Project Smile Donated baby and childrens items are provided to emergency responders to help ease the pain and fear of children in their care.For those who are giving away items for free in their own towns and neighborhoods,Freecycleis all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Or try your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook.  Dress for Success Provides interview suits, confidence boosts, and career development to low-income women in over 75 cities worldwide. Lions Clubs Eyeglass Recycling Recycled glasses are distributed to people in need in low- and middle-income communities. Cell Phones for Soldiers This non-profit helps connect our troops around the world with their families. Browse the internet for your local animal shelter. They are always in need of blankets, towels, sheets, and soft bedding to provide their rescues with warmth and a comfortable place to sleep during their stay. 

If you or a loved one were facing a terminal illness, would you know where to turn for information about end-of-life care?Every year, half of the American population will be touched by the death of a friend, family member or colleague. Hospice providers across the country are united in urging all adults, regardless of age or circumstance, to learn more about end-of-life care options that can transform dying into the final act of living well.There are four general questions that should be explored before one is touched by the unsettling reality of a terminal prognosis, explains Ann Klein, RN, VITAS patient care administrator in New Jersey North. They are:1. How will pain be managed?2. If the patient prefers to remain at home, what kind of assistance and in-home care will be available?3. What role can family members have in patient care?4. How will the spiritual and emotional support necessary for quality end-of-life care be administered?Hospice is an end-of-life care option that answers all four questions, Klein says. Tailored to the needs of each patient and family, hospice provides care to patients diagnosed with a terminal illness. It includes expert pain management, but also goes beyond medical care, providing emotional and spiritual support that most Americans believe is an important aspect of end-of-life care.Hospice care is provided by a multi-disciplinary care team comprised of doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and trained volunteers. Hospice care typically is provided in the home, allowing the patient to stay in a familiar setting surrounded by family and friends. Home is loosely defined, so terminally ill residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities can receive hospice care without having to consider moving.Medicare, Medicaid and most private health insurance plans provide coverage for hospice services. The Medicare Hospice Benefit is an all-inclusive benefit and includes coverage for physician services, nursing care, home medical equipment and medical supplies, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications related to the patient's terminal illness, counseling, spiritual support and bereavement support for the patients' loved ones. Patients and their families receive all benefits without any additional co-pays or ancillary payments.Editor's Note: This article was submitted by Robin Marshall, General Manager of VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of New Jersey North. For more information about hospice, visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, www.nhpco.org, or call VITAS at 973-994-4738.

Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) vary greatly in their ability to provide high quality individualized Rehabilitation services to patients. Patients, families, & healthcare professionals often choose a SNF based on geographical factors, physical plant (e.g. interior/exterior design, meals, availability of private rooms); also, often used in the selection process is an environment that is clean and odor-free, as well as positive regulatory agency reports. Although these factors can play a role in the decision making process, other very important factors that should be considered are often overlooked. Successful Rehabilitation, measured by positive functional outcomes, can best be achieved in facilities that provide highly individualized Rehabilitation services -- where there is a close working alliance between patients/families/caregivers & a highly skilled team of healthcare professionals. The goal of this team is to maximize a given patients physical, functional, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, & leisure potential --often after life changing/catastrophic illness. Healthcare professionals that should be part of this team include primary care physicians (PCP), and physiatrists, who should work closely side by side. While the PCP attends to the general medical needs of the patient, the physiatrist --a physician specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation -- attends to the patients individualized Rehabilitation program. The physiatrist serves as the team leader of a group of individuals, which include, but is not limited to: occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, social workers, recreational therapists, patients and their families/caregivers. Also important to the Rehabilitation process is around the clock availability of highly qualified nursing staff, as well as the easy availability of other healthcare consultants as needed. There should be close attention to the proper equipment needed for rehabilitation and the actual amount of time that a patient actively participates in the rehabilitation program, and this should reflect the actual needs of the patient. The proper matching of a specific patients need for rehabilitation services and the services that a specific SNF can actually provide, will help to maximize a successful rehabilitation outcome; this is turn, will help to minimize psychological & financial difficulties for the patient and their family -- during a usually very stressful period in their lives.Editors Note: This article was provided by Jose A. Alonso, M.D., full time physiatrist on staff at Prospect Heights Care Center. Dr. Alonso is the Medical Director of Rehabilitation Medicine Services, Prospect Heights Care Center located at 336 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, NJ, The PM&R Center, P.A., Englewood, NJ and Assistant Clinical Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York. He can be reached at 201-678-1800.

As the population continues to age, the elderly are becoming more and more vulnerable to scam artists. These scams can come in many forms, both legal and illegal, that impact negatively on the vulnerable elderly.Seniors are often the target of these schemes because they are easier to prey on than younger people. By their nature, seniors are more trusting, and in many cases, are unlikely to report fraud to the proper authorities. Even when seniors report these crimes, they are often poor witnesses. Their age and memory make them poor candidates to report needed details to prosecute these individuals.Fraud comes in many forms: identity theft, telemarketing scams, counterfeit drug scams, loan fraud, home improvement fraud, prizes and sweepstake scams, mail fraud, information mining, internet scams, the sale of legal goods and services that are totally unneeded, and lastly, Medicare and Medicaid fraud. One kind of scam involves caretaker theft. Seniors are becoming more and more dependent on care takers, be they family members, or live-in employees. Eventually the senior can become completely dependent on the caretaker and unscrupulous caretakers take advantage of these situations. Children should be ever watchful when in these situations. I have had cases where seniors have given away homes and other very valuable assets to their caretakers. New Jersey has laws to protect seniors in these situations and if you suspect such abuse, please see an experienced elder law attorney immediately.Seniors and their families need to become educated in ways to protect their nest egg and their safety. Most fraud occurs when seniors are alone, childless or have little contact with their children. Seniors can protect themselves by seeking help from trusted relatives and professionals. Many times they resist this help, thinking that they may lose control of their lives. They must be persuaded otherwise. See an attorney to obtain a financial power of attorney, will and living will is a good start. Hiring a geriatric care manager to evaluate the seniors needs can prove invaluable. If you have any desire to discuss these issues further, we will provide you with a free initial consultation.Finally guarding your credit information, being aware of imposters and being a smart consumer are the best things they can do.Editors Note: Michael A. Manna is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Boston College and a Cum Laude Graduate of Boston College Law School. After working in the tax department of the CPA firm of Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co., Mr. Manna entered the private practice of law in Ridgewood, New Jersey in 1975. Mr. Manna is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts and is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is also a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Over the past thirty years, Mr. Manna has had extensive experience as a lecturer on legal topics for various boards of education and educational institutions. He can be reached at 201-447-2800.