Mark Harvey

HELP LINE: Don’t let probate fear stop you dead

PROBATE. A LOT of us just stopped dead in our tracks (some things I just can’t resist). After all, “death” and “probate” go together, right?… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Use Alzheimer’s walk to fight back against death

DEATH AND I have met on numerous occasions, although I’m happy to report that we haven’t been formally introduced. As is the case for many… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Say ‘enough’ to abuse; report it

THIS WEEK, LIKE last week, I want to begin with the most important things I’m going to say: 1-877-734-6277 or (TTY) 360-664-9469. Those are the… Continue reading

HELP LINE: If something wrong is happening, report it

WHAT I’M GOING to go on about today is not a happy topic: It’s about abuse, exploitation and neglect. If you’re just not in the… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Remember: Age is just a number

TODAY IS MY birthday (thank you, thank you very much), and I must confess that I hadn’t anticipated that turning 24 would be such a… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Seek information to help with dementia

A LOT OF us know a lot about dementia. It’s not necessarily because we’ve studied it, but more often than not, because we’ve lived it… Continue reading

HELP LINE: For your loved ones, remember to make a will

THE OTHER DAY a friend of mine lost her dad. It wasn’t unexpected, but as most of us know, there’s a limit to how ready… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Remember: New Medicare numbers are coming

DO WE ALL remember that Social Security numbers are coming off our Medicare cards? Right: More than a few of us have been observing for… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Why do we fear and hate aging?

SOMETIMES, WHEN I have nothing else productive to do, I actually think about things I say. Apparently this is one of those times. One of… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Remember the rules of Medicare

MANY OF US can easily remember when the norm was that retirement, Social Security and Medicare all hit at the same time. That is because… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Divorced? You could be eligible for ex-spouse benefits

I’VE JUST DISCOVERED that I completely missed a national designation a few months back. Of course, a reasonable case could be made to the point… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Don’t lack the courage to ask for help

MOST OF US aren’t really looking to live forever, and that’s good because the odds are against it. Let’s face it: We’ve all been rolling… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Remember to thank fathers, father figures

FIRST THINGS FIRST, right? Today is Father’s Day. If that’s something you need to know and had managed to forget, you might want to do… Continue reading

HELP LINE: SHIBA needs volunteers like you

WHAT’S THE ONE thing that drives every single one of us uniformly nuts, no matter what? Well … OK, what’s one of the things that… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Caregivers need support sometimes, too

THE ODDS ARE pretty good that most of us are hearing the terms “caregiver” and “caregiver support” more and more. If you’re a veteran of… Continue reading

HELP LINE: When you have time to, think through your options

HERE’S AN EXCHANGE that might be helpful to a lot of us. I’ll put it into a question-and-answer format, although that isn’t exactly how it… Continue reading

HELP LINE: In face of dementias, check for compassionate allowances

maybe the kids are gone, maybe they’re not — and these days,… Continue reading

HELP LINE: If mothers ruled the world …

I THINK THAT most of us would agree (except for those of us who don’t agree) that we live in a time of hyper-partisanship (depending… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Forks offers up fun with family fair

WANT TO SEE how to strike unmitigated terror into the hearts of hundreds of people, mostly male people? Watch. OK, now, we’re all remembering what… Continue reading

HELP LINE: Remember: ‘Not getting worse’ matters

WE’RE GOING TO bounce around a few different things today, but allow me to begin with the one that really rubs me the wrong way:… Continue reading