Golden Years January 2022

Golden Years

The Sentinel

www.lewistownsentinel.com

2—Lewistown, PA

The Sentinel

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF YOUR LOVED ONE? Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging offers a program to HELP SUPPORT THE CAREGIVER! You may qualify for the following reimbursements under our NEW eligibility guidelines:      

Cost of aide services Caregiving supplies Home modifications Walkers and lift chairs Pest control/fumigation And more!

Funding is also available to any grandparent, age 55 and older, who is raising a grandchild under the age of 18. Assistance for grandparents includes compensation for basic needs like school supplies, clothing, and more! For questions, eligibility requirements, or to make a referral, please visit our office or call 717-242-0315.

The Family Caregiver Support Program is here to help support the care provided by family members, not replace it.

The Area Agency on Aging is an Affiliate of Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services 717-242-0315 ● 249 W. 3rd Street, Lewistown ● mymjrsc.com ● Follow us on Facebook!

The Sentinel

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

­Lewistown, PA—3

GOLDEN YEARS

Geisinger doctor provides woman lifesaving care Mifflin County native returns from Alaska, is diagnosed with Gitelman Syndrome

By GREG WILLIAMS Sentinel correspondent LEWISTOWN — Charlotte “Jeanne” Romig spent the last decade not knowing why she was always so sick.

It wasn’t until she returned to Mifflin County that she got the diagnosis she was seeking.

Born in Lewistown, the 74-year-old Romig returned to the area after spending 28 years in Alaska — and it’s the reason she’s still alive today.

“I was born in Lewistown Hospital and I’m going to die in Lewistown Hospital,” jokes Romig, who worked for much of her life as a missionary with husband, Bill.

The couple lived in Fairbanks about 200 miles from the Arctic Circle.

“God isn’t ready for me yet, it’s not my time,” she added.

After a series of health issues, doctors determined that Romig was suffering from a lack of magnesium in her system.

“I couldn’t take another winter there,” Romig said.

Medical care was also problematic in Alaska, with a lack of hospitals and nursing care facilities. The Romigs packed up and eventually made their way back to Pennsylvania.

In a twist of fate, she was seen by Dr. Roshan Mainali, who diagnosed Romig as having a rare disease called Gitelman Syndrome, a kidney disorder that causes low levels of potassium and magnesium in her blood.

Mainali became familiar with Gitelman Syndrome after years of working with the Amish community.

Romig says that if it had not been for Dr. Mainali working with the Amish community, she might not have been treated successfully. Gitelman Syndrome has been the cause of five heart attacks for Romig. At one point, she had to undergo daily magnesium infusions.

That’s no longer needed thanks to a few surgeries, a new pacemaker, and her

doctors at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.

“All my children live in Alaska, and they always tell me how lucky I am to be back in Lewistown and a Geisinger Gold member because I would not have been able to get this level of care anywhere else,” Romig says.

Dr. Mainali feels fortunate to have been able to draw on past experiences.

“Before coming to Lewistown in 2008, I knew nothing about the Amish community,” Mainali explains. “After working in Lewistown for few years, I had the opportunity to be involved in kidney-related care of many Amish patients both in the hospital as well as clinic and in dialysis unit.

However, working with the Amish community is a big challenge as the traditional models of health care payment as well as testing and medications does not apply while caring for the Amish community.

Submitted photo

Geisinger Dr. Roshon Mainali, through his work with the Amish, was able to detect Gitelman Syndrome in Charlotte ‘Jeanne’ Romig — and she says that saved her life.

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The Sentinel

4—Lewistown, PA

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

GOLDEN YEARS

Romig

we were able to control her magnesium level without the need of intravenous infusion twice a week.”

That suits Romig just fine.

“If they had not done that I would have been lost,” she said. “They take such good care of me; I can’t praise them enough.”

The biggest reward for the hospital staff was saving Romig’s life.

“I think it is very kind of Charlotte to give this much credit to us and to speak so highly of us,” Mainali said.

“As a clinician working in a community setting, nothing gives us more pleasure than solving patient’s clinical problem. It is both intellectually and emotionally very satisfying to be involved in the treatment of uncommon disease and to be able to solve serious clinical problem that has been bothering her for many years.”

Continued from Page 3

“We must improvise a lot which can be tricky to navigate specially right after your medical training,” he added. “I started seeing a pattern among patients in the Amish Mennonite community as well as the immediate descendants of the Amish community (ones who turned English) of very low potassium and magnesium on their blood test.

This can be caused either by inadequate intake of these electrolytes or excessive loss in the urine. You are aware that Amish community eat a very healthy nutritious and hearty meal so nutritional deficiency was not possible.

So, she must have been losing too much magnesium in her urine because of some genetic abnormality.”

Romig is eternally grateful for Mainali and the team at Geisinger for their care.

Mainali contends it’s all part of the job. Using all resources, including drawing on past experiences, is necessary to save lives.

“There are many rare genetic diseases like Gitelman syndrome and various sub types of this diseases which can cause excessive loss of magnesium and potassium in the urine but to know the exact type you must do complicated and expensive genetic analysis which was not practically feasible for various reasons,” Mainali said.

“Based on the clinical clues and my experience with other similar patients, I decided to use the medicine called Amiloride and it worked wonderfully in Charlotte Romig case.

“This medicine is very rarely used in clinical situation and most of the physicians would have never used this in their lifetime,” he said. “Charlotte has been struggling with extreme-

Submitted photo

Charlotte ‘Jeanne’ Romig, right, with husband Bill and daughter Lori. Romig spent nearly 30 years as a missionary in Alaska before returning to Mifflin County, where she received a lifesaving diagnosis of Gitelman Syndrome.

ly low magnesium for her entire life. Despite taking more than 12 pills of magnesium every day, her blood magnesium level was still extremely low requiring in-

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The Sentinel

­Lewistown, PA—5

GOLDEN YEARS

State’s home care program troubled HARRISBURG (AP) — Advocates for people with disabilities gathered at the state Capitol in November to protest what they say is the eroding quality of home care services under Pennsylvania’s new managed care system, problems being accelerated by the pandemic.

Part of the problem, they say, is the increased difficulty in getting direct care workers and the need to pay them more through the state’s Medicaid reimbursement system.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration and lawmakers, they say, should use federal dollars approved by Congress, as well as higher federal reimbursement rates, to boost wages for direct care workers.

“They have new possibilities for using this money in ways that are effective,” said Shona Eakin, CEO of Voices for Independence, an Erie-based home care services provider.

Wolf’s administration is awaiting approval from the federal government on its plan to use a higher Medicaid reimbursement rate for home-based care under the American Rescue Plan signed by President Joe Biden in March.

The plan for the money includes increasing reimbursement rates and direct care worker wages while the money lasts, Wolf’s administration said.

While the administration was unable to give details about the boost in the pay, the administration wants to

use state dollars to make the increases permanent, said Jamie Buchenauer, a deputy secretary for longterm living in Wolf’s Department of Human Services.

Buchenauer could not immediately say how much money that might require, although it would require approval by lawmakers.

Low pay and high turnover have long been the reality for the ranks of direct care workers in home care settings and nursing homes.

But finding direct care workers is harder now because of the pandemic, they say. The average home care worker makes $12 an hour, and many direct care workSee Care / Page 6

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GOLDEN YEARS

Care Continued from Page 5

ers took a break during the pandemic and never returned, Eakin said.

Eakin’s workforce went from 1,069 before the pandemic to 763 now, while her overtime costs shot up from $227,000 in 2019 to $573,000 this year to care for about 800 people, she said.

Overtime costs aren’t reimbursed by Medicaid, and neither is personal protective equipment, paid days off or double-time pay on holidays, Eakin said.

Meanwhile, direct care workers are so hard to find that Eakin has had to turn away 40% of the people who contact her agency seeking home care services, she said.

Wolf’s administration, over the past few years, put home care services for tens of thousands of elderly and disabled under managed care contractors in an effort to save money.

The plan involved moving thousands of people back into their homes and out of the more expensive settings of nursing homes.

But people trying to transition out of nursing homes are enduring months-long waits for a home care worker to be found and assigned to them, advocates for the disabled say.

Others are seeing their hours of home care being cut by managed care companies that are now running the program under contract with the state, they say.

Wolf’s Department of Human Services said that 90% of people in the program are receiving the same level of services or more after they were assessed, which managed care organizations are required to do annually.

The department said reviews by its Office of Long-Term Living has generally found that service reductions were appropriate and not a risk to health and safety.

Lauren Alden, a manager with Liberty Resources, a Philadelphia-based center for independent living, said the organization is finding legal help for clients who are seeing care hours cut back, and trying to help them appeal.

“We’ve seen drastic cuts, and these are folks who have not had any changes

in need,” Alden said.

The community-based program was designed to get people out of institutional care and back into homes, but cutting direct care hours could have the opposite effect, Eakin said.

“How long before someone buckles and says, ‘I have to get cared for,’” Eakin said.

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Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

The Sentinel

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

­Lewistown, PA—7

GOLDEN YEARS

Senior centers adapt throughout the pandemic LEWISTOWN — Amid fluctuating shutdowns, reopenings and changes in protocol, the Senior Center Community Managers of the Mifflin-Juniata Region have never once lost stride.

Despite the fact that local senior centers experienced a temporary closure over the last month, MJRSC—The Care Network remains committed to serving its consumers in new and creative ways. Whether it be a safely masked and distanced home visit or a wellness check phone call, the organization’s staff have communicated with their members at least weekly.

Carrie Noss, manager of the McAlisterville Senior Center, says her members

“always love to see and hear from someone.” McAlisterville Center, housed within the Fayette Area Lions Den, regularly hosts anywhere from 18 to 24 older adults.

Noss says this group is like family.

“They look forward to being together again,” she said. “It’s home away from home.”

Many of the McAlisterville Senior Center members have expressed concerns about exposure to COVID-19, and yet there is a prevailing sense of loneliness when they are unable to meet in person.

One of the many difficulties of the ongoing pandemic is the problem of social isolation, especially among

Woodlawn, Lewistown | 717.248.6727 Geoffrey A. Burke, Supervisor

the older population. While older adults may feel a need to take caution in seeing others for the sake of their physical health, the mental and emotional toll of loneliness comes with its own set of health risks.

According to the AARP, social disconnect is associated with poorer cognitive function, as well as an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Researchers have found that loneliness is just as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

In an effort to help alleviate that burden, The Care Network’s center managers have consistently created fun and engaging opportunities to provide connection, along with a sense of

much-needed lightheartedness, to their members.

When McAlisterville Senior Center unexpectedly shut down just three days prior to its scheduled Christmas party, Noss quickly pivoted to deliver custom photo mugs filled with seasonal treats to each of her participants.

Isolation among the aging community is a widespread issue even in healthier times, which is a major contributing factor to the general mission of Senior Community Centers. The Care Network supports four centers across Mifflin and Juniata Counties through the Area Agency on Aging, including Lewistown, Milroy, McAlisterville and Four Seasons (Mifflintown).

Burnham | 717.248.7853 Michael Shoop, Supervisor

These centers are welcoming spaces for the 60plus population to gather for exercise sessions, cards and games, health screenings, educational discussions, creative arts, volunteer opportunities, occasional trips and other special events. Each location offers a lunchtime meal and a chance to connect with new friends. Donations are appreciated, but there is no cost to attend.

The centers are always looking for new programming ideas featuring local community members, whether it be demonstrating a hobby, craft, talent, game or skill. To learn more about volunteering in this capacity or getting connected with a specific center near you, call

(717) 242-0315, visit the office at 249 W. 3rd St. in Lewistown or go online to www.mymjrsc.com.

Senior centers

Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corporation operates four senior centers in the Juniata Valley. As this edition goes to press, the centers have just reopened following a temporary shutdown.

Milroy Senior Community Center 283 Broad Street Milroy, PA 17063 Phone: 717-667-2547 Open Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

See Centers / Page A2

Logan St, Lewistown | 717.248.7823 Dan Kochenderfer, Supervisor

Ensure your family’s peace of mind contact a director at one of our three locations and we will help you make pre-planning arrangements.

The Sentinel

8—Lewistown, PA

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

GOLDEN YEARS

At age 99, Meals on Wheels volunteer feels ‘blessed’ Centers

By DANIELLE GEHR Ames Tribune AMES, Iowa (AP) — Harrold Rittgers, 91, was on the floor for 16 hours before a man eight years his senior came to his aid.

Harris Seidel, age 99, was stopping by Rittgers’ Ames home to make his daily Meals on Wheels delivery in August when he found Rittgers and called 911. Normally, Rittgers’ door is locked, Seidel said, but luckily, he was able to let himself in.

“He was helpless — he was really not talking,” Seidel said. “I don’t know how long he’d been there.”

A month later, Seidel felt much better prepared when he found another Ames client who’d fallen from her wheelchair. In 20 years of volunteering with the national Meals on Wheels organization’s Story County chapter, Seidel had experienced nothing like those incidents with clients. Now, in two months, he’d brought emergency care to two Ames residents.

Rittgers’ son, Mark, said he was grateful to spend Thanksgiving with his father.

“I think we’re just thankful that he’s doing better, physically, and being able to be with him — the whole family — was just a blessing in our mind,” Mark Rittgers told the Ames Tribune.

Before Seidel heads out on his Meals on Wheels route, he methodically looks through every bag of food — no client is going to miss a meal on his watch.

Driving a Toyota sedan, Seidel heads off to make his deliveries. A stack of maps is tucked into a door, and a note on the dash reminds him which clients have dietary restrictions. His deliveries are really the only reason he gets behind the wheel, he said. But

he does it five days a week.

On a recent Wednesday, he had 13 meals to deliver. He’s dropped off as many as 36 in a day, but he quickly clarifies the number is disingenuous, as some deliveries involved three meals at a single stop.

A father to five and a grandfather to two, Seidel has spent the better part of the last eight decades in Ames.

An avid reader, Seidel is currently devouring a history on the Lewis and Clark expedition. A former civil engineer, Seidel said he loves to problem-solve — though he doesn’t have many opportunities to do so these days, he said.

Nearly a centenarian, Seidel continues to drive for Meals on Wheels with no plans to stop. One client several decades his junior said Seidel gets up the stairs better than she does. But he said he doesn’t have any secrets for longevity to share — he just has good genes.

“I really feel extremely blessed and lucky,” Seidel said.

Seidel doesn’t like to talk about himself, saying he isn’t much of a talker in general.

“Your story should be about Meals on Wheels,” he

said, “not me.”

Here’s what you should know about Meals on Wheels: Begun in 1954 in Philadelphia, Meals on Wheels now delivers meals to 2.4 million people every year.

Harris’ chapter, which serves all of Story County, is run by Mary Greeley Medical Center and Heartland Senior Services. It is fueled by close to 100 volunteers who deliver 195 to 260 meals a day, according to Mary Greeley officials. In Des Moines, WesleyLife Home Care runs a chapter that delivers 900 to 1,000 meals to all of Polk County and eastern Dallas County, said Shannon Draayer, director of health and well-being for WesleyLife.

According to Meals on Wheels research, 47% of Iowa’s senior citizens live alone, and 22% live below the poverty line. Of the state’s 743,000 seniors, 10% are threatened by hunger. In Iowa, the program serves about 28,000 seniors annually, delivering 1.9 million meals.

As Seidel makes his way through the Old Orchard Mobile Home Park on Ames’ south side for his first deliveries of the day, some of his

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clients are chatty. Others exchange few words.

“That’s the most I ever heard her say,” Seidel said after one client thanked him.

For client JuliAnn Murphy, Seidel is always greeted by her dog, Skiff. Murphy says the deliveries remind her to eat, as she often forgets, and they help with portion control.

Seidel says his route gives him purpose — for the first few months of the pandemic, he said he longed to return to his deliveries and the daily activity they brought. Luckily, he was soon “hired back.”

Meals on Wheels drivers not only deliver food but also find other ways to help out clients, such as opening jars and reaching high shelves.

Mark Rittgers lives five hours away from his father

Continued from Page 7

and counted on Meals on Wheels to help with his faLewistown Senior ther’s care. Since his fall, Community Center Harold Rittgers has moved to 515B Knepp Ave a nursing home.

Lewistown, PA 17044 “I knew one of the benePhone: 717-242-1036 fits was that they check on Open Monday – Friday you each day,” Mark Rittgers 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. said. “Every day, you’ll have at least one set of eyes looking McAlisterville Senior at him.”

Community Center Volunteers are directed to 158 Lions Den Drive report any health concerns McAlisterville, PA or changes to the clients’ en- 17049 vironment and of course to Phone: 717-463-3588 jump to action when they find Open Monday – Friday a client in trouble. This year, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Seidel found just how lifesaving the program can be.

Four Seasons Senior “I think it’s a lifesaver, Community Center obviously,” Mark Rittgers 47 CJEMS Lane said. “At that time, my dad Mifflintown, PA 17059 was housebound, so to have a Phone: 717-436-6847 hot meal every day — someOpen Monday – Friday body’s checking in on him.”

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Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

­Lewistown, PA—9

GOLDEN YEARS

For older adults, smelling the roses may be more difficult

By JUDITH GRAHAM Kaiser Health News The reports from covid-19 patients are disconcerting.

Only a few hours before, they were enjoying a cup of pungent coffee or the fragrance of flowers in a garden. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, those smells disappeared.

Young and old alike are affected — more than 80% to 90% of those diagnosed with the virus, according to some estimates. While most people recover in a few months, 16% take half a year or longer to do so, research has found. According to new estimates, up to 1.6 million Americans have chronic smell problems due to covid.

Seniors are especially vulnerable, experts suggest. “We know that many older adults have a compromised sense of smell to begin with. Add to that the insult of covid, and it made these problems worse,” said Dr. Jayant Pinto, a professor of surgery and specialist in sinus and nasal diseases at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Recent data highlights the interaction between covid,

advanced age and loss of smell. When Italian researchers evaluated 101 patients who’d been hospitalized for mild to moderate covid, 50 showed objective signs of smell impairment six months later. Those 65 or older were nearly twice as likely to be impaired; those 75 or older were more than 2¢ times as likely.

Most people aren’t aware of the extent to which smell can be diminished in later life. More than half of 65to 80-year-olds have some degree of smell loss, or olfactory dysfunction, as it’s known in the scientific literature. That rises to as high as 80% for those even older.

People affected often report concerns about safety, less enjoyment eating and an impaired quality of life.

But because the ability to detect, identify and discriminate among odors declines gradually, most older adults — up to 75% of those with some degree of smell loss — don’t realize they’re affected.

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Doctors say seniors are especially susceptible to loss of taste and smell associated with COVID-19.

sential for detecting odors; changes in stem cells that replenish these neurons every See Senses / Page 10

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10—Lewistown, PA

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

GOLDEN YEARS

Senses Continued from Page 9

few months; atrophy of the processing center for smell in the brain, called the olfactory bulb; and the shrinkage of brain centers closely connected with the olfactory bulb, such as the hippocampus, a region central to learning and memory.

Also, environmental toxic substances such as air pollution play a part, research shows. “Olfactory neurons in your nose are basically little pieces of your brain hanging out in the outside world,” and exposure to them over time damages those neurons and the tissues that support them, explained Pamela Dalton, a principal investigator at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a smell and taste re-

search institute in Philadelphia.

Still, the complex workings of the olfactory system have not been mapped in detail yet, and much remains unknown, said Dr. Sandeep Robert Datta, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School.

“We tend to think of our sense of smell as primarily aesthetic,” he said. “What’s very clear is that it’s far more important. The olfactory system plays a key role in maintaining our emotional well-being and connecting us with the world.”

Datta experienced this after having a bone marrow transplant followed by chemotherapy years ago. Unable to smell or taste food, he said, he felt “very disoriented” in his environment.

Common consequences of smell loss include a loss of

appetite (without smell, taste is deeply compromised), difficulty monitoring personal hygiene, depression and an inability to detect noxious fumes. In older adults, this can lead to weight loss, malnutrition, frailty, inadequate personal care, and accidents caused by gas leaks or fires.

Jerome Pisano, 75, of Bloomington, Illinois, has been living with smell loss for five years. Repeated tests and consultations with physicians haven’t pinpointed a reason for this ailment, and sometimes he feels “hopeless,” Pisano admitted.

Before he became smell-impaired, Pisano was certified as a wine specialist.

He has an 800-bottle wine cellar. “I can’t appreciate that as much as I’d like. I miss the smell of cut grass. Flowers.

My wife’s cooking,” he said.

“It certainly does decrease

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my quality of life.”

Smell loss is also associated in various research studies with a higher risk of death for older adults. One study, authored by Pinto and colleagues, found that older adults with olfactory dysfunction were nearly three times as likely to die over a period of five years as seniors whose sense of smell remained intact.

“Our sense of smell signals how our nervous system is doing and how well our brain is doing overall,” Pinto said. According to a review published earlier this year, 90% of people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease and more than 80% of people with Alzheimer’s disease have olfactory dysfunction — a symptom that can precede other symptoms by many years.

There is no treatment for

smell loss associated with neurological illness or head trauma, but if someone has persistent sinus problems or allergies that cause congestion, an over-the-counter antihistamine or nasal steroid spray can help. Usually, smell returns in a few weeks.

For smell loss following a viral infection, the picture is less clear. It’s not known, yet, which viruses are associated with olfactory dysfunction, why they damage smell and what trajectory recovery takes. Covid may help shine a light on this since it has inspired a wave of research on olfaction loss around the world.

“What characteristics make people more vulnerable to a persistent loss of smell after a virus? We don’t know that, but I think we will because that research is underway and we’ve never had

a cohort [of people with smell loss] this large to study,” said Dalton, of the Monell center.

Some experts recommend smell training, noting evidence of efficacy and no indication of harm. This involves sniffing four distinct scents (often eucalyptus, lemon, rose and cloves) twice a day for 30 seconds each, usually for four weeks. Sometimes the practice is combined with pictures of the items being smelled, a form of visual reinforcement.

Richard Doty, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Smell and Taste Center, remains skeptical.

“The main thing we recommend is avoid polluted environments and get your full complement of vitamins,” since several vitamins play an important role in maintaining the olfactory system, he said.

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

The Sentinel

­Lewistown, PA—11

GOLDEN YEARS

Don’t leave heirs locked out of your digital estate

By LIZ WESTON

can’t access them.’”

Here’s what you should NerdWallet consider and do to make this job easier for the person who You may not own cryp- winds up doing it. tocurrency or nonfungible THE ONLINE LIFE tokens. You may not have DOESN’T LEAVE A a big Instagram following PAPER TRAIL or run an online business.

But if you do almost anyIn the past, your executhing online, you probably tor — the person entrusthave digital assets — elec- ed with settling your estate tronic records that you own, after your death — probacontrol or license. Failing bly could have figured out to make arrangements for what you owned and owed those assets while you’re by rummaging through the alive could cause papers in your filing unnecessary costs, cabinet and the bills stress and heartache in your mail, notes to those you leave Sharon Hartun g, the behind. author of two books Online photo and for financial advivideo collections sors, “Your Digital could be lost forUndertaker” and ever. Heirs could “Digital Executor.” also be locked out That’s no longer the of electronic recase.

Liz cords with mone“Because our digWeston tary value, such as ital assets tend to be cryptocurrency and frequent virtual in nature, an executor flyer miles. Email and so- is not going to find them in cial media accounts could a search of our home office,” be hacked. Even basic tasks, Hartung says. “We’re going such as paying bills online to have to leave some addior canceling online sub- tional instructions on what scriptions, may be difficult we’ve created and how the or impossible if you haven’t executor is supposed to get made arrangements. access.”

“There would be no way Google and Facebook for someone to know how I are among the few online pay bills unless they could providers that allow you to access my online account appoint someone to manage and my emails,” says Abby your accounts if you become Schneiderman , co-founder of incapacitated or die. Apple Everplans , a site for creating recently announced plans end-of-life plans and storing to add a similar feature. The documents. “And if it takes vast majority of online proyou a while to access these viders don’t have this opaccounts, you’re going to re- tion, however. Complicating alize afterwards, ‘Well, we’ve matters further, almost all lost thousands of dollars on providers prohibit sharing services we don’t use or don’t passwords, Hartung says. need anymore, because we Typically, executors can’t

ON THE WEB NerdWallet: Writing a Will? How to Stop Stalling and Get It Done https://bit. ly/nerdwallet-will-101 STEP: Inventory for Digital Assets and Digital Devices https://www.step. org/system/files/media/ files/2020-10/step-digital-assets-inventory-v2. pdf demand access to your digital assets unless you specifically give them authority to do so in your will or living trust. Even then, a provider’s terms of service may limit what the executor can do and hinder them from carrying out your wishes.

So giving your executor your login credentials may be the easiest way to make sure they can carry out your wishes, estate planning experts say.

MAKE A DIGITAL fer to heirs, for example.

ASSETS INVENTORY Another option is to keep The first step in creating your login credentials in a plan for your digital assets a password manager such is to make a list of them. as LastPass or 1Password .

Searching for a “digital as- These tools typically have sets inventory” will turn up a “notes” field that would some worksheets, includ- allow you to include details ing a detailed one created about how you’d like the by the trade organization account to be handled. You Society of Trust and Estate would need to provide your Practitioners , or STEP, that executor with the master allows you to list your ac- password, which could be counts, usernames and, if included in the letter of instruction. desired, your passwords.

Don’t forget to include KEEP YOUR access to your devices. If INVENTORY SAFE — you have two-factor authenAND UPDATED tication set up on accounts to You don’t want to inverify your identity — and clude sensitive information typically you should — your executor will need the pass- such as passwords in your code to unlock your phone will, since that document or other device that receives becomes public after you die. Instead, store the inventhe authentication code.

You may also want to tory and letter of instruction leave a letter of instruction with your other estate plantelling your executor about ning documents in a secure your wishes for various as- location , such as with your sets — what to delete, what attorney or in a home safe, to archive and what to trans- and let your executor know

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where to find it. You also could upload the information to an online storage site, such as Everplans or LifeSite, that allows you to give a trusted person access to the documents.

Consider reviewing the inventory at least once a year and make any needed updates. You’ll rest easier knowing your loved ones won’t be locked out of your digital life.

“Creating a roadmap is really important so that there are no surprises, no tears, that there’s as little stress as possible,” Schneiderman says. ≤≤≤ This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of “Your Credit Score.” Email: lweston@ nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @ lizweston.

12—Lewistown, PA

The Sentinel

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022

Don’t Miss Out On The Laughter During Your Golden Years

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