Saturday, January 29, 2011

KEEPING OUR KUPUNAS ACTIVE

GIVING KUPUNAS RESPONSIBILITIES HELPS TO KEEP THEM SHARP


Many times, we tend to do everything for the elderly because they're too slow, make mistakes, or don't do things correctly. Yes, we can get things done faster if we do things ourselves, but are we hurting the elderly because they no longer engage themselves physically or mentally in everyday tasks? Do they lose their self-esteem because they no longer feel they're contributing to their ever shrinking community? Yes, many believe so.

We must be as patient with them as we are with children. The only difference is that children will build upon each success pattern and the elderly will eventually deteriorate with memory loss and physical frailties.

When my dad passed away in 1994, he made me promise to watch over my mother. So I moved her in with me and she remained with me until her passing in 2002. I was busy with two teenagers at the time and ran my business from my home so I didn't have much patience with her. I had her do the laundry and dusting around the house and gave her limited duties around the stove. I did the cooking and she heated her meal in the microwave oven most of the time because I also coached baseball and was very active in PTSA activities.

In early 1995, I got a puppy to keep her company. It was one of the best decisions I made. She was named Koge (Ko-gay) and my mom had someone to scold and discipline. Koge slept in my mom's room at night to keep a watch over her.

My mom was also a Buddhist and that required frequent visits to the family gravesites. So, I grew torch ginger, orchids and anthuriums. She would go out into the yard a couple of times a day and watch as each plant grew and flowered. Every few days, she would cut flowers and place them on the family alter in her room.

Another thing that the elderly enjoy is growing food. One can do this even if one doesn't have a yard. If you live in a condo where you have a lanai, you can plant vegetables in those storage bins made by Rubbermaid. If you have a yard and have the energy, you can plant a hydroponic garden that could make you self-sustaining in the event our government goes broke and the streets get chaotic.

Some of these gardens use tilapia in tanks to  fertilize the vegetables and the vegetables in turn, recycle and cleanse the water for the tilapia. In one system, one can have protein from the fish and vegetables for vitamins, minerals and fiber. You will find that the elderly in your care will spend more time outside watching the recycling of life.

The elderly also enjoy doing crafts or making things. I encouraged my mom to continue her crocheting where she made potholders, doilies, clothing and decorative items. It keeps them busy and focused on completing something and they have something to look forward to every day. I've noticed that at the care homes I visit, the people who come in with arts and crafts are more popular than those who run Bingo games. They bring in pre-drawn pictures where they can color by the numbers, make crafts and other items that they can show off to their friends.

If we don't give them something to be responsible for, then they're just waiting to die.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY BY DOING TAX RETURNS

VOLUNTEER AS A TAX PREPARER


Every year for the past couple of years, I've volunteered in the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance/Tax Counseling for the Elderly) sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service. The program is sponsored by a number of groups under the guidance and sponsorship of the Family and Individual Self-sufficiency Program.

http://www.hawaiitaxhelp.org/about/

To volunteer, one must pass a test set by the IRS. For geezers like me, I need all the help I can get so I attend a free seminar at Leeward Community College for two Saturdays. The class is conducted by Professor Roy Kamida, who is also a CPA. The first session is this Saturday, January 22. You can make inquiries about attending the session by emailing him at KAMIDA@HAWAII.EDU.

http://malamakupuna.blogspot.com/2010/03/professor-roy-kamida-tax-sage.html

Also assisting at Leeward is Shelley Ota who is a Professor of Accounting and is the division Chairperson for LCC Business Division. She is a 2009 recipient of the UH Regents Medal of Excellence in Teaching. Professor Sharon Cox is an Assistant Professor of Accounting in UH West Oahu's Division of Professional Studies. They are both credentialed academically.


In the above photo, both professors are brainstorming on ways to attract more people in to utilize the tax assistance program. Some of their ideas made me blush. But you can see that they're not typical of the professors I had when I struggled through college. My professors all had beards, walked and talked slowly and were hard of hearing. As you can see, neither of them have beards.

They are always on hand to provide assistance when the volunteer has questions. And, I can attest that they will not giggle or snort when you ask a question that a simpleton should know. At least, they've never laughed while I was still in their presence.

One of the things most volunteers look forward to is the food cooked by volunteer chef, Vic Punua, Jr. His sweet/sour spare ribs are of the broke-the-mouth quality.

http://malamakupuna.blogspot.com/2010/03/victor-punua-jr.html

Then, there are the volunteers who keep coming back year after year. You get to renew old friendships while helping the people with their tax returns.

http://malamakupuna.blogspot.com/2010/03/toni-tsusaki-community-resource.html

http://malamakupuna.blogspot.com/2010/03/jack-hewitt-computer-guru.html
Of course, the main benefit you will get as a volunteer is the satisfaction in helping people to navigate through the complex process when preparing a tax return. You will also acquire a better knowledge of our tax system. At Leeward, where I volunteer, there are many accounting students who are part of the program to obtain class credits and hands-on knowledge of the tax preparation process. They obtain real life experiences in dealing with "clients" which will serve them well in their future endeavors. As a geezer volunteer, interacting with the young keeps me young and on my toes.