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During your stay in a hospital, your doctor and the staff must work with you to help pave the way to a smooth transition to the next level of care. Your input is an important part of creating a comprehensive plan for what happens to you after you leave the hospital setting and enter rehab or long-term care. The following questions come from a document called “Your Discharge Planning Checklist” from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We recommend using this and other checklists in working with the hospital’s staff before discharge. 1) Where will you receive care after …

The recent documentary “The Italian Americans” discussed the period at the beginning of World War II. The government decided for security reasons that certain foreign-born American residents would be classified as “enemy aliens”. These were people whose home countries were at war with us. Also, these people had not filed for citizenship. Obviously, many Italian Americans fit this classification until the practice was ended in 1943 when Mussolini’s government fell. There were many reasons Italian immigrants opted to not become American citizens in the years leading up to World War II. Many wanted to return to Italy after they had …

  I am a HUGE Chicago sports fan, really loving all the excitement and pride that goes along with it. One of my particular favorite experiences is to visit the boys on the ice, my Chicago Blackhawks. One of the best experiences in all of sports was the singing of the national anthem in the old Chicago Stadium. Bone-chilling volume coupled with red, white and blue flowing through the veins of every fan on his and her feet was something I will never forget. Another unsung hero is something that really goes unnoticed while at the same time is a …

You have scrimped and saved for years and now you have money in the bank for a down payment on a property. But before you rush into the market, consider this. What many homebuyers don’t take into account are the extra expenses that lurking in the closing costs. Closing costs can equal 3 percent of your purchase price in many cases, and sometimes even more depending on the price range. There are many costs that can fluctuate daily, from government charges like transfer stamps to attorney or title company fees. Closing costs cannot be avoided and everyone will have their …

  Remember the childhood story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where this bed is too big and this bed is too small but this bed is just right? Can the market be at a point where everything is just right? Mortgage rates as of the day I am writing this article are below 4 percent for a 30-year fixed. Real estate prices are moving up and oil and gas prices are at multi-year lows. And while the economy isn’t speeding along, we have seen unemployment come down without being accompanied by wage inflation. Inflation overall has been below the …

  It is a great relief when you can find a person you trust to take care of your parents or loved one as they age. Caregivers can be a great help for those who may not be totally self-sufficient. But there may come a time when your parents’ needs exceed the scope of an in-home caregiver. At this point, you may look nursing home care for your loved ones, especially if medical professionals feel that that is necessary. Once in a nursing home, most people will try to qualify for Medicaid, which is the only governmental program that will …

  Last month, we discussed on-line family trees, and some of the pros and cons. The major pro is that when you upload your tree, the on-line sites (familysearch and ancestry) check your tree for matches with other trees already in their web sites. Keep in mind a couple of things when working with these two web sites. Familysearch is limited to the data that they have already microfilmed, and are now in the process of making those billions of images available on-line.  Information is completely free due to being funded through the Mormon Church, who created the web site …

  As of Thursday, February 19, 2015, I have been living within the boundaries of the Pullman National Monument! After many years of hard work and progressive effort by numerous residents and supporters, Pullman has become part of the country’s National Park System. As a voting member of the Executive Board of the Pullman Civic Organization (PCO) I received a ticket to attend the Presidential signing at the Gwendolyn Brooks Academy, (formerly Mendel and Pullman Tech). I did all the right planning to get myself a center seat in the sixth row, directly in front of the dais with all …

It seems that every family tree boasts an artist — whether near or far historically. Many of us have hidden talents that we’ve never explored, but some of us have offspring whose talents have flourished. When our children take part in an art exhibit at school and then carry on with that interest into their adult education we swell with pride. If those children of ours become successful commercial artists — whether they are actors, sculptors, musicians, singers, songwriters or performers – our joy knows no bounds. As we see our relatives persevere and endure through the hardships that are …

As we make our way into the New Year, I would like to apprise you of three new items that took effect on Jan. 1, 2015: New Illinois Power of Attorney for Healthcare – Effective Jan. 1, the state has a new statutory short-form power of attorney for healthcare. Without further changes, this will be the new statutory power of attorney healthcare professionals will use and find recognizable. It therefore may be advisable to have the new power of attorney created for you to replace an old one. Small Estate Affidavit — Effective Jan. 1, the small estate affidavit has …