Should I Let My Friend Borrow My Car?

"Negligent entrustment" is a legal theory where the owner of a motor vehicle may be liable for property damage, wrongful death or personal injuries resulting from a car accident caused by someone to whom the owner entrusts their vehicle. The most common scenario is when the owner lends their car to a friend and the friend gets into an accident. Contrary to popular belief, the owner of the car is not automatically liable. Several things must be proven before liability attaches to the vehicle owner under the theory of negligent entrustment.

First, the owner must "entrust" the vehicle to the driver. If the car is stolen or the driver takes the vehicle without the owner's permission, then the owner is not liable for negligent entrustment. Permission may be express or implied. If you lend your vehicle to a friend to run some errands, then the owner has given "express" permission. Another example may include a situation where the owner's child routinely uses the vehicle to go to work or school without having to ask for permission each and every time. Under this situation, the owner may be deemed to have given "implied" permission for the child to use the vehicle.

Second, the owner must entrust the vehicle to someone who they knew (or should have known) is an incompetent or unlicensed driver. For example, if the owner lends their vehicle out to someone who appears to be intoxicated, then the owner may held liable for a resulting car accident. Additionally, if the driver has had many car accidents or traffic tickets in the recent past, then the driver may be considered incompetent. If the driver of the vehicle does not have a valid driver's license, then the owner may also be liable for lending the vehicle to the unlicensed driver.

Third, the driver must be at fault in the car accident. That is, driver of the vehicle must have caused the accident before the owner may be held liable. If the driver is not at fault in the accident, then the owner would not be liable for negligent entrustment. If the driver is unlicensed, then the owner may also be liable even if the owner had no reason to believe that the driver was incompetent. However, the unlicensed driver would still have to be at-fault in the accident.

Just remember this simple rule: If you lend your vehicle to someone, and that person causes an accident, you may be held liable if it can be shown that you knew (or should have known) that the driver was incompetent or unlicensed.

The Typical Lawsuit in a Personal Injury Case - Part Four

Now that depositions are completed, the personal injury case can now be fairly evaluated by both sides for possible settlement.

Mediation. Almost every personal injury case will go to mediation. Either the attorneys will agree to attend mediation or the court will order mediation. Mediation is an informal settlement conference. Both sides will meet at the mediator's office. The mediator will work with each side individually discussing the pros and cons of their case in an effort to get the parties to come to some sort of agreement. Many times mediation is successful in reaching a settlement, and sometimes it is not. Because settlement is completely voluntary, the mediator does not decide the case nor can the mediator force the parties to settle. If the mediator is successful in getting the parties to settle the case, then a short settlement agreement will be signed at the mediation. Even though the parties will execute more formal settlement documents after the mediation, the agreement signed at the mediator's office is legally binding.

Trial. If the parties are unable to settle their personal injury case, then the personal injury case will most likely go to trial. The Texas court will set your personal injury case for trial depending on the court's docket. The personal injury case can be tried before the Texas judge or a jury. In order for the case to be tried before a jury, one of the parties must request a jury trial. Unlike mediation, the Texas insurance adjuster does not participate in the trial of the case, except maybe as a spectator. Legally speaking, the trial is between the two named parties to the suit. If it is a car accident case, then the plaintiff would be the injured party, while the defendant will be the other driver. The insurance adjuster is not mentioned during the trial, nor is the defendant's insurance company. This is probably the most frustrating aspect of a typical personal injury trial. Throughout the entire case the injured party is dealing with the insurance adjuster. Then when it comes to trial, the jury only sees the actual parties to the accident and doesn't even know whether or not insurance is involved at all. Some states do allow direct actions against the insurance company in a personal injury case, but not Texas. The jury only sees and hears from the two parties, any witnesses, and the lawyers.

Nursing Homes - How to Select A Nursing Home For Your Loved One

Choosing a nursing home can be a very difficult decision. Many people faced with the prospect of choosing a nursing home for a loved one may never have visited a nursing home before and so don't know what to look for to distinguish a good nursing home from a less good one.

The following pointers are important to consider when looking for a nursing home. Whilst this list of important things to look for is not exhaustive it provides a starting point for looking for a home.

The first things to consider relate to the environment of the nursing home. It is important to remember that this is to be your loved ones home and whilst of course there are practicalities associated with people that need a lot of care, a home should not feel too institutionalized. Many people in nursing homes are much happier if they can have their own rooms, and they can furnish them with their own things from their homes. Generally a much easier transition can be made from home to a nursing home when the resident is surrounded by their own possessions.

Also take into consideration communal areas. Are they clean, pleasant and well lit? Residents prefer to be in rooms where the tables and chairs are arranged into small groups rather than one large circle as this is better for socializing. Like any home it is also likely to feel more welcoming if the areas are bright, well lit and open. Many residents also greatly enjoy having some well kept outdoor space.

It is also important to check the food menus and actually try the food. Remember, this will be all that the resident eats so it needs to be both nutritious and tasty.

The second thing to consider is the staff in the home. Most people will be concerned with staff ratios, but it is also important to consider staff turnover. Generally the longer the staff are there and the less staff turnover there is, the better. This is because staff that have been there longer tend to be more committed to the individual patients and better understand their individual needs. Also, for people with dementia or memory loss having familiar people around can be helpful and reassuring.

As well as looking at the number of staff, take into consideration how they behave towards residents. Not only is it important to consider whether they use correct lifting techniques and follow procedures correctly but also if they treat residents with respect and try to help them as much as possible. Staff should, wherever possible, be trying to arrange life for the residents as they would wish it, rather than to make things easier for themselves.

Take care to ensure that there are plenty of activities on offer in the nursing home, as these can help to keep people mentally alert. Social activities also increase residents happiness dramatically as they increase socializing between residents. Some homes claim to offer activities but due to staff shortages they don't always happen. Ask other residents whether the activities that the home offers actually take place.

Check the homes policies on drugs. Some homes like to keep patients heavily sedated as it means less work for staff. This is usually not in the best interests of the residents.

The most important thing to remember is that for residents to be happy they need to have as much control over their lives as possible. This means that they should be able to treat the nursing home as their home, getting up, eating, and socializing at the times that they want to wherever possible. They should be given every freedom that can be given and the home should be arranged for the benefit of the patients comfort rather than for the benefit of the staff.

The last thing that should be taken into account is that the needs of the resident may change over time. Where possible select a home that will be able to adapt to the changing needs of the resident, otherwise when their needs change they will be forced to change homes again which can be upsetting and unsettling.

Consideration of all of these factors should help to guide you towards choosing the home that is right for your loved one. Please remember where possible to also take the prospective residents views into account.

Caring for Aging Parents - Issues to Consider

Caring for our aging parents can be an overwhelming responsibility and emotionally stressful for everyone involved - but it can offer huge rewards as well. To the extent possible, allow your parent to maintain some level of independence. The ability to participate in decisions about their own care giving is important to their emotional well being. It's unsettling to give up control over your everyday routine and possibly have to move in with relatives or a senior care facility. You should expect and be prepared for some degree of emotional distress and depression over the realization that their independence has been lost or diminished.

Making the Decision to Intervene

Sometimes this decision is made for you due to a parent's serious health complications or financial hardship. In other cases, and much more difficult to deal with, there is simply a gradual decline in the ability of the parent to effectively care for themselves and their daily responsibilities. Maintain regular contact with your aging parent so you can monitor their health and mental state.

Preparing Your Home

If you come to the conclusion that it is in your parent's best interest to move in with you, there are several things to consider and prepare for. In addition to a bedroom, make some accommodations for them in other areas of the house as well... a drawer or cabinet in the kitchen just for them, a reserved area in the medicine cabinet, and a favorite chair or other piece of furniture in the family room can help them feel more at home.

If small children frequent your home, be sure that all medications are securely stored out of their reach. Create clear walkways for parents who require assistive devices such as a walker or power chair. According to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every three people age 65 and older falls each year. Older adults are hospitalized for fall-related injuries five times more often than they are for injuries from other causes. Of those who fall, 20-30% suffer moderate to severe injuries that reduce mobility and independence, and increase the risk of premature death. Take steps to prevent falls throughout your home - don't forget showers and bathtubs.

Driving

If you live in a major city, driving may not be so much of an issue as long as public transportation is available. However, if your parent is accustomed to driving themselves around, you need to make sure that they are still capable of driving safely. When the time comes that they cannot, you must take steps to discontinue their driving rights to ensure both their safety and the safety of others.

Finances

Balancing a checkbook or maintaining accurate financial records may become overwhelming for an aging parent. To ensure they are not destined for financial ruin, overdrafting checks or subject to identity theft, it is essential that you work with your parent to assume some responsibility for their finances. You can ease into this by allowing them to continue paying their own bills while you take care of the bookkeeping.

Depending on your situation, you may want to obtain a Power of Attorney so you have the authority to make decisions on behalf of your parent on any financial or medical issues.

Insurance

Brace yourself for this if you're unfamiliar with medical billing issues and dealing with insurance companies. Should the time come that you need to manage your parent's medical care, be sure to take advantage of help resources (such as the NCOA - see link below) and familiarize yourself with the terms and limitations of their insurance coverage. It's also a good idea to set up a filing system to track insurance payments and medical billing. In my experience, filing paperwork by the date of service was the easiest way to cross-reference and match the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements with the provider statements.

Dementia

You should be aware of any changes in your aging parent's mental health (e.g., forgetfulness, confusion, etc.). A decline in mental acuity could simply be the result of dementia or it could be a symptom of an underlying condition. In either case, you should consult with your parent's doctor to investigate the cause and possible treatment.

For more information about aging, visit the National Council on Aging.

5 Most Likely Issues You'll Face When Picking Out Assisted Living Facilities

San Antonio assisted living facilities offer residents and their loved ones peace of mind that quality of life does not have to go with age. Many residents often find the promise of renewed vitality and enjoyment of life at these facilities because they get to be around a group of their peers while taking part in a variety of activities and having access to specialized healthcare to meet their needs. Still, many are reluctant to take this step because these facilities are too often tied to nursing homes when they are actually a lot different. Finding the right San Antonio retirement communities for your loved ones is possible, but you may first have to overcome these issues:

Scheduling. Planning a time that works for you and your loved one to come in and check out the facilities is easy enough, but it may not be enough to convince you of a facility's adequate nature. For that, you may wish to schedule a day where the potential resident gets to come in and try out an empty apartment as if he or she lives there. Getting that set up is a bit more difficult, but most of the quality facilities will work around their availabilities to assist you in the decision.

Pricing. When a resident enters an assisted living facility, he or she often receive a comfortable living quarters, furnished meals, and access to activities and health care. It costs quite a bit to keep these features available. Luckily, it is a cost that the residents share with sources of government funding. While pricing may at first intimidate you, keep in mind that you and your family will not be bearing the brunt of the costs.

Reluctance from your loved one. As people age, they fear going into a nursing home because of what is often deemed lower quality care. However, retirement communities and assisted living facilities are very different from nursing homes. They focus on maintaining the quality of life while individuals in nursing homes often go there as a last resort. The tone and feel of these places are very different.

Guilt. You may still feel guilty if forced to place a parent or loved one in a retirement community. But that's just because you're falling into the same line of thought as the potential resident. You are having trouble divorcing the definition of a nursing home with that of assisted care. When you see how much your loved one's health and happiness improves as a result this issue often goes away.

Transitioning. This is the time when you have to make the physical move while balancing out the emotional elements. Keep in mind that after the move is over, a better life awaits for you and your loved ones.

Choosing Between Assisted Living and Nursing Homes

There are numerous options for senior care currently available, ranging from home care and independent living to full nursing homes. Choosing the type of senior care that's right for your loved one is a challenging task, and much research needs to be undertaken to find the type of care that would best suit their needs. When looking for the right type of care, keep the wishes of your loved ones at the forefront, but also keep in mind their health needs, personal preferences, as well as likes and dislikes. Knowing the difference between different types of senior care will help you make the right decision.

Nursing Homes

Nursing Homes are otherwise known as Long-Term Care or Skilled Nursing Facilities or Homes for the Aged. Nursing homes are for elderly individuals who require assistance and care 24/7. Seniors with debilitating medical problems or cognitive impairments, who require professional assistance, opt for this type of care option. The distinguishing feature of nursing homes is that they provide professional medical assistance, convenience of access to physical therapists, many kinds of healthcare practitioners, as well as nutritional meals and personal care amenities.

Assisted Living Facilities

Assisted living combines independent living with assistance from professionals when necessary. Support services are available when needed.

In these types of communities, seniors receive help with certain daily activities, such personal care, medication reminders, or other activities, all dependent on individual needs.

Here, seniors' living space usually has his/her own furnishings and decorations; staff are required to be accommodating to the privacy and independence of each resident.

Thus, the main difference between nursing homes and assisted living communities is that the former offer professional and on-going medical services, while in the latter, assistance is offered largely with regular daily activities.

Which is more appropriate at each stage in the life of a senior?

Assisted living residences and communities can look like single-family dwellings or apartment buildings including common visiting and dining areas. The atmosphere of the suites and studios in an assisted living community are usually home-like including kitchenettes offering the resident the choice to dine alone or in a community dining room.

Seniors that have experienced a decline in health and require assistance with one or more daily life activities may be perfectly suited to an assisted living environment. Many Assisted Living arrangements and communities allow the individual to age in place rather than relocate to a facility that provides additional levels of care and the way to find out whether the residence of your loved one qualifies for the option to age in place is to contact the division of government, usually the Ministry of Health, in your province.

Nursing Homes employ health care professionals that are available to their residents as needed and they also offer most of the same options that an assisted living community offers. For example, social get togethers and excursions, physical therapy and exercise classes. The bottom line is to assess the needs of your loved one and match them to the type of care and the options provided at each level.

Senior Social Hour

As a society, we tend to think that as our seniors age that they become hermits who prefer to stay inside rather than doing anything at all. As people live longer and longer we are beginning to see that this is not true. Seniors are continuously active parts in the community and continue their social lives as they age. This article will take a look at some of the things that seniors do in their social lives to show that they are still active, vital parts of our community. Before you judge what you think that seniors should be doing, you should hang out with them during their activities and see how much they have fun.

You would probably be surprised if you saw seniors at a happy hour drinking more than just a glass of wine right? Well, prepare to be amazed. There are all sorts of groups around the country that get together and have their own version of a happy hour. I have had the pleasure of joining my grandparents before at one of their happy hours. Like you, I judged it before I went and thought it would be boring. What I found was an energetic, fun loving group that was having a blast sitting around drinking with their friends. Just because you age, doesn't mean that you do not get to have fun.

Just because you age it doesn't mean that you can just let yourself go. That is why you will still see seniors getting out and being active. There are plenty of things that seniors can do for fun outside. If they are able, they can get out and exercise, garden, enjoy photography, or even paint. These are just a few examples of things that seniors might enjoy doing outside. Let the active seniors in your area be an inspiration. They have every excuse to let themselves go but they don't. So why should you?

Playing games is another thing that seniors like to play. Can you name any games that seniors typically enjoy? Sure, we hear all the time about the stereotypical games for seniors. Bridge, Bingo, Dominoes, and chess are just a few of the games that come to mind when we thing of things that seniors enjoy. These games allow seniors to continue to be active and social in their environment. They are also a great activity for them to keep their memory up.

As you can see there are plenty of things for seniors to do in their lives. As they age, they will actually just have more free time to do the things that they love to do. In fact, as we go to work and carry on our hectic lives, we should be jealous of their life of leisure. If you are worried about a senior in your life, then you can research your senior care options and discuss a future life plan with them together. A lot of times you will find that they are still active, healthy parts of their community and would prefer to live that way as long as they can. Growing old doesn't have to equal a boring life.

Stopping Abuse In Nursing Homes

When you put a loved one in a nursing home you expect them to be provided with the proper care, but this is not always the case. Keeping a close eye on our loved ones and their care givers is very smart, when you can't physically be there a good security camera system can help do this too.

With the consent of the patient's family, hidden security cameras were installed in 2 nursing homes in up state New york at the beginning of 2010. These cameras were part of an investigation that lasted seven weeks by the New York Attorney General's office. This investigation took place to watch over the vulnerable who often can't advocate for themselves. The Attorney General said, "My office is strongly committed to using all the tools at our disposal to make sure people are getting the medical treatment and care they deserve."

So at the end of the seven weeks, when the covert surveillance footage was reviewed the Attorney General's office they found several counts of neglect and abuse by the staff. Evidence was found in the recorded footage of employees failing to transfer patients out of bed to prevent bed sores, provide insulin when it was needed, provide range of motion exercises, provide skin and wound treatment and to check patients vital signs. Two Licensed practical nurses are also facing felony charges for falsifying records to cover it all up.

The Attorney General has recently announced that the use of these security cameras has helped his office to charge twenty-two employees found to be mistreating the residents at these two nursing homes. That's twenty- two found to be demonstrating criminal behavior at just two facilities, mean while there are thousands of nursing homes in this country alone. If this level of abuse was found at the two location in just a seven week period, then how much more widespread would the problem prove to be if these covert security cameras were seeing more use? It's clear that these problems aren't just happening in New York, but that is the one place to take these proactive measures so far, thanks to the Attorney General.

It's wonderful that the abuse has been put to a stop at these two facilities, but it needs to be put to a stop across the board. It's absolutely a great idea to keep an eye on our loved ones, even more so when you take stories like this in to consideration and there are many other tales like this one. In some states nursing homes have begun to allow the the family of patients to install covert cameras, we need to make it so that they all allow this or just give our business to those that do.

New Jersey Long Term Care Partnership Program

New Jersey is the second most expensive state for assisted living facilities and fourth for nursing home, according to Genworth Financial's 2010 Cost of Care Survey. However, the state has the least expenditure for Medicare-certified home health aide services. Meaning, New Jersey residents are laden from sustaining institutional care although it is widely needed.

The long term care scenario in New Jersey is as complex as other states: many of these seniors have to spend large chunks of cash that devastate their entire family, and most of them depend on Medicaid as last resort. The ever-increasing long term care costs can afflict emotional and financial stress to many seniors and their loved ones. Medicaid is the only program meant to address long term care issues, but its reserves are not enough to dole out millions of American seniors and the disabled.

Through the years, paying for long term care has been a topic that seniors choose to neglect because it could make them hapless and, otherwise, they prefer to face death rather than become impoverished. There are private LTC insurers, but only few residents consider this option. From middle-income to low-income groups, most of them turn to Medicaid for assistance but to no avail. Medicaid accommodates individuals below poverty line to prevent the rich and privileged from taking advantage of the program to extend their assets. The stringent rules in Medicaid resulted from the extravagant budget that had been allocated for long term care alone that caused some budget deficit throughout the country.

The New Jersey Partnership for Long Term Care is a program designed to address Medicaid's asset limit that would help residents protect their assets and preserve a dignified living as they age. The federal deficit Reduction Act of 2005 modified the Medicaid rules and ratified the partnership program in four pioneer states - New York, California, Indiana, and Connecticut. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or CMS approved the New Jersey partnership program on February 12, 200 which is made effective on July 1, 2008.

The most substantial feature of partnership policy is the "asset protection" or disregard for Medicaid eligibility process that allows individuals to keep amount beyond Medicaid's asset limit, or continue coverage even after they have exhausted their insurance benefits. Therefore, policyholders can qualify for Medicaid and save the assets allocated for their heirs and families.

The New Jersey Division of Insurance on December 6, 2006 outlined the following features that should reflect in all partnership policies:

• The product name should be indicated and the word "Partnership" must be included
• The first page should contain the issue date
• There must be a statement that clearly declare that the policy adheres the requirements or definition of "qualified long term care insurance" as stated on section 7702B(b) of the Internal Revenue Code
• There must be a statement that shows the inclusion of Inflation protection. Policies are required to include compound inflation protection for individuals below 61 and some degree of protection for individuals age 61-75.
• There must be a statement that only approved or certified agents are allowed to sell partnership policies.

Top 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Mobile Chiropodist

Most people looking for a mobile Chiropodist don't know where to start. They may search the internet or look in Yellow Pages or the Thompson Local, but of course the best way to find a good one is through word of mouth. However, if you cant find a recommendation how do you know what to ask?

That why I have put together this quick guide on the top 5 questions to ask a Mobile Chiropodist.

1. Are They Qualified?

It is very important when you first make enquiries with a mobile chiropodist that they are indeed qualified as a Chiropodist or Podiatrist. The profession is a protected title in the UK and cannot be used by law by anyone not qualified and registered with the HCPC (Health Care Professions Council).

There are some training courses for Foot Health Practitioners (FHP) that allow them to cut nails and treat callous to a basic level as with a pedicure but for professional Chiropody and Podiatry you must check they are both registered with the HCPC and have the required insurance to practice.

2. How Much Do They Charge?

This can be an embarrassing question for many people but, it is essential if you are a genuine caller, to find out what kind of service they provide (visiting practice and/or surgery based) and how much they charge for it. Many mobile Chiropodist's that have a surgery will generally have a two tiered price structure where the surgery will be cheaper in general than a home visit.

Some Chiropodist's or Podiatrists will have multiple price structures depending on the service they provide. Some will have one price structure for treating corns and calluses, a different structure for treating simple or complex nails, and different prices completely for biomechanical assessments and gait analysis for orthotics. If they Are licensed for local anaesthesia they will be able to offer nail surgery again, at a different price.

Of course it is so much simpler to charge one price for a home visit and another for the surgery if it is based on time. You do not want to be charged extra if you live in a big house compared to an area of social housing or indeed one price for treating a corn and then another for cutting your nails if the practitioner is only with you for 10 min.

Do they have a cancellation charge? Most chiropodist's and Podiatrist 's will have a cancellation fee structure so it is important to find out what this is in case the need arises. Normally if you cancel within 24-hours there will not be a charge depending on the kind of treatment being provided. Some practitioners however will charge the full amount or a percentage if cancellation is made less than this.

Finally, if you are working during the day and require treatment in the evening or at the weekend, you need to find out if they provide cover during these times and if so how much more will they charge.

3. What Area Do They Cover?

Does the chiropodist you are looking for cover your particular area or location. You may find that some chiropodist's only cover a certain area on their round and they may charge an extra fee for coming out to you if you are just outside their area of business or if the expense of reaching you is higher for them i.e. if you live in the countryside.

They may also have a different fee structure for different areas they cover so it's important to ask what fee applies to where you live and not just how much do they charge generally. If they have a surgery, it may be cheaper for you to visit them.

4. Do They Sterilise Their Instruments

This is an important question to ask if only to catch out the unwary practitioner who may not be fully qualified as a chiropodist or podiatrist. This is less likely to be a problem in a surgical environment such as a chiropodist's/podiatrist surgery where you can see the equipment on show but is less obvious to a patient until the practitioner arrives on their doorstep.

There may be some unscrupulous people out there charging ridiculously low fees to obtain your business, and while you think you are grabbing a bargain you may also be picking up bugs from their previous client if they only carry a few sets of instruments.

And believe me most of us have all heard some horror stories. So just be warned, ask the right questions and a competent qualified practitioner will always be able to give you straight answers.

5. When Can They Fit You in?

This might be an important question if you have a condition that requires urgent attention. A busy mobile chiropodist will have his or her diary fully booked for many weeks ahead with regular patients and nursing homes/surgery appointments.

However, as with most things in life, circumstances can change and normally the mobile Chiropodist will have a certain number of cancellations and spaces on their books and so should be able to fit you in at short notice.

As mentioned earlier if you need an urgent appointment or work most weekdays does the mobile chiropodist offer an evening or weekend service to see you quicker.

Finally, one other thing to mention -Did They Return Your Call?

If you had to leave a message when making your initial enquiry make notes of their name and number and record whether they returned your call or not. This is a good indication of how effective and efficient they run their business.

Was there an answer service? If so was it polite and detailed enough for you to leave a message and was it in their own recorded voice or a machine version. Did it inspire confidence? Did they return your call promptly?

If they left a sloppy message or relied on a machine generated voice you may want to move on to the next mobile chiropodist on the list.

If you are looking for a Chiropodist in the UK, click here: find a chiropodist

How to Advertise Your Business to Seniors Online

Many business owners have already recognized the need and importance, in focusing a portion of their advertising to senior citizens. This rapidly expanding market is projected to grow in excess of fifty million people over the next fifteen years, in North America alone. Seniors of today are active, healthy people who are involved in everything from sports to social committees. Advancements in medical science, plus the wide spread notion of healthy living, has made senior life a fun and enjoyable period, where it is not unheard of to live past eighty years old virtually free from health ailments. With that being said, do you know what seniors want from your business? Guaranteed, there is at least one aspect of your company that appeals to this growing senior demographic. Another aspect to keep in mind is that seniors are also the largest growing group of computer users, with the percentage of daily users rising every year.

Seniors have proven to be smart and savvy consumers who can contribute too much of your overall profits. Many businesses that pride themselves on quality and service will already have a large senior client base. This is one of the most crucial points of interest; seniors are intelligent people who hold high value in quality and assurance. Giving customers a "no questions asked" satisfaction guarantee can make a world of difference to the senior consumer. Do not forget, this generation was raised in a time when it was not uncommon to bind contractual agreements with a promise and a handshake. Although times have changed slightly, seniors are still quite receptive to these business tactics. Make sure to connect with your customer, and always add your personal guarantee, it goes a long way for your consumers and visibly reflects on your profits.

Now that we have established the importance of reaching out to this growing demographic, do you know how to design your ads, listings or classifieds? Start by looking at different ads by companies who have been actively involved in senior life, these companies include retirement homes, nursing homes, home care and assisted living facilities. Many of these types of businesses have developed successful advertising campaigns which have been in place for years. These ads offer a great tool for planning and developing new listings for your business. Although you may offer a different product or service, look at the ad layout to see where they have placed the images in relation to the text. Look for the style of font which has been used, the size it is and the wording. Remember in many cases these ads have been developed by someone who, in all likelihood has a background and education in marketing. Use this to your advantage. Develop a few different ads specifically geared to seniors and get ready to begin.

We now understand the importance and direct impact the senior market has on your business. Your ads, listings and classifieds have been designed in thoughtful way and modeled after already implemented advertising campaigns. It is time to start testing different methods and ways to get these advertisements in front of your target market, the senior population. Begin with free or low cost avenues of media. This way you can get an idea of which advertisement shows the most response. Was it a classified ad, or maybe well placed business listings? This can give you a good understanding of what has potential for growth and what possibly does not. Try doing this a few times; the information collected will help direct your advertising campaign, saving you time and money. Start by searching out free classifieds for seniors, or retirement listings online. The internet provides many sources of low cost advertising, yet it is important to seek out websites that are directed to the senior market. Check in to local news papers and smaller magazines, these forms of media can often be inexpensive and very successful. Find as many low cost forms of advertising as possible, and start using them. Once you have your results, it is time to throw out what does not work and focus on what does. With this new found knowledge you will surely get the most out of your advertising dollars while establishing your name within the senior marketplace.

How to Choose the Right Nursing Home

Not everyone has time to adequately care for their elderly family members and it might become necessary to admit your loved one into a nursing home. If you decide that a nursing home is the right option for your family, then you must also face the difficult decision of which nursing home to choose.

What to Ask on a Visit

There are numerous questions to be answered about a given nursing home before you should choose to admit a loved one in to the care of that facility.

- Ask to see the most recent survey report. Every year a report is filed after the state inspects the facility, including all violations that were found and any efforts by the facility to rectify the violation.

- Ask about the ratio of nurses to residents at any given time. This can tell you a lot about the care that will be provided and how quickly a response to an emergency can be obtained.

- Ask to see how many complaints were filed in the last year and what they were.

- Ask about the turnover at the facility. If the nurses are happy and sticking around, the stress level and care that is provided is likely going to be better.

- Ask if all of the nurses are certified.

- Ask about what steps are taken to keep residents mobile to prevent muscle atrophy.

- Ask how many people have left the facility in the last year.

- Ask about the food that is offered and if there are options.

These questions will give you a good idea of whether or not the facility is right for you. After seeing several homes, you can compare the answers to these questions and narrow it down to the right fit.

Call the Texas Department of Human Services (1-800-458-9858)

You will not be able to get an answer on whether a facility is necessarily good or bad, but you can get a number of questions answered that you can be confident are accurate. Asking a state department might also be more comfortable for you than asking the actual nursing home. You'll be able to find out about:

- Any proposed license terminations in the past two years

- The number of complaints filed in the past year

- The number of those complaints found to be valid

- The number of "quality of care" violations have been found in the past two years

Nursing Homes Can Be Held Liable for Negligence

Be thorough in your search for the right nursing home to avoid poor care. If do you choose a nursing home that ultimately does not treat your loved one with the appropriate care and injury or death results, then you might be able to claim damages as a result. You should seek information and consultation on how to handle such a situation. If you would like to get more information on your rights regarding this negligence and the steps you can take to take action, view the website of personal injury lawyers Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C.

How Senior Home Care Can Help Prevent Problematic Falls and Fractures

Something as simple as tripping over a rug or slipping on a wet spot on the kitchen floor can mean a big change in your life, especially if you're a senior. Every year, thousands of older men and women break and fracture bones due to slips, trips, and falls. A broken bone isn't problematic for younger individuals, but for elderly folks, a break can lead to other serious problems and complications.

Every year, many elderly Americans injure themselves in or around their homes, and this is especially true for senior loved ones, who are at risk of falling.According to the National Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths to individuals age 65 and older.

You are more prone to falling as you age for many reasons. These include failing eyesight, hearing problems, less muscle tone, and slowed reflexes. Diabetes, heart diseases, thyroid problems, nerve damage, and blood vessel problems can also affect your balance. Even some medications cause dizziness and can result in a fall.

Senior Home Care: Ensuring a Safe Living Space

In many cases your loved one will wish to remain in the comfort of his or her living space, but their safety should be top priority. In most cases, the majority of senior falls and injuries occur in a familiar home environment. Home care nurses are available to ensure senior's living spaces are safe, when they're visiting or when away. Home care nurses and respite care programs serve to make senior citizen's home environments and quality of life safer and more secure-seniors can benefit from a little extra safety or support from easy home modifications, and enjoy their independence.

Aside from making the home environment safer, there are multiple simple ways seniors can prevent most falls from occurring. Fear of falling should not stop anyone from remaining active, getting together with friends, walking, gardening, or enjoying life and staying healthy.

To prevent falls and injury, it's important to address overall health:

• Stay active physically. Participate in an exercise program that's right for you. Your senior home caregiver can assist you run errands, enjoy outdoor activities, and get regular exercise to improve strength and muscle tone. Regular exercise and movement keeps joints, ligaments, and tendons flexible.


• Your senior caregiver can help your loved one get his/her eyesight and hearing tested often. Even small changes or losses of vision and hearing increase risk for falling. If your loved one wears eyeglasses, they should wear them at all times. A senior care provider can also ensure that your loved one's hearing aid is in place and worn regularly.


• Read the label and ask your doctor about the side effects of medicines. They can throw off balance and reflexes.


• Use a cane, walker, or walking stick to feel steadier when walking-a senior care giver can assist when walking on unfamiliar surfaces, icy surfaces, or uneven surfaces.


• Wear proper shoes-this means low heeled and rubber soled. Avoid wearing socks and smooth slippers as this can be unsafe.

Home Care nurses can identify and lessen fall risks and other safety risks for older folks who choose to live at home, the most important being fall prevention, and minimizing injury from falls. This is especially important as 1 in 3 seniors falls each year. It's a good idea to wear a hip-protecting garment if prone or at an increased fall risk, and this garment can reduce the possibility of a hip fracture. Senior home care programs can recommend effective protection. Sedentary seniors are at greater risk of osteoporosis and are more prone to fractures. A home care nurse or senior home care program alongside care from relatives can help keep seniors active, confident, and keep up their activity level, in addition helping them about the house. Home care nurses take care of activities, such as cleaning or maintenance that could pose a risk.

Senior home care programs that provide home care nurses for seniors are a godsend in the event of an injury or accident. In a worst case scenario, an elderly person could fall and remain on the floor, injured for several hours or days because they live alone, are unable to move, or are unable to make a phone call. Home care nurses regularly check in, call, and visit elderly loved ones to ensure they are cared for and safe. Should a senior suffer a fall or accident, home care nurses get help quickly.

Assisted Living Residents Reflect On The 50th Anniversary Of The JFK Inaugural Speech

"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." The insightful quote delivered by President John F. Kennedy in his inaugural speech fifty years ago on January 20, 1961 seemed as though it was tailor-made to fit the baby boomer generation. Baby boomers have now started thinking about Assisted Living Facilities and Skilled Nursing Facilities for their retirement. Even though the oldest boomers were only fifteen years old at the time, President Kennedy's words exuded among other things, optimism, a hallmark of the generation. The birth of some 70+ million baby boomers indeed made history, and may even be the reason why they are in their own right, idealists.

Born in the post World War II era between 1946 and 1964, the generation grew up in a time of prosperity and reform in the U.S. that gave them the advantage of believing they could make a difference in the world. They questioned out dated authority systems and challenged the status quo. Born of parents who suffered through the hardships of the Great Wars and the Depression era, Boomers quickly discovered that life for them had so much more to offer. Boomers, well educated and widely associated with privilege, affluence and influence. As a group, they are considered the healthiest, most educated and wealthiest generation.

Echoed in the words of JFK, "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty," the boomer generation believes in freedom, at home and abroad. Their beliefs in the importance of individual freedom and choice as Americans spurred the generation into making tremendous contributions to various social change such as the civil rights movement, gay rights movement, feminist movement, right to privacy and rights of the handicapped. Over the last five decades since JFK's inaugural speech, the generation has come of age and the majority of them have affirmed their commitment to establish and preserve these rights.

The admiration for President Kennedy extended well beyond a generation of Americans, and never seemed as evident as when I saw his framed photograph on the library bookshelf of a Russian immigrant. The "puposka," as she liked to call herself, had left communist Russia with her elderly mother a few years after President Kennedy's assassination. I once asked her about it and she said that, "he was a great leader and his pursuit of liberty was something we continue to strive for as a people." So many of the inaugural quotes still ring true and hold credence today in our conflicted political climate. Some of the favorites are:

"So let us begin anew -- remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate."

"To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom -- and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside."

"Divided there is little we can do -- for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder."

Many Assisted Living residents fondly reflect on their fallen hero and his principles that still hold strong today. Some Assisted Living Facilities arrange story telling sessions so that children can learn about their residents' experiences during the times of JFK. The elderly citizens living in Assisted Living Facilities have a bonding experience with the children as they are able to pass on their stories and relive the moments of their life through their stories.

Insurance Jobs in the Health Care Field

Insurance jobs in the health care field are widely spread over the newest and most innovative companies. In fact, some of the best and most hotly desired jobs for RN and LPN's are freelance jobs in the insurance industry. It's growing rapidly and there are a great many jobs which are available to RN's, LPN's and even to nursing assistance or to lab technicians.

Many insurance companies these days want their own nursing staff to help to review care plans, hospital care, to do insurance physicals and questionnaires and even to assist in administrating the insurance forms and divisions. These nursing professionals help to determine the kind of care that is necessary and what level of care may be paid for by the insurance company. They also help to decide what care is palliative and which will be helpful to the client.

Today RN nurses are managers of individual cases, as well as help to plan for long term care of the patients that are covered by their insurance. RN case management insurance jobs are one of the top paying insurance company jobs in the health care field. Not only do these positions pay remarkably well, but they also permit you to work from home in many cases, or to work your own set hours so that you can work around your schedule.

Caseload management isn't really a factor in the insurance jobs in nursing such as it would be in home health or hospital care nursing. Typically you will not have to attend to more patients than you can handle as you might in another nursing facility, and given the lucrative pay of the hospital nursing, there is no shortage of insurance jobs nurses to deal with on a day to day basis.

LPNs are eligible for health care case management, as well as to offer insurance physicals, to do home visits and to assist in other areas of client care determination. In fact, some insurance companies do not offer physicals through a doctor or hospital, but ask that their own staff do the insurance physicals on all of their clients. This is a cost savings for the insurance company as well as for the patient.

Insurance jobs in healthcare may also hire other health care workers including social workers, and even home health assistants. These positions require various training and skills, but each will also require that the nurse or nursing assistant has long-term training that is ongoing, for so many continuing educational credits each year.

If you're interested in a great deal more autonomy, in working your own hours and in working as a paid consultant to insurance companies, insurance jobs are available to you in the health care field. Each has different requirements, but most will pay far more than you may expect to make in nursing home or in hospital or physician's office nursing.

You are required to have your RN, LPN, or nursing assistant certification in your state of practice and to maintain continuing education credits to remain current in your licensure, as well as to be graduated from an accredited school of nursing or nursing assistance in order to apply.

Avail Senior Living Facilities For an Assisted Life After Retirement

Providing security to one's old age has become really an essential matter in the recent social arena. For the advance stage, when the individuals are left alone and feel helpless, several schemes and services have been introduced for their safety. Senior living facilities fall under this category that provides the senior citizens a proper living arrangement so that they might not feel lonely. After one gets retired and released from all social responsibilities, it becomes essential for them to decide what to do further. These services and facilities help them make their decision easier. As far as their financial needs are concerned, rehabilitation or rehab loans are also available to help the retirees lead an easy and secure life.

Undoubtedly, the old aged people desire to live with their children and grand children. But due to certain circumstances, they have to look for other accommodations. Firstly, in most of the cases, their children have to move to some other city or country for their work purpose and they would never ever desire their children to miss big opportunities just because of themselves. Thus, they support their children in making an appropriate decision and act as their strength rather than being their weakness. Secondly, when the children grow up, they settle in their life and get busy with their professional life. Due to their lack of time, the old individuals decide to stay somewhere else and leave them free to carry out their tasks comfortably. Senior living facilities enable them to fulfill their desire of not hurdling their children's way to a successful career. Many financial institutions exist that offer rehab loans to help the senior citizen deal with numerous financial issues.

Rehab loans are mainly used for renovation purposes. Among so many schemes and facilities that are available for the retirees, one is the equity release. The lenders, in this case, allow them to live in the home owned by them and thereby get a significant earning in lieu of it. The amount the lenders offer them depends upon the value of their property. This value is examined based on their property maintenance level. Utilizing the rehabilitation loans, the retirees can renovate their property to enjoy a good amount of money as their income after retirement. This earning is completely tax-free but with feasible terms of repayment. Senior living facilities help the senior citizens in the utmost possible ways to make their life comfy in all respect.

The senior living facilities try to cover everything that an old individual requires while leading his life. The most essential facility for the old age is proper medication service. The housing complexes that are built for the retirees take extreme care of these facilities so that they might not have to face any problems regarding this. The staffs are present all around to help the old aged people conduct their daily activities such as dressing, eating, walking, etc. This can also be referred as assisted living amenities utilizing the scheme of which could help the senior citizens in all the possible aspects of living during the advance stage of their life.

There are investor rehab loans that are also helpful for the retirees to buy the properties and avail these senior living facilities for an easy and comfortable old age livelihood.

Choosing a Nursing Home Or Assisted Living Facility

If you or a loved one is debating whether or not to turn over the house for a life in a nursing home of assisted living facility, it is important to know the differences between these two different types of geriatric care.

Nursing Homes

In movies and in the news nursing homes are often vilified as places where the elderly are not taken care of properly, sexually assaulted, or experimented upon. This view that the people in this homes are being prayed upon is enough to turn many people off to the idea of a nursing home. However, in reality, most nursing homes are well run facilities where the residents are taken care of in their last years of their lives. 

The benefits of a nursing home is that the people are under 24 hour surveillance care, because they are either sick and need medication, or they have reached the stage in life where they are not able to take care of themselves (cannot feed or go to the bathroom for themselves). The people who run and work in a nursing home are fully qualified nurses, or an R.N. Registered nurses are and staff doctor are the people who are always available for the people in nursing homes in case something goes wrong or they need medical care.

Sometimes people enter into nursing homes because they have recently been in an accident and need some time and care to heal before moving out back on their own. In these cases, sometimes Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance will pay for this limited time spent in a nursing home. However, these health insurance institutions rarely will pay for long-term nursing care stay or care.

Assisted Living Facility

Assisted Living Facilities are not for people who cannot take care of themselves, they are for those elderly people who can do most of the basic life functioning things (like dressing themselves and taking their medication), but need a little extra help and watchful eye to make sure they are okay. Most elderly people live by themselves, and if something happened to them, no one would know. In this case, the residents are constantly checked on, but given much more freedom and independence.

For More Information
If you would like more information on nursing homes, assisted living facilities, life insurance, or life settlements, visit www.lifesettlementsandyou.com today! Geriatrics in this country has reached new levels to provide the elderly with the care they need to live longer, healthier lives.

5 Reasons to Become a Respiratory Therapist

If you are in the middle of choosing a career, then you must also be at the receiving end of sometimes-unsolicited advice from friends, family, and well-wishers. Their constant stream of advice may be making the already difficult decision-making process seem a thousand times harder.

Take solace in the fact that you are not alone! At this moment, hundreds and thousands of people are probably in the same quandary as you.

To help you and others who are having trouble deciding on a career, we offer one option to consider: respiratory therapy. Let's look at the top five reasons why you should consider enrolling in a respiratory therapist school.

Reason to become a respiratory therapist #1

Less schooling required: As compared to most other healthcare careers, the training requirements for becoming a respiratory therapist (RT) are much less extensive. A two-year Associate in Respiratory Therapy degree from an accredited university, college, or technical-vocational school is the basic requirement to pursue a career in respiratory therapy.

Respiratory therapist programs usually include courses in life and health sciences such as microbiology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology; topics that deal with respiratory care and management such as pulmonary anatomy and physiology, cardiopulmonary pharmacology, airway management, and ventilation theory; and clinical experience that includes supervised hands-on patient care.

All the U.S. states except Alaska require respiratory therapists to have either the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) license. For both these credentials, applicants must graduate from an accredited respiratory therapist program and meet other licensure requirements above and beyond the degree.

Reason to become a respiratory therapist #2

Excellent job outlook: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the employment of RTs is expected to grow at a faster-than-average pace for all occupations: 28 percent through 2020.* The growing numbers of elderly folk in the country who are more vulnerable to respiratory ailments, plus an increased awareness of and focus on disease prevention, has led to this growth in the demand for RT.

This means individuals employed as RTs should enjoy excellent employment prospects over the next decade.

Reason to become a respiratory therapist #3

Options for professional growth: Once you graduate from respiratory therapist school and get some experience under your belt in direct patient care, you may start thinking about taking the next step in your career path.

Advancement to roles like shift manager, department head, hospital administrator, educational program lead, etc. is possible with experience and additional training. If this is the direction you'd like to grow your career, pursuing an advanced respiratory therapy degree should be a part of your career development plan.

RTs can also explore the option of branching out into business roles with equipment manufacturers, or join the world of research and academics.

Reason to become a respiratory therapist #4

Average income: The Department of Labor reports that the median annual wages of respiratory therapists was $54,280 in May 2010, depending on geographic location, education, and experience.**

The income of a RT also varies with the type of healthcare facility they are employed in. For example, RTs employed with nursing care facilities earned an average annual wage of $57,450, while those working in offices of physicians earned an average of $52,500 per annum (depending on location, education, and experience). ***

Reason to become a respiratory therapist #5

Rewarding work: This may be the most important of all the reasons to consider a career as a RT. At the end of a hard working day, there is nothing quite like the feeling of knowing you have worked to heal your patients, and that's what a career in respiratory therapy promises.

Through all the emergency cases of heart failures and severe asthmatic attacks; the drowning accidents; the heart-wrenching cries of premature infants; and the helplessness of patients on respiratory support equipment, the feeling you're most likely to remember is the joy of seeing them breathe life once again.

Sources:

* bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Respiratory-therapists.htm#tab-6

** bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Respiratory-therapists.htm#tab-5

*** Ibid.

School Nurse Job Description

Responsibilities

School nurse is responsible for assessing health related issues of school community and making policies in certain issues like bullying. She has to give health advice to individual students and should keep it confidential. In tender age, children usually suffers from some sort of mental stress and needs counseling and care. Being a nurse makes you responsible for providing guidance and assistance for such children.

A school nurse coordinates immunization programs and helps parents to adopt good parenting skills. These also provide advice campaigns in secondary schools for children in need. Nurses make training and care sessions for students with long term disabilities so that they can re gain their confidence and work with their counter parts. These also provide advice for staff and parents on how to take care about children's problems and tackle infections and other problems.

Now a days nurses are keeping more focus on teenage that easily fall pray to sex and teenage pregnancy. Obesity and mental stress are most prevailing in today's youth and school nurses are there to suggest best diet plans for children in need. Alcohol and drug abuse are other problems which needs to be seriously dealt with.

Educational Qualifications

A school nurse needs to be a registered nurse to be able to work in partnership with any educational organization. She should have a bachelor, associate or certification degree from some reputed nursing home. There are various exams of licensure and certification for nurses and which make them eligible for job in a school.

School nurse job description calls for good communication skills so that you can establish a positive rapport with children you are treating. This domain has lots of career opportunities to explore. It will give you handsome salary along with satisfaction of serving future of nation

You Can Make Nursing Home Improvements

Even after your loved one is in a long-term care facility, you can play an important role in the quality of his or her care. Because many nursing homes are understaffed, and because no employee can know as much about your loved one as you can, you can be a valuable resource in the care giving process.

From the moment your loved one is admitted, it is important that you get to know his or her regular care providers. Make sure the staff members working with your loved one know his or her preferences and needs. Help them get to know your relative as a person, too, by sharing information about his or her hobbies and history. This kind of sharing becomes especially important if your loved one is unable to communicate well.

To take this a step further, you should maintain an open dialogue with not only your loved one's direct care givers, but the administration and other staff members as well. Be sure to praise the staff when you see fit. Not only will they appreciate the feedback, but you may find that it helps when you need to air a complaint, as well. When a person does nothing but complain, he or she is often dismissed as an all-around negative individual. On the other hand, if you are the source of occasional praise, you are more likely to be perceived as informed and reasonable.

Since most states require some form of regular meetings for resident care plans, those can be another avenue to stay involved in day-to-day care. Make an effort to attend all relevant meetings, and follow up with staff and any involved doctors to make sure that the plan is being followed. If something doesn't sound right, ask questions and document the answers.

Another great resource is the Long Term Care Ombudsman in your state. Thanks to the Older Americans Act, each state is required to have an ombudsman to assist in quality matters relating to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. If you have any problems and you don't feel that the facility is giving adequate weight to those issues, your state's ombudsman is the place to turn. Be sure to keep the most detailed records you can. Supplying the names of involved employees, dates, times, and the general details of any incidents can help out in an investigation

Finally, you can often find support in the families of other residents. Most nursing homes have some kind of family council that you should be able to join to discuss common care issues. If the facility your loved one is in doesn't have such an organization, consider starting one. You might be surprised at the positive reception from similarly concerned individuals. In addition to giving you a place to air concerns, a family council allows you to speak as a group, giving more power to any complaints or suggestions you and the council might have.

Even though admission to a nursing home may signal the end of your days as the primary care provider for your loved one, your job is far from finished. By staying involved in his or her care, you can ensure a higher quality of care and a healthier and happier loved one.

If you are experiencing fear guilt, or frustration at finding the best nursing home to care for your loved one, then Kenneth E. Strong, Jr. can help you eliminate those helpless feeling and gain peace of mind.

Where Do You Stand on the Breast Cancer Issue?

According to research, breast cancer is a hundred times more frequent in women than in men. In the US, is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women. Male breast cancer is rare on the other hand. In fact, it only comprises about 1% of all cases. Considering the figures presented, this issue is something that we must not take for granted.

Symptoms vary. One of these includes the formation of a lump or a non-painful mass just below the nipple area. There are times some people experience pain and swelling of their breast. Changes in the skin may also take place in the areas around the nipple. This consists of the nipple's redness, scaling and retraction. Also, there could be instances of dark fluid/bloody discharge. When you think you are experiencing any one of these symptoms, it is best to undergo a breast cancer checkup. At present, there are many related examinations which could help correctly diagnose your condition. Although cancer is one of the leading causes of death, treatment is available.

As people get older, the possibility of getting breast cancer increases. In order to decrease the possibility of acquiring this kind of cancer, we have to undergo regular screening tests. Annual mammogram and breast examination enables early detection of any breast cancer sign. In addition to this, we should also understand our risk factors. Here are the groups of people who are more likely to acquire breast cancer.

1. People with personal or family history cancer should be more cautious. Even if a person is already cured, cancer cells may come back.
2. Can be inherited. A person is most likely to inherited through his genes.
3. Women who had their menstruation before the age of 12 and those who went through menopausal period after 55 have an increased possibilities . This is because they have been more exposed to ovarian hormones.
4. White women are more likely to have it than Latinas, Asians and Afro-Americans.
5. Women who never got pregnant and those who were able to have their first full term pregnancy over the age of 30 are more likely to have breast cancer. A full term pregnancy offers protection since it ceases menstruation for nine months.

These are some of the facts which can certainly increase your level of awareness regarding the breast cancer issue. It is always better to be well informed especially if it is regarding health matters. Being familiar with the early signs and symptoms can stop the cancer from developing. Also, when a person is aware of his chances of getting it, he may be able to adjust his lifestyle for his own good. This is also considered as a form of prevention. Through educating ourselves with these simple but important information, we may be able to save ourselves or our loved ones.

Aspects of Spirituality For Caregivers Responsible For End-of-Life Care

Spirituality can also be described as a vigorous process of looking within oneself to reflect on your own life and at the same time turning outward to seek what is actually beyond what is being experience on a daily basis. For many people, spirituality is found in religion but for others spirituality can be found in nature, art or music. There are also those who will reflect on spirituality as being what occurs in everyday life through their association with friends and family.

For anyone facing an end to their physical life, religion and spirituality are two causes of deep apprehension and pain. Sometimes these two subjects may never have even been previously considered, let alone talked openly about. The sudden sharp focus on either or both of them, are not only reasons for apprehension and pain in the person facing end of life, but also for the caregiver and other family members.

In discussing this area of care it is difficult to separate spirituality in the terms relating to carers and that which relates to the person who is coming to the end of their physical life, so the two need to be intertwined.

Religion and spirituality are often blended together, but they are in fact not the same and it is possible to have either a secular spirituality or a religious spirituality.

Spirituality and spiritual care are acknowledged as central topics when professional carers are responsible in the delivery of a high quality end of life care. Spirituality, however, is difficult to define and many health care professionals themselves feel ill at ease in their attempts to provide spiritual care for those who are dying and/or bereaved. These challenges seem to emerge out of a number of issues concerning the diverse meanings of spirituality in a culturally diverse society, as well as the complexities of our current day, contemporary health-care delivery systems. Even those health-care providers who are the most sensitive to including all aspects of spiritual care in their caring role are often very daunted by the thought of engaging such a vague or ill-defined expression of need.

Over recent years many studies have been conducted into aspects of spiritual care in both the home and health facility setting and a study that was conducted by KE Steinhauser, NA Christakis, EC Clipp (and others) considered several factors that were pointed out to be highly important at the end of life by patients, family, physicians and other care providers. This study was reported on in the Journal of American Medical Association in 2000, and indicated that both the person dying and their families considered spiritual care to be important. The range of expectations expressed and the desire for spiritual care was found to be very expansive, but the emotionally sensitive indicators that were paramount, were the ability to be listened to and be cared for with love and trust.

Yet to be able to just listen with intent and show unconditional love and care is often the hardest aspect of providing end-of-life care.

Once one grasps the concepts and skills to listening with intent they develop a better understanding of what the person is really saying. The spiritual aspect of terminal care becomes a journey which is then more emotionally satisfying and healing for all concerned.

Spiritual pain can be the result of a past experience that has been filed away in their subconscious mind. Perhaps it was an experience that totally traumatized them and may have for a period of time, left them in a state of helplessness, and now with their death looming this past memory resurfaces and becomes the center of their being; it is how they are viewing their life, once again in a state of devastation and hopelessness. This is often expressed by the person continually saying thing like - 'Why?' or 'Why me?' or 'I am lost and lonely.' They feel that their life is devoid of all hope and if they used a religious term it probably would be "dark night of the soul". As with any pain, spiritual pain does present with known symptoms. A fear of dying is very widespread and deep and the following seven fears represent the major symptoms of spiritual pain:

Fear of the dying process "what will it be like?" Will it be painful?
Fear of loss of control "will I be dependent on others? Will I be unable to care for myself?
Fear of loss of loved ones "How will they manage without me?
Fear of others reaction to them "How will people cope with seeing me like this?
Fear of isolation "Will people stop coming to see me?
Fear of the unknown "what happens after you die?
Fear that life will have been meaningless.

By being aware and responding appropriately to what these questions represent, caregivers can reduce the person's fear and alleviate their spiritual pain.

Spiritual pain does not require a dose of pharmaceutical medication, it requires all those delivering care to be able to let go of their ideas, roles and agendas, to listen intently, to provide encouragement and to acknowledge as necessary. Put simply those experiencing this pain require their carers to listen with their heart.

By listening with your heart, there is no need to respond, the love and feeling are passed through your looks and your touch, their spiritual pain is only healed from within.

How to Choose Between Elder Home Care Services and Nursing Homes

Deciding whether elder home care services or a nursing home is the right choice for your loved one is important when considering the best type and amount of care. Both options for senior care have their benefits and drawbacks. Cost is often a deciding factor, but so is the level of care needed.

According to U.S. News & World Report, while nursing home costs have continued to rise in recent years, in-home care costs have remained stable. This is good news for families whose elderly loved one needs regular assistance but not around-the-clock nursing care. Elder homecare services are charged by the hour and only provide the services your loved one needs. This keeps costs low compared to the much higher annual costs of nursing homes, especially when you consider the fact that many seniors don't actually require twenty-four-hour nursing home care.

When choosing between elder home care services or a nursing facility, most seniors say they would much rather be independent and live in their own homes as long as they are able. Home care agencies make it possible for seniors to maintain a higher quality of life while receiving the type of personalized in-home care they need.

Elder Home Care Services Vs. Nursing Homes: What's Best for Your Loved One?
The factors you need to consider when weighing the pros and cons of in-home services and nursing facilities include:

• Health: The senior's physical and mental health conditions are the most critical factors. If he or she needs skilled nursing care on a daily basis, a nursing home may be the best option. However, if he or she is relatively healthy and needs help with daily tasks, such as bathing, toileting, hygiene, shopping, cooking, and medication management, home care is a better choice.

• Quality of care: Generally speaking, your senior loved one is going to receive the same high-quality of care regardless of whether it's provided by an elder home care services agency or a nursing home. However, you should conduct thorough research and interviews with homecare agencies and nursing homes alike. Each will offer different services, benefits, conveniences, and activities.

• Cost of care: Unless money isn't an option, the cost of care is always a deciding factor when making these difficult decisions. Nursing facilities can be very expensive and, although Medicare may cover some of the costs of nursing homes, elder homecare services are almost always more affordable.

• Quality of life: Unless the senior is bedridden and requires regular nursing care, most people agree that your loved one will benefit most from elder homecare because he or she can still live at home surrounded by family and friends.

These are some of the many factors to consider when choosing between elder home care services and nursing homes. As they are critical decisions you will need to make as your elderly loved one ages, speaking with professionals about the benefits of both kinds of care is important. Evaluate your options and learn more about the type, quality, and costs of care by visiting http://www.CambrianHomecare.com or calling 877.422.2270.

When Someone Dies in an Accident, Can I Claim Compensation?

The death of a loved one is an upsetting and stressful time in any circumstance, but when the death was due to the fault or negligence of a third party the effects are even more devastating. If a family member has died in a car accident, an accident at work or due to medical negligence, you may be entitled to make a claim. Whilst no amount of money can ever truly compensate for the death of a loved one, it may go some way to easing financial worries.

Who can claim compensation following a loved one's death?

Claim by the Executor

The law in England and Wales regarding who is entitled to claim compensation following a death is contained in the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1934 and Fatal Accidents Act 1976. These acts state that it is the deceased's estate which is entitled to claim and is usually brought by the Executor on behalf of all dependants, but if no claim is brought within 6 months from the date of death, then a claim can be brought by any dependent of the deceased. Any compensation received by the estate is distributed in accordance with the Will or, if no Will was left, under the intestacy rules.

What compensation can the Executor claim?

•General damages - this compensates for the pain suffering and loss of amenity suffered by the deceased before their death.
•Medical expenses - if the deceased incurred any medical fees for private medical treatment prior to their death the cost of these will be recoverable. Receipts or invoices will be needed to evidence the cost.
•Travel expenses - family and friends who have been visiting the deceased at hospital or at home, over and above the amount they would have visited in normal circumstances, then they are entitled to claim reimbursements of their travel costs. Remember to keep taxi receipts and parking tickets.
•Past losses up to date of death - this will include any loss of earnings if the deceased was unable to work.
•Care and assistance - if help was provided in looking after a friend or loved one whilst they were at home or in hospital, such as helping them wash, assisting with meals, then the cost of the care can be claimed for. Even if no payment was made and the care was gratuitous, a claim can still be made.
•Funeral expenses - the reasonable funeral costs can be recovered if receipts are kept.
•Probate fees - if probate or other legal fees were incurred these are usually recoverable.

Claim by a Family Member or Dependant

What compensation can Relatives and Dependants Claim?

The law states certain relatives to the deceased are entitled to claim a bereavement award. The bereavement award can be claimed by the:

•wife, husband or civil partner of deceased
•where deceased is a minor, his parents where legitimate or mother where illegitimate
•children under 18 years on the death of their parent
•cohabitants of 2 years duration
•unmarried fathers with parental responsibility

Unfortunately the bereavement award is not available to former spouse, children over 18 years of age or step-children. However, there is an argument this may be in breach of rights under Human Rights legislation and you should speak to your lawyer regarding an entitlement to bereavement awarded in other circumstances.

The amount of the bereavement award is fixed by law. Many feel the level of the bereavement award is very low, but unfortunately the amount is fixed and is not a head of claim that is open to negotiation.

How much is the Bereavement Award for a Fatal Accident?

For deaths after 1 January 2008 the bereavement award is 瞿11,800.

Financial and other support provided by the Deceased

For the purposes of a compensation claim, only people who fall within the legal definition of a dependent are entitled to claim compensation. A dependent is defined as the:

•spouse, civil partner, former spouse/ civil partner of the deceased
•cohabitants living as with the deceased as man and wife for at least 2 years prior to death
•parents of the deceased
•any person who the deceased treated as a parent
•any child or descendant of the deceased
•any person who although not the deceased's own child, by reason of marriage or civil partnership was treated by the deceased as a child of the family
•the brother, sister, uncle or aunt of the deceased.

If it can be established that someone is a dependent of the deceased they are entitled to claim compensation for:

Loss of earnings or Pension

Where the deceased was earning an income or private or state pension, from which the dependent benefited, claim can be made by the dependent for the financial loss. This would cover situations where the deceased was responsible for paying the mortgage or other utility bills. Wage slips and information from the department of work and pension will be needed to support the claim. The loss can be calculated up until the dependency would no longer exist. In the case of a spouse this would normally be until the deceased would have retired in the case of loss of earnings. In the case of a child this will normally be until they are 18 years or otherwise financially independent of the deceased.

Dependency of gifts, holidays, luxuries

Courts require clear evidence of proof of gifts and luxuries prior to death. Future levels of dependency will then be assessed by the past evidence.

Loss of services provided by the deceased

Where deceased provided services such as childcare, cooking, cleaning can claim for lost services.

Specialist Lawyers

Claiming compensation when a loved one has died due to an accident or negligence is an upsetting and stressful procedure. It is important that you choose specialist lawyers assist you with the legal process and make sure maximum compensation is recovered to ease the financial burden.

Disability Friendly Transportation Autos And Ramps Help Disabled People

Physically mans, the physically challenged individuals cannot use their legs to walk. Therefore, the only vessel that could help them move around easily is a wheel chair. New age models have wheelchair ramps or slanted platforms.

These trendy disability friendly transportation ramps provide a special platform adjacent to a staircase. They enable the wheelchair to simply roll down the top of a slanted plane. These can be bolted at one place permanently, especially if, a disabled person would use them daily. If not, he or she can install them temporarily for easy access of a building. They can comfortably rest on the floor or a cement slab.

Portable ramp models are useful travelling aids for handicapped individuals. Many vacation resorts and facilities lack suitable supplies for the disabled. Even so, this transportable appliance can easily make a person's far away from home trip more safe and enjoyable. They can collapse and fold easily when not in use. Ramps for wheelchairs are not the only items that make the lifestyle of a handicapped individual easy.

People with special needs have unique vehicles with personalized features. Each vehicle is different and it has its bad and good side. What is more, these autos can contain just the disability friendly transportation features a user wants. In other words, he or she can get an item that suits his or her particular needs.

So, what makes personalized autos different from any other? They usually have all the features a normal disabled person auto would have. Additionally, they can include unique features that a certain physically challenged person would require. Many of them mimic the construction of automatic transmission cars. Thus, they possess user-friendly, hand-controlled units that are either temporary or permanent fixed controls.

The fact that these disabled autos have many other exclusive features makes them unique. To be specific, many of them have wheelchair ramps. As mentioned earlier, these are flat, inclined platforms that help disabled people climb up stairs. Moreover, many autos have safety mechanisms such as locking wheels and automatic brake sensors. Other remote controlled models have an entry to the wheelchair on all sides.

Today, the internet provides an incomparable shopping centre made up of several stores. As a result, selecting an appropriate device can be one of the most challenging tasks. First, one must examine what the disability friendly transportation vessel should contain; based on the nature and seriousness of the physical disability he or she suffers.

Nursing Home Insurance - Tips to Get the Best Coverage

Nobody wants to believe that one day they will require care from a nursing home; however, government data shows that a little more than fifty percent of Americans require specific care at some point in their lifespan. Nursing home insurance costs are constantly increasing and this is a part of the overall difficulty with special care - nursing home costs. Luckily there are different things that can be done to reduce the amount to be paid monthly, one of which is extremely easy - a profound, mysterious small and surreptitious matter that your agent wishes you will not learn about - something that would reduce the price of your insurance by about thirty percent in less than half an hour.

Prior to discussing the Huge Mystery for reducing the price for Nursing Home Insurance by approximately thirty percent, we will discuss other methods of reducing insurance costs even more.

For example, money can be saved monthly if the nursing home insurance is paid routinely every month. Once your insurance organization does not have the big cost of distributing your statement monthly (a larger cost than likely observed), they would be very content to transfer the majority of that savings to you via lower Nursing Home Insurance Costs monthly.

It is better to purchase your premium early. As you get older, the longer you wait the more you will have to pay monthly for senior insurance and nursing home insurance. In addition, despite not being something that most persons want to acknowledge, nearly ten percent of Americans aged from 40 to 65 require some type of specialized care for a period of time. The sooner you receive insurance, the less you would be required to pay monthly as you get older and costs are an increased problem to deal with.

Now for the Huge Mystery, the mystery that agents wish clients never learn of, the small mystery that can result in a reduction in costs of thirty percent or higher on your premium at once - and it is very easy, you may doubt its ability to save you thirty percent.

All that is required is for you to purchase insurance via the internet. Absolutely, you did not read that incorrectly. Simply purchase your insurance from an agent on the internet.

Why does purchasing your premium online give you such a reduction in costs? There are two causes. For one, agents who use the internet for sales have practically no operating costs to be concerned with. As there is no high cost for a location or furniture (or premiums) and other operating costs, these agents have the ability to sell insurance at blanket prices and benefit from increases in savings at the same time. The other reason is as a result of competitors. Because of the number of agents online competing for business, an agent becomes competitive by reducing costs to the bare minimum.

The Qualities of a Good Personal Injury Attorney

Any good attorney has many good qualities. They may or may not be the attributes an outside layman would consider important. Here is a list of important qualities of a good personal injury attorney.

1. Intelligence. It goes almost without stating that any good attorney must be intelligent. A large portion of winning any case is out smarting your opponent. Personal injury law is filled with complex issues and an attorney must be intelligent to fairly evaluate and handle those issues. Thus, a good attorney must be intelligent.

2. Diligence. A good personal injury should be diligent. It isn't enough for an attorney to be smarter than the opponent. Instead, the attorney must also out work the opponent. A good attorney will timely respond to issues and diligently move the case forward quickly by investigating every material factual and legal issue about a personal injury case.

3. Legal Research. The law is the attorney's sword and shield in battle; however, the law is expansive and well beyond the memory capacity of any attorney. As such it is imperative for every attorney to be good at conducting legal research. Out smarting and out working the opponent is useless if an attorney is not on top of the law applicable to the case they are handling. This requires regular and competent legal research.

4. Writing. Many aspects of a personal injury claim are handled in writing. Ordinary examples include settlement demands, settlement agreements, pleadings, motions, and appeals. An effective attorney must constantly provide capable and persuasive written documents. As such, in order to be a good advocate, must be a good writer.

5. Speaking. The portions of a personal injury claim which are not handled in writing are handled verbally. Important examples include settlement negotiations, motion hearings, trial, and appellate arguments. These speaking engagements must be forceful and persuasive to say the least. Thus, in order to be a good advocate, an attorney must also be a capable and persuasive speaker.

6. Marketing. As with any business, an attorney must be good at marketing themselves and their firm. It doesn't matter if you are the best attorney on the planet if you have no clients. There are many aspects to marketing. Attorneys market intelligence, experience, recognition, results, appearance, and numerous other qualities. A good attorney must find their niche and market their qualities.

The foregoing are just a few of the important qualities of a good personal injury attorney.

When to File a Nursing Home Abuse Claim

Talking with a nursing home neglect attorney does not have to be costly. In fact, some of these lawyers will handle your case on contingency. This means that the lawyers don't get paid unless you win your lawsuit. It also means that you shouldn't hesitate to contact such a lawyer if you or a loved one has been the victim of abuse. There are a few varying forms of abuse, but they all include a violation of trust on the part of the nursing home staff. Some kinds are more noticeable than other kinds.

The simplest types of senior neglect to spot are usually the physical types. These may include assault, wrongful use of medicine, overmedication or sexual abuse. The signs are precisely what you'd most likely expect. Search for bruises, abrasions and cuts. Some very horrible individuals have been known to burn elders with cigarettes or find other ways to torture them to force the seniors to agree with demands. None of these wounds should be considered normal and all of them should be regarded with suspicion. Always have your eye out for the signs of physical abuse against an elder.

On the other hand, mental abuse can be much more difficult to detect. Many nursing home mistreatment claims involve numerous threats made by nursing home staff members and occasionally, severe verbal abuse. You should realize that this puts an elderly individual in a very difficult situation. While they're likely not strong enough to defend themselves against someone in their prime, they're also adults and being vulnerable is a blow to their dignity. This may be expressed as depression or a complete withdrawal from social activities. This doesn't have to be the case and there is no reason that anyone, young or old, should have to suffer being abused or degraded verbally.

Nursing home negligence sometimes means that your loved one isn't treated at all. The elder patient could be left in bed or sitting in a wheelchair being ignored for long periods of time. This is a form of abuse, even if it doesn't involve hitting or yelling. You should be aware of these signs of neglect, including poor hygiene. For example, the elderly individuals finger and toenails may be too long and unkempt, they might have extreme body odor, due to lack of bathing, and, in severe cases, diapers may not be changed as regularly as needed. No one needs to suffer nursing home mistreatment. If you have, you may be able to get compensation for you and for your loved one.

The ABC's of Medicaid For the Elderly

Medicaid is one of the most complicated, confusing areas of the law, and I often think it is deliberately made so in order to keep people from qualifying or to discourage them from attempting to qualify. It is the government medical program for the poor.

Medicaid is often confused with Medicare, which is the federal government medical program for the elderly. Almost all senior citizens qualify for Medicare, so long as they have contributed to the system over their working lives. For those seniors who do not qualify, they have an opportunity to "buy into" the system by paying premiums set by the federal government. Benefits under Medicare are limited; thus, seniors may purchase "Medigap" or Medicare supplement insurance policies that pay benefits where Medicare leaves off.

Medicaid, on the other hand, is a joint program between the federal government and the states to provide medical care for the poor. As such, it is regulated first by Congress, then by state Legislatures. Those lawmakers have set the standards by which Americans and permanent residents (and only those classes of individuals, not "illegal aliens", to dispel a rumor) can qualify for government-paid medical care. While qualifications can vary from state to state, there are several concepts that apply across-the-board.

Although Medicaid has programs for poor people of all ages, my law practice concentrates on the elderly and those are the programs upon which I focus. Depending on the state, Medicaid can offer nursing home care and/or at-home care for seniors in need. Most people are aware of nursing home care programs, but at-home care programs, if they exist in your state, can offer a great alternative to nursing home care. New York, for example, offers nursing home care and also has an ambitious "community", or at-home, Medicaid program; Florida, on the other hand, offers nursing home care and leaves it to the individual counties to provide whatever type of at-home care they can afford.

The program most people are aware of is nursing home care, referred to in New York as "chronic care Medicaid" and referred to in Florida as "institutional care Medicaid". If a person becomes so infirm that they cannot perform certain Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), they are unsafe living at home, and they need medical assistance, they may need permanent nursing home care. Contrary to popular belief, Medicare (the program for seniors) does NOT pay for nursing home care; it only pays for limited "skilled nursing care", which often takes place in a nursing home with rehabilitation facilities. A good "Medigap" policy will pick up where Medicare leaves off, paying up to 100 days in full for skilled nursing care.

If a senior needs permanent nursing home care, however, they are either going to have to pay for it out of their own pocket, with long-term care insurance, or by qualifying for Medicaid. For those who can afford to pay for their own nursing home care, kudos to you. For those who own or are contemplating purchasing long-term care insurance policies, be a smart shopper: Those policies usually pay a set daily rate (a fraction of the full daily rate, especially over time) for nursing home care for a set period of time (usually only a couple of years), and frequently do not go into effect until the individual is in the nursing home for so many days. It is important to read those policies carefully and understand them

The last option, Medicaid, is for the poor or those who have modest assets. Whether an infirm senior citizen will qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care depends on whether they did advance Medicaid planning or whether their current financial status immediately qualifies them. Sometimes an individual has to "spend down" some of their assets before they qualify, although there are certain ways in which some assets can be shielded.

If you or your loved one is interested in learning more about Medicaid and proper planning for future qualification, make an appointment to see an elder lawyer who can review your financial picture and devise a strategy to help you meet your future needs.