Went to see Dad last Friday, and I was glad that I did; I was able to get a lot of things straightened out in a matter of hours, and now Dad is much less anxious because I've been able to sort out his financial affairs, get his records organized and summarized in a way that he can understand, and get his taxes prepared and filed. Dad had become incredibly anxious about his financial state, and he really didn't need to worry--but telling someone they don't need to worry doesn't do much to stop them from doing so.
Dad seemed significantly happier after we got this done. To ensure that he doesn't get himself worked up over this again, I've assured him that I'll come up there every two weeks to go through his bills, sort out his records, and help him with anything that he needs.
Dad has always been a man in control of things, a man used to making decisions; I think he is most bothered by his inability to totally understand what's going on in his own life. I'm going to do what I can to stop that from becoming a problem for him; I hope I can help him break his life down into more manageable pieces so that he can deal with it better. This may not be a permanent solution, but it continues to afford Dad a great measure of independence, which is what I think he wants.
I can't say that I'm doing all the right things, but the look of relief and happiness on his face when I left tells me that I had to be going in the right direction, at least.
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