So many of the people I helped weren’t applying for themselves — they were a son or daughter, trying to get a parent the help they needed while juggling their own life. If that’s you, first: thank you…

Nine people. Three generations. Four cities. One country that somehow worked for all of us. Nine of us went to China together — my parents, my wife’s parents, the two of us, and our three kids. Everyo…

Mom called me holding her tablet at arm’s length. “Kim, I got an email from Netflix. It says my monthly payment didn’t go through and my account has been stopped, and there’s a red button to ‘Update P…

Almost everyone I ever met told me the same wish: “I want to stay in my own home.” The fear is that needing help means going to a nursing home. But there are programs designed to bring the care to you…

Mom called me quietly rattled. “Kim, I got a call and it sounded exactly like your nephew Danny. He was crying, said he’d been in a car accident and needed bail money right away, and not to tell his p…

A denial letter feels like a door slamming shut. I want you to hear this clearly: it is not the end, and it is very often not the final answer. In my years of counseling, I saw a great many denials ov…

“Kim, what’s the harm in scanning one of those little square codes? There was one on a parking meter, and another came in a letter about a package. My phone just opens them right up.” That’s exactly t…

I’ll say something plainly, because too many older adults miss out: SNAP is not welfare, and it’s not just for young families. It’s a benefit that helps you buy groceries, and millions of eligible sen…

After the tornadoes came through Oklahoma this spring, Mom called me wanting to help. “Kim, someone called asking for a donation for the storm victims, and I got emails too. I want to give — but how d…

“Ada, I think I qualify — but the paperwork terrifies me.” I heard that so many times. So let’s take the fear out of it. Once you know what to gather, applying is far more manageable than it looks. He…