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Making financial decisions takes time, attention and energy at any age. In the case of elderly adults, it may become increasingly difficult to manage finances, particularly if their health is declining or they’re experiencing a cognitive issue. If you’re providing Managing Aging support to Parents’ Finances: aging parents plan to What to Know –in or the future – here are some tips on how to handle the situation and prepare for what’s to come.

Don’t wait to start talking about money. While it may be uncomfortable to ask your parents to discuss their finances with you, it’s essential that you are familiar with their intentions for future care and what plans they have in place. The first time you broach the subject, emphasize that you are looking for only a high-level overview so that you can have more peace-of-mind that your parents will be well cared for. This initial conversation can help set the groundwork for future discussions.

Create a contact list. If your parents experience a sudden change in their health that affects their ability to manage their own affairs, it’s important to (Financial cont’d on pg 2)

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(Financial cont’d from pg 1) work. The Federal Fam-

have a game plan for what happens next. If you anticipate stepping in to pay bills, make insurance claims and handle other financial tasks, start by asking your parents for a list of contact information for the professionals they work with and where their accounts are held. Keep in mind that you may need to be an authorized user or power of attorney to be allowed access to certain accounts. Consult a lawyer to talk through what permissions may be necessary for you to step in if the need arises.

ily and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) allows covered employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to provide care for a family member with a serious health condition.1 Consult your Human Resources department to learn what your company’s policies are for employees who are caring for a parent and how to initiate a claim if you need to. Many employers have access to resources and support groups to help you manage your responsibilities at home and at work.

Maintain momentum on your own financial Build a support netgoals. It’s understandwork. Talk with siblings able to want to provide or other trusted family your parents with as much members about what a support as you can. It’s possible care plan could prudent to look at your look like for your parents. finances to see how much While this conversation support you could procan be tough to initiate, vide, if that is needed, know that it’s often easier without jeopardizing your to bring everyone together own retirement and future while your parents are still health care needs. healthy and in good mental capacity. Discuss who It’s hard to imagine – let can realistically provide alone talk about – what support – and in what way caring for an ill or aging and at what cost. Proacparent may look like. For tively deciding who can additional support in havdrive your parents to doc- ing family conversations, tor appointments, manage evaluating financial opfinancial affairs, care for tions and creating a plan their home, and handle for your parents, contact other tasks can help avoid your financial advisor and a strain on your time and lawyer. These experts energy down the road. work day-in and day-out with families in similar Anticipate future lifesituations and can help style changes and you take the steps neceschallenges. Even if they sary to feel more confiaren’t yet needed, explore dent about your own plan. the options and costs of 1 – U.S. Department of Labor: The various assisted living Family and Medical Leave Act of and memory care ser1993 (https://www.dol.gov/agenvices. Check your parents’ cies/whd/laws-and-regulations/ insurance policies to see laws/fmla if and how services might Duane J Lusson, CFP, ChFC, be covered. You may also CLU, MSFS, is a Private Wealth want to explore whether Advisor with Ameriprise Financial their home or yours could Services, Inc. in Ottumwa, Iowa.

He specializes in fee-based finanbe modified to provide cial planning and asset manageadditional space or comment strategies and has been in forts, such as wheelchair practice for 33 years. To contact him, call 641-684-4200 or stop by access. Knowing what his office at 527 W. Second in Otchoices exist and how tumwa, Iowa. your parents feel about Investment products are not ineach one can help you sured by the FDIC, NCUA or any make future decisions federal agency, are not deposits with more confidence. or obligations of, or guaranteed Know your rights at

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and fluctuation in value.

Ameriprise Financial, Inc. and its affiliates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specific situation.

Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results.

Securities offered by Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2025 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

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by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal

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found discovery time to settle, and then cleared my throat to avoid startling the young couple.

“Excuse me,” I said reaching alongside the young man. I grabbed three packages of hindquarters and placed them in my cart. I don’t think they were even aware of my presence, The Whole being preoccupied by Chicken the fryer. I glanced at their cart. They had “Oh my gosh! Derek, three packages of each, quick come look at this!” chicken thighs and legs.

The young lady spoke with an urgency that “What would you even she got Derek’s attendo with this thing,” she tion, and mine, too. We asked, as they giggled were at the meat cooler and ogled the whole at Super One Foods, bird. in Two Harbors. Fresh chicken hind-quarters I wanted to ask, ‘Where were on sale for $1.09 do you two think chickper pound and I paen legs come from?’ tiently waited my turn as But such a comment, the young lady ahead although humorous, of me was occupying would be condescendthe space in front of the ing. The couple seemed poultry section. to be in their very early twenties, possibly late Derek was looking at teens, so I gave them hotdogs in the cooler the benefit of the doubt. across the aisle. He Maybe this was their quickly rushed over to first-time grocery shopsee what was the mat- ping on their own. To ter. “Look at this,” she poke fun at their nasaid pointing to someivete would be mean. I thing in the cooler. She pushed my cart around picked up a bird to show them to continue shopthe young man. “They ping. sell WHOLE chickens!”

As I passed by, the Derek responded, young lady returned “Wow, I’ve never seen the whole chicken to that before. I had no the cooler and absentidea you could get a mindedly backed away, whole chicken.” My recrashing into me, and sponse was a bit differ- bumping me to the side. ent because I could tell “I’m so sorry,” she said, they were both serious. grabbing my arm. “Are you okay?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I “Of course,” I laughed, thought. I waited a mo- “I’m fine.” I pointed to ment giving this newtheir cart, “That’s a lot

of chicken.”

Derek explained. “We just got our first place together so we invited some friends to come over for a cookout.”

“Thighs and legs,” I noted. “Good choice.”

The young lady agreed.

“The chicken breasts are really expensive.”

“Yes, they are,” I said, “and breasts are a lot harder to cook on a grill without overcooking, and making them dry.”

Based on his age I assumed Derek may be a novice on the grill. He proceeded to ask some questions about grilling meats. After offering some tips, including a meat thermometer, I asked, “Would you two like to save some money.” They were both very receptive to the idea.

I drew a package from my cart to show them.

“Chicken hindquarters are on sale for $1.09 per pound,” I said. Together, they looked at me blankly as if there had to be more to my point, so I continued, “Legs and thighs are $2.39 per pound.”

that he was too stupid to know more, “How do understand the subject you cut it?” at hand. The teacher corrected him, “If you I pressed the plasticdon’t understand, it’s not wrapped chicken. “Do because you’re stupid, you feel the divot? it’s just that I haven’t That’s the joint between explained it yet in a the leg and thigh.” Each way that you will unfelt the hindquarters derstand.” The teacher and nodded. I used my The girl looked at the continued to work pafinger to show where to hindquarters through tiently with the student. cut from the back to the the clear plastic wrap. front of the leg. “When “Those pieces are way Similarly, I patiently you feel your knife come too big. That’s why we explained to the young to the bone, stop. Then got legs and thighs.” couple, “If you cut the bend the thigh and leg I smiled because she didn’t get it. (Neither did hindquarter in half, you’ll backwards. The joint have one leg and one will separate, and you he.) thigh.” can easily cut through.”

They questioned if it I recalled a classmate was hard to do. “Not at admitting to the teacher They were curious to all,” I assured. “After you cut one or two, you’ll fly through the rest. They seemed to understand but weren’t sure how this would save them money.

“If you buy six packages of hindquarters and cut them, you’ll have about the same number of pieces and you would save $1.20 per pound.”

I quickly added the total weight of their packages. “You’ll save over thirty bucks.” Finally understanding, they smiled about the savings and thanked me for my help. They replaced the thighs and legs with (Just the Other Day cont’d on pg 4)

Ray’s Longbranch Homemade 1/2 lb. Tenderloins & Hamburgers Drakesville, IA • 722-3355

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(Just the Other Day cont’d from pg 3)

six packages of hindquarters.

The young lady looked in their cart. “Derek, why didn’t you get the hotdogs,” she said.

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roast a chicken for supper that night. The next chicken also caught my eye. Well, at least the price tag did; $7.77.

I laughed, imagining I was in Las Vegas.

I pulled the arm on the slot machine. Instead of triple sevens, “Because you called the spinning wheels me over here to look at stopped on three chickyour chicken,” he deens! Suddenly bells fended. We all shared a rang, sirens sounded, good laugh about that. roosters crowed, and I walked away feeling chickens cackled. The good about teaching machine started spitting them a life lesson to out eggs, spilling over save money – at least the coin tray, onto the until I got to the register. floor. A crowd gathered, they were all cheering The young couple was for me. People gave in the self-check-out congratulatory slaps on lane next to me. I nomy back, saying, ‘That’s ticed they returned awesome, kid!’ ‘Way to the hindquarters and go, man.’ One lady even bought the precut piec- proposed marriage! es. Grocery prices are “The drinks are on me,” so high these days….

I shouted in glorious joy.

I just shook my head.

Fortunately, the dream “I did what I could; I’m quickly faded before the not going to their house bar tab arrived, and I to cut the chicken for was back at Super One. them; Derek would “I can not pass up a probably want me to grill $7.77 chicken.” Into the their chicken, too.” basket, it went.

Several months later, I was at the same Super One. Chicken hindquarters were on sale again.

I bought a few packages for the freezer. I glanced at the whole chickens and smiled as I recalled the day when I’d met Derek and the young lady in this same spot.

“Hey, that’s a good price on whole chickens,” I noticed.

The whole birds were fresh, not frozen. I selected one and put it in my cart, deciding to

Once home, I put the lucky chicken in the freezer, and the other went into the oven for dinner. It was delicious!

Now, jump several months forward.

Have you ever had one of those days when you just can’t decide what sounds good for supper? I was having one last Monday. I stared blankly in front of the open refrigerator. Nothing jumped out at me but cold air, so I closed the door. I went

FEBRUARY 19, 2025

through the pantry; nada. I checked the upper cabinets. “Pasta and Jell-O with chocolate chips, served in a taco shell? Interesting, but I don’t think so. Mac and Cheese? Blah.” I moved to the next cabinet.

“Hmm, Cheerios wouldn’t be so bad.”

Nope. In desperation, I opened the freezer and pulled out a pound of hamburger. “Maybe I should dig deeper.”

There it was, my lucky chicken, buried under various bags of frozen mixed vegetables, a rack of ribs, and an unmarked, unidentified Food Saver package. “Come to Papa.” I raised the frozen bird, put it on a platter, and set it in the fridge. Unfortunately, it would take a couple of days to thaw, so I still needed to figure out supper, and that was fine with me.

About an hour later, a thought distracted me while folding laundry.

“What was in that Food Saver package?” I returned to the freezer.

Having no idea what it was, let alone when it was put in there, the mystery entrée went into the trash can.

Melissa came home from work, asking if I had something in mind for dinner. “Cereal,” I said. “We have Cheerios and oatmeal. Take your pick.”

Wednesday around noon, I retrieved Ole

Lucky from the fridge, smiling again at the $7.77 price tag. “Your streak of luck ends today, Mr. Chicken,” I laughed. Truthfully, his luck ran out the day he took a truck ride to the Gold’n Plump plant – but I digress.

I rinsed and patted dry the bird, then rubbed it with olive oil. I seasoned it liberally, inside, and out; salt, fresh-ground pepper, rosemary, thyme, and a touch of garlic powder. I drizzled the juice from half of a lemon over the top and then put a quartered onion and the lemon rind inside the bird. Finally, I placed it in my cast iron chicken pot and slow-roasted the bird at 225° for four hours. The kitchen smelled wonderful.

After dinner, I put the leftover chicken on a platter. I vacuumedsealed the remaining breast meat in a Food Saver bag to make another meal for two. I marked and dated the package, and placed it in the freezer. (No more mystery entrees for me.)

Next, I added water to the broth, diced the onions from the chicken, chopped some celery, sliced a couple of carrots, and tossed it all in the pot. I added barley and let the pot simmer, while I picked the rest of the chicken from the bones. I stirred in the chicken and had a pot full of delicious chicken barley soup. I filled two, quart-size bags and put them in the freezer.

Imagine that. The main entrée for four meals, Roasted lemon roseall came from one bird! mary chicken, cheesy I truly did hit the jackpot twice-baked potatoes, with this $7.77 chicken. and steamed, fresh Next time I go to Super spinach for dinner. Mm. One, I’ll watch for the young couple, Derek, We each had a hindand his girlfriend. This quarter and a slice of time, I’m going to sugwhite meat. The chicken gest they buy the whole breast was so juicy and chicken. tender, that it cut effortlessly using the edge of a fork. What an amazing meal, healthy, and easy to make.