Van Dyck Law - Q1 2022

Van Dyck Law - Q1 2022

VanDyckLaw

VANDYCKFIRM.COM

QUARTER 1 2022

HELPING CLIENTS THROUGH COMPASSION, KINDNESS, AND UNDERSTANDING During the early days of our childhood education, we are taught about the five senses — sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. But there’s another sense that we hear about more often as we grow up: common sense. The idea of common sense has been around since the 14th century and was originally aligned with our other five senses. Over the next 200 years, it evolved to its current definition, and in January 1776, Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” which ultimately made the expression much more popular. Instead of responding to unkindness with more unkindness, it can make a difference to give people grace so they can tackle whatever challenges they may be facing in their lives. Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” argued two main points. The first was for the colonists to claim their independence from England, and the other was for America to adopt a democratic republic when they formed their own government. Paine thought it was common sense for Americans to want independence and freedom. Today, everyone has their own standard of common sense. One piece of common sense that I find invaluable and that we have adopted as our motto for the office is the golden rule. The golden rule states that we should treat others how we would want to be treated. Whenever I am out in the world and run into someone who is less than kind, I take into consideration that they may be facing something difficult in their personal life at that time. It ’s Just Common Sense to Us!

We don’t know what’s going on in everyone’s lives, and more often than not, people deserve the benefit of the doubt. Instead of responding to unkindness with more unkindness, it can make a difference to give people grace so they can tackle whatever challenges they may be facing in their lives. This is something we take into account in the office when we are talking with coworkers, clients, advisors, or anyone else who walks through our doors. One of the hallmarks of our office is that we always treat our clients and anyone we come into contact with as if they were members of our own family. We truly live by the golden rule at Van Dyck Law. Sometimes when people come into our office, they are dealing with incredibly difficult problems like death, dementia, and incapacitation. I will always meet people where they are during these events and treat them how I would want to be treated or how I would want someone to treat my parents. When you give people grace, it allows them to open up to you. When people open up, we have the opportunity to truly help them. We develop a genuine partnership with them. On top of the golden rule, we also abide by the saying, “You catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.” If you treat people with kindness, they can’t help but give it back to you. We always show genuine kindness and compassion when working with our clients so they find us easy to talk to. It’s a guarantee that you will be treated with kindness and understanding whenever you walk through our doors. We want you to be comfortable working alongside us as we help you with whatever you may need. -Fiona Van Dyck

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Thought Back on Track

5 WAYS TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS IN RETIREMENT Don’t Spend Another Year Lonely!

Friendship just might be the fourth secret to longevity, right behind eating well, exercising, and getting plenty of sleep. According to the Mayo Clinic, making friends can reduce stress, improve your self-confidence, and give you purpose in life! People with good friends are also more likely to exercise and less likely to drink to excess. But making friends is tough, especially in your golden years. To finally kick loneliness to the curb in 2022, try these five tips. 1. GET A DOG. Adopting a dog (assuming you truly want one) will incentivize you to leave the house for walks, vet visits, and more. You’ll likely attract new friends in the neighborhood when they stop to pet your pup, and you can also meet people at the dog park or obedience classes. If nothing else, you’ll have your dogs in common! 2. JOIN A HOBBY GROUP. The easiest way to find friends with similar interests is to pursue those interests. If you like to quilt, join a quilting group, and if you kayak, look for an outdoors club near you. Facebook is a great resource for finding online hobby groups, too! Just type your interest into the search bar and select “Groups” on the left-hand side of the screen. 3. VOLUNTEER. Volunteering has similar benefits to joining a hobby group with the added benefit of giving back to the community! There’s likely a cause for whatever you’re interested in, whether

that’s food, animals, or sports. Visit VolunteerMatch.org to find opportunities in your area sorted by organization type.

4. MOVE TO A 55-PLUS COMMUNITY. Also called retirement communities or active adult communities, these neighborhoods are known for their low-maintenance housing, amenities, and group activity options — and they’re all over the U.S. If you want to find friends in your age group to swim and play tennis with, a local real estate agent can help you find them. 5. BECOME A MENTOR. Mentorship is a valuable way to form friendships across generations. You can sign up for an existing program in the field you retired from or reach out to a local college or high school career center and offer your services. They’ll likely have graduates who’d love to meet you!

Information You Need At the Education Center at Van Dyck Law, we provide people with resources and information related to services and support regarding dementia, estate planning, and healthy aging. We have some valuable and informative events planned for the next few months that will be beneficial to you and your family.

UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE EDUCATION CENTER

COMPASSIONATE CAREGIVING When: Wednesday, Feb. 9

How do we put compassion first in caregiving? Join us as we sift through the challenges and obstacles while putting compassion and empathy at the center of our focus when caring for a loved one. MANAGING CHALLENGING EXPRESSIONS — THE INNATE EMOTIONS OF THOSE WITH DEMENTIA When: Wednesday, March 9 There are reasons behind the negative expressions sometimes conveyed by those with dementia. Learn to understand why your loved one acts out and what you can do to turn the negatives into positives making every day more enjoyable for you and your loved one.

All programs take place at the Education Center at Van Dyck Law (located at 707 State Road, Suite 102, in Princeton) from 10–11 a.m. These events are open to all members of the community, clients, and professionals unless otherwise noted.

NEW YEAR, NEW STRATEGIES TO CAREGIVING When: Wednesday, Jan. 12 Are you a caregiver struggling to manage caring for your aging loved one? There are

BECOME A CERTIFIED DEMENTIA PRACTITIONER! When: Wednesday, March 16, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

many new and effective strategies that can make

This seminar is required for health care workers who want to obtain their Certified Dementia Practitioner Designation. Attendance will count as CE hours for social workers, certified case managers, nurses, CALA, LNHA, and ADC. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Reach out to our director of life care resources at [email protected] for more information.

caregiving easier for everyone involved. Join us for a morning of learning new strategies to balance it all in the new year.

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No Children: Do I Need an Estate Plan?

If you don’t think you need an estate plan, think again. Here are four things to consider, regardless of your situation.

WHO WILL GET YOUR POSSESSIONS AND ASSETS? Your estate plan will help decide who gets what after you have passed. If you don’t have an estate plan in place, your family may have to go through probate, which can be incredibly stressful. Even then, your possessions may not go to the person you want them to. With an estate plan, you decide who gets what. WHO WILL MAKE MEDICAL AND FINANCIAL DECISIONS FOR YOU? If you become incapacitated, who will make decisions on your behalf? By creating an estate plan, you can decide who will make these decisions for you. You need to pick someone you trust who will act in your best interests. DO YOU WANT ANY MONEY TO GO TO CHARITY? Another thing you can do with your estate plan is allocate money from your estate to go to a charity of your choosing. If you have a charity you feel passionately about want to support after you pass, you can declare it in your estate plan. WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR PETS? What will happen to your pets if you become incapacitated or pass away? You can appoint someone to take possession of them and set money aside for their care as part of your estate plan.

Plenty of people look at estate planning as a way to provide for their children after they have become incapacitated or passed away. But what if you don’t have children? Is it still worth your time to get an estate plan together? To put it simply, everyone should have an estate plan regardless of their marital status, how many assets they own, or if they have children. If you pass away, do you have someone in mind who will inherit your possessions? If you don’t have an estate plan in place, you will have no say in who inherits your possessions and finances. Have you thought about what will happen if you become incapacitated? Who makes medical or financial decisions on your behalf? These are all decisions you can plan for with proper estate planning.

Inspired by GoodHousekeeping.com Chicken an Leek Filo Pie

VAN DYCK LAW EDUCATION CENTER EVENTS IN BRIEF The Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Seminar will be held Mar. 16 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. This event is open to health care professionals only. COMMUNITY EDUCATION TOPICS (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. In a pan over low heat, melt 1 oz butter. 3. Add leeks and carrots and cook for 15 minutes, until softened but not colored. 4. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. 5. Gradually add chicken stock, stirring until sauce is smooth, then let simmer for 10 minutes. 6. Stir in mustard and heavy cream, then add cooked chicken and INGREDIENTS • 3 oz unsalted butter, divided • 2 large leeks, finely sliced • 2 large carrots, finely chopped • 1 tbsp flour • 14 oz chicken stock, warmed

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard • 3 tbsp heavy cream • 12 oz cooked chicken, cut into chunks • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley • 12 sheets frozen filo pastry, thawed

Jan. 12, 10 a.m.: New Year, New Strategies for Caregiving

parsley. Transfer to a large ovenproof dish.

7. In a pan, melt remaining butter. 8. Put a single filo sheet on a board and brush with melted butter. Scrunch up pastry sheet and place on top of chicken mixture. Continue until pie is covered. 9. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the filo is golden and chicken mixture is bubbling.

Feb. 9, 10 a.m.: Compassionate Caregiving

March 9, 10 a.m.: Managing Challenging Expressions — The Innate Emotions of Those With Dementia

For a deeper summary of these events, see Page 2 of this newsletter!

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707 State Road, Suite 102 Princeton, NJ 08540 VANDYCKFIRM.COM | 609-580-1044 Inside 1 2

Helping Our Clients Through Compassion, Kindness, and Understanding

How to Make 2021 Your Last Lonely Year Upcoming Events at the Education Center

Do I Need an Estate Plan if I Don’t Have Children? Chicken and Leek Filo Pie Education Center Events in Brief

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3 Items You Need in Your Holistic First-Aid Kit

Treat Disease Holistically 3Must-Haves in a Natural First-Aid Kit

cold- and flu-fighting properties. As the winter and flu season wears on, you can find elderberry as a capsule, oil, or syrup, making it a flexible option for your family’s needs. TURMERIC Whether you have an active child who frequently gets bumps and bruises while exploring their world or you struggle with your arthritis pain, turmeric just might be the solution your family needs. The main ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which gives it a bright, yellow color. Curcumin has been found to reduce swelling and inflammation when taken regularly. This can be a huge relief for those with joint pain! Turmeric is most effective in a supplement, but adding it to your meals can add a small boost. GINGER Car sickness sufferers rejoice! This sweet, powerful root not only tastes great in stir-fries and cookies, but it is also a powerful anti- nausea compound. For centuries, people have used ginger to treat tummy aches, high blood pressure, colds, and even migraines. Its bold taste is balanced by its power to stabilize the digestive system and blood pressure, making it a go-to for motion sickness, low- energy days, and cold season. You can find ginger in supplement form, but eating it is also beneficial. All remedies — holistic or otherwise — can have detrimental side effects, so please research compounds before trying any of them and consult your physician if you take other medicines. You can find these remedies by shopping online or by visiting your favorite natural health retailer.

Relying on nature and holistic remedies to stay healthy can be powerful — and studies continue to sing its praises — but knowing what to use and when takes time, education, and practice. Constructing a holistic health first-aid kit can help you begin your journey with natural remedies, providing easy-to-use treatment options that are ready in a pinch! Get started with these compounds. ELDERBERRY This small, blue-purple fruit has gained recent popularity for its ability to shorten the duration and lessen the severity of cold and flu symptoms. And unlike other holistic remedies, elderberry is widely accepted by practitioners of all beliefs and teachings for its

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