Bill Paying Organization Can Help Your Dad Stay On Track
As your dad gets older, you find yourself worrying more about him. During your last visit, you found that he was having a harder time staying organized. His bills are one of the areas where he was struggling. It’s time to consider arrangements that help him with his finances.
Consolidate Bills as Much as Possible
In-Home Care Deerfield, IL: Bill Pay
Help your dad by consolidating his bills as much as you can. If he has two credit cards, cut him down to one. That eliminates one bill that he has to keep track of. If he has internet with one company, cable TV with another, and a cellphone with a third, see if you can find one company that offers all three services for a competitive price.
Does your dad use streaming services for his television shows and movies instead of cable TV? Many offer substantial discounts if you pay for a full year at a time. That can be worthwhile, and it eliminates many bills he’s paying monthly. If he switches to certain cell phone providers, yearly payments are also offered.
The final step for consolidating bills is to eliminate the things he doesn’t use enough to justify having the bill. If he’s still paying a monthly fee for a gym membership but only goes once or twice a year now, it’s not worth keeping it.
Does he still have a landline, but he uses his cellphone all of the time? Get rid of the landline. If he’s paying for a newspaper, but reads his news online or watches news broadcasts, it’s time to get rid of the newspaper subscription.
Set Up Online Bill Pay With His Bank
Once you have your dad’s bills narrowed down to those he has to pay monthly, see if his bank has online bill pay. Set up each creditor in the system. When a bill is due, your dad gets an alert and can log in and click a couple of buttons to quickly pay. It keeps him from having to remember several usernames and passwords.
Hire In-Home Care Aides to Help Him at Home
Would your dad benefit from having a caregiver to offer reminders to check his bank to see what bills are due? Does he need help depositing checks that come in the mail? Does he struggle to pay his bills online without someone guiding him through the process? Home care aides help him with these reminders and also help him get organized.
If you’re not close by, consider hiring in-home care aides to help your dad organize his mail. You can assist him online with bill paying, but it helps if you have a caregiver to help your dad sort his mail and let you know what’s arrived. Call an in-home care agency to learn more.
If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care in Deerfield, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.
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