MSN (Master of Science in Nursing) Salary Range

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is one of the few degrees that offer nurses further specialization in a specific field. As a graduate holding a master degree in nursing you may be well qualified to serve in a leadership role at a health-care facility or as a member of a university faculty. The degree even allows you to advance your career in the nursing field.

Once you complete your MSN program or earn a MSN degree, you may advance your healthcare career and become an administrator or supervisor. Adding to this, you may also work as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS), a nurse midwife, a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), a nurse practitioner, or a nurse psychotherapist, among others. These days, many MSN graduates act as specialists in areas that include community health, management and geriatrics.

Apart from all this, earning a master's degree in nursing allows you to focus and widen your opportunities for having bigger responsibilities and even earn more money. In fact, in terms of salary, the nurse who holds a MSN degree enjoys a decent income. Though working as a MSN graduate may have its own share of challenges and responsibilities, but it even offers tremendous rewards along with salary range that can be beyond any evaluation to any other profession.

Although it is easy to generalize what a nurse with a master's degree may earn, but generally salaries greatly differ when specialties are concerned. Nurse with a master's degree in ambulatory care can earn an average yearly income of $44,000. Adding to this, a nurse with a degree in nurse management can have the potential to earn an average of $65,000 a year in that field. The highest earning nurse in the health care industry is often the nurse practitioner.

The working location also plays a very major role for a nurse who holds a MSN degree, even when it comes to overtime. Certain medical facilities or centers compensate overtime by paying a high hourly rate, while others pay off the time by increasing time off. If the reimbursement comes as an hourly pay, in that situation the pay rate usually differs from one specialty to another. Nurses may acquire their hourly pay by the number of beds or by the size of the supervised staff.

In next few years the employment opportunities for nurses having master's degree is expected to grow at an average rate. Tough the opportunities may differ by region of the United States, but with the increase in job opportunities the salary range is expected to boost in next few years in the United States.

Detecting Nursing Home Abuse

Nearly everybody reaches the age where they will need extra help with their everyday living. Our elderly were once vibrant and youthful children and adults who worked hard to earn a living and raise their own families. When the day comes when we can no longer care for our elderly parents, we will have to look for a reliable nursing home or extended living facility.

Nursing homes are a necessary part of our society, for they provide the elderly with the round-the-clock care that they desperately need. As men and women age, their needs are much like the needs of a young infant; therefore, it is often necessary to place our loved ones in a nursing home where they can get the care they need.

Nursing homes are paid good money by private individuals and by the state to care for elderly individuals; unfortunately their standard of care is not always where it should be. Overcrowded nursing homes and understaffing have created an environment where nursing home neglect can occur as a result. Even when caregivers have the best intentions, elderly patients can be pushed aside, or their needs can be neglected when there are staff shortages.

Aside from overworked and underpaid staffing issues, there's something far more worse going on in our nation's nursing homes. Sadly, there have been thousands of cases where nursing homes were downright abusive towards elderly patients. This may seem like something that can't possibly happen in your nursing home, but the truth is that the problem is far more widespread than people have been led to believe. What types of abuses go on behind closed doors? Virtually anything you can imagine has probably already occurred. Nursing home abuse can be physical, it can be emotional, it can involve sexual abuse, overmedicating, malnutrition, and it can involve financial exploitation.

Physical abuse within a nursing home would consist of unnecessary use physical restraints, hitting, slapping, and punching among other types of abuse. It can also mean overmedicating or heavily sedating a patient as a means of control.

Sexual abuse can include: fondling, molestation, and sexual assault/rape, sexual battery, forcing the elderly individual to watch pornographic material and forcing them to undress. Emotional abuse can consist of threats, belittling and social isolation. All of which can lead to psychological distress in the elderly patient. Financial exploitation can refer to when a caregiver steals cash out of an elderly person's wallet or purse, it can mean taking money out of their bank accounts and it can mean writing checks from the elderly person's checking account. It can also mean a full-fledged identity theft scheme where the caregiver steals their social security number, birth certificate and credit cards. Sometimes financial exploitation can go undetected for years before it is brought to light.

If your loved one is in a nursing home and if you have observed some things that didn't sit right with you, you should start looking further into your concerns. Have you noticed any unexplained bruising? Is your loved one afraid of his or her caregivers, or do they seem to argue with them? Are things missing from their room? Has money or jewelry gone missing, or is money missing from their bank accounts? Has there been any unusual activity on their credit cards or other accounts?

It's also important to look around the room. Is it clean? Does your loved one look well fed, or have they recently experienced a sudden loss in weight? Are there any foul odors in the room; does your loved one have any bed sores? Are they making wild claims that somebody hurt them, or that somebody stole from them? It can be a common mistake to dismiss claims by the elderly, or chock up their complaints to Alzheimer's, or wild hallucinations.

The elderly are very susceptible to being taken advantage of in more ways than one. Whether you suspect nursing home abuse, neglect, or if you think your loved one suffered from a wrongful death at the hands of their caregiver, then contact a personal injury attorney who has experience with these types of cases. They can help you with the legal aspects, and they can help bring the abuser to justice so that nobody else has to be harmed by them.

5 Benefits of Nursing Home Employment

Nursing Home Employment Benefit #1 - Health Benefits

Health and wellness benefits are one of the biggest rewards of nursing home employment. Most companies will offer healthcare, dental, vision and many even offer life insurance and retirement accounts. Other health benefits may include a flexible spending account for employees to use for medical or childcare expenses.

Nursing Home Employment Benefit #2 - Flexible Scheduling

Not every person can work a nine-to-five schedule. Another benefit of nursing home employment is the ability to work day, evening or over night shifts. While not every position allows for this type of shift work, those that do often have the added benefit of extra dollars per hour, known as a shift differential. Many of these shift differentials offer extra money on holidays and weekends as well. This ability to work a non-traditional schedule often makes these kinds of jobs and positions very attractive to students and people with children.

Retirement Community Employment Benefit #3 - Caring for a Vulnerable Population

Our elderly are one of our most vulnerable populations because they present with unique health problems and many lack the ability to care for themselves. Retirement Community Jobs have the benefit of allowing people to make a difference in the lives of these patients by improving their quality of life through exceptional medical care, a clean place to live and food that helps keep them nourished. All retirement home jobs help support these seniors in their own way.

Convalescent Home Employment Benefit #4 - Education

Skilled nursing facility positions often comes with many types of education benefits. Some of these elder facilities offer tuition reimbursement to their employees so that they can continue studying in their field of choice. This benefit helps the employer by having a more qualified staff but also helps the employee by alleviating the burden of out-of-pocket expenses and student loans. Some convalescent homes are also adding a new education benefit allowing non-clinical personnel to go back to school to fill open clinical positions within their facility. In return for agreeing to work for the facility for a specified amount of time following graduation, employees get tuition, books and a flexible schedule to allow them to go to classes and clinical sites.

Elder Care Facility Employment Benefit #5 - Recession Proof Industry

The medical field is a recession proof industry. There will always be people in need of quality medical care. This includes the elderly. People need a career they can depend on and that makes these types of positions a great career option. Nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy as well as many other medical positions within the skilled nursing facility are consistently on the list of recession proof jobs. There is no better benefit in the skilled nursing industry than the relief of knowing your job is secure.簿罈聶

Employers, Medical Staffing Agencies, Hospitals and Retirement Communities can Hire for all types of Nursing Employment and Post a Job for every Job Type - CLICK HERE: Nursing Home Employment. Job Seekers can Also search for Nursing Home Jobs Needed or Available.

Depression Era Lessons For Today's Entrepreneurs

The vast majority of an educated modern populace has developed a pretty vivid tapestry of what life was like during the "Great Depression". The visions of struggling dirt farmers like the Joad's in Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath", the big city soup lines, the tent cities for thousands of homeless and photographs of men selling apples on street corners have burnished in many of us a searing image of hopelessness and despair.

Today, the United States is sharing the most serious economic malady since the "Great Depression" with countries all over the world. While not approaching the absolute calamity of the 1930's, the damage done to our wallets and psyches is nevertheless daunting and bruising. Businesses, organizations and individuals are understandably fearful and have curtailed spending in lieu of conserving capital. Risk taking, the key to maximizing gain, has been virtually shut down. Small business growth and development has been strangled. Entrepreneurs have hunkered down, fearful of the vagaries of a marketplace that seems to have no stomach for new products and ideas.

In times like these it pays to study the lessons of history. The Great Depression was bleak for so many, of course. Nevertheless, it was actually a fertile era for creativity and entrepreneurial activity.

People were desperate to make every purchase count, to leverage every dollar spent and obtain maximum value. The result was that an exciting array of creative breakthroughs came to market to satisfy the greater demand for economy.

The importance of consumer advertising was magnified and became a much more critical tool utilized by packaged goods manufacturers to woo value conscious consumers. Heinz ketchup, Palmolive soap, Campbell soup, Westinghouse appliances, Revlon and Max Factor cosmetics and Hormel Spam enjoyed an explosion of growth created by new sales promotion concepts. Billboards, mass advertising, coupons and sampling became ubiquitous. Local, regional and national agencies evolved to assist manufacturers in promoting their products in new, exciting ways. Barn advertising for tobacco products and Burma Shave road signs added needed revenue to beleaguered farmers and roadside landowners.

The Studebaker Motor Company had evolved from a 19th century maker of hand carts and wheelbarrows to a struggling auto carriage manufacturer. The Company enjoyed modest success until the Great Depression. Recognizing opportunity, Studebaker went back to its roots as a maker of work conveyances and began to produce the Studebaker paneled work truck. At a price of around $600, this workhorse vehicle enabled thousands of laborers, handymen and small contractors to eke out a living hauling, building and scratch farming.

The ball point pen, nylon, the radio, radar, the Land camera, the photocopier, sticky tape, the television, FM radio band, the helicopter, the jet engine and the electric razor are only a few of the inventions that were perfected and came to market during the 1930's. Inventors did not stop their pursuit of fresh, valuable innovations. They seized the reality they were confronted with and targeted practical solutions to problems that needed to be addressed at that time.

The same opportunity is available today. The opportunity to create products or services that offer great utility and excellent value is appreciated by the consumer more than at any time in recent memory. There is a rush to basics, store brands, no frills products that perform and are sturdy. The inventor that can address these contemporary needs will find a willing acceptance from investors, consumers and retailers.

There is never a better time than NOW to launch a product, start a business or license a product. This is true when markets are booming, or when the economy is in a trough. There are always excuses made for not making a sale, not closing a deal or not taking that chance, that chance that can change one's life. Every economic age offers the opportunity for success for those willing to address real needs with inventiveness. History offers us plenty of proof.

Certified Nursing Assistants In Huge Worldwide Demand

Certified nursing assistants are enjoying full time employment, different working hours to go well with their lifestyles and paid above award hourly rates. CNA's form an important function within the nursing groups offering patient care below the supervision of a registered or enrolled nurse. These duties embody aiding the client with feeding, helping with day by day hygiene, grooming, monitoring their normal health and providing bodily assistance to registered nursing staff when dealing with the patient.

By not having nursing assistants, hospitals and nursing homes would discover it tough to operate effectively as registered nursing staff are high demand supply and place a demand on the wages budget of each nursing care provider. It is for this reason that CNA's are in large demand all around the world by hospitals and nursing homes.

To enter training for an authorized certified nursing assistant position, training consists of classroom and practical components. Almost all nations have a requirement as to the minimum training hours both within the classroom and practical modules of training. The government accredited nursing assistant examination will cover all subjects learned by way of this training.

Throughout the years, the nursing assistants have been employed on on call basis from what was referred to as the casual nursing pool. This meant diversified hours of work in the course of the week, called in to work on brief notice and allotted duties that bordered out side the job description for a certified assistant in nursing.

In the past few months, certified nursing assistants are in extremely excessive demand now being tempted with full time employment, working hours that fit in with the demand of their lifestyle, being paid above award wages and allowances. The end result has been the assistant nurse can acquire full time employment with a full working week receiving pay at the above award hourly rate.

In Australia at the present time there's a large demand for assistant in nursing workers both for hospitals and nursing providers just because the hospitals and nursing homes have reached peak capacity in patient numbers. That is extra evident during the seasons of illness and illness such as the swine flu or the influenza season.

There is another issue to choose a career path as a certified nursing assistant and that's the at present employed accredited nursing assistants form part of an aging workforce. It's common to find full time and casual accredited nursing assistants are over fifty years of age on average. Establishments now demand youthful assistant nurses to be part of their nursing teams. Because of the aging workforce, establishments now deal with at a high cost accidents, sickness and different obstacles of their aging staff when compared to a younger person in good health.

Hospitals and nursing providers at the moment are providing free assistant in nursing training to students so that they achieve certification and can pay an hourly rate to the trainees with the view of providing them full time employment once they have completed their studies. Nursing assistants are a very important asset to any organization and this is acknowledged by providing ongoing on the job training to broaden expertise and knowledge.

To complete your CNA certification it may be done by means of a campus, hospital, nursing carer establishment or learning online. Costs are most cost-effective by studying on-line and we show you how one can get free practical hands on training and be paid at the same time. Not only that however there are various employment businesses that may subsidize training fees if not pay the fees in total. For the unemployed, moms wishing to re-enter the workforce or simply these wanting a profession change, there are lots of choices available to you.

Certified CNA's often receive a full time hourly rate from fifteen to twenty five dollars. Add allowances to this hourly wage and soon your monetary position will likely be rather a lot stronger that may solely benefit you and your family.

Modern Technological Innovations Make It Possible For Seniors to Remain In Their Homes

Imagine being able to care for your aging parent using your cellphone. New technology is breaking ground to do just that. In a poll, 75% of the seniors asked admitted that they would rather use whatever means available if it meant they could stay in their own homes longer. In addition, the enormous influx of retirees getting ready to hit their golden years is going to push hospital and nursing facility care expenses higher and higher due to increased demand. This generation of seniors is also the first that is comfortable using the new technologies and won't hesitate to take the opportunities that present themselves.

Many industries are taking part in the research and development of this new elder care system. These include hospitals and doctors, insurance companies, technology developers, home builders, and wireless companies. It is estimated that the new equipment could generate $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion making it a worthwhile pursuit for both businesses and elderly patients.

This type of innovative technology is meant to help seniors deal with the rising cost of healthcare and the fact that insurance companies are increasingly opposed to allowing patients to remain in the hospital when they suffer from maladies that can be both monitored and treated while they are living in their own homes. The health care seniors receive is expected to measurably improve with up-to-the-minute care. However, the situation isn't all win-win. Concerns include worries about maintaining patient privacy, compensation for doctors, and the effect on the funding of nursing homes are high on the list of snafus everyone involved is working on.

The new devices are being created making it easy for seniors to monitor their weight, heart rate, and blood pressure readings from home. Information is then uploaded to a database which will be read by the doctor. Any changes can alert the doctor to possible complications which will allow him to change medications, request and appointment, or dispatch an ambulance as he feels is necessary.

The federal government, grappling with the problem of underfunding for Medicare programs are heartily in favor of the developing technology. They estimate that more than $25 million is spent every year on just the readmission of patients to hospitals and nursing facilities and believe that costs could be cut by 75% if these people could be monitored at home instead of having to be admitted to hospitals so often.

It's amazing what new technology can do, and this sounds like a system that needs to be explored further and expanded to cover all seniors with medical issues who are still living in their own homes. Instead of rising medical costs collapsing the Medicare system, we could look forward to lowered costs and fewer claims.

RN Jobs Plentiful at Nursing Homes

There are many different areas of practice that the registered nurse can investigate in the nursing home. Not only does the registered nurse have the option of practicing in a clinical area of the nursing profession, they can also decide on a career in nursing that entails only administrative duties such as an MDS Coordinator position that is unique to the long term care industry. This position deals with medicare and medicaid reimbursement criteria.

Nursing homes offer the new graduate or any nurse, flexibility that they might not experience if they worked in a hospital setting. The patient acuity level can sometimes be less, but this depends on whether or not the nursing home is a skilled facility or an intermediate facility. Usually at nursing homes, the nurse only dispenses medications and does treatments, because the CNA, or Certified Nursing Assistant performs most ADL's for the residents. ADL's are activities of daily living, and they consist of bathing, dressing and grooming the resident.

Scheduling of the nursing home registered nurse can be more flexible too. Many nurses choose to work part-time, and according to a recent report, approximately 21 percent of registered nurses worked part-time. Many nursing home facilities, allow the nurse to choose their own hours, providing a great option to working mothers. According to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 7 percent of registered nurses hold more than one job. Nursing home schedules allow the nurse to work the hours they want in order to accommodate a second job.

RN jobs in the area of geriatrics are plentiful because the nursing home atmosphere isn't usually a popular choice among new graduates, or nurses looking for a change in the work environment. However, registered nurses that choose to work in a long term care facility can sometimes get very lucrative sign on bonuses as a result. These homes are also a great option for the older nurse who wants to return to the nursing field but is hesitant because their clinical skills need refreshing.

Many hospitals offer refresher courses to registered nurses who are reentering the nursing practice after an extended absence. Nursing homes usually don't offer such courses, however, they can provide some valuable hands on experience in an environment that can offer a lower stress level than that of a hospital. The pay scale for registered nurses in the nursing home are very competitive, and sometimes they even exceed that of the hospital. There are also many hospital affiliated long term facilities that offer identical pay and benefits of the hospital they are affiliated with.

It is important to note that the job outlook is very promising for the RN, as the health care industry is thriving. From 2006-2016, the Bureau Of Labor Statistics reports that registered nurses are anticipated to generate approximately 587,000 new jobs, which is one of the largest numbers of all occupations. Registered nurses also comprise the largest occupational group in the health care industry. RN job prospects are excellent, and the nurse can achieve even more flexibility in their careers if they choose employment in a long term care facility.

Basic Resume Tips for Nurses

A comprehensive resume plays an important role in landing your dream job. It represents and highlights your acquired skills, knowledge, education, and qualification for a certain job post. When submitting resume for nurses, remember to format the document in a standard outline. If it is your first time to write a resume, you can glance on a couple of samples online. Creating a high quality resume will surely guarantee you your dream job. If you wish to be successful in your job hunting, following are excellent tips that you may want to consider when writing your resume.

Check Your Contact Information

When writing your resume, the first thing you should check is your contact details. Check if they are accurate. Make sure to write your full name, contact number, address and email address. The contact details are usually located at the top part of the paper.

Make An Objective Statement Or Qualification Summary

The objective statement is very vital especially for new nurses. This part of the resume should not exceed two sentences. Ordinarily, this statement uses a concise and professional style of writing. Moreover, in the objective statement, you should try to express your professional goals both long term and short term.

The next part is the summary of qualification. If you are an experienced nurse and you are looking for a higher position in your chosen field, the summary of qualification can substitute the objective statement. The summary of qualifications includes comprehensive details of your nursing abilities. It should be relevant to the job you are applying. You can write the summary in a paragraph or bullet form.

Enumerate Work Experience

This is the main part of the resume. You need to state all your work background comprehensively in a bullet layout. It is advisable to mention the names of each company you have worked with as well as your related job titles. A brief description on each job title you held is important to highlight your broad knowledge in the field. If ever the company or institution is not popular, state a quick description about the goals and vision of the company.

To present your leadership skills and team management potential, you can state the number of employees that you have managed in your previous jobs. For specialized nurses, it is vital to express adequate amount of skill in communicating with other departments, external agencies and medical care experts. Emphasizing your duties and responsibilities as a registered nurse would be helpful, including your strategies in planning, supervising, and monitoring patient care, record keeping, and other routine responsibilities. Provide your extensive experience in pediatrics, oncology, long-term care and ICU/ER, knowledge of Medicare insurance, home health procedure and JCAHO standards and reimbursements requirements. Enumerate accumulated achievements that resulted in the success of your department.

Highlight Education, Licenses, And Certification

Educational attainment is another important part of the resume that you should highlight. It generally contains the name of the college you attended, year graduated, and the course taken. Other license and certification attained is essential as well. Highlight educational honors, scholarships and extracurricular pursuits.

After considering the above tips, you can now write a good resume to attract potential career employers. Remember that your resume is one thing. You also need to be confident during the interview and show some character. Be positive and you will certainly land your dream job.

Nursing Homes Jobs

As America ages, more and more job opportunities are created in nursing homes across the country. These jobs can be rewarding, but demanding. However, before one goes out and applies, it is important to know what jobs that are performed in these positions.

Jobs and duties in a nursing home will vary according to the training and certification of the nurse and the demands of the patient and the nursing home. In a nursing home that caters to more self-sufficient living, the care may be cursory, that is the nurse will be more of a friend than a caretaker. Mostly doing perfunctory care such as vitals and just ensuring that the quality of life for the elderly is maintained, while not interfering too much with the independence of the elderly person.

As the need of that person in the home escalates, so does the level of job responsibilities. Should the elderly person need help bathing or someone to do tasks such as dressing them, then the nurse will be required to perform what one person may consider a simple task. However, when you are the one needing it done, it is not so simple, or mundane.

Then there are the more invasive of nursing home care, the person on a respirator or bed ridden. Then the tasks required of the nurse will be even more demanding. Depending on the level of care and self-mobility of the one being cared for, the nurse can do a whole range of tasks. The nurse may be required to ensure the vital signs are constantly monitored, and that corrective action is taken whenever certain vitals fall within specific ranges. The nurse may even perform other duties such as feeding the patient and turning the patient to prevent bed sores.

Nursing Homes Jobs can be rewarding for the right person, but be ready for varying demands

Waiting Lists for Senior Housing in British Columbia

Over the course of the last decade, the waiting times for seniors housing in British Columbia have substantially decreased. Although waiting times have decreased dramatically over the last decade, the current demographic shift means that there will be more people retiring and the system will be strained to keep up with demand. Because of this, waiting lists need to be considered when looking for retirement housing.

The publicly funded Continuing Care system in British Columbia is set up as a single point entry system. That means to access any kind of publicly funded seniors care services, one needs to book an appointment with their regional continuing care office and have an interview with an intake officer. This officer will assess whether what kind of care and subsidy the senior qualifies for.

Waiting lists for seniors housing are different in the public and private sectors. Publicly funded nursing homes, which provide assistance with activities of daily living and medication administration, usually have a waiting list that is 15-90 days in length. In the Vancouver area, there are currently 541 people on the wait-list for subsidized assisted living, and there are currently 866 tenants living in such units. New units are being built. Although the waiting list is processed chronologically, seniors who are in need will be processed with priority.

The BC Government has built over 13,000 new residential care beds and has established a program called the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters (SAFER) which provides a rent subsidy to seniors in need or those with modest incomes. The BC Government has also committed $725 million for home health services, up nearly 80 percent from 2001. While the government has gone to great lengths to ensure that publicly funded seniors care is of the highest quality in Canada, there are some seniors who would prefer to live in a privately funded seniors home.

While any publicly funded seniors home in BC will be of a respectable quality, there are some seniors who would prefer to live in a home with extra amenities. There is no centralized list of waiting times for privately funded seniors care homes, and wait times care vary. Retirement communities are in higher demand thus have the longest wait lists, though retirement condo/apartment buildings can sometimes have a minimal or short wait list.

Wait lists exist in both the public and private pay systems and need to be factored in to the decision making process.

Information On Licensed Practical Nurses

The home health care providers are not really full nurses. These are usually nurse's aides or LPN, i.e., Licensed Practical Nurses. These nurses deal with the entire health care arena and usually do not specialize in any particular field. They provide medical assistance to the patients that suffer from chronic illnesses, long healing and recuperating terms or are just too old to take care of themselves. Most homes comprise at least one of the above cited members in their family and not all family are capable of providing the much needed health care on their won. They need someone to rely on - someone whose job and training entail specifically just that. That is where the LPNs come in.

These nurses are generally restricted to provide care for patients in their own home but are now being employed by hospitals and other health care institutions. They can carry out all the duties of the regular nurses without needing to undergo further training.

They are generally of two main types when it comes to home care - full-time and part-time. The part-time ones have specific work hours scheduled during which they are required to carry out the care of the patient. In most homes, other members of the family willingly and happily care for the patient but because of school or work restraints cannot be there all 24 hours in the day. Therefore, the nurse is hired for those hours that there is no one at home.

In the case of the full-time ones there is no fixed time that they are allocated to carry out their duties. They are usually present 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In fact, they live in the same house as the patient so that they can be called upon at any hour. They are generally required not just for convenience but also because most of the times the patient requires specialized medical care which is not possible to be carried out by an untrained member of the family.

These LPNs work with diligence and complete professionalism and are therefore quite sought after. They are also extremely helpful in case of any medical emergency because they are trained to carry out emergency procedures. Their skill, training and years of training can be very helpful to the patient and his or her care and comfort is made top priority!

8 Great Greek Word Concepts For the Soul

1. Faith or Pistis

This word is about faith; a belief of firm persuasion. It's about a firm conviction. It's a word linked with trust, being true and genuine, and truth (Greek: aletheia). This is the basis of commitment. Commitment or loyalty is such a necessary concept for the soul in life.

2. Courage or Tharseo

This is such a great word to engender empowerment. In the midst of trouble, it means to be of good courage, and to be cheerful despite the impending dire circumstances. It's about confidence and boldness in the face of fear. Closely linked to the Greek: tharreo, (to be confident and courageous), it gives us the ability to believe in our capability and capacity to achieve.

3. Overcome of Nikao

This precedes the next and alludes to it. The Greek root nik is enshrined in 'victory.' To overcome and subdue the enemy (whoever that might be) and come off superior is not the objective unless we're fighting the good fight i.e. upholding the principles of righteousness, justice, and fairness.

4. Patience or Hupomone

Strong's #5281 is used for endurance, perseverance and patience. It is actually two words combined to make a special meaning. It is Huper, as in super, over, beyond, and above,' together with Monos, which means alone, or without accompaniment, singly existent, and only. The full word, hupomone, traditionally means to bear under, or put up with, something 'over me.'

It also therefore seems to me that this word, hupomone, stands for "overcoming oneself." (Over/beyond + me/alone) It is self-mastery. Is that not patient endurance? It is a faithfulness to not give in to the powers of the situations over ourselves. It is bearing with the total pressure over us.

5. Royal or Basileion / Basilikos

This word is about royalty. It's about being above the gossip of the world whilst being intrinsically part of the mesh and grind of it. The word it leads to is Sophia i.e. wisdom. Royals are supposed to be the pillars of wisdom in society. That is to be prudent, learned, philosophical, and enlightened.

If we therefore wish to be wiser, we should try to be more regal in our behaviour. This is not so much about being toffee-nosed; it's more to do with the poise and charisma that comes from a quiet confidence and a "noble reserve of bearing that cannot be mistaken."[1]

6. Living Sacrifice or Zosan Thusian

This, according to Paul, is the way to please God. Think of it as the daily process of dying to one self's often rampant desires and giving that energy to others and to our general existence. It is being consistently altruistic, philanthropic, and humanitarian. This one's linked heavily with faith i.e. commitment.

7. Slow down or Bradus Kato

This word Bradus can mean slow to understand, as well as slow, not hasty. I'm referring to the latter. Kato simply means 'down.' We all tend to try and keep pace with this busy world and that can have the inevitable health impacts. 

Slowing down to smell the flowers regularly is a good life choice. We see a lot more when we choose to walk than we do when we drive a car.  When we slow down we reduce the pressure we self-impose. Decisions are better and our relationships benefit.

8. Thanks or Eucharistia

Oft-quoted is the Cicero, "A thankful heart is the parent of all virtues" contribution. It's the 'grand-daddy' virtue over all others. It's gratitude and cheerfulness. When we're thankful, our lives and all of those around us get better. We don't take things for granted. Grace would be the seal on everything we'd do.

G.K. Chesterton's signature quote was, "Nothing taken for granted, everything received with gratitude, everything passed on with grace." If only we could achieve this. To get close we must set out after it.

Over all these soulful words and concepts we place love, the greatest thing of all.

[All transliteration and interpretation assisted by The New Analytical Greek Lexicon, Wesley J. Perschbacher, Editor, (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990).]

Copyright © 2008, S. J. Wickham.  All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

[1] Source of quote: A.W. Tozer from Lyle Dorsett, A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A.W. Tozer (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2008), p. 184.

Gift Ideas For Those Living In A Nursing Home

Elderly people who dwell in a nursing home have needs that are considerably different from those living in their own home, not to mention being constrained by a limited space. Nevertheless, the confines of a nursing home do not exclude these people from receiving tokens of appreciation. Indeed, there are still numerous valuable gift ideas for those residing in nursing homes. Not knowing what these people need or want is no excuse for not giving them gifts. Gifts are small tokens that express concern and care. Everyone longs to be remembered, most especially elderly people in nursing homes who do not experience the proximity of family and loved ones. Most people agree that thinking of gift ideas for people dwelling in nursing homes can be painstaking. The following ideas discussed in this article may help provide a spark of thought. These gift ideas for nursing home residents are generally practical and useful, and most importantly, these gift ideas embody thoughtfulness.

Those who reside in nursing homes are sometimes unable to shop for stationery, note cards, greeting cards, writing supplies, and postage stamps. A nursing home resident, who is fond of filling out letters and cards, may be given a gift of postage stamps, writing supplies, and greeting cards for all occasions. Furthermore, include an address book that contain with the names and addresses of relatives and friends. Bestowing a nursing home resident the facility to stay in touch with family and friends is a wonderful and thoughtful gift.

Everyone enjoys reminiscing happy moments in one's life, and for the elderly, the past is oftentimes more revered than the present. Anyone would certainly love to receive a scrapbook or a photo album that depict valuable memories. Pictures, as the old adage says, "are worth a thousand words," and sending someone a gift book containing familiar faces, smiles, as well as places is something that can be appreciated and looked at again and again. If the nursing resident is a friend or a family member, make copies of photographs in your possession, and solicit photographs from other family members or from mutual friends. Select a cheerful motif for the photo album, and fill the album not only with cherished photos of family, pets, friends, happy occasions, and vacations but also perhaps, some personal notes from the people whose faces appear in the album. The recipient will surely love a thoughtful gift as this, and they will be able to relive the past with each turn of a page.

Gift certificates are popular for all occasions, and fortunately gift certificates are available for every interest and age group. A gift certificate might be a very appropriate choice to give to a nursing home resident who can go outside of the facility to have a massage, professional pedicure, manicure, or hairstyle. A restaurant gift certificate might also be considered, so the recipient can use it, for instance, to treat a guest to a meal out. Also consider services and entertainment that cater the interests or the needs of the nursing home resident, and purchase a gift certificate that they can make use of.

Lastly, one might consider making a gift basket filled with useful items such as washable slippers, cologne, lip balm, small decorative trinkets, word puzzles, magazines, or books, etc. If the nursing home resident is not undergoing a restricted diet, also consider a gift basket that includes a selection of tasty snacks or fruits.

Dranreb Earl Juanico

GoldenAgeUSA -Chandeliers

Getting Admission In a Certified Nursing Assistant Schools

If you want to start your career in less time or you want change your career then the nursing profession is a very good option. The start of the nursing profession can be taken from the post of a certified nursing assistant. This will make you start you career in few months; moreover this profession gives you a lot of opportunities to get the promotion. A certified nursing assistant also gets frequent pay raises and a newly certified nurse earns a minimum amount of 25000 dollars every year by working 5 days a week with each shift of 8 hours. Sometimes the nurses get their shifts on Sundays, but in that case they are given two other days of week to rest. There are number of jobs available for certified nursing assistants in the hospitals and nursing homes, however sometimes a nursing assistant is also hired to take care of patients at home.

The job of certified nursing assistant requires a certificate. If you want to get this certificate, then you must get yourself prepared for the CNA exam. This exam is divided in two parts; in the first part you will be given some MCQS to solve and in the second part you will be taken to a ward to deal with some situations. If you want to get prepared for the CNA exam, then you should be aware about the kind of training will you get. The training for the first part will be theoretical and you will be attending lectures on various topics. To make you prepared for the second part of the exam you will be sent to different ward where you will apply your theoretical knowledge. The standard training program takes about 3 months to complete.

There are number of certified nursing assistant schools that are offering this training program. You can join one of these schools to get trained but before joining the school, you must ensure that the school is accredited by the state's board of nursing so that you do not waste your time and money in non-accredited schools. Red Cross is a very well reputed institute which is offering its services in 38 cities all over America under the supervision of highly skilled and experienced teachers. Some small certified nursing assistant schools pay great attention on the training of their students so that their students build the name of the institute.

Another method for getting the training is to join the online program which enables you to get the training in the comfortable environment of your home without any restrictions. Apart from these there are several nursing homes which can be joined to get the training. These nursing schools charge you very little and sometimes they do not charge any fee, but they make you sign a contract which will restrict you to work for that nursing home for a certain period of time. The certified nursing assistant schools do not demand much of an academic career for the admission, all they need is a high school diploma.

Abuse of Older People

Abuse of older people is a human rights issue. It is in the news at the minute in Ireland because Prime Time did a programmed on Monday night about abuse of people in their own homes by carers.

My attitude is we are all going to be old someday. We are all going to get weaker and more dependent on other people. Being fit and active can help to delay this process. Poverty is one of the main problems in old age. For someone who relies on the State Pension alone their income is currently ??19 per week and that rises to ??29 when you are over 80 years old.

The Prime Time programme highlighted issues of force feeding, threatening behaviour and stealing by carers. There are a lot of companies in Ireland today who provide care services to people living in their own homes and these are under contract to the Health Service Authority. That organisation also provides carers to the majority of people being cared for at home. The other alternative for older people is of course to go into a nursing home but that is very expensive - usually in excess of ??00 per week and the older person will probably have to sell their house to pay for their care.

The World Health Organisation defined elder abuse in 2002
"A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes further harm or distress to an older person or violates their human and civil rights"

Dr. Corina Naughton of University College Dublin produced a Report on the National Study of Elder Abuse and Neglect which was published in November 2010. It outlines different types of abuse against older people, physical, psychological, financial and sexual which causes emotional distress, loss of self confidence and possible depression in older people. It is interesting to note that 50% of the cases studied involved abuse of an older person by an adult child, 20% by a spouse or partner, 24% by other relations, 4% by a friend and only 2% by a Home Help/Carer.

The issue of elder abuse really came to light in Ireland as a result of the Inquiry into the Leas Cross Nursing Home in Swords County Dublin which was forced to close in 1995. The Commission of Investigation into Leas Cross published its report in June 2009 and it recommended the following:-

1. Set clear standards of care
2. Carry out inspections
3. Train care staff
4. Public Health Nurses should be more involved in care and supervision of the elderly

From 1st July 2009 The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) assumed legal responsibility for the registration and inspection of residential care services for older people in the public private and voluntary sectors in Ireland. HIQA must ensure that nursing homes comply with the conditions of their registration. On my reading HIQA should also be responsible for carers in people's homes.

Aine Brady, the Minister for Older People said during the week that guidelines are to be put in place regarding home carers (home help). But these appear to be of a voluntary nature and not legally enforceable. Age Actioin Ireland in their vision and mission statement say that older people should be entitled to independence, participation in society, care, self fulfillment and dignity. There should be adequate community services to help people stay in their homes as long as possible and transport to bring them places.

Mistreatment of older people takes place on a number of levels and the responsibility is that of the whole of society, the older people themselves, families, communities, the media, policy makers and financial institutions. We need to be mindful of the fact that someday we will all be old.

Caregivers Ask: Can I Get Paid for Taking Care of My Parents?

Each and every day Boomers are faced with an increasing need to manage the health and day-to-day affairs of their aging parents. All too typical is the story of Nance, a new caregiver who is, unfortunately, a single woman who already struggles with trying to make ends meet both financially and creating quality family time. Her plaintiff cry to me one morning... "Is there any way that I can get paid for the caregiving services I provide to my parents to help buffer this growing gap of time and energy?"

The response to Nance was not short, nor clear cut... the programs and assistance made available vary from state to state, and according to individual circumstances that come before them. Following my discussion with Nance, I realized the value of providing others in her shoes the same options for which to search, with the caveat that not every state will have the exact program or organization.

Administration on Aging
An organization administering national programs and services for the aging, including health insurance, long term care, caregiver training, counseling, and elder abuse protection.

Area Agency on Aging
A federally mandated program in each county - the organization is staffed by professionals knowledgeable about all elder programs, services and funding sources in the area.

Veterans
A Pension program established to help veterans in financial need. To be eligible, the veteran needs only to have been in service for at least 90 days of active duty with 1 day beginning or ending during a period of War and have been discharged honorably. There are multiple layers of assistance ranging from a basic pension to the highest benefit which may be granted when the veteran or the surviving spouse requires the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and undressing. It may also include individuals who are blind, in a nursing home or assisted living facility due to mental or physical incapacity.

Cash and Counseling
At such point as the parent becomes eligible for Medicaid, they might also quality for the "Cash and Counseling program," which may provide direct payments to you, the caregiver. (Note: The program is currently only available in the following states: Alabama, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.)

Medicaid
If your aging parent presents with low income and few assets other than their home, they may be eligible for Medicaid health care coverage. Most caregivers, new to the process, are not aware this benefit includes in-home care and personal care, such as help with bathing, dressing, cooking, cleaning, eating, moving around, and similar activities of daily living.

A state-run program, Medicaid does cover some of the costs of long-term care; however, your aging parents will be called upon to meet a great number of eligibility requirements, including functional and financial requirements.

Each state's requirements vary, and the option should be assessed with your parents' overall planning - which requires serious forethought - to ensure any necessary "spend down" is best managed to your parents' benefit in fulfilling eligibility requirements.

Medicare
I doubt seriously there are caregivers who not aware of our country's primary health insurance program for people age 65 or older, some disabled people under age 65, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease. Medicare provides Part A which offers Hospital Insurance and Part B, covering Medical Insurance. Your elderly parents may actually be eligible Medicare prescription drug coverage - regardless their income, health status, or current prescription expenses

Supplement Security Income (SSI)
If your parents were identified as disabled adults - this benefit should be assessed. The benefits for this program are also available to people age 65 and older - even without disabilities - if they meet the financial limits. In states other than California, these benefits are expanded to include food stamps.
As you are making the assessment for requesting this particular benefit, bear in mind the benefits vary depending on whether your aging parent resides:

• In their own home


• In someone else's household


• In a group care facility


• In an institution

Family Caregiver Support Program
This particular program offers support services to family caregivers when your parent is age 60 and older, or a parent of any age diagnosed with dementia. The benefits include:

• Information to caregivers about available support services;


• assistance to caregivers in gaining access to supportive services;


• individual counseling,


• support groups and caregiver training;


• respite care; and


• supplemental services (such as emergency response systems and home modifications).

Contact for this program is normally through the local Area Agency on Aging.

Tax Breaks
Pick up a copy of the IRS Publication 501 and review the dependency details when you feel you are providing significant support to your aging parents and seeking tax relief by claiming your parent(s) as a dependent on your return. If you are relatively certain you are providing over half of your parents' support for food, housing, transportation, medical, etc., you may be able to include a reasonable percentage of your own expenses for mortgage, utilities and other household costs to calculate your level of support. Furthermore, you will find that even if your parent(s) reside in an assisted living or long term care facility - they may still qualify as dependents, if your income and support levels are met.

Counseling for the Elderly
If you find yourself immobilized with fear of the unknown when it comes to assisting with your parents' taxes, The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program will provide provides free tax assistance to them. This network of volunteers are trained with IRS materials and certified by an IRS examination to provide tax counseling and basic Federal income tax return preparation services at community locations across the nation - many of which offer free electronic filing services.

Benefits Checkup
Sometimes life just treats you kindly! Including more than 1,700 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia - Benefits Checkup can rightfully be considered our nation's most comprehensive Web-based service to screen for benefits programs for your parents should they have limited income and resources. The following may apply, and should certainly be considered as an overall strategy for assisting your parent(s) or bridging the gap which may currently exist between what you want to provide and what is financially feasible for you:

• Prescription drugs


• Nutrition (including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)/Food Stamps)


• Energy/utility assistance


• Financial assistance


• Legal aid


• Health care


• Housing


• In-home services


• Transportation

Government Benefits
Another little known information site includes government information on over 1,000 benefit and assistance programs. You will need to have readily available all the information you can on your aging parent's health, disability, income, wealth (as in property owned), whether a military veteran, education level, etc. Once you have the information together, you access the site, respond appropriately to the questions - the final result will be a very useful list of details and access information for government programs and services of which you might not otherwise be aware.

This list is fairly comprehensive, and I trust will give you insight and information that expands your capacity to also better manage the care of your aging parent(s). Should you have further questions with which I may assist you, please feel free to leave a comment below; I will respond at my earliest convenience.

Tonia Boterf |The Practical Expert Life Coaching, Aging Speaker and Author of Real life Solutions to Help Care for Aging Parents

Types of Nursing Home Abuse

When someone becomes to old or sick to care for themselves, we often entrust them to a nursing home to provide care. While many nursing homes can be wonderful places for our elderly friends and relatives, others can actually provide a source of abuse for those we love. Sadly, abuse in elderly homes is far too common, and it can come in the form of physical, mental or emotional, and financial mistreatment.

Because people's body weakens naturally with age, it can be easy for a strong nursing home worker to overcome a resident and physically abuse him or her. Sometimes, an employee may become frustrated with a slow-moving resident and push the person around. Things like hitting, shoving, kicking, shaking, pinching, and burning all count as forms of physical abuse.

Also, there are some other forms of physical abuse that can be characteristic of a bad elderly residence. When workers use an inappropriate amount of chemical or physical restraints, this can count as mistreatment as well. Force-feeding a resident who needs help with eating is wrong, and forcing elderly residents to perform bodily tasks that are difficult for them is bad as well.

Sadly, sexual abuse is a form of physical abuse that is an awful but true occurrence as well. It can be difficult for elderly people to resist the advances of nursing home workers. Non-consensual sexual contact is abuse, and having sexual relations with a person who is unable to give consent is considered to be abuse as well. Sexual mistreatment can include rape, sodomy, improper touching, assault, nudity, and even forced sexual or nude photography.

Next, misconduct can also be mental or emotional. People who are forced to rely on others for the completion of physical needs may feel incompetent or embarrassed, and nursing home workers can exploit these feelings for their own benefit. When employees purposely humiliate residents, humiliate them, and harass them, this can cause long-lasting psychological damage. Also, verbally threatening elderly, isolating them, and treating them like children can be harmful as well. Lastly, the "silent treatment" can have a huge negative impact on a person's emotional well-being.

Lastly, caretakers can use threats like the ones above to bring about financial benefits for themselves. For example, they may force residents to give them money, financial assets, or property. This may include forging the older person's signature or stealing his or her belongings for the benefit of the workers themselves.

Older people deserve care and respect in nursing homes. Sometimes, though, abuse is present, and it can cause permanent physical, mental, and financial damage to a person. If you or someone you know has been exploited by a nursing home worker, you should speak to a lawyer about your rights.

For more information regarding nursing home abuse as well as other forms of personal injury law, contact a nursing home abuse lawyer at the firm of Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C., today.

Careers in Healthcare Administration

The thought of a career in healthcare may conjure up images of doctors, nurses, and other direct healthcare providers rushing in their scrubs from one emergency situation to another.

While there is little doubt that these direct patient care providers are the key to healthcare delivery, many others are working behind the scenes to ensure the entire process is smooth and seamless throughout the system.

Among these healthcare professionals are health services managers, also known as healthcare executives or administrators.

Healthcare Administration: The Profession

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the primary job of a healthcare administrator is to plan, direct, coordinate, and supervise the delivery of health services in a healthcare facility. A healthcare administrator may manage:

• An entire healthcare facility


• A specific clinical department


• The medical practice of a group of physicians


• Typically, a healthcare administration degree is required for the job. Depending on the level and type of degree they have, health services managers can find career opportunities in any of the following positions.


• Hospital administration: The job of a hospital administrator is to make sure the hospital they manage runs smoothly and healthcare is efficiently delivered to those who need it. They coordinate day-to-day administrative activities such as creating work schedules, handling finances, maintaining records, managing inventory, etc. to ensure the business of healthcare continues uninterrupted.


• Nursing home administration: Nursing homes are residential facilities for people who require constant nursing care. The challenges of managing a nursing home are quite different from those of managing a hospital. Part of a nursing home administrator's duties is also to take care of the resident patients in addition to managing staff, finances, admissions, and the property itself.


• Clinical administration: The responsibilities of a clinical administrator depend on the specific medical specialty department he or she manages. They are responsible for formulating and implementing policies for their clinical department, monitoring the quality of care provided to patients in that department, creating budgets, and preparing reports.


• Health information management: Health information managers have the important task of maintaining and safeguarding patient information from unauthorized access. They work with the latest technologies in information management and security to handle hospital databases. It is, therefore, vital for health services managers in this field to keep themselves updated on evolving technologies.

Healthcare Administration: Training

Individuals interested in this profession are typically required to have a Bachelor's in Healthcare Administration degree for entry-level assistant roles. Bachelor's degree programs in health information management are also available for individuals interested in managing this aspect of healthcare.

Some employers, however, may insist on a graduate healthcare administration degree for the role of health services manager. A Master's in Healthcare Administration degree may also be required for advancement from assistant roles to positions with more responsibility and a higher salary.

For healthcare administrators seeking advancement without having to take a sabbatical from work, an online Master's in Health Care Administration program may be an ideal fit. An online healthcare administration degree can provide them the flexibility to continue their education and while still working full time.

Healthcare Administration: Compensation

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median annual income of health services managers in May 2010 was $84,270, depending on position, location and education.* Find out about more healthcare administration degrees at schools near you right now!

Sources:

* bls.gov/ooh/Management/Medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-1

Vocational Nursing: Your Chance to Take Care of the World

Becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN), you have a chance to work firsthand with people who really need help and who can make an actual change in their lives with your intervention. These include those who are invalid, injured, severely sick or convalescent, as they need the constant care and attention of a practiced hand that can make sure that they go through life as being comfortable as possible with their disease.

There are many types of care that an LVN can provide for patients. This includes regular bedside care, along with keeping up with a patient's vital signs which include monitoring their weight, height, blood pressure, temperature, respiration and pulse.

Duties of a LVN

Licensed nurses also have the authority to admonish and give injections, along with supervise catheters, bandage and clean wounds, give massages and alcohol rubs along with administering enemas. They have to help immobile patients get dressed, bathe, and take care of other issues in regards to basic personal hygiene, along with taking care of their diet, eating and exercise. LVNs that have a lot of experience can even be hired in a supervisory capacity to oversee the work of other nursing aides.

Vocational nurses have the responsibility of collecting samples for laboratory testing as a part of their job description; while some even have the ability to carry out routine laboratory tests which vocational nurses learn as a part of their studies. Vocational nurses know how to clean and supervise complex medical equipment and learn enough on the job to help physicians perform basic tests and procedures for patients. Vocational nurses are also authorized to deliver, look after and feed new born babies.

A career in nursing requires the utmost responsibility as the job has a lot to do with supervision. It is an LVN's job to monitor the patients under their care and report every step of their treatment to their doctors, which include adverse reactions to medicine, any sudden changes in their condition along with their constant condition and state of mind.

LVNs are well versed with the knowledge on how to complete all of the medical forms which are a necessary prerequisite prior to any form of treatment in a medical institution. These include any insurance forms, pre authorizations and referrals that the patient might be required to fill to determine the best route for treatment in a patient's interest.

Working in Many Different Care Giving Settings

Vocational nurses have the option of working in a generalized field of healthcare or specializing in a particular healthcare setting such as a rehabilitation center, a nursing home or a doctor's office. Vocational nurses who work in nursing homes often end up as home nurses as well, when they take care of an individual patient full time. Their responsibilities include taking care of their patient's basic needs, chalk up their care plans and supervise any other medical technicians working around them.

If working in a doctor's office, it is often the Vocational nurse's job to make appointments for patients, maintain their records and double as clerks when the need presents itself. LVNs working in the home care sector also prepare meals if they wish and delegate simple nursing tasks to other family members after teaching them how to do it properly.

In some regions, licensed vocational nurses can also start IV fluids, take care of patients on life support machines and give prescription medicines to those who need them.

Different Aspects of Nursing Homes

The bad publicity of nursing homes has lead people to think that nursing homes are operated with neglect and abuse. But then not all nursing homes are that way. In reality, there a handful of nursing homes that provides care and love to the elderly people making their stay something to be remembered. There are nursing homes that provide quality services that assure the safety of your loved ones.

Once you opt to send a loved one into a nursing home, there are lot of things you have to consider. It is important that you do a research on the background of the nursing home you are planning to choose. You can also ask friends and relatives that can recommend you to nursing homes that have a good service. You have to take note the service they provide and to what extent do they cover the services that your loved one needs.

One factor you might want to consider is that whether you would choose a full-care home or an assisted living home. Full-care homes are the ones wherein the staff take care and watch over the elderly parents for 24 hours. They help and assist the elders in pretty much everything that they do. If the elders cannot take care of themselves, then full-care homes are recommended where they will be. The staff accompany them while eating, bathing, consuming their medicines, dressing up and the like. These kinds of nursing homes are recommended for elders who are sick and ill because they require special attention and care.

In assisted living home, the staff will look after your aged parent and assist them only. In these cases, the elderly is still strong enough to walk and get what he needs. He is able to take a bath, eat, drink his medicines, sleep etc. The nursing homes only provide the food that they will eat and the activities that they can do but they can pretty much be independent inside the nursing home. In these places, they can also meet new friends that can relate with what they are going through. They will be surrounded with a lot of people that loneliness will never be a problem. They can still enjoy the last few years of their life.

Taking care of the elders is not an easy task. Most likely if you are employed and have some work, monitoring an elder will be hard to do. Nursing homes offer to take care and look after the people that you love. It is important that you secure the elders with the attention and love that they need. Sometimes, these can be given by the nursing homes. But it doesn't mean that you just leave them and never come back. Because even if you leave them in nursing homes, it is still your responsibility as relatives to show them the love and care you have.

San Jose Assisted Living Info

San Jose is the largest city in Northern California, and a major city in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is also the unofficial "Capital of Silicon Valley" and has become the center of booming local technology.

Its size and name aren't the only attractions which have drawn residents over the last three decades, for within the city there are numerous areas of interest that will surely entertain even the most active senior living resident.

With almost year-round sunshine, the city is perfect for touring the many parks and museums that have been inspired by the diverse culture. The annual San Jose International Auto Show and family-fun Presidents' Day Volleyball Tournament, not to mention the many cultural feasts and festivals, will certainly make this city an ideal choice for any senior.

Recreation

Senior living residents will especially enjoy shopping at the famous San Jose Flea Market on Fridays from early May until December at the Downtown Farmers Market in San Pedro Square. For family outings or picnics, residents may visit Emma Prusch Farm Park, San José Municipal Rose Garden and Kelley Park. The city is also the home of Winchester Mystery House and Lick Observatory.

Activities

Those who reside in senior living communities can participate in many exciting cultural exchanges at the Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and Indian festivals, which occur frequently throughout the year.

The Plaza de César Chávez holds outdoor concerts and a Christmas in the Park display, and every year there is the San Jose Jazz Festival downtown.

For the geeky residents of assisted living facilities, SeniorNet offers membership in a community of computer-users, with venues at the Almaden Community Center, Cypress Senior Center and Willows Senior Center.

Medical Facilities

Assisted living residents have access to a wide range of medical services. The San Jose Medical Group has been caring for the locals around the South, Central and East San Jose for over fifty years, and John Muir Health, although relatively new, is actually two merged institutions that have offered first-class and extensive aid to seniors for decades. Stanford Hospital and Clinics is currently recognized as one of "America's Best Hospitals" and specializes in the treatment of rare and complex disorders, most notably cardiac care.

Transportation

Residents of senior living facilities will find the city to be a friendly place for them. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) operates many bus routes in San Jose and the surrounding communities, as well as the local light-rail system connecting downtown to Mountain View, Milpitas, Campbell and Almaden Valley. But most importantly, VTA offers paratransit services for seniors with limited mobility or bus access. Occasionally, historic streetcars from History Park run on the light rail lines in the downtown area.

With all the entertainment and convenience the city can bring, a San Jose assisted living community is sure to bring new excitement into your loved one's life. Find more information on our San Jose Assisted Living page.

Working With the Elderly

I work with elderly people in an assisted living facility. Each time I see a particular resident, the experience is new. I try to comprehend how it must feel to age, to change and become more and more dependent. The result is, I'm dumbfounded... I just don't understand.

I talk with residents who tell me about their former careers, amazing vacations they've been on, achievements throughout life, etc. They even relate to where I am at in my life right now. "When my first son was born, I was so terrified, yet excited," one resident recalled. "He wouldn't sleep until I bounced him so long I developed a constant twitch." That's right, I would think... That's what I have to do. Then ten minutes later, the resident would ask me how my baby was and recap her experience, "When my first son was born, I was so terrified, yet excited." My heart sinks each time. Will that be me when I get "OLD?"

Then I talk with another woman who just celebrated her 101st birthday! She tells me to come into her room where she is sitting with her newspaper sprawled out and her magnifying glass in hand. "Can you believe what a jerk that Madoff guy is? He deserves everything that's being handed to him," she states with a grimace. Then she talks about our current economy and the Great Depression and how our country is so mismanaged. "Will we ever get it right," she asks rhetorically as I look at her in amazement. How can a woman who is so old be so with it? Will THAT me be when I get "OLD?"

I then cross the hall where I see little Tracy trying to get out of bed with twisted hands and feet from years of arthritis eating at her joints. She looks at me with frustration and says, "It sucks being old. Don't ever do it!" I chuckle, yet empathetically also want to cry. Tracy's mind is as sharp as the 101 year-old, but her young, 74 year-old body is failing. Will that be me when I get OLD? "

Each day I am humbled and curious about life. If I eat right, will my body be healthy and strong when I'm 80? If I read a lot and do crossword puzzles, will I bypass Alzheimer's Disease? Who knows the answer to these questions, scientific experts? What "controlled" study will they come up next? Probably one that claims green tea and tomatoes are the cure all, oh wait, it's that little yellow pill passed down from Big Pharma.

The one point I am certain about that people can control is attitude. I see young, healthy individuals complaining about how life stinks and they've been handed the raw end of the deal. Then I see someone like Tracy struggling to get out of bed and making jokes about being old. She smiles everyday and has a little skip in her crippled, walker-aided step. Tracy loves life and makes the best of her situation. Hmm, why the difference in attitude? Is it experience or the understanding that life could be much worse? Or are the younger generations just spoiled with an overindulgent sense of entitlement? Just a little something to ponder.

I, personally, am humbled everyday by the elderly people of this community. They each have their own struggles and issues, but they are alive and continue to thrive. I just hope younger generations appreciate where they are at in life and realize that one day they, too, will be "OLD." No matter what body part fails or how bad the memory declines, it's attitude and relationships that are the difference and make life worth the struggle!

Trisha Kellogg

Protect Assets From Nursing Homes - Medicaid Asset Protection

Question 1: How much do nursing homes cost?

Based on recent studies, the average stay is around two years. The costs about $80,000-144,000 per year depending on the state with which you reside. The states with higher costs of living tend to have more expensive care, but even within each state there is a range depending on the quality of facility.

Question 2: Will Medicare pay for the costs?

Medicare does not pay any nursing home expenses. Medicare in care coverage is available, but the only time Medicare will remit a payment is if the individual is placed in a skilled nursing facility.

Question 3: Medicaid application: What government program will pay for the costs?

When applying for Medicaid you must understand that if you have sufficient assets to pay for nursing home care yourself, no government agency or program will pay for your expenses. Medicaid is a government program that will pay for most of the expenses if you have already spent your money and have run out. If you are a veteran, you may get additional benefits that will help with the expenses.

Question 4: How to apply for Medicaid: How can I avoid being impoverished due to the high costs of elderly care?

This will largely depend on your marital status as well as your planning prior to entering a nursing home. Another determining factor is whether you are already in a nursing home or anticipate a long stay. Unless you are facing a lengthy stay, it is recommended you do not give away your assets. Giving away or gifting your assets will likely cause you to be denied Medicaid coverage. If you were to gift or divest your assets to your children within 5 years of entering a nursing home and you apply for Medicaid online or off, you will be denied coverage until the money is returned. The real problem comes in when the children spend the money and do not have it to give back in a situation like this one.

One way to reduce the cost of nursing home care is to live in a state where nursing home care is less expensive. For instance, in Texas, Medicaid nursing home care costs are less than in New York. Yet another example would be in Florida, Medicaid nursing home care costs are less than in California.

Question 5: If my spouse is going into a nursing home, can their assets be transferred to me and then qualify for Medicaid?

This will probably not happen. All non-exempt assets owned by the couple are added together to determine your eligibility for Medicaid. The spouse that is going into the nursing home is disqualified from receiving Medicaid until the individual spouses' assets total $2,000 or less. The other spouse can retain their non-excludible assets to a maximum of around $100,000 (it changes annually). States have different laws pertaining to Medicaid eligibility. It is best to check with your state to learn what the qualifying factors are.

Some assets are exempt and others are not. You have one opportunity at submitting an application form to Medicaid. Do not submit it until it has been reviewed by an expert - it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

States typically offer online forms that you may download and print, however no states allow you to currently apply for Medicaid online.

Question 6: Medicaid income eligibility requirements: How much income can I make and still qualify for Medicaid?

The requirement is that you are over the age of 64 years and earn less than $1,700 a month. It is possible to qualify if you earn more than this amount, depending on the cost of the nursing home. The spouse of the individual receiving Medicaid benefits is allowed up to $2,300 of income per month. These figures change annually, so be sure to stay up to date on what the actual qualification requirements are.

How to Maximize the Use of Video in Your Company's Marketing

The marketing world, it is a-changin'.

In order to be effective in today's competitive marketplaces, companies need to look for unique advantages in the way they present themselves. The various uses of video are becoming prevalent in the marketing planning of many businesses.

With the ever-increasing impact of the Internet, businesses need to showcase their products and services emphatically to gain exposure and awareness.

The challenge of marketing has always been "how to cut through all the 'noise' and get the attention of one's buyers." That axiom hasn't changed. In fact, it's as valid as ever. The question is, what techniques can a business employ to get the upper hand in the marketing world?

The resounding answer today is video.

Cutting edge marketing firms are realizing that the use of video gives their clients a distinct advantage as they vie for their prospective customers' attention. Now that videos can load so quickly on the Internet, it's becoming preferable for website visitors to view a 30- or 60-second video than to read a 16 paragraph article.

Marketing messages can be driven home much more effectively through video than through a static advertisement or photograph or article.

With the advent of hugely popular video-sharing sites such as YouTube, Viddler, Vimeo and Dailymotion, the opportunity to place videos and reach vast audiences is easily accessible. And usually at no cost!

Also, search engines like Google and Yahoo! can actually "read" video content to determine its "rank worthiness" using keyword searches. This means, videos can be searched and found as readily as articles and websites.

Internet viewers often times are duly rewarded for their web surfing with a well defining video showcasing the subject of their search.

For example, let's say a company is trying to market its retirement community. What challenges does this present?

First, most people don't know one retirement community from another. Most can't differentiate an independent retirement community from a CCRC or lifecare community or an ALF assisted living facility. And, are these nursing homes?

The smart marketer of retirement communities will use video to help define the industry of senior living, and explain to whom each type of community applies.

Second, how does a marketer eradicate the long-held stereotypical myth that a retirement community is an "old folks' home" where old fogies go to die?

The answer is to showcase through video the actual lifestyle, services and facilities of the community. Most people have no idea what goes on inside the walls of a lifecare community or independent retirement community or assisted living facility. Through video, the authenticity of the lifestyle can be experienced quasi-firsthand.

Seeing is believing, and video gives viewers a visual experience. Video content can take many forms. By the strategic use of video, a community can demonstrate its elegant dining, for instance -- a service that many people don't even realilze exists.

A video can be in the form of a tour of the property, inside and outside. It can be a witness to a live event. It can define the lifestyle, services and amenities as well as the costs and requirements for residence.

Video can feature testimonials of residents or endorsements of professionals and community leaders, each contributing powerful influence to viewers. Video can also create emotion and perception. It can be accompanied with music, superimposed with text and graphics, and polished with transitions and special effects.

Once video is planned and created, it needs to be formatted properly and distributed to audiences on and off the Internet. This is where video gets tricky, since all the elements essential in editing make it necessary to employ a professional to prepare the message for its final destination.

So, now that you have video content, what do you do with it? First, there's the Internet. There are a myriad sources for free or inexpensive placement of your video. You can use video in your Company's primary website, and you can create other sites of your own dedicated to lifestyle, testimonials, or training.

You can easily email videos, giving targeted and personal impact to your messages. Emailing videos can be achieved either by attachment or by hyperlink to an Internet location.

You can use video in displays showcasing your Company's products or services throughout the office, store or offsite locations. You can create CDs and DVDs of videos serving as "video brochures." You can carry videos with you for display at Expos and trade shows or conference room demonstrations.

You can create a video blog that provides an up-to-date account of activities and events on any subject. And no medium is a better tool for teaching or training employees or providing directions and demonstrations to viewers.

Marketing is about achieving maximum exposure to targeted audiences with a memorable and persuasive message.

Video is becoming the preferred methodology to achieving those marketing goals.

Medical Billing and Coding - What is a Medical Insurance Specialist and What is the Salary Range?

If you've been thinking about going into the medical billing and/or the medical coding field you may be interested in becoming a medical insurance specialist. A specialist is usually knowledgeable in both billing and coding procedures.

A medical billing and coding specialist such as a medical insurance specialist works closely with patients, insurance companies and office staff. They handle charges, submit claims, respond to inquiries from medical insurers and do all the follow up for payments that are overdue. They know claims processing and billing regulations. They know how to appeal claims that are rejected by a medical insurance company or claims medical insurers only partially pay.

The specialist also is responsible for getting pre-authorization for certain procedures and post treatment reports.

Medical billing specialists are familiar with all the health plans that are offered in their geographic area. They can read medical bills and know what the costs are for various procedures.

Duties include discussing the patient's medical insurance coverage to determine what co pays may be due for a planned procedure, if any, or if the health insurance company or provider will pay all the costs. This is important so the patient will know what payment will be expected, if any.

The medical billing and coding specialist reviews charges, and submits claims to health insurance providers. It's important that this is done correctly. The specialist also works with the billers to make sure that the statements for services are billed correctly. If it's not done accurately it delays payment for the health care provider.

The specialist usually has good knowledge of medical coding although many times the forms will come to them already coded. This coding is standard and is used by all health insurance companies and medical billing services.

The medical insurance specialist makes sure that all the patient's medical records are accurate and up-to-date.

Medical billing and coding specialists or medical insurance specialists work for doctors' offices, billing services, hospitals, dentists, assisted living centers, skilled medical facilities, clinics, medical insurance companies and all types of medical and healthcare professionals and providers.

If you're interested in becoming a medical insurance specialist or medical billing and coding specialist make sure to do plenty of research and find the best training for you whether online or on campus. Check out what the salary range is because it may vary depending on whether you're working for a doctors' office, billing service, insurance company or hospital. Starting out it could be anywhere from $10 to $40 an hour or more depending on experience, knowledge and training.

Make sure to check the online federal money and financial aid that's available for online classes too and beware of scams. Don't sign up for classes or courses that you don't need.

Senior Assisted Living Facilities Are Exactly What Some Baby Boomers Need For Personal Care

When it is time to find a place to live after retirement, many baby boomers may find themselves in need of staying in one of the many available senior assisted living assisted facilities. These are a relatively new type of senior living residence where the people who live there do not need 24 hour a day nursing care.

Assisted living facilities are more along the lines of a plea where the seniors can get a little bit of help, but not a lot of help. Sometimes, all somebody needs to get them through the day is a bit of help in the morning getting dressed. Or maybe some extra help in cleaning up the apartment or making some meals.

But not the kind of care that comes with living in a nursing home kind of facility like one of the skilled nursing facilities. These places are where the staff is on duty all the time and skilled nurses or doctors are always available. It is kind of like a hospital, except that the people live there, instead of recover there from an accident or illness.

There are also senior living facilities where no care is need at all for the residents and these are more like residential developments where all the homes are owned by people who are 55 and up instead of a mix of ages.

Assisted living facilities are a fairly new innovation in senior housing care. They represent a kind of middle ground between the complete independence of the active senior retirement community and the skilled nursing setup. The assisted care places aim to provide baby boomers with just the amount of extra help they need to live a wonderful life. And not give them so much care that they become dependent on the staff to take care of them.

People who are in the baby boomer generation of folks often find this kind of care situation very appealing. Its not that people who are boomers now consider themselves to be any less independent than when they were sitting in at the university office buildings. It's just that they have gotten to a place in their lives when it really helps to have someone available to help out.

Assisted senior living facilities are found in all the states in the US and are easy to find out more information about simply by logging onto the internet and doing a little bit of searching around. That is one of the things that makes living in this generation so wonderful.

Registered Nurse Salary and Other Nursing Field Salaries

There are many nurses, who straight out of college are offered a job at a medical facility, whether it's a hospital or a nursing home. There are even home care agencies that utilize the services of a registered nurse. Being a RN is something rewarding for many people, and comes with a rather lucrative salary and growing opportunity. Typically, for nurse's who are straight out of school, they often like to stay around their local area as opposed to traveling too far from home. For the most part, graduate nurses are rather young and range from being in their mid to late 20's to early 30's. Most are thinking about securing a job and starting a family of their own if they don't already have one.

The BLS has estimated RN jobs to be on the rise through the next few years as there will always be sick people, and nurses and other medical staff are always going to be in high demand. You are going to be able to work in a variety of settings based on your needs and skills or training.

As far as the pay or salary for a registered nurse, there are a few contributing factors to this figure. A few of these include:

• Degree type

• Years of experience

• Location

• Facility

There are many facilities that if require you to move or relocate, will help pay for your relocation. Many places prefer nurses who have a Bachelor's degree, however there are just as many jobs for those who are LPN's. If you are currently working towards a Bachelor's degree, the company you are working for as a LPN may reimburse you and help cover additional tuition to earn your Bachelor's degree as it benefits the company and facility. The more education you have, and the higher degree you have, the more you will make on a yearly basis.

On average, a RN can make $65,817, and that is in Detroit, MI. The median average of a RN working in the US is $41,642. Your salary varies based on the location you are working as larger cities pay more while smaller locations pay less as seen above. There are about 67% of all nurses that will work in either a hospital or an outpatient facility. Salaries for these facilities are about $38,792 - $44,869. The other 32% of nurses find work in doctor offices and other medical clinics or temporary assignments. There are now travel positions that require you to travel to various parts of the country, and some even require you to travel internationally.

Registered nursing is becoming a popular field and in some places a competitive market to find a job. Many people are opting to relocate to larger cities in order to obtain a job or career as bigger cities have more openings available. Becoming a registered nurse takes a lot of compassion as well as patience, and your salary will only grow over the years.

Aging Population Equals New Job Opportunities: Personal Support Worker Courses

According to the Canadian federal government, by 2026, one in five Canadians will be 65 years of age or older. This dramatic demographic shift towards an aging population raises some serious questions. Who will help this growing proportion of seniors maintain an independent lifestyle for as long as possible? The answer: the future graduates of today's healthcare training programs. If you are an empathetic person looking for a meaningful career, which allows you to make a real difference in the lives of other people, personal support worker courses may be an excellent option to consider. Health Care Aide, Home Support Worker, Respite Worker, read on to learn more about how to train for a wide range of personal care jobs.

First and foremost, personal support worker (PSW) courses teach students how to assist clients in the tasks of daily living. Students learn how to make bedridden clients more comfortable, or how to protect isolated or otherwise potentially vulnerable clients from neglect, abuse, and other physical or emotional threats.

The training prepares students for careers in:

• long-term care facilities such as nursing homes for the elderly or disabled


• retirement homes


• hospitals, caring for the chronically ill


• private homes


• adult day programs


• group homes

Students who enroll in PSW courses can expect to learn about common medical conditions and disabilities. They will learn standard rehab exercises. Some PSW courses take the form of a practicum, giving students a chance to apply the skills learned in the classroom to real-life situations. Some provinces require graduates to write a standardized exam before entering the workforce.

Students of PSW courses can also expect to learn:

• how to assess what each patient needs, in terms of personal care, home management, recreational activities, etc.


• interpersonal skills


• workplace safety skills (how to safely move a patient, etc.)


• when to call in social services (suspected abuse or neglect)


• meal planning and preparation


• how to assist patients with hygiene (e.g., bathing)


• how to interact with family members


• about mental health issues


• about administering medications or helping clients manage their own


• First Aid (including CPR)

Typical job duties for graduates of personal support worker courses include:

• serving meals


• feeding patients


• massaging patients


• helping patients exercise


• arranging fun activities for patients


• taking patients on outings


• monitoring patients' blood pressure


• recording fluid intake


• helping collect urine specimens for lab work


• making beds, tidying rooms


• sterilizing any care equipment

Some schools even offer scholarships. Most will you help students write a CV and hone their interviewing skills. Looks for a school that offers job placement help.

If the idea of picking an in-demand profession appeals to you, contact a school that offers personal support worker courses today. All indicators suggest that your foresight will be rewarded with a healthy job market over the long term.

How Can You Afford Elderly Care With Most of the Money Gone Due to the Recession?

Over the past year seniors watched their 401K, pension plans and other investments loose over 50% of the original value. Seniors lost most of their savings due to the recession. The young and the middle age crowd will have time to make up for the losses in the next decades. Elderly or disabled don't have a lifetime to financially recover from the losses. 

How much money does it cost to hire a live-in care provider? How much does a nursing home cost? How about assisted living community?  

The exact amount will depend on the type of care, location and the facility itself. However, in majority of cases, you can expect to spend thousands of dollars per month. The question is: does the elderly need a full-time, round the clock care due to a debilitating illness or does he need part-time assistance with home care, driving, running errands and daily chores? 
 
Instead of moving into a nursing home or letting senior home care agency manage your money and your live for you, think about exchanging your spare bedroom for part-time help. There are plenty of students and graduates working hard just to pay for their room and board. Getting free room in exchange for helping you out on part-time basis would allow young person to have more time for studying or saving all the money they earn from a part-time job. You would have no additional expense. The guest bedroom gets heated and cooled one way or the other. In addition to helping a young person in need you also help to save the environment. Most of all, you help yourself. You don't need to spend a penny to be driven to the Mall or to the church. You no longer have to pay bills for all the services you spend your money on.   You get to keep all your money. There is another advantage you could get from opening your home to a student - companionship. If you opt for an international student who came here to polish her English language skills you would have a companion to talk to all day long.