Federal Nursing Home Care Reform Act

A 1986 study conducted by the Institute of Medicine concluded many residents of nursing homes were being subject to ill treatment. This study fueled the efforts for reforms which became law in 1987. The Nursing Home Reform Act was passed as a portion of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987.

The objective of the reforms was to ensure patients received the highest practical care to foster their mental, physical, and psychosocial well-being. The act established a Resident's Bill of Rights and specifies services which should be given. Medicare and Medicaid payments will be halted if the facility does not comply with the reforms. As nursing homes rely on the majority of their expenses to be funded from these sources, the facilities are forced to make sure their care is up to standards.

Required resident services include: comprehensive care plans for each individual resident, periodic assessments by professional, nursing services, rehabilitation services, social services, pharmaceutical services, dietary services, and if the facility houses more than 120 patients, it must employ a social worker full time.

The Residents' Bill of Rights gives patients the following:

-The right to freedom from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect;

-The right to freedom from physical restraints;

-The right to privacy;

-The right to accommodation of medical, physical, psychological, and social needs;

-The right to participate in resident and family groups;

-The right to be treated with dignity;

-The right to participate in the review of one's care plan, and to be fully informed in advance about any changes in care, treatment, or change of status in the facility; and

-The right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal

To asses whether nursing homes meet the criteria as designated by the Nursing Home Reform Act, the law established a certification process. It requires the state to conduct unannounced surveys and resident interviews at random times. However, the government did not issue regulations for the process until 1995. If there are specific complaints filed against a nursing home, the residents will often be surveyed accordingly so if a problem exists it can be detected.

If a nursing home is found in violation, it might have the opportunity to correct deficiencies before discipline is imposed. However, the following sanctions have been imposed for facilities which do not pass: directed in-service training of staff, directed plan of correction, state monitoring, civil monetary penalties, denial of payment for all new Medicare or Medicaid admissions, Denial of payment for all Medicaid or Medicare patients, temporary management, and termination of the provider agreement.

Nursing Home Jobs: A Booming Industry

Why Choose Nursing Home Careers or Assisted Living Facility Jobs?

With over 4 million baby boomers turning fifty, the number of senior citizens is soon to be double its current size. Along with the influx of elderly patients comes a need for people to care for them in retirement homes and skilled nursing facilities. Choosing the right retirement home position allows you to make money while helping a vulnerable population. You may also receive health and wellness benefits, retirement, tuition reimbursement and the ability to choose from three different work shifts. Some facilities even pay for non-medical staff to go to school to become qualified or therapists with a guarantee of retirement home employment following graduation.

What Type of Nursing Home Jobs Are Available?

A retirement home requires a large staff to run efficiently. Daily patient care falls upon the registered nurses, licensed practical caregivers and certified nursing assistants. Physical, occupational and speech therapists, as well as their assistants often perform specialized rehabilitative services. Many retirement communities have on-site pharmacies needing a pharmacist and pharmacy tech to staff them. Physician's assistants, qualified practitioners and physicians often make rounds and some maintain permanent nursing home careers as full-time staff. There are also many non-clinical retirement home positions such as receptionists, accounting, managerial, food service and maintenance.

What Qualifications Do You Need for Nursing Home Employment?

Qualifications for these positions range from a high school diploma or GED to a medical degree. Most medical Assisted living and retirement home employment opportunities require a college level education in order to obtain a license. Registered nurses require a minimum of an associate's degree and licensed practical caregivers require a specialized certificate, as do certified nursing assistants. Therapists of all specialties commonly hold a minimum of a master's degree with assistants holding an associate's degree or bachelor's degree. Pharmacists, physician's assistant's, and nurse practitioner's all hold a master's degree or higher. Physician's must be a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy and hold a state medical license. Receptionists, secretaries, personal assistants and some managerial positions may require a high school diploma, college or job related training.

Where to Look for Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home Careers?

When looking for retirement home careers, many people choose to start with the internet. Many internet sites allow you to search specifically for retirement community jobs and some sites cater to finding only these jobs. Newspapers commonly have assisted living and assisted living jobs under office work, professional and medical categories. Employment agencies can also help you find assisted living and assisted living careers in your area. Another possible venue for assisted living facility or retirement home employment is the actual facilities themselves. Often, introducing yourself to the human resources director can humanize your qualifications and give you a leg up against the competition.

Car Accident Attorneys - Auto Accident Causes, Distractions and Legal Representation

Accidents are a given, they happen no matter how cautious one may try to be. The responsibilities of owning and driving a car are much greater than one may think. It doesn't matter if the car is parked or the owner is driving it, a car accident can still occur. There are a number of car accident attorneys in every community and you should select an attorney who has a positive reputation.

Most accidents are caused by distractions; distractions can be due to internal or external sources. Internal distractions are one's thoughts about activities that have nothing to do with driving. External distractions are those that others, either inside or outside of the vehicle, create. Both are common occurrences that an experienced car accident attorney will be familiar with.

Internal types of distractions cause the driver to be inattentive and focus on their thoughts instead of driving. Thoughts can be of, but not limited to: personal and/or family problems, financial problems or maybe even a recent or future event that is of importance. External types of distractions can be caused by a large number of sources. The weather, tuning the radio, eating/drinking, reading a map, texting or talking on a phone or CB radio or even by looking at another occupant of the vehicle.

Although it does not directly impact the actual cause of the accident, but the speed at which the vehicle is moving has a great impact as to how extensive the damage is done when an accident is occurring. Accidents can occur in one's own driveway to happening on the highway. In addition, the collision can involve the driver's car only or many other vehicles.

Depending upon where the accident occurs, who is involved and what has been damaged in an accident may require legal counsel. Many times, accidents are minor and the incident is relatively easy to resolve but there are unfortunately times in which the matter is more complicated and an attorney is necessary.

There are many car accident attorneys who are knowledgeable of the laws surrounding this type of mishap. Choose a law office that is known in your area for being very knowledgeable in these types of situations. The staff at the law firm you hire should also be both educated and experienced with car accidents whether your case is small or big.

When the unfortunate circumstances of a car accident arise, a car accident attorney who is well versed and familiar with the local and state laws is very important as this level of expertness will not only educate the driver with the various processes that must be gone through but will follow the proper legal processes accordingly for each step to be completed successfully and in a timely manner.

You may already be aware of one or two car accident attorneys that you would call if you needed one; if not, choosing the right attorney may seem overwhelming when scanning the phone book. One of the most important things to consider is to be selective and interview the attorneys before hiring one. It is important that you are confident about your selection and feel comfortable the firm you select.

Senior Safety Issues - The Dangers of Living Alone

There are roughly 37 million people over age 65 living in America today. The growing number of seniors of this age is due to advances in medical care, which have increased life expectancies. Many seniors live alone in homes or apartments. This poses a great risk to seniors-one which can be remedied by knowing your limitations and capabilities. According to experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are one of the leading causes of injury and death among the elderly today. Many seniors make mistakes in taking their medications, which can lead to illness and other health complications.

Falls

Falls are one of the biggest senior safety issues out there. They affect scores of seniors every year, and in many cases, no one comes to the rescue. One of the best ways to avoid falling is to have adaptive equipment in your home. Place guard rails in the bathroom. Put rubber grips on slick, slippery surfaces. Also be sure to space your furniture evenly, leaving a lot of walking room. That way, you're not as likely to fall as you would be in a cluttered living space.

Medication Mistakes

Sometimes it is hard to remember when to take your medication and how much to take. Hectic schedules and keeping track of doctor's appointments often leave little time to make sure you have the correct dosage of your medication. To avoid making mistakes, it may be helpful to make a chart of what times you should take your medications, along with the dosage amount.

Another way to keep track of your medications is to have a weekly pill holder with separate pill bottles for each day. Set aside one day each week to fill each bottle to last the next seven days. Each pill bottle is removable, so it may help to and set a pill bottle on your night stand or a table every night. Put the correct dosage of pills in each pill bottle and make sure that you are not taking any more or any less than you are supposed to.

Dangers of living alone

Living alone is a great thing for many people. It gives them a sense of independence and the freedom to do want they want when they please. But for seniors this comes with risks. Living alone increases your chances of getting injured. This is especially dangerous when there is no one there to help you.

For seniors suffering from dementia or the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, living alone is especially dangerous. People with dementia may wander off and leave their dwelling place, thus opening the potential for further injury and confusion.

To decrease your chances of getting hurt, it may be helpful to look into different living options, such as assisted living or residential care. Residential care homes offer 24-hour care and assistance for seniors in need of extra help with medications, fall prevention and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Preparing Assistant Administrators for Inner-City School Leadership

Effective Leadership is the result of a healthy balance between management and instruction. While current research seems to minimize the need for management, the reality is administrators cannot be truly effective if they do not have an equal pairing between instruction and efficient systems, or management. Educational Leadership programs are making earnest attempts to infuse leadership techniques that would be preparatory for all environments; however, experience shows us that the skill set needed for suburban and many urban settings may require an additional layer when providing such leadership in inner city settings.

We understand instructional leadership to be the depth at which a leader understands with academic integrity. An effective leader should have a solid understanding of reading, specifically, and a working knowledge of quality math instruction. In this era of classroom instructional coaches, the effective leader knows how to improve their personal skills by working in tandem with a content area expert, or classroom coach. In most suburban, and many urban environments, children who are below educational standards are in the minority. Therefore the numbers needing intensive remediation are much more manageable in nature. The effective leader skillfully matches the students' needs with those of an accomplished teacher, while ensuring they have the additional resources necessary to achieve proficiency through this partnership. Many children in an inner city environment enter school with a major deficit between the intended levels and actual levels of proficiency. To provide support to the mission of academic achievement, and due to the sheer numbers of students in need, an assistant administrator must be equipped to leverage quality instruction with essential interventions. To this end, they must also understand at a deep level, how remediation is to be paralleled with enrichment to act as the catalyst to learning success. In making the determination for necessary strategies and skills, the assistant administrator must effectively analyze deficits, determine a plan of action and execute the plan in a succinct format.

In the age of technology there are programs that are both diagnostic and prescriptive in nature. Through a battery of online assessments these programs can determine student deficits and create a learning path to remediate those deficiencies. While it is agreed that technology is a major contributor to preparation, remediation and enrichment, it is not to negate the positive impact of a student's time on task with a qualified instructor. To this end, it is important for assistant administrators to be clearly versed in indicators of teacher effectiveness. While teachers that provide authentic instruction could do so in any environment, many teachers in inner city environments reference the need to make more connections with students on a personal level to gain social-emotional access to them prior to educating them. The effective have realized the importance of this skill in every classroom setting, yet the teacher in an inner city setting may accomplish very little without it. Educators that have a proven track record of success in other environments admit that inner city work, in this era of high stakes accountability, is unlike any other experience. In probing for the cause, a portion of it proves to be the need to address students of such varying functioning levels, all at one time and often in the same classroom environment. Recognizing attempts are made to organize students who need overall enrichment in a different environment from those who need constant remediation, again a realization, students don't learn everything at the same level, therefore making this systematic organizational style often impossible, and at the other end of the spectrum, undesirable. To meet the steep demands of inner city environments including the focus on accountability, teachers must exhibit a willingness to analyze student data and engage in problem solving around the results. While effective data analysis may allow teachers to isolate problems, true analysis entails observing contributing factors and determining a plan of action for each, in their inter-related capacities. While teachers must be equipped with the skills necessary for this degree of analysis, assistant administrators must have foundational skills that allow them to both teach and coach teachers on these most critical techniques. Recognizing that teachers may be more versed in their particular content area, assistant administrators must have a working understanding of the problem solving process as to facilitate true analysis for all content areas.

One of the greatest challenges of inner-city school leadership is the number of factors that detract from the learning process. Many students struggle to have their basic needs met and therefore are often mentally diverted from rigorous classroom activities. These distractions become less vexing when recognized at the onset and dealt with aptly. The assistant administrator needs to possess the ability to assess these societal impacts and leverage the proper community resources, within or without the school, to address the identified concern. Knowing what avenues are available, and the mode for access, is equally as important as recognizing what academic deficits a child possesses and interventions necessary to remediate those therein. While this may seem to be one of the less demanding areas, it must be realized that any area incongruous to academic achievement is one that causes dismay. The true test is to simultaneously address the social needs while accelerating scholastic abilities.

While suggestions outlined in this writing may serve as recommendations for assistant administrators, it can be implicit that building level leaders are engaged in the same leadership processes. The time an assistant administrator spends in that capacity needs to be one of true professional growth. They need pairings with principals strong in instructional leadership and management skills. This pairing will allow their tenure as an assistant administrator to be fulfilled through quality on-the-job training experiences. The assistant administrator must also accept that superior leadership, especially in an inner-city school, might require additional work hours and possibly days. This is not to imply that only those who work in inner-city environments spend exceptional amounts of time doing so, it is however, to confirm while quite likely in other environments, absolutely necessary in inner city environments. Assistant administrators must become students of the learning process and the work of leadership. They must set themselves apart as scholars. Those willing to research problems, identify solutions and documents results. Moreover in inner-city settings, assistant administrators must be willing to analyze data and take calculated risks to ensure success. Understanding that education is not "one-size-fits-all" to truly transcend expectations educators must not be recalcitrant, but willing to do whatever it takes to beat the odds.

Fire These Nurses! Well, If Someone is Not Doing Their Job, Why Do You Need Them?

Let us say that you have someone in the nursing home or in a rehab and care center, and you have detected something incorrect or wrong or just something that needs to be changed. Your first instinct might be to tell the nurse or aid that is in the room or on duty right there. Most times, these workers will instruct you to go to the nurses station. And, since you are usually agreeing to almost anything that sounds reasonable, you go to the nurses station and you present your problem, question or critic right there at the nurses station.

Do not do it. You heard correct. When the aid, worker or doctor instructs you to go to the nurses station with the problem, do not do it. Well, you can go there, and find out which nurse or staff member is in charge of that particular issue or problem that you wish to speak about , for example, food, or clothing or medicine. Find out which worker is in that department. Once you are directed to the proper nurse, do not speak with her about the issue at the nurses station at all. Why ?

1. If the issue is something that is likely to annoy the nurses or make more work for nurses, then all the nurses or workers that are hanging out at the nurses station will have their ears open to what you are saying. So, instead of having your privacy and the resident's privacy, now every single person sitting or hanging out at the nurses station is now listening to what you are saying.


2. Since everyone is listening, and since the issue might be one that is annoying or probably to cause the nurses more work, most likely, some will interject with their own remarks, opinions or sly remarks regarding the issue EVEN though they have no authority to rectify or change the problem and even though it is not their department. They will feel free to enter into the conversation. This puts you at a loss. Have you ever tried to converse with five people who are disagreeing with you or who might be upset that your observation or problem might be causing them to have more work every day? Trust me with this one. Whenever you want to speak with staff, never speak with the nurse who is sitting behind the nurses station. Tell her that you need privacy in conversation and ask to speak with her aside somewhere. There is no reason why she should not oblige you. After all, the HEPA laws guarantee patient privacy do they not?


3. It is your right to refrain from discussing patient's, resident's or family members issues or problems or questions in the hallways of facilities or in any public areas of the nursing home. That is the law. And any employee, no matter what their job, who insists that you discuss private things in the public areas of the nursing home is breaking the law. But most employees will not tell you this. So, learn the laws yourself and save yourself lots of time and trouble.


4. Speaking with one staff member while five or six others are watching and listening protects the facility but does not protect you or the resident. Why? They are protected because they can back each other up and say what you said, even if you did not say it. This has happened many times in unscrupulous rehabilitation and care centers across America and across the world.

So, protect yourself and protect the family member, resident or patient by not discussing anything personal at all at any nurses station or in any public area of any nursing home, physical rehabilitation and care center or in any medical building, lab or hospital. Protect yourself from unscrupulous workers. If a worker is innocent and honest, that worker will want to talk with you in private, not in any public hallway and not in the public nurses station. So beware of ANY employees that wish to discuss personal things at the nurses station. Yes, they need to take a little time to come to the room or to bring you to an area of the place that is not public. But that they must do. They just will not tell you that.

One family member I know approached the nurses station to discuss a private matter and the matter --to be resolved--would mean extra and more work for the staff, so naturally, they did not want it resolved. The family member made the mistake of mentioning the problem at the nurses station. While five or six nurses were sitting around, seemingly doing nothing, their ears were spread wider than a happy face smile and they listened intentively. Then one by one, each interjected their own opinion, remarks and angry-looking expressions at the matter, even though they had no authority in the matter, no business in the matter and no power to resolve the problem. This family member learned the lesson the hard way. Then he had six nurses looking at him in disgust, just because they did not want to do their jobs, a little more work.

Moral of the experience, discuss everything in private, not in public, even if the staff wants to discuss it out in the open, never listen to the staff. They are out to protect themselves from more work and from other things. So protect yourself, and listen to your own inner instinct. Have private discussions in private.

FIRE THESE NURSES!

So, exactly which nurses are we talking about when we suggest, fire these nurses?

Okay, so that might be harsh. Instead of firing these nurses, let us just transfer them to different parts of the hospitals and nursing homes. Let us give them the harder jobs and then perhaps they will not be just hanging out at the nurses station minding everyone else's business.

Why do we say hanging out? This reason-- whenever you approach a nurse at a facility, most times they are busy , correct? Right. No problem. They are doing the job that they came there to do and they are doing the job they are being paid to do. However, there are some nurses that instead of doing the job that is their own assignment, will be listening with both ears to your conversation when you are obviously speaking to another nurse. As soon as they begin listening to you, instead of doing the job they are stationed there for, they are now hanging out instead of working. So you do not need them there.

You are speaking with one nurse, and that one nurse barely has time for you, so how in the world do you think that two or three or four nurses who just happen to be in the nurses station at the time, have time also--to listen to your conversation when you are not even speaking with them. They do not. So every moment they spend eavesdropping on your conversation with Nurse A, that nurse is not doing her own job since she is not Nurse A. Nurse B has stopped her own job and is now listening to you speaking to Nurse A , and then Nurse B enters her opinion when she is not being asked her opinion.

I say, transfer Nurse B to another part of the hospital where she will not have the opportunity to hang out and listen to other conversations that are not her business. Clear? Yes, clear. Transfer Nurse B--and problem solved.

So now you are informed! Keep your personal business private and keep it out of public areas in any facility.

Personal Injury Lawyer: Nursing Home Abuse

Calling a personal injury lawyer about nursing home abuse could be the first step to both a resolution to the situation as well as a settlement for the pain and damage that was caused. Unfortunately, these incidents have become far to commonplace and nursing home residents don't always have someone to turn to. Abuse and neglect of the elderly is an important problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Contacting Legal Representation

It is important to find a personal injury lawyer with experience in this area. Each state has its own set of guidelines and regulations that need to be followed. Finding someone that has gone after nursing homes in the past and knows what it takes to pursue case will be beneficial to your situation. Choosing someone local gives you the benefit of someone that is already well versed in the local laws. If you have not already set up an initial consultation, now is the time to make an appointment.

Organize Your Information and Evidence

You want to walk into your personal injury lawyer and be able to give him or her details about the case that have been documented. You may have a notebook that lists different incidents that you have witnessed or evidence of issues and problems that took place while you were gone. If you can put this information into some type of order, by the date of the incident, it will help make things more efficient. With organized information, your legal representative can begin to research and look into the legal options you and your loved one have.

Find Out What You Need to Do

If you are not the Power of Attorney for your loved one, things might come to a stop without this person's help and consent. Talk to this person about arranging for a copy of all the medical records and information about your loved one from the nursing home. This information will be critical to your case.

You know the most about the situation. Your personal injury lawyer may ask you to go to friends and family members to talk to them about any evidence that they may have seen of the abuse or neglect. It is important that they consider testifying and sharing their information with the attorney. Before starting up these conversations, make sure that you talk to your legal representative. You want to make sure that you are following the right guidelines when it comes to these conversations.

Be Available

Throughout the process, your personal injury attorney may have questions about the case or need more information. In some cases, a law firm will have their own team of investigators. This will be beneficial to you in that they will be able to look into the situation and provide more information from an unbiased individual. When it comes to proving your case, having an investigator can be a huge advantage.

Outdoor Fireplace Designs - Grow Your Living Space Outdoors

One of the most dramatic improvements that can be done to your living space is the addition of a backyard fireplace. There are plenty of outdoor fireplace designs from which you can choose so that you will find one that fits your current home perfectly. As the outdoor living space has increased in popularity in recent years, the consumer has benefited from the variety of fireplace designs, from small do-it-yourself kits to large contractor assisted projects.

Once you zero in on a rough budget, start perusing magazines and do-it-yourself manuals to formulate ideas of what makes sense for you. By taking your time and making the investigative journey a fun process, you'll be more comfortable with your what you ultimately choose. Also drop in on your local home improvement center to check out material they have available to help you generate more ideas.

A nice place to start is with a quick survey of the area you have designated to make your final choice of outdoor fireplace designs come to life. When mapping out your ideas, don't forget to include other items and accessories that you want your area to include. As you will be creating a unique entertainment area, you will want to pay close attention to how it combines with existing architectural features and landscaping elements so as to coordinate all the existing exterior designs. Ideally, the fireplace will be built in an area that allows for visual contact between those inside and those outside of your home.

You should be comforted by the fact that there are an abundance of materials that you can use to bring your project to a successful completion. Even if you hope to complete the work yourself, there are tons of faux materials that resemble stone, brick, rock and other custom materials. All of these are fire rated for safety. Just inquire at any hardware store or home improvement center for safety details. You wont be disappointed with the flexibility in terms of the array of potential designs for your backyard fireplace. Ultimately, most any color to accentuate existing design concepts are readily available.

Back to the faux materials. If you want to create a custom material look and save money at the same time, consider a primarily cement built fireplace with faux siding panels of any number of materials. Stacked stone panels on top of the cement structure, just to throw out an idea, will make for a high-end looking fireplace for a fraction of the cost. Depending on your taste, you might look at a Tudor rock face panel as a faux material to make your fireplace blend with a certain pre-existing architectural look.

Whatever you do, take a look at numerous other outdoor fireplace designs before you start to pare down the potential winners. You may end up coming up with your own unique design when it's all said and done. In the end you'll find that if you have done your investigative work thoroughly, you will have chosen and built an outdoor living area that will pay you back with years and years of peaceful open-air enjoyment.

10 Tips For Choosing the Perfect In-Home Health Care Agency

When caring for your aging parent or loved one becomes overwhelming and you need a break, or when extra help is needed with bathing, feeding, dressing, household duties or if caring for them yourself is just not possible anymore, selecting an in-home health care provider is a good alternative.

Proper screening is essential to ensure that the person you choose has, not only the skills to provide excellent care, but also the right personality for the job. Consider these tips and hints and you will find that hiring an in-home heath care provider does not have to be stressful.

1. Evaluate Your Loved One's Needs
While some older adults just need assistance with basic living skills, others have additional health care needs that require a special skill set. Therefore, it is necessary to make a list of all of the duties that an in-home health care professional will need to provide so you can narrow down the list of candidates early on. If you are hiring through an agency, give them as much information from the start so they can match you up with someone who possesses all of knowledge and capabilities to give the best care possible to your loved one.
If your home health care worker will be assisting with bathing or dressing, it is important to discuss this with your loved one to make sure that they are comfortable with the gender of the companion. Women or men may become embarrassed when opposite gendered health care workers assist them with personal care and this may cause bath time to become stressful.

2. Speak With Local Experts
Before you go to the yellow pages or check out the classifieds for home heath aids, speak with neighbors, doctors, and elder care providers locally who can give you some recommendations and advice. Find out where other families have found in-home help and have them tell you about their experience. An administrator at a local nursing home may also have some suggestions for you on where to locate the best care giver. Support groups are a wealth of information, as well.

3. Create a Job Description
When you are ready to begin speaking with applicants and conducting interviews, start by writing a job description. The job duties can serve as talking points for your interview and also give the applicants a clear picture of what will be required of them.

4. Prepare Interview Questions
If you are not experienced at conducting formal interviews, you will benefit greatly by having a prepared list of questions. It will help you stay in control of the interview, not miss any key points, and make the best use of your time. Write it all down.

5. Outline an Employment Contract
Even if the person you select comes highly recommended and you and your family really hit it off with them, make sure to remain professional. This includes having them sign a contract that outlines your expectations, their duties, as well as boundaries. You can then refer back to the contract should a situation arise in the future. Often Home Health Agencies prepare the contracts themselves. Be sure to read them carefully and add anything that you wish to be included.

6. Personally Screen Candidates
Since the person you hire will be spending time alone with your parent or loved one, it is essential that you approve them yourself. Having an agency just send someone over is not acceptable in this situation. Even if they can paint a picture of a candidate's qualifications, because the job of health care provider is so intimate, personality is equally as important. If your loved one is able to participate in the interview, that is ideal. Regardless, they should spend some time together to make sure that they click.

7. Conduct a Background Check
Do not trust your intuition. When you think that you have found the person you want to hire, do conduct a background check to make sure that the person you hire does not have a questionable past.

8. Check References
Even if this is their first job in the field of health care, every applicant should be able to provide references. Ideally, these should come from past employers. Otherwise, professors, internship supervisors, and personal references can also be used.

9. Protect Your Home and Family
Since the health care provider you hire will most likely have free access to your home, possessions, and family members, find out if they are bonded. It they are not bonded themselves, find out if the agency that you hired them from is. Remember not to leave credit cards, checkbooks and personal papers in unsecured areas.

10. Stay Involved
Your job is not over once the contract is signed and employment has begun. The more of a presence you have in your loved one's life the better. Even if you can not be there in person, scheduling telephone meetings can let the health care provider know that you are involved and on top of things. Ask for progress reports and find out if there are any difficulties. Since the health care provider is around your loved one the most, they can give you the best information about their physical health as well as their state of mind.

One way to stay involved is to use a caregiver's organizer (which we just happen to offer on our website). The Caregiver's Companion is an organizational tool that has sections for personal information, family history, medications and side effects, medical appointments, and home health care workers notes. I hate selling, but this IS a very good tool in my opinion.

The Accumulation Phase Is the Missing Link

With respect to income and retirement planning, there are 3 phases of life. The introduction phase, the accumulation phase, and the preservation phase. The second phase, the accumulation phase, is the phase of life where you accumulate funds to retire (working years of life), pay off as much debt as possible, and try to achieve the best quality of life you can. This is the phase that is destroying the American dream of retirement.

Most of us grew up with the illusion that if you get an education, you'll work for a great company and enjoy a comfortable retirement. Those days are over. Education (the introduction phase) still is a vital step in preparing for your career path; however, working your entire life in exchange for a pension plan is an envied dream to most Americans today, and nothing more. Unless you are a government employee, the odds of having a guaranteed income stream throughout retirement is out the window. This is why the planning process must be revamped when discussing the accumulation phase. You simply are not able to work for 30 years, get a gold watch, and have a check coming in month in month out. Today, the accumulation phase of life requires a calculated approach depending on your financial goals.

The odds of an individual under the age of 45 receiving social security starting (earliest) at the age of 62 is highly unlikely. With the amount of baby boomers set to retire in the next 15 years, the social security well will run dry. When you take into consideration that most retirement strategies today are deferred compensation plans which are market linked, the scenario can become quite concerning. Most deferred compensation plans have either broke even over the last decade, or have lost value. So in order for one to get back on track, they are likely to have to double the historic return in a global recession; a highly unlikely probability. So what is the solution to this dilemma? Financial guarantees.

There are products today specifically designed to provide an income stream for life with all of the flexibility above and beyond the traditional pension plan. Many IRAs, 401ks, and other pre tax dollar investments have been converted into specialized products that can guarantee an income stream for life. Informed Americans are converting their deferred compensation plan into these vehicles simply because their need for an income stream during retirement greatly outweighs the burden of hedging against risk in a global recession. The truth is most IRAs in retirement are used as an additional income stream or are passed on to loved ones as a legacy.

Let's take a closer look at how lifetime guarantees are helping protect against the absence of both the traditional pension plan and social security. Assume John is 50 years old and has been in the workforce (accumulation phase) for 25 years. Since the age of 25, he has been maxing out his 401k contribution each and every year. Three years ago John was laid off and started a new job with a lower salary soon after. Since his current employer is not matching his 401k he sees no incentive to roll it over to that product, not to mention he cannot afford to with the reduction of income. John has not done well on his return over the last 10 years, and was lucky to break even. Today the balance on his old 401k is $150,000. John does not have a pension and wants to retire at the age of 65. His sole objective is to provide an income stream for his retirement years, as he knows he is behind in his planning and does not have a pension plan. Furthermore, he realizes that counting on social security to be available 12 years from now (at the soonest) is pretty much hit or miss. For these reasons, John explores a lifetime income approach. If John were to roll over his 401k into a traditional IRA and utilize financial guarantees, he would be eligible for an income stream of over $1,650 per month starting at the age of 65 without adding one more penny to his account. This income stream would be guaranteed for life, regardless of any future market conditions. As an added benefit, if John were to ever become sick or have to go into assisted living, he would have instant access to all of his cash value without penalty.

There are many Americans that have very similar circumstances to John. The number one fear in retirement today is the fear of running out of money. Just 10 years ago the number one fear in retirement was the fear of death, as it was for several decades before. As financial times change, so do retirement trends. The financial crisis has caused many people to exit market strategies in exchange for an income stream guaranteed for life; especially without having a pension or being able to receive social security.

Americans for the most part do not have a contingency plan in place. Unfortunately, there has not been enough of an emphasis on the importance of income planning. In a global recession, priorities are placed in short term solutions aimed at the current state of the economy, failing to address long term goals. The financial goals are concentrated to the economy as a whole, and rarely dedicated to financial guarantees in retirement. With the Federal stimulus and the struggling economy, the individual has an inherent responsibility to plan for their future income outside the recommendations of a financial planner. Knowledge is the key. The more avenues you explore with respect to retirement planning the more likely you are to achieve your financial goals.

Nursing Home Insurance - How to Apply For Coverage

Who is Eligible for Long Term Care Insurance? Long-term care insurance covers care in a nursing home, assisted living facility, or in home-care for individuals who do not need skilled medical care but cannot take care of themselves. The need for the care is determined by not being able to care for oneself in two or more activities of daily living, including: eating, bathing, toileting, dressing, continence, and transferring. Cognitive impairment, the mental confusion of a person posing as danger to themselves or others, is another reason for long-term care.

When to Apply for Long-Term Care Insurance? Long-term care insurance premiums are fixed when you apply. You may be tempted to buy coverage when you are still young; but by buying too early may be throwing money away for years as you cannot use the insurance until you are 65. The ideal age to buy is 59. Having said that, to qualify for long-term insurance you must be in good health. If there is a history of a chronic illness in your family, it may make sense to apply at the earlier age. Once chronic illness symptoms appear it is unlikely you will be able to get coverage.

Daily Benefit Payout You can opt to get reimbursed for the actual daily expense of your long-term care (up to a daily limit) or choose a fixed daily amount for which you will be reimbursed. The fixed amount option will lower your premium as you are not purchasing as large a benefit. Make sure your policy includes inflation protection so the fixed amount still meets your needs as the cost of living increases.

The Tricky Parts - Length of Benefit and Waiting Period Although the average length needed for long-term care is two years, if you are under the age of 65, it is recommended you purchase a four-to-six year benefit period. Indeed the longer the benefit period, the higher the premium, but you do not want to risk losing protection when you need it the most. The waiting period is much like a deductible on a health insurance policy. The longer you can wait for long-term insurance coverage, the lower your premium will be. As with the benefit period length, the waiting period can be difficult to determine. Review your finances carefully to make sure you can cover the care costs should you need them before the waiting period is over.

Nursing Homes or Private Assisted Living?

With great advancements in science and healthcare, more and more people are living longer than ever. Because of this, we strive to look for ways on how we can live our retirement years in comfort, happiness and fulfillment. In the United States, there has been a significant increase in the number of nursing homes, care facilities and agencies that provide care and daily assistance for seniors. The number of caregivers has also tripled by the hundreds or thousands as the demand for care providers soared. Many families are choosing between nursing homes and private assisted living. Some even use the terms interchangeably but the thing is they are two different concepts altogether.

A nursing home is a place for someone whose condition doesn't require hospital care but is also not recommended to be taken care of at home. Most nursing homes take in clients who require nursing supervision 24/7, especially those who have chronic illnesses or those who are not mentally well. Clients in nursing homes are also those who are trying to recover from a serious health problem like a stroke or a bad fall. They require assistance in daily tasks like walking, eating, being pushed in wheelchairs, taking medicines and undergoing medical tests. Nursing homes are mostly set up like hospitals thereby providing little to no privacy for clients. Most of the time, clients share rooms and this makes way for issues such as the TV being noisy or a client feeling uncomfortable with his or her roommate.

Private assisted living on the other hand is often referred to as home care. This is different from assisted living facilities which are also establishments that provide a place and a community for people or seniors who can't live independently at home. Private assisted living is just another term for home care set up in which a senior or a person who can't take care of his or herself still stays in the comfort of his or her home but with the support or assistance of a personal caregiver or a private care provider. This type of setup is commonly preferred by families because of its benefits for clients or patients.

Home care provides clients a feeling of independence and dignity. It also gives them the opportunity to maximize their freedom because clients can basically do whatever they want, whenever they want. They can watch their favorite TV shows, cook if they want to, go out in the garden, or eat their favorite cake. This then provides them comfort and happiness because they will definitely feel that even if someone is there to help them in bathing, dressing up or whatever, they are still living normal lives. What's also good about home care or private assisted living is that most caregivers from agencies are licensed practical nurses or registered nurses making them efficient in monitoring the client's health. Care services are also tailored or customized depending on the needs of the client. Family members can actually choose from a wide range of services like companion services, household management, personal care services, medical health care and many more. Last but not least, home care keeps families together.

What Are the Benefits Offered by Assisted Living

This article discusses the benefits offered by assisted living for retirees who prefer to maintain their independence despite having lost the ability to do certain daily activities. This concept of a retirement living community is very different from the only choice in the past, which is the nursing home. Thus, this concept is also known by various names including domiciliary care, residential care, personal care, community based retirement facilities, adult congregate living care, board and care, supported care, enhanced care, retirement residences, adult foster care, adult homes, and sheltered housing. However, some providers of assisted living facilities may also have independent living and nursing home facilities nearby to provide what they call a continuing care retirement community.

Sometimes the assisted living accommodations are specially geared towards the unique requirements of elderly people with Alzheimers disease. These are known as Alzheimers facilities that are designed to handle the needs of people who are suffering from the progressive loss of cognitive ability. At the start, the services required by the patient may be similar to those that are needed by other elderly people. However, as the disease progresses, the loss of cognitive ability may become so severe that the care to be provided is similar to that which is given in a nursing home. The primary benefit offered by these facilities is basically the assurance that your loved ones are safe and that all of their needs are taken care of.

It should be noted that a different kind of living arrangement is provided for the elderly who are capable of doing everything for themselves. This is known as independent living for seniors because they do not require the assistance of anybody in doing their daily activities. These retirees are simply there to enjoy their retirement and the independent living communities provide them with many opportunities to do so because of the amenities that are provided such as the exercise rooms, patios, gardens, tennis courts, golf courses, and others. The residents live a stress-free life where they no longer have to do the usual tasks that are needed in a home, such as watering the plants, cutting the grass, repainting the walls or the roof, and others.

Some providers have arrangements whereby independent living and assisted living facilities are provided within a particular community. Nursing homes are also nearby to facilitate the transfer from one type of accommodation to another in case there is a change in the condition of a resident. For those who are planning to retire, the Internet makes it easier to compare and choose from the various services. Of course, nothing beats an actual visit to a facility but the websites of these providers often have newsletters and brochures that provide you with a good idea of the kind of life that is available in a particular community. Some of the things to look out for are the general attitude and appearance of the residents and the staff, the cleanliness of the facility, and the requirements for admission.

Understanding The Benefits Of Assisted Living Homes For Loved Ones

Understanding the benefits of assisted living homes is important in determining where a loved one will best enjoy their remaining years. The ability to remain independent, yet have the appropriate level of care can relieve stress for both family members and the loved one. There is a big difference between assisted living and nursing home facilities. Realizing these differences can help ease the idea of leaving home behind and moving into a facility with round the clock care.

A nursing home is a place where constant care and monitoring is needed. Those living there are often in the last years of their lives and require a higher level of medical care. The patient is one that is often unable to manage even his or her basic needs including bathing, taking medication, and being mobile. Assisted living homes are more suited for those that still desire and can achieve a level of independent living but would like the security of having professionals around that can assist where needed.

In most cases, the rooms provided resemble apartments. There are very few cases where they are shared, and those cases are almost always requested. The idea is for the client to enjoy his or her freedom and continue to keep his or her home the way they were used to doing. Often, the rooms include a small kitchenette to allow the resident to cook his or her own meals.

A benefit to the living situation is having social activities. Many elderly folks spend their final years behind closed doors in their single resident houses. With this retirement homes program, they are able to maintain privacy but still be in an environment surrounded by others, which provides an excellent social activity calendar. Having a heightened level of activity allows them to live much healthier and longer lives.

The facilities often include group outings and social events. The residents often invite family to the facilities because the events are much more enjoyable and there is little effort needed on the resident's part. For instance, the valentine's holiday is often one where family is invited to join the loved one in celebration of the family. Outings often include shopping trips and special access to local tourist attractions.

When the resident moves in, they are often worried that they are giving up their independence. This is not the case at all. With their own private room, choices of activities, reading rooms, and other ways of choosing to participate or not, the resident is given opportunities to stay active, but the choice of where to participate is solely theirs to make. It is important for them to continue to remain active and take care of themselves.

Even though independence is reserved and maintained, the family and the resident can live without fear of them being alone. Often, family is burdened by having to constantly worry about a fall or making sure the family member is taking care of him or herself. In these facilities, the worry is eliminated because the staff observes at a distance, checking in on them from time to time without being intrusive. If the resident starts isolating himself or herself the family is often informed and asked to make more frequent visits.

Included in understanding the benefits of assisted living homes, the family learns of the safety and comfort that are provided. The loved one is able to continue to lead a healthy and active lifestyle without giving up privacy or independence. They are also able to live without fear of being without assistance should they need it.

Assisted Living Development - Meeting the Coming Demand

As the population ages, the demand for assisted living facilities just keeps rising. Older people don't want to or need to be consigned to nursing homes, but they may need some help at home. This is where assisted living communities fill a growing need.

Assisted living is for people who want to live independently as long as they can, but who need help with their daily activities. They don't need constant care, but can't quite manage on their own. Many facilities also offer medical care, but it's not as intensive as nursing home care. An individual service plan is usually created for every resident upon entry into the community.

For real estate investors, this is a new niche to be capitalized upon. There are fewer assisted living communities than the demand requires. Most of the existing facilities provide either less assistance than residents need, or, like nursing homes, are meant for much frailer individuals. Demand is particularly high in upper and middle class neighborhoods located in major cities.

There are two different ways to create an assisted living development. One is through converting existing buildings, such as apartment complexes and retirement buildings. Converting these buildings requires an assessment of feasibility, since the interiors must usually be wholly renovated to provide easier access for the physically disabled. An on-call nursing staff must also be provided. Because of these requirements, owning an assisted living facility is more like owning a group of hotels than a conventional development. Because of this, developers who want to get involved in assisted living development should have some experience in health care or retirement fields, or be able to hire a management team that has this experience.

Pay attention to the location, design, and general character of your assisted living development, whether you're putting in a new facility or renovating an older building. A good question to ask yourself is where you'd like to live when you get old enough to require assisted living. Make sure that your feasibility study includes the local demographic in the area you're hoping to develop. Your assisted living development will look different depending on the age, income, and requirements of the prospective residents. Also, analyze any competing facilities in the area, since they'll have an impact on your project. Some projects have been overbuilt because of developer optimism, and haven't yet managed to reach a sustained occupancy.

Assisted living development is a great new field for real estate investors if you do your homework. You'll need to know who's moving in, what they can afford, and what their needs will be, as well as the usual development requirements. While there's some special skills required in running an assisted living facility, the right staff can go a long way towards eliminating problems. America's population is growing older, and soon, it will need a place to live. Opportunities in assisted living development only stand to increase as time goes on.

Strategies For Coaching Elders to Participate in Their Care

Sometimes our elders appear to become stubborn and uncooperative as they age. Frustration due to loss of independence and loss of ability to do the things they used to be able to do are just two of the reasons. Other reasons may include depression (over the same or different losses), dementia, certain medications, isolation, anger, fear of dying, and (if they are still living at home) fear of being placed in a nursing home.

Children of aging parents, as well as caregivers, can sometimes find it quite frustrating to motivate the seniors in their life to perform even basic daily activities. If you find yourself in this situation, consider these strategies for coaching elders to do things that they don't want to do. Some of these strategies will work with dementia patients and some won't. Those that won't will be quite obvious.

Considering your loved one's state of mind is the first step in building a positive relationship with them. Depression is a common reason why seniors lose their motivation. They may no longer feel that they have reason to get out of bed in the morning and resent the fact that they now have people telling them how they must live. Or perhaps they are being heavily medicated causing them to become lethargic as a result. Creating coaching strategies that are personalized to the senior with whom you are working is the key to success in the care of that person.

Don't feel that you must get your parent or loved one out of bed early in the morning when they'd rather stay put (unless they are going to be attending day care or have a medical appointment.) They can easily enjoy their breakfast at bedside or can watch a television positioned close by. I absolutely detest walking into an assisted living facility or nursing home only to see all their elderly patients lined up in wheelchairs, heads slumped over, staring at nothing. Who would want to do that? And what good does it accomplish?

Building a friendly rapport early in the day can be very helpful in gaining compliance in the latter part of the day. Even if your time is limited and you want to accomplish a list of tasks as quickly as possible, taking a moment to have a casual conversation first can actually make your life a lot easier.

When it comes time to address specific tasks, begin by educating your loved one on the importance of that task first. Whether they have to eat certain foods to maintain their health, or exercise to strengthen their heart, explaining the purpose of the task can help to motivate them to start and maintain a program.

Medication administration can often become a point of contention. One of the reasons may be that they may are difficult to swallow. Offer medications with pudding, applesauce or a nutritional supplement such as Ensure because water is not the best liquid to use for this. Basically something with a little "slime" to it will work much better.

Goal setting can also be a great motivator for seniors. Keep in mind that goals give us a reason to do something and elders can sometimes feel that there is no point in what they are doing. If exercise is the objective for a senior family member or patient, consider charting their progress and posting their accomplishments in a place where they will see them throughout the day. An occupational therapist made several home visits to my father to help him with his balance. My father responded very positively when he saw that his balance was improving, even though only slightly.

Learning what activities your care recipient enjoys can also be helpful. As a coach, you can then integrate them into their day and use them as motivation to get through the more mundane tasks that they are faced with.

Praising their efforts is also a great coaching strategy. It is important for caregivers to remember that the elderly person that they are working may think that small accomplishments such as walking up and down a hall are not that impressive. After all, they were young and physically fit once themselves. However, sincere and heartfelt praise can change their attitude immediately.

Perhaps the most effective coaches (caregivers) are the ones who use humor as a way to break the ice. A good-natured disposition is likely to brighten anyone's mood. That is why it's important to remember to take some time out for yourself in order to be able to maintain that positive attitude which will allow you to maintain that good nature.

穢 2010 Shelley Webb/The Intentional Caregiver

Positive Affirmations - The Antidote to Negative Thinking

Do you find yourself caught up in negative self-talk? Are emotions like frustration, sadness, and regret all too familiar to you? Do you tend to blame others for everything that is "wrong" in your life?

The bad news is you are suffering from the condition of Negative Thinking! The good news is: you can be "cured"!

You may have noticed the economy is not the best it could be. There are many negative forces at work every day and news reports are quick to cover them all. But your life does not have to reflect the depth of all that doom and gloom. You can distance yourself from the emotion of that negativity and just slide yourself into a sublime, positive-feeling place of your own creation.

For part of my life I believed that negative thinking was genetic, and that I unfortunately had inherited the DNA coding for it. For a long period of time, I was resigned to accept the way I was as my "fate or misfortune".

It took a lengthy journey of inner work to overcome the negativity, through years of personal transformation and enlightened self-discovery. I am at the glorious point where I have effectively integrated positive living and thinking practices into my life. Do I think happy affirmation-type thoughts all the time? Absolutely not, but I have learned to focus my thinking for longer and longer periods on better-feeling thoughts. The result is definitely a better-feeling me!

The concept of positive thinking and affirmations is not a brand new one. "You've got to accentuate the positive; Eliminate the negative. And latch on to the affirmative; Don't mess with Mister In-Between" are the words to an old Johnny Mercer tune. Maybe Mr. Mercer was ahead of his time. His upbeat message was certainly right on target for joyful living!

It is in today's technological age where information is so easily shared that these enlightening principles are available to everyone. Anyone can learn to experience greater happiness and an increased sense of peace with the world.

Two of the amazing "tools" that have assisted my journey are Positive Affirmations and Law of Attraction principles. The former actually helps bring the latter into action. Positive Affirmations are those wonderful inspiring statements that we say to ourselves to bring more joy into our experience. They are the "antidote" to all the negative statements that often dominate our thinking. They are empowering, uplifting statements which help raise our personal vibrations. As our vibrations become lighter, brighter, they begin to attract other positive aspects into our own experience. As we live more fully with our affirming statements, our realities change for the better.

Here are some affirmations for you right now, to start you promptly on your better-feeling path. Say them aloud (if possible) and say them often! Focus on feeling the positive emotions carried within these statements:

I think about my body in positive ways. I am filled with energy and vitality!
I have everything I need to attain all my goals.
I find the good in every situation.
I relax into the flow of life and trust that the Universe will provide all I need.
My inner wisdom guides me toward the best outcomes.

Affirmation, Attitude, Action:
Money flows more and more easily into my life. I am worthy of supreme happiness and great prosperity. I welcome the supportive guidance from an abundant Universe.

Semi-Truck Accidents and Brake Failure

A loaded tractor trailer truck can weigh up to 40 tons - 16 times more than the average 5,000 lb car. The tremendous weight of trucks requires stringent laws to ensure that safe driving is the major concern of every truck driver- and good braking systems. Many tractor trailers on the road today have two braking systems, -airbrakes and antilock brakes. While a complete braking failure is unusual in semi-trucks, accidents due to brake problems still occur. In fact, the DOT reports that nearly 30% of all truck accidents were caused by issues with the brakes.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one to a tractor trailer accident, you may be wondering if brakes played a role in the accident. The insurance companies and responding law enforcement will investigate the accident scene including the braking system of the truck to determine if brakes were a reason for the accident. There are several ways that the brakes could have caused an accident:

• Wear and tear. Often, truck brakes do not perform as expected because of excessive wear and tear on brake disks.

• Poor air pressure in the air brake system.

• Worn brake seals.

• Missing or broken components in the brake shoe.

If there was some sort of brake failure that led to the trucking accident, you will be eligible for compensation for your injuries, including medical bills, loss of income, long term disability accommodation, and compensation for pain and suffering. Exactly by whom you will be compensated can often be a tricky matter, however.

Trucking is a complex system that can involve a driver who works alone or for a company, trucking companies, loading companies, and manufacturers of parts. Any of these parties might be liable for the brake problems that lead to the truck accident, and the parties will likely try to shift blame. The liability falls with the party who was negligent in their duty to ensure that the truck was properly functioning:

• The truck driver: Truck drivers are required to inspect the truck before every trip. If a truck's records reveal that the truck driver had not properly inspected the truck's braking system before the fateful drive, the truck driver can be held negligible for the brake failure.


• The trucking company: If a trucking company was responsible for inspecting or maintaining a truck and failed to properly do so, they can be held liable for the trucking accident.


• The manufacturer of the parts: Manufacturing defects happen in all sorts of products, including truck brakes. If a brake suffered a defect, the manufacturing company might be responsible for the accident.


• The loading company: If a loading company didn't load the truck well, problems with the brakes could result.

There are so many different reasons that a truck's brakes could have failed and so many different parties that could be responsible for their failure. If you have suffered injuries from a semi accident, you should contact an attorney. A truck accident attorney will make sure that all necessary reports are collected, that responsible parties are held accountable for their actions, and that you receive an adequate insurance award to help you recover to the best of your ability.

What Do You Know About Nursing Homes and Rehabilitation and Care Centers?

When you were growing up, did you ever hear anyone say things like, I do not ever want to go into a nursing home; never let me live in a nursing home, and things like that. I am guessing that as a child and as a teenager, you never quite understood their reluctance about this particular kind of living or residence. Probably, you fgured that nursing is a good thing for people who need that kind of care, and home, that sounds quite inviting. But most likely, you never understood why some things were judged like that. After all, those who talked like that were juding all nursing homes as bad places to live. Most likely you have even heard some say they would rather die than live in a nursing home.

Very recently, I learned what the problem was and is regarding nursing homes and the list of the worst nursing homes. And I understood that the problem was and is universal and quite global. The truth is that hardly any senior citizens or disabled individuals want to live in nursing homes. And, now to make matters worse than that, I have discovered some of the many reasons why so many seniors and disabled individuals are dead-set against living in nursing homes.

These are some reasons why some flatly refuse to live in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers:

1. Some of the rehabilitation centers are very horrible places.


2. Some of them are understaffed and some are overcrowded.


3. Sometimes on some floors, you can smell a stench of vomit and or urine, throughout the floor.


4. Sometimes the residents are ignored and not being properly taken


5. Sometimes the nursing homes try to gain financially from some residents at the same time while they are not giving the proper care.


6. Sometimes there are restricted hours and days when visitors are not allowed to visit.


7. Sometimes residents are punished for having medical problems.


8. Sometimes residents are forced to wear diapers against their wills.

And these are just a few reasons why some seniors and some disabled individuals refuse to live in nursing homes and in rehabilitation and care centers. While this article is not about any particular, specific nursing home or rehabilitation and care center, you can be assured that the reasons listed above are very real and that the reasons listed above were actually given by some nursing home residents, patients and by some visitors and families.

If you are looking for a nursing home or rehabilitation and care center, you need to realize that even if the one that you are choosing is not on the list of worst rehabilitation and care centers or nursing homes, that does not mean that the facility that you are inspecting is a good facility. Sometimes all it means is that the facility has just not made the list yet.

Thoroughly check out all places that you might be transferred to. Ask for tours of the entire facility and ask if they will give you an unscheduled tour. Remember that when someone makes an appointment for you to tour the place, you are only seeing what they want you to see. It is on those unscheduled tours that you will learn so much more about the facilities as they really are.

When Is It Time For Assisted Living?

If you stop and think about it, it really is a great time to be a senior citizen in America. Health care has improved dramatically over the last few decades and people are living healthier lives longer than ever before. Those who can no longer live independently can choose from a wide variety of options rather than just moving to a rest home or convalescent center: in fact, assisted living facilities are located in all kinds of neighborhoods all across America now. But how do you know if it's time for an aging parent to seriously consider this modern option? Here are some things to consider.

--Change in Living Habits: If you notice that your loved one has difficulty getting dressed, taking care of bathing and other basic grooming tasks or cannot keep up with the demands of running a household, these may be signs that they should no longer stay on their own in their home. Even if the mind is still sharp, there comes a time when the physical effects of aging may require a little extra help on a daily basis.

--Medication Problems: For many seniors, taking daily medications reliably is essential to maintaining proper health or even sustaining life itself. If you notice that prescriptions aren't being refilled or that your parent "forgets" to take her meds, it might be time to make a move into assisted living.

--Diminished Social Life: Getting plenty of human contact and socializing with peers is essential to maintaining a great quality of life for anyone, but especially for seniors. If difficulties with driving or a change in neighborhood demographics make it difficult or impossible for your parent to socialize, this is also a warning sign.

Assisted living facilities are perfect for folks like your parent who are basically autonomous but just need an extra hand to help them live a safe and fulfilling life. Is it time?

Steam Cleaners For Hospital Cleaning - The Truth Behind Antibacterial Machines

Steam cleaners are widely used to clean a wide variety of surfaces hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses. Among these facilities, hospitals face the most demanding applications. Tackling the sanitization of multiple surfaces is challenging, but must be done to ensure the health and safety of patients, visitors, doctors, nurses, and other employees.

A search on the internet will reveal a number of different steam cleaning machines, including industrial steam cleaners, vapor steam cleaners, and commercial steam cleaners. While many suppliers claim that their systems can eliminate bacteria, only a select few can truly sanitize surfaces. Read on to find tips on selecting true anti bacterial steam cleaners for cleaning hospitals and nursing homes.

How to Find the Right Machine

Before focusing on the anti bacterial aspect of a steam cleaning machine, it is important to find a powerful system that can carry out a variety of cleaning applications. The efficiency of a steam cleaning machine depends primarily on its output temperature rating. Quality machines eject dry steam onto the surface. Dry steam is superheated water with a water content of less than 5 percent. The output temperature can be as high as 360簞F, with higher temperatures working to more readily dissolve stubborn stains and residues.

Another specification of these machines is output pressure rating. Output pressure can reach as high as 150 psi. Higher pressure levels translate to greater power; however, steam cleaning machines are not designed to eliminate grease due to their characteristically low pressure levels.

Anti Bacterial Technology

For cleaning hospitals, healthcare facilities, and nursing homes, one must select a steam cleaning machine capable of eliminating bacteria and fungi commonly present in hospitals and nursing homes. Maintenance professionals cannot solely rely on high temperatures. Instead, systems equipped with special bacteria-killing facilities are required.

The best anti bacterial technology eliminates more than 99% of all commonly occurring microorganisms and harmful bacteria. Such machines can eliminate the threat of Escherichia coli, listeria, and other kinds of disease-causing microorganisms to create a healthier hospital environment.

Filters

The atmosphere of hospitals must be free of dust and devoid of any impurities. To make sure the environment and the surfaces of hospital buildings are clean, one must use steam cleaning equipment with HEPA filters. These filters can absorb extremely small particles.

Machines having quality HEPA filters can extract dust particles as low as 0.3 microns. Ordinary steam cleaning machines will only reintroduce these particles back into the air. Such small particles might cause asthma and allergies in patients and visitors. Therefore, removing them is an important cleaning task in hospitals and nursing homes.

When selecting a steam cleaner for hospital or healthcare maintenance, be sure to remember these essential features: high steam temperatures, anti bacterial technology, and HEPA filtration. Machines employing these three features are simply the best systems for hospital cleaning.

CNA Training in Nursing Homes - Caring For The Elderly

Individuals aspiring to be certified nursing assistants (CNA) are required to undergo clinical instruction in healthcare facilities, of which the most common are nursing homes. In these settings, students learn practical skills and hone their personal qualities essential in their future work as front liners in healthcare. Of course, students learn under the direction of professionals including registered nurses and experienced nursing assistants.

Practical Skills

The tasks done in nursing homes by aspiring nursing assistants are similar, if not identical, to the roles and responsibilities performed by certified nursing aides. Think of your clinical instruction time spent in these long-term healthcare facilities for the elderly and disabled persons as a prelude to actual work conditions when you are employed as a certified nursing assistant. Said instruction is obviously one-half of the complete CNA training program with the other half being classroom instruction on various subjects from basic nursing care to anatomy and physiology.

What practical skills are you going to learn? To mention a few:

• Observing residents and reporting any issues affecting their overall health to the supervising nurse;

• Attending to - or providing assistance for relatively mobile residents - the patients' personal hygiene including bed baths, brushing teeth and nail care;

• Emptying bed pans and catheter bags;

• Assisting in bowel movement activities;

• Taking, recording and monitoring of vital signs;

• Feeding residents;

• Making the residents' beds;

• Bringing the residents to other areas of the nursing home;

• Turning bedridden residents in their beds.

It should be noted that learning these skills will come in handy, indeed, during the CNA certification exam. In the exam, the proctor will ask applicants to demonstrate competence in 5 of the abovementioned practical skills. If you have already honed your skills in the nursing home, the exam should be a breeze.

Personal Qualities

CNA training in nursing homes also teach students important personal qualities in dealing with residents, colleagues and other healthcare professionals like nurses, physical therapists and doctors. After all, a certified nursing assistant should not work in a vacuum with his patients.

The most important personal qualities are:

• Compassion and empathy - Nursing aides work in environments where residents are often at their most vulnerable in the physical and mental sense. Residents suffer from many types of ailments, which make them irritable, depressed and anxious. Your compassion and empathy toward their plight will go a long way toward making them feel better despite their circumstances.

• Trustworthiness - Nursing aides have access to medical records where sensitive personal information and health data are stored. You must not divulge or take advantage of said access. Plus, your patients may confide personal information about their lives, which you are not in a position to gossip about to others.

Of course, you must also be physically and mentally fit to undergo the practical training.

Hidden Camera Picture Frame (A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!)

Knowing what is going on inside your home while you are away is not an easy task. This story is a good example of how to do it.

I am a Security Consultant, for covert technology equipment. I review it, sell it, and am fascinated by it.you could say my thing in life is spy supply.

Many clients have different reasons to want to know what is going on inside their home or business while they are away. I had one that had a son in law was stealing money from them, and countless other stories.
Spy supply is the best way to find out. This story is about a covert camera and the security it gave a lady.

Sally (her name is fictional) lived alone. She lived in a small town. She worked day shift at a local bank. She was a friendly, likable gal, with no known enemies. She was not in a relationship so the activity inside here home was very confusing, and upsetting. Or should we say down right scary.

Sally started noticing after arriving home, that some things were not right. She did not remember placing an object where she found it, and started wondering if someone might be nosing around her home while she was not there.

The unease made her look closer, and carefully noticing how she placed her belongings. It was even more confusing that there was never anything missing.

One afternoon she came home and showered before going out for the evening. That's when she noticed that personal belongings in her lingerie drawer have been gone through, like someone was looking for something. She was very upset now. She thought about calling the police, but did not want to sound crazy. She called her sister, and she came over and spent the night.

Together they carefully placed items where they knew exactly where they were. Especially her unmentionables in her drawer. They stayed up late, and her sister stayed until Sally left for work.
The next day after work, Sally returned home. Rushing right to her drawer, she was in terror when she found it had been ransacked. She called her sister, and she rushed right over. Together they called the police.

Upon arrival they basically told her other than patrolling, there was nothing they could do. She was comforted at the site of a police cruiser going by a couple times at night. But the intrusion went on.

She contacted me through a friend. I made a appointment and went over to her house. By the expressions and tone of voice I could tell that this was real.

I suggested we place a covert camera in her home. Since it was happening during the day, in a bright room, infra red or other low light cameras would not be necessary.

I suggested an electronic picture frame that would set on a dresser across the room. It did not look out of place, and even had a radio in it to look natural.

We set up the electronic picture frame with a hidden camera in it. It was wireless, so when put the receiver in the living room. We just hooked to her VCR I told her to put turn the VCR on when she left for work. And rewind and review the tape when she returned home. We could have used a lot higher priced equipment but I felt this would do the job.

Upon arriving home, Sally reviewed the tape. And to her horror she was right. A clear video of a man entering her home, and going through her stuff. She called her sister and the police. She showed them the video, and sure enough an older man was caught red handed.

The police investigated and got back with her in just a couple of days. Sometimes things are not what they seem. The police told her that the man was a residence of a nursing home just a couple of blocks away. They talked with him, and told her they did not know why he did what he did, but felt he was not a great threat.

They also confronted the administrator of the nursing home, and they assured the police that they would monitor him more closely.

Although understandably upset, Sally was greatly relieved. She had caught the man, and the instances ended.

What If Your Insurance Denies a Personal Injury Claim?

What happens when you are involved in a car accident or some other type of injury and the insurance company that you file a claim with denies your claim. This means that you are stuck with all of the medical bills, repair bills and many other expenses that come from being injured and a lot of these expenses can go on for a very long time. If your insurance company denies your personal injury claim there may be a legitimate reason, but they may also have made a mistake in denying your claim and if you believe this to be the case you should contact a personal injury attorney right away.

Let us explore why an insurance company might deny your claim. The most common reason that an insurance company denies a claim like this is because it is not covered in the policy. This may be a very legitimate denial but it is not necessarily the end of the road. Depending upon the situation there may be legal loopholes that will allow you to collect regardless of the policy not necessarily covering that type of injury or accident. This is why an attorney knowledgeable about insurance and personal injury is so important.

Even if the insurance company in question has sent you a letter that offers a certain amount of compensation for the injury you should talk to an attorney before you accept it, because it will likely be much lower than the amount that they will be willing to pay. This is particularly true in the case of extensive injuries where the compensation amount is extremely high. The first offer you get from the insurance company will certainly not be the highest that they are willing to pay and you should get what is fair for the injury that you sustained.

What you should be aware of is that it is the job of the insurance claims adjustor to try to limit the liability of the insurance company, or to prove that the company has no liability at all. This is why you should never admit that an accident or injury is your fault when talking to an insurance claims adjustor or to the police. If the claims adjustor cannot prove that the injury was not covered by the policy, or cannot find another way to dismiss your claim they will make you an offer. Once again, this offer is usually lower than what they are truly willing to pay.

If you are denied a personal injury claim and you believe you were entitled to the compensation you need to contact a personal injury attorney right away. The law may limit the amount of time that you have to file a claim so contact an attorney right away. The office of Ledger & Associates has more than a decade of experience dealing with claims like these and you can consult with a professional free-of-charge to decide whether or not you should proceed with your case.

The Benefits of Settling a Case Prior to Trial

You will notice on our firm website that many of our cases are settled out of court, rather than trying the case in court with a jury. This is not a cop out by any means and settling a case is almost always more beneficial to the client than taking the case before a jury.

Settling a case prior to trial saves the client and family the stress of going to trial. It is hard enough for clients to re-tell their experience to their attorney but often much worse to tell it again in front of 7 jurors who are strangers. The details of the case can also be kept more private. When you take a case to trial, the court documents become public record and anyone can go look at them - the local newspaper or your neighbor. When you settle a case, most of the details are kept out of the court documents, and are not public record. Many settlement agreements also have confidentiality agreements as part of the settlement, so the case will not be talked about in public.

Settling a case rather than taking the case to trial will also save our clients money. For every case we try, there are at least two expert witnesses testifying on our client's behalf. These expert witnesses are paid for their time spent reviewing the case, giving depositions, and testifying in court. If a case settles prior to trial, the client has already incurred the cost of the expert's review of the records, but they will not incur the cost of travel and time spent at a trial. A settlement also saves the client, because they do not have to take time off from their jobs to attend a trial. Unlike experts, who are usually present and testifying for a few hours, the client must be present for the entire trial, which can run from 2 or 3 days to a week or more. So the client has to take this time off from their jobs, perhaps losing pay or vacation time in doing so.

A jury trial is a very uncertain thing. You are letting people you do not know decide the outcome. While they are impartial to the parties in the case, aspects of their own lives affect how they view the evidence in the case. You cannot control how they analyze the details of the case or how they reach a verdict. A settlement is much more certain and much quicker than having to wait for a jury trial to reach a conclusion, which decision can then be appealed by the losing party making the process even longer. Most cases last from 1 - 3 years, sometimes even longer if an appeal is involved.

When case goes to trial, there are very strict guidelines as to what can be said in court. When you settle a case, there is more leeway in what can be said to, or requested of, the defendant. For example, in a trial, the family is limited to questions asked by the attorneys, which are limited to the facts. The family cannot explain how they feel about what happened and they can not ask for an apology from the doctor or nursing home. In the process of settlement outside of court, the family may have the opportunity to tell the defendant how they feel and the family can request an apology as part of the settlement.

In conclusion, we will never take on a client if we do not believe their case can be won in front of a jury. We never take a case in which we are not willing and prepared to try before a jury. However, we do attempt to settle our cases prior to going to trial if it is in the client's best interest. If the defendant is unwilling to resolve the case by making a settlement offer which recognizes our client's injuries and damages, we will not hesitate to try the case before a jury. Ultimately, the case belongs to our clients and it is our clients who have the final say on this important issue.

Independent Living Skills - Essential Skills All Seniors Need to Know

No one likes the thought of getting older. Many people associate aging with the loss of independence. In most cases, elderly people and nursing homes are thoughts that walk hand in hand in one's mind. However, aging does not mean that you must give up your home and your freedom to live by yourself. With the right independent living skills, an aging person can extend the time that they have in the comfort of their own home.

One major skill that is needed to live successfully on your own is self-care. In order to remain independent, a person must be able to take care of bodily needs such as hygiene and using the restroom, including being aware of the need to use the restroom. It is important for at-home seniors to know how to properly and safely bathe.

Another of the very important independent living skills deals with money. It takes money to properly keep a home. A senior must be able to budget finances to accommodate power, water, medical, and grocery needs. He or she should be knowledgeable in keeping a check register and writing checks. It is important for elderly persons living alone to understand their savings, retirement, and social security income.

Home management is another essential element for independent living. These tasks include cooking, cleaning, and laundry. While some hire help for these chores, it is still important that a senior recognize the need for them to be completed. When cooking, it is critical that aging persons be aware of safety precautions to take. They must be careful about remembering to carry out functions such as turning off the stove.

Taking care of health is one of the independent living skills that should not be neglected. Those living by themselves must be able to recognize the need for a doctor's appointment. He or she should be accurate in taking medications. Knowledge of doctor appointments is important. It is also helpful for seniors to be aware of medical insurance issues.

Community skills are important for anyone living on their own. A senior needs to understand the risks involved in dealing with strangers. He or she should be able to appropriately locate help from the community such as firemen and policemen. Knowledge of public transportation should also be on the list.
A senior living on his or her own should have the independent living skills to carry out shopping needs. He or she should be competent to create a shopping list, understand the process of purchasing the needed items, and paying for the items.

Remaining in your own home for as long as possible is a desire of most everyone. The feeling of being able to care for yourself is priceless when it comes to adding happiness and length to your life. Achieving the independent living skills that are needed to successful manage your own home and care for your own needs are the key to maintaining your freedom in your senior years.

What You Need To Know About Residential Care Homes, Nursing Homes, And Long Term Care

Residential care homes are divided into two groups, depending upon the level of care they provide. Services include a room, meals and supervision, but no nursing services for older adults whose limitations prevent them from living alone. The benefits provided are for people who have no serious medical conditions, but who can no longer manage in their own home. Most care facilities are independently owned and operated.

Care

For elderly people suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other kinds of dementia, a smaller care facility can be ideal, because an elderly person still has the ability to carry on as normal a life as possible. Quality of supervision can vary greatly among residential care homes. These typically serve residents who live together and receive care from live-in carers ideal for frail adults who can benefit from more individual attention. Services provided vary considerably, so it is important to assess the needs of the future resident, deciding if they need 24 hour attention, for example. Many homes provide care until the end of a life, and help residents feel like they are living in their own house. Before making a decision, ask about care facilities, for example how do they deal with incontinence? Usually assistance is given with bathing, grooming and incontinence. Overall costs can be much less than full time domiciliary supervision.

Costs

The costs of residential care homes vary widely, as can the quality of services. Although prices vary greatly from £2,200 to £4500 plus per month, but can be as low as £1500 each month. Single payment insurance policies can pay for long term care fees increasing at say 5% annually for life. It may well be that the resident can afford all the costs personally or with help from family members. In this instance, you will be able to begin your quest for the most suitable long term care.

Private homes are not contracted to the NHS or local authority social services. Just as every house is different, care facilities are not all styled the same.

Conclusion

It is essential to thoroughly vet your shortlist of homes. Usually the larger well known groups are a cautious option, although there are individually owned properties that provide a wonderful personalized friendly service. More articles to follow about care fees planning, benefits and legal issues.

The Importance of the Super Certified Nursing Assistant - The Front Line of Nursing

In consideration of the fragmented healthcare system in the United States and the co-existence of numerous health disparities and case of chronic illness, there has been a major focus on reducing healthcare costs. As part of doing so, the policies and procedures governing a healthcare organization becomes the number one priority. Healthcare personnel are the core in the achievement of the goal of a reduction in spending in healthcare. Because staff is the core in controlling costs, healthcare organizations must focus on the essential vs. non-essential as well as efficiency vs. inefficiency. There will be costs, but they should be essential and necessary for providing quality patient care. Consequently, when those costs are incurred, the care that takes place should be efficient. If the care is efficient, it will be based on professional standards of practice for all healthcare personnel.

One of the most essential healthcare positions is that of the certified nursing assistant. Although licensed nurses can perform the same duties, they are an adjunct to other roles and responsibilities combined which causes an entire level of care to become at risk or neglect: the fundamentals of nursing.

The fundamentals of nursing are the basic duties of the certified nursing assistant in the health care setting. They are based on activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, grooming, feeding, and ambulation. These are activities necessary for basic independence and survival. When a patient is admitted to a healthcare facility or to the services of a healthcare agency, these activities are strong indicators of recovery, function, and the ability to care for self. These essential activities are the decisive factors in determining a patient's level of care; factors that are critical in choosing placement. Thus, placement depends on whether or not a patient can be cared for by family or needs placement in a facility. Having staff designated to support these ongoing functions is the key to reducing healthcare costs; the higher the function level, the less dollars to be spent.

Therefore, the Super C.N.A., a well-trained, well-educated, and well-prepared nursing assistant, is crucial to any healthcare organization and most certainly a worthwhile investment.