Resources For Caregivers

Over the years I have witnessed many families struggle with the onset of illness of a loved one. Its unfortunate that making decisions are often left to the point where urgency is the primary motivator. In an ideal world the family would get together and have an open conversation about what alternatives are available. It is not uncommon for the primary caregiver to hide the extent of their loved ones disability, by compensating for their deficits actually causing the crisis situation.

Many people believe that Medicare will cover the care needed at home. It often comes as a shock to families when they learn that Medicare Home Health provides intermittent visits. For example if a patient is released from the hospital after breaking a hip Medicare, when ordered by the doctor, will pay for a skilled nurse, a physical therapist and a home health aide depending on the patients' needs. But the health care professionals are only in the home for a limited time, meaning that the patient may be without help the majority of the day and all night. So the question becomes what options do families have when they find themselves faced with this situation.

When family members are nearby generally speaking they share the burden until this short term condition gets resolved. If that is not the case there are home care agencies who employ Certified Nursing Assistants and Home Health Aides who can provide the needed care. In recent years there has been growth in the long term care insurance sector and some elders have coverage. But families should call for their loved one and learn exactly what the policy covers. Some require that certain activities of daily living (ADLs) be ordered by the physician. Our company verifies the coverage of patients so there are no misunderstandings. My experience has taught me that sometimes seniors believe that their policy will cover twenty-four hour care, when in reality the policy pays X number of dollars per day. Therefore, if the daily amount is $100.00, and the hourly agency rate is $20.00, the patient is covered for five hours care per day. Depending on the situation this may suffice, if not other options have to be explored.

Often when long term care solutions are needed state funded programs, usually under Medicaid, may be part of the solution. Each state has its own rules and regulations but every state has an Area Agency on Aging who can guide a family through the bureaucracy. Income and wealth are always a consideration and sometimes patients have to spend down there holdings to qualify. In the past seniors would move their assets to a family member to qualify but the laws have changed and this practice is no longer legal.

Tom Ramsberger is the Owner/CEO of Integrity Nursing Services, Inc. integritynursingserviceaz.com integritynursingserviceaz.com.

Having earned degrees from the University of Denver and Truman State University in History and Secondary School Education he became the Chairman of a History department in suburban St. Louis. After eight years he accepted a position with Nursefinders of San Antonio, building it into the largest branch in their national network. He then accepted a position as the Southwest Regional Manager for the home care division of Kidde Corporation. He is celebrating his 30th anniversary in the industry. ramsbergerremembers.blogspot.com ramsbergerremembers.blogspot.com

9 Benefits of Home Health Care

1. Professionalism. You may be uncertain about handing over care of your loved one to a stranger, but our caregivers are certified and thoroughly screened, and receive regular 'in-service' trainings to keep their professionally-trained skills sharp.

2. Personalized care. Every good home health agency has a licensed RN on staff to oversee the caregivers and cases, and each patient's care is tailored to suit their specific needs.

3. Medication control. With a professional caregiver monitoring your loved one's health, there's no need to worry about whether or not they've forgotten to take their medication; Certified Nursing Assistants will carefully chart all medication and health information.

4. Nutrition and food preparation. Malnutrition can be a problem for older adults living on their own, either because they're unable to cook for themselves or can't get out to the grocery store. A caregiver can help prepare healthful, tasty meals, and thereby stave off easily avoidable health problems.

5. Transportation. A home health professional can make sure that your loved one makes it to all of their appointments ready and on time, and can pick up groceries and prescriptions-all the ingredients for a healthy life at home.

6. Company. Lack of social interaction can not only lead to depression in the elderly and disabled, but can also contribute to the deterioration of their mental capabilities. Friendly conversation and company will improve the emotional and mental state of your loved one.

7. 24/7 support. Clients will be able to reach their agency at all times, should there be an emergency.

8. Peace of mind. There's little that causes more worry than the thought of a loved one with diminished physical or mental capacities home alone; knowing that a friendly, professional caregiver is there can give you some peace of mind in knowing that your parent isn't alone.

9. Family togetherness. The stress of caregiving can wreak havoc on family bonds, and hospitalizing a loved one can leave family members at the mercy of visiting hours and having to travel to spend time with their spouse, parent, or child. Hiring a caregiver allows your loved one to remain in the comfort of their home, and can eliminate much of the stress and promote harmony within a family during difficult times.

Tom Najjar
CarePlus Home Health, Inc
careplusinc.com careplusinc.com

Dos and Don'ts of Home Car-Wash and Feasibility Studies

The time constraints levied by today's fast paced life coupled with the convenience offered by professional car washes which are springing up in every nook and corner has reduced the need and necessity of washing your car at home. However there are still certain people who find time to give their car a personal clean up every few days for only this would give them utmost satisfaction. In fact you could turn the car washing process at home into a fun activity by involving your kids on a weekend. There are certain things to be considered before you start off.

Proper procedure of washing your car at home

Take a note of the weather conditions prevailing on the day you intend to wash your car. It's advisable to avoid this process on a windy or extremely hot day. The reason is that these conditions would cause the water to dry up prematurely before you wipe it out yourself. This would lead to water spots on the vehicle. Likewise be careful not to park your car in direct sunlight which will again cause the same problem. Choose a shaded part of your home to park your car.

Keep all things necessary for the wash close by including a bucket, car wash detergent taken in the right quantity etc. Make sure your hose is fastened with a spray nozzle and as a first step wet your car thoroughly with it. Never run a strong jet of water on your car as it might result in scratches over the paintwork. Apply a sponge or 100% cotton cloth which you keep exclusively for this purpose on the car after dipping it in detergent. Never use towel rags or other pieces of used cloth for cleaning your car as they may carry dirt from previous usage which will be transferred to the car body.

Start washing from the top of the vehicle going round it and touching the lower areas as well. Rinse out your wash cloth or sponge in water frequently. Never allow the soap to dry up on the paintwork since it might leave blotches. Wash thoroughly the lathered section before you move on to the next. Ensure that the car is left wet all through the wash process. The drying procedure should be done by you with your cloth. If left to dry on its own, spots might appear. Deal with the lower body last together with the tires. Using another wash cloth or sponge for these parts is recommended as they tend to be the dirtiest. You can use a brush with steel wool for the tires to scrub off all the grime. A circular wheel type brush can be used to clean the openings in the wheel plates. Lastly dry the car with clean cloth.

Tips to ensure a safe and economical home wash

When you wash your car at home, the water usage is in fact more compared to a professional car wash facility. Taking this into consideration always use a hose sprayer with a lever that shuts out the water when you let go. Never use detergent soap which will destroy all the sheen and luster of the paintwork. Use glass cleaner for the windows and microfiber towels to dry them which will get them sparkling. Use a damp cloth to clean bird droppings or bugs which ideally should be done as soon as they are spotted. If you intend to give a wax coating use a clay bar by following the necessary instructions before you start the process to clean any stray dirt or dust remaining embedded in the paint work after the wash.

Environmental Considerations

Professional car wash centers are forced to abide with environmental laws and regulations. A home wash on the other hand produces a lot of waste water and effluents which flow into the nearby drains and eventually into rivers and lakes thereby polluting the water. Make sure you use a biodegradable soap to wash your car. Make a habit of washing your car on your lawn or over mud and not in your drive way so that all the toxic water is absorbed.

Is It really Feasible

Numerous are the arguments that have been raised against home car washes. A home car wash is supposed to use almost double the amount of water compared to a professional prestigecarwashequipment.com car wash equipment. Also these centers reuse water. They are known to be eco-friendly. But automated car washes are not without their faults. Some high pressure washes prove to be damaging to the car. Besides there are some people who thoroughly enjoy the entire process of hand washing their car and cannot be bothered to dole out extra money to a professional agency.

Yossi Drory Been in the car wash Business for the last 15 years

How 8 Dollars Sold Our House in a Single Weekend

Have you ever been in a position where you HAD to sell a house and you had to sell a house FAST? There are many reasons this might happen, but most frequently it's because we lost our job. With no income it's difficult to make all those payments, isn't it? When it happened to us we promptly listed our house with a Realtor for a 60 day listing. I never sign long listing agreements. If they don't get the job done quickly they aren't worth what they want you to pay.

Not only did we not get a buyer, we also didn't get any lookers. Then we tried another agency...and another...and another until we gave up on real estate agents. We figured we didn't have much to lose. We knew we had a good house, well staged in a good neighborhood but we weren't getting lookers. Real estate agents were just not showing our house to prospective buyers.

We also did not see our house being advertised much. It seems to be the norm for real estate agents to advertise less than they did at one time. I can have sympathy for their needs because they don't get paid unless the house sells. But many of us have a pressing need to sell as quickly as possible. It's important to get the word out to as many people...potential buyers...as possible.

But real estate companies and agents are not advertising much these days. In rural areas near by where we live now there are about 100 houses for sale, about 40 more than average before the current real estate slow down. I might see 1/5 of the available properties advertised occasionally. Most lots are not advertised at all. Houses that are very dated might take years to sell even when they are exclusively listed with one of the many real estate companies in the area.

It's really depressing to try so hard to keep your house perfect and then have no lookers and no buyers. It makes you think there is something really wrong with your property. But wait! There is more to the story I was telling in the beginning. When our listing with the last "Million Dollar Realtor" expired with no buyer we gave up on "real estate professionals". They weren't doing what we needed them to do. They weren't getting the word out. We had to do it ourselves. We went for the tried and true.

We posted an advertisement "for sale by owner" in the local Sunday newspaper. A nice couple came and looked at our house, loved it and bought it for the asking price...the same price we had it listed with the real estate companies. Advertising your home, staging it well, and pricing it fairly will work for selling your home whether you pay a real estate pro or not.

The only thing we skipped was paying an incompetent and uncaring real estate agent who would have demanded we stage the house ourselves and price it carefully, too. Best of all we did not have to pay any agency 6% of our selling price.

That little advertisement was a great bargain, wasn't it? It sure got the job done and quickly, too. A lawyer took care of the legal details for a reasonable price and WE WERE DONE! A quick sale CAN happen. It did for us when the expensive option failed us.

Paula and her husband Ron have several real estate businesses including a real estate selling and buying information business. Get real home selling and buying advice (not theory) from someone who has done it successfully many times. Their websites include, sell-house-quick.net Sell House Quick and sell-house-quick.net/sellhouseyourself.htm Sell House Yourself

Organizing Tips for Eldercare Providers

While many seniors enjoy good health and are able to live on their own, some require the assistance of family members or outside caregivers, or have to move to an assisted living facility. No matter what your role is in helping a senior, even if it's to be a friend to someone caring for a senior, these organizing tips offer to help make the job a bit easier.

Organize medical information for doctor's appointments. Because seniors are often under the care of several doctors who may not communicate with each other, it can be helpful to bring complete medical information along to each doctor's appointment. This information might include test results, medication information, notes from visits to other doctors, etc. To make it easy to transport this information, consider storing it in a portable container such as an accordion file or a three-ring binder. Label the sections of the container with category names that will make it easy to quickly find any necessary information.

Organize medical bills. Since medical bills and insurance explanations of benefits (EOBs) aren't typically needed at the doctor's office, keep these items in a separate filing system, such as file folders in a filing cabinet or file box. You can staple the EOBs to the corresponding bill and file them according to the date of service or the name of the service provider. Although I don't like to create extra paperwork, if the EOB contains service for multiple providers or multiple dates, it's often easiest to make duplicate copies of the EOB so that the corresponding bill and EOB can easily be filed together.

Organize other information. Think about which facts besides medical information someone would need to know in an emergency, and gather this information in an appropriately labeled binder. Store this information in a secure place, and let family members or other appropriate people know where to find it. Items to consider include:

Contacts - names and phone numbers of family members, close friends, accountant, lawyer, household help, etc.

Financial - name of each financial institution and corresponding account numbers, safe deposit box and key location, regularly recurring bills, account numbers, and payment information

Insurance - include contact information for policy providers and location of the policies if not included here

Legal - Power of Attorney, Power of Attorney for Health Care, Will, etc. Note that appropriate people such as the named executor should have copies of these documents as well.

Take care of yourself and ask for help. It can be physically and emotionally draining to care for a senior. No matter how challenging your circumstances are, remember that it is never appropriate to be physically or verbally abusive. Be sure to give yourself regular time away from the situation by enlisting the help of:

Friends and family members - They can help with grocery shopping, transportation, errands, housework, cooking, etc.

Respite care provider - They give temporary care while you take a break from the daily routine of care giving.

State and local social service agencies

Support group of eldercare providers - Check out The National Family Caregivers Association nfcacares.org nfcacares.org and the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers caremanager.org caremanager.org

Professional organizer - I can help organize all of the senior's paperwork and set up the home for safety and ease of use. I also have access to lots of resources who can provide additional help.

Keep the proper perspective. Although emotions can often muddy the boundaries of what the caretaker's role is, it's typically to provide assistance to the senior so he or she can live as independently as possible. Keep in mind that unless the senior is declared mentally incompetent, they probably have the right to make unwise decisions with which you may disagree. Although it may be difficult, you may just have to stand by and let them experience the outcome of their bad choices.

Internationally known professional organizer, author, and speaker Sue Becker is the founder and owner of From Piles to Smiles?. She enjoys helping people live better lives by creating customized systems to overcome their overwhelming paperwork, clutter, and schedules. She specializes in helping people who are chronically disorganized, especially people with AD/HD. Sue is Illinois' first Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization.

Sue invites you to sign up for her FREE Starter Kit: 5 Proven Ways to Organize and Simplify Your Life at pilestosmiles.com pilestosmiles.com You'll learn simple ways to discover the freedom of an organized home, office and life. Check out the additional products available to help you put ideas into action at pilestosmiles.com/products.htm pilestosmiles.com/products.htm

In-Home Care

Senior citizens have many concerns as they grow older in their homes, but moving is difficult at any age. And a facility is not always necessary. Using senior home care is a simple solution for helping care for the elderly. In home care allows senior citizens to maintain their independence in the comfort of their own home. 

Planning Ahead

While planning ahead is sometimes difficult because you may not know how or when your needs will change, consider the type of assistance that may be of use to you in the near future. Regardless of your situation, begin by thinking of any illnesses you may have such as arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease. Talk to your doctor and brainstorm how these conditions may affect how you are able to take care of yourself. Perhaps you will need help getting dressed, preparing a meal, or remembering to take your medicine. This sort of assistance can easily be addressed in your own home using in home care. 

As you continue reading, you will learn about the different kinds of in home care available in your area. You will also learn about the resources especially for senior citizens, from your community to your Federal Government. If cost is a concern, we will provide suggestions for free or low cost services. We will also provide information on assistance that may cost more. There are some benefits that provide in home care for senior citizens and they may apply to you. Be sure to share this information with family members and friends, and use this as a means to begin talking about your present and future needs. 

Helping Older Relatives Stay in their Home

Everyday activities can become difficult as a person grows older. For many senior citizens, taking care of their homes and themselves becomes more and more challenging. If this is happening to any of your relatives or family friends, talk to them about getting assistance. Think about how you and others can help, and offer your assistance. Talk to friends who may have loved ones undergoing the same life changes and see how they are handling the care for their aging relatives. Then, get together with the person who might consider in home care pand decide together what to do. 

Staying in Your Home

In home care can provide you with almost any sort of assistance you may want in your home, usually for some cost. Below, there is a list of common concerns senior citizens have when living at home. We provide different suggestions and services to make living at home easier. 

Personal care. This includes washing your hair, bathing, and getting dressed. Perhaps a relative or friend can help, in other cases, it may be necessary to hire an in home health care aide to assist you for a short time each day. 

Homemaking. This includes daily activities like household chores, shopping, and laundry. Certain grocery stores or pharmacies take phone orders and will deliver items. Cleaning services provide employees to hire and some will help with laundry. Also, there are laundry services that pick up and deliver clothing. Usually, in home health care aides and caregivers help with these chores as directed. 

Meals. This includes preparing food. It may be possible to share cooking with friends or family members a few times a week. Senior citizen centers, churches, or synagogues sometimes serve meals. Eating out with others is also an option. If it is difficult to get out, you could either ask a friend to bring a meal every now and then or look into Meals on Wheels programs that deliver hot meals to your house. Also, in home health care workers will generally provide meal preparation as directed. 

Money Management. This includes paying bills from utilities to doctor's bills, and health insurance claim forms. Many banks will directly deposit the payment for regular bills, like rent or mortgage and utilities, directly from your checking account.  Asking a trusted friend or relative to help may also be a possibility; if not, financial counselors or geriatric care managers can assist you. Make sure that the person you hire was referred to you by a trustworthy source. 

Health Care. This includes taking medication. Some senior citizens find it helpful to set an alarm clock to remind you to take your medicines. If you need additional services, you may be able to hire a home health care aide. If you just got home from a hospital stay and need additional care from a home health aide, Medicare might pay for this service short-term. 

Getting around. This includes getting around at home or in town. An electric chair or scooter may be covered by Medicare. Also, if you are not able to drive there are volunteer escort services available, or you may take public transportation or taxis. Asking a relative or friend to take you is another option. 

Staying Social.  This includes remaining active and social. Senior citizen centers provide many activities, and will help you connect with other senior citizens. If you cannot leave your home it may be good to have regular visits with a friend or family member. Volunteers from your local place of worship or community center also provide companionship. 

Safety. This refers to avoiding crime and elder abuse. It is important to contact the police if you experience elder abuse; this includes physical, sexual, financial, or emotional abuse and neglect. Or, if you are worried about becoming sick when you are alone and unable to call for help, an emergency alert system may be a good solution. You wear a special button that, when pushed, calls emergency medical personnel. Hiring a trustworthy in home health care aide is also a good way to ensure your safety. 

Outside Care. This includes adult day care. If you live with someone who works during the day and you do not want to be alone during that time, adult day care may be an option. Sometimes the day care center will provide transportation to and from your home. 

Housing. This includes changes to the house to make it easier to live in. A ramp may allow easier access than stairs. Grab bars in the bathtub or shower help one maintain balance. Nonskid floors make the floor less slippery. More comfortable door and faucet handles can help ease pain associated with conditions like arthritis. Senior citizens can get help paying for these changes, check with your State housing finance agency, community development groups, State Area Agencies on Aging, or the welfare department. 

Resources

Use your resources, below are a list of people and agencies that may be able to help you. 

People you know. Many senior citizens rely on family members, friends, and neighbors to help them. Those you are close with may be able to help find the best way to meet your needs. 

Community and local government. The government provides many services for senior citizens, some of these may be found in your community. Social workers and health care professionals may be able to provide suggestions. Contacting your state and local offices on aging or social services, as well as your local Area Agency on Aging, may also prove helpful. Finally, check with your local church, synagogue, or community center, these groups may provide services for senior citizens. 

Geriatric care managers. Specially trained geriatric care managers help assist with and coordinate senior citizen elder care for a cost. They will help you to make a long-term care plan and find the services that are appropriate for your needs. When family members are not close by, geriatric care managers can check in with you from time to time and oversee your cother elder care services such as in home health aides. 

Federal Government. The Federal Government provides many resources for senior citizens. The Internet is a good place to look. If you do not have access to a computer at home, often libraries and senior centers have computers for public use. Also, it may be helpful for a neighbor, child, or grandchild to assist you. The Eldercare Locator, your local Area Agency on Aging, and Medicare may be good places to start. 

Home Health Care Agencies. Home health care agencies coordinate and provide home health aides to assist senior citizens in their home for a cost. They often have a staff that includes social workers and nurses that will manage your care.

In Home Health Aides

When support from friends, family, and community organizations is not enough, it may be useful to hire a home health aide. They can provide care from a few hours a week to 24 hours a day. They assist with personal care like bathing, oral hygiene, dressing, and shaving. They can also give nutrition help by preparing meals, assisting eating, and grocery shopping. They can help with homemaking, such as laundry, dishwashing, and light housework. They provide companionship, like reading to the client, taking care of pets, taking out on leisure outings, and running errands. And finally they can help with general health management, such as administration of medication. 

Cost

Some types of services are free while others may be expensive. When planning, it is important to consider how to pay for these services.  Medicare, Medicaid, private "Medigap" policies, private health insurance, or long-term care insurance may cover some of the services you need. Otherwise, you will have to pay out of pocket. Still, paying for some of these services out of pocket may be less expensive that moving into an assisted living or long-term care facility. 

The Caring Space

thecaringspace.com TheCaringSpace.com

David Crumrine at the Caring Space

We are an organization that connects caregivers and care seekers, providing an easy and affordable resource for families seeking care for friends/loved ones and caregivers seeking employment.

Collecting Signed Jerseys Is A Fun Hobby But Watch Out For Fakes

The hobby of collecting signed jerseys is a lot of fun, but you must be careful to get the real thing. If you are getting the autographs yourself then obviously you know that the signatures are real. However, if you are buying items from someone else, there is always the risk that they may be fake.

Getting a jersey signed by a professional athlete can be a challenge, but this is part of the fun. Many players are more relaxed and will sign during training camp, but not during the regular season. Some will sign after a game if you can catch them. Most will not sign out in public, especially while eating in restaurants or when with their family. Regardless of the circumstances, always be polite and say thanks. Do not expect to chat.

Getting a jersey signed in public situations is hard unless you are wearing it. If you have the jersey on, a player can easily sign, just be sure to hold the area in place so it doesn't bunch up. If you are carrying it, there has to be an area to spread it flat. This takes time and if you aren't paying, the signer will be gone.

Some players will absolutely not sign for anyone unless they are paid. The only way to get these signatures, usually from star players, is at an organized signing or memorabilia convention. Teams have events occasionally, and while they may be free, they are generally just for season ticket or seat license holders.

Sometimes rookie and draft pick signings are open to the general public. These are great for collecting signed jerseys. The players may become future stars and you could have a valuable item in your collection.

Memorabilia conventions and card shop signings require you to pay up front. Depending on the star power of the player, the prices can range from five dollars for a signature on a sports card up to several hundred for an autograph on a jersey or helmet. Generally with a paid signature, you either get a certificate of authenticity or have the opportunity to pay an extra fee for one.

You can also buy signed jerseys. These are available at conventions, through collectibles websites, or via on-line auction. Beware of fakes. There is huge money in counterfeit items. The FBI and local law enforcement agencies have busted several crime rings over the years. Buy only from reputable sellers. Check references and reviews. Always get a certificate of authenticity and if possible a photograph of the athlete signing the item.

Being able to prove your items are authentic is crucial. This is especially important if you plan to preserve them and display them, or sell them. Anytime you can get a photo the item being autographed it is a plus. This is easier now than in the past with camera phones.

Collecting signed jerseys is a pleasurable activity for any fan. You may display your jersey by wearing it, as some do. You can frame it and put it on display. You can also try to sell it. In any case, the pride and joy of having gotten the piece is priceless.

Looking for ajsportsworld.com Steven Stamkos autograph? Be sure to visit the biggest selection of ajsportsworld.com Hockey autographs online to get your favorite.

The Dream of a Home Business

Having a home business is the dream goal of many people who need to work but are tired of the grind - corporate or otherwise - that is part of being employed by someone else.

In the not-so-dim past, a job gave us the security of a weekly, biweekly or monthly paycheck. Our employers provided medical and dental insurance, paid holidays, sick leave and vacations. Some lucky employees got stock options. We were all assured of company pension plans to take care of us in our retirement along with Social Security benefits from the government.

We had a job routine, worked in the same office with many of the same people and celebrated each other's birthdays, weddings, new homes and other events. Each of us had a place in the company structure and we were assured of keeping this job for twenty or thirty years - or as long as we wanted to stay. Not any more!

Now the only definite aspect of being an employee is continuous change. Co-workers come and go as people move to different areas of the city, state and country. Employers have severely cut back on fringe benefits. In many organizations, pension plans are now nonexistent.

The airline industry which was once rock-solid has had a number of bankruptcies. TWA, Eastern and National airlines among others have disappeared from the skies leaving their employees jobless. Pension plans of retired employees were turned over to a governmental agency for administration, which resulted in workers receiving only 50 cents on every dollar they had previously been receiving.

Automobile giants General Motors and Ford plan huge layoffs of 30,000 and 40,000 employees respectively with numerous plant closings in the offing. Additionally many jobs in the computer field are being outsourced to Third World Countries, thereby causing further job losses in the United States and adding further stress to our economy.

The only true security in our current economical climate is a home business. There are a number of benefits in working out of your home:

o No time wasted in commuting.

o No need to travel in bad weather.

o You do not have to spend money on gasoline.

o No wear and tear on your car.

o Work at your own convenience. You do not have to work on someone else's schedule.

o You do not have to buy a working wardrobe.

o No boss telling you what to do - and when to do it.

o Take an afternoon nap if you are tired.

o Stop and take a snack break at any time.

Anyone at any age can work at a home business. It is especially ideal for stay-at-home moms, retirees and the physically challenged. For those who are already employed, it can bring in another source of income.

When you work for a boss, no matter how much money you bring in for him or her, you may still earn the same salary. When you work at a home business, your extra effort translates into more money for you. If you decide to work long hours, you reap the financial rewards.

Ms. Beecher has authored many articles on debt relief programs and believes in proper due diligence before signing on with any debt or credit counseling program. Her goal is to spread the word regarding reputable programs offering debt help. cleardebtsolution.com Clear Debt Solution provides debt settlement programs that reduce debt through negotiation.

Safe Work From Home - The Perfect Part-time Job

If you are looking for a part-time job to supplement your income, then a home-based business is a safe, lucrative solution for you. So many part-time jobs today involve cold calling to set up home visits or door-to-door sales. In today's desperate economy, going to a stranger's home could be potentially dangerous.

Working from the comfort of your own home is a safe way to earn extra money to pay bills, save to purchase a home, or take a family vacation. With so many options to choose from, there is an opportunity for everyone.

The Internet provides some of the best options for home-based opportunities. Many reputable, well established companies offer programs as direct distributors or contractors. Be careful not to select the first program or opportunity you see. Careful research will save you a lot of time and money.

Make sure that the company is registered with the Better Business Bureau or other reporting agency to verify the validity of the organization. There are so many scams and con artists lurking on the Internet. Take care not to become a victim of fraud. Verify all of the information provided by the organization with the BBB and check to see if any complaints have been filed against the company and if they were resolved.

Be careful when dealing with organizations asking you to wire money to them to pay for sign-up fees as is usually the trademark of a scam. Home-based employment offers for secret shoppers and bank payment processors have also become the latest tools for international con artists.

Unless you have verified that the organization is a legitimate company, don't give out personal information such as your address, marital status, age, occupation, bank accounts, credit card numbers, social security number or other identifiable information that could be used to defraud you. Most importantly ask questions and follow your gut!

We have put together a list of some of the most reputable and successful home-based businesses. For a complete list of these businesses, please visit alihinds.weebly.com/alis-blog.html alihinds.weebly.com/alis-blog.html.

Ali Hinds is a global business and marketing strategist. For additional resources and strategies, please subscribe to my blog at alihinds.weebly.com/alis-blog.html alihinds.weebly.com/alis-blog.html

Can You Still Make Gifts to Your Grandchildren?

"I have been paying for part of my grandchildren's college tuition. I make the check out directly to the college. Will my grandchildren have to give back the gifts if I go into a nursing home?"

The answer to this person's question would depend on when she needed Nursing Home care and her health at the time she made the gifts.

Under the Medicaid law, any gifts you make within 5 years prior to applying for Medicaid coverage of Nursing Home costs, are presumed to be for the purpose of depleting your life savings in order to qualify for Medicaid.

If the grandmother did not need Nursing Home care until more than 5 years passed from the date of the gifts, Medicaid would not be able to penalize the gifts.

If the gifts were made within the 5 year lookback period, then in order to avoid the imposition of a transfer penalty by Medicaid, either the gifts would have to be returned or the grandparent must prove that the gifts were for a legitimate purpose and that Nursing Home care was not foreseeable based on her good health.

The law center recently won a Fair Hearing Decision against the Medicaid Agency on this issue of making gifts.

In our case, an 89 year old woman fell and required Nursing Home care. She was in good health before falling. During the 5 years before falling, she made numerous gifts to her son who was in poor health and often unable to work. Her gifts were to help him pay his mortgage, insurance and property taxes along with some household expenses. She also made gifts to her grandchildren to help them with college.

The Medicaid agency penalized those gifts on the grounds that based on her age, an 89 year old should foresee the possibility of needing Nursing Home care. New York State, in its Fair Hearing decision, reversed the County Medicaid agency and held that the gifts were legitimate and not for the purpose of depleting her assets for Medicaid.

Therefore, the Medicaid law does make gift giving riskier for our elderly, but with the right facts, such gifts can be defended.

With a properly designed Irrevocable Family Trust, assets can be transferred to your Trust while you are healthy. After 5 years have elapsed, your Trust assets will be protected. The Trust can then make gifts to your family members after this 5 year period has passed even if you are no longer in good health. Thus, a Trust can be a good vehicle to preserve your gift giving options for your family for the remainder of your life.

The Koldin Law Center
koldin.com koldin.com

Advantages of Being a Work at Home Mom

Are you a mom and struggle with juggling child care, work, appointments, and maintaining a household? If you are like most moms, the answer is probably yes. With the way the economy is right now it is near impossible for women to be the "stay at home" mom and for families to be able to survive on one income. Not to mention single moms trying to raise children and having to do it on their own. Moms have gotten really good at multi-tasking and doing what they can with the demands that they are faced with. I am confident in saying that this certainly has not been done without blood, sweat and tears! If you have been thinking about the possibility of working from home, you are not alone. You might want to take a look at the advantages of working from home as a mom and weigh the disadvantages to see if it is something that might be right for you.

Here are 5 advantages of working from home for moms.

Savings on Daycare Costs- According to data from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, many families are spending upwards to $14,000 a year for child care alone. The cost varies per state and is determined by how old your child is. Child care for babies and toddlers is quite a bit more expensive than it is for pre-schoolers. Depending on your income, many moms may have little left over after incurring the costs of childcare.

No Commuting- How much time do you spend sitting in traffic or commuting to work on a daily basis? Wouldn't it be nice to spend that time doing something productive? Working from home allows you the luxury of not having to spend any of your valuable time sitting in traffic. Another bonus is that you will save money on gas and the wear and tear on your vehicle.

More Flexibility- You get to make your own schedule and don't have to answer to a boss or ask permission to come in late to work because you have to take your child to a doctors appointment. You will be able to schedule your work around all of the activities and events in your life. Imagine being able to make it to all of your child's sporting events or the school play. If you want to take a vacation you can do it without having to request time off or use up any of your "vacation days." If you are a night owl and are more productive at three in the morning then you can work during that time. On the flip side if you want to sleep in on a Wednesday you can do that too.

Save on Lunches and Work Clothes- Between eating out and buying clothes or uniforms for work you are spending a pretty penny. One of the conveniences of working from home is that you don't have to pack a lunch or spend money eating out. Depending on your profession it can cost quite a bit of money to keep a professional wardrobe. Working from home allows you to wear what is comfortable without limitations.

Make as Much or Little Money as You Want- As the owner of your business you can decide if you want to work part time or full time. You are in the drivers seat and how productive you want to be is up to you.

These are just a handful of advantages for being a work at home mom. There are many more advantages that are not listed. If you are a mom and want to be more in control of your time and have a better quality of life you might want to consider working from home.

To learn more about Work at Home Moms [blastcapsworldwide.com], visit Mary's Yoli [sportblastfun.com] website.

About the Author: Mary Cascio is a successful home based business entrepreneur and international business builder. She works with top internet marketers from all over the world and has an exclusive online marketing system in place that has helped her to create a team of successful entrepreneurs who enjoy the luxury of working from home.

Debt Consolidation Primer - Four Things You Can Do to Get Out of Debt

Problem debt is rampant throughout America. In addition to mortgages and auto loans, the average household in the U.S. has nearly $10,000 in credit card debt. As the major credit card companies have recently doubled their minimum payment requirements, now is a good time to outline the various options available to most consumers who have more debt than they can handle.

Stop spending money on nonessential items. "Nonessential" is difficult to define, but it more or less means anything that isn't absolutely necessary to live. Phone bills, mortgages, and groceries are essential. Lattes at Starbucks, satellite television, and meals from fast food restaurants are not. By cutting out all extra spending, you can probably save several hundred dollars per month. That money can be used to reduce debt.Consolidate your debt. If you have more than one credit card and your accounts aren't all at their limit, you can transfer balances from higher-interest accounts to those with lower interest accounts. Alternatively, if you own a home, you probably have accumulated some equity. You can obtain a home greeneasylife.com equity loan or line of credit and transfer some of your debt to that loan. As a bonus, the interest on home greeneasylife.com equity loans is tax deductible. Be careful, though. If you transfer your debt to a home greeneasylife.com equity loan, you can lose your home if you do not repay it.Find a reputable credit counselor. This will soon be a prerequisite to filing for bankruptcy, thanks to a recently passed Federal law. Counseling agencies can negotiate with your creditors to help you establish a repayment plan that you can afford. They may be able to have interest rates reduced or have late fees waived. Most agencies charge for their services, but the reputable ones limite their fees to what you can afford to pay.File for bankruptcy. This is not a decision to be taken lightly, as a bankruptcy filing will remain on your credit record for ten years. By filing for bankruptcy, you declare to the courts that you cannot repay your debts. Most consumers are currently allowed to file under Chapter 7 of the Federal code, which allows the courts to wipe out most debts. This will change this fall, as recently passed Federal legislation takes place. The new regulations will likely require a repayment schedule, and attorney, and higher filing fees. Bankruptcy can help you get a fresh start, but it's not a magic solution. It will be quite difficult to reestablish credit after a bankruptcy filing

Having more debt than you can handle is a serious problem, but like most problems, it is one that has available solutions. The first step is to act promptly, as unattended debts only grow larger. With time, patience and diligence, most consumers can overcome the burden of excessive debt.

?Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to end-your-debt.com establishing credit, debt consolidation and credit counseling.

Ways to Keep Your Home When Unemployed

Are you facing foreclosure and unemployment? And more importantly has your emergency funds run out? Once this bumper savings was prescribed to be three to six months, now a more serious recommendation is eight to twelve, due to the difficulty replacing lost income. Apparently experts are making the recommendation that before your household is in default, contact the lenders as soon as you see a problem on the horizon. Either call before the savings run out or if you have none immediately once your income is reduced due to a job loss. A good source of information is the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a non-profit national public network.

They may be able to advise you on the tough decisions you may be forced to make. There are additional programs for today's homeowners offered by loan servicers and some government agencies. For example the department of Housing and Urban Development offers a website for foreclosure avoidance counseling. One troubling trend reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association is that although the numbers of the riskier sub-prime lending loans is falling the volume of the more stable fixed rate loans heading into trouble waters is on the rise.

Due to this trend some of the largest mortgage holders in the country are offering similar counseling services, both Chase Home Finance, and CitiMortgage. Again, early communication and requests for help are encouraged by both companies. A government modification plan known as the Home Affordable Modification Program has had some success with reducing the mortgage payment of some homebuyers based on a debt to income ratio. A criticism or hindrance for some is that there has to be at least one income or bread-winner in the home. For families where only one person was a wage earner and lost a job, then the banks probably won't work with this mortgage.

However, the greatest benefit may be that if you are in imminent danger of foreclosure, say with zero savings, and a lower income than you had prior to a job loss or downsizing, then you may qualify. One severe warning issued by experts is to be very careful when solicited by companies who claim that they can save your home, especially when a fee is requested on the front end. If you're experiencing financial hardship, you want to be very wary of the unscrupulous who would attempt to steal what little money you do have. Lastly, one option for many is to seek the short-sale and thereby reducing overhead by downsizing, especially if your home would be attractive to the first time homebuyer seeking the $8,000 tax credit.

Ron Parks has been buying westbayre.com Marin real estate for 27 years. Year after year he is one of Marin's top real estate agents. Ron specializes in all areas of Marin County, including Belvedere and westbayre.com/millvalley/index.htm Mill Valley.

Five Reverse Home Mortgage Scams to Watch Out For

By all accounts, reverse home mortgage growth is set to explode. Baby boomers are reaching retirement and, for most, home equity makes up the largest part of their nest egg. Reverse mortgages will be the tools that many of these retirees will use to tap into this nest egg for retirement living expenses. The number of new HUD Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) already has increased more than percent in the first nine months of 2006 over the same period one year ago.

But along with reverse home mortgage growth come increased opportunities for fraud and scams. Reverse mortgages are different from traditional mortgages in ways that make them attractive vehicles for scam artists:

reverse mortgages are products specifically designed for and targeted to senior citizens, the population group most vulnerable to fraud;

scam artists know that a reverse mortgages provide the senior homeowner with relatively easy access to a sizeable pool of cash; and,

reverse mortgages are harder to understand than traditional mortgages making it easier for the scam artist to confuse and take advantage of victims.

In this article we look at some of the tactics scam artists are using and the precautions reverse mortgage borrowers can take to protect themselves.

Scam Tactic One - Downplay Pre-Loan Counseling

An educated borrower is the scam artist's worst enemy - but it's up to the borrower to educate themselves and take advantage of counseling and other opportunities to learn about reverse mortgages.

All three major reverse mortgage programs - HUD HECM, Fannie Mae's Home Keeper and Financial Freedom - require potential borrowers to have counseling with an independent counselor specially trained in reverse mortgages before taking out a loan.

In a recent Detroit-area fraud case, a corrupt lender was able to keep the borrower in the dark about the amount she was eligible to borrow. She thought her loan would be for $61,000 when in fact she was borrowing $103,000. Guess who pocketed the $42,000 difference? A thorough counseling session would have given the homeowner an accurate idea of the true amount she was eligible for. Unfortunately for the victim, the prosecutor in the case says this never happened:

"A counseling meeting explaining the reverse mortgage process was required by Financial Freedom before the loan could be processed. Mr. James allegedly informed Ms. Schultz that he would be able to waive the counseling meeting by just asking a few questions over the phone."

Precaution: Although counseling by telephone is allowed, it is always best to meet face-to-face with the counselor. If you find that anyone you're working with in the process suggests that counseling can be done quickly over the phone or otherwise downplays the importance of pre-loan counseling, be highly suspicious.

Scam Tactic Two - Forgery

Forgery is a key part of many scams. In the Detroit case cited above, the lender requested the title company to prepare two checks payable to the homeowner: one for $61,000 which the homeowner received and a second one for $42,000 which the corrupt lender endorsed with a forged signature and deposited into his own account.

In one California case, two con artists - one working as a financial advisor the other a handyman - convinced an elderly homeowner to take out a reverse mortgage to pay for home repairs. The financial advisor opened an account for the proceeds of the loan and forged the victim's name to gain access to funds.

Another California case reported in the Santa Cruz Sentinel shows how dangerous it can be to sign "unfinished" documents:

Mrs. Sally Scott is 66 years old. While she receives Social Security and pension checks, she still can't make ends meet. She saw an ad for a "reverse" mortgage - a loan that allows seniors age 62 or older to receive cash by borrowing against their homes and does not require repayment as long as they live there. Seeking a little financial cushion, she spoke to a mortgage broker about a $10,000 reverse mortgage.

When she received the loan papers, she noticed that the loan amount was $200,000. The broker promised that he'd change the figure, but insisted that she sign the paperwork first. Trusting the broker, Mrs. Scott signed.

A week later, she received a check for $200,000. She immediately notified the broker, who apologized for the mistake and instructed her to wire the money back. As it turned out, the account that Mrs. Scott returned the money to belonged to the broker. He disappeared, leaving her with a mortgage in default and no way to repay the loan.

Precaution: Never sign documents with blanks to be filled in or corrections to be made later. Carefully protect access to your checking and other accounts. Review and reconcile checking account and loan statements regularly. If you find something awry, contact your financial institution immediately.

In the Detroit case cited above, the victim caught on to the scam when she received a loan statement indicating the balance of her reverse mortgage (including interest) totaled $131,000.

Also, take advantage of the free credit reports available to you under federal law. Reviewing your credit report each year is also a good way to catch unauthorized financial activities under your name.

Scam Tactic Three - Charging for Free Reverse Mortgage Information

The complexity of reverse mortgages means that it is natural for borrowers to seek assistance and guidance to help them understand the loan process, find a lender or, generally, better understand what they are getting into. Some scammers have seized on this to offer - for a fee - reverse mortgage information and services that are available to consumers at no charge.

For example, some senior homeowners have been contacted by firms offering to assist them in finding a reverse mortgage lender, in exchange for a percentage of the loan. This type of arrangement should always be avoided. According to HUD's website:

HUD does NOT recommend using an estate planning service, or any service that charges a fee just for referring a borrower to a lender! HUD provides this information without cost, and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies are available for free, or at minimal cost, to provide information, counseling, and free referral to a list of HUD-approved lenders. Call 1-800-569-4287, toll-free, for the name and location of a HUD-approved housing counseling agency near you.

Precaution: Walk away from anyone who offers to find a reverse mortgage lender for a fee. Use the internet to find free information about reverse mortgages or, read one of the several excellent books that have been published in recent years.

If you feel you have need for a professional financial planner to assess your overall situation - including the reverse mortgage decision - find a certified financial planner (CFP) who works on a fee-only basis and who is knowledgeable of reverse mortgages (many aren't).

Scam Tactic Four - Posing as a Government or Non-Profit Representative

The most popular form of reverse mortgage - the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) - is an official program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). However, neither the HECM program nor other reverse mortgage programs are marketed directly to senior homeowners by government employees.

Unscrupulous reverse mortgage salesmen have been known to represent themselves to elderly homeowners as government representatives or volunteers for non-profit organizations.

Precaution: Be sure you know who you are dealing with and what organization they represent. Do not be timid about asking for information such as their home office location and phone number. Use resources like HUD and the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) to check out the company.

Scam Tactic Five - Bundling Things with Reverse Mortgage Financing

Smart consumers know that the best way to shop for a car is to separate the parts of the transaction - purchase, financing and trade-in - from each another. With a bundled transaction, it's easy for the consumer to be befuddled and not understand the true cost of the overall deal. What appears to be a "great price" on the car may mask exorbitant finance charges or a low trade-in value.

Similarly, a common tactic of scam artists is to bundle reverse mortgage financing with something else such as home improvements, annuities, risky investments, living trusts or other estate planning products.

In one Seattle-area case, elderly consumers were told that living trusts must be purchased in order to obtain a reverse mortgage. In another case, seniors were encouraged to take out a reverse mortgage and use the proceeds to "invest" in truck-mounted billboards.

Frequently, two or more scammers work as a team. For example, in the California case cited earlier, an unscrupulous financial advisor steered the homeowner to a home repair contractor who was party to the scam and who grossly overcharged the victim for repair work.

If you find yourself dealing with someone who attempts to bundle a reverse mortgage with another product or service or steer you to a particular contractor/lender, be highly suspicious. If you feel at all uncomfortable or that the person is using high-pressure sales tactics, walk away.

Precaution: When home improvements or estate planning services are needed, shop for the best deal. It's best for you to find what you're looking for rather than them finding you. Homeowners should avoid doing business with anyone who comes uninvited to the door, makes an unsolicited phone call or whose name is found randomly on a flier.

When you've found the best deal, then weigh your financing options - including a reverse mortgage. Keeping these decisions separate will protect you from possible fraud and help ensure you get the most for your money.

Tim Paul is a financial management executive with more than 25 years experience. His websites focus on personal finance issues including 401kplanning.org 401k Planning and college savings through credit cards: 529rewards.com 529 Reward Credit Cards

Financial Assistance For Elderly Veterans and Their Widows is a Well Kept Secret

Ask an elderly Veteran if they are aware they may be eligible for a pension from the Veteran's Administration and they will tell you "I'm not eligible because I was not injured in the War." This is a common misconception which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they well earned by serving our country. The fact is elderly, disabled Veterans and their widows may very well qualify for large sums of money, but they have to apply for the funds. There are several Veteran pensions, but the pension designed to help elderly Veterans and Veteran's Widows pay for costly Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home fees (if the Veteran is not covered by Medicaid) is called Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance. The pension can pay a married Veteran up to $1,949.00 per month, an unmarried Veteran up to $1,644.00 per month and a Veteran's Widow can receive up to $1,056.00 per month. The amount one receives is based upon their medical expenses and their current financial and medical status. The pension is paid by check directly to the Veteran or Veteran's Widow every month as long as they meet the criteria.

The Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance is the government's best kept secret. I cannot tell you how many seniors have told me that they called Veterans Affairs and were actually told that this pension does not exist or that they do not qualify. For thirteen years, I have assisted Veterans and Veteran's Widows in obtaining these funds - they really do exist.

To get the maximum pension amount, a Veteran must qualify medically and financially and must have served their country for at least one day during "War Time". Also the Veteran must have been honorably discharged. Every case is considered individually. If a Veteran or Veteran's Widow feels they may qualify, they can apply for the pension. The pension can take many months to actually be approved. The average waiting period is three to eight months. The first check will be retroactive to the month the application arrived at the Veterans' Affairs, therefore the first check may be for thousands of dollars. Subsequent checks will arrive monthly for the approved amount. This pension money can mean the difference between affording adequate care for an aging Veteran/ Widow or having no care at all.

As with any governmental program, success is all in the paperwork. The pension application is many pages long and some of it is in essay form. It is the exact wording used in the essay areas that mean the difference between approval and denial. Also, Veteran's Affairs does not tell Veterans about all the supporting documents that they would like to see. The better the medical and financial records, the better the chances are of approval. Including the right medical forms signed by a doctor is very important for approval. Also typical of governmental red tape is the frustrating lack of communication. Once the application is filed and in the process of being reviewed, it is nearly impossible to get an update or check on the status of the application unless the Veteran/ Widow make the call themselves. For most of our clients, they are too ill or too confused to make a call like that.

In a perfect world, financial assistance for those who qualify should be easily accessible and easy to get. But the reality is that government agencies are inherently complicated and their application processes are never self explanatory or simple. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse and no one will tell you the rules. The rules are written in a handbook, but the Veterans Affairs is not allowed to give them to you. Seasoned Eldercare professionals can often navigate these processes for you. They may charge for their services, but to attempt to do it yourself and have your application denied, will cost much more money. The Department of Veterans' Affairs supposedly employs staff to help Veterans and their Widows apply for these pensions for free, but it is these very people who have told so many seniors that they do not qualify, when in fact they could qualify if they made one small change. Perhaps Veteran's Affairs is afraid that if they made it easy for every Veteran to apply, the pension fund would go broke. Given that War Time includes the Gulf War Era which began in 1990 and has not ended yet, I anticipate the pension fund will one day be either broke or impossible to get. For now, the money is very much available and attainable.

Here are the Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance eligibility criteria for the year 2008.

1) Veteran served in the Military for at least one day during War Time or had a spouse who served at that time. Spouses are people whom you never divorced.

2) Honorably Discharged from the Military.

3) Currently has medical or psychological condition which make the Veteran or Veteran widow dependent on the aid or assistance of a non- family member in order to meet their daily care needs or they reside in an Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home ( not on Medicaid). This claim must be supported by physician signed forms, financial data and medical records.

4) Veteran Financial Criteria: Have assets in their own name below $80,000 (if married) or below $50,000 (if single). The car and house does not count as an asset. Annual income below $19,736,.00 (if single) or $ 23,396.00 (if married) after all medical expenses such as insurance premiums/copays, assisted living facility fees, paid caregiver salary, medications, medical transportation/ supplies, certain housing expenses, etc.

5) Veteran Widow Financial Criteria: Assets below $50,000 and income less than $12,681 per year (after medical expenses listed above).

6) Note: Income figures are AFTER MEDICAL EXPENSES. VA may require someone of advanced age to have fewer assets than quoted above. We have seen this when applicants are near 100 years old.

In many cases, if a person has a paid care giver, such as a nurse's aide, or they pay an assisted living facility, or they pay out of pocket for a nursing home, those expenses impact so greatly on a person's net income, that they will meet the criteria for the income level.

If a Veteran or Veteran Widow has cash assets above the limit, they are allowed to place those assets into certain investments in order to have them "sheltered". This sheltering does not have a penalty or "look back period" associated with it. Proper asset sheltering for Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance should be done under the supervision of an elder care professional or attorney well versed in Medicaid planning because one could easily ruin the chances of ever getting Medicaid if the V.A. pension planning was done incorrectly.

With a little professional planning, many Veterans and Veteran Widows can receive pensions that make a significant difference in the amount of care they receive. After all, the reason for this particular pension is to assure that a Veteran or Veteran Widow does not live in a substandard environment in their old age. It takes a little work to apply for this pension, but anything worth having usually does.

vipcaremanagement.com Geriatric Care Managers and vipcaremanagement.com Elder Health Care Professionals Committed To Providing Senior Care Management, Guardianship, and Long Term Care Planning. Also can call toll free at V.I.P. Care management, inc. 1-877-588-5158.

How to Evaluate Employment Work From Home Job Offers

Working from home offers a wide array of pleasant benefits. It allows you to work at your own pace and time, and also allows you to be closer to your family, and spend more quality time with them. However, with so many home-based job opportunities to choose from, how do you know which ones are truly legitimate, and which ones are plain scams? Here are some helpful tips for evaluating each employment work from home job offers.

Evaluate The Work-At-Home Web Page

Once you go from one work-at-home job listing to another, make sure you carefully evaluate each Web site or Web page. The overall look and feel of a certain work-at-home Web site will provide you a lot of clues about the company, along with the effort they're doing to recruit their employees. If ever you spot a lot of misspelled words and grammar errors on that site, the Web site didn't either put a lot off effort into designing it well, or it was probably done by someone from outside the US. If the company also uses free Web hosting services like Geocities, or employs free Web email services like Hotmail and others, it could be a fly-y-night work opportunity provider.

Take A Closer Look At The Basic Information

When evaluating a home-based job opportunity, doing a closer check of the company's Web site should offer you a lot of clues. First, find out whether the company is telling you what the product actually is, or does it simply use generic words to describe its job opportunity? Doe the company give you a physical address or just a post office box number? Does the company offer you a telephone number and email address?

Get Additional Info From Government Sites

To help you identify and evaluate each employment work from home offer, there are a number of government Web sites which can help you identify the legitimate business from the scammers. Agencies like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), offer valuable resource and information on all types of businesses, from network marketing, to work-at-home jobs, and other online money-making opportunities. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the National Fraud Information Center provide lots of helpful resources about all sorts of scams, from mail online and telephone scams. The FTC Web site also provides information on companies that have either been investigated or taken to court.

With plenty of work at home job offers to choose from, picking the right one for you may be a tough, but worthy task. To learn more about legitimate work at home opportunities, read about reviewsresults.com/profit-lance Profit Lance, and other legitimate work-at-home job offers.

Importance Of Choosing A Geriatrician

Getting the right medical specialist and care for aging parents and other loved ones is the most important thing. Geriatrics is the study of diseases with the elderly people.

Geriatricians have a major role to assess and head elderly patients using a team approach. Geriatrician is the coordinator for elderly patients who have physical and mental disorders. Geriatrician should coordinate a team approach and maintain contact with care managers.

Geriatricians mainly focus on optimizing quality of life and functional ability for their patients instead of seeking definitive cures. A geriatrician uses a holistic approach to deal with the physical, psychological and social problems that patients suffer from. A geriatrician works closely with other professionals and organizations including other therapists, physicians, pain clinics, organizations and home happinesslifetime.com care agencies to satisfy specific needs of each patient.

The physician considers each patient and family as key members of health care team. Common diseases that a geriatrician can treat include: arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, chronic lung and heart diseases, incontinence, general decline, Parkinson's disease, impaired overall function, stroke and other sensory problems.

Geriatricians also analyze the often-large number of medications that older adults take to ensure that the medications are appropriate and are not causing any serious adverse side effects. Most of the times, medications can also be adjusted to get significant improvement in the wellbeing of the patient. Usually pain and mood disorders like depression are the common disorders in older adults. A geriatrician can also address with these problems.

Who needs to consult a geriatrician?

In many families elders are treated by family physicians and general internists. Whether you need to consult a geriatrician mainly depends on your healthcare needs rather than your chronological age. Two persons both aged 65 may have different types of problems and disabilities. One person may be completely healthy while another has serious health concerns. A geriatrician can provide primary care for older people with complicated medical and social issues.

Regardless of your age, it is essential consult a geriatrician when:

? There are certain conditions that can cause considerable impairment and frailty.

? Proliferating prescription drugs make it unclear which drugs are appropriate.

? Friends and family members are feeling considerable stress and strain as caregivers.

If you are usually happy and healthy with your primary care physician or internist, you need not switch to a geriatrician. If your medical condition is complicated or if you are suffering from any disability, then you should consider consulting with a geriatrician.

Choose a applemd.com geriatrician with which you feel comfortable to share your health problems. If any of your older family member suffering from any psychological problems, then you should consider consulting a applemd.com/services.htm geriatric psychiatrist.

So What's Going to Happen With the American Home Mortgage Industry?

I've been involved with mortgages and real estate for almost twenty-five years. But honestly, I've never seen a market or even a government response like what we're seeing in the United States. I don't care which side of the political fence you're on, these are nerve wracking times...especially for homeowners and would be homeowners who need to get on with their lives, sell their houses, and finance the purchase of new houses. The big question is...what does the future hold?

Well, every time I've tried to predict anything, I've been partially right and partially wrong. So, check back with me in a year or three and we'll see how well I did. But here's what I think is going to happen to the American mortgage scene.

In the sort run, banks are going to be bailed out, and some homeowners are going to benefit from more easy, government backed, money. Not as many as touted by the politicos, but more than usual. If you're paying attention to what's happening, you can already see where banks (and other industries) are taking their bailout money and not really applying it where it was intended to be applied. Just because banks get money from the government doesn't mean they are going to save everyone from foreclosure.

But let's say that at least a large percentage of the homeowners who are currently in foreclosure care helped through reduction of their principals, renegotiation of their payments, or some sort of subsidy. Well, there are only so many times this can happen, and Americans are already getting "bailout weary". So, unless forced to by government, I can't see lenders getting themselves in this fix again, any time soon.

In other words, loans are going to get harder to get, probably much harder. At least until the dust settles. What does this mean to you? Well, it means you need to be squeaky clean to get a home loan today or in the next year or two. What if you're not?

What I would do if I were thinking about getting a loan today would be to pull my credit report from the three credit reporting agencies and see what problems, if any, it might have. Also, I would take pains to raise my credit score by always being on time for my payments, and also by lowering my outstanding principal on my credit cards and other loans. This will go a long way to making sure you're one of the folks who can get loans in the future, instead of one of the ones who can't.

To learn more about finding the best mortgage for you and your needs, visit my blog, Best Mortgage Guide [best-mortgage-guide.com/].

Patricia Pearce [best-mortgage-guide.com/] is a consumer advocate and educator. She runs several online sites devoted to empowering consumers to keep more of their money.

Plumbing - Regulated Health and Safety Procedures

It is important to address health and safety concerns in all home renovation projects, especially the plumbing. Not only should you follow the basic guidelines, such as wearing safety goggles, dust masks, and other protective gear, but there are also numerous factors that should be taken into consideration. Unlike some other renovation projects, plumbing can be a very frustrating and even dangerous process if you do not follow the regulated health and safety procedures.

The best way to ensure health and safety is to stay informed. Knowledge is power in most plumbing scenarios. The more you know, the more protected you will be. In any case, you will certainly be more prepared to handle a variety of different situations. Another safe bet is to understand your abilities and limitations. If you are not familiar with a certain plumbing project, leave it alone for a qualified professional to do the job. Otherwise, you may damage your fittings, causing a flooded room or worse. For example, the drain trap might malfunction if you tamper with it too much, thus causing gas seepage to go unnoticed in your drains.

Also, if you have the original manufacturer's instructions, always follow them with your plumbing procedures. Make sure that you read all of the instructions thoroughly once, as opposed to performing the project step by step. Remember that it is very important to follow the safety precautions laid out by the manufacturer, especially if it is in conjunction with electricity. For the sake of safety, you should wear insulated clothing before tackling any project hands-on. If there is a need to make contact with any conductive surfaces, make sure that the equipment is safe and also make sure that you are well protected as well.

Picture yourself not as a homeowner, but a plumber who must follow the state regulated health and safety solutions. If you are not familiar with these regulations, it is best that you educate yourself on the matter. If you do not understand, then maybe the alternative is to consult assistance from a qualified plumber. Failure to comply to these public health and safety procedures lead to dangerous consequences, which you definitely want to avoid. They could also be expensive mistakes, for you might be fined by the public health or safety agency.

If you are installing the plumbing systems by yourself, you should check that you are doing it correctly. Plumbing that is incorrectly installed will cause a multitude of problems, such as unwanted leakage or seekage within the household. Even worse, your house may be flooded with polluted water, which is clearly an undesirable situation.

Protective gear should be worn for all plumbing projects. You are often handling hazardous chemicals and solutions, so you want to minimize any harmful exposures as much as possible. Carefully wash your hands and equipment before and after the project. Since plumbing work is often dealt in wet environments, you should wear insulate clothing, including your shoes. In fact, these shoes should have protective rubber soles to prevent against electricity, as well as possible physical injuries.

If you are looking for creative yet practical renovationideas.blogspot.com home renovation ideas, our team of qualified experts provides many recommendations and resources for the betterment of your house. With our help, you will never run out of renovationideas.blogspot.com home improvement ideas!

Picking Out Travel Agents

When you are setting up to get a company trip to LA, anyone would have to consider many significant factors. In this guide, we will get to realize the main strengths of employing the services of a reliable travel agent to handle your business trip to the city of angels.

A company visit is totally different from a recreational journey, that's exactly the reason why meticulously preparing and performing your ideas for your next business holiday is crucial. Having a company trip is more serious than a holiday vacation trip and any kind of mistake in your arranging may give you even more issues in the future. It might end up being more difficult if you determine to handle your own company deal and manage your trip plans at the same time. As a result, the most rational thing to do is seek the services of a trustworthy travel agent that may completely concentrate on all your travel desires. It is the travel agent's task to take care of your holiday plans tidily and methodically, from the start of your trip to LA till you go back home.

When an individual goes on a company venture on a usual basis, a person can easily make inquiries with a Los Angeles travel agent in the event that that they have business travel package deals that are being offered. Everything you will need with regards to your business trip will be taken cared of, from reserving your air journey, to booking of hotels to scheduling your appointments. Make sure to employ the services of a respected and proficient travel agent to handle anything you will need concerning your company voyage. A lot of travel agents have awesome low cost package alternatives available for the business traveler. Heading for these business discounts will save an individual a good deal of funds, along with time and energy of taking care of your business trip, consequently a person can devote far more attention to your certain business arrangement.

This also makes it possible to bring your loved ones with you on your business visit, considering that a good variety of travel agencies feature business travel packages that involve family members. Integrated in many products are well-liked tourist destinations close to the Los Angeles area for example Universal Studios Hollywood, Disneyland, California Adventure, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Venice Beach, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and Santa Monica Pier among others. Many travel agents may offer your loved ones sightseeing tours given that business people may often have time in between business deals and conferences.

Selecting the expertise of responsible and experienced travel agents LA will assure your business holiday will go smooth and headache free.

Looking for a great way to spend your vacation? Make it worth your while and contact a travelagentla.com travel agent LA specialist. See all the sites and hear all the sounds of the city of angels and don't miss a thing so make sure you inquire and confide with a travelagentla.com/california-travel-agencies California travel agencies specialist.

Why Home Care Is Better Than Nursing Homes

For many of us, the time will come when our parents are no longer able to care for themselves. Oftentimes, this leaves us with one of two choices: place our parent in a nursing home or hire Denver elder care services.

Obviously, neither choice is easy: making the choice means admitting to ourselves that the roles have been reversed. Our caretakers now are the ones who need our help.

Still, unless you or a relative are able to pick up and move in with your parent as well as offer them 24-hour care, Denver elder care services may be the ideal choice. When compared to nursing homes, elderly home care Denver offers the following advantages:

Your Parent Will Stay in the Comfort of Their Home: Home, as they say, is where the heart is. Chances are, your parent is not ready to leave it. With Denver elder care home services, your parent doesn't have to. Since home care Denver based agencies work by coming to their home, your parent can stay in the comforts they've grown to love with their cherished belongings around them.

Your Parent Can Keep Their Pet: On average, people who own pets live seven years longer than those who don't. This, along with the cherished relationship your parent may have with their cat or dog, is reason enough to go with Denver elder care home services. With home care Denver based services, your parent doesn't have to say goodbye to a furry member of their family.

Your Parent Will Feel More Independent: The older we get, the harder it is to come to grasps with our increasing dependency. But, with Denver elder care home services, this dependency is not as overt. Your parent will feel much more independent with a companion in their home than they would inside the constrains of a nursing home.

Your Parent Can Keep Their Routine: Your parent may have a routine that is important to them. With elderly care Denver based, they can keep it. Maybe they play bridge every Wednesday or meet for coffee on the third of the month. Whatever their routine, elderly care Denver based agencies will help your parent keep the routine that is important to them.

It is an Easier Decision for the Family: Putting your parent in a nursing home is a difficult decision, one that many people have a hard time dealing with. Going with elderly select-homecare.com/branches/colorado/denver-elder-care.html home care Denver based services, however, is a much easier decision. This is because Denver elder care home services improve the life of your loved one whereas relocating to a nursing home may disrupt it. This makes Denver elder care services an optimal choice for you, your family and your parent.

Susan Slobac writes about trends in select-homecare.com/branches/colorado/denver-elder-care.html Denver elder care & Denver elder care services.

The Lawn Care Business Up-Sell - Additional Services to Offer

There are many additional services that lawn care business can offer to provide to their clients alongside lawn maintenance.

This article sets out the advantages of offering additional services along side lawn care and lists some typical services that lawn care businesses offer.

It is much more cost effective to market these additional services to an existing customer base rather than to attract new customers. After establishing yourself as a high quality provider of lawn care you can then look at adding other niche services that you can offer clients as additional services.

It is best not to go into too many areas too quickly as the quality of your services will decline. Focus on offering a few services and focus on doing them well.

Don't ever forget that lawn mowing and maintenance is by far the biggest industry compared to the other services that you might offer and thus will probably always represent at least 60% of your work. Lawn mowing work is also frequent throughout a good part of the year unlike most of the other services that lawn care companies typically provide which may only need to be done once or a few times a year.

The following are services that you may consider offering alongside your lawn mowing services.

Additional Lawn Services

In addition to basic lawn mowing, edging and blowing a full range of lawn maintenance service can be offered such as lawn aeration

Trees, Plants and Garden Services

These services include mulching (spreading a protective layer of grass clippings or other material onto the top of a customers garden soil), fertilizing, pruning, trimming hedges and removal of leaves.

Irrigation

This involves the installation and maintenance of sprinkler systems on a customer's property.

Winter Services

In cold climates the lawn care industry shuts down over the winter. Businesses can maintain contact with their customers by providing services such as snow plowing and fire wood delivery throughout the off season.

Pest Control

Applying pesticides to fight insects and rodents can be a good additional service. As you can be dealing with some nasty chemicals ensure that you are complying with local regulations (the Environmental Protection Agency in the US).

Landscaping

This area is very broad and many lawn care companies specialize in only lawn care and landscaping. Landscaping is all about making improvements to a customer's outdoor area and includes designing the layout of plants, the form of the land and features as such as rock gardens.

The work done by landscapers also includes building and installing retaining walls, fences, paths, water features, patios, outdoor barbeques and exterior lighting.

Cleaning

This area is so diverse and can involve cleaning home exteriors, pressure washing (water blasting) and swimming pool cleaning and maintenance.

The variety of service that you can offer your customers is almost endless. Think of the customer's entire property as being within the realm of possibilities. If you can combine lawn mowing with a niche that is in demand then customers will come looking for you.

At his site StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com StartaLawnMowingBusiness.com Steve Sutherland has reviewed three of the top info products that can give you the guidance that you need to get started in the lawn care industry.

Looking for a logo design for your new business? Logo-Reviews.com compares some of the Logo-Reviews.com best online logo design companies

Passionate about helping others get started in business, Steve writes on several business related topics including the lawn care industry and logo design.

Home Care: 8 Questions To Ask Before Recommending a Home Care Facility

Home Care is a wonderful way to keep patients in familiar surroundings. It is also advantageous in controlling costs. Most of the time it is quite less costly than hospitals or nursing homes.

Here are some questions to ask before you recommend one to a friend, family member or client, etc.

1. Do you have skilled as well as non-skilled adult and pediatric caregivers?

2. Is your staff of nurses fully licensed? This is a requirement that can never be overlooked.

3. Do each of your caregivers receive clinical support and supervision 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

4. Does your staff meet strict hiring standards equal to the Joint Commission's, which is the utmost standard for hospital and facility staffing for nurses? Peace of mind must be your top priority and you must be comforted in the fact that only professionals are hired.

5. Do you offer hours that work best with your patients' schedules whereby they are flexible, including 24 hour care along with private duty?

6. Do you continue to perform RN assessments as well as RN case management? Assessments are just part of the job.

7. Do you schedule in-home assessments whereby you can determine the patient's needs?

8. Do you make doctor appointments, create activities and provide psychosocial supervision? This is a tremendous help to patients and their families.

The above will help you to recommend a good quality home care.

You can always search online for a reputable facility. Google home care Florida or whatever city or state you are located. Call and ask the above questions before referring the agency to anyone.

MSN Home Care has all the above characteristics. You may want to consider them if you need to recommend special care. They custom-tailor their information for the specific situation which is easy to read on their website. Google msnhomecare.com help at home or simply visit their site at msnhomecare.com msnhomecare.com

Start Preparing to Shift in Your Own Home

It always comes across as an intriguing prospect when people go out and expect real estate agencies to come up with the right type of answers. There can be ten different situations where people would like to have things arranged in a specific manner so the situation becomes really tough for these market experts to assist them with in an effective manner unless the buyer or seller comes up with a dedicated approach. Time takes its own course and delivers accurate results without making its subject wait for another round of discussions. Lease purchase option brought an end to inconsistencies spread and mounting difficulties once and for all. It strengthened the position of every single person who is looking to sell or buy property. The legal aspect has also been well-taken care of. The tenant is supposed to pay monthly rent as required and they can also add nominal amount of the total property value to it. The second option is that the whole amount can be paid afterwards. These are not the only two options as lease purchase agreement allows its subjects to make changes to suit the requirement. There is no finishing line to it and this is also considered to be the biggest factor working in its favor.

People have realized the importance of staying in the same house for months or weeks so as to get hold of the situation. There are possible chances that one can make a wrong investment by checking the things from outside. Even if there is no such possibility, we cannot overlook the kind of satisfaction achieved and peace of mind bought by actually being a part of the same house which would eventually become a dream house for the lifetime. The paperwork involved acts like any other legal document and can be challenged in the court of law so one must take necessary guidance here. The only purpose was to make audience educate about the underlying situation as it can easily go wrong. Please read all the points clearly and carefully to avoid any future issues.

Lease purchase option is meant to make things comfortable in nature for both the sides. It also serves other purposes such as if somebody is going through financial crisis then they can easily secure the deal just by paying monthly rental installments. People can start investing in it whenever they think it is the right time.

leasepurchasemadeeasy.com Lease purchase has become one of the favorite topics of people looking to buy or sell houses. The kind of impact it shares over the neighborhood society is an encouraging sign to remain hopeful for. It has provided people with realistic chances of owning a home.

How Do You Select A Daily Benefit For Long-term Care Insurance?

There are five foundational features of most LTCI policies and they are: (1) the Daily Benefit, (2) the Benefit Period, (3) the Benefit Setting, (4) the Elimination Period, and (5) the Inflation Protection Benefit.

All five of these features are very important and have a major impact on the care you will receive under the policy guidelines. But for this article we will focus on the Daily Benefit as this is one of the most flexible features of the policy and it is very important to get it right the first time.

The Daily Benefit simply states how much the policy will pay out in benefits per day that you need care. Some policies pay out benefits based on a daily limit and others multiply that daily amount by 30 to establish a monthly benefit amount. But whatever method the policy uses, either daily or monthly reimbursement, the process always begins with figuring how much you will need on a daily basis to pay for care. So how do you select your Daily Benefit?

You can easily determine a reasonable Daily Benefit amount by calling local nursing facilities and home healthhappinesslifetime.com care agencies to find out what the cost for these services average locally. When calling local facilities be sure to ask what the costs are for long-term care room rates and not short-term rehabilitation room rates as they can be much more expensive. Also ask for rates for both private and semi-private rooms, as there can often be a considerable difference in cost between them. It is important that your Daily Benefit adequately cover facility care costs as this can be the most expensive care that you may receive.

Once you have a good idea of what daily expenses will be involved in long-term care in your area, the next step is to decide how much of that daily amount you feel that you could reasonably co-insure out of your own funds. When making this calculation, keep in mind that whatever funds you will provide for your own care must be kept in a readily accessible investment vehicle so that you can access them easily if and when they are needed.

Some folks think that they have to over-inflate the Daily Benefit amount to be sure that they can keep pace with the rising costs of care in this industry. And it is true that long-term care costs are rising so rapidly that a suitable Daily Benefit today may be only half of what is needed in just fifteen years or so. However, keeping the Daily Benefit current with rising costs is usually the function of one of the other foundational features of a well-designed LTCI policy, the Inflation Protection Benefit.

The effectiveness of the Inflation Protection Benefit is closely connected to making sure that the Daily Benefit that you choose at the inception of the LTCI policy is as correct as possible. So do your homework and use the suggestions given above to select a meaningful and appropriate Daily Benefit for your LTCI policy in order to have the protection you need, not only now but many years into the future as well.

Duane Lipham is a Certified Long Term Care(CLTC) consultant. You can get more free information, news and articles regarding long term care and aging at ltcconsumerguide.com The Long Term Care Consumer Guide website and The Long Term Care Review Blog [ltc.consumer-info-net.com].

How Tax Auction Overages Could Make You $10,000 a Month Or More - From Home

Tax auction overages - average folks usually aren't familiar with what they are. Call up your best friend and ask him what takes place when you forefeit property for not paying your property taxes, and he'll probably conclude that the government agency takes everything.

Well, unfortunately, in about half the country, it's true. If you lose the deed to your home to tax sale, you lose any money you built up too. The government expeditiously snatches up your tax auction overages - with nothing at all left for the owner, even if his property netted $50,000 more than he owed

It's criminal, but our government doesn't seem to care much for the little guy. Even little kids are smart enough to see that the government will take whatever money it can get no matter if you "like it" or not.

In the other half of U.S. counties, however, the government will hold the tax auction overages - that is, the amount that was bid at property tax sale in excess of the debt owed in back taxes - for the owners. Looks a little better, right? Well, hold your horses - it's not as great as it seems. The agency gets to keep this money if the owner doesn't appear to get it within the specified time frame - usually only a year or so.

Here's why this doesn't make it any better: how would you guess the government informs the owner of the funds? They've given up the property already - the one with the address on file with the county! The government sends communication, to inform the owner of their tax auction overages to an address they've already moved on from.
Genius.

Is there any chance the owner will receive that letter? How hard do you think the tax agency is going to look for the owner, when they'll get to seize all the tax auction overages owners never apply for?

Are you noticing a major home business opportunity here?

The excess proceeds are located at a local government agency, not at state agencies, so they're not subject to state level unclaimed money finder's fee laws. The owners probably won't hear about the funds until too late, if ever. You connect the owner with his cash, that he is unaware even remains, and charge a 40% fee to apply for it for him. He feels like he's just hit the winning lottery numbers, and your bottom line is upped by $10,000 a month. That's if you're working a full-time 40 hours a week on it.

It's legal - at least, for right now. If you want to learn to find money for a living, get in now before the government changes the laws.

The current foreclosure rate won't last forever - take advantage of it now.

For a limited time, learn to collect overages FREE in the Hooked-On-Overages.Com Hooked On Overages e-book. Lots of information including how to find overages and their owners.

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