Walking, stretching, jumping jacks – we all know that getting the circulation moving in your body makes you feel better and maybe live longer. But it’s just as important to get the blood moving through your brain, says Vickie Wilk, a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Improving vascularity in the brain can help stall cognitive decline and dementia, and help keep your mind sharp long into old age.
Vickie will speak about "Helping Prevent and Living with Cognitive Decline" on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. at the Westminster Institute. It’s the second in Westminster Cares’ Speaking of Aging series.
She will explain exercises that can keep your mind nimble, and how and why they work. She’ll discuss recent research into prevention of dementia, and the difference between depression and dementia and how important it is to recognize that difference. She’ll also have tips on how to interact with a family member or significant other who has cognitive decline. Bring your questions about any of these aging issues.
Exercise can help slow the potential onset of dementia, research shows. “I don’t expect people to get out there and run a marathon,” Vickie said. “But 20 minutes, three times a week can improve vascularity, even if it means getting on the stationary bike and getting your heart to pound a little. All of it helps.”
Mental exercise, good for neurological and physiological growth of the brain, is just as important. So give your brain something new and different to do, Vickie suggests. Learn a new language. Play a number puzzle, like sudoku – especially if you’re used to doing crosswords or other word puzzles—and vice versa.
Another area that interests Vickie is the difference between depression and dementia. Depression is often mistaken for dementia, particularly in the elderly, she said. The usual barometers she uses to measure for depression are things like lack of focus and concentration, loss of appetite and poor sleep habits. “But in an older person, those tend to be there anyway. So I’m more apt to look at their mood, their feeling state and level of anxiety.
It’s crucial to diagnose depression early to help prevent dementia,” she said.
Vickie became a nurse because of her godmother, Anna Booniarz, known as “Hanti,” Polish for “Anna.” Hanti was a nurse, who developed Alzheimer’s disease in her seventies. “I used to take her out to lunch, and I began to see signs of decline,” Vickie said. “So I had first-hand experience. And it really stimulated my curiosity.”
One of Vickie’s first jobs was on a research unit, studying the neuropsychological underpinnings of depression. Immersion in the professional world of biological psychiatry and her aunt’s decline both led to her current interest “Geriatric psychiatry is the last challenge in my professional life, and I really want to stimulate myself.”
Vickie is a married mother of two daughters and two grandchildren, and is in a small private group practice, Otter Creek Associates /Matrix Health System, in Brattleboro. She has worked in psychiatry since the days of state hospitals. She received both her BS and MS degrees from Boston College School of Nursing, and has worked at McLean hospital in Belmont, Mass., along with other hospitals in Massachusetts, and has taught psychopharmacology.
Vickie is also the founding mother of an Indochinese psychiatry clinic in the Boston area, started in the early 1980s, when many Cambodian refugees from the Khmer Rouge regime settled in Boston.
To thank the community for 25 years of support, Westminster Cares is presenting a series of speakers to explore key issues in aging. Speaking of Aging is sponsored by the Fanny Holt Ames & Edna Louise Holt Fund, Bank of America, N.A.,Trustee.
Two more Speaker Series events are schedule: Dennis McCullough, M.D., on Tuesday, August 6, and Willem Lang, author and VPR commentator, on Tuesday, September 17. Find more at www.westminstercares.org.
“Aged in Vermont” is a monthly article on aging issues, organized by Westminster Cares. Ideas for future columns? Would you like to write one? We’d like to hear from you. Email Ronnie Friedman at wecares@sover.net.
Aged in Vermont - Articles for those who know someone who is aging...
Friday, April 26, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
A Pet Can Make Your Life Better - Part 2
In January, Aged in
Vermont looked at how pets can help seniors with the aging process. This
month, we discuss how companion animals may help them deal with some of the
physical and sensory changes that come with aging.
Vision: With
proper correction of visual deficits, seniors can watch fish swim in an
aquarium, or watch wild animals in the yard or birds flying. Important sensory
stimulants like these keep an older person connected to the environment.
Hearing: Hearing
loss is the third most frequently reported chronic condition of people over 65.
A companion animal can alert its owner to both guests and intruders. And in taking a pet for a walk, a senior
often starts conversations with others.
Touch: Sensitivity
to touch, which helps us perceive and express feelings, is reduced with
aging. At a time when there is a greater
need for tactile stimulation but there are fewer opportunities to touch or be
touched, pets can fill that need. “The
cold wet nose of a faithful canine friend, the velvet feel of a cat’s sleek
coat, the softness of a bunny’s ears, the gentle peck of a budgie can be the
stimulus that connects the older person to reality.”
Smell and Taste:
Changes in olfactory and gustatory systems are less noticeable but play an
important role in the health and well-being of older persons. The diminished
sense of smell may indirectly affect appetite and be accompanied by a gradual
loss of taste buds so that a senior can’t enjoy the flavor of foods as much.
Good nutrition is
critical to the overall health of older persons. Food intake is also influenced
by the social environment so, for an older person living alone, having to
prepare food for a pet may encourage them to prepare food for themselves.
Often, pets can substitute for other social contact during meals.
Also, if a senior is less able to smell smoke from fire or
toxic odors, pets can often alert their owners to those dangerous changes in
the environment.
Cardiovascular System:
Companion animals can make an important difference in promoting quality of life
for seniors with cardiovascular disease.
Watching or petting a pet can help them relax and lower blood pressure. Walking a pet or playing catch may be just
the stimulus an older person needs to engage in activity. Having to walk or care for pets becomes a reason
to get up in the morning.
Musculoskeletal
System: Changes in the musculoskeletal system directly affect how well
older persons can move about in their environment. Disuse impairs many
functions. Companion animals can play a very important role here: Brisk
walking, easily done with a dog, is the simplest form of weight-bearing
exercise. Throwing a toy or holding an
object for a cat to paw provides an opportunity to exercise arm and shoulder
joints.
A pet can help an older person, not only with better
physical health, but with dealing with loss, improved social attitudes, mental
health, and happiness. All good reasons to own a pet!
Excerpted from “The Role Animals Play in Enhancing Quality
of Life for the Elderly.”
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
A Pet Can Make Your Life Better - Part 1
With the aging of our population, there has been increased
attention placed on health promotion for persons of all ages, especially those
60 and older. This article underscores
the value of pet ownership in promoting health and enhancing quality of life for
seniors.
Aging is a dynamic interactive process influenced by a
person’s internal and external environment.
The external environment can include a living situation, activity
levels, nutrition, and social factors. Having a companion animal impacts ones external
environment and has been shown to have a positive effect on quality of life for
many seniors. Although there is still much to be learned about the effects of
the human-animal companion bond, studies have shown that pet ownership can
increase social interaction, improve mental health, and decrease depression.
Companion animals can play an important role in compensating
for losses and age-related change in older persons. Sensory changes are among
the first age-related changes noted by seniors and can have a profound effect
on quality of life because these changes affect how one receives and responds
to stimuli.
- Vision: Proper correction of visual deficits will enable the older person to watch fish swim in an aquarium, watch wild animals in the yard or birds flying about outdoors. Any one of these visually stimulating activities keeps the older person “connected” to his or her environment and serves as an important means of sensory stimulation.
- Hearing: Hearing loss is the 3rd most frequently reported chronic condition of persons over 65. A companion animal can serve as an alert system while outdoors but also draw attention to guests and intruders. In addition, the companion animal can reinforce the older person’s attempts to communicate verbally especially when taking the animal outdoors.
- Touch: Touch sensitivity is known to be reduced with aging. While the skin serves many physiologic functions it is also involved in sensory perception and expression of feelings. Aging typically decreases the older person’s opportunities to touch or be touched at a time when the need for tactile stimulation increases with age. Most pets provide an opportunity to fulfill the need to touch and be touched. “The cold wet nose of a faithful canine friend, the velvet feel of a cat’s sleek coat, the softness of a bunny’s ears, the gentle peck of a budgie can be the stimulus that connects the older person to reality.”
- Smell and Taste: Changes in olfactory and gustatory systems are less noticeable but play an important role in the health and well-being of older persons. There is a diminished sense of smell which may indirectly affect appetite; this may be accompanied by a gradual loss of taste buds resulting in a decreased ability to enjoy the flavor of foods. Food intake is also influenced by the social environment and the importance of good nutrition to the overall health of older persons is critical. For an older person living alone, having to prepare food for a pet may serve as stimulus to prepare food for one’s self. Often, the presence of pets during meals can be a substitute for other social contact. The reduced sense of smell may put seniors at risk for injury related to undetected smoke from fire and as well as toxic odors. Pets often alert their owners to undesired or dangerous changes I the environment.
- Cardiovascular System: Cardiovascular disease is common among persons over 65. Risk factors can be separated into two categories non-modifiable and modifiable. It is in the area of modifiable risk factors that companion animals can make an important difference in promoting quality of life for seniors. Observing and/or petting a companion animal has been associated with a reduction in blood pressure and an increase in relaxation. Walking a pet or playing catch may be just the stimulus that is needed for the older person to engage in activity. Having to walk and/or care for pets gives the older person a reason the get up in the morning.
- Musculoskeletal System: Changes that occur in this system have a direct effect on the manner and ability of older persons to move about in their environment. Although disease processes do affect a large number of seniors, many of the observed impairments in functioning are related to disuse. It is in the area of musculoskeletal fitness that companion animals take on particular importance. Brisk walking is the simplest form of weight-bearing exercise and can easily be done with a dog. Throwing a toy or holding an object for a cat to paw at provides an opportunity to exercise arm and shoulder joints.
- Importance of Pets to Seniors: One of the most common issues for seniors is loss. Advancing age brings with it increased losses in many areas including physical losses such as mobility, vision, and hearing; psychological losses such as memory and problem-solving abilities; and social losses such as support, institutionalization and death of loved ones. How one deals with loss may be the single greatest factor affecting the quality of remaining years. The presence of a companion animal to whom one is attached may be a moderator in helping seniors deal with losses.
Studies have shown the therapeutic value of pet ownership
through improved social attitudes, mental health, and happiness. For those
living independently in the community, pet ownership has been shown to enhance
lives. For persons entering a
residential living situation, pet ownership may lessen the impact of loss of
personal freedom.
Excerpted from, “The Role Animals Play in Enhancing Quality
of Life for the Elderly”.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Meet Trudy Byington, Your Community Nurse
It was a name tag worn by a friend that got Trudy Byington, Westminster’s community nurse, into nursing. Trudy had been working in a factory for thirteen years, and she and her husband had a three-year-old son and a set of twins on the way, when she saw the name tag that read “G.N.” She was curious.
It turned out that the friend had earned her licensed practical nurse degree, then attended New Hampshire Technical College for a year to become a registered nurse.
“I said ‘I can’t do four years, but I can do two years,’” said Trudy. So she took two years of evening classes while still working, then, as she says, “we took the plunge and said we’ll suffer through.” She quit her job in 1989 and went to school full-time at New Hampshire Technical College. “My mother [Henriette Swarts, a Westminster resident since 2009] was my biggest support, along with my husband [Rob],” Trudy said.
After graduating in 1991, and getting her R.N. license, Trudy worked at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene and then the Visiting Nurses Association, where she stayed for more than seventeen years. “I got a lot of experience, and met a lot of people in the community,” she said.
When Ronnie Friedman, Westminster Cares’ executive director, was looking for a community nurse in 2010, Trudy was ready to turn to more direct dealing with patients, and took the job. She also works part-time in some of the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union schools.
Trudy was born Trudy Swarts in the Netherlands, and then immigrated to Canada with her family when she was a year old. They moved to the U.S. when Trudy was four, and two years later to Bellows Falls.
As the community nurse, Trudy is referred by Westminster Cares to elderly and adults with disabilities who may not be eligible for home-based services from other agencies and organizations. Her care is free. She does nonemergency care, such as foot care and wound care, helps with medication, blood pressure checks and lots of assessment.
Many of her calls are to people who are unsure what they need. Are they ill enough to call a doctor? What should they do? Their health is starting to fail; what are their options?
“It’s a lot of education,” Trudy said. “Often it’s reinstruction of things people have already learned, like how to administer insulin. Often they just need somebody to talk to and to tell them what resources are out there. And it’s often connecting people back with their families. A lot of it is reassurance – is what I have normal or not?”
“I still like home care best, especially dealing with the elderly, ” she says.
If you think you or a loved one could use Trudy’s services, call Westminster Cares at 722-3607.
It turned out that the friend had earned her licensed practical nurse degree, then attended New Hampshire Technical College for a year to become a registered nurse.
“I said ‘I can’t do four years, but I can do two years,’” said Trudy. So she took two years of evening classes while still working, then, as she says, “we took the plunge and said we’ll suffer through.” She quit her job in 1989 and went to school full-time at New Hampshire Technical College. “My mother [Henriette Swarts, a Westminster resident since 2009] was my biggest support, along with my husband [Rob],” Trudy said.
After graduating in 1991, and getting her R.N. license, Trudy worked at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene and then the Visiting Nurses Association, where she stayed for more than seventeen years. “I got a lot of experience, and met a lot of people in the community,” she said.
When Ronnie Friedman, Westminster Cares’ executive director, was looking for a community nurse in 2010, Trudy was ready to turn to more direct dealing with patients, and took the job. She also works part-time in some of the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union schools.
Trudy was born Trudy Swarts in the Netherlands, and then immigrated to Canada with her family when she was a year old. They moved to the U.S. when Trudy was four, and two years later to Bellows Falls.
As the community nurse, Trudy is referred by Westminster Cares to elderly and adults with disabilities who may not be eligible for home-based services from other agencies and organizations. Her care is free. She does nonemergency care, such as foot care and wound care, helps with medication, blood pressure checks and lots of assessment.
Many of her calls are to people who are unsure what they need. Are they ill enough to call a doctor? What should they do? Their health is starting to fail; what are their options?
“It’s a lot of education,” Trudy said. “Often it’s reinstruction of things people have already learned, like how to administer insulin. Often they just need somebody to talk to and to tell them what resources are out there. And it’s often connecting people back with their families. A lot of it is reassurance – is what I have normal or not?”
“I still like home care best, especially dealing with the elderly, ” she says.
If you think you or a loved one could use Trudy’s services, call Westminster Cares at 722-3607.
Westminster Cares honored the town’s 90-plus-year-old residents at its annual meeting November 4, 2012 at the Westminster Central Fire Station. There are currently seventeen Westminster people who are 90 or older-- eight of them attended the event, along with many family members and town residents. They enjoyed talking with townspeople, and were served lunch and cake to celebrate their birthdays.
Emcee Pete Harrison, Westminster Cares’ treasurer, related some information about each honoree, accompanied by a slideshow of photographs from the lives of many of them created by board member Don Dawson. Some were photos of their early years; many were photos of the houses in Westminster where they lived or live now.
Pete had many anecdotes to share. Here’s one, told to him by Artie Aiken: Artie borrowed a block and tackle from a neighbor, who told him, “Just bring it back when you are going by sometime.” Artie said he was very busy working on the railroad in those days and time got away from him. “Next thing I knew,” said Artie, “the local sheriff appeared in my yard and asked me about the tools I had borrowed.”
The sheriff at the time was George Woods. “Let me see that block and tackle,” George said. After looking it over, George told Artie: “You can keep it. The person you borrowed it from borrowed it from my father three years ago and never returned it.”
The photo of Evelyn Rhoades’ house, on Route 5 on the flats, was shown twice. Why? Evelyn Aubuchont lived there before she sold it to the Rhoadeses in 1976. Coincidentally, the two Evelyns both had maiden names of Evelyn Adams.
Here are the 90-plus-year-olds, and their dates of birth. There are two couples in the group:
Jack Keil 12/30/22
Dennis Payne 12/25/22
Betty Holton 2/2/22
Evelyn Aubuchont 11/26/21
Russell Blodgett 5/30/21
Barbara Keil 4/19/21 [Jack Keil’s wife]
Amelia Zezima 3/24/21
Doc Buck 2/23/21
Arlene Reed 12/22/20
Arlene Bates 12/19/19
Evelyn Rhoades 4/26/19
Ralph Atkins 10/12/18
Everett Reed 7/20/16 [Arlene’s husband]
Margaret DiFredo 1/12/16
Everett Garland 9/5/14
Artie Aiken 6/10/13
Louise Morse 5/20/13
Dick Morse 3/31/13
These honored guests were able to attend: Dennis Payne, Dr. Ralph Buck, Arlene Reed, Arlene Bates, Evelyn Rhoades, Everett Reed, Artie Aiken, and Dick Morse.
When Westminster Cares celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2013, there will be three residents turning 100 years of age. Stay tuned for a big celebration! Meanwhile, the organization is in the midst of its annual appeal, and if it meets its goal of raising $12,000, the Thomas Thompson Trust will give an extra $10,000.
The Thompson Trust gives money to charitable organizations that provide health care and other social services in Windham County, Vermont. Any contribution can be designated as a memorial donation. For more information, you can call the Westminster Cares office at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net. For more information about Westminster Cares, visit the website at www.westminstercares.org.
Emcee Pete Harrison, Westminster Cares’ treasurer, related some information about each honoree, accompanied by a slideshow of photographs from the lives of many of them created by board member Don Dawson. Some were photos of their early years; many were photos of the houses in Westminster where they lived or live now.
Pete had many anecdotes to share. Here’s one, told to him by Artie Aiken: Artie borrowed a block and tackle from a neighbor, who told him, “Just bring it back when you are going by sometime.” Artie said he was very busy working on the railroad in those days and time got away from him. “Next thing I knew,” said Artie, “the local sheriff appeared in my yard and asked me about the tools I had borrowed.”
The sheriff at the time was George Woods. “Let me see that block and tackle,” George said. After looking it over, George told Artie: “You can keep it. The person you borrowed it from borrowed it from my father three years ago and never returned it.”
The photo of Evelyn Rhoades’ house, on Route 5 on the flats, was shown twice. Why? Evelyn Aubuchont lived there before she sold it to the Rhoadeses in 1976. Coincidentally, the two Evelyns both had maiden names of Evelyn Adams.
Here are the 90-plus-year-olds, and their dates of birth. There are two couples in the group:
Jack Keil 12/30/22
Dennis Payne 12/25/22
Betty Holton 2/2/22
Evelyn Aubuchont 11/26/21
Russell Blodgett 5/30/21
Barbara Keil 4/19/21 [Jack Keil’s wife]
Amelia Zezima 3/24/21
Doc Buck 2/23/21
Arlene Reed 12/22/20
Arlene Bates 12/19/19
Evelyn Rhoades 4/26/19
Ralph Atkins 10/12/18
Everett Reed 7/20/16 [Arlene’s husband]
Margaret DiFredo 1/12/16
Everett Garland 9/5/14
Artie Aiken 6/10/13
Louise Morse 5/20/13
Dick Morse 3/31/13
These honored guests were able to attend: Dennis Payne, Dr. Ralph Buck, Arlene Reed, Arlene Bates, Evelyn Rhoades, Everett Reed, Artie Aiken, and Dick Morse.
When Westminster Cares celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2013, there will be three residents turning 100 years of age. Stay tuned for a big celebration! Meanwhile, the organization is in the midst of its annual appeal, and if it meets its goal of raising $12,000, the Thomas Thompson Trust will give an extra $10,000.
The Thompson Trust gives money to charitable organizations that provide health care and other social services in Windham County, Vermont. Any contribution can be designated as a memorial donation. For more information, you can call the Westminster Cares office at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net. For more information about Westminster Cares, visit the website at www.westminstercares.org.
Six Tips for Keeping Your Brain – and Memory – Youthful
Last month, we wrote about memory as we age. Although the brain’s ability to remember declines as we get older, there are ways to slow that decline.
This month, we offer a few strategies on how to keep that memory agile. These tips are also taken from a presentation given to the advisory board of the Bellows Falls Senior Center last February by Sue Ann Forcier, elder care outreach coordinator for Senior Solutions.
It’s important to stay mentally active: learn a new pastime, play cards or games, memorize anything new— a line from a song, a rhyme or prayer. Challenge yourself with learning a new route while driving; pay attention to the details and write them down when you get home. It’s just as important to stay mentally active. That helps stimulate executive functioning as you follow the flow of conversation, reading and interpreting the others’ responses. It also helps reduce isolation, one of the factors contributing to dementia.
This month, we offer a few strategies on how to keep that memory agile. These tips are also taken from a presentation given to the advisory board of the Bellows Falls Senior Center last February by Sue Ann Forcier, elder care outreach coordinator for Senior Solutions.
It’s important to stay mentally active: learn a new pastime, play cards or games, memorize anything new— a line from a song, a rhyme or prayer. Challenge yourself with learning a new route while driving; pay attention to the details and write them down when you get home. It’s just as important to stay mentally active. That helps stimulate executive functioning as you follow the flow of conversation, reading and interpreting the others’ responses. It also helps reduce isolation, one of the factors contributing to dementia.
- The task: Go on a guided tour of a museum or another site of interest. Pay careful attention to what the guide says. When you get home, try to reconstruct the tour by writing an outline that includes everything you remember.
Why: Research into brain plasticity (the ability of the brain to change at any age) indicates that memory activities that engage all levels of brain operation—receiving, remembering and thinking—help to improve the function and hinder the rate of decline of the brain. - The task: Choose a song with lyrics you enjoy but don't have memorized. Listen to the song as many times as necessary to write down all the lyrics. Then learn to sing along. Once you've mastered one song, move on to another.
Why: Developing better habits of careful listening will help you in your understanding, thinking and remembering. Reconstructing the song requires close attention and an active memory. When you focus, you release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a brain chemical that enables plasticity and vivifies memory. - The task: If you've ever thought about learning to play an instrument or take up an old one.
Why: Playing an instrument helps you exercise many interrelated dimensions of brain function, including listening, control of refined movements and translation of written notes (sight) to music (movement and sound). - The task: Do a jigsaw puzzle that will be challenging for you—no fewer than 500 pieces.
Why: Mundane as they may seem, jigsaw puzzles can provide real help for your brain. Completing one requires fine visual judgments about where pieces belong. It entails mentally rotating the pieces, manipulating them in your hands, and shifting your attention from the small piece to the big picture. To top it off, it's rewarding to find the right pieces. - The Task: Increase your physical activities, no matter how small.
Why: New research indicates that exercise has positive benefits for the hippocampus, a brain structure that is important for learning and memory. It can even help your brain create new cells. - The Task: Get a good night’s sleep.
Why: Scientists believe that our brains consolidate learning and memories during sleep. Studies have shown that people who don't sleep enough have more trouble learning new information, while sleeping well after learning something new helps the brain effectively put that information into long term memory.
Taxes Can Be So Taxing
As hard as it may seem, April is just around the corner, when we’ll all be scurrying to get our taxes ready for April 15.
Taxes are incredibly complex in this day and age, say Patrick Madden and Annette Spaulding of Spaulding & Madden Tax Services in Westminster. The very first Form 1040 in 1913 was only three pages long and now, when your return is complete, you end up with a small encyclopedia. Tax issues and planning for seniors is one of the most important issues tax preparers deal with. There are too many issues to cover but here are a few, according to Spaulding and Madden:
Additionally, you can dial 2-1-1 to find out more about getting assistance for tax preparation. The Vermont-based website - http://www.vtlawhelp.org/taxes - will also provide you with detailed information on how to get tax preparation. There are some requirements, so be sure to read or to call and ask questions first.
AARP also provides an online service where you can look for agencies that provide free tax support. Please visit http://www.vtlawhelp.org/node/160 for more information.
Westminster Cares offers many opportunities to volunteer. You can deliver Meals on Wheels, take an elderly neighbor to the doctor or shopping, visit someone who lives alone, take a walk with a neighbor or serve on one of our committees. To find out how you can volunteer, call Westminster Cares at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net
Taxes are incredibly complex in this day and age, say Patrick Madden and Annette Spaulding of Spaulding & Madden Tax Services in Westminster. The very first Form 1040 in 1913 was only three pages long and now, when your return is complete, you end up with a small encyclopedia. Tax issues and planning for seniors is one of the most important issues tax preparers deal with. There are too many issues to cover but here are a few, according to Spaulding and Madden:
- Seniors are often faced with medical issues that can also lead to home improvements or renovations due to medical problems, and that can have tax implications.
- For those who are still working and receiving Social Security, you must plan your tax withholding, as up to 85% of your Social Security can be taxable, depending on your earned income.
- Pensioners after age 70 must have Required Minimum Distributions taken out of their pensions or face penalties.
- Seniors with investment income fared well the fast few years, as the capital gain rate was set at 15% or less for 2012. It can even be 0%, depending on circumstances. This affects you if you sell stocks or property other than your primary residence. But who knows what Congress will pass this coming year?
- One of the most important issues that seniors must deal with is estate planning. It is critical that you consult with a professional to properly plan for your estate. “We cannot stress enough the importance of sitting down with a tax professional and discussing your situation in order to properly plan for your retirement years,” Spaulding and Madden say.
Resources for you
There are resources available to assist you with your tax preparation and the sooner you get started, the easier it will be to submit your taxes in a timely manner. For starters:- SEVCA (located at 91 Buck Street in Westminster, next to Allen Brothers), in cooperation with the United Way, will provide FREE tax return preparation. This service is provided through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which offers free tax help for taxpayers who have household income up to $50,000. For more information, call SEVCA directly at 802-722-4575.
- H & R Block will provide a free “second-look” service for any of your tax returns over the last three years as well as reviewing this year’s return, prior to submittal. They’ll make sure you’re receiving all the proper credits and deductions you may (or may not) be entitled to. Contact one of the local offices in Bellows Falls (802) 463-4633 or Brattleboro (802) 257-7809.
Additionally, you can dial 2-1-1 to find out more about getting assistance for tax preparation. The Vermont-based website - http://www.vtlawhelp.org/taxes - will also provide you with detailed information on how to get tax preparation. There are some requirements, so be sure to read or to call and ask questions first.
AARP also provides an online service where you can look for agencies that provide free tax support. Please visit http://www.vtlawhelp.org/node/160 for more information.
Westminster Cares offers many opportunities to volunteer. You can deliver Meals on Wheels, take an elderly neighbor to the doctor or shopping, visit someone who lives alone, take a walk with a neighbor or serve on one of our committees. To find out how you can volunteer, call Westminster Cares at 722-3607 or email wecares@sover.net
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