Posted by Leon_CO on 2/14/08 6:48pm
Msg #235358

Assisted Living Communities

If you provide mobile notary service, these places can use your services.

I got a call last week from the director of an Alzheimer's Care Community here in Colorado Springs. One of the residents needed a document notarized. She told me that she didn't realize that notaries actually come to people. She said that she has a constant need for notary service. I gave her a few of my business cards.

The notarization lasted a few minutes, and the brother of the resident paid me in cash. No documents to drop off. No waiting for payment.

If you are looking for ways to add to your income, consider visiting these types of places and letting them know that you are available.

Good luck.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 2/14/08 7:02pm
Msg #235361

I'd think twice on this

Residents of 'Memory Care' or Alzheimer's Care would have reason to BE a resident - and their mental capacity should be very carefully considered. Having had long years of first-hand experience with such facilities and their residents, these aren't generally places people live in unless they are no longer appropriately placed in any other environment (such as a general Assisted Living Facility).

Those suffering from Alzheimer's can often appear to be FAR more mentally capable than they in fact are, and I would further surmise that most (if not all) have already been diagnosed prior to becoming residents. If that's not enough concern, there's also the matter of regularly used heavy-duty drugs. There's a sticky wicket I would not want to deal with.

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/14/08 7:10pm
Msg #235365

Re: I'd think twice on this

The prudent notary will know what they can and what they cannot do -- what they should and what they shouldn't do.

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/14/08 7:12pm
Msg #235367

You're so right. So many Assisted Living facilities don't know that Notaries will come to them. I cold called a convelscent home and the nurse said, "there's a lady here in need of a Notary for her uncle who lives here", that was $20 on the spot. I left cards at another and have had steady business and repeat customers from them....always the family member of the patient calls me and makes the appointment and pays me. Nothing like cash on the spot!!

Reply by Mamie on 2/14/08 7:27pm
Msg #235371

I made postcards (all information as on my business cards) and mailed them to all the convalescent and assisted living facilities here in town. Received good response.

Reply by MichiganAl on 2/14/08 8:04pm
Msg #235378

Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

That's a big ole bucket of worms.

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/14/08 8:07pm
Msg #235379

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

Not all residents of assisted living communities have Alzheimer's.

Reply by Stamper_WI on 2/14/08 8:28pm
Msg #235382

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

That's true Leon. But there are also other dementia's. Extra caution should be taken to be sure they know what they are signing and they are not under duress.
My Dad has Alzheimers and my brother has activated the POA's for him. But Dad can still with draw money so he can have cash in his wallet. He is in assisted living. He had been in one where he had a little apt and everyone was free to come and go. We have found him talking on the phone with someone trying to sell him insurance and he was going for it. He does seem, at times very cognizant of everything. He can also believe something wholeheartedly that is actually nonsense. 5 minutes later he is good old Dad again.
I recently went to a nursing home to witness the signature of a woman on a signature card for a bank account with her son in another state. He called me from FL to set it up. Everything went fine but when I called him afterwards I asked him what happened to her foot. It was in a cast. He didn't know about this. Neither she or the nursing home had notified him that she had broken it. He was her POS for both medical and personal.

Reply by Becca_FL on 2/14/08 10:16pm
Msg #235393

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch i

>>>Everything went fine but when I called him afterwards I asked him what happened to her foot. It was in a cast. He didn't know about this. Neither she or the nursing home had notified him that she had broken it. He was her POS for both medical and personal.<<<

Sad.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 2/15/08 4:30am
Msg #235407

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

True, Leon - not all residents of Assisted Living facilities have Alzheimer's, however your initial post was endorsing "Alzheimer's Care Facilities" specifically, where all the residents WOULD be suffering from dementia of one type or another.

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/15/08 4:40am
Msg #235408

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

>> your initial post was endorsing "Alzheimer's Care Facilities" specifically <<

Bad interpretation.

This is what I said:

>> consider visiting these types of places and letting them know that you are available. <<

>> these types << referring to the title of the topic: "Assisted Living Communities" -- NOT "Alzheimer's Care Facilities". The term you are using is nowhere in anything I wrote.

Fortunately Lisa and Mamie understand. There's hope.

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 2/15/08 4:59am
Msg #235410

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

Leon - you said:

"I got a call last week from the director of an Alzheimer's Care Community here in Colorado Springs. One of the residents needed a document notarized. She told me that she didn't realize that notaries actually come to people. She said that she has a constant need for notary service. I gave her a few of my business cards."

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/15/08 5:09am
Msg #235411

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

I don't know why this is bothering you so much.

I used one example to show the needs of people in Assisted Living "Communities" (not "Facilities".

There are very many types of Assisted Living Communities. That is what this topic is about.

If this type of service is not for you, then let it go.

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/15/08 5:11am
Msg #235412

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

I don't know what caused that sly-faced emoticon.

Reply by jba/fl on 2/15/08 6:14am
Msg #235413

Re: Notarizing for Alzheimer's patients? I wouldn't touch it.

"I don't know what caused that sly-faced emoticon."


Perhaps it was your resident internal censor.

You, Leon, said Altzheimers. Since it runs in my family, I would not want anyone near my loved ones ready to do them whatever service without running it past me first. That includes anyone who "means well" but without the wherewithall to really determine facts since their exp. w/my loved one is 'short time duration.'

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/15/08 6:47am
Msg #235416

Assisted Living Communities

What amazes me is that people can see just one word and focus an entire topic on it, when the topic is actually about something else.

All I can say is that there are people in Assisted Living Communities who can use the services of a mobile notary.

Good luck.

Reply by sue_pa on 2/15/08 7:15am
Msg #235417

The reason I would focus on that one word is that there are SO many people who read these boards (and the majority of whom never post) who HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS A NOTARY. They will read your post and take it as a great lead. You appear to be an intelligent person who knows the boundaries but when anyone with experience errs they should correct themselves loudly to stop any further 'damage'.

Reply by jba/fl on 2/15/08 8:37am
Msg #235422

See msg 235249: "I know the law. I'm a notary public." n/m

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 2/15/08 11:15am
Msg #235445

We're still laughing about that one around here! n/m

Reply by MikeC/NY on 2/15/08 9:01am
Msg #235423

The topic was Assisted Living Communities, but the example you gave - and the bulk of your post - was an Alzheimer's Care Community; that's probably why everyone focused on it. Remove the second and third paragraphs from your post, and it wouldn't cause the controversy. In fact, remove those two paragraphs and you've said all you need to say on the topic to get people thinking about it.

If Alzheimer's wasn't intended to be the focus, why use it as the only example?

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/15/08 9:38am
Msg #235428

>> If Alzheimer's wasn't intended to be the focus, why use it as the only example? <<

I was reading from the business card of the place and wanting to not give the name of the place, which is "The ____ at Colorado Springs, an _____ Alzheimer's Care Community". Perhaps it would have been best to just say I did a notarization for someone at a "Care Community".

Only two people seem to have understood what this is all about.

Thank you Lisa and Mamie for your input.

Reply by Frenchie/TN on 2/15/08 9:49am
Msg #235432

Re: Back to topic of "assisted care facilities"

I do get call from a local VA Nursing Home. Usually the family calls: Dad wants to grant POA or do living will etc.... My biggest problem is that the patient usually does not have proper ID. They have not driven in a long time and therefore never bothered to keep current on any type of State ID. I have had to decline notarizations because of that. Anyone else ever encountered that problem in a Home?

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/15/08 9:59am
Msg #235433

Re: Back to topic of "assisted care facilities"

>> They have not driven in a long time and therefore never bothered to keep current on any type of State ID. <<

Eveline, this is a good point. Mamie mentioned that she uses postcards. I was considering preparing a brochure and letting these places know what the resident needs to have so that they will be prepared.

Reply by Frenchie/TN on 2/15/08 10:17am
Msg #235436

Re: Back to topic of "assisted care facilities"

What a good idea! I am going to the VA home tomorrow for a notarization so I am going to prepare a few postcards listing ID requirements and leave them at the front desk.

Reply by Michelle/AL on 2/15/08 10:18am
Msg #235437

Frenchie, I've run into this situation as well.

Alabama is pretty generous about the types of ID I can use to identify a person. As long as the document being signed doesn't require government issue ID, I reference the list from the Secretary of State's office.

Reply by LKT/CA on 2/15/08 12:15pm
Msg #235454

Yes, I've encountered this....

...so when the family member calls me to make the appointment I inform them that I will need the patient's state ID or passport (CA) and I understand sometimes that the patient's personal items are at home so can they get their ID from home and bring it to the appointment. If they say the patient's ID is expired (beyond 5 yr issue - CA), I explain to them about the 2 credible witnesses and their ID requirements and if they can have two friends or neighbors ID the patient.

That worked well with the last appointment I did at a nursing home. This patient's ID was beyond 10 years expired so the sister who called me, had the 2 credible witnesses at the appointment.

Reply by Frenchie/TN on 2/15/08 3:37pm
Msg #235502

Re: Yes, I've encountered this....

The problem here in TN is that the credible witness has to also be personally known to the notary so it's just about impossible to use credible witness. A while back I had a man call me. His wife hardly ever went anywhere and was wheelchair bound. Had no current ID and she wanted to do a POA. I had to tell him to ask everyone he knew if perchance they were a notary otherwise he'd have to take his wife to the DMV and get her a state ID. I felt real bad for that couple.

Reply by SharonMN on 2/15/08 3:49pm
Msg #235509

Re: Yes, I've encountered this....

Frenchie, same deal in MN - the credible witness has to be personally known by BOTH the signer and the notary, which makes use of credible witnesses uncommon. However, if you were to develop a long-standing business relationship with staff at the facility, you might be able to link it up.

Reply by Michelle/AL on 2/15/08 10:15am
Msg #235435

Leon, I also understood your post.

Thanks for the reminder.

Reply by jba/fl on 2/15/08 10:18am
Msg #235438

"Only two people seem to have understood what this is all about. "

I don't think that that is a fair assessement of the people who are reading here. You are going to beat this dead horse (and I guess I am helping) hoping to bring others to your conclusion, yet many of us do understand already and object to your patronizing tone. Admit that your example might not have been the best - and in the future proofread your post prior to posting. Look for the things that others might misconstrue because of sloppy wording.

Reply by Leon_CO on 2/15/08 11:02am
Msg #235443

Michelle, thanks for your input. Something I intend to do in the meantime is create a special page on my website.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 2/15/08 3:01pm
Msg #235497

<<I was reading from the business card of the place and wanting to not give the name of the place, which is "The ____ at Colorado Springs, an _____ Alzheimer's Care Community". Perhaps it would have been best to just say I did a notarization for someone at a "Care Community".>>

That would have eliminated the confusion. I got the point you were trying to make about assisted living facilities in general - and it's a good point - but my initial reaction was to focus on your example and think "Well, that's not such a good idea..."