The Difference Between a Retirement Home and Nursing Home

Helping someone you love find the proper elderly home can be a difficult process. There are many different options out there, so make sure that you understand the distinction between the types of homes offered.

If your loved one is entirely mobile and they do not need any type of medical assistance, they will probably feel most comfortable at a retirement home. These homes are largely apartment buildings for seniors that include various activities and amenities - almost like a resort for the elderly. Contrastingly, nursing homes are establishments that have been erected in order to help those that need constant medical attention. Right from the start, you should be able to determine what sort of home your loved one needs.

It is not a good idea to place a mobile person in a nursing home, since they will not be autonomous. This is precisely why most nursing homes will not accept any new people that do not require outside help. While those within these types of homes do not have to be completely bed stricken, they usually need help attending to daily tasks such as brushing their teeth, getting dressed, and going outside for a walk. The routine inside of a nursing home tends to be organized and scheduled every day - in short, there is no room for individual activities within this type of establishment. Since the staff that works at a nursing home provides around the clock attention, the cost of living at this type of home is generally higher than a retirement home.

Those elderly people that simply want to live in a smaller space will often seek out a retirement home. This type of home does not include any type of medical care, though it may include various extras such as transportation, senior services, and events that are planned with seniors in mind. Many seniors move to retirement homes when their own homes become too much to handle. Retirement homes charge a monthly rental fee that changes from home to home depending upon the type of services offered.

Now that you know the fundamental differences, you can begin to look around for the type of home that your loved one needs. Make sure to visit any kind of home unannounced during the afternoon hours - this way, you can see what the regular operations look like. Also, always bring your loved one with you to visit a home, so that you can be sure they like the atmosphere. Even though this process is never easy, it can be a lot easier if you know what type of home you are looking for.

Helping The Elderly - Becoming a Social Worker for Seniors

With the numbers of seniors increasing every year with the baby boomers reaching retirement age the need for those social workers that help provide them with a variety of different services is increasing as well.

So it is important that people who are interested in helping people should consider becoming a social worker that specifically works for the older citizens of our country.

The first thing you will need to have to qualify is a bachelor's degree. This is the very first step in being able to be a social worker for senior citizens. Usually that degree would be in either human services or sociology.

You will then have to go on and get yourself a master's degree in overall social work. All states requires that a person has a master's degree in this field just to be able to get a license. During this time you will have a lot of different chances to participate in internships while you are getting your master's degree, some of the places you should consider doing this at is at nursing homes, senior centers or other organizations that work with older people in your area.

Many states are going to require that you also have completed a certain amount of hours in the field after you get your degree but before you get your license. This is supervised experience such as working with an organization that works with older clients.

After you have done this you will then have to move on and take the National Social Work exam. This exam is given by the ASWB or Association of Social Work Boards. This exam is the only way that you can get your license to become a social worker.

After you have passed your exam, you can then go a head and put in your application to get your license from your state. If you decide that you want to practice in a different state than where you got your education you will need to go there and apply with them because each state has their own application requirements.

So it is really important that you check with whatever state you are interested in working in, to see what kinds of documentation will be needed in order for you to apply for your license with them.

Once you have done all of this and you have gotten your license in hand, it is time for you to start looking for a place that you can work with senior citizens. You can work at a variety of different places once you have your license. There are hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing hospitals, state agencies and other community organizations that are in need of social workers to help represent the needs of their elderly citizens.

One final note: A major requirement for a person to get their license as a social worker is their ability to pass a criminal background check as well as a regular background check.

Medication Management and Supervision - Assisted Living Homes

One of the biggest benefits of living in an assisted living home environment for the elderly is medication management. It is expected that with age comes health problems. Older folks are usually on multiple medications; in fact, some individuals may be taking dozens of different medications each day. Keeping up with it all can be a burden. Of course making sure that medicine is taken as prescribed is very important in order to repeat the therapeutic or sometimes even life-sustaining benefits of what the doctor has ordered. Unfortunately as folks get older they may have trouble trying to make sure they are taking the right medicine at the right time in the right amount. Some may forget to take their medication at all, while others may forget that they have taken it and then end up taking too much. Medication management is a real issue for some elderly folks, especially since dementia is usually

Managing all the medication can be very stressful and many times it becomes overwhelming and the individual simply decides not to take the medication. This is where assisted living homes really can make a difference.

How It Works

The process is very convenient and simplistic. It is not intrusive, it is simply a matter of one individual is helping another to take the right medication. In most assisted living homes there are dedicated staff members that have some type of medical training that are tasked with dispensing medication and making sure that everyone gets what they need.

This is a perfect way to insure that all the residents are on the correct medication and that they take it when prescribed as prescribed. There are some cases where this can be the difference between life and death.

An additional benefit, especially with a new medication, is having someone there to monitor the reactions of the medication on the individual. In assisted living homes, most of the staff get to know the residents very well and are trained to listen for cues indicating that a medication is not working as it should or that it is causing uncomfortable side effects. Regardless of the age a lot of folks are just not that in tune with their body's cues and they might take a medication that may cause side effects that they might attribute to other causes never realizing that it is the medication that they are taking.

Supervision can include checking blood pressure and other bodily functions for a sign of something amiss. This is a great service that is a safety net of sorts to be sure that the medication that is prescribed is working as it should.

Diabetes

Diabetes afflicts many older adults for a host of reasons. It is a very serious disease that needs to be monitored closely. In assisted living homes, when medication is being supervised, many times so is the resident's blood sugar level. This is a great service that can save lives.

Alzheimer's disease

Many elderly patients suffer from conditions that bring on dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. Dementia patients in particular can benefit from medication management that is offered by assisted living facilities.

Assisted living homes are a great way to being sure that an older adult is being assisted with day to day needs to include taking medication.

Retirement Homes in India - Bliss For Aged

Retirement homes give senior citizens a healthy and peaceful environment, where they can simply unwind themselves and live those golden years again.

These homes are privately owned rental accommodations for seniors who are able to manage and pay for their own care. Generally, retirement homes are designed for seniors who need minimal to moderate support with their daily living activities. The settings of these homes enable residents to live as independently as possible, while providing certain services and social activities. Most retirement homes offer meals, housekeeping, laundry, and recreational and social programs. These homes can be an appropriate option for people who do not require 24-hour nursing care. One can live a healthy life with regular exercise, meditation, and healthy food in retirement homes.

With the increase in the spending power, the demand for retirement homes is expectedly on the rise. The financially secured senior citizens want to spend their last years in luxury, with all the amenities they were used to during their working years, and with the added comfort of having medical and other care services at hand.

'Retirement Homes' are also vacation homes for some. As many of these cater to the needs of retirees whose children live outside India. In recent years, several senior Indian immigrants from the US and UK have purchased villas and apartments in India. Some of them have already transferred their residence to India, and some others treat these much like vacation homes, with yearly trips for extended stays in India. Developers are also looking at a big non-resident Indian (NRI) retirement market and building homes for the high-income couples working abroad in the US, Canada, Europe and even the Middle East who will retire in the next 3 to 5 years. This is a big opportunity. There are couples working abroad who would want to spend 3 to 6 months in a year in India. Retirement homes could target them as well.

Though the concept is very western, many Indian developers are also coming up with Retirement Homes. Some property developers from Pune have introduced the concept of "Apartments for the old". They have constructed apartments that will suit the requirements of old people - the interior design and the amenities are built in a manner that will suit their needs. These Retirement Homes offer several advantages like:

The elderly can spend time with people of the same age. This helps them bond better and make lasting friendships with people they can relate to.

They can conduct activities which they can enjoy together - like playing games and going on a picnic.

Medical facilities are offered for its residents. This is especially useful if the individual has no family to fall back on.

Anyone can apply to a retirement home. You do not need to provide medical evidence that you need a minimum level of care. The retirement home, however, may assess your needs to ensure that it can provide you with appropriate support, or that you do not need more support than it can provide.

Besides these amenities, builders feel that it is important to develop these homes away from the crowded city life. Also, the prices of metros are beyond the reach of senior citizens. Some developers like Covai Property Centre feel Coimbatore is a promising option for development of retirement homes. Mr. A. Sridharan, Managing Director of the company has said that Coimbatore has a strong case for becoming a favoured destination of the retirees because of salubrious climate, excellent medical facilities, proximity to famous religious and tourism centres and the availability of direct flights to important international destinations.

Some residents of these retirement homes say that they have chosen to live their by choice and not because of any compulsion. They need their own space like younger generation. It's time for retirees to live life king size.

Legal Limits of Care in Assisted Living Facilities

When aging parents come to the point when assisted living seems like the best choice, it is usually their baby boomer children who see it first. Perhaps the adult children live in another state. Perhaps they are unable to visit Mom or Dad often enough to feel comfortable leaving them alone.

The death of a spouse or a gradual loss of independence in self care-any of these reasons may lead to the adult child's decision to move the parent. As an assisted living facility representative is likely to tell you, it is often the adult children who first come to look the place over, later bringing their parents to see the place for themselves. These adult children are the hidden consumers of services.

Assisted vs Nursing Home

As the hidden consumers, what do the adult children of aging parents need to understand about these facilities? Very simply: what the facility can't do. Invariably, the sales pitch tells you what the facility can do, which is fine, and to be expected. But as a consumer, you must understand the difference between assisted  and nursing care. First, an assisted living facility is not a nursing home with fancy furniture. Assisted living is not licensed to give nursing care.

Typically, assisted living facilities are places where elders live in a supervised community, with some personal care services available. Meals, social activity, and help with the activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing are all usually offered at such facilities. The focus is on providing a healthy social environment and preventing social isolation. It is a worthy focus, as isolation is dangerous, and widespread among elders whose independence is declining.

If your parent is in fragile health and seems to be steadily declining physically or mentally, be cautious about choosing an assisted living facility over a nursing home (also known as a skilled nursing facility). No one chooses a nursing home first. Nursing homes are more like hospitals, as they must be to deliver skilled care to frail seniors. But if your aging parent needs nursing care, and must be watched day and night, or you believe that he or she is likely to need such supervision in the near future, it is the only choice.

Assisted living facilities are not licensed by Medicare or Medicaid to give skilled care. Some have a separate skilled nursing facility on-site or nearby, but it will have its own license to deliver skilled nursing care. That license does not apply to the assisted living component, even the two facilities are located on the same campus or are operated by the same parent company.

Doctors & Nurses Not Required

Many assisted living facilities do not have any licensed nurse on staff, and may have no nurse connected to them at all. Because they are considered non-medical facilities, having a licensed nurse is not required by law. Even if a nurse is employed by the assisted living facility, the nurse cannot give hands-on care in the form of dressing a wound, administering around-the-clock insulin, administering oxygen, or other tasks that are defined by the federal and state governments as "skilled nursing care."

Skilled nursing care may only be administered within a facility that is licensed to do so. Legally, this kind of facility is licensed as a skilled nursing facility, although it may have a different business name that it markets itself as, such as an "extended care" or "long-term care" facility. Medicare and Medicaid also designate these homes as skilled nursing facilities.

Because skilled nursing facilities bill Medicare and/or Medicaid for skilled nursing care, they must comply with many complex legal regulations and requirements. Assisted living facilities are regulated by the state Department of Social Services, not the Department of Health, which regulates nursing homes. Assisted living facilities do not have the same safety or administrative requirements as a skilled nursing facility, and they are prohibited from giving care they are not licensed to give.

Limitations to Specialized Care Waivers

There are exceptions to some of the federal and state government's licensing requirements. For example, a licensed assisted living facility may take care of residents with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, if it has a waiver to accept this kind of resident. The facility must also have certain protections in place to prevent injury to its demented residents.

However, it is still prohibited from restraining a demented resident who has a tendency to wander. There are many other limitations to what an assisted living facility can do, even with waivers. Taking care of residents with dementia can be unpredictable, and skilled nursing can become necessary as the disease progresses.

When an aging parent has to move out of the family home, or out of a long-term residence of any kind, the move can be difficult, even traumatic. If you are considering assisted living as an option for your loved one, be sure your focus is on the long run. Carefully consider what he or she will need a year down the road. Moving an elder twice within a short period can be extremely hard on both of you, so make your decisions based on the overall picture, not just on what the assisted living facility can do for him or her right now.

As hidden consumers, adult children must be fully aware of the limits of assisted care. Assisted care facilities can be wonderful and supportive environments for residents who don't need skilled care. If you are considering assisted living for your aging parent, be sure this kind of place is a match for your parent's needs.

The Caregiver Trap

National studies find that elder abuse is often committed by family members. Many times these are Caregivers. The resulting conflict and alienation can be avoided. A "caregiver contract" can eliminate problems of financial elder before they occur.

There comes a time when an aging parent needs a full time caregiver. Many times a child, usually a daughter, steps up and either moves in or takes mom in her own home. Everybody knows that being a full time caregiver for an elderly person is a difficult job, but not everybody appreciates how dangerous it can be for the caregiver and the elder. Too often elder abuse becomes a part of the relationship. While there is a wide array of abuse, one form may easily be avoided and that is financial abuse by an exhausted child caregiver.

Reports have shown that elder abuse is most often committed by persons known to the elder. Spouses and children are the top perpetrators. There are abusers who are caregivers for only one purpose - to get the elder's
money. When financial elder abuse is committed by children, it is often by those who have a history of financial problems or addictions. The great majority of caregivers are not in it for the money. They don't want any of a parent's property and if asked will say "if I wanted money I would have gotten a job." Yet there are times when these well meaning children dip into their parent's accounts to benefit themselves.

A short definition of elder abuse is any taking of a vulnerable adult's property for self use. If a parent is dependent on a child for full time care then she is vulnerable. Even if she is of sound mind her will can be overcome by
pressure from the caregiver. A simple statement such as "I will have to put you in a nursing home and get a job" can cause the elder to give the caregiver almost anything.

There is a complex interplay of fact and emotion that can drive a caregiver to financial elder abuse. Studies show that the stress of full time care giving causes serious health impairments. The stressors are many. The parent may be a demanding, unappreciative patient. The child may be on 24 hour duty for months without a break. The caregiver may become emotionally exhausted and angry at the parent for her loss of health and lack of appreciation. She be angry with siblings who do not do their share to help out.

A child caregiver's services, no matter how valuable, are presumed to be rendered gratuitously. The unpaid child caregiver who lives in the parent's home often has very little financial means. The caregiver may only be available
because she is not employed. She often has no spouse and very little in savings. The caregiver may note that the siblings are doing well financially while she is tottering on the brink of financial ruin. She may become aware of the commercial value of her care. A live-in aide may cost over $7,000 per month. Finally feeling at the end of her rope she may conclude that all her effort has merely saved mother's money for the inevitable nursing home.

Driven by these factors the caregiver may appropriate a parent's money to pay her bills or to buy things that salve the hurt. Without voluntary and informed consent by a competent parent, these appropriations are elder abuse and the daughter could be subject to criminal prosecution. While even the smallest taking is criminal, it is often that the money taken is small at the start and then rapidly grows. The result is an elder who loses her caregiver and has no money left to pay for commercial care.

Dysfunctionality of the family is another factor often at work in these situations. While there are many causes, a commonly overlooked component is that of the dependent personality of the parent. It sets up a psychodynamic
between the parent and those upon whom he or she depends. I describe it as the pattern of the dependent person who needs others for support. This type of person marries a spouse with a "strong" personality who proceeds to be the "one in charge who takes care of everything."

The "weaker" spouse develops ways of manipulating the stronger to get his or her needs met. When the strong spouse dies the weak spouse needs somebody to depend on. The pattern, including manipulation, continues. This is a setup for conflict. Then comes the drama where the parent has "scripted the parts" and the children play their roles. The setup in the caregiver context is the the parent's message "I'm so thankful for you. Nobody else cares about me." At different times the parent may have said the same thing to other children. Compounding the difficulty is that one child may adopt the personality of the weaker parent and the sibling adopts the stronger. For example, the oldest son may not be suitable for care giving but may have the personality of the deceased stronger spouse. In that case then he often "comes to the rescue" of the parent against the "abusive" sibling caregiver.

The best way to avoid this type of conflict is to act before it happens. An elder law attorney should set up the business relationship of care giving. All interested persons should be involved. There should be an independent,
professional assessment of the extent of the need for assistance. The commercial cost of these services should be identified. The persons who perform the services are identified. A contract is completed specifying the services to be provided and the compensation for those services. In this way nobody is taken advantage of, not the elder nor the caregiver. There would be no charge of financial abuse of an elder or the permanent alienation of the caregiver as a thief.

Dysfunctional family relationships are a common cause of caregiver conflict.

Diabetes and Nursing Care

Health and fitness is a tri-billion segment of the economy. Everybody seeks to be worry-free and debt-free while achieving a healthy lifestyle. Reality tells us, however, that not all can be free from getting inflicted with diseases because some of them are attributed by the natural side of existence. Genetics can give rise to ailments like cancer and diabetes. Diabetes and nursing care is collectively among the popular topics in the health sector nowadays because old people who have Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are to be treated in nursing homes and health agencies. The American Diabetes Association has created standards in order to guide nursing professionals to afford diabetics with extra care and treatment.

Researchers keep track on how diabetic people are given blood glucose treatments, and according to recent surveys, around 40% of the patients meet the goals while the remaining 60% have to be given more attention to achieve satisfactory sugar blood levels. In diabetes, there are there fields that need to be checked on to determine life expectancy among diabetics. These areas are cardiovascular risk factors like cholesterol, blood sugar level and hypertension control aspect. The basic information on diabetes and nursing care are health segments that experts and patients should be well-informed of so that appropriate treatments are secured.

In nursing homes in the United States and Europe, researchers and caretakers are continuously following certain protocols on diabetes and nursing care. These protocols are given to health directors of nursing homes so that they can be included in their regular studies. Follow-throughs are necessary to keep track on the efficacy of such codes of conduct. It has been discovered that diabetes appears to be on different degree for older individuals. Making it so complicated to manage diabetes are factors like aging process and health capacity to adopt treatments. There are opportunities, however, that health stability and prevention for the elderly to cope with diabetes and enhance the quality of their existence in the long run.

It's a serious note to learn all the angles of diabetes and nursing care. Elderly diabetes is triple times in need of extra treatment and hospitalization than those without diabetes. A great burden sets on the shoulders of those suffering such ailment especially when aging seems to conspire with it. Health care systems are being upgraded to meet the needs of diabetic individuals in nursing homes to avoid diabetes-related episodes like strokes and mild heart attack. Relatives of diabetics who are sent to nursing homes should not isolate themselves from the patients. Instead, they must extend support to whatever systems employed by the health professionals. They too can serve as caretakers when they opt to care for their loved ones at their own residence.

Non-Profit Versus For-Profit Senior Care Jobs - The Pros and Cons

If you're interested in pursuing senior care jobs, one decision that you're going to have to make is whether to work for a non-profit or a for-profit organization. Many assisted living jobs fall within the non-profit sector; but just as many long term care jobs fall within a for-profit sector. Like anything else, there are definite pros and cons associated with either work environment. The best way to find the nursing home administrator jobs that are right for you is figuring out what the drawbacks and advantages of working for non-profits and for-profit organizations are - then zeroing in on one or the other. An overview of the pluses and minuses of each is outlined below.

Non-Profit Senior Care Jobs

There are many benefits associated with a nursing home job in the non-profit sector. Non-profit organizations tend to offer great benefits, especially if they've been around for a while. The waiting period for qualifying for those benefits tends to be shorter than it is within for-profit companies. The atmosphere at non-profit assisted living jobs tends to be laid back; if you like a less stressful environment and slower pace, this type of job may be right for you.

Of course, a non-profit nursing home job has its drawbacks. Salaries tend to be quite a bit lower than they are at for-profit organizations. The same RN job at a non-profit may bring in a salary that's 25% less than at a for-profit corporation. That being said, jobs for nurse practitioner within a non-profit usually offer great perks like topnotch benefits and plenty of paid vacation time. For many people, those perks offset the lower salary enough to make working an RN job at a non-profit worth it.

For-Profit Senior Care Jobs

One of the big pluses of working at a for-profit company is a higher salary. Most of the time, jobs for nurse practitioner at for-profit organizations come with significantly higher salaries than their non-profit counterparts.

There are many more opportunities to earn a competitive salary at a for-profit nursing home or assisted living facility, like a nursing home administrator jobs. While there are usually great health care benefits and other perks, you'll usually have a longer "probationary period" to wait through before you can start enjoying them. Finally, for-profit companies tend to have more regimented environments and atmospheres; procedures and protocol tend to be highly important. This is worth keeping in mind if you don't do well in such environments.

Another item worth noting is the overall intent of the organization and their philosophy toward elder care. Often this alone is a topic that can ignite passion in whomever you speak with. Some people feel that for-profits are always looking for ways to make more money and therefore cutting corners on the care that they provide their patients or residents. Other people feel that not-for-profits are frequently underfunded and thus never have enough staff for proper resident care. In reality, both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations still have to meet their bills and do their best to acquire appropriate funding. This means that the deciding factor on the overall philosophy of care is typically generated by Executive Management and not the tax-filing status of the organization.

Needless to say, some people will prefer the experience of working for a non-profit senior care facility; others will feel more comfortable in a for-profit environment. Consider both options then focus on the type of facility that is right for you.

Examining The Role Of A Nursing Home Consultant

Nursing and rehabilitation centers of today have come a long way in the services they offer and in their quality of care. These positive improvements happened in large part due to the role that professional consultants play in the health care field. Without the guidance and knowledge of these professionals, many rehab homes and other similar facilities would be a lot different than they are today.

When it comes to changes or improvements in a system, nursing homes are usually focusing on the care provided for residents. Constant improvements in patient care starts at several levels. Some homes may need greater training for the nursing assistants in basic patient care. Some facilities must work hard at developing specialized care plans for the patients.

The assisted living and long term care industry has grown tremendously in the past few decades. The need for prioritized requirements within a facility is essential to providing the best patient care. Many consulting groups offer speakers for seminars and conferences. Learning a new way of doing paperwork at the end of a shift or better ways to achieve sanitary conditions within a facility could be some of the topics covered in a seminar for facility medical employees.

Some situations that could arise in a nursing or rehab center require the experience and knowledge of social workers. Hiring a consulting professional to help implement the attention necessary for social work is a good way to help your present employees ease into a new circumstance. Social improvements in this type of medical environment can have great benefits for everyone involved.

When a facility gets into trouble with things like code violations, professional care consultations could be a penal aspect of breaking code rules. The consultants role is to visit the home for constructing a plan to correct the risk of code violations. This could mean more detailed incident reports or higher standards for cleaning.

Administrators can benefit from consulting services as much as residents can in some cases. Knowing you have someone taking care of planning and helping employees to learn the best ways for putting those plans to work is a great relief. Administrators generally have a lot of responsibilities. The support administrators get from consulting experts is greatly beneficial.

Making changes in your facility starts with hiring professional, experienced nursing home consulting companies. By doing so, you and your employees can experience benefits of professional planning. Residents can also have greater levels of care and attention when expert planning is implemented inside a facility.

10 Key Questions to Ask Your Home Health Care Provider

Selecting the right home health care provider can be a daunting task. There are many agencies to choose from and the decision can seem overwhelming. Knowing the right initial questions to ask can mean the difference between choosing a top quality agency and choosing a poor one. Arm yourself with the following key questions:

(1) Does the agency conduct background checks on its caregivers and verify their nursing credentials? --- Ask them to describe the process. How often do these checks occur?

Different agencies have different standards on what constitutes a thorough background check. Some agencies have rigorous standards, while some agencies find caregivers through sites like Craigslist and do not conduct background checks whatsoever. Obviously, you should have complete peace-of-mind before bringing a caregiver into your or your loved one's home, so this question is of the utmost importance.

(2) What is the agency's level of accreditation?

Ask about accreditation from non-profit Medical Standards Organizations like The Joint Commission, C.H.A.P. or C.A.H.C. Obtaining these certifications means the agency has voluntarily met a high standard of care and business practices. These achievements are often used as benchmarks, determining whether or not the agency will be able to accept Medicaid.

(3) Is the agency licensed, bonded and insured?

Being licensed, bonded, and insured means that the agency (and its employees) are covered should any liability issues arise. This is a MUST-HAVE for any trustworthy agency.

(4) Can I change my caregiver for any reason?

Most agencies will try to accommodate you as best they can. However, be 100% sure that you are able to change caregivers should any incompatibility issues arise. Bringing someone into your home is a delicate endeavor, so the ability to be selective is key.

(5) What sort of supervision/additional training will my Home Heath Aide receive?

Ideally, Certified Home Health Aides should be supervised by a professional nurse (R.N.). Ask if a nurse is on-call 24/7 to answer any questions and solve any problems that should arise. In addition, ask about additional training for home care professionals. Reputable agencies will conduct regular training sessions with staff on the newest technologies in care, new protocol, etc.

(6) Can you point me towards some references?

When choosing a Home Health Care Agency, be sure to ask for references from other patients and nurses. A reputable agency will gladly provide you with contact information of people who will vouch for their quality of service.

(7) Do you have a minimum number of hours per week?

Many agencies set a minimum number of hours of care required. A common minimum is 9 hours per week. Other agencies have no minimum. If there is no minimum, be sure to ask how the pricing structure is set up for low-hour cases.

(8) Do you complete the necessary legal paperwork?

Most agencies will complete legal paperwork for the patient, but this is not always the case. When finding a nurse independently, the patient or their family must prepare documentation to pay an employee.

(9) Will I have the same caregiver on a consistent basis?

Some agencies emphasize continuity of care, while others seem to have a revolving door policy. Be sure to find out if you or your loved one will regularly receive the same caregiver(s).

(10) What are the official credentials of your caregivers?

Not all agencies require caregivers to have nursing licenses/certificates. Ask about the certifications of the agency's caregivers. Are they Certified Home Health Aides, R.N.s, L.P.N.s?

How Do Assisted Living Programs Differ From Home Health Care

This article examines how assisted living programs differ from home health care as to costs and the types of services that are provided to the elderly. Just like the former, home health care is also provided for older people who are unable to perform certain activities that are necessary in daily living. They may need assistance in preparing their meals, taking a bath, cooking, dressing, or even toileting. An aide is made available and assists the retiree on the performance of these tasks. Regular visits by physical therapists and/or nurses may also be provided if their health requires it. All of these are done while the elderly person is at home. However, in assisted living programs, the retiree lives in a retirement living community.

An important difference between the two kinds of services is whether Medicare can be used. In general, Medicare cannot be used to cover for assisted living costs unless the resident is required to stay in a nursing or rehabilitation facility for a certain period of time. However, for some states, such as in RI and in Kansas, Medicaid can be utilized for a certain percentage of the costs. As for home health care, Medicare can cover certain types of expenses, such as the purchase of durable medical equipment including a wheelchair or walker, physical therapy, medical social services, some medical supplies, skilled nursing care and the services of home health aide.

It should be noted that the primary difference between home health care and assisted living programs is that the latter is designed for the elderly who need more supervision. Some people may think that those who live at home have more independence compared to those who are staying in a retirement community. However, some assisted living facilities offer accommodations that are not different from a regular home and sometimes they are even better because there is no neighbor playing the radio so loud. Moreover, some conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, require constant supervision and home health care is definitely not recommended for them.

While it may seem at first glance that home health care is cheaper than assisted living programs, the reverse is true. The latter kind of arrangement is less expensive and costs about half of the expenses required for home health care. Fortunately, Medicare can cover some of the costs in home health care and the elderly enjoys the benefit of remaining at home. Meanwhile, Medicare will not cover assisted living expenses but they are only half the cost of home health care. Moreover, Medicaid can take care of some of the costs in some states. There are many arguments that can be provided for having the advantage of staying at home. However, there are also several benefits for staying in a retirement community. For one, residents find it easier to socialize and interact with other people. Those who remain at home have less chances of socializing and run the risk of boredom and loneliness. Of course, the final choice will depend on the person and what he or she values most.

LPNs Gain Increasing Responsibilities in Senior Care

As an LPN, it is in your best interest, career-wise, to always be looking for new experiences. By keeping your eyes peeled for ways to enhance your skill set, you can increase the odds of advancing your career in a very lucrative way. There are many different ways to go about doing this, but senior care jobs are among the very best options. Below, we'll take a look at a few of the top reasons that LPN jobs in senior care are such great opportunities.

Get to Know Your Patients -
Developing a great bedside manner is important for any LPN. In busy hospitals and clinics, though, you don't generally get the chance to get to know your patients. In turn, developing a topnotch bedside manner can be more difficult. Assisted living jobs give you the unique opportunity to really get to know the people for whom you are caring. As a result, you'll develop many important skills when it comes to relating with - and caring for - patients.

Be an Integral Part of the Team -
Because the general population of an assisted living facility is going to be made up of elderly people, the skills of a competent LPN are very much in demand. LPN jobs are an important part of any senior care facility. Without skilled LPNs, such facilities would not be able to operate properly. Knowing that you are such an important part of the team feels great - and it gives you many great opportunities to accrue more and more responsibility.

Gain New Skills -
In large, bustling hospitals, most LPNs only focus on or specialize in very specific matters. With assisted living jobs, though, you'll be able to acquire a range of very eclectic skills. Due to the tight-knit nature of most of these facilities, it's easier for LPNs to take on many new and challenging responsibilities. Along the way, you're bound to develop and hone many important skills. These types of opportunities simply aren't as widespread or as readily available in places like clinics, doctor's offices and hospitals.

Use Your Experiences to Advance Your Career -
One of the best aspects of taking on LPN Jobs, as an LPN, is that they allow you to acquire skills that will advance your career. All of the preceding points come together to produce a very educational work experience. Whether you decide to stick with senior care for the long haul - or if you decide to move on to another area - the skills that you gain will serve you very well in terms of career advancement. And many facilities will also help offset the costs of additional formal education, which is a perk that is hard to beat.

Pros and Cons of Using a Professional Linen Services

Many larger businesses and facilities that deal with linens on a daily basis turn to the use of a professional linen service in order to get those items cleaned, pressed and ready for use. However, a laundry service is not always the best option, just like hiring individuals to launder those linens, for some companies, is also inefficient. For nursing homes, hospitals, restaurants and hotels, there are many positives and negatives as far as sorting out linen are concerned.

On the positive side, linen services save the establishment time and manpower. Rather than going through the process of hiring housekeeping staff to take care of the linens for a hospital, hotel or nursing home, the time of the administration can be better spent managing the other daily aspects of the facility. There is no rapid employee turnover in the laundry department, either, since linens are simply picked up and dropped off on a regular basis. For restaurants, a this type of service makes even more sense as far as staffing is concerned. Many eating establishments are so small that it simply does not make sense, monetarily, to hire individuals dedicated to cleaning linens every night.

The need for fewer staff members may make the hiring of linen services more cost-effective for larger businesses and health care facilities, but services are actually less affordable for smaller establishments. A diner in a small town might be charged more in order to have restaurant linens picked up and dropped off regularly, and the proprietor of a family owned eatery will likely find it cheaper to just take the tablecloths and napkins home and launder them himself than hire the work out to someone else.

Delivery time is also a factor to consider when debating whether or not to hire a linen service. Larger cities will have a much faster turnaround rate for clean linens than smaller areas where only an individual or single business may provide linen service. In any case, a business that hires a linen service takes a chance on not having its items ready for use when they are needed. When clean and sanitary linens are necessary, such as with hospital linens and those for nursing homes, this can create a huge problem that is avoided by just hiring laundry staff to do the work in-house.

Organization and sanitation are two final factors to consider. Most of today's more successful linen businesses document every pick-up and delivery and arrive on a schedule set by the business hiring out the restaurant linen or hospital linen services. This takes a huge load off of the business owner or administrator as it puts someone else in charge of coordination of efforts and making sure every item that goes out also returns. Linen services are also able to properly sanitize the items they clean, which may or may not be the case in an internally run system.

Whether linen services are good or bad for a business boils down to the needs of each individual establishment. For some, linen services are a worthwhile investment, and for others they are an expensive exercise in futility when the work could be done better and cheaper in-house.

Different Types of Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury is any physical or psychological injury caused by the wrongdoing of another person, organization or even government agencies. The attorneys, who handle these cases, are called as personal injury attorneys or injury attorneys. Injuries are of different types ranging from vehicle accidents, wrongful deaths, burn injuries, slips and falls, dog bites, Brain and spinal injuries etc. The law dealing with personal injuries is called as the tort law.

The first thing that needs to be done in all these cases is to contact an injury attorney. The trauma and the pain of the injury suffered cannot be compensated, but the least that can be done would be to attain monetary help to go through the suffering. Many cases involve permanent damages, leaving the survivors as well as their families helpless and financially insecure. There is a statute of limitation for filing a lawsuit. In general, for personal injury cases it is within two years of the injury. Big cities have a high rate of automobile accidents, creating a lot of disputes, especially automobiles. Automobile accidents include motorcycle injuries, boat accidents, bus accidents, aircraft accidents, and of course the car accidents. Injury attorneys are specialized in the field of automobile injuries, hence they deal with these cases with expertise and ensure that the victim gets the compensation, he deserves.

Traffic collisions can take place due to tire defects, automobile part defects, vehicle rollovers and many other causes. The injury attorney will check evidence that shows negligence on the side of the driver, owner of the vehicle, the manufacturer of the vehicle, or of any injury causing material that has caused the accident to the client. He will also verify the injuries being objective damages, including broken bones and other orthopedic injuries or special damages, which include total loss of vehicle, loss of job, future nursing care etc. Burn injuries either second degree or third degree, chemical burns caused due to defective products such as propane tanks, heaters are all part of this jurisdiction. The injury attorneys provide specialized services to deal with the burn injuries.

Wrongful deaths are sensitive and challenging cases, which should be dealt with expertise. Wrongful deaths involve deadly accidents caused due to negligence. Attorney will help the family to deal with the unfortunate death and also provide some solace by obtaining financial compensation to cover the income that has been lost or to cover the medical care or even to pay for the funeral costs. Construction accidents, elder abuse neglect, recreational equipment accidents, amusement park accidents, medical malpractice, birth injuries, sexual abuse, sexual harassment are the other types of personal injury. Being well experienced and noted in these fields, attorneys are capable of handling these cases with expertise.

There are so many specializations of personal injury, so the injury lawyers provide services to each and every complaint filed. They provide a way to reduce the financial burden of the already suffering families.

The Risks of Falling With Senior Citizens

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 3 seniors fall every year resulting in 90% of senior citizen hip fractures. Of these seniors who fall, and this is the scary part... 60% of them die from complications. (Murphy 2000).

The risk of falling increases with age and falling is the number one cause of injury in adults over 65. These numbers are cause for great concern, but awareness and prevention can help decrease the likelihood of falls in the senior citizen years.

With the elderly, It is important to recognize factors that contribute to falls. They include: change in eye site, lack of strength or physical ailments, changes in medication or dosages, poor lighting, stairs, throw rugs, small objects lying around the house, and other risk factors that add to the list.

How can you prevent the risk of falling for yourself or loved-one? First, you need to assess the living situation. Does the house or apartment have stairs? If possible, opt for housing that is one level or requires little use of stairs. If this is not an option, make sure there are handrails to assist in climbing the stairs. Also, put handrails near the toilet and shower in each bathroom. Next, exchange house slippers for well- gripped shoes, remove loose throw rugs or tape them down, and tack down carpet edges.

You will also want to keep all wiring or electrical cords out of walkways and keep living areas well-light. In addition to the aforementioned, make sure all surfaces around the house are even. Fill any cracks in the sidewalks or driveway and remove unsteady porch swings or benches.

Taking care of you or your senior loved-one's health will also decrease the chance of falling. Set up hearing and eye appointments every year to check for changes or any indicators of concern...

Have a health professional review all medications. Some medication combinations can make one dizzy or cause other serious issues. Also several medications may be less effective as the body ages.

Finally, consult you or your loved-one's physician about a regular exercise program. Exercise will increase both strength and stamina, which decreases the likelihood of falls. Physical activity also helps improve coordination and balance.

With age comes the risk of falls and falls can lead to serious injury or death. Improving health and being aware of potential hazards will help ease the mind of you or your loved-one.

Enjoying the Holidays With an Elderly Parent

Thoroughly enjoying the holiday season might seem impossible when you have an elderly parent that requires care. When they are in an assisted living facility, this illusion might become even stronger. But you certainly can have a good time this holiday season with your family despite these setbacks. If you have holiday traditions, then by all means you should continue with these. This doesn't have to be something major, but it should be adhered to because this will be a comforting thing for your elderly loved ones as they will see that you are carrying on just the same as you would were they healthier. No one wants to be an imposition.

If you don't actually have a family tradition, start one. This can add additional value to your holiday season and will be a pleasant surprise for your ailing relatives. If they are in an assisted living facility, celebrating the season at their home can be a great way to express your love for them. This can be a hit, especially if you have small children in the family. When your elderly loved one watches their grandchildren or great-grandchildren open up their presents, there will be nothing but joy going through their minds. Little kids create a special atmosphere that cannot be duplicated.

Another way to keep the holiday memorable and enjoyable is to help your elderly relative shop for gifts from the comfort of their own home. Avoiding the crowds of the crowded shopping malls by shopping on the internet will help them to not feel so overwhelmed by the massive amount of shoppers looking for gifts. The internet offers just as many deals and requires a lot less effort on your elderly relative's part, thus making the shopping experience much easier for them. This is especially true if they have trouble getting around. They might not have the experience on a computer to do the shopping on their own, so you can help them. The additional bonus of this is that you get to spend more quality time with your parent.

Finally, try having as much family over to your home as possible. Many assisted living facilities will allow your loved one to come over to your home, so you can truly have all of the family together. Preparing for a family gathering of this magnitude during the holiday season can be a stressful task, however. Remember to take enough time for yourself, too. Spending time with your family is important, but you need to take care of yourself first and foremost-otherwise you will not enjoy the holidays at all. Get your rest and keep exercising. This will give you fuel to make your family's holiday season a very memorable one.

Top Cities to Retire in Canada - 2012 Edition

Each year MoneySense Magazine reviews the best cities to live in Canada under categories including 'Best Places for Kids', 'Best Places to Find a Job', and my favorite being 'Best Places to Retire.' Why does, 'Best Places to Retire' jump out at me? Probably because looking ahead to retirement doesn't seem as dull as it did 25 to 30 years ago. Today's retirees are painting a new more colorful picture of life as a senior.

In the 2012 review of Best Places to Retire, MoneySense lists 190 cities from which municipal statistics and data were gathered. The cities were rated on climate, affordable housing, sports/hospitals/universities, health, crime, population growth, walk/bike to work and taxes.

Top five Canadian cities to Retire

Kingston, ON - The beautiful city of Kingston usually makes the top when it comes to lists of cities people love to live in. This year it's number one for the low crime rate, low taxes, ease of walking or biking to work and around town, and proximity to sports centres, hospitals and universities. Independent living in the Holiday retirement community of Kingsdale Chateau is just of the many reasons that folks love Kingston for retirement life.

Halifax, NS - Being on the Atlantic coast would be the attraction to Halifax for me; but the Nova Scotia capital got high scores for low crime, the ability to get around as a pedestrian (or biking), low taxes, and like Kingston, access to athletic centres, hospitals and universities. Halifax is a city with a high availability of services and retirement communities. From HomeInstead Senior Care, a provider of Homecare and caregiving, to the ORCA approved Berkeley and the Gem Health Care group, Halifax places a high value on their senior care. These are just a couple of examples of what's available in senior housing, independent living and retirement communities in Nova Scotia.

Saanich, BC - It's not surprising that Saanich BC ranked number one out of 190 cities on the list in the climate category. Saanich is just minutes from downtown Victoria BC and shares Victoria's mild temperatures rarely rising above 30簞C in summer or dipping below −2簞C in the winter months. All styles of retirement home are available in and around Victoria. Independent living in a Holiday Community such as the Victorian on Feltham Road or the Victorian at McKenzie, are beautiful examples of a convenient all-inclusive lifestyle for seniors.

Victoria, BC - The climate of Victoria makes this city a desirable retirement destination. Victoria also receives good rankings in the categories of health care, taxes and proximity to hospitals, sports centres and universities. Being known as the 'City of Gardens' means residents have beauty and sanctuary nearby not to mention the perfect photo ops at the famous Butchart Gardens.

Ottawa, ON - I'm never surprised to see Ottawa on the list of top cities in Canada to retire! The people of Ottawa love walking and biking, and the city's pedestrian paths make getting around on foot a pleasure even in winter. The low crime rate and high population of seniors make Ottawa a senior-friendly place to live. Sunrise of Erin Mills in Mississauga is one of the many Sunrise Retirement homes across Canada. They offer independent living, assisted living, and additional levels of service in a continuum of care that many seniors today are looking for.

Whether you're consulting the yearly lists of 'best places to live' or doing your search for a retirement community on foot, seniors have more to choose from today than ever before. Take your time, search wisely and only make your move to a retirement residence when you're one hundred percent ready.

You Don't Need to Pay All Your Assisted Living Costs Anymore

VA Benefits for Assisted Living

Assisted living is for adults who need help with everyday tasks. They may need help with dressing, bathing, eating, or using the bathroom, but they don't need full-time nursing care. Assisted living is growing rapidly, both because it offers an attractive option to senior citizens seeking assistance while maintaining independence, and because of the costs associated with traditional long-term-care institutions.

The great thing about an assisted living facility is that they are designed to maximize the resident's independence and dignity. Assisted Living is a residential option which stresses privacy, dignity, autonomy, and individuality. These residences vary in size and style ranging from small apartments to larger family style units.

Assisted living is the fastest growing type of senior housing, holding out the promise of giving people the opportunity to get care and help with daily living in a home-like environment. It represents a move away from the institutionalized care setting often found in nursing homes, toward an environment that allows for greater freedom and independence and a higher quality of life.

Assisted Living facilities can be expensive. The average cost is over $100 per day. There is, however, a well-kept secret source of VA financial assistance that many seniors know little about. This VA financial assistance is a pension that is available from the Veterans Administration. It is called the non-service connected disability pension benefit with aid and attendance entitlement.

The VA Pension is also called the "Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit":

• It is available to all veterans who served a minimum of 90 days of active duty service with at least one day during a period of war. There is no requirement that the veteran saw action or served overseas.
  


• There is no need to have a service-connected disability to receive this VA pension.
  


• There is also pension money available to the widows of these veterans.
  


• This benefit, under certain circumstances, can provide up to $1,843 a month in additional income to help the veteran pay for assisted living costs. The Pension is also available to low income veteran households without an aid and attendance rating, but it is a lesser dollar amount.

Unlike the common definition of pensions, Veterans do not have to be retired from military service for this pension benefit. To learn if you are eligible to receive VA benefits for Assisted Living visit Veterans Care Advisors dot com. Some of the other criteria for eligibility include having qualifying time of service and being discharged under honorable conditions to meet the basic requirements. The actual amount of pension benefits the veteran can be paid under this program are based on "countable" income and the need for assistance with at least one basic activity of daily living.

It Doesn't Have to Be Yoga

Yoga is a wonderful practice. I want to begin this article with nothing but praise for the people fortunate enough to be daily practicing Yogis. I aspire to be like you! However, for the sake of researchers, seekers, and stiff people out there, I'd like to offer them a personal training session merely focused on their stiffness, and pre-exercise-begin-exercising-at-all, assisted flexibility program.

The purpose of yoga practice is to prepare the body and mind for meditation. This requires complete silence and stillness. There are various traditions, beliefs, postures, hand postures, breathing techniques, and words from Sanskrit that pass before you in your journey, and if you happen to drop in to a beginner yoga class, it appears that all of the other "beginners" already know the Vinyasa flow that goes with the Sun Salutation sequence, AND can already touch their toes.

After 30 years in the fitness business, I've read the Bhagavad-Gita, and all of the traditional required reading yoga books. I've attended the various styles of yoga presentations, and I have just recently come to a new awareness about me and flexibility. I have discovered that for me and many of my clients, becoming proficient in gentle stretching, while maintaining good posture, breath, and taking time to completely relax is a task of its own.

The trend in clubs and studios the world over is Yoga and Pilates. Everybody is doing it! That still doesn't mean that it is the right program for all of us. My solution to those that have been embarrassed in a beginning yoga class, but still have the desire to be relaxed and meditative like Yoga People is to follow a basic plan as your starter.

It's true that yoga postures or Asanas are designed to cleanse the body while bringing energy to certain centers. These concepts can begin with the following guidelines;

Breathe in slowly, expand the abdomen, then the ribcage, and finally the upper portion of the lungs. Then, breathe out in the same manner, letting the abdomen cave in as you exhale. I prefer to breathe in and out through my nose, although there are no specific rules about it, nasal breathing is considered better for several reasons. The health benefits include filtering the air from the external environment through the sinuses to the lungs. The sinuses do their natural job of filtering the air as it enters the lungs while the smaller diameter of the sinuses create pressure in the lungs during exhalation. This allows the lungs to have more time to extract oxygen from them. When there is proper oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange, the blood will maintain a balanced pH. If carbon dioxide is lost too quickly, as in exhaling through the mouth, oxygen absorption is decreased. Also, by breathing through the nose as opposed to the mouth, thirst and dehydration are decreased.

There's no need to breathe so deeply (in the beginning) that you feel like passing out, but if you are just beginning to incorporate a breathing routine into your day, pay attention to how often you are holding your breath. Your normal breathing should include an even inhalation of 1 count, hold for 3-4 counts, exhale for 2 counts. This should be a constant, even cadence all during your day.

When exercising, whether it be stretching, or picking up a package, always exhale on exertion. Inhale, then lift, and exhale. Or, if you are stretching, breathe evenly, and perform your stretch on the exhale, then keep breathing evenly. You will build your breath and movements into a rhythmic sequence. There will be no Sanskrit words to memorize, no postures that hurt your knees, just breathing and stretching being sure to include the four basic movements. They are, forward bending, back bending, side bending, and twisting.

Once you have developed a comfortable breath, it doesn't matter if you are standing, kneeling, or sitting in a chair, you will begin by lengthening your spine. This is done by expanding the rib cage through breathing, reaching up over your head to become taller, or on your hands and knees, pulling back or raising like a cat. However you go, the spine should be safely warm and long before you begin side bending or twisting.

Once the spine is lengthened and warmed, forward bending is an easy move. Again, this can be done while standing, sitting, or kneeling. You will advance this move as you become more flexible, but don't push it if you're not.

The next natural move would be backward bending. As a beginner, simply leaning backward while standing will be good enough. Place your hands at the back of your rib cage, inhale, then exhale as you lean back.

Now, you are ready for some bending at the waist. This shouldn't be anything too aggressive, just enough of a stretch that you can comfortable breathe with and hold for at least 30 seconds. Save the twisting for last, and again, begin with enough of a twist to feel a stretch, but not to torque your back.

Now that you have begun to breathe properly into the exertion, you are ready to design a full routine including all of the basic moves holding each for 30 seconds, while breathing properly throughout.
For the first several sessions, you should go through this routine which includes each of the directional stretches that are included in the Yoga Asanas. Become comfortable with the stretches, as well as your breathing. End with breathing only and sitting quietly for 5 minutes.

Once you have perfected this basic stretch sequence and become comfortable with your breath, sitting quietly, and moving slowly, you will be ready to move forward to learn more about Yoga. If Yoga is not what you're looking for, you might find a Personal Trainer to lead you into a more aggressive flexibility program. Once you have perfected this preliminary program, you will be ready for more!

Senior Housing Options in British Columbia, Canada

Seniors in British Columbia have a wide range of housing alternatives. From living independently in the family home, to the programs and support offered by different senior housing providers.

British Columbia is the first province in Canada to regulate assisted living residences. The Assisted Living Registrar is responsible for ensuring the safety and health standards at publicly subsidized and private-pay Assisted Living facilities.

In British Columbia community care facilities are regulated by Community Care and Assisted Living Act.

British Columbia has both private and public options for senior care. Government options are subsidized by the provincial government and are referred to as funded, and private options are paid for directly by the consumer and are referred to as market.

Market senior housing options include different levels of care, and can be classified into the following groups:

• Independent Retirement Residences (also known as Independent Living Facilities) - this option is ideal for seniors who are relatively independent, but need help with daily living activities. These activities might include: meals, light housekeeping, laundry, 24-hour emergency response, social and recreational programs. Such residences can range in cost from $1500 to $5000/month depending on the location, amenities, staffing level, and service package options.

• Complex Care facilities (also known as Residential Care facilities) are best suited to seniors who require 24-hour professional nursing and support.

Significant physical frailty and/or cognitive impairment would be the prerequisite for complex care services. In BC, both profit and nonprofit independent operators deliver complex care under contract to government in a campus-like setting. Such health campuses often include Independent Retirement Residences and Complex Care facilities in the same campus, thus allowing the appropriate level of service as residents' health-related needs change. All complex-care facilities in British Columbia are regulated under the Community and Assisted Living Act and must be registered with the Office of the Assisted Living Registrar (OALR). Market complex care can cost up to $8,000/month.

Funded programs include two forms of seniors' housing in BC. They are:

• Assisted Living, known as the Independent Living BC (ILBC) program
• Seniors' Supportive Housing, known as the SSH Program

Independent Living BC (ILBC) program is administered through one of the five regional health authorities in BC, and it's subsidized by both the health authority, and BC Housing - provincial housing authority responsible for subsidized housing. In order to qualify for this program, you must meet the eligibility criteria in the following key areas:

• Applicants must require accommodation, hospitality services, and personal care services.
• Applicants must be able to make decisions on their own behalf, rather than someone making these decisions on their behalf.
• Applicants must be able to respond in case there is an emergency situation (i.e. fire in the building).

If the resident is accepted in the ILBC program, the health authority representative will refer the resident to specific available residences within the region that participate in the ILBC program. Not all of the residences will be available, and there might be a waiting list.

Seniors' Supportive Housing (SSH) program provides specially equipped rental properties to primarily low-income seniors who need some assistance to continue living independently. Such properties are modified to enhance accessibility and improve safety systems. The program also provides support services, such as housekeeping, meals, and social activities. SSH program is administered through BC Housing, and is available in select communities throughout the province.

Sometimes, funded and market units can co-exist in the same project, and in this case there will be effectively two or more programs operating in the same residence. As funded programs require specific elements to be incorporated into the service package, this can define the service package for the entire project.

Texting While Driving Becoming a National Epidemic

America loves its technology, including cell phones. Communication using text messages is at an all time high. Unfortunately, it can be hard to stop at the upcoming red light and hard to slow down with the flow of traffic when trying to send a text message to your wife about what to bring home from the store for dinner. Text messaging is already a major cause of driver distraction and resulting automobile accidents throughout the United States.

According to a recently published government survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 15,000 high school students across the nation were surveyed last year and the results found that an alarming 58% of high school seniors admitted to texting and emailing while driving their vehicle during the past month prior to the survey.

Furthermore, according to recent findings by the Texas Transportation Institute, texting while driving doubles a driver's reaction time and impairs the driver's ability to maintain proper lane position and constant speed. In 2009, approximately 5500 people died and half a million were injured in automobile accidents in the U.S. involving a distracted driver, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Thirty-nine (39) states in the country have a full ban on texting while driving an automobile. Texas is one of only 11 states without a state-wide ban on text messaging while driving a vehicle. In Texas, drivers are prohibited from using hand held devices in school zones and anyone under the age of 18 is prohibited from driving a vehicle and using a wireless device. Some Texas cities have also passed local bans on texting while driving a vehicle including Arlington, San Antonio, and Austin.

Numerous studies and research has found that texting and emailing while driving a motor vehicle contributes to driver distraction. Driver distraction contributes to and causes automobile accidents, resulting in serious personal injuries to other drivers and occupants of vehicles and, in the most unfortunate automobile accidents, the wrongful death of other drivers and passengers of motor vehicles.

The best way to avoid driver distraction caused by your mobile device is to simply turn it off or put it away while driving your vehicle. The risk of an automobile accident is simply too high. Also, parents must teach their teenagers about the dangers of texting, emailing, and talking on their cell phones while driving. Protect yourself, your loved ones, and other drivers by simply not texting while driving.

Home Owners Insurance Claims For Accident Injury

Reporting Injury to Home Owners Insurance

The first things to do if someone is injured on a homeowner's property are to get proper medical help. The next step is to contact the property owner's homeowners' insurance agent and report the accident. For minor injuries, they may handle the claim over the phone in a series of calls, learning the needs and providing adequate coverage. For more serious injuries, they will probably send an insurance adjuster to take charge.

Claims Process

Once a claims adjuster begins managing a homeowners' insurance personal injury or premises liability claim, the homeowner can generally leave the process in their hands. However, some of the elements to expect include:

1. Obtaining a clear report of the accident from both the homeowner and the victim
2. Calling in expert witnesses if necessary
3. Obtaining testimony from other witnesses
4. Gathering any evidence from the accident site
5. Obtaining medical records from the injured party's physician or physicians
6. Keeping the case open until it is clear that the injuries are healed or that they will be permanent or ongoing
7. Settling the Claim

Problems that May Arise

In the best case scenario, the claim will be a simple process of determining the extent of the victim's injury, the cause of the injury, and putting in a final claim for coverage.

However, not all injuries occur according to plan. There can be a number of problems that arise in the process of settling such claims. Those problems may include:

• Disputes over who is at fault
• Disputes over the extent of the injuries
• Disputes over whether the homeowner in some way intended to injure the victim
• The extent of the homeowner's liability coverage

Any one of these problems and more could lead to a legal battle.

Compensation for Injured Party

If it is proven that the homeowner was liable for the victim's injuries, their insurance company may generally be required to pay compensation in one or more of these areas:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Wrongful death (if necessary)
• Permanent disability
• Punitive damages if the negligence was willful

If the compensation award is greater than the insured's coverage, they will be required to pay the remainder themselves.

When is an Attorney Necessary?

When complications arise and an injury settlement proves impossible, both parties generally require the services of a personal injury attorney to protect their interests. The homeowners insurance company provides legal counsel to defend both their interests. In some cases, that may mean proving that the victim is exaggerating their injury for profit. The insurance company's lawyer has probably often handled such cases and can detect such deception and provide a defense against it, protecting their client and their insurance funds from being taken advantage of.

For more information visit Allegiance Law San Francisco Personal Injury Attorneys.

Personal Care Homes - A Better Alternative to Nursing Homes

In many families there comes a time when the elderly have to move out of the home and into a long term care facility. This transition time it is usually a tough time, sometimes even traumatic for the whole family. However, with understanding, help and planning, the uncertainty of entering and adjusting to a life in long term facility can be greatly minimized.

In order to make the move easier for your loved ones you must plan ahead and if possible, let the resident to be involved in selecting a long term care facility. Depending on the condition of the resident, there may be different options when choosing a nursing facility. The most common type of facilities are nursing homes, assisted living facilities and personal care homes or residential care homes. Most people have heard about nursing homes and assisted living facilities. However, personal care homes are not as popular even though they are a great alternative to nursing homes.

In this article I would like to give you an overview of a personal care home and also inform you about the benefits you will get when considering this type of long term option.

A Personal Care Home is a perfect environment for residents who do not want to live in a large community such a nursing home and prefer a homelike setting. It is very tough for your loved ones to be removed from their home and placed in a nursing home. A move to a residential care home is much easier because the homelike setting is very similar to their own home.

• The cost of a Personal Care Home is about half the cost of a nursing home.

• Your loved ones get a better quality care. In a typical Home in Georgia, the number of residents is about 3-6. The number of residents per caregiver is much smaller which means that the residents are better cared for.

• In a Personal Care Home your loved ones feel like home. They do whatever they want whenever they want. They have a more relaxed schedule that meets their needs and desires. In a homelike setting they have a much more quiet time which is very important for them in this stage in life.

• A Residential Care Home provide all the necessary services for your loved ones, services such as: three meals per day and snacks, laundry services, housekeeping, utilities and transportation, assistance with medication and personal care.

A Residential Care Home may be the perfect long term care facility for your loved ones. You get better care for a very affordable fee, often times just half of the fee charged by nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Adult Day Care - Services and Facilities For the Elderly

Centers for adult day care focus on providing elder care and companionship for senior citizens who require monitoring or assistance during the day. This can help family members or others caring for the elderly to be able to go to work, run errands, or have some personal time with the assurance that the senior citizen is being cared for and is safe. This program aims to delay or prevent the necessity of moving to a nursing home by offering alternative care, enhancing self-esteem, and setting up opportunities for socialization.

Types of Adult Care Facilities

Two types of day care exist. One type is called adult social day care, and it offers senior citizens social activities, meals, recreation, and some health-related care. The other is called adult health day care, and it offers elder care with more specialized health, therapeutic, and social services for senior citizens with severe medical disorders and disabilities and those more prone to requiring care in a nursing home.

Senior citizens who take part in these programs usually do so on a scheduled basis. Following is a list of some services offered in adult care centers:

• Counseling


• Education


• Evening care


• Recreation


• Health screening


• Meals


• Medical care


• Physical therapy


• Exercise


• Socialization


• Supervision


• Respite care


• Transportation


• Medical management

Adult day care centers are generally open during normal business hours. They may stand alone or be a branch of senior centers, nursing homes, home health care agencies, religious institutions, hospitals, or schools. Those providing the elder care may monitor medications, provide meals and snacks, perform therapy, set up social activities, and organize transportation to and from the center.

Is Adult Day Care the Right Choice for Our Family?

If you are wondering whether you or a family member can benefit from adult day care, the following case study might answer some of your questions. Paul is a 69-year-old man who has had a stroke. He moves in with his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Kira, for supervision and support, but since they both work, Paul needs a different type of care during the day. Their solution is for Kira to take Paul to an adult day care center in the morning and for David to pick him up after work. The center is able to monitor Paul's medications and provides lunch, some physical therapy, and social activities with other senior citizens while David and Kira are at work.

Adult Day Care Facilities: Choosing the Right Facility

When searching for the right adult day care center for you or your loved one, it's important to note that there may be vast differences among centers, so you may want to find out about each center near you. Visiting the centers and talking those providing the elder care and other families who take part in this program may help you determine whether a certain facility meets your needs.

Another important factor to consider is cost, which can range from $25 to $100 per day depending on factors like which services are included, where the center is located, and the type of reimbursement. These costs are generally not covered by Medicare, but some financial assistance may be available through federal or state programs such as Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, and the Veterans Administration.

Contacting your local aging information and assistance provider or area agency on aging can provide you with listings and information of specific centers located near you. The Eldercare Locator (www.eldercare.gov) can help you connect to these agencies. This is also a helpful website to peruse if you're considering assistive technology as an option. Some area agencies can assist senior citizens and those involved in their elder care with finding and buying low-cost assistive technology, as can local civic groups, religious and veterans' organizations, and senior centers.

If you're looking for general information about adult day care and its programs, the National Adult Day Services Association can link you to a state adult day care association. You can reach this service at http://www.nadsa.org.

Aging at Home With Assistive Technologies - What's New in 2012

These are exciting times! As technology advances the health care industry continues to benefit and the area of senior care is no exception.

As the option to age at home is a more desired option by many seniors, than retiring to a care facility, developments in technology are making it more feasible for the elderly to remain in their homes. Here are some of the advancements and trends in technology that will benefit senior care in the new year.

Brain and Heart Health Tracking

An iPhone and iPad application called BrainyApp is designed to help improve brain and heart health. This app created by Alzheimer's Australia and Bupa Health Foundation lets users keep track of brain and heart health by working through a Brain Health survey to arrive at a starting score. This starting score is sent to your own email and subsequent scores will be used to compare and track increases or decreases. The BrainyApp will monitor diet, exercise and lifestyle habits and suggest activities to help improve brain and heart health. BrainyApp is based upon research that links brain health and a reduced risk of dementia to the health of heart and cardiovascular system.

Vigilan Administrator for Charting and Recordkeeping

A time saving software application by Vigilan, a senior living software provider, is designed to help nursing staff save time-spent record keeping and charting of data. The Vigilan Administrator app will be an easy to use, HIPAA compliant tool that runs on the iPad and will be available in March 2012.

Robots as personal assistants and household companions

The Health Care industry is one of the primary targets of Nao Robot from Aldebaran Robotics. The Nao robot has an imbedded Intel processor that allows it to run at a high level of performance and remain relatively cost effective. The Nao Robot is capable of assisting with mundane tasks; it can also dance, sing and recognize faces and voices.

The Nao Robot is capable of teaching basic concepts and is particularly useful in assisting children with autism. There are also valuable ways that a household robot can assist with senior care for example, Nao Robot can take out the trash and fetch things, it can help someone who has fallen with getting back up and remind people to take medications. Appointment reminders may be programmed as well as times to start dinner or notes that a guest is expected.

Pearl the Nursebot, developed at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute is valuable with reminding people to take medications, helps with opening jars and escorting them to appointments and to dinner.

GeckoSystems' CareBot is a valuable assistant to elderly individuals as a companion and is equipped with a video link so that the monitoring person will be alerted in the event of an emergency or the need for additional assistance.

Because the personal assistant robots have an embedded computer, they can collect and store data about the individual such as heart rates and blood sugar levels.

There are a variety of gadgets and technologies available to caregivers of seniors who wish to age at home such as monitoring systems, GPS, Smart Home technologies and computer systems that assist with guiding people through every day activities. Canadians are adopting the aging-in-place technologies slowly but as the baby boomer age the acceptance of assistive technologies is expected to increase as well.

Senior Care: In-Home or in a Nursing Home?

Many seniors are not satisfied when placed in a nursing home. This is because they want to maintain their dignity by living independently in their own home for as long as possible. If your senior loved one needs any form of care and you're considering which type of senior care is best for him, then consider providing him in-home care services. This is the best type of senior care because it allows an individual to stay in a familiar surrounding while receiving the right care they need.

Often, price and care are great determining factors in choosing the right type of senior care. In home care services do not include charges on hospital or nursing home facilities and equipment so they are usually cheaper and more affordable. Nursing home's cost varies by state, but in general the expenses are often far above the median income of most seniors. Medicare can only cover a small portion of long-term care. For this reason, seniors who cannot afford the costs of a nursing home can start to consider about hiring in-home care services.

There are more benefits to receiving home care services than staying in nursing homes. For most seniors, the ability to keep certain level of independence can help improve their quality of life as well as their over-all well-being. Besides, not all elders need full-time assistance. Some are still mentally and physically fit to perform daily chores and they only need some help in other areas of their life, such as grocery, shopping, or going to doctor's appointments. These types of seniors may only need help for a few hours a day. But even those who need constant care may still find it more beneficial to stay in their own home than in a nursing home. Sick seniors who receive in home care services often receive more personalized care than those who stay in nursing homes, where staff has to attend to many people with different levels of needs.

As in-home senior care becomes more and more common, so are the options for you to choose from. The industry involved in providing senior care services has expanded to provide services aimed at enriching your senior loved one's life by means of a personalized home care services. There are at least three categories of senior care to choose from, namely, personal care, companionship, and home maker services; and the type you choose depends mainly on your senior loved one's needs.

Personal Care Services

The personal care services provided depend mainly on every individual's needs. This may include bathing, which is important in making a person feel well and more comfortable. Helping your loved one perform daily activities he needs to remain mentally and physically active is also part of this type of service. Meal planning and preparation for seniors requiring a special diet can also be provided by in-home care providers in coordination with the senior's health care professionals and family members.

Companion Services

In this fast-paced world, where we often don't even have time to say Hi or wave goodbye to our senior loved ones, life can be very solitary and lonely for them. This is where companion services play a vital role. Having individuals to provide companionship to your senior loved one can greatly enhance the quality of his life. This type of services is typically offered for only a couple of hours a day, or many days in a week depending on the needs of a senior. Services may include conversation, grocery shopping, running errands, medication reminders, and respite for family members.

Homemaker Services

Homemaker services are almost the same services offered by personal care and companion providers. Receiving this type of senior care in home often puts off the need for an individual to be transferred to a nursing facility or allows someone who has been hospitalized to return home much sooner.

Selecting a senior care in-home provider requires probing into the credentials of the individual if you're hiring directly or an agency's credentials, should you choose to hire a caregiver through them. Make sure that the service provider you hire is highly trained and qualified to provide dependable care to your loved one. If at all possible, do a background check of the person just to ensure that you're leaving your loved one in good hands. With the right senior care provider, your loved one can enjoy full freedom and satisfaction while living in familiar surroundings, which is what is lacking in nursing homes.

About Multitasking and Vehicle Accidents

One of the main causes of vehicle accidents in the United States is driving distractions. Many have been injured, died, and incurred damages to property every year because of these.

Ironically, even though many drivers proclaim that they drive with safety as their top priority, many of them are still unaware that doing other activities simultaneously with driving can be dangerous and at times even fatal.

On multitasking

There are two words that best describe the lifestyles of many of today's people: fast and demanding.

Accordingly, many people nowadays are capable of doing two or more things at the same time. Multitasking, for most people, contribute to being productive and being able to save time.

This term usually refers to the manual tasks involved in an office setting. But then, multitasking is not only reserved on such situations-even driving involves multitasking. However, it can be dangerous, especially if the activity is outside of the realm of driving, wherein one has to take the eyes off the road and hands off the steering wheel.

Factors on why multitasking while driving happens

Technology is one factor why vehicle accidents happen in relation to multitasking. Drivers nowadays have their mobile phones in handy, but many of them use them while they drive. Doing so is called distracted driving, and it can greatly increase the likelihood of a person to get injured or killed.

According to statistics, out of 80 percent of drivers who admit to multitasking while driving, 19 percent of them use their mobile phones to answer a call or send a text message.

Incidentally, even the interior design of the vehicle is seen as a factor why drivers multitask while driving. Many car manufacturers nowadays design and build their vehicles with so-called 'creature comforts' like drink holders, dashboard audio/visual entertainment provisions, trays, and compartments for certain gadgets like mobile phones and laptops.

Unfortunately, such add-ons only tempt drivers to mind them as they take the wheel; indeed, a serious breach of safety driving rules.

Multitasking activities

Here are some examples of activities that drivers do while driving that can be considered as multitasking:

• Eating or drinking
• Pressing on the controls of the car stereo
• Doing make-up or other grooming activities
• Disciplining children inside the vehicle

Multitasking can indeed cause problems not only for the potential victims, but for the drivers themselves. Accordingly, victims who may think that there is someone liable for their injuries have the right for compensation from the damages received. But first, they must hire a Los Angeles vehicle accident lawyer for them to be properly guided and advised.

You're a Care of the Elderly Nurse, So Prove It!

I've always had an interest in the older person and our society. Sometimes our society lacks the courage or conviction to change people's circumstances, we as people make up that society and may deny the older generation a distinctive voice by our preoccupation with our own busy lives.

I can only speak for myself and today I was not preoccupied. I witnessed an incident which made me stop and reflect on the hardships our elderly have to endure. Walking this morning on my way to work, I saw a very sad older gentleman walking fast past a gambling casino with a bag in his hand. His pace quickened as he walked by, ever watchful of his surroundings. He was then approached by a very irate worker from the premises stating the old man stole milk from the doorway. I shouted back obviously the elder gentleman needed to steal because he had a need - a need to survive.

Trust me, I do not advocate stealing no matter how small the item but it's a sign of our times, that our older generation have to resort to do this. In his mind this was his only option. My quick intervention meant the old man was able to walk away maybe with a little more pride than before and as I passed him he gave me a wink and a gracious smile of gratitude. I'll never forget that look but his grin does not take away from the problem and it poses a question - Are we looking after our elderly and are we providing better care in the community and nursing homes or are we leaving it up the next person to make a difference?

How do we treat our elderly and as nurses do we still have the passion to make a difference? Gerontology /care of the elderly has always been considered the poor man's nursing. It was not exciting or rewarding enough, but that image or stereotype is quickly disappearing but if you have lost passion for your field you should not be involved.

Are we still willing to try and make a difference to peoples lives or are we too busy with our own lives to see what's happening even on our own doorstop?

If you are a nurse working in nursing home or hospital please take the time to get to know your patients / residents. No matter where you come from or where you have trained, take time away from your nursing tasks and hold their hand and let them know that you are their named nurse and you still care. No matter how stressed you are and how long your day is remember you can go home anytime but your patients/ residents can not. You're their lifeline not only for all their nursing needs but also as a contact from the outside world. You are their source of all knowledge.

Never be afraid as nurses to give just that little bit more of acceptance because no matter what small action you do, it could mean so much to someone else. If you are that nurse who is still passionate on what they do I say well done. Be proud of yourselves and in a small way do something to celebrate the difference to people's lives - to have the power to make and change.

Compensation for Offshore Injuries

There are inherent risks involved in being a offshore oil or gas worker, a seaman, longshoreman or other maritime worker. These types of occupations are extremely dangerous since they typically involve heavy equipment and machinery, toxic chemicals, and other hazardous conditions. It is not uncommon for a worker to sustain serious and life-threatening injuries while on the job, and unfortunately serious injuries go hand-in-hand with offshore work.

Offshore staff can sustain a vast array of serious injuries and they can even be killed in the line of duty. Because their jobs are hazardous, injured maritime workers frequently sustain injuries to the head, back, neck and shoulders. They can also sustain spinal cord injuries, burns, and broken bones. They can also suffer from toxic exposure from contact with dangerous chemicals, which can develop into serious illnesses. Furthermore, offshore workers are always at risk of a drowning accident, which can and does happen from time to time.

Offshore occupations are extremely dangerous, whether you are a maritime worker or seaman who has been seriously injured while working on a tug, barge, trawler, mobile offshore drilling rig, tanker, semi-submersible rig, or other vessel, you have legal rights under the Jones Act, the Death on the High Seas Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, or other maritime law.

In any type of the above situations, it is extremely important that you seek legal assistance from an experienced attorney. There have been several laws enacted that are designed to protect offshore workers in the event of a serious injury or death; however, understanding the law that pertains to you can be complicated and confusing. A seasoned attorney will know exactly which law would apply to your occupation and how to pursue compensation on your behalf.

Injured persons have to take the necessary steps to receive maximum compensation for their injuries. In many cases, a seriously injured or ill worker doesn't have the physical capability to navigate through the laws and efficiently file a claim. A knowledgeable attorney will be your best friend during the claims process; they will allow you to focus on healing as they aggressively pursue compensation for your injuries. Oftentimes, maritime workers are the main breadwinner in their household who has a spouse and family relying upon them for financial support. Hiring a lawyer will enable you to seek the proper medical care and it will afford you the best chances of receiving the maximum amount of compensation. If you want to take control of your situation and have the greatest opportunity for coming out ahead in your claim, contact a personal injury attorney without delay!