7 Tips Of Healthy Living For Senior Citizens

The life expectancy of mankind has increased today, thanks to science and the progress of related fields. But as life expectancy has increased, seniors now face more challenges as they live to ripe old ages. In order to live independent and productive lives as long as possible, here are some tips to help.

1. First of all, bring a change to your lifestyle and eating habits as you cross 65. If you have not been living a healthy life till now, it is time to give up your vices. Smoking is one thing that has to go as it can lead to such problems as Alzheimer's disease and lung diseases. Alcohol and other substance abuse also have to go; the former in little moderation can still be allowed. As for your diet, try to avoid red meat as much as possible especially if you have high blood pressure and heart problems. Get overall nutrition from each of the 6 food groups that make up our diet like fruits, vegetables, breads and cereals, meat, poultry, fish and milk. Include dry beans as well.

2. Sodium intake should be moderated or lowered, especially those items with sodium that come from processed foods. Women senior citizens must increase their intake of calcium as osteoporosis is a common problem among aging women.

3. Live an active life as much as possible. Some form of exercise like walking or running should be done everyday as long as possible. Tai chi and yoga are especially helpful for seniors as these help to combat joint problems and stiffness that happens with aging. But do not exercise too much, as this can put a stress on your body's aging organs.

4. Go for regular checkups even when you are well. Men should go for regular prostrate check ups while women should be aware of their bone density as low bone density can lead to osteoporosis. Be on the lookout for sudden change in your behavior or that of your partner. Don't overlook instances of you forgetting things all of a sudden or if you can't remember recent events.

5. Your social life should also be fully enjoyed at this age. Don't stop going out to your regular meetings with friends because of your age; in fact you should meet more regularly. Socializing is a great way to combat age related problems like Alzheimer's disease and depression which often comes due to loneliness.

6. Along with staying active, you should also have preventive methods to stop falling because bones become brittle at this age. So make sure your house is proofed against accidental falls and bumps; ask your children to do it for you if you can't do it yourself.

7. Remember to take your medications every day. Fill up your prescription two or three days before the old ones run out, so that you don't have to rush to the pharmacy at the last moment or miss a day of meds. Always ask the doctor if there are some restrictions with the medications you are taking and be honest about what else you are taking in while discussing this with your doctor.

With right attitude and lifestyle, you can enjoy this period of your life. In fact, it can turn out to be the best part of your whole life if you are aware of potential limitations and problems.

Earth Day Senior Citizen Activities Using Plastic Water Bottles

Earth Day will be celebrated April 22nd around the world- as it has been since it was founded on April 22, 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. This year I am planning a few special "Earth friendly" Earth Day projects for the Horticultural Therapy and Crafting classes I teach to Seniors- although we reuse and recycle household items in our programs year-round.

Most of my students are still pretty frugal since they lived through the Depression and learned to make do with very little during that time. I've been told stories about how their Moms would make their underwear out of flour sacks, home gardens that provided most of their food during the war and how their Mothers would take a look at a formal gown in the store window and create an exact replica by hand when they did not have the money for store-bought clothes.

As part of my ongoing classes I already reuse and recycle a lot of commonly discarded household items including plastic water bottles, paper juice and milk cartons, gallon milk jugs, 2 liter plastic bottles, paper and plastic egg cartons, egg shells, paper towel tubes, brown paper bags and newspaper to name a few.

This article will focus on projects that reuse plastic drinking bottles. Plastic drinking bottles have a profoundly negative impact on our environment and are becoming a bigger problem each day. The World Wildlife Federation states that 1.5 million tons of plastic is used in bottling 89 billion liters of water each year. This process assists in the draining of the world's fossil fuels and creates tons of trash that will take 70 to 450 years to degrade in our landfills. So every bottle we keep out of the landfill helps future generations. And we can all feel good about that!

Here are a few of the fun projects my classes have done in the past year to reuse all or part of a plastic drinking bottle:

• Game Board Markers- Drinking bottle caps can be used as game pieces for home made Bingo game markers. I created Butterfly Garden Bottle Cap Bingo that used bottle caps as spot markers on the Bingo cards. The Bingo Cards were printed on 8.5 x 11 sheets and were laminated using shelf liner vinyl- so they are reusable. Bottle caps were decorated with fun flower and bug stickers. Seniors love their Bingo so this was a great way to teach my students the names of the different plants that grow well in our area that will draw butterflies to their garden.


• Paper mache vases-This activity actually reuses two common items that go into the landfill every day- plastic bottles and newspaper. We covered the plastic drinking bottles with several layers of strips of newspaper dipped in liquid starch (you can also use watered down glue or a flour mixture). Then we painted the bottles with acrylic paints and a coat of Modge Podge and decorated them with yarn, beads, buttons, glass beads and other materials. The vases are waterproof so they can be used to display fresh, dried or silk flowers.


• Seedling or Cutting Starters- First cut the Plastic Bottle in half. Punch a few drainage holes in the bottom of the bottom half of the bottle then fill with soil and plant cuttings or seeds to create inexpensive mini greenhouses. Use the top half of the bottles as small plant cloches to protect tiny seedlings you have planted in seed beds.


• "Grass Head Guys"- Cut plastic bottle in half. Use the bottom half of the bottle as the base for your "Grass Head Guy" project - later it will be filled with water so the grass will grow. This is a homemade version of a Chia Pet where you fill a knee high stocking foot (can also use recycled pantyhose) with grass seed and soil and it kind of looks like a little potato-head when it is decorated. The Bottom half of the bottle can be decorated in lots of fun ways as the body of your "Grass Head Guy".

These activities are great for Seniors who live in Assisted Living or Memory Care Residences- although many of my Independent Seniors also enjoyed making the Paper Mache Vases and Seedling Starters. And some of the activities would be great multi-generational projects for children and Seniors to do together.

Scabies at Day Care, Schools and Nursing Homes - How to Protect Yourself Or Your Child

In Florida, I've recently heard of three nursing homes in the area that had scabies cases. A client of mine at the mental health clinic told me that she couldn't get elimite at the local pharmacy as it had sold out. Her child had picked it up at the local child care center from another student. I spoke to a nurse at the mental health clinic where I work and she said that she feels itchy when leaving the assisted living facility she works at one time a week but she's never contracted scabies.

Scabies are very tiny mites so they can't be seen by the naked eye. They can be spread by skin contact such as holding hands and sexual relations, as well as by sharing clothing or bedding. Kids play very close to each other and get into wrestling and close contact looking at baseball cards, cell phone pictures and coloring together. At nursing homes people sit next to each other watching tv, hug each other for support and sometimes share clothing with their roommates. Sharing head phones can spread it as well and kids tend to do this with ipods often.

With scabies you may first itch before you notice the rash. Common spots are the arm pits, webs of fingers, wrists, stomach area and buttocks. Kids can get scabies on their faces but adults generally don't. You may also see the little burrow lines that are white, grey or red where the female egg zig zags under your skin to lay the eggs. These are difficult to see due to their thinness.

Permethrin cream is applied to the skin and left on over night to kill the scabies. At the same time, a thorough wash is needed in very hot water for the clothing and bedding. After 24 hours kids can go back to school, but be aware that if other kids are carrying scabies or untreated, one can get re-infected. This is one reason why they foud that a nursing home kept having residents re-infected. People weren't treated that had scabies and when they were, they didn't apply the cream under the nails. This is an important area that gets forgotten. When people scratch themselves , they can easiy spread what's under their finger nails to others. Scabies is not difficult to treat, but it needs to be done properly and with attention to detail.

Alzheimer's and Family Strife: 3 Tips for Dealing With Relatives Who Criticize Your Caregiving

Let's face it. When you're the primary caregiver for an Alzheimer's patient, no one else in the family will ever truly understand what you're going through. Nor is it likely they'll understand just how demented the loved one is unless they spend a lot of time with that person - and they usually don't.

Having a loved one with Alzheimer's disease can create a tremendous amount of stress in families, although sometimes the diagnosis brings family members closer as they work toward the common goal of caring for the patient.

In families where there is generally good will, conflicts can typically be worked through for the common good. Advice given by the Mayo Clinic includes strategies such as sharing responsibilities among family members, meeting regularly to discuss care issues, being honest in discussions, not being critical of each other, and, if needed, joining a support group for Alzheimer's caregivers or even seeking family counseling.

However, in families where people didn't get along well before the diagnosis, it can create nightmares, especially for the primary caregiver. The situation can be even worse when the primary caregiver is not a direct family member, such as, for example, when the patient has remarried and the caregiving spouse is not a blood relative of the children.

The situation can become worse still if some of the family members live out of town and only see the loved one for short, infrequent visits. They just don't have the opportunity to witness the severity and frequency of demented behaviors you have to deal with every day.

You may find you're being criticized unfairly for the care you're providing even though you're doing a heroic job and making major sacrifices in your personal life to do so. This can lead to bitterness and create extreme disharmony in the family.

It can be endlessly frustrating to have others make caregiving suggestions that are unreasonable because they're based on a complete lack of understanding of the patient's condition and abilities.

For example if a parent living alone is no longer able to do laundry, a child might recommend using a laundry service. What the child might not know, however, is that the parent wouldn't even be capable of opening the door and giving the laundry to the service person when they arrive for the pickup.

Another example is that a well-meaning sibling might advocate for placing a parent in an assisted living facility when the parent couldn't even find his or her way to the dining room and back. Siblings who haven't been around their parent very often might not be aware of that basic fact.

Although you can probably never convey the full extent of the patient's impairment or the burden the caretaking is placing on you, there are some things you can do to try to reduce friction within the family:

1. Be Patient and Understand Where They're Coming from: Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand why they lack knowledge of the situation. If you can stay calm you'll have a better chance of decreasing stressful interactions.


2. Educate Others about the Patient's Condition: It can help if you make very detailed lists of the patient's dementia behaviors and share them with other family members. Remember, they've never seen the patient do many things you see on a daily or even hourly basis, so put down even the smallest details. Update these lists frequently and share them with everyone on a regular basis.


3. Have Other Family Members Care for the Patient for Awhile: The best way to let other family members get a better understanding of the loved one's condition is to have them take care of the patient for a while. Ideally, this would be for a week or two while you go on vacation, not just for an afternoon while you're at a movie or go shopping. Almost anyone can deal with a demented patient for a few hours. Let them take care of the person for a couple of weeks and you may find you're being criticized less and appreciated more.

Tips to Help Older People But Keep Them Independent

As we get older, a lot of us may need some kind of help to live a relatively normal life. Assisted senior living is a service which provides that kind of help and will allow the older person to stay within their familiar surroundings for as long as possible. Assisted living home services will advice those who are related to the older person on what to do to help and when an added assistance may be necessary.

Of course, not everyone will want to go into a care facility where they lose their freedom and independence is taken away from them. Most will want to stay where they have lived for many years and do not welcome the fuss of moving at this advanced age. However, if the person is becoming a little frail or forgetful, and the family do not live nearby, then a placement that will allow them to be a little independent while having qualified personnel on hand may be just the answer that the family are looking for.

Retirement communities are plenty and there are many which are excellent. However, when it comes to a mother or father who is the one who needs some help, then we tend to be a little more fussy than normal. No one likes to think of their loved one getting anything other than the best kind of treatment so finding recommendations for these facilities is very important.

Word of mouth or testimonials that can be trusted are probably the best way to check out these retirement places, but do not be afraid to turn up unannounced either. Those who object to being checked out in this fashion should be avoided or sidelined because they may be trying to hide something.

But of course there are different levels of care available for those who may be quite active through to those who need just a little help on a daily basis. Caring for an infirm adult is sometimes quite tiresome so having them helped by an outside facility may be what is needed so that the relationship does not get too fraught.

Active older people thrive on being able to carry on their social lives to the full, and who can blame them. But finding a way around all the different kinds of facilities on offer can be quite a job. But there is help at hand for this kind of research too. There are some agencies who take it upon themselves to do all the research for the interested parties so that the hard work is taken out of it.

Choosing an agency who knows their way around the array of facilities on offer will not only save a lot of time, it will possibly save on expense too. They will be able to ascertain the correct level of help that is needed in individual cases and this will obviously mean that the more expensive and more labor intensive facilities will not be needed probably until some future date when the aged person is deteriorating.

Choosing the Right Nursing Home

We all know that growing old is a natural part of life and unfortunately for some people they can no longer take care of themselves. It is sometimes possible for family members to care for their elderly parents or relatives, but not always or in every case. This is when find ourselves needing to find a good quality nursing home as an option for our parents, elderly relatives or elderly friends.

Making the decision to move into a nursing home doesn't have to be depressing by any means in fact nursing homes can provide a happier and better quality of life. You must try to think of it as an opportunity for your relatives to get the best care available, by certified nurses with dedicated time to give the best care, which is not always possible for family members to do. It is also a chance for your relatives to meet new friends, participate in activities and live a more active lifestyle.

When you start looking at nursing homes you will soon realise that not all homes provide the same services and level of care. Before choosing the nursing home for your loved one you consider the following.

Location and Costs

One of the most important things when choosing a nursing home is the location. Choosing a good quality home which is nearby will allow you to spend more time with your loved ones. Having a convenient location also allows you to be more involved in their medical care as possible and making your loved one feel reassured and comfortable with their new home. The next thing you'll want to look at is cost. All nursing homes are different when it comes to cost, depending on the care needed for the individual and room type. Ask yourself, Does the care home you're considering fit within you budget constraints.

The Staff and Care Workers

After selecting a few certified nursing homes to choose from, the next thing to do is to find out the competence of actual staff as this is just as important, if not more so. After all these are the people who will be providing your loved one's care. Staff should always be certified as well. It is also a good idea to make sure that there are enough staff that are thoroughly trained in emergency care, critical care and elder care.

Take the time to inspect the homes which you are considering and try to evaluate for yourself how the staff treat the patients, look out for things such as, politeness, manners, patience, ones empathy, compassionate nature.

Inspections Records

Before you make a final decision on choosing a nursing home, do some homework in regards to how the nursing home did on past health and safety inspections, look for if they have any recent violations. Check the "Care Quality Commission" reports. When you take a look around the home for yourself check for important safety features like smoke alarms and that they are in every room, hand rails everywhere, specially fitted toilets for disabled.

Living Environment

No one wants to live in a depressing place that looks and feels dreary. Look for nursing homes that feature plenty of fun activities and entertainment options to keep patients busy and productive. Cheerful, positive staff members that will fill your loved one's days with joy are also a must.

Have a look around and see what the people living there think?

Find out what the people living there think of their home. Try to talk to some of the patients already living at the home which your considering. Ask them if they like it there and are happy with the way they're treated. If they are not happy then the chances are your loved one won't be happy either. Visiting the home unannounced and at different times is a good idea, this is an effective way to review the quality of the care outside of visitor hours.

Information on Clinical Trial Injuries

Clinical trials are a very important aspect of the pharmaceutical world. Prior to any new drug or medical apparatus being put into use for consumers, it must first go through rigorous testing to ensure safety. This is done in the form of clinical trials, usually involving humans. In order to ensure human test subjects are protected, the federal government has put certain regulations and guidelines into effect. While these regulations and guidelines are meant to protect people, there are times when they are not followed, and with the rush to get products to market and increase profits, clinical trial injuries are becoming more and more common.

There are three ethical principles that have been put into place to protect human participants in clinical trials. They are as follows:

Respect for the Person: The premise for this guideline is further divided into two individual moral requirements - the requirement to recognize independence and the requirement to protect subjects with reduced independence.

Beneficence: Subjects are to be treated in a manner that is ethical by ensuring their security and well being is protected. Two main rules are applied - do no harm, and maximize the potential benefit while minimizing risk.

Justice: This asserts to answer the questions of who will receive the benefits of the research and who should accept its responsibility. Injustice is classified as an entitled person not receiving the benefit without proper reason or if someone is forced to bear greater responsibility than others.

In addition to these three principles being put into place, there are also guidelines for applying these principles. They are as follows:

Informed Consent: The subject wishing to participate in the clinical research should be able to understand what is involved with the process, the associated risks, and how involved he or she will be with the research. Having informed consent is the cornerstone of the federal regulations and guidelines.

Risk Assessment: The researcher and sponsors of the study, as well as others associated with the trial should be able to properly assess the risk to the subjects taking part. If a human subject is harmed during the trial, the risk assessment process and the way that risk is conveyed to the subjects should be looked into.

Subject Selection: Those in charge of the trial are responsible for assessing the benefits to human subjects while weighing the risks that will be faced. Those who are vulnerable should not be exploited and should be carefully considered when approached for participation.

If you or someone you know has suffered injuries because of taking part in a clinical trial, the issue of informed consent plays a major role when bringing forth a lawsuit. Even if a signed form has been provided, it could still be argued that true informed consent, as classified by the federal regulations, was not given. This is a very complex issue that must be handled by a skilled attorney.

It was the Nuremberg Code that first recognized the importance of ethical treatment of human test subjects and informed consent. This set a standard for scientists and physicians who were conducting experiments on prisoners during World War II. It was this code that brought to light how far people will go for science and has been referred to specifically in the federal guidelines and regulations that were drafted for human test subjects in clinical trials. Regulators also took into account the Belmont Report, which was created by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. Using these pieces of information three main components of informed consent were laid out:

Information: Human participants must be provided with adequate information regarding the research being conducted. This includes detailed data on the type of study being conducted, how long it will last, the associated risks, if it is experimental, and various other types of important information.

Comprehension: How effectively and clearly information is communicated is just as important as the actual information. Those handling the clinical trial must convey the information in a way that is clear, effective, and organized. The subjects should be allowed to ask questions and receive detailed answers, and they should be of sound mind to comprehend what they are being told.

Voluntary Consent: Consent has to be at the test subject free will without undue pressure. There can be no coercion to get the person to sign the informed consent form.

When injuries result from a clinical trial, there are usually two factors that are looked into: was there informed consent, and was there something wrong with the process of the clinical trial.

Even with protections in place, there are times when those who are conducting the trials are negligent in their approach, or carry out medical procedures incorrectly. Other times it is just not possible to conduct the research without injuring someone who participates.

The vast majority of clinical trial injuries that occur are due to a lack of informed consent to take part in the trial, or a lack of consent for one portion of the trial. The results of these issues include battery and assault, scientific fraud, clinical negligence, breach of the right to dignity, and in some cases wrongful death.

If you or someone you know has been harmed because of taking part in a clinical trial, you should not delay in contacting a personal injury attorney who is skilled in negligence and medical malpractice. These professionals know the ins and outs of this area of the law extremely well, and will handle every aspect of your case from start to finish. He or she will deal with everyone involved in your case, will collect medical records, will compile all types of evidence, will determine all responsible parties, will interview witnesses, and will arrange for expert testimony when needed. Since most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, you do not have to worry about funding your claim in advance. This means that you have very little to lose, and a great deal to gain!

Become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) If You Have a Great Desire To Help Others

You may want to consider a medical career if you are great with people and like to help others. One of shortest medical training programs is that of a certified nursing assistant (CNA). CNA training classes usually last on average from 4 to 6 weeks and although this can vary from one state to another or training program, the amount of training time required will still be short before you can start working and helping others in addition to earning a much needed income.

CNAs are always in demand as they usually take care of the basic needs of patients in a hospital or hospital setting or residents in a nursing home such as feeding, bathing, lifting, grooming, taking vitals, etc. In addition to CNA training classes showing how to perform the tasks required in a hospital or nursing home, many obtain the certified nursing assistant designation in order to work with clients who need help but live at home. Becoming a home health aide is definitely a great way to be in control of your work schedule and clients.

While being a CNA is generally considered an entry level position with the pay ranging from the low to mid twenty thousands, it is a very necessary position in the healthcare position and you can always be assured of a job in any economic climate. This job will also allow you to gain experience in the medical field that you can use if you decide to use this as a stepping stone to other careers in the healthcare field, such as nursing, becoming a doctor or going into the administrative side of the healthcare industry.

If you decide that you do not like the healthcare field after completing CNA training classes, passing the CNA certification exam and working in the medical field, you would only have wasted a few weeks on the training as opposed to the years of training that would be required for other fields in the healthcare field. The cost associated with a CNA training class is also low compared to that associated with the training for other medical careers.

CNA Training Classes

As mentioned previously, CNA training classes are important because they will teach you how to perform various tasks properly and safely. CNA training classes comprise of textbook work and practice sessions as well as clinicals which involve practicing the skills learned in class in a real work setting such as a hospital or nursing home with real patients or residents while being supervised by someone on the medical staff such as a registered nurse.

The hours required to complete CNA training classes also varies from one state to another and from one program to another. On average and especially if you intend to work for an employer that receives Medicare/Medicaid benefits, at least 75 hours of training are required.

CNA training classes are offered at some nursing homes, community colleges, some high schools, technical training facilities, Red Cross chapters, etc. Students that went through a Red Cross CNA training class are probably the most coveted by employers so if you are considering training to become a CNA, you may want to determine whether the Red Cross chapter in your area offers these training programs.

CNA Certification Exam

After completing the CNA training classes, you should be adequately prepared to take the certified nursing assistant exam. If you begin employment before taking and passing this exam, your employer will usually require that you take and pass the exam within about 90 days from your employment start date.

There is a written portion of the exam as well as the clinical portion were you will be required to perform certain tasks on a dummy or an individual for a state examiner who will rate you on how you perform tasks being tested. Although you may experience exam stress or performance anxiety, if you select the right CNA training classes, you will be more than prepared for both parts of the exam.

Both sections of the exam require a minimum score that is set by the state. This means that you can not perform terribly on one portion of the exam, hoping that the second portion will help you make up the difference. Once you pass the exam, you will become certified in the state in which you took the exam and you will be placed on the state registry for nursing assistants. The test can be retaken if failed and you will need to become well versed in the state requirements for retaking the exam.

Financing CNA Training Classes

If you do not have the money to pay for the CNA training classes, you may be able to get scholarships or grants that you do not have to pay back. Many organizations offer various financial assistance programs so check at your local library for this information. Other community organizations such as Human Services may also be able to assist you with financing your training. Another alternative is to obtain a bank loan that must be paid back starting a few months after completing the training program.

In addition, if you are already working as a nursing assistant and want to become certified in order to have more opportunities, your employer may be able to offer financial assistance. Employers often look favorably and are willing to assist employees that wish to improve their skills through educational training programs.

Pre-Need Funeral Contracts And Medicaid

Planning for the end of one's life is not a pleasant task. However, as the end will inevitably arrive (sometimes at the least expected time), it's wise to plan for it now. For many, end-of-life planning includes both Medicaid planning and purchasing a "pre-need" funeral and burial contract. As the name implies, purchasers of pre-need contracts make and pay for funeral arrangements with their preferred funeral home in advance of the time they are needed. The type of pre-need contract can affect eligibility for long-term care funded by Medicaid.

One major benefit of purchasing a pre-need contract is that you are able to purchase tomorrow's funeral at today's price. Funeral costs can be quite significant, and you can enjoy considerable savings by purchasing a pre-need burial contract. The other benefit is that the funds used to pay for a pre-need burial contract may be exempt from the assets Medicaid considers when determining a person's eligibility for nursing home care. In order to be eligible for Medicaid, a person may have no more than $2,000 in assets. However, certain assets are not counted when determining eligibility.

The amount of the pre-paid funeral and burial contract that is exempt depends on whether the funds are held under an irrevocable contract or an insurance policy irrevocably assigned to the funeral home.

The exemption for funds set aside in a bank account for funeral and burial expenses is only $1,500.00. To increase the amount of the exemption, the funds paid for pre-need funeral and burial contracts must either be held under an irrevocable contract funded by a trust or used to purchase a life insurance policy that is irrevocably assigned to the funeral home. If a pre-paid funeral and burial contract is held under an irrevocable contract funded by a trust, the maximum amount that is exempt is $5,874.00 for the year 2012. However, if the contract is funded by an insurance policy which is irrevocably assigned to a funeral home, the entire amount paid is exempt. These days, most funerals cost well in excess of $5,874.00, so funding a pre-need contract with a life insurance policy will ensure that you get the maximum benefit when it comes time to apply for Medicaid.

Consider this example: Mr. Smith applies for Medicaid and owns a pre-need funeral and burial contract worth $11,000. If his contract was held under an irrevocable contract, only $5,874 would be considered exempt, and his assets available to pay for nursing home care would include the remaining $5,126 of the contract value. Now, Mr. Smith could be ineligible for Medicaid at a time when he may need immediate nursing home care. However, if Mr. Smith's burial contract was funded by a life insurance policy irrevocably assigned to the funeral home, the entire amount of $11,000 is exempt, and Mr. Smith could still considered eligible for Medicaid. Careful planning really makes a difference!

The example above is greatly simplified. Medicaid rules are very complex. A specific form of pre-need funeral and burial contract and insurance policy must be used. Before executing a pre-need burial contract, it is wise to have your attorney review it and your other financial planning strategies to make sure you are getting your maximum exemption benefits. The foregoing discussion is based on the regulations promulgated by the Illinois Department of Human Services for Illinois residents published as of January 22, 2012. See your attorney regarding the current status of Illinois regulations and the application of the regulations to your specific fact situation.

This article is intended to present general information for educational purposes, is not legal advice and should not be relied upon in connection with any particular matter. The reader is advised to immediately retain their own separate legal counsel with respect to any specific legal issue. Rights to bring a claim will expire through the passage of time by the applicable statute of limitations.

Paying For Elder Care Just Got Easier

It's not a surprise that thousands of families across the nation are facing the challenges of an aging population. The "sandwich" generation, those who are caring for their children as well as their parents, have been feeling the financial pinch of caring for loved ones. Paying the high cost of Elder Care can cost a family thousands of dollars a month. Too many families are unaware of how utilizing a loved one's life insurance policy can not only pay for Assisted Living and Nursing Home care, but can maintain the standards of living for the remaining spouse.

Not too many financial specialist inform their clients who have purchased life insurance policies with a death benefit over $250,000 that they can utilize a somewhat unknown option on their life insurance to pay for the high cost of Elder Care. It is called a Life Settlement and it can fully take the financial burden off of families who struggle to keep their loved one in a quality facility.

A policy owner has the right to sell his or her life insurance policy to an institution for significantly more than the cash value of the policy. For example, a life insurance policy with a $500,000 death benefit and a $75,000 cash value can be purchased for $250,000 and up. This money can be used now to pay for assisted living, nursing homes as well as in home services also. The procedure is relatively quick with minimal paperwork.

It is senseless to struggle financially to pay for the needs of elderly loved ones when they can utilize their life insurance policy to pay for care. Many, many times life insurance policies lapse when a loved one goes into assisted living or a nursing home just out of financial necessity as well as through medicaid planning.

Instead of letting a policy lapse or into surrendership, smart families are looking into life settlements as a funding source for the high expense of Elder Care.

Nursing Home Design

Nursing homes are designed to serve usually elderly patients who require long-term, therapeutic and preventive care. Residents normally have non-acute medical conditions and are frail but not bedridden. They may need canes or walkers to help them get around and aid with everyday tasks such as eating, dressing and washing. Most nursing home residents will stay for the remaining months or years of their life, which is why the design of the home is so important.

A nursing home isn't just a facility where care is provided - it really is a home for its residents. This special design challenge means that the environment of the nursing home must be conducive to both emotional and physical long-term human needs. A welcoming atmosphere must combine with all the practicality that is needed to give a good quality of medical care. Nursing homes are unique in that they're very patient-focussed, so the overall design scheme is an essential part of the quality of the home.

The nursing home environment can have a great impact upon the health of its residents. Architects and designers must pay attention to details such as catering for those with physical or mental disabilities, or loss of sight, yet still retain a homely atmosphere. A welcoming environment is far more conducive to the recovery of patients than a sterile hospital.

The efficiency of a nursing home is also very important, both for the care of the residents and for the performance of the nursing staff. There should be short distances between frequently-used areas for example, such as dining halls and bathrooms. This allows frail residents ease of access to areas of the home. Spaces should be open and incorporate interior windows to allow nursing staff to see large areas of the home at any one time. This minimises the number of staff needed for supervision and also frees up staff to perform other important tasks.

Cleanliness is a third important feature of a nursing home, because many patients may experience some form of incontinence. Not only is this unsanitary, it can give an overall impression of an unhygienic environment if the nursing home has an unpleasant odour. Easy-clean surfaces are therefore an integral part of the design, as is effective ventilation and built-in housekeeping spaces. All of the finishes on surfaces must be durable to protect them from both stains and knocks, and there should be no unfilled cracks or crevices which could hide dirt or be difficult to clean.

The nursing home furniture can also aid both hygiene and the performance of the nursing staff. Easy-clean fabrics are essential, and furniture can also be designed to give staff ease of access to patients. The overall scheme must still be homely however, so furniture must create a warm, welcoming look but still retain its functionality.

These design considerations present a unique challenge to designers and architects, but when met they can help to give nursing home patients a good quality of care and a comfortable environment for as long as they need it.

Benefits of Senior Assisted Living

In everyday life, everybody tends to get old at one point or another, that is if you live for long enough. As everyone knows, age has its disadvantage the most notable ones becoming failing health and incapacitated physical movement. As such, elderly people require a lot of proper care and around the clock monitoring, this is where assisted living comes in.

Senior assisted living generally involves the provision of personal care services to a elderly person by professional staff in assisted living facilities. These facilities provide assistance or supervision for the aging adults when performing day to day activities and also medical care. There are lots of primary advantages of elderly assisted living, such as:

Security

Security can be considered among the most notable benefits associated with assisted living for elderly people. A majority of elderly people are frail and have slightly impaired physique function such as poor vision and loss of hearing. This makes performance of daily tasks such as bathing and walking very difficult and they stand a high risk of getting injured when doing theses responsibilities.

In senior assisted living facilities, trained staffs are usually available to assist the elderly perform these tasks. These facilities also contain special support structures that the elderly use when doing day to day activities to avoid falling and other related injuries. Some of these structures include furniture with padded sides and support railings that are usually designed into corridors and bath rooms.

Companionship

As we grow older, we're sure to lose one or more of our friends. Senior citizens tend to lack company since the only people they can connect with are family members and individuals within their age group. Most members of the family tend to be busy throughout the day making the elderly person lack companionship most of the time. Assisted living facilities generally bring together senior citizens within the same age bracket. New friendships can be struck up between members and the members can enjoy social activities such as board games with each other.

Nutrition

The diet of an elderly citizen greatly differs from what healthy young individual. Senior persons usually require a strict dietary plan to replenish certain nutrients inside their body and also strengthen their health. Providing such a diet can be quite cumbersome in a domestic environment since the normal family diet greatly differs from this type of diet. Senior living facilities have special diets specifically designed to meet the nutritional requirements of the aging seniors.

Health Care

Generally, almost all assisted living facilities have professionally trained medical employees on hand in case of any emergency situation. The medical employees also offer regular checkups for the elderly and give personalized recommendations for every senior citizens.

Exercising

Exercising is extremely important when it comes to the normal functioning of the body. Elderly people are not cut out for the normal regular exercise routines and usually perform light specialized exercise to improved blood circulation and keep healthy. Senior assisted living facilities have appropriate amenities and qualified employees for this type of exercises. In view of the above explained factors, the use of senior assisted living facilities is very recommended.

New York's Good Samaritan Law - A Good Deed Goes Unpunished

The other day, a client was telling me a story.  While trying to describe somebody's personality, he said this:

"She's the type of person that will find fault in everything you do. If you push her off the tracks just seconds before she is about to be struck by a speeding locomotive, she'll sue you for bruising her leg and soiling her clothes."

And that reminded me of New York's Good Samaritan law, today's topic.

Common Law: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Generally speaking, there is no duty to come to the aid of somebody that has been in an accident and in need of emergency medical assistance. However, not long ago, if you attempted to render medical assistance to somebody and botched the rescue, chances were you would be sued. Therefore, educated bystanders wouldn't dare attempt a rescue.

Since the common law discouraged bystanders from attempting to render medical assistance to those in need, the legislature, recognizing this result was both unacceptable and undesirable, enacted in 2000 what is generally referred to as the Good Samaritan law.

Effect of the Law

New York's Good Samaritan law carves out specific circumstances when an individual shall not be held liable for ordinary negligence in attempting to render medical assistance. Instead, they will only be held liable in cases of gross negligence.

Gross Negligence

Simply put, negligence is a failure to exercise ordinary care. Gross negligence means a failure to use even slight care, or is conduct that is so careless as to show complete disregard for the rights and safety of others.

When it Applies

The law isn't found in one centralized part, but rather integrated into various provisions of the NY Public Health Law and the NY Education Law.

Importantly, New York's Good Samaritan law is limited to medical treatment or assistance. The heart of the law is found in Pub. Health Law §3000-a, which provides in part:

Any person who voluntarily and without expectation of monetary compensation renders first aid or emergency treatment at the scene of an accident or other emergency outside a hospital, doctor's office or any other place having proper and necessary medical equipment, to a person who is unconscious, ill, or injured, shall not be liable for damages for injuries alleged to have been sustained by such person or for damages for the death of such person alleged to have occurred by reason of an act or omission in the rendering of such emergency treatment unless it is established that such injuries were or such death was caused by gross negligence on the part of such person.

Voluntary Act; No Expectation of Monetary Compensation

An important theme here is that the person act both voluntarily, and without the expectation of monetary compensation. This is significant because the protection extends to dentists (Educ. on Law §661[6]), physicians (Educ. Law §6527[2]), nurses (Educ. Law §6909[1]), physicians assistants (Educ. Law §6547) and physical therapists (Educ. Law §6737), provided they are not in a place having proper and necessary medical equipment, and are not rendering their professional or licensed services in the ordinary course of their practices.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and Epinephrine Auto-Injector (Epi-pen) Devices

The law is somewhat different, however, for emergency health care providers, or those persons or entities that purchase or make available Automated External Defibrillator (AED) devices, or Epinephrine Auto-Injector devices. In those cases, the emergency health care provider, person or entity, shall not be held liable for the use of that equipment if a person voluntarily and without expectation of monetary compensation renders first aid or emergency medical treatment, and shall also not be held liable for the use of defectively manufactured equipment.

However, the law expressly states it shall not limit claims against the emergency health care provider, person or entity that purchased or made available that equipment from its own negligence, gross negligence or intentional misconduct. Pub. Health Law §3000-a(2). See, also, Pub. Health Law §3000-b (Automated External Defibrillators) and Pub. Health Law §3000-c (Epinephrine Auto-Injector).

Go Ahead, Be a Hero

Once again, it is safe to play superhero, but remember to use at least ordinary care.

(NOTE: Emergency medical technicians and volunteer ambulance services are subject to more technical provisions under Pub. Health Law §3013.)

Slow Death Inside of Nursing Homes - Part Two

This is an article about some of the ways that some nursing homes and rehab and care centers handle paperwork, contracts, and admission agreements with residents, patients and families:

There are some nursing homes in the state that will have over-lengthy admissions agreements, some of them are thirty and forty pages long. And with some of the unscrupulous ones, they will wait until after the families have left to get the residents alone. And only when they alone, and usually somehow incapacitated or in no condition to read and sign long twenty and thirty page agreement documents, and they will have them sign a few papers. They do not permit nor give time to the resident to read or understand what the resident is signing, and when they finally realize what they signed, it seems to be too late for the resident. You can be in this posiition if you are unaware of how these places operate. There are ways that you can try and protect yourself from this incorrect paperwork and protect yourself from signing papers that you do not understand and even paperwork that you never even had in your hand, or know what the papers say. Some experiences are totally horrible and unbelieveable beyond description. How horrible?Remember The Snake Pit ? You probably can not even imagine how horrible.

Trust your gut instinct and never sign anything without family members present and without your family members reading, ahead of time, those documents that need to be signedProtect yourself to the best of your ability by using these ideas, and also consult with a lawyer for legal advice for all paperwork and procedures:

• Before you or anyone is admitted into hospitals, nursing homes and rehabilitation and care centers, have all your legal paperwork signed. For example, even before you ever get ill or need hospitalization, you need to have your living wills, wills, power-of-attorneys, health proxies, all taken care of, read, signed, witnessed and processed so that you cannot be pressured by any nursing home, or hospital or other facilitiy in to designating the hospital or facility to be in charge of all of your finances. Yes, some facilities have contracts drawn up like that and they call these contracts, admissions forms or addmissions applications. So many residents have no idea of what they are signing. They think they are signing a routine admission application, ie. with name, address and health insurance information on it , and in essence they are really signing all their finances and their financial, health and social power over to these facilities.


• Let all the hospitals, medical centers and especially nursing homes and rehabilitation centers know, ahead of time, that the patient, resident, or anyone in charge of signing for anything at that place, will sign ONLY when the other family member be present to witness the signing and to read and or explain any lengthy documents to the resident or patient.


• When dealing with unscrupulous faciliites or with those that have bad reputations and track records, put your wishes and demands in writing. In other words, issue a letter signed by all necessary parties, stating that the resident, patient or family will not sign any papers, contracts or forms without having another family member present and name that family member in the written document. The patient or resident should sign the document and make sure that the persons at the facility have this document that states clearly that the resident or patient will not sign any forms, documents or appications at all unless the family member is present.


• If you think that you are dealing with an unscrupulous or problematic facility, consider contacting the Administrator and the Ombudsman, and if need be, in more serious cases, the Attorney General of your state.


• By being prepared ahead of time, you can possibly, that is possibly, prevent a medical, social or financial nightmare from happening to your own family. But you must be prepared ahead of time totally, or what happened to hundreds of others, can and might happen to you.

Remember this, that when employees approach you with routine admission documents, they are approaching you with, they are holding documents that are considered legally, binding contracts. So you should not just blindly sign these contracts. When you do that and you have no clue what you are signing, most likely you are signing your own social, medical, financial, and other parts of your life over to them. You are relinquishing your rights to your own pensions, disabilities checks, paychecks, savings and checking accounts and any other assets. Read the small print, and if you are not sure of what you are being asked to sign, then do not sign it. Consult with a lawyer if you feel that you are being taken advantage of by any facility, medical center or nursing home.
Other means of legal recourse that you have , some not legal, are to contact:

1. Ombudsman, find out the telephone number through the telephone operator.

2. Department of Health, look them up on the net

3. Contact your own lawyer.

4. If you cannot afford a lawyer, look up those announcements for Paid Legal Services and join up one of those legal services. This has to be cheaper than signing your homes, apartments and pensions over to a medical center, nursing home or rehabilitation and care center.

5. Attorney General, if you feel that you have been forced, pressured or coerced into signing papers that you did not want to sign or that you obviously did not understand, you might have some recourse by contacting the Attorney General of your state. Please pass this information on to everyone that you know. If you honestly feel like any rehabilitation and care center is trying to steer you in the wrong direction or make you sign papers against your will or make you sign papers that you do not agree to or have no knowledge of what is contained within those papers, you might consider contacting the Attorney General in your own state. There is no fee and no charge for contacting the Attorney General. You can send a letter and ask your questions that way or you can contact them online though the state's website.

BEST way to protect yourself and others, besides the above ways:

• Write an article, story, book about your own experiences.


• Spreading the word so that everyone knows what is happening is one of the ways you can help your family. Remember that these nursing homes and rehab and care centers will be the same ones that your children, and grandchildren might have to deal with in the future for themselves, so by spreading the word you are educating them and educating everyone who comes behind them.


• Whenever necessary, make proper complaints, in writing.


• Complaining in writing is the best way to make your complaints if you feel that you have been hoodwinked. If you are made to sign papers against your will or if you are made to sign papers and you do not know what is written inside of those papers, you need to tell someone immediately. Do not assume that all of the papers are for your benefit. In fact, the opposite is usually true. When a facility brings a stack of papers to you that is so lengthy that you have no time or ability to read everything in there, most likely, these papers, every single one of them is to protect the facility and to get more money for that facility. So, beware of those stacks of papers. Do not be like friends of ours, who were hoodwinked. You be prepared and you be alert.


• Press the button up there where it says copy this article and legally post the article in as many places, websites and bulletin boards that you can post it in. Please follow the strict guidelines of Ezine. You can copy this and post if for free; there is no fee for the copying IF you do it according to the guidelines. I.E. some of the guidelines state that you cannot change the wording and that you must leave the websites links and author links in the copy when reposting.

5 Industries That Will Hire Freelance Writers

Freelance writers who want to grow their freelance writing business will be excited to know that in 2011, certain industries will be growing and hiring. These industries will need web content writing, copywriting, blogs, article writing, newsletters, and other writing. It's up to you to take advantage of the opportunity to market you and your writing services.

5 Industries That Will Hire Freelance Writers

Travel. You may not believe that tourism is increasing but it is thanks to baby boomers. This group won't give up travel. They have the funds to travel wherever and whenever and like to get a good deal. If you're interested in travel writing, now is the time to get started. If you have prior experience as a travel writer, start marketing your writing services to travel agencies and your local tourism office. You could find fun writing opportunities such as adventure travel, food and wine writing, and other niches.

Doctors. The health care industry will experience growth because baby boomers are getting older and will require more medical attention. This means doctors will expand their offices move to new and additional locations. They'll need to market their new (or improved) offices and freelance writers can help them do this through copywriting and web content writing.

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Believe or not, some baby boomers will be entering nursing homes and assisted living facilities. More and more of these facilities will be built now and in the future. They'll need freelance writers to help them market these businesses.

Education. Colleges and universities are not going away. In fact, they're adding more teachers as are public school systems. Schools wanting to attract students will need help with this. Freelance writers can write the copy for brochures, newsletters, and websites. Freelance writers, who love education, take advantage of this area.

Staffing and recruiting. Many businesses will be employing more office workers and need help finding intelligent office workers. Businesses will turn to staffing and recruiting companies to help them find the employees. Freelance writers can help staffing and recruiting agencies by writing copy for brochures, print and radio ads, and web content.

Freelance writers who want to grow their writing businesses will take advantage of the growth within the industries listed above. If you want to become wealthy freelance writers, you must get out of your comfort zone. Start approaching medium and large businesses and stop looking on certain job boards that post low paying writing opportunities. Make a commitment to work with clients that understand business and will pay your writing fees. You'll have to occasionally negotiate your rates, but it's not a good idea to accept assignments just for the money. You won't be happy and it will show in your work. If must make ends meet, you may consider getting a 'temporary' job that will pay the bills while you build your freelance writing business. Remember, "Rome wasn't built in a day." Don't get discourage if you don't make $10,000 or more a month straight-away. It will happen if this is what you truly desire.

What Is a Licensed Vocational Nurse?

Although most nurses opt to get a registered nursing license, many others opt to get a vocational (often also referred to as practical) nursing licensure. Many registered nurses will embark on their nursing career as a vocational nurse, completing the training to that of a registered nurse only after a few years of working as a practical nurse.

A Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) is a nurse who completed a vocational nursing program, and passed the NCLEX-PN licensure exam. This one-to-two year training program is offered by many community colleges and other vocational schools.

The LVNs work is to care for patients in many ways:

• Basic bedside care: The practical nurse will measure and record patients' vital signs such as height, weight, temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. He or she will also be the one who prepares and gives injections and enemas, monitors catheters, dresses wounds, and gives alcohol rubs and massages. Sometimes the LPN will also be called to assist their patients with bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene, or in moving in bed, standing, and walking. The vocational nurses might also feed patients who need help eating. Experienced LPNs may supervise nursing assistants and aides.


• Collecting and keeping medical data: A licensed vocational nurse will often be called to collect samples for testing, perform routine laboratory tests, and record food and fluid intake and output. She may also be called to help physicians and registered nurses perform tests and procedures. Sometimes she will be asked to monitor her patient and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments.

What are the qualities needed to be a good LVN?

A person aspiring to be a good practical nurse should have a caring, sympathetic nature, with good communication skills. Working with the sick and injured can be stressful, and a person dealing daily with human pain should be emotionally strong and stable. The LVN also needs to be observant, and to have good decision-making skills. As the vocational nurse will often work under the supervision of doctors or registered nurses, a person going into this profession must be able to follow orders and work under close supervision.

The Work Environment

Vocational nurses may be found working in hospitals, clinics and many other healthcare facilities. Others may work in nursing homes, doctors' offices, or in home healthcare.

Most LVNs work a 40-hour week. In some work settings where patients need round-the-clock care, LVNs may have to work nights, weekends, and holidays. About 20 percent of licensed vocational nurses work only part-time.

A Nurse's Perspective on Senior Care: Trust Your Instincts to Find the Best Senior Caregiver

Everyone is busy these days. The pursuit of "health, wealth, and happiness" is the goal, the dream we all aspire to. Yet, as we grow older, our bodies do not always keep up with the wishes of the mind.

If a health crisis (sudden stroke, broken hip, heart attack) or a slower progressing issue (age-related dementia, asthma, diabetes) causes a need for one to change how they live, what do you do?

Whether you are the affected senior, or the concerned family member, it is a difficult day when you realize a change in lifestyle, and possible living situation, must occur.

Those who have been independent their entire adult life may suddenly require around the clock supervision due to advancing memory problems. A broken bone may cause one to need help with activities of daily living, sometimes as simple as taking a bath, getting dressed, and using the bathroom.

Having been on the "inside", as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Licensed Practical Nurse in positions from direct care (bathing, dressing, feeding, toileting, ambulating), to staff nurse (giving medications, applying treatments, assessing changes in condition) to supervisor (direct contact with MD's, families, residents, emergency situations), I know what happens in nursing homes, assisted living situations, and home care.

If you or a loved one are faced with placement in a skilled nursing facility, use your five senses and your "sixth sense" to assess its quality.

Visual: Is the lobby appealing? Welcoming? When you tour the facility are staff smiling and visible? The amount of staff is important; ask about staff to resident care ratio; it will vary from shift to shift. Is trash visible? Are residents dressed appropriately? Are they lined up in wheelchairs being ignored while the staff congregates at the desk? Are the halls well lit, and free of small items if there were an emergency requiring evacuation?

Hearing: When you enter what do you hear first? Are you welcomed, acknowledged? Is there music playing, or a fun activity going on where you hear residents voices? Ask questions, many questions! As you walk through do not be afraid to ask a random staff member how they like working there. If you get a funny look or hesitancy, you may need to be wary. Listen for residents crying, moaning, "help", etc... This does happen but if it is ignored for long periods of time, or it is many people at once, there is a problem.

Smell: Do you smell anything when you enter? Is it a strong chemical, or perfumey smell? They may be trying to cover urine soaked carpet, or incontinent bins. If you smell urine, that could be bad indicator, as is moldy/old smells. Ask about ventilation, cleaning.

Taste: Ask for a sample of food from the kitchen! Chances are you and your loved one will be invited for a complimentary lunch; any reputable home will make accommodations allowing you to sample their cuisine. This is important! If you or your loved one will be on a special diet, ask for a sample of that kind of food.

Touch: The bedroom: Besides making sure the room you or a loved one will occupy is neat, tidy, and aesthetically appealing, ask to lay on the bed. Sit in the chairs in the foyer, the dining room. Check the height of the toilets, making sure they are high enough for those needing "high rise" seats".

And finally, your "sixth sense": If something feels off, not right, uncertain, then it most likely is. Yes, you are going to be scared and likely nervous about this most important decision. But when your gut tells you to "run", follow it. If the person giving you a tour is smiling and trying to rush you through certain areas, or avoids areas, ask why! If they can't answer, that could be a red flag! If you don't feel comfortable, do not be swayed! There are other options out there, regardless of income level.

The thought of losing independence is a hard pill to swallow for many. Senior care centers, elder homes, the dreaded "old folks home"... Many would rather not face this and instead allow the problem to progress to a point where more help is needed. If you catch the issues early, chances are, you can live a longer, more active, productive life!

Medicaid Eligibility and Proceeds of Life Insurance

If you are currently in a nursing home and covered by Medicaid (i.e., the Medicaid program is paying part or all of your bills), what happens if you receive a lump sum cash payment as the proceeds of a life insurance policy? Unfortunately, since Medicaid only allows you to have no more than $2,000 in cash, this would cause you immediately to become disqualified from Medicaid. By law, you would have to report the receipt of the money to the state Medicaid agency, and it would let both you and the nursing home know that you are no longer eligible for Medicaid until you have "spent down" that money.

At that point, you could (i) spend the money on your nursing home bills until you are once again down below the $2,000 limit and then re-apply for Medicaid, or (ii) engage in some asset protection planning to preserve some if not all of that lump sum payment, before re-applying for Medicaid.

For example, you may want to use the money to purchase a car. As long as the car is used for the transportation of you or another household member, it will be excluded, no matter how much it costs (within reason). Another use of the proceeds would be to purchase a pre-paid funeral/burial plan. Again, there is no limit to the cost, so long as it is all actually to be used for your funeral and burial.

If there is quite a lot of money from the insurance policy, then other more complicated planning techniques can be employed, some of which are discussed in my other articles on this site. For instance, a gift combined with purchase of a "Medicaid annuity" can generally protect at least one-half of the money.

Finally, note that if the insurance proceeds are paid to the at-home spouse of the nursing home resident, then such money will NOT count against the Medicaid eligibility of the nursing home spouse. Beginning with the start of the month after the nursing home spouse is initially deemed eligible for Medicaid, the assets of the at-home spouse are not considered available to the nursing home spouse.

The Supported Living Business Opportunity

For the small business entrepreneur, the supported living needs of adults with developmental disabilities spells opportunity.

The state of California spends over $200 million per year providing supported living services to developmentally disabled adults. According to California Department of Developmental Services, this number is expected to grow significantly as the population of people diagnosed with mental retardation, epilepsy, and other forms of developmental disabilities rises. Of particular concern is a spike in the number of children diagnosed with autism. As these children become adults, they will require supported living services.

Currently about 6 million adults in California require some level of assisted living. Claritas, Inc., a direct marketing and demographic analysis company, believes this number will double by 2020. While this article discusses the assisted living business opportunity in California, similar programs are available in every state.

Serving The Supported Living Market

California provides supported living services to adults with disabilities that live in their own homes or apartments. They need help with things like shopping, doctor appointments, medication administration, and job coaching, among others. While each SLS provider must negotiate a billing rate with the state, agencies are typically paid about twice the rate of prevailing wages for their area. This translates to approximately 45% gross margin rates.

The licensing requirements for SLS providers are very minimal, but you do have to work with a Regional Center to get vendored and receive client referrals. There is no advertising allowed in this business--and frankly you won't need it. All your business comes from Regional Center referrals.

Growing Pains

Assisting adults with developmental disabilities can be a rewarding line of work. But as a small business owner, it also comes with a few headaches.

The number one problem you will encounter is hiring, training, and retaining reliable employees to work with your clients. Typical state requirements demand your employees have clean criminal backgrounds, are drug-free, and are able to safely transport clients to appointments in their own vehicle. Business owners are expected to reimburse employees for gas and vehicle expenses incurred on the job.

As an employer, you will of course be required to carry worker's compensation insurance and significant levels of liability coverage. This is all doable however, and is just a cost of doing business.

Your role of supported living provider will also require assisting some of your clients with housing issues. This can be a difficult and frustrating experience, as the majority of your clients all live on SSI and have minimal support or contact with family members.

Getting Started

California provides help to its clients through its 21 Regional Centers scattered throughout the state. To start your own supported living agency, you must first get a vendor number from your local Regional Center.

Visit: http://www.dds.cahwnet.gov to find the Regional Center for your area. All you have to do is ask for assistance in getting vendored to provide supported living services.

At that point, you will be advised of upcoming training sessions you may attend.

Independent Senior Living - Preferred Choice of Senior Citizens

As people get older, they look forward to more freedom than ever, as can be seen in senior citizens. Elderly people want independence in the way that they live, eat, work, and carry out other everyday activities. For these aged people, senior independent living is an ideal choice because they can be on their own. As human beings we will always have the desire to live independently, and this desire stays with us for our entire lives. With the increasing demand for these homes, there are a number of retirement apartments that offer complete freedom to their senior residents. They have their own space to enjoy their lives the way they want. So whether you are looking for the best retirement communities or a similar kind of facility, independent living is something you can enjoy anywhere. Usually senior independent living is a facility where senior citizens who are physically capable of taking care of themselves come together under one roof.

It is important to know that independent living facilities are different from assisted living facilities because the senior citizens have total freedom to handle their own cleaning and medical needs. It is the social need that brings these elderly people to the senior independent living facility even though they are physically fit and could live on their own without anyone's help. In old age, it's important to stay with peers, and sharing with people who think alike in this kind of environment is available in some of the best retirement communities. Senior citizens also need to feel safe and secure, which is another major benefit of retirement apartments. With age come social needs that are stronger than personal needs, so it is important for elderly people to live in an environment with their peers.

The senior independent living facilities offer basic services such as handrails and easy access to transportation, and the rest is managed by the senior residents themselves. If you are a healthy person and looking for retirement apartments, then you should always look for the facilities which allow you complete freedom and the right environment for your happy living. A lot of people fear that with age they will lose their independence, but with some of the best retirement communities around, this is no longer the case. For staying in an independent environment, aged people need to learn some home management skills and how to save money. Even at old age, senior citizens would never want someone invading their privacy. They want complete freedom, and for that they prefer senior independent living.

For senior citizens, it is important to live in an environment which is peaceful, happy, and free. Therefore moving into some of the best retirement communities allows them to enjoy the rest of their lives.

Curbless Shower Accessible Bathrooms and Senior Independent Living Sunrise Facilities

What is the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid?

For those of us that are new to this stuff, the terms Medicare and Medicaid can be confusing. Some folks have one and some folks have the other. Still other people are eligible for both programs. The differences are described below and will help you know which one you need to apply for and where to go to apply for it.

Medicare
This is a federal program that is primarily for the following groups of people:

• Individuals over the age of 65.


• Anybody of any age that suffers from renal (kidney) failure or disease.


• Anybody who is medically or physically unable to work.

Because this is a federally controlled program, the application is available at your local Social Security office. The different coverages are called:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance) - Covers care in hospitals, hospice, nursing home facility care and home health care.


• Part B (Medical insurance) - Covers outpatient services, home health care services and products as well as doctor's services and preventative services.


• Part C (Private insurance) - This is for insurance like HMOs or PPOs that are provided by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. These are also called Medicare Advanatage or MA plans and include all Part A and Part B coverage.


• Part D (Prescription insurance) - Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs and may assist in lowering costs later.

Medicaid
Medicaid is a state controlled program that is primarily for low income individuals and families. The following groups of people are eligible for Medicaid coverage:

• Women who are pregnant


• Persons beneath the age of 19


• Persons above the age of 65


• Anybody who is blind, physically disabled or requires nursing home care.

You can apply for Medicaid at your state's Medicaid agency.

Dual eligibility
Some people are eligible for both programs. Medicare can be utilized as gap insurance for uncovered Medicaid expenses. You will need to apply for each program separately at the appropriate places. Each will need to know about the other, so be honest and give all information that is asked for.

In the area of nursing facility care, both programs have coverage listed. Medicare Part A covers nursing home care and Medicaid has provisions as well. This can help a great deal with the costs incurred by caregivers. If you have your own insurance, the costs may all be deferred and negated through the process. No guarantee on that, but it could happen.

Call your state's Medicaid agency and your local Social Security office for more details and see if you are dually eligible. Whether you need assisted living services or home health care services, you may be able to get it paid for by these programs; at least in part, anyway.

Three Frequent Early Signs of Dementia in Older People

Ben had always been able to read his dad pretty well but lately he was having a hard time discerning what was going through his mind. Much of the time his father appeared to be managing his life with no particular problems but sometimes he was distant and forgetful leaving Ben to wonder what was going on. The only time his father would seem to get excited was when they were talking about past experiences and he would even get animated telling a familiar story he recollected but anytime he was asked a question about something of current interest he would seem to draw a blank. This was confirmed the day Ben took him to a sports cards shop and his dad showed a great amount of appreciation for some old football cards that were on display there. Not only could he remember the star players making great passes and scoring touchdowns but he could also recall where he was and what he was doing the year these events happened. This was in sharp contrast to his ability to participate in the conversation Ben tried to have with him about the big championship game they had both watched together the weekend before.

Ben rightly concluded that his father was developing early signs of dementia and he found in talking with his personal physician that he had missed the early warning signs until now. The earlier this process of deterioration is discovered the better it can be managed but it is certainly not a disease that can be cured. The diagnosis of dementia can only be made by a doctor after screening tests are given usually consisting of an MRI, blood tests and a memory test where the patient is asked a series of questions including one where he is given three words to remember and then asked in several minutes what they were. Many times people with dementia cannot remember a single word in just a few minutes. The most common early warning signs of dementia are:

1. An inability to find the right word in conversations, resulting in halted speech and incomplete thoughts is something we all deal with from time to time. In people with early and moderate dementia, this becomes a normal form of conservation with them making it hard to communicate well and carry on a mutually satisfying communication. This can be very frustrating to the person with the disease and the person who is trying to interpret what this person is trying to say.

2. A growing difficulty on the part of the person to understand numbers and financial concepts. This may first manifest itself by a person having extreme difficulty balancing his or her checkbook.

3. A tendency to get confused or lost in familiar places is also a key indicator of dementia. This problem unfortunately, is dangerous not only to the person with the dementia but also to others on the road if the person is still driving. It is sometimes helpful to enlist the aid of the doctor to advise his patient that it would be the best for all involved if he voluntarily decided not to drive anymore.

Fighting Ageism - The Role of the Activity Professional

While waiting in line at the post office, I stood behind a small elderly woman who was at the counter taking care of her postal needs. She had a very large purse with lots of zippers and a variety of smaller change purses. She had many questions for the postal worker and kept moving money and items in and out of her purse, zipping and unzipping her purses. She was a little hard of hearing and had to ask the postal worker to repeat her answers. The postal worker showed in her tone of voice and actions that she had no patience for this older person. At one point, she looked over the head of this elderly woman - at me and the line behind me, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

If the person in front of me had been a person of different national origin or race or practiced a specific religion or had a physical disability - would this postal worker have shown the same disrespect or impatience? Most likely not as she would fear being accused of discrimination. It is unfortunate in our society that treating the elderly differently or discriminating against them for their advanced years, is accepted practice. Discrimination against the elderly is known as ageism. The term ageism was coined by US gerontologist Robert N. Butler in 1969. At that time, it was added to the list of specific discriminations of racism and sexism. Ageism includes treating the elderly in a negative way as well as perpetuating negative stereotypes of aging. In today's advertising, the elderly are often characterized as grumpy, unkempt, dependent, self absorbed, a little daffy and eccentric. The activity professional and others who work in long term care have a more humanistic perspective regarding aging and the lifestyles of the elderly. We work tirelessly to provide individual opportunities to each person to live life to the fullest and in the manner they choose to live life, regardless of age.

To begin changing society's negative perspective toward aging and to promote positive images of aging, the activity professional can introduce the following tasks or actions:

1. Have the most amazing and dynamic activity program possible. A solid therapeutic activity program which includes group, individual and 1-1 programs is the best antidote against the negative stereotype of the elderly sitting in a rocking chair, watching life go by.

2. Develop a viable and working Resident Council. Empowering your residents to have a voice and use their voice to speak out about life in the facility and the community is essential in showing others that the elder cares about others and not just about themselves.

3. Embrace person centered care and the culture transformation movement. The philosophies and principles of these models of care emphasize new attitudes toward aging and what it means to get older. These concepts stress the individual nature of each person and living life to the fullest, as each person would like to live life.

4. Keep your residents engaged in life in the community through trips and outings. If you facility has a van or bus, make active use of that van. Make sure the van has the name of the facility painted brightly on the side so everyone sees you out and about. If your community/town has an annual parade, with floats and decorated trucks, think about entering your facility van. Think of the positive impact you will have with a group of smiling elders waving from a facility bus in the local Columbus Day or Independence Day Parade.

5. Develop an active and contributing community role for your residents. Fundraising for local charities, participating in Senior Citizen day at the mall, adopting the local animal shelter and visiting local schools are community oriented tasks which demonstrate the elder is an active and viable member of the community.

6. Take advantage of community awareness days of any kind. National Senior Fitness Day, National Nursing Home Week, National Nurses Day, and National Good Neighbor Day to name a few, would be opportunities for your residents to sponsor a community event and invite community members into their home. This would show the community how life goes on within and outside the walls of your facility.

7. Initiate facility chapters of organizations for your residents to join, while inviting local community members to be a part of your chapter. The Red Hat Society, The Gray Panthers, the VFW, the local Garden Club and other groups can be initiated and conducted at your facility. Integrating your elders with members of the community breaks down the age barriers.

8. Re-define aging for yourself. No matter your personal chronological age, your outlook has an impact on others. Purge yourself of any negative ageist attitudes which may be lurking in the back of your mind. Be true to the rights of all individuals, regardless of age.

9. Assume the role of a positive aging advocate. Whenever you encounter a negative attitude or action, don't be afraid to speak out in a positive and constructive way.

Are you wondering what happened when I approached the counter at the Post Office, after the elderly woman finished her business? The postal worker saw the anger in my eyes and mistakenly thought I was equally annoyed with the older woman. She suggested the woman should stay at home and get someone else to do her errands for her. I told the postal worker I couldn't disagree with her more and we should all be so lucky as that woman - to be out and about doing errands at her age. The postal worker retorted with a bit of a snort and stated she'd rather be dead than a nuisance to others. My parting comment to the postal worker was "be careful what you wish for". As I left, I heard a few chuckles and at least one "bravo" from the line of people behind me.

Age is opportunity no less,
than youth itself, though in another dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled by the stars invisible by the day. -
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Oregon Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims are made when a person suffers injury from another person, object, or company. The injury can be physical, emotional or financial. The only thing is that, it has to be proved. Personal injuries may include: slip and fall injuries, nursing home abuse, car accidents, defective product injury, exposure to toxic materials, medical malpractices, wrongful death (due to negligence), drug injury, dog bite or job injuries.

Personal injury claims can be from the person/persons who have actually caused the injury or from the insurance company. A personal injury claim must address two main issues: liability (the person charged is truly and legally responsible for the damage) and damages (the damages claimed truly reflect the exact extent of the injury or loss suffered). As per Torts Law, the case can be based on any of the three grounds: negligence, strict liability and intentional wrong. In case of injury resulting in death, the family members of the deceased can claim damages.

Persons who file an Oregon personal injury claim are eligible to receive compensation for their pain and suffering, loss of income, permanent disability (if any), emotional distress, and any other injuries that have been proved to be a result of the personal injury.

For filing a claim, it is important to prove that: 1) the person/persons/company is legally responsible for the injury and 2) the damages claimed really reflect the real extent of the injury or loss. These two elements, known as liability and damage, are very important for personal injury claims.

Personal injury claims are subject to statues of limitations, which mean that the claim must be made within a particular time period from the time of the injury. Statues of limitations differ from state to state. Oregon has its own statues of limitation for personal injury cases.

While making personal injury claims, it is better to consult a good attorney who has expertise and experience in dealing with such cases. Information about these lawyers is available in Oregon yellow pages or on the Internet. Friends, colleagues and family members are also a good source of identifying a good Oregano personal injury lawyer.

Unspoken Pain of Nursing Home Living

Moving to a nursing home is a major change especially when medical monitoring takes away independence, even if it is for the person's own well being. Dealing with serious health changes is more difficult when it feels like an exile from an individual's former way of life. While residents are taken care of medically, their mental health is usually ignored. As a mental health consultant in a nursing home, I listened to many voices who would not dare speak of their emotional pain to others. Here are some of their comments.

o People question my sincerity regarding my pain. They don't seem to understand that I am having trouble explaining it clearly to them.

o We are labeled with a disease.

o I feel stupid (about my failing health). Who can you blame but yourself when things don't go as planned?

o It's tough being in a wheel chair. I hope people understand that I can't keep up. I am embarrassed.

o It bothers me to not be able to write. I can't even sign my name. I have to be more resourceful. I used to be organized by writing everything down. Now I have to keep it all in my head.

o My kids don't get it. They get impatient. They forget I am here and don't even talk to me. They talk around me.

o When I try to express my feelings others respond with silly comments. While they are trying to empathize, I wish they wouldn't say these things. I think I should just watch what I say.

o I would like to be active with whatever abilities I have left. I really want to give.

o Getting people to hear you is the hardest thing to do. It's hard to speak up when you're feeling infringed upon.

o I am more than my adaptive equipment.

o People worry I am watching too much television but it is the only thing I have.

o The kids take over. You are the child again.

o Just because you are older doesn't mean you lose your identity.

o They filled out all the papers regarding my living situation. No one asked me how I felt about it.

o Where are my belongings? My house was sold behind my back.

o Others buy clothes for me. I don't even like the styles they choose. I used to have my own credit card. Now I am asking my children for money for hair appointments and simple spending.

o There's tension with my family around the holidays.

Nursing home residents speak of a loss of control when their lives seem to change drastically. These may be the final years of their lives, but they can certainly be spent with meaning. Residents want to be helpful to society still. They have great stories to tell of past achievements. The way they used to identify themselves is not how they are identified now. They are elderly, diseased, and needy and who they have been for the past several decades is now forgotten and irrelevant.

Families can help residents still feel relevant. Your loved one is a stranger to the nursing home staff until they become better acquainted with their new guests. As a family member, you can help this process become more successful.

Over 55 Retirement Communities - Built With Baby Boomers In Mind

The time has come for many people who fall into the baby boomer generation to retire. Some already have, and some are doing so right now and some will be that age in just a couple of years. And that means a lot of people are ready to move into some sort of retirement living arrangement.

For some, who need a bit of extra care and help in their day, the best choice will be an assisted living facility, for others, a nursing home, but a great many people will be looking into the option of buying into one of the many over 55 retirement communities which are springing up all over the place.

It could be that the developers just finally wised up and figured that people wanted to spend their days with other folks who thought like them. And that is why so many retirement communities were built. It could also be that there are simply so many baby boomers who want the opportunity to live in a place where they can play golf or tennis all day and still be around people who speak the same language. The language of the 60's.

Not the 60 year olds, the language of the 1960's. Full of bright eyed optimism and hope for a better world. Full of the dream of equality and power to the people. Pretty good idea, for then and for anytime.

And now these folks want to retire and move into a community of their peers. Sounds like a pretty good idea. Over 55 retirement communities have a particular restriction as to who can live there and who can't. One of the restrictions is that normally at least one of the people buying a home there must be at least 55 years old. Some communities require that both people be at least that age, but not too many.

Usually, it is enough that the husband or the wife or one of the partners be the minimum age. And that is not a bad thing at all. Besides the social aspect of residing among your peers, you can often get property loans at a greatly reduced rate because the developers have made particular arrangements with the government to provide loans at a reduced interest rate. That is a very cool idea and one which many people have taken advantage of.

There are so many choices of retirement facilities nowadays and the over 55 retirement communities are one of the best ideas. If what you are looking for in retirement living is to be surrounded by a group of like-minded people who you can relate to, then this might be the best opportunity for your retirement living.

Nursing Homes That Care About Your Loved Ones

If you ever visited nursing homes as a child or teenager, perhaps what stayed with you the most was the smell. It is unfortunate that some care centers were unable to control that. Thankfully, care facilities today are much improved. They are often beautiful facilities where hurting people are cared for and loved. If your loved ones ever need full-time care, that is the type of home to consider.

If you do have relatives who need to move into a home, it is likely a very difficult time for you. You might feel like you are betraying them, especially if they are against the move. It is important to do what is best for them. What is often best for families who are having difficulty with the process is to be with nurses that know how to help your loved one's medical needs and everyday needs.

As you look at various nursing homes, it is important for you to go in as a visitor and look at the conditions. It should not have a strong odor, the area should look sanitary, and the residents should seem happy and comfortable. Of course, there are always exceptions as some of the residence will be sicker than others. You may want to go back on a few different days to see if anything changes.

Once you visit unannounced, you may want to make an appointment to meet with the administrator to have a tour. At that time, you could also ask if you could join the residents for a meal. By doing this, you will be able to see what the food is like. Something that you will not be able to experience by visiting is everyday life for your loved one. The only way to know anything about this before choosing a home is to read reviews that have been written about certain nursing homes.

Before sending your family member to a home, you should ask if you can stay the night. This might be completely out of the question, but it does not hurt to ask. You would, of course, have to stay in your assigned room, but you could at least experience a little of what night time would be like in a particular home.

Once you feel comfortable with a home, you can have your loved one admitted. It will probably only work to send them to a home if they are compliant. You cannot really force them to go anywhere unless you have Power of Attorney. It is best if they go to a home willingly anyway.

Nursing homes should make their residents feel comfortable. You should visit every day, especially at first to make sure that everything is going well. You are your loved one's advocate when they are in a home. It is important to make sure they are getting the care and comfort that is needed.

How to Get a Job in Banking

Show Me The Money

Professionals who succeed in the banking industry have their priorities straight. Put simply, they enjoy working with people and making money. However, it takes hard work to earn a six digit salary, as banks want to make sure that the right people are working for them. If you are responsible, willing to work long hours and good with numbers, keep on reading and learn how to get a bank job.

1st Objective: Write a solid resume

Whether or not you graduated college is not as important as passing a rigorous background check, having a good credit score and writing a factual resume. Some college or a job in sales will be a plus on your resume, yet these experiences are not required. Clearly describe your professional experiences and education on your resume, while promoting you analytical and communication skills.

2nd Objective: Get a foot in the door

Research the different banks in your area and call them. Talk to human resources or management and establish rapport by letting them know (if it's true) that your career goals and background are compatible with the bank's objectives. Remember to ask for the contact's name, email or physical address. Send your resume along with a cover letter that details your education and experience.

3rd Objective: Get a teller job

Not only will you learn how banks operate but also gain valuable experience dealing with clients. Furthermore banks train tellers to promote and sell their products or services. It's also a great way to begin your career network. Having worked as a teller looks great on your resume because it states you are a responsible and trustworthy professional. It might also motivate you to get a degree in finance or economics, which will make it easier to get a job in other areas, like brokerage.

4th Objective: Exceed bank's expectations

The next step is working as a customer representative. To get this job, develop good relations with clients and promote the products and services the bank offers. The more money you make for the bank, the better chances you have of being promoted. Additionally, deal with difficult clients instead of getting a manager to help. This will set you apart form the rest of your peers, whom you must learn to work with as a team.

5th Objective: Get into management

After you have proved your people skills by continually resolving client's issues, aim to become an assistant branch manager. You must assume higher levels of responsibility and assure the branch manager you can take care of everything whenever she/he is not around. This means understanding everything about retail banking, which includes savings and checking accounts, mortgages, personal loans, debit cards, credit cards, and other services.

6th Objective: Be the Boss

It can take several years to get to this stage; however the long hours spent satisfying client's needs and ensuring the bank runs smoothly are well compensated. A bank manager supervises the staff that works in a specific branch as well as monitors the hiring and training of new employees. She or he is also responsible for maintaining and increasing the money deposited at the branch. The manager might work with other banking departments, such as marketing, to promote the bank's products and services. Branch managers must also resolve complaints that have not been addressed by the staff.

It's all about promotion

Other opportunities in banking depend on job performance and education. Salaries for professionals who work in investment banking can reach six figures; however candidates must pass Series Exams besides having a college degree. Although money never sleeps, don't let greed blind you. Promote your abilities by working hard and keeping clients happy.