Your Money – Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Caregivers

Investing According to Your Values

An increasing number of funds align themselves with environmental, social and corporate governance ideals.

Investing According to Your Values

An increasing number of funds align themselves with environmental, social and corporate governance ideals.

For those who want to combine their social values with their financial investments, socially responsible investing (SRI) would seem to be the perfect choice. Funds that invest according to a certain set of principles—such as environmental—are becoming more popular. At the outset of 2016, U.S. assets that use SRI strategies grew to $8.72 trillion, an increase of 33 percent since 2014, according to the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. Today SRI funds account for more than one out of every five dollars under professional financial management in the United States.

Mutual funds that invest in a range of SRI strategies are increasing: More than 45 new funds opened over the past five years. All told, 181 U.S. mutual funds and 39 exchange-traded funds practice SRI in one form or another, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, including industry heavyweights BlackRock and Goldman Sachs Group. Much of that investment money comes from institutions, primarily pension funds, foundations and college endowments.

That number is expected to grow as millennials start to invest more as they get older. Several surveys have found that Americans born between the early 1980s and early 2000s are more committed than previous generations to socially responsible issues, particularly sustainability, when they invest, even if it means they don’t make as much profit.

Defining SRIs

SRI funds cover a wide range of issues, and while some funds emphasize specific areas—such as the workplace—others try to cover all the bases. The approach is often two-pronged: Avoid companies that sell items that can be considered harmful, such as firearms, alcohol, nuclear power, pornography or military weapons, while focusing on companies that promote positive actions. To determine if a company is socially responsible, investors use three main criteria—termed ESG.

1. Environment. Factors that focus on the natural environment can include reducing emissions or investing in sustainable or clean energy sources, while avoiding industries such as coal mining. Environmental concerns are the biggest reason that investors buy SRI funds, according to the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment, with climate change and clean technology topping the list.

2. Social. How a company treats its employees, customers and suppliers can be a barometer of its commitment to social responsibility. This category includes equal employment and diversity, labor and human rights, and the exclusion of companies doing business in countries with repressive regimes or that sponsor terrorism.

3. Governance. When evaluating a company, some investors look at its leadership and diversity (are women and minorities in upper management?), how much it pays top executives, the regularity of audits, its internal controls and shareholder rights.

Beyond ESG is another popular category of SRI: faith-based funds for those who want their investments to match the principles of their Christian, Jewish or Muslim faith.

For example, Catholics might avoid firms that support abortion, contraceptives or embryonic stem cell research. Muslims generally avoid “sin stocks”—alcohol, pornography or gambling.

Performance of SRI Funds

Whether SRI funds are as good an investment as non-SRI funds is debatable, with conflicting figures as to their worth. Certainly, some SRI funds outperform the market, while others lag behind.

Financial expert Jane Bryant Quinn, writing for AARP Bulletin, says, “Multiple studies show that indexes of ‘responsible’ stocks perform at least as well as the total market over the long term.”

A 2014 research study by the firm CDP found that corporations that actively manage and plan for climate change achieve an 18 percent higher return on investment than companies that ignore the issue, and 67 percent higher than companies who refuse to disclose their emissions, according to Forbes.

Where to Find More Information

Several websites and companies provide information on SRI funds.

Morningstar, an investment research company, tracks 207 stock and bond mutual SRI funds and has rated some 20,000 stock and bond mutual funds based on ESG factors, according to Jane Bryant Quinn, writing in the AARP Bulletin.

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) calls itself the “largest personal finance site devoted to socially responsible investing” and features over 10,000 pages of information on SRI mutual funds, community investments, corporate research, shareowner actions and daily social investment news.

Sustainalytics believes it’s “imperative for the global economy to become more just and sustainable.” The company is celebrating its 25th year in business supporting investors who incorporate ESG and corporate governance insights into their investment processes.

The Wall Street Journal thought the topic was controversial enough to warrant publishing two opposing viewpoints. The pro-SRI columnist pointed to several studies that backed his contention that SRI funds were good investments. Firms with greater shareholder rights outperformed the market, and companies with “high eco-efficiency—that generate the least waste relative to the value of their products and services”—also outperformed. The returns of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America—reflecting that employees were well treated—beat their peers by 2.3 to 3.8 percentage points a year from 1984 to 2011.

The opposing view listed reasons why an SRI was unlikely to produce superior returns. For example: the lack of consensus on how to define corporate social responsibility or how to construct a portfolio based on the concept, the “limited and often flawed” data used to assess a company’s social responsibility, and the fact that a company’s current record or reputation can be a poor predictor of its future behavior.

But many SRI advocates say that a better financial performance than average is not the point. They would rather get a smaller return in exchange for following their principles.

A Wide Range of Funds

SRI funds come in all shapes and sizes. One of the largest and most successful SRI funds is the Parnassus Core Equity Fund, which beat the S&P 500 over a 15-year period, according to the Motley Fool. The fund won’t invest in companies that generate a significant portion of their revenue from alcohol, tobacco, weapons, nuclear power, gambling or fossil fuels, or from operations in the country of Sudan.

Critics often take issue with SRI funds’ subjective judgment. For example, the Parnassus fund doesn’t invest in Coca-Cola stock because it sees its product as unhealthy, or Wal-Mart because the retail giant has drawn business away from the downtown core of many towns.

Parnassus also rejects Microsoft because of its “competitive dynamics.” But the technology company is the second-largest holding in Vanguard’s FTSE Social Index Fund, the biggest SRI index fund and one that includes adult entertainment stocks, something many other SRI funds avoid.

Going in a different direction is the SDPR SSGA Gender Diversity Index ETF, which invests in companies with a high ratio of women to men at the executive level, giving extra weight to gender diversity on boards of directors. Some studies have shown that companies led by women have done better than those helmed by men.

One SRI bond fund, the TIAA-CREF Social Choice Bond Fund, has beat the bond index by an average of 1.2 percentage points per year, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. While 70 percent of its investments go to U.S. firms that have the best ESG ratings, 30 percent is for “impact investing.” An example of a measurable and positive impact is the fund’s investment in Topaz Solar Farm in California, which powers 160,000 homes. In terms of reducing carbon dioxide, this has the same effect as taking 73,000 cars off the road, according to one of the fund’s managers.

An example of a faith-based fund is Eventide Gilead, a Christian-based fund that promotes “biblically responsible investing.” This fund will not invest in alcohol, tobacco, pornography and companies that allow abortion. Apparently, upholding your religious principles pays off. Since Gilead’s launch in 2008, the fund has returned 14.9 percent annualized, which beats the S&P 500 by an average of 6.0 percentage points per year.

How to Control Your Cholesterol – – Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Caregivers

Diet and weight loss should be your first strategy before taking statin drugs.

How to Control Your Cholesterol

Diet and weight loss should be your first strategy before taking statin drugs.

High levels of the wrong cholesterol can lead to heart disease, the primary cause of death for both men and women in this country. High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia, is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. While many people with high cholesterol levels are treated with drugs, mainly statins, medical experts say the first line of defense against high cholesterol should be changes in lifestyle—diet and exercise. Being overweight and eating certain foods can raise cholesterol levels.

What Is Cholesterol?

We need cholesterol, a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of the body, to make hormones, vitamin D and substances that help us digest foods. Although our body makes all the cholesterol it needs, certain foods contain cholesterol and can raise our levels.

Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins: both low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). It’s important to have healthy levels of both types. Too high a level of LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol, leads to a buildup of cholesterol in your arteries. On the other hand, HDL cholesterol, referred to as “good” cholesterol, carries cholesterol from other parts of your body to your liver, which removes it from your body.

The higher the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood, the greater your chance of getting coronary heart disease, while the more HDL cholesterol in your blood, the lower your heart disease risk.

New Research Focuses on Gene

The first medication in a new class of drugs that “silences” genes, inclisiran has been shown to halve cholesterol levels in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease, reported Science Daily.

Researchers from Imperial College London conducted the largest trial yet to test the safety and effectiveness of a technique, known as RNA interference (RNAi) therapy, which essentially switches off one of the genes responsible for elevated cholesterol.

The treatment is given twice a year, with or without statins, depending on the patient’s needs. Eventually, inclisiran could help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke related to high cholesterol. However, because this is an early-phase study, and one of the first clinical studies on this type of drug, the study’s authors warn that more research is needed before the therapy can be marketed.

Source: “New ‘gene silencer’ drug reduce cholesterol by over 50 percent,” March 17, 2017,Science Daily.

A Good Diet

A recent study of the Tsimane indigenous people in the Bolivian Amazon, a forager-horticulturalist population, revealed that they have the lowest prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) of any population yet studied. An 80-year-old Tsimane had the same vascular age as a 50-year-old American. Tsimane diets are low in saturated fats and high in non-processed fiber-rich carbohydrates, and include wild game and fish. These indigenous people don’t smoke and are active for most of the day.

Our sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets work the opposite way and contribute to coronary heart disease. To keep our LDL levels low, medical experts first recommend a healthy diet:

The right fats. Fats are not necessarily bad for you; it just depends on which kind. Unsaturated fats are good for your heart and can help lower LDL. They include oils that come from plants such as canola, safflower, sunflower, olive, grapeseed and peanut. Other healthy fats include seeds, nuts, avocados and fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, herring and mackerel.

Saturated fats, which come mainly from animal products, raise your LDL level more than anything else in your diet and should be kept to a minimum—small portions every couple of weeks or so. These include meat and dairy products—egg yolks, red meat, shrimp, lobster, high-fat cheeses, butter and organ meats. As a rule, you should get less than 7 percent of your daily calories from saturated fat. Choose leaner cuts of meat and low-fat dairy for healthier options.

The unhealthiest option is trans fats, which increase LDL and also lower HDL. This can be a fatal combination because it increases the risk of heart attacks. Trans fats are added to food products, such as fried foods, cookies and crackers, to make them last longer. Publicity about trans fats has pushed many food manufacturers to phase them out, but you should read the labels on food products to make sure they don’t contain trans fat.

More fiber. Soluble fiber, such as that found in old-fashioned oatmeal (not the quick-cooking kind), apples, prunes, beans and brown or wild rice, keeps your body from absorbing cholesterol and lowers blood cholesterol levels. Research shows that people who ate 5 to 10 more grams of fiber each day decreased their LDL.

Plant sterols and stanols. These substances are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and manufacturers have started adding them to processed foods, including margarine spreads, orange juice, cereals and granola bars. Because stanols and sterols are similar in structure to cholesterol, they help limit the amount of cholesterol your body can absorb.

Lose Weight

Being overweight tends to raise your LDL level, lower your HDL level and increase your total cholesterol level. Even losing just 10 pounds can reduce your LDL by up to 8 percent. Combining exercise with a healthier diet can get rid of the pounds and lower your LDL cholesterol. Medical experts recommend 30 minutes of exercise a day and choosing something you enjoy, whether it’s taking a walk, riding a bike or swimming.

Alcohol and Smoking

While research has shown that smoking cigarettes lowers HDL, moderate drinking of alcohol (particularly red wine) increases HDL. Of course, there are other heart-related reasons to quit smoking. This habit harms the lining of the blood vessels and increases the risk of blood clots, which contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). And too much drinking can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke. For women, drinking moderately means one daily drink; for men 65 and younger, two drinks, and over 65, one drink. Because of the risks associated with alcohol, the American Heart Association does not recommend drinking alcohol specifically to lower cholesterol.

The Next Step: Statins

Sometimes a good diet and losing weight are not enough to achieve healthy cholesterol levels. For example, an inherited condition can cause high LDL cholesterol. For those with this gene or for others who can’t reach the optimum cholesterol levels, taking a medication is the next line of defense. Statins, which inhibit the enzyme involved in the body’s ability to produce LDL cholesterol, have proved to be the most effective cholesterol-reducing medication. In addition to lowering LDL, they also decrease triglycerides, which are another type of blood fat, and mildly raise HDL cholesterol.

There has been some concern over the years about statins side effects, including muscle pain, hemorrhagic stroke and myopathy. However, recent studies concluded that these issues affect only a small number of statin users and that statins’ benefits outweigh its harms.

In fact, statins have been recommended as a preventive tool for certain populations. The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force recommends that adults age 40 to 75 who don’t have a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but have one or more CVD risk factors (such as diabetes or hypertension) and have a calculated 10-year risk of a cardiovascular event of 10 percent or greater should use a low- to moderate-dose statin to prevent CVD.

Your risk is determined by comparing your information to a community-based population, which includes race, gender, age, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, use of blood pressure medication, diabetes status and smoking status.

For adults 76 years and older without a history of heart attack or stroke, the U.S. task force concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to determine whether the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of taking statins.

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NEW: $400,000 matching gift challenge – Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Caregivers

Your support can go twice as far.

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You can makeTWICE the difference.
$35 ? $70
$60 ? $120
$120 ? $240

Dear Zoltan,
I’m thrilled to announce another special opportunity for your support to go twice as far. You play a key role in our effort to end Alzheimer’s disease. So I hope you’ll take advantage of this chance to DOUBLE your impact in the fight against this deadly disease.
The Pine Family Foundation of Austin, Texas, has generously pledged $400,000 to the Alzheimer’s Association if we can raise that same amount by June 30. Their gift will support research initiatives that have the potential to slow the trajectory of Alzheimer’s.
This matching gift challenge means that you can make twice the impact on the millions of people affected by Alzheimer’s by helping to provide care and support services and advance critical research.
Your donation of $35 can become $70, a gift of $60 can become $120, or your especially generous gift of $120 can become $240.
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It is also the nation’s largest unaddressed public health crisis.
That’s why your support during this limited-time opportunity is so critical. Your generosity can go twice as far to fight this escalating crisis. Please help us make this matching gift challenge a success with your donation today. Thank you.

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Team Up today! – Alzheimer’s – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Caregivers

The Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter invites you to Team Up Against Alzheimer’s. This is a student-focused fundraiser designed to promote brain health, spread awareness and raise funds through student-coordinated events or activities. It is flexible enough to be an on-going effort or a one-time occurrence and aims to motivate young people to get involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

Team Up Against Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Association®, Greater Illinois Chapter invites you to Team Up Against Alzheimer’s. This is a student-focused fundraiser designed to promote brain health, spread awareness and raise funds through student-coordinated events or activities. It is flexible enough to be an on-going effort or a one-time occurrence and aims to motivate young people to get involved in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
Who can participate?

Anyone can form a team. Whether it’s a sports team, a club, a class or a group of friends–everyone can help in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
When does this event take place?

“Team Up” fundraisers can occur anytime during the school year. Depending on the group hosting, the fundraisers can coincide with athletic events, school functions, holidays, etc.
What is the level of involvement?

The type and number of activities your team hosts, are completely up to you! You can even create your own!
Click here for a list of activities to help you get started.

Why it’s important for younger generations to act now

The earlier we educate people about this disease, the better chance we have at preventing it, fighting it, and even curing it. Teaching students to recognize symptoms helps increase the number of early diagnoses and become better prepared for the emotional and financial burdens as the disease progresses. As this issue becomes more prominent throughout people’s lives, it may encourage them to donate or participate in studies to help advance research. It can inspire young people to take a vested interest in a global issue, partake in community service or pursue careers in science, medicine, healthcare, or public policy to help the cause. The cure for this disease may even lie in one of the minds of today’s youth!
Questions? Please contact Sari Eilon at seilon@alz.org or 847.779.6952.
Whether you’re an athlete or a fan, you are the MVP in the fight against Alzheimer’s!

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Planning ahead can help with the financial costs of Alzheimer’s disease – Optimum Senior Care – Chicago In Home Caregivers

Alzheimer’s can take a financial toll on the person living with the disease and their family. Putting legal, financial and end-of-life plans in place is one of the most important steps a person with Alzheimer’s can take. It allows them to participate in making decisions that help family and friends know their wishes.

Planning Ahead

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It’s important for everyone to plan for the future, but legal plans are especially important for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. The sooner planning starts, the more the person with dementia may be able to participate.

• Why plan ahead?
• Legal capacity
• Meeting with a lawyer
• Five quick tips

Why plan ahead?

Find a Clinical Trial

More than 250 research studies pertaining to Alzheimer’s and dementias are underway. Alzheimer’s Association TrialMatch lets you search these trials quickly and easily. Find a trial.

Making legal plans in advance is important for several reasons: Early planning allows the person with dementia to be involved and express his or her wishes for future care and decisions. This eliminates guesswork for families, and allows for the person with dementia to designate decision makers on his or her behalf. Early planning also allows time to work through the complex legal and financial issues that are involved in long-term care.

Legal planning should include:

• Making plans for health care and long-term care
• Making plans for finances and property
• Naming another person to make decisions on behalf of the person with dementia

Legal capacity

Free e-Learning Course

Learn how to put legal and financial plans in place, and how to access resources near you.

Legal capacity is the ability to understand and appreciate the consequences of one’s actions and to make rational decisions. In most cases, if a person with dementia is able to understand the meaning and importance of a given legal document, he or she likely has the legal capacity to execute (to carry out by signing) it.

The requirements of legal capacity can vary from one document to another. A lawyer can help determine what level of legal capacity is required for a person to sign a particular document.

Before a person with dementia signs a legal document:

• Talk with the person.
  Find out if the person with dementia understands the legal document and the consequences of signing it. Make sure the person knows what is being explained and what he or she is being asked to do.
• Ask for medical advice.
  If you have concerns about the person’s ability to understand, ask for medical advice. A doctor may be able to assist in determining the level of a person’s mental ability.
• Take inventory of existing legal documents.
  Verify whether living wills, trusts and powers of attorney were signed before the person was diagnosed. The person may no longer remember having completed them. Even if legal documents were completed in the past, it is important to review them with another person for necessary corrections and/or updates.

Help Is Available

Need additional information about “Managing Someone Else’s Money?” Download the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s free, four-part guide.

• Help for Powers of Attorney (PDF)
• Help for Court-Appointed Guardians (PDF)
• Help for Trustees (PDF)
• Help for Representative Payees and VA Fiduciaries (PDF)

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Meeting with a lawyer

You can complete certain legal documents without a lawyer, but getting legal advice and services from an attorney who specializes in elder law can be especially helpful.

If you already have a lawyer, he or she may be able to refer you to an attorney that specializes in elder law. Otherwise, there are several resources available to help you locate elder law services in your community. Learn more.

If you meet with a lawyer, be sure to discuss these three key issues and any other concerns you may have:

1. Options for health care decision making for the person with dementia
2. Options for managing the person’s personal care and property
3. Possible coverage of long-term care services, including what is provided by Medicare, Medicaid, veteran benefits and other long-term care insurance

Gather all documents relating to the assets of the person with dementia ahead of time so you can bring them to your appointment.

Checklist: What to Bring to the Lawyer

• Itemized list of assets (e.g., bank accounts, contents of safe deposit boxes, vehicles, real estate, etc.), including current value and the names listed as owners, account holders and beneficiaries
• Copies of all estate planning documents, including wills, trusts and powers of attorney
• Copies of all deeds to real estate
• Copies of recent income tax returns
• Life insurance policies and cash values of policies
• Long-term care insurance policies or benefits booklets
• Health insurance policies or benefits booklets
• Admission agreements to any health care facilities
• List of names, addresses and telephone numbers of those involved, including family members, domestic partners and caregivers, as well as financial planners and/or accountants

Five quick tips

1. Those named in the power of attorney document should have a copy of and access to the original document.
2. The person with dementia should name a successor (back-up) agent for power of attorney in the event that the agent may one day be unable to act.
3. The person with dementia should decide if the agent with power of attorney for health care has authority to consent to a brain autopsy. This may vary according to state law.
4. Once a power of attorney for health care document and/or a signed living will is in place, give a copy to the person’s physicians and other health care providers.
5. Consider choosing an attorney or a bank to manage the individual’s estate if the person lacks a trusted individual with the time or expertise.

Help Is Available

Do you need assistance locating an elder law attorney? Start with these resources:

• Contact your local Alzheimer’s Association chapter or use our online Community Resource Finder.
• Use the online directory of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• Visit the Eldercare Locator online or call 800.677.1116
• Visit LawHelp.org to learn about free or reduced cost legal aid programs in your community

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Top Resources

• Legal Plans (PDF)
• Early-Stage Caregiving
• Middle-Stage Caregiving
• Free e-Learning Workshop: Legal and Financial Planning
• Alzheimer’s Navigator

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