Families Today Archives - Page 23 of 26 - Saratoga TODAY newspaper (2024)

In March of this year, I wrote a column entitled “Estate Planning in a Time of Crisis,” which outlined possible options for having your estate planning documents witnessed and notarized during the Coronavirus crisis. There have been some important developments since that time that merit this update.

In my column in March, I noted how remote notarization was authorized by Governor Cuomo in his Executive Order 202.7. This capability has been extraordinarily important, given the fact that access to Notary Public services has been severely restricted since the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

Typically, people could get a Notary to notarize their signature at their attorney’s office, their local bank, or potentially at a local city or town hall. When the Coronavirus hit, attorneys’ offices were closed, and banks and municipal offices limited their personal contact with customers and residents.

The remote notarization authority allowed by Executive Order 202.7 has been a welcome tool for legal practitioners to continue to notarize documents for clients. Documents needing notarization include Powers of Attorney, Deeds, Affidavits, and various important legal agreements.

REMOTE NOTARIZATION
More than just notarization by video conference

It is important to note that remote notarization is not as simple as having the Notary watch you sign a notarized document via video conference with FaceTime, Zoom, or Skype. Executive Order 202.7 has specific additional procedures, including the necessity that the full notarized document be faxed or electronically transmitted to the Notary after the Notary watches the individual sign the document via video conference. That transmission must occur the same day as the signing.

After the Notary receives the transmitted document, they may notarize that copy and transmit it back to the signer. The signer then, in turn, may mail the original and the copy back to the Notary within thirty days. When the Notary receives the original and the copy in the mail, they can then notarize the original.

There are additional procedures involved, but it useful to understand the basic flow of the documents back and forth between the signer and the Notary. To the extent that this document exchange and additional procedures are not followed properly, the notarization could be subject to legal challenge. As a result, you should make sure the provider of remote notarization services is familiar with the specific requirements of Executive Order 202.7

REMOTE WITNESSING
An Important New Development

After Executive Order 202.7 was signed in March allowing remote notarization, Governor Cuomo later signed Executive Order 202.14 in April. Executive Order 202.14 allows for remote witnessing of certain legal documents, including Wills and Health Care Proxies. This is an important new development, which means that the basic documents for an individual’s estate plan (Will, Health Care Proxy, and Power of Attorney), can now all be witnessed and notarized remotely.

In my column in March, I noted that remote supervision of Will and Health Care Proxy execution could be possible if the signer of those documents had two appropriate witnesses present with them. In practice, some people found it very difficult to secure two appropriate people to serve as witnesses because of quarantine and social distancing issues.

By virtue of the authority granted in Executive Order 202.14,
the two witnesses to a Will or Health Care Proxy signing need not be in the same location as the signer. The requirements for remote witnessing are similar to the requirements for remote notarization, but not exactly
the same.

The Executive Order for remote notarization states that the signer “must” transmit the signed document to the Notary by fax or electronic means the same day it is signed. The Executive Order for remote witnessing states that the signer “may” transmit the signature pages of the document to the witnesses by fax or electronic means the same day they were signed. It has been said that this distinction was deliberate and would allow a signer of a Will or Health Care Proxy to make a copy of the signature pages and physically deliver them to the witnesses (potentially to a drop box, for example), thereby alleviating the need of the signer to have access to email or a fax machine.

Due to extensions of the original authority granted by the Governor, both remote notarization and remote witnessing are still available in New York. Presumably, the authority will eventually expire, so anyone attempting to use either procedure should check to make sure it is still legally permissible.

Now that law offices are starting to open up in our area as part of the Phase 2, the need for remote notarization and remote witnessing will presumably decrease. There may still be a need for these procedures for our more vulnerable communities, such as elderly persons in quarantine or nursing home residents subject to visitor limitations. If you are in need of such services, you should contact an experienced estate planning attorney in your area to ensure all necessary legal procedures are followed.

Matthew J. Dorsey, Esq. is a Partner with O’Connell and Aronowitz, 1 Court St., Saratoga Springs. Over his twenty-three years of practice, he has focused in the areas of elder law, estate planning, and estate administration. Mr. Dorsey can be reached at 518-584-5205, mdorsey@oalaw.com, and www.oalaw.com.

As a Certified Financial Planner®, I find that many people are confused about what kind of life insurance they should have.

While life insurance is an important component of nearly everyone’s financial plan, there are several types, which can cause quite a lot of confusion. At their core, however, insurance falls into two categories: permanent and term.

The type of insurance you have depends on your anticipated need. If you feel your need for insurance will be permanent, meaning you’ll need it whether you die today or at age 95, then permanent insurance should be considered. Most people, however, only need life insurance to cover a specific period of time, making term insurance a preferable option.

Let’s take a closer look:

Term insurance is intended to cover a basic need: to replace the economic loss resulting from a death during a specific period of time. It sounds clinical, but that’s all it is. For example, if I have a child today, I may want to purchase a 25-year term policy to ensure that, if I were to pass away during childrearing, there would be sufficient assets to provide for my child. Once they’re out of the house the need no longer exists and the insurance term expires.

With term insurance, you’re only paying for what you need, when you need it. Because of that, the premiums are much lower, relative to many permanent forms of insurance.

Permanent life insurance is intended to cover a permanent need. The two most frequent permanent needs I encounter are:

1. Estate planning: In order to provide for liquidity at death, or to create a tax-free estate at death, permanent life insurance strategies can be utilized.

2. Pension replacement: In the event one spouse elected a single-life only pension, a permanent insurance policy can be used to replace the pension in the event of the pensioner’s death.

In both of these circ*mstances, a permanent insurance policy is used simply because the insurance need exists for an unknown period of time. It would be unwise to use a term policy in these instances.

Many people have been sold permanent insurance policies who may not have had a permanent need, on the premise that permanent insurance can build cash value against which tax-free loans can be taken in the future. While this is technically true, in my sixteen years in private practice, I’ve very rarely encountered a person who funded their retirement using their life insurance cash value.

This is true for a variety of reasons.

In order to grow significant cash value, the policy premiums needed are significantly higher than just the cost of insurance (which is all you pay in a term policy). While many people are well-intentioned on the front-end, life happens, and very often people reduce the amount they pay into their policies, which dramatically affects the policy’s performance.

Another reason these policies often don’t live up to expectations is that life insurance agents may use unrealistic assumptions when illustrating future policy performance. If you bought a policy in the ‘80s, illustrated using 1980s interest rates, then you know exactly what I mean.

The only time I see permanent insurance work as a savings vehicle, is for a client whose cash flow is such that they have maximized contributions to every other retirement savings vehicle, and still have significant money they need to sock away.

It should be noted that some people start out with a temporary need which evolves into a need that is more permanent. Luckily, most term insurance is convertible into a form of permanent insurance for just this reason.

In the battle between term and permanent, as planners, we overwhelmingly favor term insurance. It is by far the most cost-effective way to solve for a need, while preserving the option to convert to permanent insurance if the need changes.

Your Certified Financial Planner® will be the best person to help you assess your need by helping you to understand your overall financial circ*mstances, and can tailor a policy to provide proper coverage. If your advisor is independent, they will also have dozens of carriers to choose from, and can help get you the most competitive rates.

Stephen Kyne, CFP® is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs and Rhinebeck.

Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — For 65 years, the Saratoga Senior Center has helped Saratoga County seniors stay active, social and healthy. During COVID-19, the Center has continued these essential services by providing continuous critical outreach, care coordination and engagement for all seniors throughout the county.

They’ve been busy offering free fresh produce and non-perishable foods available for curbside pick-up or delivery every Wednesday, dinners to go and referrals to food pantries; free masks, hand sanitizer, books, puzzles and personal care items for curbside pick-up or delivery; daily check-in and reassurance calls, coordinating care and referrals for basic needs of at-risk and home-bound seniors; grocery shopping and outdoor spring clean-up; 1-1 assistance with Zoom, Facebook & Facebook Live, and the U.S. Census and more.

“We want seniors to stay home and be safe and we will help in any way we can,” says Lois Celeste, the Center’s executive director. “To help seniors stay connected, we’ve been conducting free virtual classes and programs via Zoom for our members, including arts, music, fitness, peer support groups and new initiatives such as ‘Talk Horse Racing with Tom,’ writing workshops, virtual museum tours, and a Seniors to Seniors mentoring program, linking high school and college seniors with older adult seniors. More new and unique programs are to come provided remotely by our Skidmore students. We’re also increasing our social media and online communications,” Celeste adds.

“Our services are critical now more than ever. In the first four months of 2020 alone, we’ve impacted more than 2,400 seniors, matching what we did in all of 2019 when we were already at capacity and needing additional space”, Celeste adds. Mary, a senior, says “It has been a tough couple of months, but things that have made it easier are the Senior Center and their great staff. I get phone calls asking if I need groceries, to see if I need anything, and I can log onto their zoom classes to see my friends. I would be completely alone if it wasn’t for all of you.” Ann says “Thank you for continuing to get information to us. You all must be working 24 hours a day; I’ve emailed about groceries at 8 p.m. and received a message within the hour. You all have been nothing but supportive and kind.” Don adds “Thank you. You are doing a great job of helping everyone to cope.”

May is Older Americans Month and Mental Health Month. The relevance of recognizing both of these in the same month means something greater during COVID-19. Older adults are at greater risk of illness – physically and mentally – during this pandemic. COVID-19 compounds the issue and creates a dangerous combination. Before the pandemic, Senior Centers provided a place in the community for older adults to socialize, grow intellectually, get information, exercise, and eat a healthy meal. During the shutdown, millions of older adults in North America have suddenly lost that community connection. Fortunately for them, the people who run Senior Centers didn’t throw their hands in the air and give up.

If you are a senior and need help with anything, please call 518-584-1621. We can help seniors with outdoor spring clean-up, grocery shopping, 1-1 assistance with Zoom, Facebook & Facebook Live and US Census completion. We are also distributing free fresh produce, books, puzzles, games, and face masks. To learn more or to help us continue with these vital services please go to www.saratogaseniorcenter.org.

The Center is in particular need of iPads or laptops for seniors to allow them access to our virtual classes. Several fundraising initiatives are also in place, including purchase of highly popular insulated wine tumblers and Koozie Koolers and special May Membership promotions as detailed on the website. Please call the Center at 518-584-1621 for more details and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Like most in the world today, I’m not sure the Saratoga County Chamber was ready for COVID 19. BUT in the face of this adversity, we’ve adapted.

Our professional staff is working remotely from our homes in Clifton Park, Schuylerville, Wilton, and Saratoga Springs. We hold regular staff meetings via Zoom and we stay in touch constantly during the day via email, calls and text messages.

You can still call us at 518-584-3255. You can still email us. We’re still accessible and ready to help.

What we believe has made the Chamber so vital in this crisis is how we’ve connected our members with what’s really going on and what’s really important. We’ve been relentless in our communications sharing information, ideas, important news updates, and amazing stories of kindness.

Every day we’re sending out an email to just about everyone in our database. Since March 13, these emails have been opened more than 150,000 times.

The work we’ve done has been helped immensely by the collaborations we started with SEDC, Discover Saratoga, the City Center, the DBA, and Prosperity Partnership on March 13.

We’ve also joined forces with FLAG Saratoga as they lead an effort to purchase more than 2,000 meals from local restaurants for delivery to health care workers and first responders.

We joined with six breweries who call themselves wearebrewnited.com as they raise money to support local hospitality workers.

We are working with Death Wish Coffee as they sell t-shirts to support local businesses closed during this pandemic and their employees who are now unemployed.

We’ve been visible and vocal advocates. At first, we helped businesses get classified as essential so they could stay open. Later in this crisis, we helped local businesses who had important questions get answers about their PPP loans.

We’re regularly in touch with elected and appointed leaders at the Federal, State, County and Local level. We are constantly sharing with them what they can do to help our economy to recover.

The response to our work has been unbelievable. We’ve lost track of how many people have thanked us for listening to them, advising them, helping them, advocating for them and giving them hope.

I can safely say the Chamber is doing well. We’re making a difference. We’re helping to lead the economic recovery in Saratoga County. In fact, we helped write the plan.

So, if today your business or nonprofit organization is in a position to support us by joining or renewing your membership in full or in part, we’d be so appreciative. And if you are not, we understand and we’ll work with you as time goes on knowing that by helping you today that you’ll be able to help us tomorrow.

We know the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce helped make Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County one of the greatest places in the world to live, work and play. We’re going to keep adapting, communicating, and leading our community through the recovery.

So how is the Chamber? We’re here to help. We’re ready to make a difference. We always will be.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — May is National Mental Health Awareness month, a time to shine a light on the importance of mental health self-care. Statistics show that 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime; however, with the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is extremely important to note that many more people will be experiencing mental health issues.

Prolonged isolation, social distancing, and constant worry over finances, family, and personal health, all play a large part with growing anxiety in Americans during this unprecedented time.

For some people, a full treatment plan is necessary to maintain good mental health. For others, there are simpler measures that one can take to assist with more of an immediate relief. The National Mental Health Association provides the following tips:

1.Allow yourself to feel.

Everyone has emotions, they are part of the human experience, and you have every right to feel them, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socio-economic status, race, political affiliation or religion.

2.Don’t ignore how you are feeling.

Most of us have heard the term “bottling up your feelings.” When we try to push feelings aside without addressing them, they build strength and make us more likely to “explode” at some point in the future. It may not always be appropriate to process your emotions at the very moment you are feeling them, but try to do so as soon as you can.

3.Talk it out.

Find someone you trust that you can talk to about how you are feeling. You may find that people are eager to share about similar experiences they have had or times that they have felt the way that you are feeling. This can be helpful, but if you are really only interested in having someone listen, it is okay to tell them that.

4.Try journaling.

Each night write down at least three feelings you had over the course of the day and what caused them. It does not need to be a “Dear Diary” kind of thing. Just a few sentences or bullet points to help you practice being comfortable with identifying and expressing your emotions.

5.Consider the strength of your feelings.

By thinking about how intense your emotions are, you may realize that what you thought you were feeling at first could better be described by another word. For instance, sometimes a person might say they are stressed when what they are really experiencing is something less severe like annoyance; alternatively anger might really be a stronger, deeper feeling like betrayal.

6.See a mental health professional.

If you are taking steps to be more in touch with your feelings, but are having trouble dealing with them, mental health providers like counselors and therapists have been trained to help. Your employer might have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that offers a limited number of free counseling sessions,

and your Human Resources department can help you access this resource. At Saratoga Center for the Family, professional therapists are available by appointment.

There is also completely free help available. During a press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State is providing free online mental health services to anyone who needs them amid the state’s coronavirus outbreak. New Yorkers can call a toll free hotline at 1-844-863-9314 to schedule a mental health appointment “totally free.”

“For each of us, the tools we use to keep us mentally healthy will be unique. Saratoga Center for the Family wants everyone to know that mental illnesses are real, and recovery is possible. Finding what works for you may not be easy but can be achieved by gradually making small changes and building on those successes,” says Rebecca Baldwin, Executive Director of Saratoga Center for the Family.

Saratoga Center for the Family offers mental health counseling as well as educational programs on parenting, anger management, child custody stress prevention, and child abuse prevention. To learn more, visit www.saratogacff.org. Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and wellbeing, and it is important to know that mental illnesses are common and treatable.

IN THESE TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY and separation from family and friends we are more likely to suffer anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia. As summer approaches the hope of beach vacations and sunny pool days hang in the category of the unknown as any travel may lead to increased risk for the health of ourselves, our loved ones and our communities.

Now more than ever is the time to give yourself the grace, compassion and space to process uncomfortable feelings of anxiety, stress and sadness. For those trying to work from home and home school children, the days can feel never-ending and the only escape is sleep. For those essential employees who have to be around other people the panic can feel paralyzing. For those who live alone the loneliness can feel crushing. For those with family members far away the longing to get together can feel overwhelming.

This is not the time to suck it up and put on a brave face. Now more than ever we need to be able to be vulnerable and authentic with ourselves and one another to keep ourselves healthy and sane.

The only way through this unprecedented time is to learn radical acceptance for our feelings so that we may safeguard ourselves from debilitating depression and anxiety.

If you try to repress, dismiss or avoid your feelings you will end up with a compromised immune system, low energy and outbursts of misdirected anger and impatience.

Start each morning with a check in of your emotional energy. Do you feel dread, anxiety, exhausted or angry? Whatever the feeling is embrace it and give it space to exist. If you try to avoid that dread for all the things you have to do it would be like driving on a highway without your gas cap on- you dump fuel which leads to a breakdown.

Learn to treat your feelings the way you would a small child, a puppy or a dear friend. Kindly and gently. If you have difficulty accepting uncomfortable feelings and tend to repress or avoid, get some help. Teletherapy is available to give you the extra support you may need right now.

Here is a quick way to learn how
to process your feelings and create peace in the midst of discomfort.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE FEELING OUT LOUD
“I feel so tired and hopeless, how long can I go on like this?”

STEP 2: RESPOND WITH COMPASSION
“I understand, this is really tough, I am here for you.”

DO NOT try to minimize or put a bow around your feelings.For example: “You are so fortunate that you get to work from home and still have a paycheck, think of the less fortunate who have lost their jobs and can’t pay their bills.”While there is a time for perspective, this approach will only lead to seething resentment and inner rage veiled with a thin smile and clenched teeth. You are allowed to feel what you feel.

STEP 3: DO THE NEXT CONCRETE THING.
Identify one concrete task you can do in the moment that does not feel overwhelming. This could be pouring a cup of coffee, responding to an email, making your bed. Do one thing while continuing to give compassion to the feeling you identified.

STEP 4: REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT
The best gift you can give yourself, family members and friends is a safe space to process feelings. The only thought this time is through it, we can’t go around it, above it or below it, we have to just get through this one step at a time. Use the exercise above to process your feelings daily and repeat all day long.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College, PA. For more information email: meghanfritzlcsw@gmail.com

Hey there!

Fancy meeting like this again!

I hoped by the writing of this I’d be able to include good news regarding the end of this terrible time, but alas—as of now (a week before you’re reading it), things are status quo. There is some good news—I anxiously await Governor Cuomo’s update every day, and it’s been so great to see the daily death rate decreasing. At the same time, as he states again and again, even one death is too many, and even though the numbers are coming down, the fact that they still exist is cause for sorrow. If that isn’t the grim truth, I don’t know what is.

But a really great thing is that Sunday is Mother’s Day! One of the best days of the year! Just ask any mother! There are definitely things that will be different this year—no brunch out at a restaurant, for one thing, and on a more serious note, you may not be able to visit your mom because of the stay-at-home orders (my heart goes out to moms who have to spend Mother’s Day apart from their children to preserve their health, especially those in nursing homes)—but there’s a lot that can stay the same.

I read today that Mother’s Day sees the greatest phone traffic, not only in the U.S. but around the world as well, which is something that can stay the same this year! Call your mom! Or Zoom/Facetime/Skype/WhatsApp if you can—I’m sure she’d love to see your face!

You can send Mom a card (if you can’t get one during your more-infrequent-than-usual trips to the grocery store, just make one! Or write a letter!). You can send her flowers if you can find a florist that’s open. If you live close enough to your mom, you can leave a bouquet on her front step of flowers that you picked from your yard or made out of paper (just be sure to call or text to let her know it’s there!)—in fact, there’s a lot you can leave for her on her front step if you live close by. You can make a sweet treat (a flourless chocolate cake was one of my mother-in-law’s favorite things, which is kind of perfect for now, since I haven’t been able to find flour the last three times I went to the store!), or even a small meal, so she doesn’t have to cook.

If you can’t pull together something like these things in the next day or two, at least call. Don’t let your mom think you forgot about her, even if you have the mother of your children to consider as well.

For the mom that you live with (your own mom, or the mother of your children), you can make sure she has a great day by making it possible for her to do whatever she wants to do! If she wants to lay on the couch and watch TV all day, make that happen. If she wants to go for a run, or a walk, or a ride in the car, make that happen. If she doesn’t want to cook, make all the meals (and make sure she has food she likes!). If she hates that the laundry is backed up, get in there and wash the clothes. If she’s been bugging you about cleaning your room, clean your room. If she likes to take a nap in the afternoon, watch the kids so she can lay down. You get the idea. But even more than that—do it with a smile! Don’t let her feel like you’re only doing all this because you have to; make her feel like there’s nothing you want to do more than make her happy. It’s for one day—you can do it!

I also hold tenderly in my heart those mothers whose children have passed away, and those children whose mothers have passed away. We’ll be visiting the cemetery on Mother’s Day, where my mother-in-law and grandmother are buried, which is nice to do, if you can. Or you can do something else in their memory—have their favorite food, watch their favorite movie, take a look through photos of them. If it’s too painful for you to do so, be patient and gentle with yourself.

Just because celebrations have to look different this year doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate. Mother’s Day is about thanking mothers for all that they’ve done for their children, which is absolutely possible, no matter the circ*mstances. I hope you all have a great Mother’s Day!

Kate and her husband have seven sons ages 15, 13, 11, 10, 8, 6, and 1. Follow her at facebook.com/kmtowne23, or email her at kmtowne23@gmail.com.

Given the current events, many people may be looking to boost their immune health to help prevent and fight off illnesses

There are several lifestyle and dietary changes you can make to strengthen your immune system. These include reducing your sugar intake, staying hydrated, working out regularly, getting adequate sleep, managing your stress levels and taking the proper supplements.

Although none of these suggestions can prevent COVID-19, they may reinforce your body’s general defenses against harmful pathogens.

1. Get enough sleep
Sleep plays an important role in immunity. While you sleep, the body releases proteins called cytokines, which are needed to fight infections. Inadequate or poor-quality sleep reduces cytokine production which can lead to a higher susceptibility to sickness. Adults should aim for at least 7 hours of sleep.

2. Limit sugar intake
Added sugars contribute significantly to inflammation, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, all of which can suppress your immune system. Limiting sugar intake can reduce inflammation and decrease your risk of these diseases.

3. Eat more whole plant foods
Whole plant foods like fruits,vegetables, nuts and legumes are richin essential nutrients, fiber andantioxidants, all of which can loweryour susceptibility to illness.

4. Take probiotics
Research suggests that a strong network of good gut bacteria can help your immune cells differentiate between normal, healthy cells, and harmful invaders. Taking probiotics and eating fermented foods can help populate your digestive tract with beneficial bacteria.

5. Exercise
Moderate exercise can reduce inflammation and promote healthy turnover of immune cells by boosting blood flow and circulation of white blood cells.

6. Reduce stress
There is a strong link between immune health and mental health. Long-term stress can cause inflammation and weaken the immune response. Meditation, yoga, exercise or journaling can help reduce stress. It may also be helpful to talk to a licensed counselor or therapist who can help you find ways to work through your stress or anxiety.

7. Stay hydrated
Proper hydration is essential for all bodily functions. The lymphatic system relies on proper hydration to remove toxins and waste from the body. In a dehydrated state, less lymph is produced, and the lymphatic system does not operate as efficiently, which can lead to a slower immune response.

8. Supplement wisely
Since vitamins and supplements are not regulated by the FDA, there are a lot of unfounded claims about many supplements. However, studies have shown that the following list of supplements may strengthen immune response
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Echinacea
• Garlic

Purchase supplements that have been independently tested by third-party organizations such as USP, NSF or Consumer Lab to ensure quality.

It is important to reiterate that none of the above mentioned suggestions can prevent or treat COVID-19. Use these techniques to help improve your body’s general immune response in conjunction with the social distancing and proper hygiene protocols set by the CDC.

With many Americans asked to stay at home to help curb the impact of COVID-19, there is a higher risk of potential prescription drug abuse or prescription drugs accidentally falling into the wrong hands, like those of children.

According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Abuse, more than 9.9 million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Additionally, more than 70 percent of individuals who illegally use prescription pain relievers obtained them through their friends or family, including through the home medicine cabinet.

To help those at home prevent prescription drug abuse and dispose of unwanted medications in a safe, environmentally responsible way, Susan Peppers, Express Scripts vice president of pharmacy practice, is sharing the following tips:

• Keep drugs secureand out of reach.
Medications should be stored in a locked area, out of children’s reach, with narcotics and other potentially addictive drugs stored in another secure location. If this is not an option, a lock should be added to the medicine cabinet and the key secured.

• Track treatments.
It is recommended to maintain a master list of the medications stored at home, especially for individuals with a potential for abuse. That list should include the medication name, the doctor’s name who prescribed it, the dosage and the medication’s potential side effects. Periodically, caregivers should count the medications remaining in the container and make sure it is the correct amount according to the prescribed dosage. Pill boxes with dividers for each day’s medicines are also a good way to track usage.

• Do not sharemedication.
Medication prescribed to one individual is not for anyone else, even if that person is showing similar symptoms. Not only is sharing medication with someone else illegal, but it could lead to dangerous drug interactions and serious side effects due to potential allergies and wrong dosages, among other reasons. If an individual has taken medication that was not prescribed to them, they should contact their doctor.

• Dispose of unwanteddrugs properly.
Individuals should follow specific disposal instructions on the label, if provided. Otherwise, they can check the Food and Drug Administration Flush List to see if they can flush the medicine down the toilet. If that is not an option, individuals can mix the medication with an undesirable substance like used coffee grounds, cat litter or sawdust, place the mixture in a sealable bag and dispose of it in the trash. Medication containers should be stripped of all personal information prior to placing them in the trash or recycling.

Note that once guidelines are lifted for staying home, individuals can visit the Drug Enforcement Administration website to locate a collection site near them as another way to dispose of prescription medications safely.

As everyone is spending more time at home, remembering these simple steps can go a long way to help individuals protect their family against prescription drug abuse.

AS THE ECONOMY BEGINS THE LONG, SLOW TASK OF RECOVERING from the government-imposed economic shutdown, families must take stock of the damage, and formulate a plan to capitalize on the recovery, safeguard against future calamity, and repair their personal economies to the degree possible.

One of the cardinal rules of financial planning is to keep between three- and six-months’ worth of expenses in a cash reserve. This is true for businesses and individuals, alike.

Until now, many people might have difficulty imagining a time in which they might need that much liquidity. Disability, loss of work, and now, apparently, total economic shutdowns can completely upend your financial life and induce massive amounts of stress.

The unthinkable happens and having enough cash-on-hand to safely get your family or business through these times protects your ability to maintain your standard of living and resume normal life when circ*mstances make that possible.

Cash is king, and if you did not have an adequate reserve prior to the shutdown, consider making that a goal over the coming year or two.

In the past two months there have been numerous programs introduced to help you through these tough times. The CARES Act includes options for individuals and businesses to receive benefits. There are increased unemployment benefits for workers who have lost their jobs, and for the self-employed workers who are kept from their avocation by the lockdown. Navigating the system can be difficult but, remember, the system is being overloaded by the number of applicants, so be patient.

There are several programs available for small businesses as well. The Payroll Protection Program, EIDL Loan Advance, and SBA Express Bridge Loans are all available to small businesses to help them retain employees, maintain solvency, and continue or resume operations when possible. Small businesses are the heart and soul of the community, and these programs offer a lifeline. If your business has been affected, consider exploring these options.

Finally, a word on the investment markets.

Positioning your assets for a recovery is vital to helping your account balances heal. Consider whether your portfolio is out of alignment and may need to be rebalanced.

Let’s say that you intend to be invested in a portfolio that is 80% stocks and 20% bonds. When the markets pulled back dramatically, the value of your stocks may have decreased much more than the value of your bonds. If you look at your portfolio today, you may find that it is now 70% stocks and 30% bonds. In other words, it may be much more conservative than you intended and that could impede the ability for your balance to recover if the stock market increases substantially.

The depth and duration of the market slump will be determined by the length of the shutdown, so it is impossible to say how long a recovery will take. While the past is not guarantee of the future, it can be a guide and we do know that every single time the US markets have receded, they have eventually rebounded and found new highs.

We will probably enter a recession this quarter, but it is likely a recession in name only. Recessions typically occur due to some underlying fundamental flaw in the economy which needs time to work itself out. That is clearly not the case this time around. In fact, the economy was extremely strong prior to the government hitting the emergency brakes, so typical thinking around how long a recovery might take could be grossly inaccurate. In fact, if the economy is substantially reopened by the end of the quarter, you might be surprised to see very positive data as early as the third quarter.

Remember that any forward-looking statements are subject to change as new information becomes available, so work closely with your Certified Financial Planner® to make sure that your plan accurately reflects your needs, goals, timeframe, and risk tolerance, and economic reality.

Stephen Kyne, CFP® is a Partner at Sterling Manor Financial in Saratoga Springs and Rhinebeck.

Securities offered through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Sterling Manor Financial, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor or Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc. Sterling Manor Financial and Cadaret, Grant are separate entities.