The Milwaukee Post

18 • Milwaukee County Post • December 24, 2015 SENIORS How grandparents, grandkids can learn from each other Health survey: First the good news (BPT) — Known for their wisdom and patience, grandparents pass down skills, knowledge, and sto- ries to both their children and grandchildren. Conversely, grandpar- ents can also learn from their grandkids, especially when it comes to technolo- gy. Traditional skills and new trades and tools alike, both grandparents and grandchildren have a talent to bring to the table. Whether they live in the same city or must rely on technology to communi- cate, grandparents, grand- children and even parents can come together to learn from each other. Intel offers some sugges- tions on activities for a g r a n d p a r e n t - g r a n d c h i l d skill swap. Savvy skills from grandchildren ■ Capturing memo- ries. Grandparents are all about capturing memo- rable moments in photo form. While they most like- ly know how to use a point and shoot camera, the may not have mastered the art of a tablet or smartphone camera. Grandkids are experts when it comes to technology and will love spending time teaching grandma and grandpa how to take pictures, edit and create digital albums with them. ■ Friendly competing. Many grandparents love playing cards and board games. Some even join clubs where they get together with friends to play games like bingo and bridge. Grandparents may also enjoy the digital games that their grandchildren are always playing. Then, even when families are miles apart, they can still enjoy a little friendly com- petition through group or one-on-one digital games. ■ Reading redefined. Grandparents grew up in a world of hard copy newspa- pers, magazines and books and aren't always familiar with today's e-books and digital reading platforms. Grandkids can help Grandma and Grandpa set up a digital library such as on their tablet or smart- phone and download a few of their favorite books, magazines or newspapers. Passed down pastimes from grandparents ■ Real home cooking. Make sure your secret fam- ily recipes are kept within the family. Grandkids can create a digital archive of grandma and grandpa's recipes on their tablet, PC or smartphone while grandparents teach them how to create the delicious feast from scratch. ■ Spotlight story- telling. Grandparents can spread their family history and make their life story last for generations when they share it with their grandchildren, interview style. As they talk about their childhood, school, career and more, the kids can take notes on their device or record the story, pairing anecdotes with pho- tos to eventually create a digital memory book. The whole family will be able to look back and enjoy these memories for years to come. ■ Learning lost arts. There are certain skills learned in the grandpar- ents' generation that some would consider "lost arts" today. Boy Scouts, etiquette class and home economics are not as common as they used to be. Grandparents can spend time teaching their grandkids these valu- able skills, such as tying their favorite knots learned in scouts, sewing a button or a patch on a pair of pants, table manners and the art of writing a well- crafted thank you card. Grandkids can take notes as they learn to help them remember in the future. MILWAUKEE — The influenza and holi- day seasons are upon us, and a study by Aurora Health Care found Wisconsin resi- dents exhibit good and not-so-good health habits. First the good: According to Aurora Health Care's Quarterly Health of Wisconsin Report, more than six in 10 Wisconsin residents plan to get vaccinated against the flu this season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2014-2015 State, Regional and National Vaccination Trend Report, 44.1 percent of all Wisconsin resi- dents were vaccinated last year, ranking it near the bottom of all states. Last year's nasty flu season seems to have made a lasting impression on Wisconsin residents, as more than a quarter of those surveyed say they see a greater need to get vaccinated this year. "Your best defense against the flu is to still get vaccinated," said Dr. Angela Tonozzi, director of infection prevention with Aurora Health Care. Tonozzi noted that frequent hand wash- ing, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding touch- ing your eyes, nose and mouth are among the best ways to prevent spreading germs. A second aspect of the study looked at holiday health habits of state residents. According to the December 2015 Quarterly Health of Wisconsin Report, 44 percent of Wisconsin residents say they likely will make poor food choices during the holiday season. More than a quarter (26 percent) of Wisconsinites say their exercise habits will drop. "We are all probably guilty of eating a bit too much over the holidays, from an extra slice of pie to one more serving of stuffing," said Dr. Andy Anderson, chief medical offi- cer for Aurora Health Care. "The key thing to remember is moderation, and to maintain regular exercise and eating habits." To avoid poor health habits this holiday season, maintain your exercise routine, track your calories toward your overall calo- rie goal and consider bringing healthy snacks to holiday events. BPT By swapping skills between generations, families can make the most of their time together. Grandparent and grandchildren in particular can connect in a variety of ways and activities. - PAID ADVERTISEMENT - BANK ACCOUNT ISSUES A problem I would like to revisit because of the seriousness of the issue, is going to your bank to name one of your children or a trusted friend as having power to help you pay bills. In my experience, if you go to the bank with one of your children, with the intent of having that child help you with a bank account, you will most likely walk out of the bank having made that child a joint owner of the account. While many individuals may need help with their financial affairs as they age, joint ownership is not what most individuals intend. The proper way to give someone authority to help you with a bank account or other asset is to name them as your agent under a power of attorney. The best power of attorney is a general durable power of attorney, usually done by a lawyer. It will cover all of your financial affairs and not a single bank account. Most banks will automatically make your child or trusted friend a joint owner of a bank account, rather than an agent under power of attorney. Bank clerks are not lawyers and will not take the time to explain the difference between joint ownership and agency under a power of attorney. Furthermore, in my opinion, banks seem to prefer joint ownership rather then agency under power of attorney, for liability reasons. I had a situation a number of years ago where mom wanted her daughter to help her with her financial affairs. The bank put the daughter on the account as a joint owner, rather then as an agent under power of attorney. Someone who has agency under a power of attorney has no ownership rights, but only access to a bank account for purposes of helping another individual. A joint owner has an ownership interest in the account. In this example, the daughter's husband got into financial trouble and creditors latched onto the bank account that mom had put her daughter on as a joint owner. A substantial amount of money was lost by mom. All of this could have been avoided if daughter had been put on the account simply as an agent under power of attorney. Under such circumstances, mom would have maintained complete and sole ownership, with her daughter only having access to the account to help mom with her affairs. In summary, if you want to give an individual authority to help you with your affairs, while maintaining sole ownership, the proper way to do it is with a power of attorney. Recognize that banks and other institutions do not like powers of attorney. When you walk out of the bank, make certain that your loved one has the ability to help you with the account, but has no ownership interest. You should also recognize that a joint owner becomes the sole owner of the account if you pass away, and that might not be what you intend. The Law Office of James J. Winiarski offers a free estate planning consultation. Our approach to estate planning is to explain the options available, the cost of each option, and the advantages and disadvantages of each option. If you would like to set up an appointment for a free estate planning conference, please call us at 414-383-3902. 247569084 Monday–Friday 7:30am–4:30pm Vietnam Veteran - VFW Member 246878076 Special Rates for Senior Citizens & Veterans Norv's BARBER SHOP 2688 S. 13th St. 384-3380 NEW HOURS Happy Holidays Happy Holidays WILLS, TRUSTS, POWERS OF ATTORNEY, PROBATE Pre and post death planning by a professional with over 40 years of experience. Law Offices of Attorney James J. Winiarski 3625 W. Oklahoma Avenue, Milwaukee (414) 383-3902 247569111

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