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Home health care helps seniors live independently for as long as possible, given the limits of their medical condition. It covers a wide range of services and can often delay the need for long-term nursing home care.
More specifically, home health care may include occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy, and even skilled nursing. It may involve helping the elderly with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. Or it may include assistance with cooking, cleaning, other housekeeping jobs, and monitoring one’s daily regimen of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
At this point, it is important to understand the difference between home health care and home care services. Although they sound the same (and home health care may include some home care services), home health care is more medically oriented. While home care typically includes chore and housecleaning services, home health care usually involves helping seniors recover from an illness or injury. That is why the people who provide home health care are often licensed practical nurses, therapists, or home health aides. Most work for home health agencies, hospitals, or public health departments that are licensed by the state.
How Do I Make Sure That Home Health Care Is Quality Care?
As with any important purchase, it is always a good idea to talk with friends, neighbors, and your local area agency on aging to learn more about the home health care agencies in your community.
In looking for a home health care agency, the following 20 questions can be used to help guide your search:
How long has the agency been serving this community? Does the agency have any printed brochures describing the services it offers and how much they cost? If so, get one. Is the agency an approved Medicare provider? Is the quality of care certified by a national accrediting body such as the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations? Does the agency have a current license to practice (if required in the state where you live)? Does the agency offer seniors a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” that describes the rights and responsibilities of both the agency and the senior being cared for? Does the agency write a plan of care for the patient (with input from the patient, his or her doctor and family), and update the plan as necessary? Does the care plan outline the patient’s course of treatment, describing the specific tasks to be performed by each caregiver? How closely do supervisors oversee care to ensure quality? Will agency caregivers keep family members informed about the kind of care their loved one is getting? Are agency staff members available around the clock, seven days a week, if necessary? Does the agency have a nursing supervisor available to provide on-call assistance 24 hours a day? How does the agency ensure patient confidentiality? How are agency caregivers hired and trained? What is the procedure for resolving problems when they occur, and who can I call with questions or complaints? How does the agency handle billing? Is there a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay, and is financial assistance available to pay for services? Will the agency provide a list of references for its caregivers? Who does the agency call if the home health care worker cannot come when scheduled? What type of employee screening is done?
When purchasing home health care directly from an individual provider (instead of through an agency), it is even more important to screen the person thoroughly. This should include an interview with the home health caregiver to make sure that he or she is qualified for the job. You should request references. Also, prepare for the interview by making a list if any special needs the senior might have. For example, you would want to note whether the elderly patient needs help getting into or out of a wheelchair. Clearly, if this is the case, the home health caregiver must be able to provide that assistance. The screening process will go easier if you have a better idea of what you are looking for first.
Another thing to remember is that it always helps to look ahead, anticipate changing needs, and have a backup plan for special situations. Since every employee occasionally needs time off (or a vacation), it is unrealistic to assume that one home health care worker will always be around to provide care. Seniors or family members who hire home health workers directly may want to consider interviewing a second part-time or on-call person who can be available when the primary caregiver cannot be. Calling an agency for temporary respite care also may help to solve this problem (see the Respite Care fact sheet for more information about these services).
In any event, whether you arrange for home health care through an agency or hire an independent home health care aide on an individual basis, it helps to spend some time preparing for the person who will be doing the work. Ideally, you could spend a day with him or her, before the job formally begins, to discuss what will be involved in the daily routine. If nothing else, tell the home health care provider (both verbally and in writing) the following things that he or she should know about the senior:
Illnesses/injuries, and signs of an emergency medical situation Likes and dislikes Medications, and how and when they should be taken Need for dentures, eyeglasses, canes, walkers, etc. Possible behavior problems and how best to deal with them Problems getting around (in or out of a wheelchair, for example, or trouble walking) Special diets or nutritional needs Therapeutic exercises.
In addition, you should give the home health care provider more information about:
Clothing the senior may need (if/when it gets too hot or too cold) How you can be contacted (and who else should be contacted in an emergency) How to find and use medical supplies and medications When to lock up the apartment/house and where to find the keys Where to find food, cooking utensils, and serving items Where to find cleaning supplies Where to find light bulbs and flash lights, and where the fuse box is located (in case of a power failure) Where to find the washer, dryer, and other household appliances (as well as instructions for how to use them).
A WORD OF CAUTION . . .
Although most states require that home health care agencies perform criminal background checks on their workers and carefully screen job applicants for these positions, the actual regulations will vary depending on where you live. Therefore, before contacting a home health care agency, you may want to call your local area agency on aging or department of public health to learn what laws apply in your state.
HOW CAN I PAY FOR HOME HEALTH CARE?
The cost of home health care varies across states and within states. In addition, costs will fluctuate depending on the type of health care professional required. Home care services can be paid for directly by the patient and his or her family members, or through a variety of public and private sources. Sources for home health care funding include Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Veterans’ Administration, and private insurance.
Medicare is the largest single payer of home care services. The Medicare program will pay for home health care if all of the following conditions are met:
The patient must be homebound and under a doctor’s care; The patient must need skilled nursing care, or occupational, physical, or speech therapy, on at least an intermittent basis (that is, regularly but not continuously) The services provided must be under a doctor’s supervision and performed as part of a home health care plan written specifically for that patient The patient must be eligible for the Medicare program and the services ordered must be “medically reasonable and necessary” The home health care agency providing the services must be certified by the Medicare program.
To get help with your Medicare questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY/TDD: 1-877-486-2048 for the speech and hearing impaired) or look on the Internet at http://www.medicare.gov.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT HOME HEALTH CARE?
There are several national organizations that can provide additional consumer information about home health care services. These include the following:
The National Association for Home Care, which can be reached at 202-547-7424 or by visiting its website at www.nahc.org. The postal address is: 228 7th St., SE; Washington, DC 20003. The Visiting Nurse Associations of America, which can be reached at 617-737-3200 or by visiting its website at http://www.vnaa.org. The postal addresses are: 99 Summer St., Suite 1700; Boston, MA 02110.
To find out more about home health care programs where you live, you will want to contact your local aging information and assistance provider or area agency on aging (AAA). The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging (at 1-800-677-1116 or http://www.eldercare.gov can help connect you to these agencies.
Case Study
WHEN IS HOME HEALTH CARE APPROPRIATE?
Because it is not always clear to the average person when an ailing senior needs home health care and when he or she needs nursing home care, it is usually best to consult a medical professional for advice. The following case study describes one situation in which home health care proved to be the right choice.
Francis is 84 years old and recently had a stroke. She was hospitalized briefly and then discharged to continue recovering at home. To enable her to return home, her doctor called a home health care agency, and the agency gave Francis a complete home health care plan for six weeks. Since the doctor ordered the home care for Francis, Medicare paid for it.
For the first week after Francis went home, a nurse visited her every day. The nurse met with Francis’s family to discuss her special dietary needs and to arrange for exercise therapy to help Francis regain her strength. Once that was done, the nurse visited Francis twice a week to check on how well she was recovering. The home health care agency also sent a homemaker, a personal care attendant, and a physical therapist to visit Francis several times during the week. The homemaker would do the shopping and cook light meals. The personal care attendant would help Francis bathe, get dressed, and walk. The physical therapist would keep Francis moving and see to it that she got some exercise to aid in her recovery.
Home theater, also famous by the name of Home Cinema, are the leisure systems that try to imitate the effects of movie theater quality video and the audio in a personal home environment. In the early 1950s, the concept of Home Cinema became popular in the United States of America with the film projector device becoming much more affordable.
What is Surround Sound?
The concept of Multi-channel sound is not new in terms of technology. This concept was first demonstrated way back in 1938. But the early systems were having a poor performance technically. Surround sound is a format wherein two or more speakers are usually placed in a way to surround the listener.
Mid 1970s was the time when the Dolby Stereo came into light. Initially, Dolby Stereo was used in theaters as it was easy to apply on the film at a very low cost. But from 1982, the Dolby Surround also started to show it’s presence in the home theater systems. It was the predecessor to Dolby Pro Logic. Dolby Pro Logic was the name of the game which really put these home theater systems on the map.
Today’s Home Theater Systems
Today, the “home cinema” term means a factual “cinema experience” and thus a superior quality set of components than what the normal television can give. Some home cinema lovers even go as far as dedicating a room in the house for the purpose of theater only.
This includes the advanced installations of sophisticated acoustic elements, which include a “room in a room” construction to isolate the sound and provides for a very ideal listening environment. These infrastructures are also termed as screening rooms.
Some of the best brands in the field of Home Theater Systems are Sony, Samsung, Phillips, Onkyo, Yamaha, Panasonic and Bose. Some of the specifications to be taken into consideration are the number of CD/DVD changer, power in terms of watts, the sound effects it can produce, number of speakers and many more. These are some of the factors which decide the cost of the entire unit.
Image taken on 2009-08-20 02:45:56 by ice.bluess.
They come in wood, cherry wood, oak wood, plastic, metal, silver gold, five-seven-nine speakers, front or rear projectors, receivers, DVD’s…just look at all these dazzling options that make you dizzy at the prospect of selecting the home theater system that perfectly fits your room and design. The most modern hi-tech audio video equipments will get under your skin and disorientate you with their sophistication, like Marantz America: their ultra new theater equipment with VP 11S1 High-Definition DLP front projector and Deep Color as well as HDMI 1.3 inputs, that can make possible the display of an amazing sixty-eight billion colors, at least it is believed so.
The Efficiency of Outlaw Bookshelf Loudspeakers
A more refined and complicated solution to home theater equipment consists the rich offer of loudspeakers, namely Outlaw Bookshelf Loudspeakers, form Outlaw Audio: the difference between this offer and the others on the market is that they are created to reach the standards of the most committed audiophile, for more details visit to www.private-labels-empire.com increasing the electronic qualities by adding great output and high-end two channeled applications.
Furthermore, a DVD player with a 1080p scale and that connects with reliability is vital to a good home theater equipment solution, and the Denon top line DVD player is highly recommended since it meetsall these demands, and some extra. The market of the home theater equipment has many important leaders such as Sony that presents great prices and great electronic components: this is the reason why they came up with SCRD technology which surely predicts an upcoming change in the rear projection segment.
Another leader worth mentioning is Toshiba, with its HD DVD player. This piece of modern equipment has 1080p video and can manage fast loading times, an answer to the problem of HDCP handshake; for more details visit to www.killer-sales-letters.com you can be sure that approximately eight hundred dollars can decide whether your home theater equipment is a good one, or a mediocre one.
Evaluating Home Theater Equipment Choices
Visually and auditory speaking, the offer of home theater equipment is diverse enough to make you confused so you should follow a simple guideline: be careful and read the labels, distinct equipment reviews and try out the pieces of the package individually. “How to” articles come in handy when buying the equipment and putting it together. A desirable home theater equipment contains every gadget such as AC power, Blu-ray players, music servers, power amps, pre-amps, CD and digital players, receivers, remotes, the vital DVD players, the even more vital speakers and subwoofers, HD DVD players, video projectors or direct view television, and accessories. Make up your mind and get the ultimate home theater experience.
The state of Alaska has countless possibilities. From the many distinct traditional customs to the jaw-dropping glaciers and mountain panorama to the copious activities and adventure, visitors can experience the thrill these have to offer.
Unique Tradition and Myriad Recreations
If you are fascinated with history, culture, and outdoor adventures, Alaska has countless possibilities. The many distinct indigenous customs of Alaska simply stir up the minds and hearts of tourists. Time-honored arts and music, the Eskimo blanket toss, Native dance, totem carving, and cultural museums are some of the means by which guests can have a taste of Alaskan rich tradition. Not to mention other intellectual draws like the Russian iconography. What’s more, Alaska tourists can be awed not only of breath taking panorama of mountains and dazzling glaciers as well as bodies of water, but also of scores of activities one can engage in. Fishing, mountain biking, whale watching, river rafting, kayaking, wildlife hunting, and bear viewing. All these and lots more are in store for visitors to experience the thrill they have to offer.
Weather
The South-central and Southeast regions normally encounter average temperatures and heavy rainfall with summer seasons varying from 15 to 21°C. The western side is generally foggy, breezy, and rainy with summer averaging at about 7 to 9 °C. Majority of Alaska regions savor the midnight’s sun enchantment, an oversupply of daylight which make friends and families trekking after dinner. Most of summer seasons provide 24-hour daylight. The later part of August and September provide cooler temperatures as well as fewer sunlight hours.
Best Time To Visit
Since May to September have the longest and balmiest atmospheres, throng of visitors flock Alaska. Certain leisure activities and accommodations are only offered during these peak months. Expect to catch bargains on both activities and lodging come after the peak seasons (May and September to October). During these months, the weather is typically very moderate. Alaska’s winter time is from November to April. For someone captivated with skiing, witnessing the drama of Northern Lights, cheering for the sled dog and ice carving contests and going to the Fur Rendezvous, visit “The Great Land” during these periods.
Getting There
Alaska Airlines, the primary local airline, flies to most cities and towns. Airports are located in Juneau, Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Ketchikan. Bush planes are available for lease so as to bring you into the midst of the wilds or reach far-flung communities. Public busses are accessible in the bigger cities and towns. However, if you have company of more than two, it can be more economical to hire a vehicle. If you are arriving by marine ferry, you’ll sail alongside Inside Passage watercourse and if you are driving, you will track the Alaska Hwy. European and Asian visitors will have to first stop over in LA, Seattle, Chicago, Vancouver or Minneapolis and take a connecting air travel to Anchorage. In addition, biking can be an efficient and inexpensive means to get around.
Activities
Wildlife Watching
The unspoiled, wonderful wilds of the state can be considered as the last remnant of booming inhabitants of North America’s wildlife. You can observe the following rare animals in their untouched territory: Grizzly bears, polar bears, bald eagles, moose, humpbacked whales, blue whales, and wolves and hundred more!
Fishing
Alaska brings 627 fish species along with 3,000 rivers, 3 million plus lakes, and myriad streams. The state has several of the most magnificent fishing quests on earth! These include freshwater and saltwater fishing, fly fishing, and ice fishing. You can rent a ferry or fly to unload you to a quiet, isolated fishing nook or stop at the roadside and cast a line. Selecting where and what species to catch is all up to you.
They come in wood, cherry wood, oak wood, plastic, metal, silver gold, five-seven-nine speakers, front or rear projectors, receivers, DVDâsâ¦just look at all these dazzling options that make you dizzy at the prospect of selecting the home theater system that perfectly fits your room and design. For more details www.beat-the-gas-pump.com The most modern hi-tech audio video equipments will get under your skin and disorientate you with their sophistication, like Marantz America: their ultra new theater equipment with VP 11S1 High-Definition DLP front projector and Deep Color as well as HDMI 1.3 inputs, that can make possible the display of an amazing sixty-eight billion colors, at least it is believed so.
The Efficiency of Outlaw Bookshelf Loudspeakers
A more refined and complicated solution to home theater equipment consists the rich offer of loudspeakers, namely Outlaw Bookshelf Loudspeakers, form Outlaw Audio: the difference between this offer and the others on the market is that they are created to reach the standards of the most committed audiophile, increasing the electronic qualities by adding great output and high-end two channeled applications.
Furthermore, a DVD player with a 1080p scale and that connects with reliability is vital to a good home theater equipment solution, and the Denon top line DVD player is highly recommended since it meetsall these demands, and some extra. The market of the home theater equipment has many important leaders such as Sony, that presents great prices and great electronic components: this is the reason why they came up with SCRD technology which surely predicts an upcoming change in the rear projection segment.
Another leader worth mentioning is Toshiba, with its HD DVD player. This piece of modern equipment has 1080p video and can manage fast loading times, an answer to the problem of HDCP handshake; you can be sure that approximately eight hundred dollars can decide whether your home theater equipment is a good one, or a mediocre one.
Evaluating Home Theater Equipment Choices
Visually and auditory speaking, the offer of home theater equipment is diverse enough to make you confused so you should follow a simple guideline: be careful and read the labels, distinct equipment reviews and try out the pieces of the package individually. âHow to â articles come in handy when buying the equipment and putting it together. For more details www.buy-a-car-with-no-credit.com A desirable home theater equipment contains every gadget such as AC power, Blu-ray players, music servers, power amps, pre-amps, CD and digital players, receivers, remotes, the vital DVD players, the even more vital speakers and subwoofers, HD DVD players, video projectors or direct view television, and accessories. Make up your mind and get the ultimate home theater experience.
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Having a Stay Home Mom Job has changed my life. Let me share my story.
The whole time my kids were little, I worked a very demanding full time job in Corporate America and every single day I struggled to keep all the balls in the air.
Day in and day out I tried desperately to balance work with home, but somehow work always won which left me feeling very unfulfilled and guilty.
I started looking for work from home business ideas that would allow me to earn a respectable income without sacrificing time with family and friends. I was pretty sure that having an Internet business was the way to go but I had no idea how to get started.
Then I found a book on Affiliate Marketing and everything fell into place.
Affiliate Marketing means you promote other people’s products, and if a customer buys, you get a cut of the sale. At first I was just intrigued with the idea, but I quickly became totally sold after I found out you do not have to:
Build fancy websites
Hold inventory
Pack boxes
Fulfill orders or
Man phone lines
It seemed too good to be true. I had absolutely no website building experience, did not have a product to sell or a lot of money to spend. And I certainly did not want the hassle of holding inventory, shipping items or being tied to an 800 number!
Affiliate Marketing is the perfect stay at home Mom job. It has allowed me, a Mom who was completely inexperienced in the on-line business world, to quit a Corporate America job and build a website business from the ground up.
How I Got Started
When I was first starting out, I spent about a month reading everything I could get my hands including The Affiliate Masters Course which is a must read if you are interested in Affiliate Marketing as a stay at home Mom job.
This eBook is currently being offered, along with 2 other eBooks, TOTALLY FREE OF CHARGE (see Author’s box below). You will get:
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Picture yourself engaged in a delicious meal and exhilarating conversation at an outdoor gathering with your new, beautiful wrought iron or teak patio furniture at the center of it all. The elegance and comfort of your outdoor furniture sets the stage for a long and satisfying evening with your family or friends. Look no further because the American Shopping Network has what you are looking for, for next years outdoor patio season. The American Shopping Network will also offer Free Shipping on all products as well as hundreds of Next Day Shipping furniture products for those in a hurry. Especially for the holidays!
Now, in affilitation with International Caravan Inc., ASN Stores will offer a huge new line of outdoor patio furniture, everything from wicker furniture to wrought iron furniture. Perfect for your deck, lawn or garden. ASN will also be bringing you a new line of indoor ottomans,trunks,chaise lounges,and papasans as well to ensure you find exactly what your looking for.
In addition to outdoor dining sets, ASN Stores will also offer a fine selection of picnic tables, porch swings, patio chairs, garden benches, and gliders. You will also find a beautiful variety of Adirondack Outdoor Patio Furniture. Finally, our wooden planters, potting benches, arbors, and trellises will provide that special finishing touch to your garden or patio.
ICI (Vice President) Ali Shaban promises a new look from Caravan Outdoor for the 2010 Outdoor Furniture Season. “We are very excited to finally join in with the American Shopping Network and we look forward to a long lasting and colorful relationship starting in 2010,” Ali Shaban quoted last week.
In addition to this affiliation will be the introduction of a new line of patio cushion manufacturing from Blazing Needle Designs. Blazing Needles is one of America’s top cushion manufacturer’s and will unleash a new line coming May of 2010. Blazing Needles Designs, with over 20 years of business experience, is equipped with some of the most knowledgable seamstresses and designers in the business. And together with International Caravan, the 2010 furniture season should be something that retail consumers and vendors will not want to miss.
The American Shopping Network is a obviously a name that you can trust, and is anxious to unveil their new 2010 fashion line that you will not want to miss. Outdoor patio living fashion is changing, and ASN Stores will be the company for 2010 to bring you the home decor you need at the most reasonable price. ASN Stores is proud to be opening 4 new home decor websites by mid summer and will continue to flourish retail consumers with the most unique and fashionable outdoor and indoor home decor.
So unleash your new home decor season with a company that you can trust and rely on. The American Shopping Network, “Where America Shops.” And be sure to look out for their new line of indoor and outdoor furniture for 2010, which will be brought to you thanks to International Caravan Inc. All ICI Products will be available at all ASN online stores.
Jonathan Moyer
eFurniture Chronicle
This Article is Provided by the eFurniture Chronicle. For more information about International Caravan Furniture Contact them at 800-569-0801.
From the beginning, mankind used his resources wisely to sustain life. There came a time when we crossed that fine line of necessity and the slaughter of animals and environmental pollution got out of control. Over the past century we began to see the destruction we were causing from our own progress and laws and organizations came to be. Progress continues, as it should, to keep up with the demand of times. We have turned the corner to cleansing our own blight but we have a long way to go.
Checks and balances have kept wildlife flora and fauna under control for hundreds of thousands of years. When man came on the scene, he used wildlife wisely for food, clothing, tools and weapons. As man became more intelligent he discovered agriculture and livestock management. Man then began to kill animals that preyed on his livestock and foraged in his crops. Hence, the decimation of wildlife began. The elimination of animal species can be tracked as far back as the North American Mastodon. Man kept getting more intelligent. He was beginning to notice that by eliminating a species of animal, was causing him to have problems with other animals. He realized the cost of his intervention to try to fix one problem far out weighed the benefits. The slaughter continued, not only were animals killed for food but for their hide, fur, trophy and even for aphrodisiac. They were killed, stuffed and mounted on walls for cabin decor, lodge decor, wildlife decor and rustic decor.
For the remainder of this article, I refer to North America. Man kept getting smarter and the Industrial Revolution evolved. Man began building dams to harness electricity to power textile mills and manufacturing plants. Mills and manufacturing plants rose up everywhere. People loved it, textile mills and manufacturing meant jobs. Jobs put food on the table, clothed their family and put a roof over their head. As time went on pesticides emerged and were a miracle fix for harmful and destructive insects and rodents. Crops were becoming plentiful and with the advent of veterinary medicines, livestock diseases began to wane. Come the turn of the Twentieth Century man was doing alright for himself. Plenty of food, shelter, running water, electricity and with the advent of appliances, chores were a lot easier. With more money available man began to decorate the interior of their homes. Up on the walls went cabin decor, lodge decor, wildlife decor, rustic decor, fish, pictures, ornaments, clocks, and mirrors.
What man did not understand, or at least had a blind eye to, was the adverse affects of all this progress. The building of dams to harness electricity stopped anadromous fish such as salmon, smelt and shad, from returning to their spawning grounds. Textile and manufacturing plants were polluting the waterways by emitting their by-products back into the rivers. The misuse of pesticides added to the pollution problem and got into the food chain and eliminated some species of birds and animals, it nearly wiped out the bald eagle. This caused insects and other pests that these eliminated species kept in check to get out of control. We began to open our eyes to our own demise and organizations like the Audubon Society formed to promote interest in birdlife. In 1946 the National Wildlife Federation was formed for the benefit of wildlife and laws like the Federal Insecticide Fungicide Rodenticide Act governs the use of pesticides, just to name a few.
As successful as we have become and as intelligent as we are, we still develop problems with progress but we are learning to study the downside first and not move ahead too fast. We have learned to recycle, control pesticides, curb pollution, manage wildlife, and of course, there is room for improvement. We still can do a lot more for wildlife. Put sculptured wildlife decor, cabin decor, lodge decor and rustic decor on the wall instead of stuffed animals.
As individuals we can do our small share to help. We can put trash in its proper place, recycle used oils, solvents and paints so that they do not get land filled and end up in our ground water. Read the entire label on pesticide containers before using. These are just a few things we can do to help. We can teach our children to respect the great outdoors by carrying back litter from their snacks. Not to shoot animals and release fish they do not use for food. Trophy killing is still practiced today. People shoot animals, have them stuffed and mount them on the wall. I find nothing wrong with hunting for food but I do feel that killing animals for the sole purpose of putting them on the wall is wrong.
The skills and technology we have today to make sculptured art so real to life, makes trophy hunting backwards and unnecessary. So go ahead and adorn your walls with wildlife decor, cabin decor, lodge decor and rustic decor but make it artificial.
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