Top 10 Foods to Eat

Julia Hanfling, Registered and Licensed Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Certified Specialist in Gerontology Nutrition has prepared a list of the ten best foods to eat and their possible health benefits.

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Provided by the Law Offices of Geoff Bernhardt, Practice Focusing on Elder Law, Portland, Oregon, http://www.elderlawpdx.com

We have all heard stories about compulsive hoarders. Maybe you have been to someone’s house and had to navigate via “goat trails” in and out of the person’s accumulated possessions. I have always thought of this as simply an eccentric behavior. But recently I read a story that caused me to think more deeply about this problem.

A man had been married to his wife for over 50 years. She was a compulsive hoarder. They had separate rooms in their home. His was meticulously clean; hers was absolutely jam-packed with junk. He took care of his wife when her health went into decline. As she was dying, her last words were not something like “I love you.” Instead, her last words were “please don’t touch my stuff.”

Hoarding is defined as the acquisition of and inability to discard items, even though they appear to others to have no value. People with compulsive hoarding syndrome have immense difficultly throwing things away, even items of little or no value such as old newspapers, bits of string, worn-out clothes, and junk mail.

A person who is a compulsive hoarder has a variety of thoughts going through his or her mind. Items may be perceived to have sentimental value, and “If I throw it away, I am throwing away part of myself.” Hoarders have a difficult time making decisions. They fear making the wrong decision, so they will save an item to avoid making a “bad choice” of getting rid of it. Hoarders may feel responsible for those around them, so they will save items “just in case I or my loved ones need them.”

Hoarders also have control issues. They may feel that the moment they throw something away, they are no longer in control, and what happens to this item is in the hands of others. Hoarders are also afraid of forgetting what something looked like, or its content, and fear that “once the item is gone, it’s gone forever.” There is also a fear of “letting go.” For example, a hoarder may fear that once she has thrown something away, that part of her life, no matter how insignificant, is gone forever.

Hoarding creates safety issues. Excessive clutter causes fire and tripping/fall hazards. People have trapped themselves in homes and apartments, and floors have collapsed due to the weight of hoarded materials.

Hoarding also creates stress for family members, who may feel embarrassed, frustrated, or resentful of the hoarding behavior. They are ashamed of the clutter, but are forced to live amidst chaos. Family members often resort to “self-help” methods by attempting to clean or organize without the consent of the hoarder, which leads to arguments and fights.

Compulsive hoarding is considered to be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There are two forms of treatment: medications and behavioral techniques. People working with compulsive hoarders should encourage them to find a psychiatrist or therapist who is experienced in the treatment of OCD who can prescribe appropriate medications and help teach the person to gradually begin to discard items.

©Kristianne Cox, Attorney at Law, Practice Focusing on Guardianships and Conservatorships for Adults, Gresham, Oregon

Kristianne Cox, an elder law attorney with a practice focusing on guardianships and conservatorships for adults, has prepared a flowchart showing the steps in the legal procedure to appoint a guardian or conservator.

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Provided by Kristianne Cox, Attorney at Law, Practice Focusing on Guardianships and Conservatorships for Adults, Gresham, Oregon

Guardianships

The court may appoint a guardian for a person whom the court determines to be “incapacitated.”

“Incapacitated” means a condition in which a person’s ability to receive and evaluate information effectively or to communicate decisions is impaired to such an extent that the person presently lacks the capacity to meet the essential requirements for the person’s physical health or safety. “Meeting the essential requirements for physical health and safety” means those actions necessary to provide the health care, food, shelter, clothing, personal hygiene and other care without which serious physical injury or illness is likely to occur.

Temporary (also known as “emergency”) guardianships must meet an additional legal standard: the court must find that there is an immediate and serious danger to the life or health of the person, and that the welfare of the person requires immediate action. Temporary guardianships may not exceed 30 days, although for good cause the court may extend the period for an additional 30 days (for a total of 60 days).

Conservatorships

The court may appoint a conservator for a person whom the court determines to be “financially incapable.”

“Financially incapable” means a condition in which a person is unable to manage financial resources of the person effectively for reasons including, but not limited to, mental illness, mental deficiency, physical illness or disability, chronic use of drugs or controlled substances, chronic intoxication, confinement, detention by a foreign power or disappearance. “Manage financial resources” means those actions necessary to obtain, administer and dispose of real and personal property, intangible property, business property, benefits and income.

Temporary (also known as “emergency”) conservatorships must meet an additional legal standard: the court must find that there is an immediate and serious danger to the estate of the respondent, and that the welfare of the respondent requires immediate action. Temporary conservatorships may not exceed 30 days, although for good cause the court may extend the period for an additional 30 days (for a total of 60 days).

IMPORTANT: A court’s decision that a person is incapacitated or financially incapable causes that person to lose important civil rights. A doctor’s opinion that a person is incapable, incompetent or “needs a guardian” is NOT a legal decision, and does not qualify the person for a guardianship or conservatorship. Only a court has the authority to find (determine) that a person is “incapacitated” or “financially incapable” and appoint a guardian or conservator.