MRSA - The Modern Bug Spreading Through Hospitals, Assisted-Living and Healthcare Facilities

MRSA known as Methicillin - Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus often called "Staph", is running rapid throughout Hospitals, Assisted Living and long term health-care facilities. MRSA targets individuals with weakened immune systems for example the elderly and individuals who are ill and in the hospital receiving treatments. Young children are often at risk due to immunities.

Healthy individuals can be colonized with the MRSA - Staph bacteria and show little or no signs of having it and can still spread it even if they are not sick themselves.

MRSA is spread through contact from an infected wound or cut and often spread from a simple sneeze. Staph- MRSA infections usually start as small red bumps that resemble a pus pimple that eventually can turn into deep painful abscess or boils that can be life threatening and spreading to vital organs such as the heart, bones, tissues and joints.

Ways to stop the spread of the MRSA bacteria, health-care staff such as nurses need to practice proper cleansing techniques with every patient. In healthcare environments, MRSA can survive on surfaces and fabrics, including privacy curtains or garments worn by care providers. Wash hands and arms before and after patients. Treat every patient as if they carry the bacteria and regularly sterilize stethoscopes. Alcohol has been proven to be an effective surface sanitizer against MRSA. When assessing patients skin look for signs and symptoms.

MRSA can be treated with special antibiotics and be treated but will never get rid of the bacteria it self.

Decorating a Room in a Nursing Home

When a person is first placed into a nursing home, they are not going to like it that much. They will complain and want to go home. But there are a few things that family and friends can do to make their new home more appealing.

1. Familiar furnishings always create comfort. Move in an elderly person's favorite chair and they will immediately feel better. Adding knickknacks and pictures of family members will bring back more pleasant memories. Many nursing homes will allow families to redecorate a room in order to make a person feel more at home.

2. Curtains and rugs are other items that will make the room feel more inviting. If the person is sharing a room with another resident, decorate their side of the room only.

3. Blankets and other heirlooms that have been in the family for a long time are a way to bring back the past in order to help the person deal with the present.

Moving into a nursing home can be a traumatic experience for an elderly person. Try to find ways to make the nursing home fee more like home. If the person is allowed to keep a small refrigerator in their room, put their favorite snacks and drinks in there or give these items to the nursing staff and them to serve it to the person during snack time.

Giving an elderly person items that they recognize and food that they like will help make the transition a little easier. No one like being in a new place, so try to make it as easy as possible.

Items That Your Grandmother Needs in Her Assisted Living Center

If your grandmother is living in an assisted living center, you may be wondering what types of gift or products she could use in her home. There are several things that you can get her that will make her stay easier and more enjoyable.

Lift Chair

When your grandmother relaxes in her room, she needs something in which she will feel completely comfortable. A lift chair will allow her to sit without straining her knees or back. Lift chairs have a mechanism that raises them up so that they will meet the person halfway as they are attempting to sit or stand. The range of motion will make it easier for your grandmother to keep her balance so that she is less likely to fall. This means that your grandmother will be able to safely enjoy relaxing in her chair as she watches television or visits with a guest.

Scooters

If your grandmother is a very social person, she may benefit from a scooter. Scooters for seniors and disabled residents allow them to visit other rooms, go to social events and explore the local garden or park. When you invest in a scooter for your grandmother, she will be able to do all of her favorite activities without worrying about getting tired quickly or becoming fatigued as she is out and about. You can also find some stylish scooter accessories that will allow her to carry her books, knitting, cards or other favorite items with her around the assisted living center.

Television

While some assisted living centers provide televisions for their residents, others require them to bring their own. A television in her room will allow your grandmother to relax and unwind without going to the main sitting area. She will be able to enjoy peace and quiet as she watches her favorite shows from the comfort of her own chair or bed. She will also be able to keep up with the news and the weather whenever she needs. You can even get her a DVD player that will allow her to watch her favorite movies and television series.

If your grandmother has recently moved into an assisted living center, it may take some time for her to adjust. Your gift will make her transition easier. If she has been there for a while, these items will still come in handy as she maintains her social life and enjoys her home.

Hospital Clocks - Dependability Matters to Everyone

A hospital is a bustling environment housing all manner of individuals from the routine outpatient to the experienced surgeon. From the emergency room to the pediatric unit, staff and patients alike look to the clocks to deliver not only a precise time, but an invaluable sense of dependability and assurance. This is why any number of individuals in the health care field can benefit greatly from the use of synchronized hospital clocks in their facilities.

For the Nurse

Cathy, a recent nursing graduate, has just begun the eighth hour of her overnight shift. While she is enjoying her new career, adjusting to the extended, late hours has not been easy. With patients to admit, rounds to make, and four hours left in her shift, the last thought she wants to have is: does my watch have the wrong time, or is the clock in this unit incorrect? Dependability is key in the nursing profession, and a nurse wants to consistently be on time whether it is to report for a shift, scrub in for surgery, or administer medication. Cathy knows the life of a nurse is a difficult balancing act, and synchronized hospital clocks are a vital component in helping to maintain that balance.

For the Patient

Lisa, a first-time mother, is admitted to the obstetrics ward after experiencing frequent contractions. Not knowing what to expect from her first labor and delivery, she is both excited and nervous. Regardless of the situation, it is common for patients to experience some anxiety when they must be admitted to a hospital. Doctors and nurses can alleviate this apprehension by being prompt and attentive. Synchronized hospital clocks allow hospital staff to keep track of the time when switching patient rooms or even entire units, and when timing events in the room itself, such as the frequency of a patient's contractions. An accurate clock in a patient's room can make all the difference. Also, when Lisa's new baby boy is born at 12:02am, she is grateful for a precise clock so that she knows exactly what date to celebrate her son's birthday.

For the Administrator

Elaine has been a hospital administrator for over twenty years. She has many responsibilities, including a staff of hundreds of employees. Along with a large number of workers comes an even larger number of start times, end times, breaks, and shift changes. Because of this, she is in need of synchronized hospital clocks to keep discrepancies at bay. She also uses hospital clocks to ensure that everyone is on the same schedule, allowing all employees to perform their jobs in an accurate and timely manner. Additionally, with the recent rise in medical malpractice suits, careful management is imperative, and hospital administrators, like Elaine, need a time-keeping system that is exact and reliable. Synchronized hospital clocks provide this dependability by allowing patients under anesthesia to be properly monitored, records to be accurately kept, and other time-related errors to be greatly reduced in number, helping the hospital to avoid costly and time-consuming litigation.

In a facility where high-stress and high-activity are every day occurrences, synchronized hospital clocks serve not just one, but many purposes. A nurse may use hospital clocks to keep track of her schedule, while a patient may look to hospital clocks for reassurance. Regardless of who has their eye on the time, synchronized hospital clocks are sure to be accurate when you need them the most.

What Is the ASVAB Test?

ASVAB - Basics

This test covers four main areas where are Word Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning, Mathematics Knowledge, and Paragraph Comprehension. These count towards the AFQT or Armed Forces Qualifying Test. Your scores in the ASVAB determine how well you qualify for certain occupational specialties and bonuses in the military. If you get a high score this improves the chances you'll get the job and bonuses that you want. You'll need to study hard to get the most out of the test.

How the Air Force uses the ASVAB

This test is used by the Air Force for a couple of main reasons:

To see your aptitude for certain Air Force jobs

To see if you'll make it through various Air Force training programs such as basic training. The MEPS or United States Military Entrance Processing Command will administer your test and then it will be determined if you qualify for enlistment in the United States Air Force. This test will also determine what types of Air Force jobs you're capable of doing. The test is an important first step in your military career. If you have already taken this test in school you won't be required to take it again but you'll need to inform your administrator. The better your scores the more opportunities you'll have in the air force.

Qualification Areas

G - General -Verbal Expression (WK plus PC) and Arithmetic Reasoning (AR)
M - Mechanical - Mechanical Comprehension (MC), General Science (GS) and 2 times Auto & Shop Information (AS)
A - Administrative - Numerical Operations * (NO), Coding Speed * (CS), and Verbal Expression (WK plus PC)
E - Electrical - Arithmetic Reasoning (AR), Mathematics Knowledge (MK), Electronics Information (EI), and General Science (GS)

Scores

There are various scores for the general, mechanical, administrative, and electrical areas of the ASVAB. You can find a list of all the various scores as there are many different scores. Each area has many different job opportunities that you can qualify for depending upon your scores. So for example you may have better score sin administrative then electrical and would be more suited to an office job. If you scored high on electrical then you might be a perfect match to work on aircraft. These tests are designed to help you find placement in the right areas of the Air Force that you can excel in. These tests are needed due to the wide number of jobs available within the AF. There's more to it than the specialized skill of flying a plane there are thousands of other jobs you can do that are equally important.

ASVAB is Designed to Place You

Understand that the ASVAB is a very important tats and one that can help you decide on your career choice in the military. This test will help you and the recruiters decide the best areas of the Air Force where you could make a suitable contribution so don't take these tests lightly.

Protect Yourself In The Hospital - The Risks Of Risk Management In Hospitals And Nursing Homes

The Risk Management Priority - Protecting Financial Integrity

The last time I sat through a hospital orientation program, a man came into the classroom and gave a one-hour lecture on his role as a risk manager. His focus was on incidents that resulted in or were likely to result in a lawsuit. He told us about the case of a ten-year-old boy who is growing up with cerebral palsy that has caused severe spastic paralysis over his entire body. He said, "While I acknowledge that the hospital staff screwed up and contributed to this boy's terrible affliction, it is my job to protect the financial integrity of this institution. So, we are doing what we can to look for ways to defend against the allegations. The upper management decides and I follow orders."

The Moral Divide

The striking aspect of this comment was that accepting responsibility for wrongdoing had no place in this man's conversation. This is a microcosm of the corporate culture - one man or woman does his or her job to the best of his or her ability while the ethical considerations are someone else's responsibility. Middle managers often pass the morality buck to upper management, who pass it to the chief executive officer, who in turn pass it to the board of directors or trustees. The directors or trustees will consider only the financial welfare of the stockholders or the public trust.

The Ideal Risk Manager

The appropriate focus for a risk manager is to prevent malpractice and accidents and not just lawsuits for such things. The ideal risk manager will carefully study the common complications and injuries that take place because of being in the hospital and recommend changes that will prevent such undesirable occurrences. This activity should begin with investigating events that have already happened and assigning culpability where it belongs. This means also identifying any mitigating circumstances that contributed to the blunder or omission. This Utopian risk manager will then submit a report holding nothing back.

The Real Risk Manager

Regrettably, in the real world, risk managers and investigators must walk within political boundaries. Their investigative goal is to counsel employees to document problematic events in a way that will not provide any evidence to the plaintiff in support of a malpractice claim. The usual advice for filling out an incident report is, "Document only what you find. For example if a patient falls, just say 'patient found on floor'. Describe the injuries if any, but do not say anything about how he fell. If there is anything in your observation that might suggest a cause of the accident like side rails down or slippery stuff on the floor, do not say anything about it. We do not want you to lie, but we also do not want you to offer any information or opinions that might help the plaintiff and hurt our defense."

The Two Definitions of "Risk"

There seems to be two definitions of "risk" in "risk management". One is the probability of losing money and the other is the likelihood of the same type of accident happening to the same or another patient. Hospital managers do not have to choose between one and the other because if they prevent further accidents they will save tons of money. During the past year, I have reviewed several cases in which the patient fell out of bed or from a chair two or three times with the permanent or fatal injury arising from the last fall. In each of those scenarios, if the hospital or nursing home management had a risk management program focusing objectively on the cause, the serious injury would have been avoided. Therefore, the hospital's risk management strategies were a factor in producing the injuries.

Case in Point

For example, John B. was a 76-year-old man who went to a local community hospital by ambulance after complaining of chest pain. The admission assessment revealed that while at home, he got up at night to go to the bathroom and fell and sustained some bruising on his left elbow and hip. The medical history revealed that he had mild emphysema with a chronically reduce blood oxygen level. Despite these obvious red flags, the nurses did not do a fall risk assessment and fall prevention was not a part of the care plan.

On the third night of admission, John wandered out into the hallway at two o'clock in the morning and fell in front of his doorway. The nurses who witnessed this picked him up and put him back in bed. The charge nurse filled out an incident report and gave it to the nursing supervisor. The supervisor counter signed the report and recorded the incident in the daily nursing office log. She also sent a copy to the risk management department. No one conducted any investigation nor revised the patient's care plan.

Three days later, one of the nurses found John on the floor in his room unconscious at six o'clock in the morning. She called for help and put him back to bed with the help of two others. Within six hours, John died of massive brain hemorrhage. An inquiry would have uncovered a serious problem in a lack of real risk management at the bedside level. The root cause of this untimely death happened because the slipshod attitude toward safety started at the top and oozed downward toward the staff.

Should we Punish the Lawyers or Hold the Real Culprits Accountable?

Several doctors and politicians are saying that there are too many medical malpractice lawsuits. The current rhetoric seems to blame personal injury attorneys for this problem, so the plan of attack is to take away the rights of victims to get justice by creating roadblocks in malpractice legal procedure and reducing the maximum contingency fees for the plaintiffs' attorneys.

This argument presupposes that hospital corporate executives, doctors and nurses are doing the best they can and the casualties are unavoidable. In my view, we need to seek federal and state legislation that will mandate fiscal responsibility and standards for safe hospital care. This law should also hold people in management positions personally accountable for being negligent.

The Call for New Legislation

Under current law, if a state or local health department investigates a patient's death after receiving a complaint and finds wanton disregard for patient safety at the managerial level, the harshest penalty they can impose is a fine. In other words, when high level health care executives commit criminal negligence resulting in a person's death, the current government response is to leave the offenders in charge and take money away from an institution that is already strapped for cash rather than charging the responsible parties with a crime or even insisting on their dismissal.

Home Cooked Meals and Nutrition - Assisted Living Homes

Many people who are considering assisted living arrangements are worried about the food that they or their loved ones will be served. Most assisted living homes offer home cooked, nutritious meals. Getting the right balance of foods and making them palatable plays a huge roll in wellness. Assisted living homes typically offer food just like the resident would cook themselves, or their family would cook for them. What's more, in smaller assisted living homes, the resident may be able to participate in shared common kitchen. This offers a unique opportunity to come together as a "family" and cook and eat together. This type of sharing is encouraged to foster stronger bonds among the residents and staff.

Cooking Together

In many adult group homes cooking as part of a group is very welcome. The residents under supervision of the staff many times will cook their meals together. Of course this is not mandatory but it is a fun way to share recipes and ideas. Many times the meals are cooked via a pre made menu and recipes that are prepared by a dietitian or facility manager.

Typically the main meal of the day is the meal that the residents will cook together, dinner and special occasions are prime time for this activity. Many times there will be cooking classes that are offered so these folks are well prepared to cook up food that is not only very palatable but chock full of nutrition.

Prepared Meals

When the residents are not cooking, the meals are normally prepared by a cook that follows a dietitian's menu. This ensures that the residents get the best nutrition possible. The meals are cooked using wholesome ingredients that most folks use in their own homes.

Most meals are prepared by the cook who might also double as a staff member. The meals are well balanced and are based on the older adults' daily requirements. Special dietary restrictions are always considered and the meals are geared toward being adjusted to reflect the same. Typically there are several items on the menu that are nutritionally sound.

Snacks

Assisted living homes are just an extension of the home that the resident is used to living in. Unlike in a hospital setting, residents that are hungry between meals also have an opportunity to be served snacks. Some residents may keep their own snacks in their rooms, while the dietary staff will also prepare snacks at particular times of day that residents may choose to eat if they wish.

Good food that is good for you can really make a difference. Assisted living homes know that feeding the stomach also fuels the body and the soul. Home cooked meals are a way to keep the quality of life strong, making sure that the residents have the opportunity if they so choose to participate in the preparation of their meals also feeds the soul and allows independence and decision making in one's own life.

Mobility Support for Seniors

Mobility aids and supports are assistive technologies that help seniors remain active and live their lives with as little disruption as possible. A variety of pictures come to mind with the mention of the phrase 'mobility aid' or 'mobility support' but the simplest definition is that a mobility aid is a tool that can make life easier.

Assistance with Walking
For centuries, the basic cane has helped people retain their balance while walking and it's been modified in recent years to include 4 feet if needed, for extra stability. The cane remains a popular mobility aid among the senior population.

Walkers or 'Rollators' are also popular for those needing assistance walking and are available as a basic aluminum framework with handles to the deluxe version with wheels, brakes, storage and even a seat. A senior purchasing a Rollator should check with the supplier whether it's covered under the (ADP) Assistive Devices Program for insurance purposes. Then check your provincial government website about eligibility for a subsidy on the purchase of your walker or Rollator.

Wheelchairs and Scooters
The basic wheelchair is a popular form of mobility support commonly used for short-term disabilities making travel possible where it may otherwise be difficult. Scooters and motorized wheelchairs are also becoming a popular form of getting around and summer outings or short excursions that may not have been possible without one are made possible and even enjoyable.

When purchasing a scooter or motorized wheelchair be sure to take advantage of the professional assistance provided for learning the features of the device. The cost of wheelchairs and scooters range from $1,500 to $5,000 and should be custom fitted to the user and as with Rollators, check with the supplier insurance purposes and your provincial government website for eligibility under the (ADP) Assistive Devices Program.

Mobility Assistance around Home

Grab Bars, Grabbers and Reachers
For seniors spending their retirement years aging at home, a top priority is ensuring that the home is comfortable, user-friendly and accommodating for disabilities. Grab bars in washrooms for help and safety while getting in and out of the shower or bathtub are important additions to the home. And a tool not to be overlooked is the 'Grabber' or 'Reacher' that allow a person access to top shelves in the kitchen, or picking things up from the floor without having to bend.

Lift Chairs
A lift chair is a reclining chair and an important assistive device for seniors that have difficulty standing. The lift chair will raise the person safely to an upright position and the mechanism within the chair helps with getting seated to a comfortable position as well. LiftChairsDirect.ca is partnered with Medi-Card for financing plans ranging from six months to five years and any individual regardless of age or medical condition may apply for assistance.

Getting in an out of the Car
Handybars offer the user protection from falls and allow getting into and out of the car safely. Handybars work for both driver and passenger side doors in most types of vehicles and have the additional features of seat belt cutter and window breaker in the event of an emergency.

The swivel cushion is a flexible soft cushion that swivels 360 degrees allowing for getting in and out of the car easily and comfortably. It's universal fit allows it to be used in most cars and requires no installation, just place it on the seat and enjoy the mobility it allows.

These are a few of the popular mobility aids available to seniors and individuals requiring assistance. As technology advances we continue to see innovative ideas and new products that make everyday tasks more convenient and allow us levels of freedom that we may not have without them, as we age.

How Much Could You Receive For Wrongful Death Compensation?

If your loved one has been killed as a result of a car accident, or some other type of tragic event, you may be thinking about wrongful death compensation. Being compensated for the wrongful death can make the process of dealing with such a tragedy easier, and can make the financial burdens that are inevitable, such as funeral costs, easier to bear. If you are seeking wrongful death compensation you should talk to a wrongful death attorney to find out what damages you are entitled to, and how you should proceed.

Who can file for a wrongful death claim can vary by state. In California, there are many factors to take into consideration and the relatives are listed in descending order with the spouse, children, any dependent minors regardless of whether they are blood relatives, and dependent step children. In the case of non-related minors they may only be able to file or have someone file for them if they have been dependent upon the deceased for six months or more. Also, if there are no children or spouse the law may allow those family members that are less immediate to file. This information should not be relied upon, but you should contact your wrongful death lawyer instead, in case anything has changed.

The sort of expenses can be covered by a wrongful death decision in California could include funeral expenses and burial costs, as well as financial support to the heir that would have been given during the victim's lifetime, or what the expected lifetime would be as well as any loss of gifts that would have been given to the family members of the victim and monetary payment for any services that the victim rendered for the family or to the heir. The jury might also compensate you for the loss of love and affection, the loss of sexual relationships with the victim (in the case of a spouse) and the loss of education or training (such as with children of the victim).

These are the common factors that affect how much a heir or relative receives from a wrongful death case, but exactly how much this adds up to can depending on several additional factors. Obviously, a dependent spouse and children might receive more from the jury than a aunt or uncle, or children that have grown up, but some of the factors also include the heath of the victim, as well as their age, how much the family is losing financially by that family member dying, how much insurance is paying for, and how much emotional loss might be involved.

Whatever your particular situation is, you will want to contact a California wrongful death attorney like Emery Ledger. Ledger & Associates has over ten years of experience in the field of personal injury and you can receive a free consultation to discuss your case. Getting an attorney is important, and it should be done as soon as possible, because the law may put a time limit on how long you have to file your claim. When tragedy strikes you shouldn't have to worry about money and where the funeral and burial costs are going to come from.

Developing Company Strength From Within

Imagine you arrive at work tomorrow to learn that a member of your senior management team has resigned.

Immediately, your mind races through the checklist of steps you must take to fill this key position. After a couple of minutes of sheer anxiety, you come to the conclusion that-whether through the help of headhunters, networking, or just plain luck-you will be able to find that right person for the job.

Now imagine this same scenario with a twist: You are allowed to recruit only from within your company. That might push the panic button for some of us, but there is a "business" out there for which this scenario is always a reality-the U.S. military services.

Be-Know-Do: Leadership the Army Way has been adapted from the official Army Leadership Manual for the benefit of civilian managers. This books gives readers insight into one of the only institutions in the world that must recruit its c-suite leaders of tomorrow from its frontline leaders of today. When a general retires, Army leadership doesn't have the option of posting an ad on Craigslist: "Seeking a dynamic and skilled leader that has a proven track record of leading hundreds of thousands of combat troops; U.S. citizenship and the ability to speak English preferred."

But seriously, what if starting tomorrow you could only promote from current associates and no one else? Imagine as well that from this pool of associates you have to identify, train, and grow every position your company will need for the next 20 years, including executive directors, human resources executives, controllers, and even a CEO. How would that change the way you look at your current team? How would it change the way that your company or team looks at training and leadership development? My guess is it would turn upside down what you are doing now in several key areas.

Be-Know-Do is a compelling read for senior living executives for several reasons, but two major themes that run throughout the book are particularly valuable- the importance of leadership at every level and the principle that people are at the core.

Leadership Boot Camp

As far as what makes for an effective leader, Be-Know- Do goes right to the core values and strategies that we must execute to succeed.

• Be. The Army Leadership Manual makes it clear: The values and character of a company, for better or worse, are a direct reflection of the values and character of its leaders at the highest levels. This makes sense to most of us in that when we think of a great company, we almost always in the same breath talk about the great leader that is behind it.

• Know. When you are a senior leader, all eyes are on you. Everything you do and say is always being noted, analyzed, and critiqued. One of the simplest ways to gain the confidence of your team is to simply know your stuff.

• Do. To paraphrase the book: Leaders act; they do. They bring together everything they are, everything they believe, and everything they know how to do to provide purpose, direction, and motivation-especially in challenging and uncertain times.

These are simple but infinitely important and valuable points to keep in mind. In a fast-paced suite environment, the basics sometimes get lost in the shuffle.

Quality Personified

What makes companies great are the great people in them. Every good idea, every cutting-edge innovation, and every quality customer interaction is executed by great people. Be-Know-Do challenges us to lead the people who are at the heart of every business.

By motivating them, inspiring them, helping them grow in their jobs, and investing in them, you create an environment where your associates will in turn passionately invest themselves in the company. And ultimately, the result is a greater return to the business in many tangible ways.

Certainly, the U.S. Army has developed some remarkable men and women who have seen our country through some of its most challenging times. Perhaps in the pages of this book you will find a strategy that will do the same for you and your company.

Benefits of Senior Home Care

Everyone will always prefer the comfort and security of home during illness or when recovering from illness. Research has shown that a person who is ill recovers better and faster in the home.

About Home Care

Health care that is given in the home of a patient or elderly is called home care. This can be made by a family member or by someone hired to do the task. The purpose is the promotion, maintenance and the return of the patient's health. Services include medical care and other home chores like cooking, cleaning, laundering, visits to the doctor and other activities wherein the elderly needs assistance. The service may be for short periods like assistance to hospital checkups or vital signs monitoring. This can also be on a regular daily basis especially if the patient cannot do activities or chores.

Benefits

The purpose of senior home care is for the elderly to live with ease and comfort. Other benefits are:

• Home care is made in a familiar environment lessening the anxiety and stress on the patient.
• If family members take turns to care of the patient, it solidifies family bonds.
• It assists to keep the elderly independent and continue their role as members of society.
• It is a better option than institutionalization of the senior in a nursing home.
• Hastens the healing process as most patients recover more quickly at home.
• Seniors are given maximum amount of freedom which is not offered in a nursing home or hospital.
• It provides personalized care which is tailored to the needs of each individual. It is delivered on a one- to-one basis.
• It is a more cost effective option than a nursing home.
• This is provided by experienced people who have compassion for the elderly.
• It is a life-extender for the seniors as studies showed that people receiving home care tend to live longer and have a better quality of life.
• Even for those who are terminally ill, home care is highly recommended.

Most of our elderly loved ones would like to stay in the comfort of their homes and providing them with adequate assistance is the best way to make them comfortable.

With the mentioned benefits, senior home care should be preferred for your elderly loved one compared with other services.

Bulk Cable TV: Cable Television Perfect for Older Persons

A move to a nursing home doesn't have to mean a move away from the luxuries of a normal home. Take cable TV, for example; if an older adult is a big fan of daytime soaps, the evening news or prime-time dramas, they don't have to lose access to their favorite programming simply because they're moving into an assisted living facility. There are bulk cable TV providers available that can make it easy and cost-effective for you to provide your nursing home residents with the cable TV programming they've been watching for years, so that they can keep a bit of consistency as they make their big move.

What is bulk cable TV, you ask? It's television channels available for purchase at wholesale prices. You can pick out the channels you want to provide your residents, and pay a flat-fee for each unit that receives programming. Some companies group channels into categories, and allow you to pick as few or as many channels you want out of a category for one low, flat rate per unit. For instance, if you run a small nursing home where 30 units will receive programming, you could pick as many channels as you'd like out of a particular category, and pay a flat fee per month for each unit.

When controlling bulk cable television service for an assisted living facility, you can also be granted the power to upgrade individual nursing home residents with certain upgrades and channels. Some companies utilize DirecTV for their bulk cable TV service, so it is called the "DirecTV Upgrade System" with those providers. With this feature, if a certain resident wants access to a channel that is not offered by your nursing home by default, you can upgrade them and add that channel to their lineup.

Another feature that some bulk cable TV providers offer to such facilities is built-in access to the Internet, with a way for residents to contact a nurse or resident assistant if necessary. This is a great way to cut down on the number of companies you're paying; by combining multiple services into one through your TV service.

If you're looking to provide your nursing home residents with the cable TV experience they've grown accustomed to, you can help them adjust by giving them a bit of consistency during one of the biggest moves of their lives. A bulk cable TV service can help you accomplish this in the most cost-effective way possible.

When Parent Child Roles Reverse

So often I hear frustrated clients tell me, "Help, my elderly parents are so stubborn and they are driving me crazy!" I completely understand this frustration as I have been there too. My elderly mother became more and more forgetful as she got older. She would forget to eat and drink. She was too frail to drive and her life consisted of playing solitaire, watching TV and waiting and hoping that someone might stop by for a visit or give her a call. Trouble was, she never had anything to talk about because she had become so isolated from the world. She refused to move to a senior community and expected me to be available at a moments notice - even though I lived hours away and had a family and full time job. I was so worried about her and frustrated too. So, I get it. I really do. I understand what it's like to be a parent to a parent. I got through it. I help my clients get through it and you can get through it too. Here are some thoughts that might make you, as a parent to your parent, feel a little better.

First of all, it is important to understand that the Senior in your life is experiencing a lot of loss- sometimes on a daily basis. It doesn't matter if they do or do not believe in the necessity of moving to a safer place. It still hurts and our patience is required. They are most likely losing more of their independence on a daily basis. They have already suffered some physical and mental loss and are feeling sad, confused and probably a little angry too. They may have lost their beloved life partner. Seniors will often say "no" just because they can as it is the last bastion of their independence. If they move, they are leaving memories, familiar surroundings, neighbors and friends behind. They don't remember how to make friends and aren't particularly eager to make the effort to do so again.

If you are the adult child of a Senior, you are feeling a lot of loss too! Your role has been reversed and it feels uncomfortable and overwhelming. You remember when they were young. You hate seeing them lose their independence. If they have to move, you will miss the old family home too! You also wish things could stay the same. You feel guilty that you can't keep them in their home. You feel guilty that they can't live with you. You feel guilty that you have to take so much time away from your own family and career. You feel guilty that you feel angry when they make demands on you. You feel guilty for feeling guilty!

Wow, that's a lot of anger, sadness and guilt all around!

Relax, trust and know that as the adult "parent to your parents", that regardless of what you are feeling, you are bringing the love, nurturing, patience and care that you received as a child, back full circle to them. What a privilege. What a gift. Even if they don't appreciate it, you are helping them move forward and live safer and happier lives. Be content with knowing that. Living alone is not fun. Living alone is boring. Living alone when you are a Senior can be dangerous.

Sometimes your aging parents will absolutely refuse to move under any circumstances. In that case, offer them solutions. You can't be with them all the time. They can't be left alone. So ask them what the solution might be? Just being faced with having to solve the problem will encourage them to let go and let you decide for them. If they are worried about what to do with 40 years of accumulated possessions, help them choose what to take, get them out of their house and into their new senior community first. Then you can clear the house of their excess stuff. You can't do it when they are still living in their new home. It's too traumatic for everyone concerned. If you can't take care of the move yourself, hire someone through NAPO National Association of Professional Organizers, or NASMM National Association of Senior Move Managers to do it for you. You can find a professional near you through their national website.

On the day of the big move, pack a suitcase and/or a banker's box for your senior in preparation for the move. Mark it carefully and be responsible for it. It should contain all critical papers, medications, valuable jewelry and any other important documents you can think of. Moving is very unsettling and the fear for Seniors of losing important things is great. Seniors can fall into a state of panic if they cannot find certain items. Help them feel safe about these things. Take them out of their home before the movers arrive and don't deliver them to their new home until it has been unpacked and completely set up. I like to tell my clients that their parents will feel like they've been "beamed like Star Trek" into their new home and, it will feel like home - beds made, food in the frig, everything put away, cable TV installed, pictures on the wall, mementos on display.

In their new Senior Community, your parents will be watched and cared for around the clock. You will be assured that they are eating and drinking - a lot of seniors "forget" to do this and fall ill. They will make new friends and have new people to tell their old stories to. The can share life experiences with their peers. They will also be intellectually stimulated once again, which might bring back some of their lost cognitive abilities. They will be encouraged to re engage in the world-and most importantly, they will be SAFE.

Once they have moved, you will feel better too! You will be relieved that they are safe and watched over. You will know that they are eating properly and drinking fluids. You will know that their lives are now richer, with new friends and lots of activities to look forward to. You will enjoy your visits with them once again and you will get your own life back in the process.  

Assisted Living Activities

Seniors in Assisted Living homes may not be able to do everything a younger and more agile person can do, but they certainly can still be active and not everything has to be done while sitting or lying down.

Activities can be creatively modified to incorporate canes, walkers, slower movement, sitting, etc, but still offer the elderly opportunities for fitness, health, brain activity, laughter, participation and good quality daily living.

Where images of bingo and bridge easily come to mind as activities for assisted living seniors, you should also consider Nintendo Wii, wheelchair races, dress up parties, sing alongs, dances, crafts, cooking, baking and so very much more.

Nintendo Wii can offer bowling, golf and other balance and agility movements that don't have to jeopardize an elderly persons balance and risk of falling. Musical instruments can aid in relaxation, creative expression and group participation as well. Crafts can give the elderly a project that requires some focus, creativity and sense of accomplishment when completed. These can be shown off or given as gifts to their friends or family.

No matter how old one gets the joy of singing and laughing will always leave one feeling happier and joyful. All the more it should be a regular part of the lives of the elderly since they can begin to feel down about their health, distance from family or their simple lack of enthusiasm.

With the availability of CD's and DVD's a senior in assisted living can have a library of old-time TV or radio shows at their disposal such as "The Lucy Show", "Laugh In", "Abbot and Costello", "Perry Mason", "Gunsmoke", "Bob Hope" and many more. Sing along DVD's can be used by one senior, but create a fun atmosphere for many senior citizens to join in together for some much-loved and remembered favourites. Use these during a party and when not dancing to the music, they can all be singing along.

More activities for seniors in assisted living are:

• Gardening
• Computer class
• Pet visits
• Bible studies
• Trivia games
• Vaudeville night
• Movie night
• Pizza parties
• Dance-a-thons
• Wheelchair/walker races
• Costume parties
• Photo sessions
• Barbecues
• Story telling
• Crafts

Public Administration Vs Private Administration

Most authors differentiate public administration and private administration by educational institutions (public schools vs. private schools). Although it's a good example to provide a comprehensive analysis between the two sectors, I found it not the quintessence for a comparative analysis. Historically, in our country, public schools have a much higher quality education than private schools, and studying economics and public administration, it is not just the nature of bureaucracies, nor the scope of public administration that the case today was reversed. While some authors identified over a dozen factors that differentiates public to private administration, Denhardt only speaks of the three fundamental differences between the two. In this paper, I would elaborate Denhardt's three points since, together with economist Boadway's Difference between Public and Private Sector, I found these as the most undisputable and concrete comparisons.

The most apparent difference between the two sectors is their organizing principles or goal. (Denhardt) While private administration has a definite mission, which is the pursuit of profit or stability or growth of revenues, public administration, on the other hand, has ambiguous purposes. Furthermore, the dilemma in ambiguity of purposes is exacerbated by too many unnecessary and inoperable agencies, with purposes that overlap and bloated bureaucracies. One might say that the goal of public administration is to enact public policies, but the overlapping and the main ambiguity of most of these policies, and the vagueness of the enactment of these policies make public administration's purpose to be more ambiguous. Nevertheless, the fact that public institutions are not profit driven, should not lead us to believe that public sector employees and managers are not concerned about financial matters. As is the case with private companies, public sector units and organizations fight for funding and influence.

Another factor that makes the public sector different from the private is decision making. (Denhradt) In public administration, the decision must be and should be pluralistic. The founding fathers intentionally created a democratic republic where all key decisions are made in politicized environment. This allows for maximum participation: open debate, multiple veto points - a decision making hierarchy where consensus must be achieved at each level, ideally, an informed decision. While private administration's decision-making is much more simple- it's monopolistic or close to monopolistic. This type of decision-making would avoid any conflicts in interest; hence, the goal is clearly defined.

The visibility of public administrators is another notable difference between public and private sector. While a manager in a private business may work in relative obscurity, the public manager must operate in the public eye. His or her actions are constantly subjected to public scrutiny. (Denhardt) The publicness of the work of the public manager doesn't end in merely carrying out public policy, the public manager has to respond to the demands of the public. Denhardt speaks of the "inevitable tension" between efficiency and responsiveness, the pressure to manage effectively and to be simultaneously responsive to public concerns. This pressure often leaves public organizations in a "no-win" situation, trying to serve a public that demands effective government but balks at paying for it (taxes). The public also demands accountability in government, an assurance that those who formulate, implement and administer public programs will act responsibly.

One quality that makes public sector different from private is in the form of unit analysis. (Boadway) Apart from publicly owned-companies, most public institutions are part of a larger chain of command and control where it is harder to draw a line between the different parts of the system- and where legal frameworks provide little help in this. For instance: public agencies- like research councils or directorates of health- interact closely with ministries as well as subordinate institution and "users". The innovation activities in these institutions are heavily influenced by decisions made above and below the chain of commands. The closest parallel to private sector will be large conglomerates or multinational companies. The complex system of organizations with various (and to some extent conflicting) tasks, is one of the reasons for the inefficiency of public administration. Although, some authors in public administration, such Woodrow Wilson in The Study of Public Administration, where he reiterated that the evolution of public administration together with its complex system and increasing number of bureaucracies is to complement the population growth, but a population with sufficient number of agencies to manage them and with high marginal productivity for each public employee, is better than a bloated bureaucracy with little or zero marginal productivity, and worse, unnecessary and redundant purpose.

Lastly, although political aspect is both apparent in public and private sector, political aspect is more important in the public than in the private sector. Policy decisions normally affect companies directly and indirectly, through laws, regulations and financial support. The public sector is at least formally controlled by elected politicians. The intimate link between this governance dimension and funding of current expenses of the activities implies a very strong link between ownership and control on the one hand and the growth strategies of the subsidiary organizations.

Nursing Home Abuse - Why is it Happening?

Today, there are approximately 17,000 nursing homes in the United States that house almost 1.6 million residents. According to a troubling report recently released by Congress, nearly one third of these homes, or more than 5,000 in number, have been cited for abuse between 1999 and 2001. Below are the leading 'categories' of abuse.

Physical:

There have been innumerable reports of physical abuse by residents and their families in recent years. Most times, this abuse comes from staff members who are frustrated for one reason or another. For instance, one resident in particular, Helen Love, was featured on CBS News a few years ago. She told a tale of having her neck and wrist broken by a nursing assistant who was angry with her after she soiled herself. She died two days after the interview. This is all-too-typical of physical nursing home injury problems.

Emotional:

A large percentage, with one estimate stating that more than half, of nursing home residents are admitted with some form of lack of mental capabilities. Examples include Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and senility. These conditions only leave a nursing home resident more vulnerable than others to emotional trauma, and thousands of reports of this type of abuse have pervaded the industry in recent years.

Sexual:

The same 2001 Congressional Report detailed horrible stories of sexual abuse, and cited several examples. The specifics included such acts as molestation during bathing, staff members exposing themselves to residents and all-out rape. These instances were not limited to staff members, either - many reports of sexual abuse accused other residents of such behavior.

Overall:

The most troubling statistic from the report is that the percentage of nursing homes cited for abuse in the United States rose from just over 5 percent of homes in 1996 to more than 15 percent in the year 2000. Obviously, this is a growing problem that will only get worse as the population ages collectively. If you have suffered from this terrible tragedy, contact a nursing home lawyer as soon as possible.

Integrating the Elderly and Disabled With Personal Support Worker Training and More

A very modern challenge is integrating the disabled and the elderly into daily life and helping them lead independent lives. While in the past, institutionalization and isolation was the norm, today it is considered to be healthier for society and for the individuals to be able to work, live in non-care home or alternatively structured care-home environments. There are many factors that have gone into this, from sociological research, medical break throughs and the rise of careers like community service worker or for people with personal support worker training.

Some of these concepts are not new. In the distant past, before there was anything close to modern hospital and social infrastructure, disabled people and other people who needed care and assistance were generally looked after by family. Institutions began as a mercy operation for the impoverished or people like veterans, who were being rewarded with care in exchange for their military service. Usually this was part of a religious organization's charitable mission. At this time, excepting nuns, professional nursing was not seen as a respectable profession. People with the resources could hire servants to look after their needs, but even the role of doctor or surgeon was on the cusp of respectability.

With the primitive medicine of the time, it took better results before healthcare became more respected. That was followed by a zealous trend towards institutionalization. Meanwhile alongside a growth in nursing there was also a growth in social work, from which we get the professional community service worker.

At this time, even in the home, there was still an unfortunate trend to hide away sick or disabled people. Disabled persons were seen as being better off in a structured environment where they could receive medical attention. But while this dealt with physical problems efficiently, it created emotional problems. Psychological and sociological research discovered better health results and quality of life. As treatments extended life and increased mobility, disabled and elderly patients became capable of functioning better without constant help.

Meanwhile social values shifted towards more respect for diversity. Simple adaptations like wheelchair ramps were added to many locations. It was discovered that with only a few hours a week from someone with personal support worker training, many of these people could stay in comfortable home networks. Employers are also encouraged to make allowances for disabled workers, increasing their efficacy.

On the other hand, institutions tried to become more like the world outside their walls. Today a retirement community encourages social involvement and resembles a luxury apartment complex more than a hospital. True there are plenty of healthcare workers, but also usually even small stores and hairdressing services. And people are brought in from outside the community for mutual benefit, from school kids to people there to learn from seniors.

Car Accident Lawyer, Helps To Obtain Different Types Of Damages

Life becomes miserable when a person meets with a car accident. Severe car accidents not only make a person disabled, but also result in sky soaring financial outlay for medical treatment, property damage, job loss, reduced income, and in some cases, mental trauma. At this point of time monetary compensation becomes very essential.

However, obtaining compensation from insurance, other party involved or sometimes from the government becomes impossible for an individual due to the complex processes involved. One needs to file a compensation claim in the court. The court finds out who is responsible for the accident. The victim also has to prove that the accident took place due to the other party's fault. Going through all these processes is not easy. So, it is better to help of an experienced car accident lawyer whenever a person meets with an auto mishap.

An experienced car accident lawyer in Tucson can help the victims to file a claim and get compensation. The different damages available for a car accident victim are as follows-

* Medical Expenses: This claim includes expenses incurred due to hospitalization, physical therapy, and other things required for the treatment of the victim. Generally, medical expenses are used as parameter for the determination of other compensations. A victim can also take advantage of future medical expenses if he needs continuation of medical care.

* Lost Wages: This potential compensation could be earned by the victim from the time of the injury to that of health recovery. However, if the victim permanently loses his earning capacity then the offender has to give a handsome amount of money, depending on the past income of the victim.

* Loss of Consortium: This claim is exclusively available for the spouses. If the victim is badly injured and his/her earning is hampered due to the accident, the spouse can claim for loss of consortium. This includes loss of- affection, comfort, sexual relations, companionship, and so on.

* Mental Anguish: This is one of the most important claims. Under this a victim could ask compensation for nervousness, fright, anxiety, humiliation, loss of dignity, grief, and so on.

Do you need a reliable and experienced car accident lawyer? Tucson is one such place in the United States where the residents can take advantage of the highly reputed law firm, Price and Price.

Requirements For Starting an Adult Day Care Business

Starting an adult day care business is not like starting a child care business. Yes, there are similarities because its first of all a business where you are providing a people oriented service so you will need insurance, a building conducive to your state regulations, and the building must be designed for the operation of your business, policies and procedures in accordance with your state regulations. However, that is where the similarities stop.

One should know their audience when starting a service oriented business, just like in any business. The older generation today, which adult day care centers serve, have been given choices in their life, they need respect and to be respected, both men and women have had careers, they are intelligent and need activities to suit their abilities and interests. They have been members of their community and active their whole lives.

Further, adult day care clients need to have a care plan to track their progress and illnesses. These care plans also support the staff for documenting any changes in health and provides goals for the clients to meet. When starting an adult day care center,One needs a team of hands-on care taker aids, an activity director, a RN or LPN, and a consulting doctor, a social worker in some States is not necessary but it is a good idea. This person can work with the families and the client to make sure they are getting consistent care at home and their home is a place where they are safe and free of physical hazards such as; too little lighting, stairs without railings, etc.. Also, an administrator is necessary.

Your clients will have a variety of conditions either physical or psychological due to age. These conditions may include but not limited to, Dementia, Alzheimer's, confusion, a feeling of loss of independence and physical problems. All these need to be accommodated in one way or another. For Alzheimer patients its best to have multiple rooms where they can wander in and out of with out disturbing others or a walking track they can walk on and follow.

Others with physical aliments will need chairs that are not to low or soft so that they are easy to get up from, chairs that fold out to a bed are very useful when someone wants to rest. Carpeted floors are always necessary to limit any damage if someone should fall. A facility with no stairs is necessary or a ramp must be provided. An outdoor activity area would be nice so everyone gets some sunshine and a gardening area is a great activity when set-up correctly for the elderly. Adult day care costs are provided by Medicaid and private pay clients. rehabilitation may be added and billed to Medicare. A great place to get started with the materials and information you need is Adult Day Care Group.

Hiring Boilers - Why Contingency Planning Is Vital

A contingency boiler plan is essential for any building or premises that houses a substantial number of people - whether permanently residing there or just on-site during working hours. A boiler fail may be fixable in a matter of hours, in which case a replacement temporary boiler is probably less vital but until the repair and maintenance company arrive, no-one will know how long the heating and hot water will be down for. Should the problem be more complex than initially suspected or if specific parts need to be ordered, a back up boiler solution can be on site quickly and prevent huge disruption.

Applications that are reliant on boilers for hot water and heating

Last winter, when temperatures plummeted to the lowest on record in some UK regions, and heavy snowfall caused havoc to the country's transport systems, people everywhere prayed that it was a one-off - that following winters would not be as severe. So far so good. But, according to meteorologists, we may not have escaped Siberian temperatures and metres of snow quite yet! That is why, for some, having a back-up boiler solution arranged is essential. Particularly for the following applications...

Hospitals: Most hospitals would struggle to cope for half a day without an adequate hot water and heating supply; in the event of a boiler breakdown, patients could be put through the inconvenience (and stress) of being moved to other wards (or even hospitals), and operations could be cancelled.

Imagine the horror of a sudden loss of hot water and heat during a long operation that is scheduled to take place over a number of hours. With surgical instruments and other equipment needing to be thoroughly cleaned and sterilised throughout the procedure, a boiler failure at a hospital could actually be a life-threatening occurrence.

Care Homes & Nursing Homes: Given the frailty and susceptibility to illness of the elderly, it is not surprising that there are strict governmental guidelines in place regarding the temperature at which British care homes and nursing homes should be kept. (The homes should look to maintain a room temperature of 24-26 degrees Celsius, and a water temperature of 41-44 degrees Celsius.)

To ensure these temperatures are kept up, it is essential that the fixed boiler in each home is reliable and regularly serviced. But the reality is that so many of these boilers are old and often defective, particularly boilers that have been in place for decades in a mature property. For residents and patients, this can be a potentially fatal situation.

Schools: When a boiler fails at a school in winter, the usual decision taken is to send all the pupils (and staff) home. But this is not quite as simple a solution as it sounds; the headache of notifying hundreds, if not thousands, of parents that their children need to be collected can be a logistical nightmare, as well as involving considerable expense. Contacting the same number of families during the evening about a next-day school closure can be equally exhaustive and costly.

Prisons: UK prisons, detention centres and other types of secure accommodation differ from care homes, nursing homes and public hospitals, etc. insofar as the option to transfer people to another facility in the event of a boiler breakdown is rarely there. This makes it essential that the heating and hot water provision at prisons (and other such facilities) is managed well, and that on-site boilers are fully operational at all times. But this is not something that can ever be guaranteed.

Leasing a boiler from a boiler rental specialist can prove the ideal solution for all the aforementioned applications. Having a contingency plan in place is the best way to ensure that any interruption to the heat and hot water supply at a hospital, care home, school, prison (or other) is kept to an absolute minimum.

Contingency plans - what is involved?

When supplying hired boilers (and related equipment) to different premises, the two main challenges a specialist boiler rental company will face are:

Assessing the client's exact requirements and Getting into the site quickly (careful planning between the client and the specialist's transport department and service engineers is crucial in ensuring the delivery goes as planned) These challenges can be easily overcome by the boiler hire specialist performing a survey at the site. It is always a great help to them if the site manager has key details at hand on the day, (e.g. required temperatures for the different site areas) to make the survey/assessment as site-specific as possible.

With a carefully formulated contingency plan in place, site managers can enjoy peace of mind knowing that if "the unthinkable" happens, and there is a fixed boiler system failure at any time, a specialist boiler hire company that operates a 24/7, all-year-round call-out service are always only a phone call away. They will have well-stocked depots strategically positioned across the country, meaning response times will always be fast.

And for Facilities Management Companies...

Finally, at some premises, the responsibility to maintain the heating and hot water supply belongs to a Facilities Management Company (an "FM Company"). In the event of a boiler breakdown, having a back-up solution is vital for them (failure to have one in place could actually cost them the site contract). That is why most work hard to ensure a contingency plan is formulated with a specialist boiler hire company as soon as possible (i.e. upon winning the initial contract) - something that also offers them peace of mind.

The Elderly and Assisted Living

The benefits of assisted living for the elderly is the specialized assistance with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, putting on support stockings, medication management, ensuring that they have nutritionally balanced meals by providing meals in a communal dining room and providing trained nurses.

Other benefits of assisted living are weekly housekeeping, often a hair salon is available or at least the services of a hairdresser and a manicurist as well as someone who will cut their toe nails, a grocery store and a weekly linen service. Additionally, their health, safety and well-being are closely monitored.

There is also organized recreation in many facilities offering such things as movie nights, pub nights, bus trips, weekly entertainment, celebrations for Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas, etc. There are also often card games, knitting groups, crossword puzzle gatherings and other outlets available so that seniors will not be lonely or feel isolated. It is an opportunity to make new friends and talk to others which may have been lacking when they were living on their own. Often pets are welcome too as was the case where my mother lived.

Most assisted living facilities offer self-contained private units. My mother had a large studio apartment with a small kitchenette with cupboards, sink, counter space, a fridge and a microwave. It was all she needed since meals were offered. And she had a separate bathroom large enough to accommodate using her walker. The common area where she lived had a piano which converted to a player piano for those who couldn't play. Often various people would gather around the piano and sing.

Assisted living facilities are ideal for those who are no longer able to live independently but do not require the care that a nursing home offers. According to statistics, the average age of residents is eighty-seven years, women outnumber men three to one and the average length of stay is approximately twenty-eight months. Often after this period of time it is necessary for them to move on to the next level of care. In some facilities the various levels of care are in either the same building or in an attached one so there isn't a huge adjustment for them to make when they are moved.

My mother enjoyed the time she spent at this facility. It was obvious even to her family members that those who worked there were there because they enjoyed working with the elderly. They went well above and beyond in their care for the seniors.

Assisted living is an excellent solution to the care of your aging parent. There is no worry as there is when they are living alone that they will fall and there is no one there to look after them.

Proper Exercise Not Negotiable If You Want to Stay Out of the Nursing Home

The older we get the more we need to protect ourselves from the ravages of aging which are not pretty. Adults who do not do enough muscle building and maintaining activity lose muscle tissue at the rate of 4 percent per decade until age 50 then the loss accelerates to 10 percent per decade.

Along with the muscle tissue loss is the accompanying loss of bone strength as without strong muscles pulling on the bones they are attached to they have no reason to stay strong. Negative body composition changes (muscle/fat ratio) decrease the efficiency of the metabolism (the body's engine) heart and lung function declines and health is pulled into a downward spiral.

With the muscular strength loss is a loss of body endurance and stamina which is noticed when everyday tasks and activities become harder and more tiresome. Extra energy that could be used for enjoyable activities now has to be used just to get through the day.

Although these are age-related conditions - they are more noticed as one gets older they have been happening since a much younger age. Somewhere in the mid 20's these decreases start happening and are closely linked to how much proper exercise is done.

This loss of muscle is known as sarcopenia affecting both genders and plays a huge part in the multitude of health issues and physical function decline during the aging process.
We all need to participate in a proper strength training exercise program to fight the effects of aging so we can get through them with a good quality of life and plenty of protection from premature and preventable disease.

Proper exercise is not a 'luxury' or "if I have time left over I'll do it" scenario. It is a non-negotiable high priority self care necessity that will make aging a much more enjoyable experience and not something to be feared as an inevitable trip to the nursing home.
If we want to stay out of those places we each need to take responsibility for our own strength and health. If left to chance they will disappear along with our quality of life. When the human body is allowed to become weak, disease is always waiting in the shadows to pounce.

To get yourself going your local gym or fitness center can help you get started on a proper exercise program and monitor your progress. Time and effort should not be wasted doing the wrong types of exercise or at too low an intensity (degree of effort).

We are the lucky ones as our parents and even our grandparents did not have access to this knowledge and we watched them lose their strength, health, independence and dignity. We do not have to follow in their footsteps on this one. A strength training program is a key anti-aging strategy to reduce, delay and reverse the villain sarcopenia. Get yourself strong so you look and feel better and more youthful than you will believe.

Those People Have Nothing But a House

Success is about So Much more than a Well Decorated Structure

The quote referenced above, "Bruce, those people have nothing but a house" was among the embarrassing comments a family made to me after I sent them to meet operators of an assisted living program in SE Michigan. My office supplied the family with a list of items we recommend shoppers of assisted living services pay attention to along with questions to ask the program operators. This family followed our outline.

Unfortunately this family did not receive the answers they were looking for. Instead they labeled the owners as care oblivious, overly money focused and ill-equipped to manage the care of an elderly person. One home administrator asked the family: "how much can you afford?" instead of providing a fee chart. Thankfully we gave them three, (3) programs to visit and one, (1) was selected to serve our client.

The entire experience reminded me of the sad state of affairs in which the adult foster care community finds itself in the State of Michigan and why a total overhaul is necessary to create lasting, comprehensive initiatives which can serve the aged and catastrophically injured in credible, clinically adept, community based settings on into the next generation. To do so we must get beyond the confidence associated with the "we have a nice house" mentality.

How did we arrive in such a shameful and ineffective place? Adult foster care goes back a long ways. My late Uncle Larry Hughes lived in a state financed facility as far back as the 1950's when he was unable to readjust to society after his return from the Korean conflict. I recall my mom stating how much she hated the place and eventually my late Aunt Ruth took him in with her for the next several decades. Uncle Larry died in 2002; my Aunt Ruth in 2007.

During this same period a boon occurred with tons of people licensing homes to serve the mentally ill with state and federal dollars. Licensing standards with no real emphasis on clinical preparedness continue to be a contributor to a lackluster system.

Eventually in an effort to promote choice and a better system of monitoring services, the Managed Care Provider Network came along with a fee for service model whose clinical aptitude remains questionable in the minds of many today. The eventuality was over capacity, budget stretches, provider disgust, adult foster care homes being developed in a conglomerate mode by profit-seekers without realistic and comprehensive programmatic goals and worse.

Today, several years later there appears to be no clear sign of significant change on the horizon although some close to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder cite his desire to see change in how services are delivered to the mentally ill and developmentally delayed. If the buzz holds true, changes will include more oversight over county management of mental health dollars.

I feel the need to be clear. It takes money to manage a residential program which serves delicate, often aggressive and seriously behavioral populations. Operators deserve to be paid.

However, I also believe there are too many in the business who are not 'quality of life' focused. This includes those who formerly housed a young catastrophically injured man whose care I have influenced. He phoned me not long ago to tell me he is not being fed enough. Can you imagine receiving $400.00 per day to care for someone and a request for an extra sandwich is treated like a burden?

Add to the list those who in my opinion would prefer to be well meaning people but whose sole focus appears to be on the quality of their furniture, how many televisions their home has or maybe how clean they manage to keep it. When I inquire about the sophistication of their recreational therapy program, activities program, physical rehabilitation initiatives, nutritional approaches and more I get a blank stare. To some these are secondary concerns, after all, they have a nice house; right? What a tragic approach to care delivery!

To really succeed in assisted living, especially with so much attention being placed on poor quality (and I have every intention of increasing the pressure) we must give attention to much more than how nice the home is. We need to be focused on the clinical, spiritual, psychological and emotional concerns of every person placed there.

A new class of assisted living pragmatists takes a highly person-centered approach centering around four, (4) key principles I developed called the G.A.I.N. Initiative:

1. Gather as much information as possible on family background
(This only works for the unselfish operator since you have to take a personal interest)

2. Assist in adjusting to less independent lifestyle
(This only works for the 'people focused' since we care about the resident's ability to adjust and their daily comfort level in the new assisted living environment; not just how soon we can generate an invoice)

3. Invest into re-creation of previous environment with a focus on comfort and peace of mind
(This requires a spiritual approach on the part of owners. In order to re-create portions of a person's previous living environment you have to care enough to learn about it)

4. Never stop the effort to heighten customized approach to care
(This is a customization issue; looking, listening, learning daily about the new resident's idiosyncrasies and teaching your staff the value of doing the same. You cannot serve me until you know me!)

I teach these principles in our sister company's Critical Skill Class and no trade association, no industry group is doing the same; a key ingredient in taking assisted living to the next level.

Sadly, as long as I hear of homes which tell residents, "no you can never live independently", - regardless of the legitimacy of the resident's preparedness to move on to different circumstances - solely so the home can minimize loss revenue, we have not arrived. All that is being promoted is "resident discouragement". Is this what you are in business to accomplish? You deserve to be paid, but not at the expense of real person-centeredness.

Now add the other home which opens a resident's mail and keeps income for itself even if it does not belong to them. For them it's live now and "worry about the consequences later." Yes the adult foster care community is loaded with thieves, the angry and unprepared.

I am not alone. The no-fault insurance community has also grown tired of the chicanery and is demonstrating it through a surge of new lawsuits. Yes some re-creation must involve litigation!

Real soul searching and an open mind can lead you to determining if you belong in any aspect of care delivery. These attributes can also help you to determine if your arrival in care is solely based upon the simplicity associated with getting into the business, even though you have no real commitment to the individuality of those you may be called upon to serve. Laundromats, party stores and car washes also make money.

Think about it. For some there may be only one solution: Get out now! Let those of us who are committed to quality of life persevere on into the next generation.

Thanks for allowing us to share.

Patience Of The Registered Nurse

Choosing a line of profession as a registered nurse has its rewards as well as consequence. Looking on the bright side, the ability to help the ailing and injured on a healing journey towards full recovery is certainly reward enough. Despite hardship, lack of rest and constant stress in having to juggle the needs of patients versus physicians, the joy of relieved parents whose child has just pulled through a dire condition is worth the effort in any nursing experience.

As doctors treat the patients in a methodical manner, they tend to be less than humane in their action. This is not to put down any individuals in the business of saving lives as all acknowledge that the average man needs medical attention some time in his life. To impart the soft touch, registered nurses often take on the role as they face the patient and kin on a more regular basis. In the course of observing the patient's progress, these professionals do their part in educating their charges on what is needed to expedite healing as well as promote a better chance of full recovery.

These individuals also serve as a stabilizing force as junior as well as senior physicians may experience momentary lapses in the face of a difficult situation. Drawing on their vast pool of nursing experience, a comforting word helps to put all at ease as nerves and blood pressures calm down. Nurses who work in intensive care as well as trauma units obviously work on maintaining their composure as frenzy easily leads to errors.

In the wake of constant exposure to health risks, registered nurses practice utmost levels of hygiene at all times. Contraction and spread of germs across a ward or clinic easily brings disaster on the establishment as well as the neighborhood. By taking the knowledge to schools, seminars and community meetings, this group of selfless individuals helps to make the world a healthier place.

Choosing the Right Nursing Job - Nurses Have Many Career Paths In Medical Industry

If you've already decided that nursing job is what you want, you've made a fantastic decision. You should know that there are plenty of different nursing specialties, and that there's a tremendous nursing shortage in the U.S. Just like there are different types of doctors, there are different types of nurses. And that is why nursing is such an exciting field. If you get tired of one area, there's always another.

Below are several different directions your new career in nursing could take you...

Certified Nurse Aides - As an important member of the health care team, CNAs are the "eyes and ears" of nurses. They observe patients, administer medications, develop care plans, prepare operating rooms, bathe patients, and much more. They average $25,000 a year, and it only takes 120 hours of work, 16 hours of supervision, and 12 hours of annual training.

Licensed Practical Nurse - The step before RN is an exciting opportunity. LPNs can give basic care like take samples, measure vitals, monitor patients, and other similar work. They must work under the supervision of an RN at all times. They average around $35,000 a year.

Registered Nurse - The backbone of the health care industry is as a registered nurse. RNs must obtain an associate degree, Bachelor degree, or diploma program, plus have hands on experience. This process can take between 2 and 4 years, but you will make approximately $50,000 per year. It is the largest healthcare profession, with over 2.5 million RNs nationwide.

Nursing Home Nurse - As the baby boomers come of age, nursing homes are popping up across the country and all nursing homes are required by law to have a registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day. This is a big market.

Home Health Nurse - These are usually RNs that do house calls to care for people that are house bound. There is a high level of responsibility, but also you control your own hours to some extent.

Head Nurse/ Nurse Supervisor - A position that is earned after hard work in the nursing field. This lucrative position brings in over $75,000 annually, but comes with the responsibility of supervision and experience.

Travel Nurse - This may be the best of both worlds - nurse and traveler. With this job, you are able to travel the country and work at hospitals that need temporary help - usually with nice perks like free housing. You may spend the winter in a skiing winter wonderland and your summer at an island resort. This is a great way to see the world and get paid well.

If you choose to get a master's degree in nursing, you could become...

Nurse Practitioner - After becoming a registered nurse, further education and training bring you to the next level of nursing - nurse practitioner. NPs can write prescriptions, order tests, do physicals, and much more. They can work with a doctor's office, hospital, or independently. The average salary is $75,000.

Nurse Anesthetist - After nursing school, add approximately 24 to 36 months of further education to become a CRNA. CRNAs are nationally certified nurses that provide anesthesia care. An average CRNA salary ranges upwards of $125,000. Not too shabby.

There are many other nursing professions that are not listed in detail here. You may want to be school nurse and deal with cuts and bruises from recess accidents... Or your passion may be to help with psychiatric patients... Or you may be a full time provider for an elderly relative... Or even a nursing school teacher...

Whatever path you choose, you will find work. Nurses are in extremely high demand across the globe! When you are a qualified nurse, be ready to pick where you want to work, what hours you want to work, and what type of nurse you want to become.

Testing Day For the NCLEX

This is the day that you will sit for your nursing boards, and take the NCLEX. Be sure that you have you ATT, (Authorization To Test) form with you. You will not be able to test without this form. You will also need to present picture identification. Of course now is not the time to ask yourself if you have studied enough, but hopefully you have. Many people who sit for the NCLEX have fears that they have not studied enough.

The truth is, that if you are taking the exam within a month or so after you have graduated from nursing school and have spent at least three hours per day studying various NCLEX tutorials, you should be just fine. It is important to relax. Remember, you have had two intense years of nursing practice and material. In addition to the material that you have studied in nursing school, you probably also had to do training modules on the internet. Try not to let yourself get caught up worrying about others who didn't pass the NCLEX.

You do not know others study regime, focus only on yourself and what you have done to prepare for the nursing boards. If you are already working as a graduate nurse, it may be wise to ask for a day or two off prior to taking your boards. Many hospitals will gladly oblige in allowing their newly hired graduate nurses some time off to study for their boards. After all, the hospitals want their graduate nurses to get their Registered Nurses Licensure.

Hospitals will not allow graduate nurses to pass medications until they have their license. Hospitals will also pay you for the day that you sit for your nursing boards. It behooves those graduate nurses to begin work in a hospital setting soon after graduation. Many hospitals have two to three week classroom orientation for new nurses. These orientations cover hands on demonstrations of various nursing skills such as chest tube management, how to draw blood through PIC lines, I.V. insertion, tube feeding, PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesic Pumps) and many other skills.

This learning also benefits those who are preparing for the NCLEX, which is why it is advisable to start working prior to taking the boards. Now let's get back to the NCLEX testing day. The place of testing will be a Pearson Vue testing center. When you approach the main desk, you will be asked to present your Authorization To Test form and a picture I.D., usually your driver's license. The receptionist will then ask you to sign in and give you number. You will be given some reading material regarding the test and be asked to take a seat and return to the desk after you have finished reading.

Once you have returned the reading material, you will be given a key. This is a key to one of the lockers in which you will put your belongings. You cannot take anything into the testing room with you. This includes any pocket change, comb, hair clips, wrist watch and anything else that you can think of that you may carry on your person. The next step is to verify your identification. You will be photographed and fingerprinted. Upon being called into the testing area, you will be fingerprinted again prior to entry into the testing room. The testing room is in constant view of the administrator, and there is also a camera above each person testing. You are given an erasable white board with marker for calculations. You are instructed to raise your hand if you need to leave the testing area or to use the facilities, after which the test administrator will escort you out. The test is scheduled for a maximum of six hours or two hundred and sixty five questions, or there about.

Due to the fact that the test is based on a computer adaptive testing format or CAT, you may finish the test before reaching the maximum number of questions. The number of questions that you finish with does not have any bearing on whether you passed or failed. Those that pass may do so with answering only seventy five questions or two hundred and sixty five questions. While testing you are allowed to take a break at any time, but the time is counted toward the total six hours. Once you have completed the test, you must raise your hand and be escorted out by the test administrator.

They will return your license to you and fingerprint you one last time. You can find out if you have passed or failed the NCLEX within forty eight hours, including Saturday's and Sunday's, either by checking the Pearson Vue web site, or by phone. There is a small charge between seven and ten dollars for this service. It usually takes about five working days from the time that your results became available to receive your Registered Nurse Licensure from the Nursing Boards of your state. The hospital can also access the results for you as well.

Once you have received your Registered Nurse Licensure, the rate of pay goes up from graduate nurse to staff nurse by several dollars or more, depending on the hospital organization. Your nursing license is good for one year. During this time it is not mandatory to collect continuing education points toward license renewal. However, after one year, you will renew your license and will have to begin to earn continuing educational credits toward renewal of your license after two years. The state of Michigan requires twenty five continuing educational units for Registered Nurse License renewal. It is important to keep documentation of your continuing educational credits toward your license, because you can be audited by the State Board of Nursing at anytime. Failure to provide the State Board of Nursing proof of continuing educational credits or CEU's may result in a temporary suspension of your license.

Remember, you license is public knowledge. Anyone can access the State Nursing Boards to see who has had their license suspended or who is facing disciplinary actions. Therefore it is very important to protect your license at all time and to know your states Nurse Practice Act by laws. In abiding by the rules and regulations of your State Board of Nursing you will ensure safe practice as well as protect your license.

CNA Training in Preventing Nursing Home Negligence

Ensuring that nursing home residents are properly cared for is of the utmost importance. Preventing accidents and undue harm to residents is one of the main goals in caring for individuals in a continuing care environment. During CNA training the prevention of accidents is taught thoroughly during the clinical section of the course. Avoiding possible injury that can result in charges of nursing home negligence is extremely important for a certified nursing assistant.  

Nursing home negligence usually occurs when a trained qualified professional such as a doctor, nurse or nurse's aide fails to provide the necessary care for a patient in a nursing home environment. Neglect can be prevented which is why it is such a problem when discovered. Medical professionals are trained to provide high levels of care depending on the level of their training. With a certified nursing assistant some forms of neglect could include failure to feed a patient resulting in malnourishment, infections of the skin as a result of improper bathing, the occurrence of severe bedsores as a result of not turning a patient on a regular schedule and failing to maintain a sanitary environment by changing bed pans routinely. These are unfortunate circumstances that can definitely be prevented. No patient should have to become ill or suffer because a certified nursing assistant fails to do his or her job. Choosing to work as a certified nursing assistant affirms that you are committed to performing certain duties each and everyday. This kind of negligence can be prevented by taking your job seriously and being as thorough as possible in performing your functions as a CNA.  

Negligence is not only harmful to the patient but it can have a devastating impact on your record as a nurse's aid. Since your job is to provide the basic care for the elderly and the disabled within a continuing care environment, your failure to do so shows that you are not practicing your profession at the highest level. At the worst, you could have charges filed against you by relatives of the affected patient or by the state on behalf of the individual. The nursing home could lose its license because of negligence and to prevent this they will fire you to prevent this from happening. Finding employment after losing one's job as a certified nursing assistant because of neglect can be extremely difficult. In extreme cases your certification could be revoked ending your career.  

If you've taken your certified nursing assistant training seriously and show dedication to performing your job, you can prevent the unfortunate circumstances related to nursing home negligence.  

The World of Nursing and What It's All About

Nurses provide skilled health care to patients in a variety of health care settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, assisted care homes, schools, day care centers, public health agencies or urgent care centers. Nurses must have a diversity of skills that include not only health care but health care management, counselor, advocate for the patient and at times, equipment technician.

A career in nursing starts with the desire to help people. A nursing candidate must have a caring nature, the ability to work under pressure, excellent problem solving skills and the physical endurance required to run at full tilt most of the time caring for patients or providing health information.

Most nursing positions require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an accredited school along with state licensing through a comprehensive exam, usually taken sometime after graduation.

Once educated and licensed the sky is the limit for a nurse with drive and ambition. Nurses can expect to find employment in traditional patient care in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted care facilities, school nurse, or urgent care centers.

However, the world of nursing goes beyond the walls of a hospital or doctors office. Nursing opportunities can be found in a variety of places and here are a few of the many.

Nurses may find employment with their local Board of Health and work to educate the public on health care issues that minimize health risks and promote a healthy life style with proper nutrition and exercise. They often focus on a particular segment of the population such as children or the elderly.

Complimentary Health Care Nursing is a growing field also called "alternative" health care. This is an alternative to traditional western medicines known as allopathic medicine. These alternative health care measures may include chiropractic massage, acupuncture, herbalism, nutrition and reflexology as a way of treating illness and disease. Many nurses practice these alternatives themselves or work in clinics with such practitioners. This type of health care is believed to be an up and coming field of nursing.
There are well over a million people incarcerated in prisons today and like all other parts of the population require medical care from time to time. It takes a special kind of person to become a nurse in a prison and work with those unfortunate to be in prison. Due to the population and the element involved it is not a traditional medical setting. Before considering taking on a nursing job in a prison setting, it is recommended to have a few years experience.

Perhaps your calling in the nursing field is to teach. You have gained valuable experience in the nursing field and want to pass that knowledge along to an up and coming crew of aspiring nurses. Usually a master's degree is required to teach. Teaching is an ideal way to combine your love of the profession and the satisfaction of helping to improve the profession. Lack of qualified nursing instructors is one of the reasons there is a shortage of nurses today. It is also another reason why nursing programs have waiting lists - there just aren't enough good teachers to go around. If you aspire to influence the profession of nursing, teaching could be for you.

An Occupational Health Care Nurse can usually be found in a factory or similar setting that employs a large number of people. Having a nurse on staff for a large population is more cost effective than sending an employee to a clinic or emergency room for non life threatening injuries or illness. An additional duty for these nurses might be to outline health and safety programs, wellness programs and holding seminars to promote work safety.

Alcohol and drug addiction are such wide spread problems in today s society a segment of medical care can be dedicated just to that field. A Substance abuse nurse works with individuals who are caught in the nightmare of substance abuse. Nurses may work in a detox clinic, a rehab clinic or counseling. A nurse who chooses this field of nursing is absolutely dedicated to helping folks escape the web of substance abuse and putting their life on the road to recovery and becoming a productive citizen. It can be very rewarding to see a success story unfold before your very eyes but equally as frustrating when that story relapses back to destructive ways.

Perhaps your niche is managing people. You have good management skills and enjoy working in the administrative part of nursing as an Administrative Nurse. Hospitals, as well as other care facilities, nurse staffing companies and health care providers often will employ a nursing administrator to coordinate and manage the nursing staff. A prerequisite for this job is clinical nursing experience, perhaps a master's degree and good management skills.

The world can always use more Visiting Nurse's and perhaps that is where you're calling lies. Visiting Nurses do just that; provide visitations to patients that require help with everyday tasks or patients that need short term help due to surgery or illness. Often the presence of a visiting nurse will enable the patient to stay in their own home rather than a hospital or other care facility.

There is a wide variety of nursing opportunities for those who want to work outside of a hospital setting. If you take just a moment to look around, you will find something that a little out of the ordinary that suits your character.