Boy, people are just plain weird. Speaking of Facebook groups again. DH is a member of one. Dh is a really good writer and most enjoys writing stories that are funny and usually make fun of himself. So, he posts this little story Thursday night to this group. While long, for Facebook typical stuff, it was about a 2 minute read. It was definitely related to what the group is about, so it's not like he hijacked the group to write about something unrelated. He wrote up a funny story, essentially making fun of himself. It made me almost spit my coffee out when I read it yesterday morning. And apparently most of the people reading it felt the same way, as he got lots of laughs and compliments on his story, that they enjoyed the good laugh, great story/writing, "I had tears streaming down my face I was laughing so hard", etc.
And of course there are always a few who just can't deal with or accept humor, LOL. "Too long, didn't read it" or the really stupid ones are that they read it and got zero humor out of it and totally missed the point of it. One guy wrote "tl/dr" and someone tagged him under his comment and said, too bad, you missed out. Then the guy makes a comment didn't read it, too much "boomer". Dh, trying to keep things light, said well, ya I am a boomer, so.... then the guy had to tell dh he's lying, there's no way he's that old, "I'm 49 and you don't look any older than me". To which dh replied - umm...well, ya I am that old and the only way you'd know how old you think I look is to take the time to look at my (mostly private) profile and go scroll down in my pictures where there is one of me in a public profile picture, but you are complaining because you don't want to take 2 minutes to read my little story? LOL. Then the guy blocked him. Is it really that hard to just scroll on by a post you don't think you are interested in?
It's snowing a bit this morning. I had looked out my office window a little while ago and thought hmmm...those kind of look like snow clouds. Then I looked at the weather app on my phone, which said it was snowing and about 15 minutes later it did start. Just very lightly, supposed to turn to rain. But, I do need to get some work stuff out to the mailbox pretty soon, before the mail carrier comes.
I see my mom's annual required distribution from her retirement account processed yesterday, so that should be in her checking Monday. Then I'll transfer most of it over to her savings, until she needs to use it. Yesterday was a total annoying day with her meds again. Being's Tues, Wed and Thurs she didn't end up taking them until she got back after breakfast at 8:50, instead of setting it for 7:30 I just left it at 8:50. Of course, she didn't take it then! So, I did my new "trick" of resetting the alert time to an hour later. Almost 11am and she still hasn't taken. I try to call and get her, so she says she'll take it. In the meantime I'm noticing the app says her EVENING 6pm pill was taken at 9:15am. How in the world did that happen?! And of course after she hung up with me she didn't take. I'm sure she was just on her way down to exercise. So, I had to set the time for another hour of alerts, tried closer to noon, no answer, which then of course she was probably at lunch. I extended the alert time again. Then from 1 to 2:30 I was on a work zoom meeting and kept checking and she still never took.
Finally, I got ahold of her again at 3pm. She had that clear "dessert" cup underneath to dispense in again, and so the screen said "return cup" because it cannot recognize the clear plastic. I got her to cut down a styrofoam cup and push the button and her pills finally dispensed. I'm thinking to myself shouldn't her machine still have been alerting her every 5 minutes, and if she was in her apartment she would have known she needed to take? I got online withe the Hero support to ask "if she forgets to return the cup, does the machine still notify her when it's time to take her next dose?". For some reason this support person could not understand what I was asking. Finally I gave up and was dialing the help phone number to maybe get someone else and she replied back that yes, the machine will still alert her that it's time for the next dose, if the cup isn't under there.
I decide to now try setting the morning time to 7:15, since 7:30 wasn't working. What time do you think she took it this morning? LOL. 6:55! She have NEVER once taken her morning pills early. All this time I have had it set at 8:30 the last 6 months....she has taken it right at 8:30, when it notifies her (if she's in her apt) or she takes it later, when she gets back to her apt. I'm just glad it's done and taken this morning and I don't have to spend all morning/day having it on my radar to make sure it's done.
The next 2 weeks is our open enrollment period for benefits with my work. Hmmm....I always check to see what it would cost me to add dh to health insurance. Last year this time, I still had him on that short term high deductible plan that only cost about $130/mo. Then after his medical stuff, last August I got him on a ACA plan (which cost me over $300 more per month). Well, the work plan is $90 more a month than I am paying for his current plan. But, it's also only a $2800 deductible, rather than $7,050. Trying to decide if I want to spend the extra $90 a month. I probably should. Since I'm on an HSA type of plan with my employer they do contribute $50 a month to my HSA savings, so I guess I could look at it as it will only cost me an extra $40/mo to have dh on my work plan. Plus, the past couple of weeks he's been complaining he doesn't feel well again and he thinks it's his pancreas starting to act up again. It's possible he could end up in the hospital again. Plus, we still have the unknown of his prostate cancer going forward. Possibly, at some point, if it's not slow growing, we may have expenses dealing with that. I should probably pay the extra and get him on my insurance.
On health insurance, one thing to keep in mind is that the more generous ACA subsidies legislated by Congress last year are only in effect for 2021 and 2022. So next year your husband's ACA premium could go up a lot. Democrats wanted to extend the more generous subsidies but that was in the Build Back Better bill which failed to pass.
ReplyDeleteAlso, since you mentioned your mom's required distribution, here are some things I learned recently that may apply to you someday. If you are the beneficiary on your mom's IRA, then when she dies you will have two choices - cash it out and pay all the taxes in one year (you won't choose this one!) or have the custodian set up an inherited IRA for you. Under the current rules, money in a non-spousal inherited IRA has to be completely withdrawn over a 10-year period. If your mom's IRA is fairly large, this will be a good news/bad news thing for you! On the one hand, you will inherit a sizable amount of money but on the other hand having to withdraw it over a 10-year period will have major effects on your federal income taxes (and maybe state taxes as well). When the time comes,tax planning will be very important.
Another thing to know is that the 10-year inherited IRA starts in the year following the IRA owner's death. In the year of death, if the owner has not yet taken their RMD, then the beneficiary must take the RMD for them. So let's say your mom dies in the month of January and has not yet taken her RMD of let's say $15,000. Then you as the beneficiary would be required to withdraw that amount from your inherited IRA in that year.
My 90-year old Dad just died in January so I am going through all of this right now. It's even more complicated if there are multiple beneficiaries lol.
The ACA subsidy is an excellent point! I hadn't thought of that and you're right - most likely come renewal time for that at the end of this year, it's going to go way up. I had read about the 10 year deal on inherited IRA. When the time comes I will most likely get some investment and tax advice on what's best way to do it. That makes sense that the RMD would still have to be withdrawn that year. I'm sorry go hear about your dad. It is sure all complicated, isn't it?
DeleteGod willing, maybe your mom will be with you until you're ready to retire, then your tax bracket might be lower, so a lower tax hit.
DeleteOh what timing. Just yesterday, my DH received information regarding an inherited IRA from his mother who passed last July. From what we have now read, the taxes also depend on whether it is a traditional IRA or a Roth. One good thing, however, is that distributions from an inherited IRA are not subject to the IRS 10% early withdrawal penalty.
DeleteSAM - that's my hope, but we can't control that, so will deal with it when it happens and to the best way I can.
DeleteLucy - hopefully that means things are progressing with your MIL's estate/will! My mom's is a traditional IRA type.
DeleteIt is good your husband can write well. I wish you could copy and paste his two-minute story so we can read it. I don't know how he writes, but one thing that will make me turn away from the best writing is not using paragraphs! Even if the paragraphs are not "proper" in that they are divided in the right place, eyes need a break from the long body of text. I read blogs that have loooong stretches with no break for my eyes. But, I would never complain. Just give me a paragraph break!
ReplyDeleteI had to shake my head at the attention you must spend on her taking meds. It must frustrate you. So, she throws away the cut down cups? And, she remembered what scissors are?
It worries me that she might have to move. She has a routine with her activities and wonder if she can establish another routine with her memory problems.
He writes paragraphs and everything! Heck he even spells good, LOL. His writing reminds me of Erma Bombeck. Mom did remember what scissors were that day, she just couldn't remember where they were. As I started to say they are in your desk drawer, she said "oh here they are in my drawer". I'm trying to keep her in this place as long as possible. She loves it and like you said has her routines established
DeleteOh your poor husband. I was (still am) on a FB group dealing with Brexit in France (how do we get our green cards etc) and how to apply for French nationality, but to be honest I don't post anything on other groups because I can't deal with the moaners. I just tend to think their lives are so miserable they have to pick other people to pieces - but good on your husband if he doesn't look older than 49 right?
ReplyDeleteI can't deal with them either. I kept my mouth shut to them, but the one guy I just wanted to say "oh ok, since we are giving advice, mine is you go find a new attitude" LOL.
DeleteI seem to remember your mom is just taking a cholesterol pill. At her age it probably doesn't matter too much anymore. I'd ask the doc if it's really necessary and possibly not have to worry with it anymore.
ReplyDeleteThe cholesterol is her evening pill, but she has 3 other plus a multivitamin she takes in the morning. The cholesterol is one I plan to ask her dr about still taking during her next check up. I read that often after a certain age it's probably not necessary anymore.
DeleteIf your mom is not able, even with your device to take her meds on her own it is probably time to consider more help for her. We dealt with that with Mom and it is not an easy decision but when it is time, it is time.
ReplyDeleteAbout the inherited IRA__You can withdraw the assets from an inherited IRA over a ten year period or you can wait and withdraw it all at once as long as it is taken out by the end of the 10th year following death.
When I take her to her annual check up next month I'm going to also ask about if she can take all her meds at one time in the evening. That would probably lessen the problems, as I have rarely had to deal with her missing her evening pill.
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