Saturday, November 9, 2013

Physical Therapist Salary - Income Advice For New Therapists


Injuries are very much part of every professional athlete's life. At certain points in their careers, they may suffer injuries in varying degrees of severity. When this happens, the services of physical therapists are very much needed in order to ensure proper rehabilitation by developing a plan using treatment techniques to restore function, reduce pain, to promote the ability to move and to some extent, to prevent disability. Physical therapy workers are some of the better paid healthcare professionals because of this important role they play in injury treatment. The physical therapist salary is very competitive compared to many healthcare salaries.

Athletes are not the only group of people which need physical therapy services, as virtually anyone who has an unfortunate accident or disease that causes movement dysfunction, limiting the individual's abilities to move and perform functional activities would be a candidate. This type of therapist also develops fitness and wellness-oriented plans for patients to prevent their loss of mobility before this gets out of hand.

Most people that are interested in entering this career may want to know how much money they'll receive per year or per hour. Half of all these types of therapists employed in the United States receive $74,480 a year or $35.81 an hour; translating to $76,220 in mean annual salary, or a $36.64 mean hourly wage. The lowest 10% of therapists earning the least salary receive $52,170 in annual wage, while those upper 10% earning the highest physical therapist salary earn $105,900 a year.

Physical therapists in ALF or assisted living facilities earn the highest salary these days, as of September 2010, with an estimated salary of $99,000. Occupational physical therapists working in correctional facilities on the other hand, earn almost $60,000 in annual physical therapy salary. Homecare physical therapy workers receive $75,000 annually, the same with physical therapists in inpatient and outpatient work setting.

To give you a clearer perspective on the trend of the physical therapy salary, the salary index for this occupation in October 2008 was 1.0 and in July 2010, the salary index is about 1.15 with a high of 1.35 at the beginning of this year.

In relation with this increase in therapist salary, the Bureau of Labor Statistic reported that there will be a growth in the need for physical therapy in the next ten years growing by 30%. There are reported changes in the restrictions on physical therapy service reimbursements by third-party payers that will increase the number of patients with access to services, increasing the demands for physical therapists. This is in addition to the growing number of elderly people who will be needing physically oriented therapy services in the years to come.

Having a job in a physical therapy is a rewarding career in terms of the physical therapist salary one receives and the satisfaction of being able to help an individual survive an accident or a debilitating disease and recover fully again.

Small Businesses and Military Contracts For New Innovations - A Discussion


Many inventors and innovators come up with ideas and concepts that can be used by our military to become more efficient, protect our troops and help our nation. During wartime Americans wish to help their nation and thus, these innovators and small business entrepreneurs have their minds thinking for our country men in harms-way.

Now, how would one go about taking their invention to the US Military and why is that so difficult? Okay, let me talk off the record here for a moment and give you some thoughts from the entrepreneurial side of the game or from the innovator's or inventor's mindset, understanding both sides as you do, you might appreciate this dialogue; so here it goes:

With regards to the SBA and trying to get government contracts; I've often shaken my head at the way the various defense agencies fail to use the great resource of all the minds of the citizens. You see, when you contact a government website, or try to call in a suggestion, or an innovation or idea, they send you to some silly web form to fill out to get funding to start your own small business and then sell to the military. That is completely ridiculous.

Why you ask? Well, who says you want to start a business? Maybe you just want to give the idea and first, you need to know if anyone likes the idea. But if they are not allowed to talk with you, you cannot know. So, why would any entrepreneur bother to sign up to learn about an SBA loan to start a business, without any potential customer?

Besides, I've done a ton of government contracting in my life and it's just amazing the "Slow Boat to China" approach to the solicitations process; bureaucracy at its worst. Further, the US Government, and yes the military too, pays its bills so slow, you have to be a bank to finance your own contract? So, in essence you are not getting a contract, you are buying one. Well, that is if you actually win the solicitation.

In fact, if you come up with an idea, the government has to send it out to bid with the specifications. So, you give them the "how to" and then you have to bid against a total low-baller to get the contract that was your idea, your innovation, your invention; that sounds rather silly. So who loses, when you do not get the contract? Well, the US Taxpayer, the small business garage "do'er" entrepreneur and the US Military. So, that's just a messed up process in an insider's game.

Perhaps, the procurement folks can tell us otherwise from their point-of-view. That might be interesting, and if not, it is certainly something to think about, as I believe we can do a lot better.

Your Personal Skills Inventory


If you are at all concerned about losing your job - and today who isn't - it might be time to conduct a personal skills inventory, and rethink not only your job but your career. During the month of November 2008, over 500,000 Americans lost their jobs, driving unemployment levels to the highest point in 14 years, almost 7% of the population. These are staggering numbers, and something that everybody who works for a living should be concerned about.

The recession that we're currently in is here to stay and is building up to full force and effect. Most financial experts agree that the recession is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better. For that reason, people need to be thinking now about their financial future, and how they're going to deal with the coming hard times. Before we even discuss or think about the concepts of wealth preservation and wealth creation however, we first need to consider how we intend to generate an income in these difficult economic times.

As you think about your personal situation, a logical place to start is to reevaluate what you do for a living, and the joy and satisfaction you get from it. Many people find themselves working in a career or at a job that they initially got into out of necessity, graduating from school, and taking the first thing they could find. Over the years, their career has grown but not necessarily in a direction that they would prefer, or that they want. This is the reason why so many people undergo a midlife crisis-they find themselves in a situation that they no longer enjoy, and that is not fulfilling their personal needs. Due to the amount of time that you spend at work on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, it's important that you enjoy what you do for a living in addition to making the money that you need to live.

A skills inventory can help you assess what you do well, as well as what you enjoy. Start by writing down the things you're good at, and be detailed. Follow that list of skills with a list of the things that you enjoy doing. If financial conditions dictate that you change your job and that you find a new source of income, you might as well take the time now to align what you do for work with what you enjoy doing.

How Much Could You Receive For Wrongful Death Compensation?


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

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

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

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

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

Drinking and Driving Accidents Happen Daily: Protect Yourself


You might not be aware of how common drinking and driving accidents are or who is at risk. Drunk driving accidents are not limited to adults. In 2008 one out of every 7 drivers killed in a drunk driving accident was under the age of 21. This is below the legal drinking age.

Car accidents happen for all kinds of reasons, but when things like alcohol and texting are involved those are accidents that can easily be prevented by simply abstaining from the dangerous activity. But even if you know not to drink and drive you may do something unexpected after having a few drinks.

Driving after drinking is illegal and measured by the blood alcohol content of the driver. Unfortunately some people break the law and get behind the wheel.

The first rule is never to drink if you know you have to drive afterwards. These tips will help you stay in control of the situation and avoid making a bad choice:


  • Drink only one alcoholic drink every hour. This gives your body enough time to metabolize the alcohol.

  • Do not assume that because you only have beer you are good to drive, a drink is a drink and you should not drive after drinking.

  • Take turns being the designated driver for the evening. Only do this with people you really trust. Or arrange to be picked up from a party by a sober friend or parent if you plan to drink.

  • Keep the phone number of a taxi service in your wallet along with an emergency $20.

  • Do not participate in drinking games. They encourage over-consumption and can easily get out of control.

Drinking and driving accidents do not just put the driver at risk. Passengers, pedestrians and other drivers on the road are all in danger when someone gets behind the wheel after drinking.

According to the Drunk Driving Prevention page of BloodAlcoholContent.Org, 20% of fatal accidents are caused because of drinking and driving.

Operating a vehicle while intoxicated can be a life altering decision. You could be charged with a DUI and have your license taken away or if you cause an accident that leaves someone injured or dead you may be facing some very serious criminal charges.

If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by another person drinking and driving then you can seek compensation from the driver and their insurance company. Driving drunk is negligent and puts lives in danger. Speaking to a car accident attorney will help you understand your rights and your options after being injured by a drunk driver.

Elderly Caregivers' Unknown Plight - Being Abused by the Elderly They Are Trying to Protect


It is an unfortunate situation that some elderly caregivers, especially family members who provide day-to-day services for their ailing mothers/fathers, are suffering in silence as they endure mental or psychological abuse from their elders who have become selfish, controlling, and manipulative in order to get what they want when they want it.

Some elderly people tend to become more self-centered and narcissistic as they age. This is somewhat understandable when one considers that older folks know that death may be imminent, they most likely have lost some mobility and/or use of other senses, and they feel control over their lives slipping away from them more and more each day. However, this does not entitle them to abuse or manipulate those family members who are trying to provide for and protect them from harm.

Here are some of the abuses to which the unwitting caregiver may be subjected:

Unreasonable Expectations

An elderly caregiver in her late 70s, providing for her aged older sister who wanted to remain in her own home until she died, was told no one else was allowed in the house to help out with caregiving duties which were becoming increasingly demanding. There was no room for discussion, no consideration for the failing health of this elderly Florence Nightingale, who had not only put her own life on hold but also had relocated and was living in her sister's home to help her out. Consequently, the only option left was to put this woman into a nursing home until she passed away.

Being Treated Like a Servant

Some elders feel entitled to get what they want at a moment's notice. This type of unrealistic demand can be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back for a person who is already providing essential medical and nonmedical care, especially if it is on a 24-hour basis.

Lies, Manipulation, and Sabotage

Unfortunately sometimes elderly people will lie to family members, friends, healthcare professionals, and social service workers about the care they are receiving at home. This can cause devastating results and permanently fracture relationships, especially if Social Services is contacted by well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) people who take this information at face value and do not bother to get input or any further information from the primary caregiver.

Manipulation is another powerful psychological weapon that elders can and do use. There are those who have perfected their manipulative ways, playing the martyr and victim to perfection, in order to receive the maximum amount of attention, sympathy, and pity they desire.

The best laid care plan can be sabotaged by an uncooperative elder who will not take an elderly caregiver's needs and limitations into consideration. Injecting other outside family members or friends into the mix can only increase the confusion and frustration.

Playing the Guilt Card

No matter how much quality of care is provided, there are elderly folks who just cannot be satisfied and will attempt to guilt their children into doing everything for them. It is essential for the well-being of the elderly person requiring care that he/she remain as active as possible.

Elderly caregivers need to be aware of these potential hazards. While it may be necessary to provide a safe, secure environment for elderly loved ones, that does not mean that one's physical, mental, spiritual and psychological needs must be sacrificed

Brain Damage and Personal Injury


Brain damage can occur in a variety of ways, but is considered to be any type of injury to the structure of the brain that disrupts or prevents normal brain function or healthy brain development. Brain damage can occur after birth (acquired, non-traumatic or traumatic brain injuries) or before birth (congenital brain injuries).

Most brain damage that occurs after birth is due to an injury of some sort. Unfortunately, many of these injuries are due to accidents that were caused by negligence on the part of someone else. Car accidents account for the majority of traumatic brain injuries. In these cases the driver of the car that caused the accident may be held accountable for the injury.

Similarly, brain damage injuries that occur before or during birth may also be the result of someone else's negligence. In these cases the doctor or other member of the medical staff could have made a mistake and caused the injury, or made the injury worse. In these cases you may be able to seek legal counsel to help you determine what your legal rights are, and to help you recoup some of your monetary loss.

To help you gain more insight into brain damage, it is first important to understand the different types of injuries and how they can occur. Let's begin by taking a look at congenital brain injuries. These types of injuries can be caused by a trauma, genetic defect, infection, poisoning, anoxia, or hypoxia. The result can be quite devastating and can appear in the form of conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, epilepsy, or dyslexia.

Cerebral palsy has been linked to several causes, including trauma during birth, premature birth, infection, poor oxygen or blood supply to a developing fetus, and infant diseases such as encephalitis or meningitis. This condition is often a result of a birth injury and can manifest itself in a variety of neurological disorders that can prove quite debilitating.

Down syndrome is another type of birth disorder that is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in each cell. The condition can lead to mental retardation, gastrointestinal issues, and heart conditions. Down syndrome occurs more so among the children born to women over the age of 40.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is an incurable brain disorder that is a result of the mother consuming alcohol while pregnant. This can lead to mental retardation, growth issues, and low birth weight. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome often have problems with their central nervous system, as well as behavioral issues.

Epilepsy is another incurable brain disorder that can develop before birth. Epilepsy causes the brain to produce intermittent bursts of electrical energy that can be quite intense and adversely affect overall brain function. The condition can manifest itself by producing convulsions and loss of consciousness. Epilepsy has been linked to brain development problems, as well as birth injuries. It can also develop later in life.

Dyslexia is a common type of learning disability that causes the brain to misinterpret what the eyes see and then translate into written or spoken language. Letter and words often appear incorrect, backwards, or cannot be recognized properly. It is not known exactly what causes dyslexia to occur.

Finally, congenital hydrocephalus is a type of brain damage that presents itself with an excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain during the birth process. This condition is caused by prenatal bleeding, infections, or other genetic disorders. It is often associated with other types of birth defects.

Acquired brain damage can occur after birth, and can be classified as either non-traumatic, or traumatic. These types of injuries often are the result of accidents, violent acts, sports injuries, or from other conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases or internal conditions.

Traumatic brain injuries can be either closed head injuries, or open head injuries. Closed head injuries do not involve objects penetrating the skull. Open head injuries involve objects penetrating the skull and directly impacting the brain.

Symptoms of both closed and open head injuries can range a great deal from very subtle to very severe. There can be many different cognitive and behavioral changes, as well as various types of physical ailments.

A traumatic brain injury can show up in the form of a concussion, blood pooling (hematoma), bleeding (hemorrhage), bruising, or skull fractures. Infections, epilepsy, intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus, ischemia, and vasospasm are common secondary injuries that can result from traumatic brain injuries.

It is often quite difficult to diagnose traumatic brain injuries because the symptoms can range a great deal and may be accompanied by other conditions. Imaging tests, monitoring of the length of time of unconsciousness, and the Glasgow Coma Scale are common tools used to diagnose these conditions.

The end result of a traumatic brain injury can also be quite varied, and may require nothing more than bed rest, all the way up to complicated neurosurgical procedures, and lifelong rehabilitation treatments. Patients who have suffered only mild injuries may be able to fully recover, while individuals with moderate to severe injuries may never recover. Permanent disabilities, loss of brain function, coma, a persistent vegetative state, and even death can result.

Non-traumatic brain injuries occur from internal or neurodegenerative conditions that cause damage to the neurons. Infection, alcohol abuse, hypoxia, anoxia, stroke, and tumors can all cause this damage. The result is a progressive deterioration of brain function; issues with memory, speaking, muscle control, problem solving and reasoning are all quite common.

If you or a loved one has experienced brain damage, or had any of these conditions made worse by someone else's negligence, a lawyer who specializes in personal injury can help. These types of attorneys will evaluate your case, explain your legal rights, and establish a course of action. He or she can determine how much monetary compensation you are entitled to receive as well. A personal injury attorney has plenty of experience handling these types of claims and knows exactly how to take your case to court. He or she will handle all aspects of the case from gathering evidence, to locating expert witnesses. This will allow you to focus on your or your loved one's recovery, while getting back to some state of normalcy.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Senior Care Franchises: A Growing Industry


The enormous generation that is referred to as the baby boomers was the largest generation ever born in the U.S. That generation has meant an aging current U.S. population and a boom in senior care franchises. The increasing life expectancy is also adding to the number of seniors and for the need for senior care services. In fact, seniors are the fastest-growing age demographic all over the world. About 12 percent of the U.S. population is 65 or older, providing an enormous customer pool for the businesses that cater to that age group.

Senior care franchises aren't likely to slow down, either. The number of seniors is increasing every year and is projected to continue increasing through at least 2050. That makes a franchise that focuses on seniors part of a growth industry that will always be in demand.

As seniors get older, they have all new needs that senior franchises can profit from fulfilling. Some of these needs include the need for seniors to stay in their homes with some assistance, special health care needs and being able to use assisted living facilities that care for those who can no longer live independently. All of these franchise types provide valuable services that are increasingly needed by our parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

Some senior care franchises provide medical help to those who need it, but not all of these businesses are medical in nature. Some simply provide useful services that seniors need to keep their independence or to make life a little easier. Personal care and companion services to seniors who need a little help around the house are becoming popular as more and more people want to make sure that their parents safe and comfortable in their homes.

The number of retirees is growing each year, with the 65+ age range growing by more than 300,000 a year. Worldwide, there will be almost a billion seniors in the world by 2030. There are now almost 40 million people in that age range in the U.S., providing an enormous market for senior care franchises. There is room for these business types in virtually every community in the country, from large urban areas to the smallest rural town.

Because of the great demand for these types of services, the supply of senior care businesses has not yet met the demand. Many areas are finding that their growing senior populations have put a strain on the few local resources available to them. This makes now the perfect time to get involved with senior care franchises.

Senior franchise businesses often focus on particular aspects of senior care that have proven to be needed in a number of senior households. Different franchises cater to different senior needs, with some providing medical staff for seniors who need constant care in their homes. Other businesses provide care just a few hours a day or provide on-call services to seniors who need special care. Entrepreneurs have an array of franchise options to choose from if they want to enter the much-needed senior care industry.

What Is Expected From A Medical Office Administrator?


A medical office administrator is a person who is responsible for the day-to-day operations and functioning of a hospital, clinic or health care center. The efficient and smooth functioning of the hospital depends on the skills and the knowledge of this professional, so as such, the person concerned should be proficient and well qualified.

He or she must possess a degree in health service administration, public health, or at least business administration. Apart from educational qualifications, the medical hospital administrator must also possess soft skills like good communication and organizational skills. Thorough knowledge of accounting, insurance policy rules, medical billing and medical law is also a must.

Duties that come within the scope of medical practice include accounting, human resource management and making purchases to ensure the smooth functioning of the office. In addition, this professional would be responsible for the daily and monthly accounts of the hospital or health center in terms of financial details, books being balanced for bank deposits, amount of cash in hand and the yearly budget.

As the human resources manager of the hospital, his duties encompass hiring and firing of employees, reviewing their performances and deciding on the promotions to be granted. He is also the liaison officer for the computer software that is used by the hospital. In case of any major breakdown or problem with the software it is this individual who would get in touch with the software company to get it fixed.

It is yet again this professional who is responsible for all the purchasing that is done in the hospital by either overseeing the job or personally placing orders for goods as and when required. The purchases are varied and can range from small office supplies to large medical equipment. At times he may be helped by an assistant to whom he can delegate the responsibility of making smaller purchases but after having sought his prior approval.

Being responsible for the flow of the office entails an eye for details like planning out the location of the doctors' offices, the front reception, the seating arrangements and other conveniences for the patients. A well planned set up would in turn translate into smooth functioning of the hospital.

Managing a medical office efficiently with good organizational skills is a challenging job and to handle it with proficiency a medical office administrator should possess the ability to multitask and prioritize projects according to their importance. He should have a head for figures as it would not only help him to identify problems in accounting but to solve them as well. He should be able to supervise, manage and motivate the people working under him and be a constant source of inspiration to them.

Ensuring the smooth running of the hospital as well as the office, managing accounts, payrolls as well as medical billing and taking an inventory of stocks from time to time on a regular basis are mandatory responsibilities. In addition possession of good communication skills to be to interact freely with doctors and patients alike is definitely a bonus.

Assisted Living - Because I Care


The world of long term care can be a scary and overwhelming place to both residents and families, but with knowledge comes empowerment that can decrease this feeling of helplessness.

I have spent well over 20 years in healthcare and recently I was asked if I was on the company team or my own team, I was so taken back by this because my loyalty to my employer has never been questioned.

I spent a sleepless night tossing this around only to realize that the true answer to this question is I am on the residents team. The simple truth is those who really know me already know this. I will never apologize to anyone for advocating for a resident, and I have learned there are very good facilities that respect this and follow this mission,some even are on the forefront of changing the industry to improve this.

The one thing I always know is if you do the right thing for the right reason everything else will follow. I have assisted and directed a large number of facilities over the years with the mission of either correcting concerns or implementing systems to prevent them from occurring. I never care that my name is on the wall or website of the facility, just that with the implementation of systems it ultimately results in the best care for all residents. I believe that we as healthcare providers because of our knowledge base and ability to look at situations from a nuetral position that family members may not be able to see ,need to make sure that we maintain standards and educate them to the reason why. The regulations set for assisted living are truly in place because either at some time a resident's safety or well being was jeopardized by the lack of the regulation or to prevent such occurrence's from happening, and first and foremost to promote the best quality of life for each resident.

I have so often seen the licensing inspectors viewed as the enemy, the truth is we should all be on the same page resulting in happy well cared for and educated ,families ,residents and staff. Good facilities maintain open communication with their inspector and the visit to the facility is an opportunity to improve the care and services provided.

I have been questioned whether the articles, books or speeches I have written or gave are intended to give a negative attitude toward Assisted living facilities, the answer to this is No!

I want to be very clear that I think Assisted living is a wonderful avenue for our aging population,whether as a bridge to nursing home or as a place that allows residents to age in place.

I want to give a large applause to those facilities willing to go the extra mile to allow this, not just because it is easier for families but because it shows a true commitment to care for residents and help families by developing relationships to help them deal with the aging process. I have to say that if any facility or person takes offence to what I write or say needs to ask themselves one simple question, "does this apply to me?" If the answer is no then it is not directed to them.

The healthcare industry like any other business has good and bad participants, only each individual company or person can know where they are.

The best advice I can give is be honest,educated and willing to to be on the residents team!

As I often tell others Integrity is what you choose to do when no-one is watching, always ask yourself am I doing the right thing for the right reason.

Physical Abuse in Nursing Homes and Your Legal Rights


Sometimes we have to put our faith in others. In a nursing home environment, we take a big leap of faith that nurses and practitioners have the best interest of our loved ones in mind. Many times that's exactly what happens - conscientious care and attentiveness. But too often there are reports of physical abuse against the elderly. It's our job to pay attention to the signs and know our legal rights in this situation.

Types of Physical Abuse

Physical abuse comes in a wide variety. Although we general think of punching and kick, physical abuse actually encompasses all kinds of mishandling of the elderly. Here are some examples to keep in mind:

1. Cuts, scratches, and abrasions. These can occur from being hit with sharp objects or having things thrown at them.

2. Broken bones. Many times broken bones occur from falls, but its important to determine if the fall was accidental or caused.

3. Bruising and black eyes. Often physical strikes will manifest themselves as bruising. Furthermore, excessively tight gripping for come-along situations can show in the form of bruises.

4. Internal bleeding. Much harder to detect than the external injuries, internal bleeding can be caused much more easily in the elderly than in average individuals. Pay close attention to internal complaints by your loved ones.

5. Sexual injury. It's unpleasant to think about but sexual injuries can occur from caretakers taking advantage of helpless patients. Your loved one will likely be hesitant to discuss such an issue, so pay attention for unusual behavior or small hints at abuse.

6. Unnecessary restraint. It may not be as obvious as a broken bone, but excessive restraining can be seen as physical abuse. There is an important difference between restraining a patient for his/her own safety and restraining them for convenience.

7. Food and drink deprivation. It's understood that nursing homes get busy, but that is no excuse for extended food or drink deprivation. Watch for signs of malnourishment.

Why Physical Abuse Happens

There are a few reasons nursing home abuse can occur. The first is frustration. It can be extremely difficult handling ornery and resistant older patients. Frustration can easily set in for nurses and practitioners, resulting in a decision to resort to violence or abuse. The second reason is dominance. In order to achieve compliance and obedience, nursing home workers could use sheer physical superiority. Furthermore, there can be a subtle, psychological thrill at dominating or bullying others. The third reason is sexual gratification. Forced compliance can allow workers to take sexual advantage of patients. Of course every situation is unique and it's important to pay attention to small details that give you hints at the possibility and causes of physical abuse.

Your Legal Rights

Sometimes if families believe their loved one is being abused they will simply move that person to a different nursing home. This may stop the short term damage, but it doesn't provide any legal or financial recourse for the abuse. Furthermore, future families are likely to fall into the same situation. For the livelihood of your family and the safety of future patients, it is important that you figure out what you can do to get legal satisfaction for the wrongs done to your loved one.

If you suspect there is physical abuse happening, do your best to document the time of complaints, details of complaints, and potentially pictures of the physical damage done. From there, get in touch with a qualified elder-abuse attorney in your area who knows how to handle the ins and outs of the industry.

Alternative Cellular Energy Pigments: A Unifying Concept for Energy Medicine


Summary

Complex intracellular inclusions were identified in brain cells of patients with non-inflammatory stealth virus encephalopathy. The cells showed extensive disruption of mitochondria leading to the suggestion that the inclusions were providing an alternative (non-mitochondria) source of cellular energy. Pigmented intracellular inclusions and extra-cellular materials were similarly identified in stealth virus cultures.

A characteristic feature of these cultures is the progressive lessening of the cytopathic (cell damaging) effect that coincides with, and is dependent upon, the accumulation of these pigmented materials. Tissue culture and direct patient derived materials exhibit various qualities consistent with their functioning as energy transducers. Specifically, they are composed of conglomerates of finer particles that can display fluorescent, electrostatic, sound resonating and variable magnetic activities. Individual particles contain various combinations of different minerals. They can act as both electron donors and electron acceptors in redox reactions and can also generate gas bubbles from water.

The viability of cells in cultures containing alternative cellular energy pigments (ACE-pigments) can be influenced by exposure to external electromagnetic, magnetic and sound frequencies that have no discernable effects on normal cell cultures. Enhanced cell growth and survival occurs upon exposure to relatively low intensities, while cell destruction occurs at higher intensity external energy exposure. Various natural products show ACE-pigment like activities, including a capacity of protecting cell cultures from the cytopathic effect of stealth viruses. These products are suitable for double blind clinical studies.

Introduction

Plants and certain bacteria derive energy in the form of sunlight to covalently link hydrogen and carbon atoms to form carbohydrates. This photosynthetic process is mediated by chlorophyll molecules that can specifically absorb photons corresponding to the blue and red components of sunlight. The photons elevate the energy levels of particular electrons within the chlorophyll molecules that can then be used in an electron donating (reducing) reaction between carbon dioxide and water to yield carbohydrates, such as glucose.

Electrons can subsequently be withdrawn from carbohydrates in the form of chemical energy for synthesis of other types of life sustaining organic molecules and for the generation heat. Protons typically accompany electrons in electron donating (reduction) and electron capturing (oxidation) reactions. The term oxidation is used since oxygen plays a major role as an electron acceptor to form water.

Chlorophyll utilizes only a minor fraction of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Not only does this seem rather inefficient but the question can also be asked what was the energy used to synthesize the original chlorophyll molecules. Energy could conceivably be derived from other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and/or from other less well understood forms of energy.

Viruses can cause cell damage by various mechanisms including simple competition for the metabolic resources available to the cell. I have defined a grouping of cytopathic (cell damaging) viruses, termed stealth viruses, that fail to evoke an immune mediated inflammatory reaction (please refer to http://www.s3support.com for a complete list of publications). The best characterized stealth virus originated from the cytomegalovirus of African green monkeys. The virus was isolated from a patient with the chronic fatigue syndrome, with a similar but not identical virus isolated from a patient with a manic depressive, bi-polar illness.

The virus induces a severe acute disease in cats followed by considerable clinical recovery in spite on an absent inflammatory response. Similarly, the cytopathic effect in tissue culture tends to abate over time, especially in infrequently fed cultures. The mechanism of this striking recovery process is attributed to materials that accumulate in tissue culture supernatants since reactivation occurs upon replacing the tissue culture medium with fresh medium. Reactivation can be prevented by including supernatant materials from repaired cultures into the re-feeding medium.

Unusual intracellular and extra-cellular materials were previously noted in the brains of stealth virus inoculated cats and in the brain biopsies of various patients with stealth virus encephalopathy. They were periodic acid Schiff (PAS) positive and also readily seen using the cationic Stains-all dye.

Irregularly shaped inclusions were also noted on electron microscopy of both animal and human brain biopsies. The highly ordered complex structures of some of these inclusions suggested that they were fulfilling some cellular function. Given the marked disruption of the cells' mitochondria, it seemed reasonable to postulate that the inclusions may be providing an alternative (non-mitochondria) energy source. The following data support such a conclusion.

Complex Inclusions in a Brain Biopsy from a Stealth Virus Infected Child

The child's illness evolved over seven months from what was initially considered to be a conduct and attention deficit disorder to an apparent neurological disease. In spite of markedly abnormal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), his early neurological examination was essentially normal. A brain biopsy showed lipid accumulation within glial cells without accompanying inflammation, and was considered non-diagnostic by the attending and referral neuropathologists.

After extensive clinical reviews in major medical centers, a second brain biopsy was performed at Stanford University , this time with sections prepared for electron microscopy. Apart form the lipid vacuolization and mitochondria damage, the attending neuropathologist failed to report on any of the inclusions shown in Figures 1-8 of the article posted on the s3support.com web site.

Pigmented Particles, Threads and Ribbon-like Structures in Stealth Virus Cultures

Representative photographs of the cytopathic effect occurring in stealth virus cultures are also available on the web site. The repair and reactivation processes are illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the published article "Stealth virus culture pigments: a potential source of cellular energy." Exp Mol Pathol. 2003: 74:210-23 . Many of the cell clusters become pigmented and the pigmented material can coalesce into discrete particles, some of which are extruded into the tissue culture medium. Various threads and ribbon-like structures can also develop in stealth virus cultures.

They can show intricate patterning and can exist as either hollow tubes or flat bands. Both by scanning electron microscopy and auto-fluorescence microscopy, the particles can be seen as conglomerates of finer particles. The tread and ribbon-like structures are also auto-fluorescent with wide excitation and emission spectra. The particles can occasionally show magnetic activity which is characterized by a degree of variability in sensitivity and responsiveness that is not seen with inorganic metallic objects. Electron dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis shows that the particles contain various minerals with individual particles displaying quite distinctive patterns of mineral composition.

The particles can show both electron donating (reducing) and electron accepting (oxidizing) reactions. The former is readily demonstrated using the chromogen MTT as an electron acceptor. It can also occur with reagents such as iodine in alcohol. Oxidation is seen with the appearance of calcium oxalate crystals following the addition of ascorbic acid to medium containing ACE pigments. The particles can also generate gas bubbles when placed in water. A remarkable feature is the variability seen over time with many of these properties. The particles appear to exist in both a "charged" and a "discharged" state. Individual particles will also commonly resonate when exposed to wide band sound frequencies.

Using a sound generator, each particle will commonly exhibit a rather narrow range of movement activating frequencies. Externally applied electromagnetic, fixed and pulsating magnetic energies, and sound waves can show effects on isolated ACE-pigments and on the viability of stealth virus cultures. It is easier to demonstrate cell destructive effects using light, X-ray and magnetic energies, but low intensity energy exposures have clearly benefited some cultures. Both sound and magnetic energies can induce considerable movement of freely floating cell clusters.

ACE Pigments Derived from Stealth Virus Infected Patients.

Similar mineral containing particles have been found in dried perspiration from stealth virus infected patients. They can exhibit rapidly reversible electrostatic properties suggesting internal movements of electrical charge. They are auto-fluorescent and can be both reducing (electron donating) and oxidizing (electron accepting). They can also generate gas bubbles from water.

Erratic movements of the particles in liquid suspensions may account for what earlier investigators have termed pleomorphic microorganisms. The occasional transformation of the particles into thread-like forms is also consistent with the mistaken belief that the supposed bacteria could transform into fungal forms. It is likely that ACE pigments are also responsible for so called delusional parasitosis or Ekbom's syndrome experienced by occasional patients with severe psychiatric illness. They may also explain mistaken reports of head lice in stealth virus infected patients.

Natural Products and Subtle Energies

An assay for the electron shuttling activity of ACE-pigments has been developed and applied to a number of natural products, including a Japanese plant extract and a material designated Enercell. Interesting patterns develop during these reactions that appear to be subject to environmental influences. These reactions are currently being used as a potential sensor for non-conventional forms of energy that may influence their physical and/or chemical properties. Other highly energized natural products can contain microscopic energy rich particles that show remarkable motility and that could easily be mistaken for bacteria.

Although not as well characterized as electromagnetic radiation, most physicists realize that other radiating forms of energy do exist. Included in this category are so called dark energy, phonons, biophotons (chi, orgone) and what is variously referred to as the ether, subtle energy, or zero-point energy. Understanding the potential reciprocal interactions of living organisms and the ether is rendered difficult because of the lack of suitable detection methods.

The restricted patterns of the minerals in individual ACE pigment particles suggested the existence of selective mineral affinity forces that favor the attraction of like substances. Minerals have mainly been studied in inorganic forms. Increasingly, it appears that minerals can exhibit quite different properties when either single atoms or small microclusters. Minerals can also behave differently when incorporated into organic and even silica based complex molecular lattices.

The concepts of orbitally-rearranged monoatomic element ( ORME ), molecular energy transduction with superconducting coherent energy emissions, and gravity defying elements, have been proposed to explain some of the unique features of these altered states of mineral existence. The field of biophysics is currently addressing the potential harmonization of energy patterns within living organisms and even between organisms separated by considerable distances. The experience of various healers would also suggest that conscious thought may be able to alter these harmonizing energy patterns.

Clinical and Agricultural Studies

Given their strong activity in the electron transferring assay system and testimonial evidence for efficacy in various disease states, a number of these natural products have been selected for detailed double blind, placebo controlled studies. Subjects with illnesses potentially attributable to stealth virus infections, and subjects who manifestly are lacking in energy production would be selected. Among the latter group plans are underway to test patients with various wasting syndromes (including cancer cachexia), children with severe diarrhea and asphyxiated newborn infants. Studies on both experimental and livestock animals can similarly be performed.

An advantage of the energy based approach to therapy is that it removes the focus away from using products as a means of enhancing the immune system. The new approach allows for a two way extension of studies to be conducted in an agricultural setting. Thus many products destined for evaluation in human and animal studies can be objectively assessed for their growth enhancement of various plants and crops. Conversely, natural materials that promote the quality of agricultural products may find usefulness in both animals and humans.

Co-ordination of Effort

It would be desirable to have an organizational structure that would encourage open communication among individuals contributing products, performing efficacy assessments and conducting basic research. Sound financial management and good public relations are also essential. The Government, Industry and Major Academic Institutions have, unfortunately, tended to put money-driven self interests above that of the public.

A fledgling non-profit organization termed S3Support has been joined by an Applied BioPhysics Foundation to form the Progressive University and BioPhysics Institute. Its primary goal is to develop and promote a nationwide endeavor to more rapidly bring the enormous benefits of energy based clinical and agricultural science to mankind. This effort can be assisted by increasing the membership of health care providers, farmers, researchers, administrators, public spokespersons, patients and their family members, etc., in the Applied BioPhysics Foundation.

Medication Errors in Nursing Homes - Part 2



  • Estimated one adverse drug event occurs per patient per day

  • Treating avoidable events conservatively cost $billions annually

  • Information technology plays a key role in improving resident medication safety

Nursing home residents take an average of eight medications per month. One-third of them take nine or more. Despite the excellent care provided to these residents, one avoidable adverse drug related event is estimated to occur per resident per day at an annual healthcare cost of billions. Many events are caused by inefficient information systems offering incomplete or inaccurate information to the clinician. Increasing access to accurate resident specific information empowers physicians in perhaps their most important role in long-term care facilities; that of monitoring for inevitable drug interactions between diseases, symptoms and other drugs in the medication use process. Three emerging technologies (EMRs, CPOE and CDSS) actively enlist clinician participation in this ongoing process.

Information Technology (IT) Opportunities

Electronic medical records (EMRs) store resident specific information electronically thus centralizing information and enhancing operational efficiencies for clinicians and the interdisciplinary team. Other benefits include:


  • Increased accessibility to and sharing of information

  • Ongoing clinician maintenance and review of the resident specific medication list

  • Legible clinician documentation consistently compliant with regulatory language

  • Enhanced systematic surveillance of disease/symptom/drug monitoring

  • Updated drug information resources


Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE)

CPOE enables electronic entry of clinician orders. Prescribing medications electronically with an EMR is safer and more reliable than paper based prescribing and reduces medication error rates.

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)

Clinical decision support systems provide care guidelines to clinicians and promotes resident safety, education and communication. Diagnosis specific treatment guidelines (e.g., myocardial infarction plus aspirin or atrial fibrillation plus warfarin) support optimal health through proactive disease management. Automated resident-specific reminders for drug allergies, interactions, dosing adjustments and evidence-based interventions prevent errors of omission. The reminders become a reliably consistent surrogate for resources inefficiently spent in retrospective, individual chart reviews. When combined with clinical decision support systems CPOE reduce medication errors by 80 percent. Benefits of CPOE and CDSS include:


  • Better documentation for drug usage indications, allergies and interactions

  • Warning messages triggered by incomplete, incorrect or excessive dosing orders

  • Improvements in therapeutic drug dosing adjustments

  • Avoidance of preventable pharmacotherapeutic organ toxicity

  • Improved clinician adherence to guideline-based care

  • Positive influence on provider prescribing behavior

  • Increased adherence to corollary orders


Cultural Changes

Residents and families, institutional partners and third party payers now expect system approaches to ensure policies and procedures follow evolving standards of care. Cost related quicker and sicker hospital discharges into nursing facilities and lawsuits involving adverse drug events are a few of the change drivers for using these integrated information systems to improve communication efficiency and quality of care. Despite demonstrated improvements using an EMR, CPOE and CDSS, the long term care industry has been slow to voluntarily adopt these technologies. The government is considering mandating e-prescribing as requisite for physician Medicare participation with all prescriptions being written electronically by 2010.

Raise the Bar

Specialty EMR, CPOE and CDSS give institutions and clinicians the ability to revolutionize healthcare quality with accurate, comprehensive information systems. The time has come for us to use electronic medical records and embrace a higher standard of resident safety and advocacy in long term care by integrating these systems into the disease and medication monitoring process. This ensures clinicians and facilities deliver the best care they are capable of and that residents receive the excellent care they deserve.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

FHA Section 232 Is The Perfect Financing Solution for Nursing Home-Assisted Living Developers


FHA Section 232 is the best financing available today to develop Nursing Homes or Assisted Living Facilities.

And the need is much greater today more then ever! Why?

With the aging of the baby boomer generation, there is currently a huge strain on existing nursing home and assisted living facilities. There aren't enough beds to meet the demand. Now is the time for developers to get in and begin developing these properties. And the FHA Section 232 financing program is the best way to finance these developments.

What Is This Program?

FHA Section 232 is a Federal mortgage insured program. It doesn't mean that FHA is providing the funding...they are insuring the actual lenders against defaults. Section 232 is a section under the National Housing Act. It allows the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) to provide mortgage insurance to HUD approved lenders. This is to assist in the development or substantial rehabilitation of assisted living facilities or nursing homes. The loan program allows for long-term mortgages (up to 40 years) that can be financed with Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) Mortgage Backed Securities.

Who Can Use The FHA Section 232 Construction/Substantial Rehabilitation Financing?

This program is available for both non-profit and for-profit developers, public entities or investors. The maximum loan amount allowed with this type of financing is 95% of the estimated value of physical improvements and major movable equipment for non-profits and 90% for for-profit developers.

Eligible Property Types?

The facility must have a minimum of 20 beds and the residents must require skilled nursing care or continuous care. The facilities must be properly licensed/regulated by the appropriate state or local agencies.

What Are The Benefits?

There are so many good benefits of using this program. In today's times of credit crunch and tighter lending criteria, many developers are finding it increasingly hard to obtain good financing that makes their projects work. FHA Section 232 financing is usually the only way that developers can make their projects work (from a numbers stand point). I would recommend this program as the best on the market.

Police Brutality


We expect police to work hard preventing crime and keeping us safe. To be sure, the vast majority of police officers are dedicated to protecting the public. We are immensely grateful to these law enforcement professionals.

However, there are law enforcement officials who ignore their sworn duty and violate the rights of law-abiding citizens. In these situations, the innocent victim of police brutality may have the right to make a legal claim against the abusive officers and the police department where they work.
If you or a loved one was injured by federal, state, county, or local law enforcement officers, and you believe that your injury resulted from their excessive force or abuse of authority, it is important to talk with a police brutality lawyer with experience in your state's and federal police brutality and civil rights laws.

Police have broad authority to carry out their duties, as they should. Nevertheless, there are limits to these powers. Legal claims for police brutality or abuse may arise when law enforcement officials go beyond the limits of their authority and cause needless injury.

The following are some of the types of legal claims arising from police brutality or abuse.

Excessive Force

Police only may use the amount of force that is reasonably necessary to carry out their lawful duties. Whether force is "excessive" depends on the reason why police attempted to stop or arrest an individual, the way that the person responded to police requests or demands, and the circumstances surrounding the encounter.

Thus, it might be reasonable for law enforcement officers to physically grab and restrain a person who was armed, committed a violent crime, or physically resisted arrest. Police could do this based on a reasonable belief that the individual posed immediate danger, even if their belief was wrong.

However, police may use no more force than necessary. They should not hit, rough up, or otherwise hurt a person who is unarmed, acts in a non-threatening manner, and follows their directions. Even if a person is aggressive, police must stop using force, as soon as they restrain the individual. Thus, any legal claim for "excessive force" must be based on injury resulting from force beyond whatever was necessary.

False Arrest or Imprisonment

This claim arises when police take an individual into custody, without an arrest warrant and without "probable cause." An officer would have "probable cause" if he or she actually saw the person commit a serious crime or had a reasonable belief that the person had or was just about to commit a serious crime.

The reasonableness of the officer's belief is based on the information available at the time of the arrest, even if it turns out to be wrong. When police lack this legal justification, the person taken into custody may have a claim for false arrest.

Malicious Prosecution

An individual may be the victim of "malicious prosecution" when a law enforcement official begins a criminal proceeding, without "probable cause," but with malice toward the victim, and the criminal proceeding ends in the victim's favor (without a conviction). This claim arises, because the law states that no one should be subjected to the extreme emotional stress, embarrassment, and financial expense often involved in a criminal prosecution that lacks a legitimate basis.

Unreasonable Search

In recent years, the U.S. Congress and Courts have responded to terrorist attacks, drug trafficking, and school violence, by expanding police powers. Law enforcement officers may ask every person for identification, and may check for weapons, at airports, schools, and other public buildings. In addition, police can stop a person in any public place, if the officer has "reasonable suspicion" that a crime was committed and that person committed it. During this kind of non-custodial stop, the officer may do a "pat-down" search to make sure the individual is not carrying a weapon.

There still are occasions when law enforcement officers go beyond their authority, and a search becomes "unreasonable." The situations that may be the basis of a legal claim include:


  • Police enter and search an individual's home without permission, without a warrant and without the presence of emergency, or "exigent," circumstances.

  • Police do a body cavity search, or "strip search," of a person who is not under arrest, or who was arrested for a misdemeanor.


Rights of Pre-Trial Detainees

Even if police have a lawful basis to make an arrest, the individual may have a legal claim for injury that occurs in the detention facility or jail. At that point, law enforcement officials have complete control over the detainee. Therefore, they have an obligation to promptly determine his or her physical and psychological needs, provide proper medical treatment, food, and shelter, and protect the detainee from other inmates. Injury resulting from neglect during pre-trial detention may be the basis for a legal claim against the law enforcement agency that operated the facility.

Complex Legal Issues in Police Brutality Cases

In every police abuse case, the first critical issue is whether or not the officers were doing their job properly, or had a reasonable belief that they were doing so at that time. This defense is sufficient to defeat the claim, even if the victim suffered severe emotional distress.

Proof that the law enforcement officers were careless or negligent is not enough to succeed in this type of case. Instead, the victim must have evidence that police knew they were acting in an unreasonable or unlawful manner, and intentionally caused injury. Needless to say, only an experienced attorney can handle a police brutality case. To make a proper claim, the attorney must investigate all the relevant evidence and evaluate the circumstances surrounding the police conduct and the victim's injuries.

Nursing Home Resident Gift Ideas


Every year caregivers in nursing homes and assisted living facilities must deal with the challenge of gift ideas to their resident's. In an attempt to make this task a little easier for you, here are some ideas for gifts as well as a few ways in which you might consider distributing the gifts to the resident's in your facility.

Give each resident a paper cut out Christmas picture (tree, bell, angel, star) and ask them to write on the back, their name and a few items they might like to receive, maybe some things they need. These can then be put on a wall, bulletin board, or a Christmas tree and staff can pick them and use them to buy gifts for the residents.

You might want to have a dollar limit of $10 or so, or this could get quite expensive. A list should be kept as well, of the resident's names and the staff member who picked them. You don't want to find, at the last minute, that some residents were missed. It could be helpful to have the purchased gifts brought in a few days before you are handing them out, just to go through your list and be sure everyone is accounted for.

If there is a possibility that staff may not want to buy for some specific residents, for whatever personal reasons, maybe picking names anonymously would be better. They could draw names out of a hat. To take the anonymous idea one step further, you could simply have staff choose male or female and then each resident gets whatever is gifted for their gender, rather than items specific for them. It might also be an idea to have a few of these types of gifts available for new residents arriving to your facility who came after your lists were made up. You really don't want anyone missed.

If there are just too many residents for the staff to purchase for, consider asking local churches or organizations like Boy Scouts to participate.

Another gift idea is to put together some beautiful baskets that can be raffled off. The raffle tickets can be easy enough to make with a computer and printer, then stapled together. The baskets could be themed such as "Beauty" with lotions and soaps, or "Movies" with popcorn, candy, a movie DVD, etc. The tickets could be sold for a dollar or two to resident's families as they come to visit, or the boy scouts could sell them for you. The money could be used to help buy gifts for the residents as well, or pay for some of the Christmas party.

The gifts can be taken to each resident's room, or handed out by Santa at a Christmas Party.

You could also have some extra fun distributing the gifts at a party if you had a large plastic dice the residents could throw, taking turns. If they throw a number you have chosen specific for the game, such as a 4 for example, they can choose from the gift wrapped gifts under the tree. These should be labelled male or female. Then some time could be added after the gifts were all chosen and before they are unwrapped, for a swapping round. If another particular number is rolled on the dice, the resident can choose to swap with another person or keep what they have. Game over when the time is up.

Gift ideas

These are also good gift ideas for senior citizen's that are not in a care facility.

Inexpensive gift ideas:


  • stuffed animals

  • clothes

  • pyjamas

  • sweaters

  • shoes

  • socks

  • slippers

  • scarves

  • hats

  • gloves

  • underwear

  • nail polish

  • books (fiction, history, hobby specific, large print, audio, picture)

  • magazines

  • puzzle books (word search/crossword)

  • jigsaw puzzles

  • box of greeting cards (they can use throughout the year to write to friends)

  • stationary

  • pens

  • games

  • music CD's

  • craft items

  • tissues

  • lotions

  • soap

  • candy

  • chocolate

  • cookies

  • coupons

  • deck of cards

  • plaques

  • calendars

  • grooming items

  • personal photo album

  • costume jewellery

  • craft kit


Pricier gift ideas:


  • disposable camera (and developing)

  • audio books (if you can find or download inexpensive ones)

  • DVD's (old TV series such as Gunsmoke, I Love Lucy, etc)

  • CD's (nature sounds, old time radio shows like Jack Benny, Bob Hope, George Burns, etc)

  • purse

  • wallet

  • Bible

  • Robe

  • lap robe

  • jackets

  • afghan or blanket

  • magnifiers

  • reading lights

  • bird feeders

  • Decorative or ornate box for special items or jewellery

  • picture frames

  • radio

  • clocks

If you don't find the exact gift idea that works for the resident or senior you have in mind, these can be a help to get you started. Many of these gift ideas can also be personalized to make them a little more meaningful.

How to Qualify For Medi-Cal to Help Pay For Nursing Home Costs


In my last article, we discussed what happens when someone over the age of 65 goes from the hospital to a rehab facility and also directly from home to a skilled nursing facility. We covered how and who pays for what services and for how long.

In this article, we will discuss payment choices once Medicare and Medicare supplement coverage runs out. As we learned, Medicare does not pay for long-term nursing home care.

Your three choices are: 1) Write a check each month to the nursing home for $6,000 or more (called Private Pay), 2) get reimbursed from your long-term care insurance policy, or 3) get qualified for Medi-Cal.

Most people have not planned for a long-term care event and are not prepared to pay the monthly nursing home cost of $6,000 or more. Most would go broke in a short period of time.

Also, it is estimated that 93% of seniors have not purchased long-term care insurance. This leads us to the only alternative left for the average person, getting qualified for Medi-Cal to help pay for the monthly nursing home cost.

There is general Medi-Cal (health insurance) and Medi-Cal for nursing home care. The qualifications are slightly different. We will be discussing Medi-Cal for nursing home care.

There is much confusion about Medi-Cal and Medicaid. They are the same program but in California, we have to be different so we call Medicaid, Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal is a means entitlement program created by Title XIX of the Social Security Act and is fifty percent funded by the federal government and fifty percent by the State. Even though our tax dollars fund the program, unlike Social Security, you have to qualify to receive benefits.

A nursing home Medi-Cal application is submitted only after someone is actually in a facility. You can gather documents and other materials and prepare the application, but the application is submitted to the county Medi-Cal LTC department only after admittance.

The department has 45 days to determine if you qualify for Medi-Cal benefits. For example, let's say that your application is submitted June 10, 2010 and your family member was admitted June 1, 2010. The department should have an answer back to you no later than July 25, 2010 and benefits would be retroactive for the entire month of June and July. There is no "you have been approved" letter that is received. If the application is approved, a Notice of Action form is sent detailing the month from which you are approved and your Share of Cost for the previous months and the subsequent months.

The Share of Cost is the amount that the Medi-Cal beneficiary must pay from their own income each month to the nursing home. Typically this will be the beneficiary's Social Security or pension income. There is an additional calculation if the Medi-Cal beneficiary is married as the well spouse is allowed to have a minimum monthly income of $2,739 for 2010.

Upon admittance to the facility, most will ask for the monthly private pay rate until the application is approved. Once approved, the facility will refund or credit any over payment above the Share of Cost.

Every year thereafter, the department will require an Annual Redetermination of Benefits. The redetermination process is not as paper intensive as the original application process but can be troublesome if you are not prepared for it.

After the original application is approved, there are post approval requirements that must be met within ninety days if the Medi-Cal beneficiary is married. This is also the time to consider Recovery Avoidance strategies as well as establish new estate planning documents. More on this in future articles.

The Benefits of Hiring an Experienced Lawyer


Unfortunately for many of us, sometimes accidents happen and legal proceedings have to be taken. There are many different people who believe that hiring a lawyer should be the last line of defense against the thing you feel wronged by, whether it's a corporation, business, store or individual. This is simply not the case, because every single situation is different, especially in the case of wrongful arrest. It is important to realize that hiring, or at the very least contacting, an experienced lawyer should be one of the first options on your list of things to do. Included below are the most crucial reasons why.

Hiring a Lawyer Can Prevent Charges From Even Being Filed

In the event of the arrest of you or someone you know, emotions tend to run high and it's easy to feel scared or overwhelmed. One of the first things that you should do is call a lawyer or call someone who can get a lawyer for you. It is a common misunderstanding that being arrested equates to having charges filed against you. It does not. Often when you request a lawyer early, it deters charges from being filed against you at all and you are then released. A classic example of this is when people immediately proclaim that they won't say anything to police without having their lawyer present. This is for their protection, is precautionary and often works.

Early Representation Can Often Lead to Mitigation

There are many facts that experienced lawyers will be able to relay to you once they are called. In the event, charges have been brought on you, a knowledgeable attorney can assist you with a list of ways that you may be able to mitigate your case, get a lesser sentence or even plea bargain. These are all best case scenarios when it comes to the options they lay out for you versus serving jail time.

Make Sure You Hire a Specialized Lawyer

Those who are on the other end of the spectrum, those who may wish to file claims against either a separated spouse or a doctor that is incompetent, or something that deals with a specific person in a particular entity, it is best to get a lawyer who specializes in that field. So whether it's a divorce lawyer, personal injury lawyer, malpractice lawyer and so on: it's vital to hire the right kind of lawyer. A family health lawyer is more versed in illness and claims than a corporate lawyer is.

Understand That It Isn't That Expensive to Get Legal Representation

Many people are under the assumption that it costs an arm and a leg for a good attorney. This is not always the case. Especially when you take into account the fact that many law firms are required by the state to do a certain number of pro bono cases, or cases where they do not charge any fees. It's important to realize that even if you do have to shell out a bit of money in the end, it will be worth it to feel like you were adequately represented and your issues or problems were extinguished.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Nursing Homes - Choosing the Right One for Your Loved One


It's heart wrenching - the look you see in your loved ones' eyes when they know they can no longer take care of themselves.? It's equally stressful for you as those who once cared for you now need your help in finding suitable nursing home care for them. ?

So how do you go about finding the right home?

How can you be sure of the quality of nursing homes?? Is the staff trained and experienced to provide the level of care you want for your loved one?? Do they understand his or her special needs?? Do staff members treat their residents with the dignity and respect they've earned and expect?

Making a nursing home decision based only on literature, advice from others and TV and newspaper ads is not enough.? You need to visit each facility you're considering to get answers to the above questions as well as to get a "feel" for the quality of the staff and the level of care they provide as well as for the facility itself. There are also professionals you can ask:

•?? ?Social workers from your local hospital

•?? ?Your or your loved one's physician

•?? ?Area agencies

•?? ?Friends of your loved one who may be in nursing homes themselves

•?? ?Families and friends who have loved ones in nursing homes

•?? ?The Internet

Be sure you use these sources only for supporting information.? The ultimate decision must be yours.? A beautiful building and landscaping by itself should not be your deciding factor.? You need to know everything about the facility.? Visit the home a number of times (preferably at unscheduled times) and at different times of the day, such as at mealtimes. Observe the quality and quantity of the food served. Also check residents' reactions to the staff and whether or not the cleanliness of the facility is the same as you saw on your initial visit.

Most importantly and, if able, your loved one should be a major part of the decision process. The facility you choose will likely be home for the remainder of his or her life.

Once you've narrowed down your list of nursing homes, you should further investigate them through your state agency's inspection office.? This agency makes regular and thorough inspections of nursing homes, including residents' medical care, diet, condition of the facility, etc.? These reports are usually available for public review and, in some cases, can be found online.

You should also consider the following:

•?? ?Licensing - Be sure the facility is licensed and approved by your state's regulatory body.? If you don't see it, ask to see the license.? If one cannot be provided, cross the facility off your list.

•?? ?Facilities - Ask to be shown around the facility and take mental or written notes.? Is it easy for residents to move about within the facility?

•?? ?Activities - Are activities offered/scheduled for residents?? Physical and mental activities are important to the health and wellbeing of all and are especially important to seniors.

•?? ?Cleanliness - As mentioned above, be sure that the facility is clean at all times, not just during your scheduled visit. Stop in unannounced rather than making an appointment.

•?? ?Staff - One of the most important considerations you must make is the quality of the staff.? Observe how they treat the residents.? Are they friendly and attentive or distant?

•?? ?Language - If your loved one speaks a different language, is the staff able to speak and understand that language.

Although it may be difficult for both you and your loved one, it is important for you to begin the nursing home selection process as soon as you know care will be needed.? By doing so, your loved one will have time to adjust to the eventuality of nursing home living.? And you'll also benefit by having the time to choose a home that will provide the level of care you expect and at the cost you can afford.

The Role Of A Pediatric Nurse Practitioner In Child Health Care


If you are a registered nurse (RN) who enjoys working with children, then training to become a pediatric nurse practitioner could be the perfect career move.

Advanced training in pediatrics means that you will be qualified to provide specialized nursing care to infants, young children and adolescents. This includes nursing and healthcare such as physical examinations, diagnosing injuries and identifying common childhood illnesses.

As a pediatric nurse practitioner (NP) you are required to oversee laboratory and diagnostic tests including blood tests and x-rays for children. You'll be fully trained to perform immunization on children against common childhood diseases and provide counseling for children affected by juvenile diabetes and other common illnesses.

You'll also be called upon to offer advice and practical answers for common childhood complaints and development issues like toilet training, child temper tantrums, ear infections, head lice, biting issues, asthma, allergies, urinary infections, respiratory infections and the hundreds of other healthcare problems common among children. Along with the extremely serious childhood illnesses like leukemia and childhood cancer.

In your role as a specialized childcare nurse, you will be required to perform medical examinations of the child including such things as taking urine samples, taking their blood pressure, making requests for laboratory tests and checking that the child's heart and lungs are functioning properly.

One of the key requirements of a being childcare nurse is the ability to communicate clearly and confidently to children and their parents. It is often left up to the child's nurse to answer difficult questions, provide child healthcare education and child healthcare counseling to both young children and their families.

You will be required to meet with the families of young children to discuss their treatment and recovery. Fully understanding the child's medical condition is vitally important so you will be required to get their correct and proper medical information, medical records and healthcare history.

Today's pediatric nurse practitioner is required to perform under enormous pressure in numerous healthcare situations. This includes hospitals with specialized children's wards, community or private hospitals, schools, daycare centers and other specialist child care clinics.

When you work in this field, you are dealing day-today with young and vulnerable patients. Children have special healthcare needs and often require specialized medical treatment. The role of the pediatric nurse practitioner is to provide them and their families with the right treatment and support so that their child quickly gets on the road to recovery.

The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP), local hospitals or nursing schools are all places that you can get information from if you are interested in furthering your nursing career in this exciting field of medicine.

Respite Care - A Must for Care Givers


As a single parent years ago, I remember clearly the feeling that I had when the kids went back to school after a VERY long summer vacation. The truth is that by the end of the summer I was very much "over" the care giving responsibilities, and my behavior around the kids probably showed it. I would often go in to the bedroom, shut the door, and tell any of the kids that knocked on the door that I was on strike and wasn't sure when I would be ending my "strike". Then came my version of "respite care" -- the kids went back to school. For 5 or 6 hours a day I got a break and I didn't need to go on strike nearly as much.

Now that I am older and my wife and I have had the privilege of being a caregiver to both my father and mother, I realize the importance of having some time away from those responsibilities as well. Taking care of an elderly parent or spouse can be a heart wrenching and trying experience in the best of circumstances. Not only do you have the emotional trauma of seeing your loved one decline mentally and physically, but you also must deal with the increasingly demanding day-to-day needs they have like feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, etc.

I won't belabor the need for respite care. If you are taking care of an elderly parent or spouse there is no doubt that you need a break from those responsibilities. The problem becomes how to find and choose the right respite care resources in your community. First we'll go in to how to find the different programs, and then deal with the possibly more difficult problem of how to pay for what you do find.

Types of respite care:

For an hour or two:

In addition to the obvious solution of asking family and friends to take over for brief periods, there are also private agencies that will send a person to your home for an hour or a whole day. Do a search for "in home care giving" and you will get an idea of just how many agencies there are that specialize in this type of short-term care. A lot of times you can find a private individual who is willing to provide services for your loved one for a little less money. A good resource for finding qualified caregivers is to go through a local Community College that offers Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training. They may have past or current students looking for work. Private individuals charge $10 to $15 per hour and for the agencies, expect to pay in the $15 to $20 per hour range.

For a day:

Different varieties of Adult Day Care programs can be found in most communities. The better ones offer appropriate activities and maybe even a meal. Typically, they are sponsored by churches or civic organizations and the cost can be quite reasonable. Make sure that the program director allows you to observe for a day so that you can see if there is a match between your loved one's needs and what they offer. Some programs are geared towards those with Alzheimer's and Dementia, and some programs only allow participants who do not have those diagnoses. Most counties have some type of agency that deals with the elderly and typically have knowledge of the types of Adult Day Care services available where you live. Click this link to find out the state and local agencies in your area http://www.statelocalgov.net or click the link at our website. Expect to pay $40 to $50 per day for a good program.

For up to a week:

Often overlooked as respite care possibilities are the Assisted Living facilities. These are not nursing homes, but are for people who may need someone to supervise and help with bathing, dressing, taking meds, etc. All of these facilities like to keep their beds full, and a lot of times you can negotiate with the facility director to allow your loved one to stay for a few days or a week at a time. The great part about this option is that you can have the peace of mind that your loved one will be taken care for the time you are away. Some facilities offer a few nights stay for free, and this becomes a great way to get a free getaway. Assisted Living facilities can be expensive, with some charging up to $200 per day. The key is to find a facility willing to negotiate with you. I have seen rates go as low as $450 per week for a high quality facility.

When considering any respite care program, make sure that you get as many references as possible from people who have actually used the program you are investigating. Churches and government agencies are a good place to start when checking out these programs.

How to pay for respite care:

Finding grants, scholarships, and other funding to help defray the cost of respite care can be frustrating. There really is no easy way around this. It just requires making lots of phone calls, talking with a variety of people in similar situations, and sticking with it until you find something that works for you. Joining local support groups or online community will put you in touch with people who have similar needs. All of you will be able to benefit from your collective experience in funding respite care as well as other needs that you have in common.

For funding of participation in respite care programs, check with county agencies serving the elderly, local Alzheimer's Association offices, churches, synagogues, and the programs themselves. Often the respite care program will have their own money they use as a type of scholarship to help fund participation in their program. Most importantly, don't give up. A friend who desperately needed respite care for her mother, but couldn't afford it, just received a grant from the local Alzheimer's Association. With the grant money she was able to pay for a week in an assisted living facility. There is money available, but a lot of times it takes digging to find it.

Finally, if you are looking for respite care for a wartime veteran or their spouse, the Veteran's Administration provides a benefit called Aid and Attendance, which can be used to fund respite care. Benefits range from about $1,000 to $1,500 per month. Click here for more information on aid and attendance for wartime veterans: http://www.vba.va.gov or click the link on our website.

Time away from care giving responsibilities is a must. Whether it is for an hour, a day, or a week, you owe it to yourself and your loved one to get away from your responsibilities for a while.

Elder Care Solutions - 5 Reasons Your Senior Parent Should Live With You!


Whether Mom's recovering from a stroke or simply can't remember to turn off the stove, you know she can no longer live independently. So what are your options when it comes to caring for an aging parent?

There are a number of elder care solutions. One common answer is to place your family member in an assisted living or nursing facility. These can be good solutions for seniors who require high levels of skilled care. However, caring for an aging parent who needs less skilled care--occasional help with daily tasks, medication reminders, etc-a nursing community can be pricey and unnecessary.

Members of the sandwich generation, or those who care for both aging parents and their own kids, are turning to a more family-oriented care option: moving mom or dad into their own home.

Check out these 5 reasons why caring for an aging parent in your home is a happy elder care solution.

1. Safety - The elderly, especially those who are frail, are vulnerable to dangers, from falls to criminal activity. Protection from these dangers makes moving mom and dad into your home not only one of the smarter elder care solutions, it also gives you a peace of mind you might not get when your parent lives alone.

2. Health Care - Is Dad eating? Is Mom's forgetfulness getting worse? If your loved ones lives independently or resides in a nursing home, it can be hard to monitor their mental and physical health. Caring for an aging parent in your home allows you and other family members to keep a closer watch on Mom or Dad's condition. When you move mom into your home, you'll get the peace of mind that comes from seeing firsthand how your parent is doing.

3. Family - Okay, caring for an aging parent in your home isn't always going to be warm and fuzzy, but the fact is that living together can be fulfilling for you, your parents, and especially for your children. When your parent shares a home with younger generations it might even boost his or her thinking power. Experts say that when a senior tells a detailed story-such as reliving the time they walked four miles through the snow to get to school-it can strengthen pathways in the brain, which could help keep dementia and other cognitive problems at bay.

4. Outside help - Even if you plan to share your home with an aging family member, your elder care solutions may include hiring outside help. For example, you might hire a reputable care provider, sometimes called respite care, to sit with Grandpa for a few hours while the family enjoys a hike. In-home caregivers are much easier to monitor than a caregiver at a nursing facility, and allow you freedom from 24/7 care. In-home caregivers also provide the peace of mind that comes from being able to monitor how others care for your loved one.

5. Financial - With the average stay at a nursing facility costing more than $70,000 each year, caring for an aging parent in your home will make your family bank account happier-especially in an economy marked by high unemployment and lack of job security. The money you save now can be used to ensure that funds are available if your family member ever needs full-time skilled medical care.

Caring for an aging parent is tough when your loved one is in nursing care or living independently. However, elder care solutions that include sharing your home with mom or dad can offer a peace of mind that makes you and your loved one happier.

Dependency on Medical Alert Systems in People With Disabilities


Medical alarms make a big difference in the lives of people living with disabilities senior citizens and those who have special needs. Medical alert systems are also known as medical alert systems or a (PERS) personal emergency response system, developed to help relay signals in case of medical emergencies. People living with disabilities or impairment require attention most of the time and sometimes it is not possible to have someone overlooking their affairs all the time. In such moments, a medical emergency can mean life or death for this person. Many senior citizens who reside alone are primarily the ones who use these gadgets along with those living with disabilities.

Components of a medical alarm system

The average medical alarm system consists of three components, which are the personal help button, the Base station unit and the monitoring center. The help button is typically a means of a wireless transmitter wristwatch or pedant and it triggered in case of emergencies. When the person activates the button, a signal transmits to the base unit that dials a predetermined number automatically, to an emergency response hub.

Risk factors

Many risk factors contribute to the need for a medical alert system. They include old age; typically, a person aged above 65 years who lives alone is at the risk of falling and breaking limbs, people who use mobility assistance gadgets like walkers air lifts wheel chairs, people who suffer from sensory loss in hearing or visually impaired or other cerebral defects require the use of medical alarms systems. If a person has more than one of the listed characteristics then they should consider using a medical alarm system for their medical security.

In the occurrence of an emergency, the last thing that the individual wants to deal with is the use of a complicated gadget. This is the reason that medical alarms designs are simple for ease of installation and use in case of emergencies. Additionally they are also faster to use than one would use a telephone, this is because people wear them around the wrist as a belt or around the neck like a necklace. Consequently, this makes them easy to access unlike using a phone.

Domestic accidents are typical and when they occur, they can be fatal. However when immediate help is available these disasters are easily avoidable. Senior citizens who also have disabilities are at a higher risk of domestic accidents. For this reason, medical alarms are invaluable in their lives.

Advantages of using medical alarms

The other major advantage and a selling point for medical alert is that the people who answer the emergency calls on the other end are trained to handle medical emergencies and offer the required help. The medical alarms providers file user information to ensure proper precautions and care in case of an emergency.

You will note that one of the reasons that senior citizens prefer to move to an assisted living facility instead of living in the comfort of their homes is that they are afraid of medical emergencies. Most of them who live alone realize that in case of an emergency, their life would be at risk. Nonetheless, others feel independent enough and they are comfortable living in their home as long as they have a medical alarm that they can use when need arises.

Features and cost

Like with all other consumer products, medical alarms also differ in their features and cost. The difference may come in because of standby power, setup time, options for payment and other minor differences. The best thing would be for a consumer to do a thorough research on the gadgets before they purchase a medical alert system.

Top Ten Healthcare Careers for the New Decade


According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare was the second largest industry in 2008- employing a staggering 14.3 million workers. By 2018, healthcare is expected to be the largest industry in the nation and with an anticipated 22% growth rate and a projected 3.2 million new jobs, it's easy to see why.

With online courses offered 24 hours a day 7 days a week, it's easy for potential students who may already have a job or various other responsibilities to earn a healthcare degree and take advantage of one of the 3.2 million job openings in the nation's fastest growing field.

Let's take a look at the top 10 healthcare careers by projected growth rate:


  1. Medical Secretary: Medical secretaries have a projected job growth rate that spans from 9-17% and nearly 190,000 new secretarial jobs are projected by 2018. Medical secretaries typically have advanced administrative skills and a highly detailed understanding of medical terminology and procedures.

  2. Healthcare Administrator: Healthcare administrators are the figurative backbone of the healthcare system as they oversee large groups of medical personnel and ensure that overall operations run smoothly in a number of different healthcare settings. Healthcare administrators will also see a 9-17% growth rate or a projected 85,000 new positions by 2018.

  3. Medical Records and Health Information Technician: Medical records and health information techs organize and maintain the countless number of documents that the healthcare industry produces. Because this is such an enormous task, the field is projected to grow by 18-26%, adding 70,000 new jobs by 2018.

  4. RN's: Registered nurses are consistently one of the most in-demand careers not only in the healthcare field, but also the entire nation. Because RN's are needed everywhere, the field is expected to see a 23% overall growth rate, adding at least 1 million new RN's by 2018.

  5. Home Health Aide: Home health aides typically function as caregivers to the many people who are disabled, persistently ill, or unable to leave their homes. Home health aides are expected to see a 27% overall growth rate and an additional 500,000 new jobs by 2018.

  6. Pharmacy Technician: Pharmacy technicians act as aids to licensed pharmacists and perform various administrative duties within a pharmacy setting. Pharmacy technicians are in high demand and a 27% growth rate is expected to yield more than 180,000 new jobs by 2018.

  7. Medical Assistant: Medical assistants are an integral part of the healthcare system and perform a variety of administrative and clinical tasks. The field is expected to grow by 27% and add more than 200,000 new jobs.

  8. Physical Therapist: Physical therapists develop and implement specific treatment programs to help restore limb or body functions, alleviate pain, and prevent injury in patients. Physical therapists are continually in high demand and will follow this trend through 2018. A projected 27% growth rate will lead to almost 80,000 new jobs.

  9. Dental Assistant: RN's are to medicine what dental assistants are to dentistry, very in-demand. Dental assistants assist licensed dentists and perform a number of different dental tasks including: taking x-rays, updating patient records, and sterilizing instruments. A 27% projected growth rate will produce more than 160,000 jobs by 2018.

  10. EMT and Paramedic: EMT and paramedics are responsible for the vital, first-response care of people with serious injuries or other conditions. Because of this, the EMT and paramedic field rarely experiences a slump in employment. With a 27% job growth rate, EMT's and paramedics are looking to add a projected 60,000 new jobs by 2018.

With job growth rates spanning from 9-27%, the healthcare field is expanding rapidly. Earning a degree, from an online university or ground school, to pursue one of these top-ten healthcare careers (or the many possible others that aren't listed here) may be the best step employment in a fulfilling, well-paying role in the nation's fastest growing field.