20

Page 20 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, DECEmbER 12, 2025 Sa nir Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller How to Locate an Age-Friendly Doctor Dear Savvy Senior, My husband and I are relocating to a nearby state to be closer to our daughter and will need to fi nd a new primary care physician when we arrive. We are both in our late 70s and are interested in getting a geriatrician to oversee our health care going forward. Any suggestions for fi nding someone? Searching for Care Dear Searching, Choosing a geriatrician as your primary care doctor in your 70s is a good idea, especially if you’re dealing with various age-related health problems. But if you’re in relatively good health you may not need a geriatrician. A good primary care doctor with an age-friendly philosophy may be all you need. Here’s what you should know. Who Needs a Geriatrician? Geriatricians are primary care doctors that have additional specialized training in treating older patients. Those who can benefi t the most from seeing a geriatrician are seniors age 75 and older with multiple health and age-related problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, incontinence, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, frailty, depression, or trouble with balance and falls. Geriatricians are also particularly adept at tackling medication problems. Because many seniors take multiple medications at the same time for various health conditions, and because aging bodies often absorb and metabolize drugs differently than younger adults, unique side eff ects and drug interactions are not uncommon. A geriatrician will evaluate and monitor your medications to be sure they are not aff ecting you in a harmful way. Geriatricians can also help their patients and families determine their long-term care needs, like how long they can remain in their own homes safely without assistance, and what type of services may be necessary when they do need some extra help. Unfortunately, there’s a shortage of geriatricians in the U.S., so depending on where you are moving, finding one may be diffi cult. To help you locate one in your new area, use Medicare’s online fi nd and compare search tool. Just go to Medicare.gov/ care-compare and click on “Doctors & Clinicians” and type in your location, then type in “geriatric medicine” in the Name & Keyword box. You can also get this information by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227. The American Geriatrics Society also has a geriatrician-fi nder tool on their website at HealthinAging.org. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, contact your plan for a list of network geriatricians in your new area. Keep in mind, though, that locating a geriatrician doesn’t guarantee you will be accepted as a patient. Many doctors already have a full patient roster and don’t accept any new patients. You’ll need to call the individual doctor’s office to fi nd out. Age-Friendly PCPs If you and your husband are in relatively good health or if you can’t fi nd a geriatrician in your new area, a good primary care physician (PCP) that practices age-friendly care would also be a viable choice. To search for new PCPs, use the previously listed Medicare tools. Once you locate a few, call their offi ce and ask if they’re accepting new patients and if they practice the 4Ms of age friendly care, which include: What Matters (your goals and priorities); Medication safety and appropriateness; Mentation (cognition and mood); and Mobility (ways to keep you moving). You can also research new doctors at sites like Healthgrades.com and Vitals.com. If you’re fi nding it hard to get into a new practice, you might even consider looking for a geriatric nurse practitioner or advanced practice registered nurse to serve as your PCP. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. A nior ior The “Kiddie Tax” child or dependent is taxed on income, including wages, income from real estate, unearned income and income from certain trusts. No personal exemption will be allowed to an individual eligible to be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return. The basic standard deduction for dependents is limited to the greater of $1,300 or the sum of $400 plus any earned income of the dependent. As a result, a dependent who has gross income of $1,300 or less will not be taxed on that amount and no federal or state income tax return would need to be fi led. Investment income of a child under age 18 is generally taxed at the parent’s marginal income tax bracket if such income exceeds the sum of the $1,300 standard deduction and the greater of $1,300 or the itemized deductions directly associated with the production of that investment income. A parent may elect on Form 8814 (Parent’s Election To Report Child’s Interest and Dividends) to include on his or her individual income tax return the unearned income of a child under the age of 18 as of January 1, 2025, whose income is less than $13,000 and which consists solely of interest, dividends, and capital gain distributions. This election is not available if estimated income tax payments were made during the year under the child’s name and social security number or if the child is subject to backup withholding. Electing parents are taxed on their child’s unearned income in excess of $2,600 for calendar year 2025. They must report a tax liability equal to $110.00 plus the excess unearned income above $2,600 x the parent’s marginal income tax bracket. . The so-called “kiddie tax” has greatly reduced the use of intra-family transfers of income-producing property in order to reduce the family’s overall income tax liability by shifting income from the parent’s high marginal income tax bracket to the “under 18” child’s lower income tax bracket. As an example, a fi ve year old child has $5,000 of unearned income and no earned income during calendar year 2025. His standard deduction of $1,300 is allocated against his unearned income so that his net unearned income equals $3,700. The fi rst $1,300 of that amount is taxed at the child’s income tax bracket while the remaining $2,400 is taxed at the parent’s marginal income tax bracket. In the case of divorced parents, the tax is paid using the marginal income tax bracket of the custodial parent. If the parents are married but are fi ling separately, the tax is based upon the parent with the highest marginal income tax bracket. The tax is computed by using Form 8615. It is often considerably easier from an income tax preparation standpoint for the parent to elect to report such unearned income on his or her own income tax return. This avoids the necessity of having to fi le multiple income tax returns and therefore would save on the associated return preparation fees. Joseph D. Cataldo is an estate planning/elder law attorney, Certifi ed Public Accountant, Certifi ed Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a masters degree in taxation. PARKING RULES | FROM PAGE 3 • Garland Street — Easterly side from Woodlawn Street to Lawrence Street • Hancock Street — Broadway to Malden line • High Street — Broadway to Ferry Street • Lawrence Street — Entire length • Lynn Street — Entire length • Main Street — Sweetser Circle to Malden line • Nichols Street — Ferry Street to Chelsea line • Norwood Street — Bucknam Street to Everett Square • Second Street — Entire length • Tileston Street — Entire length • Tremont Street — Entire length • Union Street — Entire length Failure to comply with snow parking ban regulations will result in ticketing and towing. Snow Removal Reminders The Department of Public Works asks residents to follow these guidelines to support effective snow removal: • Do not throw snow back into the street; doing so is subject to fi nes. • When possible, wait until the storm ends before clearing driveway entrances to avoid repeated shoveling. • Using objects to reserve parking spaces on city streets is prohibited by ordinance. • If snowbanks make it impossible to place trash bins on the sidewalk, residents may place trash bags on top of the snowbanks for pickup. This is only allowed when bins cannot be placed normally. The Everett Fire Department also asks residents to clear at least three feet of snow around fi re hydrants to help ensure quick access for emergency responders. The City of Everett thanks all residents in advance for their cooperation and ask everyone to follow these regulations to help ensure a safe and successful snow removal season. For more information, please contact the Constituent Services Department at 617-394-2270 or visit cityofeverett.com/winter-2026.

21 Publizr Home