How to Pick the Right Agency and Maternity Nurse For Your Baby

Looking for the right maternity nurse for you and your child or family can be a long winded process, especially if you do not use agencies, but the use of such an agency can really help speed up the process and generate substantial advantages. There are a lot of agencies and maternity nurses available to you, but following these simple guidelines could make a world of difference to you.

Having a choice is better than having none, so take your time and plan ahead of yourself. Take time to talk to the agencies and find out what they are all about. Make sure they have the same interests as you and will be able to provide you the best selection of maternity nurses in your area.

When you have had a good talk about your requirements and are happy to use an agency you will see the advantages of using an agency. Most agencies will match your requirements and needs with specific nurses for you to interview and normally have a high standard when it comes to the nurses they represent. Through this you can be sure that your future nurse will be qualified and/or experienced enough to help you take care of your child. Police and background checks are generally completed by the agency before taking on the representation of the nurse, which again can only be advantageous to you.

When it comes to interviewing the potential nurse, bear in mind a few key questions to ensure that they truly are suitable for helping the care of your child. Discuss what is needed from them and your expectations as a family. Ask about their past experiences and training or qualifications, this allows you and your family to get a better understanding of how they work. It is also a good idea to ask about their work philosophies and ethics, this could be asking about if they would record any of your baby's activities or if they support breast or bottle feeding.

Make sure you have a good insight to how and what services the nurse can provide to you and family. It is especially important that you also have a lot in common as the nurse will be spending a lot of time in your home.

This guide was written on behalf of Nannies, Inc one of the largest nanniesinc.com Nanny Agencies in the UK, specialists in providing services in childcare.

Start Your Own House Sitting Business

House Sitting is a business anyone can enter, no matter where in the world they live. Whether that person is young or old, male or female, employed or still looking for gainful employment, anyone can become a house sitter or even start their own house sitting business.

That's because we live in a cruel world, sadly for us, more so for our pets, plants and homes. Not so, however, for anyone prepared to capitalise on the unattractive side of modern day living, where burglaries are common and offences against animals and property widespread. This business means accepting responsibility - total or partial - for other people's homes, pets and belongings. It's big business and growing all the time as the crime rate shows no signs of abating.

House sitting, pet sitting too, are businesses most people can operate without experience or qualifications, and with little in the way of starting capital.

House sitting sometimes means popping round to the empty house a couple of times a day to check that all is well and to remove obvious signs of the house being empty. Sitters might also water plants and carry out any of a number of jobs requested by clients.

Alternatively, the house sitter might move into the client's home where he or she will live for the duration of the owner's absence.

Pet sitting is frequently carried out as an additional service. The pet sitter is usually an everyday house sitter who accepts responsibility for family pets and domestic animals, sometimes livestock.

Sitters can work alone or through an agency. Where they operate via an agency, they are usually classed as self-employed. Here, bookings are invariably made through the agency and passed on to independent sitters. Agents are usually free to accept or reject whatever placements are offered. Fees are sometimes paid direct to the sitter, sometimes to the agency. Various arrangements exist to process the agency's share of the profits, often referred to as 'commission'.

Alternatively, some organisations accept sitters as employees, people who work when and where the parent firm stipulates, and who are affected by all other other features of the usual employer/employee relationship.

ASSESSING THE MARKET

The market is enormous and, as yet, very few firms operate in this sector, particularly on a local level. A number of agencies operate very successful businesses on a national level, processing enquiries and bookings which are then carried out by independent agents or staff located in all parts of the country. There's plenty of scope for smaller firms to enter this business, providing a basic visiting service and attending to small jobs around the home. It depends on you and what time you can commit to your venture.

WHAT YOU CAN EARN

Much depends on the scale of your operation, the number of weeks you work and whether you are self-employed or on an agency's payroll. Certainly, a very good living awaits anyone who can move into clients' homes and provide a range of specialist services, for example caring for pets, watering and feeding plants, helping take care of the clients' business, perhaps running a small-holding or exercise yard. The more you offer, the higher your profits will be. And the more work you will get.

WHAT TO DO NEXT

Decide on the type of service you intend to offer. It's unlikely that anyone with family responsibilities can take over the running of another person's home, but there's nothing to stop you from house sitting or caring for animals without moving into the client's home. Someone who can visit the home first thing in the morning and last thing at night will prove more than acceptable to the majority of clients.

Pet sitting, too, can simply be a case of calling round several times a day to feed pets and attend to their needs. Alternatively, you might provide 24-hour care, as is frequently needed for elderly and nervous pets, and those who need constant attention. You might move into the animal's home, or take it into yours. Offering a full range of services, to suit most clients' needs, will keep you busy and the profits rolling in.

Start by looking for advertisements placed by established firms. Glossy magazines are popular for house sitting firms, and publications aimed at pet and animal lovers are an invaluable source of information about pet sitting agencies. Send for a few brochures, posing as a potential client. Learn all you can about how other firms operate, then model your business on the very best features of theirs.

HOW TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CLIENTS

Clients include holiday makers, expatriate families, people going away on business or into hospital, and anyone who fears leaving the home unoccupied and their pets uncared for during their absence. That's a very large market indeed! Or, as one successful pet sitting agency puts it "How many families do you know who do not have a cat or dog? How many people do you know who don't take holidays?"

MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS

Base your advertisements on those of competitors. Have a brochure prepared to send to enquirers, indicating what service you provide and what your prices are. Ask them to telephone for further information or to complete the booking form provided. On receipt of the form, you confirm the booking and ask a deposit from prospective clients. The remainder is usually paid when the assignment begins.

One overwhelming feature of this business is the fact that most satisfied clients return time and again to you to look after their homes, pets, animals and plants. Many agencies report enough bookings to last for several months and it is quite common to find an agency does not need to advertise - its entire business comes from referrals and re-bookings from satisfied clients.

WHAT TO CHARGE

Agents and employees have little option but to accept fees or wages set by the company they work with. Naturally, you'll look for the best wages and most acceptable working conditions. But there's nothing to prevent you starting your own small - or large - house or pet sitting enterprise.

Where you operate independently you set your own fees, usually in line with what competitors are charging. Most established firms charge by the day. One major agency currently charges a basic rate of £16.50 per day, with additional fees of 70p for each cat, £1.85 for a small dog, £2.25 for large dogs, and a separate rate for other animals. A setting up fee of £25 plus VAT is asked of all new clients to cover the cost of establishing the client's file.

Clients are invariably asked to provide a certain amount, frequently £25 a week, towards the live-in sitter's fresh food and to leave adequate supplies of convenience foods for the sitter and sometimes a companion. The client has the final say about whether a spouse or companion will be allowed to live in the home. But, as agencies are quick to point out, two people usually means continued vigilance and one hundred per cent cover can be provided.

Always have a contract drawn up with the client, specifying your responsibilities, and theirs. Your solicitor will advise you. Ask clients to pay all, or a major part of the bill, in advance.

POINTS TO BEAR IN MIND

You will be expected to abide by a number of rules and regulations, sometimes set by an agency, sometimes by the client. Non-smokers are usually preferred, and for pet sitting assignments animal lovers are an obvious must. You'll be expected to be vigilant, mature and responsible. Your personal background must be beyond reproach and you may have to provide references to agencies who might also check your background from credit and crime records. For agents or independent sitters, clients might like to see references from past employers, solicitors, doctors and JPs.

As a sitter living in the client's home, you will be expected to be there most of the time. Most agencies stress that the home must not be unoccupied for more than an hour or two at a time, and will never be empty at night. It's frequently tying, but far from exhausting work.

Some agencies stipulate that employees and independent agents should be aged over 40, and retired people usually find a very warm welcome.

Get to know, in advance, all you can about the client's home; who might call and when, what special requirements pets might have, who the family vet is, how the alarm system works, how plants should be cared for, how the answerphone works, when the refuse collector calls, and more.

Find more information about starting your own HOUSE SITTING BUSINESS at: publishingcircles.com/house_sitting_business.html publishingcircles.com/house_sitting_business.html

Moving Mom Or Dad - Senior Care Options

As an empowered generation, the baby boomers are known for having enjoyed the 1960's to their fullest extent and are often defined as trail-blazers of radical social change around the world. As the Baby Boomers age however, they are finding themselves faced with an entirely new struggle. As medical care has improved over the years and individuals are living significantly longer, this generation is finding themselves in a complex and demanding situation of trying to provide care for both aging parents and their own children. Due to the economy, many boomers are finding themselves having to provide housing for their post-college graduate children who have moved back home as they search for jobs, while at the same time many are being faced with the scenario of having to move elderly parents in with them to provide them with sufficient care. As these circumstances arise, the Baby Boomer generation has found themselves re-branded as the "Sandwich Generation", stuck in between their aging parents and children who both require a considerable amount of care, time and energy.

As this generation watches as their parents grow older and more frail, the difficult decision looms of whether or not to move aging parents into their own homes or to a care facility. This is probably one of the most difficult decisions any child will ever have to make. Many seniors unrealistically believe that they can successfully care for themselves for the rest of their lives, and understandably so as no one wants to willingly give up their independence after a long life of independence and self-sufficiency. For this reason, many children find it difficult to approach this sensitive subject and suggest that change is needed. This hesitancy can often have negative consequences for your loved ones however, and the last thing you want to do is to have to make this decision in a crisis situation.

This is why it is important that you open up the lines of communication with aging parents early on, before the need for immediate care is staring you directly in the face. Regular conversations with an elderly parent in regards to what will need to be done should they no longer be able to provide care for themselves will prepare the both of you and will lessen the sting of words like "nursing home" and "assisted living".

Many aging parents will be resistant to the idea of leaving their own home for an assisted care facility or nursing home. When approaching this topic you should make it your problem. Stress to your aging mom or dad that is worries you to see them like this and that you are concerned for their health and safety. Few elderly parents wish to burden their children, and will often be more open to the idea of moving if they know that you are seriously concerned. You need to have the support of other family members and siblings and everyone needs to be on the same page when this subject is addressed.

An alternative to moving seniors to a new a residence is to enlist the services of a professional senior caregiver. Most adult children are too busy with work and their own family lives to provide their aging parents with the adequate care they need. A senior caregiver can help lessen this burden by taking over many of the daily care responsibilities your elderly loved one needs, therefore allowing you to enjoy your free-time with your parent rather than be stressed out and exhausted from it. Hiring a senior home care agency will also allow your loved one to remain in their own home and will save you the stress of relocating your senior loved one. Elder Caregivers can provide their services anywhere from a couple hours a day to round the clock, depending on your aging parent's needs.

Many adult children who find themselves faced with making a decision regarding their senior parent's care will often find themselves overwhelmed with feelings of guilt. They must remember however that they are doing what is in the best interest of their parent's health and safety. Knowing your elderly loved one is safe and well cared for will provide you with great peace of mind.

If your aging loved one requires senior relocation services in Austin, TX, then contact the friendly and experienced individuals at heavenlycaremoving.com/austin-eldercare-movers.php Heavenly Care Moving to make the transition much smoother and more pleasant for both you and your senior loved one.

In Home Caregiver - Finding the Right Person

Taking care of elderly parents or other relatives at home can be difficult. More so if they have a disease that is continuously progressing. If the situation is getting more and more difficult for you to handle, and is affecting the quality of your life, maybe, hiring an in home caregiver is just what you need. There are actually a lot of agencies, individuals, caregivers and nurses who can help and provide the kind of service that suits your need. However, finding the right person to help you takes a lot of consideration.

First, you have to decide what kind of help you really need. Before calling an agency to inquire about their services, you have at least something in mind of what set-up you really wish to have. What time do you need a home caregiver's service? How much will it cost you to avail of the service? Then, there are also a lot of things that you need to know about the agency and the person who is going to work for you. 

An in home caregiver should be well- trained and qualified. You have to check what sort of experience the person has. For example, your mother has dementia. You have to know if the person has actually worked for someone who has the same situation as you. You have to know what kind of trainings the person has had in the past or if he/she regularly attends trainings. If the agency or the individual claims that he/she has good qualifications, look for proofs such as certificates.

If you choose to hire from an agency, be sure to know whom to contact in case of a problem. Hiring an in home caregiver can give you back your independence, but it can also give a lot trouble of you fail to find the right person.

Please visit Gilbert Guide for more information on gilbertguide.com home caregiver and gilbertguide.com Elderly care

Increase Your Success in Getting Home Based Small Business Financing!

In today's economy, you need to put as much in your favor a possible when seeking financing of any sort, and especially for a new at home based business. Bankers are extremely "skittish" after all that has happened since the collapse of the real estate "bubble", so you must be as prepared and professional as possible when getting ready for that all important meeting with your loan officer.

There are many things you should consider before trying to secure "start-up" funding from a bank and here are five of the items I consider most important.

1. Check Out Your Local Banks First. Again since the beginning of our economic downturn, larger national banks have gotten extremely difficult to deal with. Right now, I would shy away from them like the plague. Today, your chances of getting a loan with these guys a pretty slim, so bigger is not necessarily better. The smaller community banks might be more inclined to finance businesses in their areas, and their loan officers are more likely to give you individual attention, especially if they known you and have done business with you in the past.

2. Make sure you know what's in your credit report. Before you ever get to the point of making a loan request appointment at your local bank, make sure you thoroughly review your own credit report so that you can begin the process way ahead of the game. Be sure you know what potential lenders are going to find in a report they use to determine if you're a good risk for a loan. If your report shows a mistake, make sure you contact the three major credit reporting agencies and demand a correction. If there are any late payments, bankruptcies, and/or foreclosures in your credit report that did indeed happen, be sure to include a letter with your loan application explaining the events and reasons that led this "black mark", and how the situation has changed and/or has been corrected.

3. Develop a well thought out and professional top home business.educationeasy.net business plan. Put yourself in your banker's shoes! Would your lend money to a guy who has not taken the time to thoroughly analyze every aspect of how he was going to put together a successful home based small business and "put pen to paper" on how exactly that was going to be accomplished?

Having a solid business.educationeasy.net business plan is your best shot at getting a loan, period! So it is imperative that you not only develop a complete plan, but also a professionally presented plan as well. It's especially important to produce a "dynamite" executive summary. This is what bankers look at first and should be a synopsis of your at home based business from one to three pages in length. If you do a good job and they like what they see, they might read on.

4. Don't buy real estate when leasing is an option. Lenders want to deal with frugal, careful and fiscally conservative entrepreneurs. Bankers also favor businesses that plan to rent rather than purchase a building and your proposed top home based business start-up fits that bill. That's because lenders prefer that you invest in assets that generate income, like inventory and equipment, seasoning your business before your go "crazy" with expansion programs. Bankers also don't look favorable on high renovation costs.

5. Put "skin in the game. Another way to improve your chances of getting a loan is to put some of your own money on the line. Bankers typically like to see work from home company professionals put up at least a 25 percent equity stake in the businesses they finance. Of course this is one of the easiest metrics to meet because you probably already have at least that much equity in your home where you plan to launch your business. A 25% down payment for inventory and equipment will help the approval process move forward.

Remember, preparation is the key whether you're just trying to earn extra money from home or building a top home based business projected to support you and your family. Preparation will give you the confidence to shine in your meetings with loan officers while on your top home business path to success.

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Fostering the Children Requires Long Term Investments

Family separation is one of the most disturbing events may occur in the life of a child. However, the study also reveals that fostering developed in the best way to provide children with short and long term investment opportunities, if children can not live with their families.

If a child can not return to the care of families with children, but adoption is not suitable for the child, it may cause long-term investment is to take care of them. Therefore the fostering is the only one good way to make it done with an easy process. Since the "long term" the term implies, foster parents, usually need long-term care for a child over a longer period than the providers of acute care, often with the independence that eighteen years.

Children who need long-term care, they are probably older children, usually not less than seven years, these children are staying more in regular contact with their brothers, sisters, parents and relatives.

The children of long-term investments can remain in their foster family until they leave home to live independently. It is possible that changes occur, and the decision can be made on the child to return to their parents' care earlier than expected.

Large numbers of children who need long-term goal is to encourage girls and boys for the fostering care. Most of these children had difficulties at home. They come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including unaccompanied children, who need support and assistance to adapt to life in a new country. It is necessary to have the foster care placements for young children can feel safe to start building a new life. Promotion agencies are looking for adoptive parents to ensure stability of home nursing care and much support and encouragement to help these children feel safe. When youngsters are put the in Convention providers of language, religion and culture they live with comfort.

While many adoptive parents choose to raise their children from time to time, such as respite care or short-term foster parents, the national shortage of foster parents to be full time available to providers of long-term care, and more available foster parents, placements Convention will be offered more significant.

All promotion agencies have to recruit foster parents for older children for investment of time, which are long or short. Host families open their homes all over the independence of these students. It is important to choose the right agency to promote; there are over seven hundred in the United Kingdom. Only the promotion, providing therapists British aid recruitment poster site by answering questions and identifying the most appropriate local authorities allot promote job vacancies for fostering.

This article is written by Jonny Vee on behalf of Pathway Care, one of the biggest pathwaycare.com Fostering Agencies in the UK

Stroke - Paying for In-Home Nursing Care

A stroke is to the brain what a heart attack is to the heart. For whatever reason, blood flow to the brain is interrupted, slowed, or otherwise inhibited from carrying needed oxygen to the brain. Depending on the area of the brain affected, physical symptoms may include headache, muscle weakness on one side of the body or face, difficulties with eyesight, speech, or hearing, confusion, loss of memory, and loss of coordination. Other symptoms are possible and in some cases, there are no symptoms to indicate a patient has had a stroke. Strokes are more common as age increases, especially when there are risk factors such as family history, smoking, or high blood pressure.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a stroke to cause long-term or even permanent brain damage. Some patients recover completely, while others must come to terms with long-lasting effects. In some cases, damage slowly repairs itself over time and with the right treatments and therapies. In those cases, recovery takes a long time and involves intensive medical care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and often speech therapy, as well as medications. In cases where full recovery is not possible, varying levels of nursing care may be needed.

Once a stroke has hit, medical staff and family must decide the appropriate course of treatment and if any therapy will be required. It is then that the overwhelming cost of recovery and day to day care become apparent. Since many stroke patients are elderly, dealing with the complex maze of Medicare and Medicare supplemental insurance can be a trying proposition for unsuspecting family members. Residency in a long-term care facility or in-home nursing care are often required, even for patients who have only lost partial functions. Ongoing physical, occupational, or speech therapies must be coordinated alongside day to day nursing care.

Medicare is limited in what is covered under caring for a stroke patient, depending on the specific type of plan. In terms of supplemental plans, not all plans will cover in-home nursing, in-home therapies, or long-term care facilities unless specific criteria is met. This can make coordinating care and deciding on the best treatments difficult, especially for seniors on a limited budget or fixed income. Luckily, many long-term care facilities and in-home nursing agencies are very familiar with Medicare and Medicare supplemental insurance and can help family members navigate the complex process. For younger patients, private health insurance covers most expenses including long-term care and private nursing.

If you need assistance in locating particular coverages at a pre-determined price, we can help health-insurance-buyer.com save on health insurance.

Sean L Johnson is a journalist for Health Insurance Buyer a referral service that refers consumers to the insurance carriers that can best fit their wants and needs. Get a free reduce quote today at health-insurance-buyer.com health-insurance-buyer.com

How To Choose The Right Home Builders?

Have you planned out your dream house? Most people plan their entire lives around their dream home. In fact often some start planning for this home from a very young age. What you need to translate this dream into reality is a good home builder. Home builders are in-charge of actually constructing the blueprint of people's dreams into reality. So in case you have managed to finally save enough money that you would need for this process of home building, it is time for you to make one of the most crucial decisions. Yes, it is time for you to choose the right home builders.

How do you actually go about making this choice? There are many aspects that you will have to check before hand. First of all before starting your business, ensure that these builders are certified. Builders need to register themselves with the various agencies. Unless your builders are registered there is no way to know that they meet up the minimum level of standard required. You can also ask for the building permits of the previous houses that were built by them. In fact you have the right to ask for that list. After all you are entrusting them with a very important project of your life.

Obviously before you seal the deal with anyone, it is absolutely necessary that you actually have a talk with the builders. You need to ask certain basic questions like the price and the materials used by them. You can even talk to people who have had their homes built by these builders. In case you are intent of more research, you could carry out the process with the help of the Government department which is in charge of building homes. The best way to go about the choosing process is to select a certain number of builders who fit your bill. Once this list is prepared narrow it down by elimination. Take care to make the right choice.

If you are looking for the top topmarc.com.au home renovations Brisbane company, check today the guys. If you are interested, you may also check betterbuiltgroup.com.au Office Fitouts Sydney.

The First Step in Going From Street Hustler to Professional Network Marketer

This is advertising and marketing 101. Network marketing, direct sales or multilevel marketing should be no different. Just because you're not a big New York advertising agency or a slick Chicago marketing firm doesn't mean you can't do what they do.

Before the pros begin a project, they do their homework. The first thing they do is define the product and the target audience. What are they selling and who exactly are they going to talk to? The answers will affect the ad or marketing communications piece they develop.

For instance, let's say the product is a set of golf clubs. The pros will get very specific but basically, they'll target people who play golf, are interested in golf and have purchased golf clubs before. They'll talk to them in their language. The advertising and marketing pieces they create will talk to them about their golf swing or their golf score. About how to get more birdies and pars, and less hooks and slices, because golfers relate to that. The more they can identify with them the more they gain trust. Pretty straight forward, huh?

Next, the professional ad agencies and marketing firms will then choose specific media in which to run their ads. Golf magazines, The Golf Channel, commercials during televised golf tournaments and point-of-purchase displays in golf course pro shops among others. They won't waste money running ads in Better Housekeeping, because although there may be some housekeepers who play golf, more likely than not, there won't be.

How does this relate to network marketing? How can we apply what the pros do to our MLM business? And, why will it make a difference? Great questions...let's talk about them. Let's start at the beginning by defining our product and target market just like the pros. Now, unlike a golf club company, in network marketing we also sell a business opportunity. So really, there are two products being sold: the product or service being offered and the business opportunity.

With regards to the product or service, it's pretty straight forward. If you have a weight loss product, for example, you're goal is to target people who want to lose weight and have purchased weight-loss products before. Some people are overweight and just don't care. If you have a health product, you'll want to target health-conscious people or people facing a health challenge. You get the idea.

Where it gets confusing, though, is when we talk about selling the business opportunity. The problem is, most of us in network marketing were taught by our well-meaning upline that our target market was EVERYONE. And we took it at face value, without really thinking about it or even questioning it. It seemed to make sense, after all, everyone wants to make more money, right?

So instead, let's apply the big city ad agency method to promoting our MLM business opportunity.

Our product therefore, is our network marketing opportunity, which offers people a way to make extra income or become financially free, and everything in between.

So, is our target audience people who need extra income?

No.

Yes, there are people who need extra income but don't necessarily desire it. If they did, they'd be looking for ways to get it, right? Some are content with poverty just like some are content with being overweight. Some would rather watch their favorite sitcoms than look for ways to earn more money or go for a 30-minute walk.

What about people looking for ways to make extra income or looking for a business of some kind?

I would say yes, but on they're on the fringe. I personally wouldn't include them. I don't know if they are open to the MLM concept or not. It's a coin toss. These people would be considered 'opportunity seekers'.

Remember what I said earlier with the golf clubs example?:

"...they'll target people who play golf, are interested in golf and have purchased golf clubs before."

And if we're selling golf clubs, that's who we want to reach. Not bowlers. Not tennis players. Not arts and crafts enthusiasts. We want to go straight to the people who want to buy what we are selling.

Now, here's the same statement using network marketing as the product:

"...they'll target people who do network marketing, are interested in network marketing and have purchased network marketing before."

That's it! That's our target audience.

What's great about talking to our target audience is that they already know what network marketing is and have bought into the concept. You don't have to educate them or convince them that it's "legal". You won't get rejected, shamed or ridiculed. Your target audience is on the same page with you. They identify with you. They relate to what you have to say. How refreshing.

I don't know a fellow golfer who doesn't like talking about golf and about how he can lower his score or what course he's playing next! Now that you've defined your target audience, you can zero in on your marketing efforts to attract like-minded people for greater success in far less time.

Once you start bringing network marketers into your business you'll cut down on training time, hand-holding and trouble shooting. Teach them what you've learned about whom to target and soon you'll be building a downline of business builders who don't waste time and money approaching the wrong people.

It's a beautiful thing.

Here's a great ebook that goes over all the fallacies in traditional network marketing recruiting methodologies. If you've been struggling to build your MLM business, this is a must read. And it's free...download it here. You'll be amazed. I sure was.

As a professional Internet marketer and coach, Steve Lauri teaches home business entrepreneurs how to Achieve Massive Success by harnessing the power of Attraction Marketing and the Internet. Learn more by visiting his blog at: stevelauri.com stevelauri.com

Ever Wonder Why Government Has No Plan? "Politicians" Is Just Another Way To Spell "Lo, It Is Panic"

One overarching problem I have always had with the political class is that there seldom, if ever, seems to be a plan behind their madness. They seem to careen from crisis to crisis, wasting time and our freedom, but never solving anything. All of their efforts seem quite shallow, never understanding the root causes of a problem and never understanding the potential, unintended consequences of their actions, consequences that are usually bad.

In looking at the word "politicians" recently it came to be that one reason they may never plan ahead and execute a good plan is that if you rearrange the letters in "politicians" you end up with the distressing phrase, "Lo, it is panic!" No wonder they never get anything right, they are always working in a panic mode. Consider:

- At the end of the Bush administration, it appeared that the financial system of the world was going to crash. Important, supposedly smart people, in both the Republican administration and the Democratic controlled Congress had no idea the financial system was about to implode and obviously had no plan to deal with such an implosion. Recall Bush officials, Reid, and Pelosi warning us that unless the $700 billion TARP bank bailout was passed within days, the world economy would collapse. Obvious panic.

Shouldn't the political class and the government agencies it runs have had some kind of contingency plan ready for just such an event? They did not and they ended up throwing together a costly rescue and bailout package that was hastily deployed, inefficiently handled, and as we have pointed out in this blog many times, was totally unnecessary. Lo, it is panic.

- As most know, Egypt has been undergoing riots and protests over the past week or so with Egyptian citizens marching in the street demanding political changes and more individual freedom. A White House statement concerning the situation was issued last Saturday where President Obama "reiterated our focus on opposing violence and calling for restraint, supporting universal rights, and supporting concrete steps that advance political reform within Egypt."

This comes off as a very weak, very generic response. These words would have had a lot more force and meaning if they had been part of a diplomatic plan all along to promote freedom and democracy around the world. To issue these words after a friendly dictator is about to fall sound hollow and forced. It is apparent that the protests caught the administration by surprise and that the Obama administration really has no plan to deal with what could become a very inspiring or a very dangerous situation, not only in Egypt but also in Jordan, Yemen, and other Mideast dictatorial nations. Lo, it is panic!

- Going back to last spring, it is pretty obvious that the political class had no plan in place on how to deal with oil disasters such as the BP oil rig that exploded. The Interior Department, EPA, and other government agencies showed very little coordination among themselves, the offending companies, and local officials, trying and testing different solutions after the explosion happened. One would have hoped that a plan and contingencies would have been thought through beforehand, not making up solutions as they went along and as more and more oil gushed into the Gulf. Lo, it is panic.

- A recent article by New York Post reporter Charles Gasparino was summarized in the January 28, 2011 issue of The Week magazine. The article reviewed how 50 to 100 U.S. cities and towns may actually default on their municipal bonds in 2011, a symptom of cities that have badly managed their finances over the past decades. Default on municipal bonds was unheard of until recently.

Not mentioned in this article is the fact that over forty state governments still have serious budget shortfalls which may endanger their bonds and bond ratings. Despite this impending financial disaster, all levels of the political class, Federal, state, and municipal, apparently have no plans in place to deal with this dire situation. Wait until the first city defaults. Lo, it is panic!

- In his recent state of the union message, President Obama called for additional spending to be made available for education in this country. However, just three months before his speech, the Associated Press reported that President Obama had then stated that more money alone cannot fix our failing public schools. The obvious question is what has changed in that short time frame? What plan has the President put together that will make those additional funds, if they are ever allocated, a worthwhile investment when just three months ago he said additional money was not the only answer. Where is the plan? Lo, it is panic.

- Many times in this blog we have discussed the ever growing and ever more menacing drug cartel problem and violence just over our southern border in Mexico. Several months ago a U.S. citizen was killed by gang members as he jet skied with his wife in U.S. territory on a lake that abutted Mexico. In the past week, a Texas missionary was killed as she and her husband tried to drive away from drug cartel gunmen at an illegal roadblock. Last year the Associated Press reported that gunfire regularly comes across the border into El Paso when drug cartels have shoot outs in Mexico. Mayors, judges, and police officials are regularly killed by drug cartels in Mexico.

And the latest indication that the political class has no plan for dealing with this growing and serious problem, the Associated Press reported on January 27, 2011 that video surveillance cameras on the border captured on tape how the cartels are getting their contraband across the border into the U.S. The tape showed cartel members driving up to the border fence, backing up their trucks on which they had installed a catapult and then catapulting their illegal drugs over the fence to waiting comrades on the other side. If there is a plan for dealing with this issue, we certainly have not been told and neither have the cartels. When catapults are defeating the billion fence the political class built on the border, there is no plan or forethought. Lo, it is panic.

- The biggest set of unintended consequences have come from Obama Care. While the legislation was over 2,000 pages long, the unintended consequences may end up being much larger:

In an August, 2010 Fortune magazine article, an interview of AT&T Chairman Randal Stephenson revealed that AT&T may drop its corporate health insurance coverage for current and retired employees since it was less expensive to pay the Obama Care fine than it was to continue the program. Other companies, e.g. Verizon, John Deere, and Caterpillar, have made the same assertions (Fortune magazine, May, 2010).
The Wall Street Journal reported on September 3, 2010 that McDonalds may drop their health care plan for their hourly employees due to legal ramifications from Obama Care.
The New York Times reported on November 21, 2010 that Obama Care was spurring health care companies to merge together. This would likely result in less competition and higher health care prices, the exact opposite that the legislation was intended to do.
The New York Times reported on November 9, 2010 that the new health care rules implemented as a result of Obama Care had been waived many, many times just months after it was implemented. Thus, Obama Care could not even anticipate these waiver issues just months after approval. Pitiful.
Reason magazine quoted Congressional Budget Office reports that even with Obama Care, 21 million Americans will still be uninsured by 2016.

Great plan, or absence of a plan. A piece of legislation that was supposed to increase coverage and reduce health care costs is likely to decrease coverage and increase costs. Lo, it is panic.

- The political class was very proud of itself when it passed the financial industry regulation reform plan last year. However, it is difficult to believe that you actually have a valid reform plan when two of the biggest consumer financial pieces of the industry, car loans and greeneasylife.com home mortgages, were excluded from the legislation. This is like saying you had a great dinner but only ate the rolls; the soup, salad and main dish were not included in the meal. Plus the fact that the main culprits in the housing crisis, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac avoided additional regulation but still cost the taxpayer billions of dollars in subsides every month means that there really was not a plan. Lo, it is panic.

Enough, you get the idea. I dare you to explain one plan that the government has put into place, and managed by the political class, that has been timely, effective and reasonably priced. There is no plan for energy independence. There is no plan to fix our failing public schools. There is no plan for securing our borders and replacing our failed war on drugs. There is no plan to get government spending under control. There is no plan to make Social Security solvent. There is no plan to win the so-called war on terror. There is no plan to deal with citizen uprisings around the world. There is no plan to contain the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran. There is no plan. Lo, it is panic.

How do we get out of this panic mode? The following steps might be a good start:

Step 1 - reduce the Federal budget by 10% a year for five years so that politicians work on far fewer but far more important issues. One sub-step within this step is a complete, ground up review of government functions and the development of contingency plans for every possible issue in all government functions, contingency plans that are tested and adjusted BEFORE the crisis hits, not after.
Step 2 - remove politicians from Congressional committee seats when those committees fail to plan ahead and avoid crisis in government areas they are responsible for.
Step 3 - implement term limits for all politicians so that we get a fresh set of minds and ideas into the political system every few years. Those politicians that have been in office for 20, 30 or more years are now officially part of the problem and panic. They need to be removed so that one term replacements can come to power and see if the can plan any better. A good plan should not be contingent on who is running the show, it should transcend who is in charge. Otherwise, you end up with the same, short term, sup-optimal panic induced operations we currently suffer through.

We pay too much in taxes to be ruled by panic stricken and panic directed politicians. No matter how you spell it, we are not in a good space as a result of their panic and sole focus on their next election.

Walter "Bruno" Korschek is the author of the book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom and Destroying The American Political Class," which is available at loathemygovernment.com loathemygovernment.com and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Our daily dialog on freedom in America can be joined at loathemygovernment.blogspot.com loathemygovernment.blogspot.com.

Home Health Care - Staying Healthy When You Are The Caregiver

Caregivers are expected to be strong and healthy, but what happens if the caregiver gets sick? As the operator of a home care agency, I could always tell when a caregiver who was calling on the phone to order service was at a breaking point. Their voices were very stressed and they were almost in a panic. Often, as they described their situation, you could hear the tears welling up inside of them. These were individuals who have taken on a tremendous load and were in need of support. Unfortunately, they waited too long and the stress of being a caregiver had already taken its toll, but it does not have to be that way.

If you are the primary caregiver of older parents or an ailing spouse, you need to be very careful not to let the situation overwhelm you. While this sounds easier said than done, there are steps you can take to prevent burnout. Here are a few points that can help.

Look for help. Allow others to help and don't feel that you have to be the one to do everything. There are numerous ways to get help for your loved one depending on your needs, location and financial situation. Here are a few:



Contact the Office on Aging and ask about respite programs. Usually, most counties have programs that will pay for a limited number of hours of home care services, free of charge. This program is designed to give you a break and allow you to get out of the house.
If you qualify for Medicaid, there may be programs available which would pay for either home care or adult day care services.
If the person has a serious illness, consider hiring hospice. You do not have to wait until the illness is at the end stages to get help.
Ask relatives or close friends to help out.

Get some exercise. Exercise can help you reduces stress, keep your body strong, strengthen your immune system and just make you feel good. Some of the best exercises are walking or biking. These are easy to do, gets your heart rate into the aerobic zone, burns calories and gives you a chance to clear your head. Some excellent mind/body exercises include yoga, tai chi and Qi gong. Make time to exercise and you will reap the rewards.Eat well. Like exercise, eating a well balanced diet helps you feel good, helps avoid being sick and gives you the energy you need to be a caregiver.Learn relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, meditation and some of the mind/body exercise mentioned above can be tremendously helpful. An easy breathing technique is to inhale through your nose four a count of four, filling your belly with air, not your chest. Hold your breath for a count of seven and then exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Do a few repetitions at a time. This can really help calm the nerves when practiced regularly.Get an adequate amount of sleep. The fastest way to get run down is never getting enough sleep. If you find you are caring for your loved one at night, try to hire a person for overnights if this is possible. If you have siblings, ask them to chip in financially if they are not able to share some of the actual hands on care.

While it can be very difficult to do many of the suggestions listed above, you must understand that if you get run down and sick, the problem is greatly magnified. You must be firm in demanding time to care for yourself and most importantly, you must not feel guilty. You are doing a great and honorable thing by being a caregiver, but it must not completely take over your life.

If you do not know where to turn, consider hiring a professional geriatric care manager. While they can be a bit costly, it is often money well spent as their years of experience are focused on helping seniors and their families when in need.

Lastly, an excellent resource for finding senior related business is a website called CareGrade, found at caregrade.com caregrade.com. Here you will find a listing of local services and be able to read reviews written by professional geriatric care managers.

Murphy Ortiz is the manager of Family choice Home Care. Her agency provides Livein caregiver throughout the state of New Jersey. She can be contacted at

Real Estate Agent Offers Risk Free Sales Approach

Interview with Robert Read

Author of "Risk Hotline for Real Estate"

Reader Views is please to have with us today Robert Read, author of "Risk Hotline for Real Estate." Welcome to Reader View, Robert.

Irene: What inspired you to write "Risk Hotline for Real Estate?"

Robert: For years I've witnessed the myriad problems brokers (agents) run into through carelessness or negligence. Whenever a broker has let some issue get out of hand, it isn't long before he has quite an audience of his peers listening to his tale of woe. His peers whisper, "There but for the grace of God, go I."

Their clients aren't often so lucky...they have to live with problems created by agent error. Since these same problems seemingly occur over and over, I felt with my journalism background I could make a difference by putting many of those stories into readable form as a digest for other agents and the public to learn from.

Irene: Why do you believe agents make errors?

Robert: Agents err primarily through carelessness. We all mean to do well, but sometimes we let other phases of our lives interfere with our professional responsibilities. For example, we neglect to make or follow up on an appointment, we forget to write in a contingency in a sale agreement, or we write into a listing agreement that a home has central air when it does not. We must continually focus on what we are doing then double check to ensure we did it correctly. Have a peer review your work; better yet, your manager is required to review all offers and listings...go through the document with him or her and cover every item carefully. Once you get into the habit of doing that, you will make fewer errors.

Irene: As a agent with 28 years of experience, why do you feel this is an important book to make available to other agents and consumers?

Robert: No one, I mean no one, has ever written a book which collates thousands of events which have negatively impacted the lives and careers of agents as well as their clients. It is a ready resource which brokers and consumers alike can refer to on matters from how to handle home inspections issues to asking the right questions to knowing what language to put into a sale agreement. (On the lighter side, there are some very funny incidents also...in fact an entire chapter is devoted to humorous anecdotes.)

Irene: Every state has its own rules and regulations governing real estate sales. How does this book cover these aspects?

Robert: In situations involving agency, most states abide by NAR rules; in all others, I advise the agents to query their own local and state officials for rules and regulations governing their state.

Irene: Do you believe "Risk Hotline for Real Estate" would be of any benefit to a seller or buyer? If so, why?

Robert: As I alluded to above, the clients, our buyers and sellers, must take a highly proactive role in the transaction. It is they who will be left to deal with any negative issues resulting from a bad transaction...usually by suing someone. Few of us would prefer expensive and protracted court action to simply settling an issue quickly over the dinner table. Learning how to deal with these issues before closing the sale creates an environment conducive to negotiation and an amicable settlement...before the papers are signed.

Irene: On occasion a seller is not happy with the agent. What would you say is the most common reason and why?

Robert: The lion's share of the time poor communication is the problem. An agent either ignores a problem or is unaware of it - because she or he has not been in close communication with her or his clients sufficiently to create a climate conducive to easy communication of problems. The broker may not call his clients regularly or worse yet, does not return their calls promptly. Clients are very nervous during the home sale or purchase. They want and expect quick and professional handling of issues. When they don't get it, sometimes the sale falls apart, or once completed, attorneys enter the picture. A good agent will sit down with his or her clients at first meeting to discuss how things are done, how they can keep good open communication, and how to deal with problems which invariably come up.

Irene: What do you believe is the best way to resolve issues that occur between the agent and the seller?

Robert: I talk to my clients almost daily. I ask them if everything is going well for them or if there is something I need to attend to. Sometimes it isn't enough to ask "How are things on your end?" or "Are you satisfied with how things are going?" Occasionally a follow-up question is needed...such as "I've noticed you're a little silent lately. Please tell me if something is troubling you. I'm sure we can deal with it quickly if you just trust me to handle it for you."

Irene: You encourage agents to have a mentor. Why is that?

Robert: I encourage new agents to have a mentor. It is impossible to enter a world in which transactions involving hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars are at stake and know all the answers as a new agent. When a new agent tries to "wing it" and does not ask questions of his or her manager or peers, he or she is asking for problems. Why? Because every transaction has problems. Even experienced agents deal with problems on virtually every sale. They either know from experience one of two solutions: How to handle it themselves, or how to handle it by asking their manager.

Irene: How would an inexperienced agent go about finding a mentor? What should he or she be looking for in a mentor?

Robert: The office manager nearly always knows the experienced brokers who are willing and able to mentor a new licensee. The new agent should seek someone they feel comfortable with and someone they feel will be willing and able to spend the time with them necessary to teach them. That is where the manager will be most valuable...knowing which experienced to team them with. Some offices do not offer this service, especially the "100%" offices (offices in which the agent pays an annual desk fee in lieu of a percentage commission split on sales). New agents should ask a manager when interviewing if that office has mentors available.

Irene: Tell us about "gentleman's agreements" and the dangers of them.

Robert: "Gentleman's Agreements" are largely a thing of the past. This is an event in which the parties involved do not put a request in writing in the sale agreement, such as "Seller to include kitchen refrigerator - Kenmore, Serial No. 356427". Instead, they agree to this verbally. When the buyer moves in, they discover the old beater from the garage is now in the kitchen and the seller is long gone!

Irene: What are some of the most common hair raising mistakes that agents make?

Robert: Just a few examples are:

(1) A sale falls apart and the seller demands the earnest money deposit (normally thousands of dollars). The agent checks his or her file and discovers he or she forgot to have the buyer redeem the note when required.

(2) A buyer purchases a condominium or town home in which there is a special assessment for a new roof due in three months. No mention was made of it by the seller and the buyer's agent did not request in writing a copy of the homeowners association minutes for the past two years, or ask if there were any special assessments due.

(3) A buyer purchases a home with a well. It is soon discovered that the well is actually owned by a neighbor and there is no well sharing agreement. (This is in my book).

(4) There are dozens more in my book.

Irene: As always, errors such as these are spread around by word-of-mouth. Besides, not making the errors in the first place, how do you suggest agents "fix" the rumors.

Robert: A broker has a fiduciary responsibility to his or her clients. Once a problem is discovered, the best remedy is to address it quickly and professionally. The first step is to consult your manager. Managers are there to serve the brokers especially at times like this. Perhaps the manager will want to consult the company attorney before responding to ensure the client's interests are protected and dealt with correctly the first time.

If the agent tries to "handle it" him or herself without consulting their manager, they might exacerbate the problem at a time when a very professional response is needed most. (Of course, the "rumor" originates only in office gossip...when you are on the receiving end, it is fact.)

Irene: You suggest that consumers read "Risk Hotline for Real Estate" before they buy or sell a home. What would be the most important aspect of the book that is detailed for the consumer?

Robert: It is without question that consumers take responsibility for protecting their interests. When a consumer expects the agent to do all the due diligence (such as inquiring about zoning, boundaries, whether a lot can be subdivided, or hiring a repairman) , it is too easy for the agent to overlook a critical issue or not give it the importance that a client might desire. The agent can direct the client to the best resource, or even accompany the client, but the client must be directly involved

Irene: As a consumer, I assume I need to trust the agent. By reading your book I may find out some actions that the agent is doing that I'm not happy with. How do you suggest I handle the situation?

Robert: The consumer should immediately address the issue with the agent. If the agent stalls or refuses to correct a problem, then the consumer should contact the agent's manager. The manager will get most problems corrected 90% of the time. If the consumer still desires further action, she or he can contact the local Realtor® association and/or the state real estate agency.

Irene: Robert, it is pretty clear to me that your book "Risk Hotline for Real Estate" is a must for both the consumer and the agent. Is there anything else that you would like your reading audience to know about your or your book?

Robert: My overriding focus in writing Risk Hotline was to enable us as Realtors® to provide better service to our clients. My stories provide both licensees and consumers a huge resource of potential issues and problems that can and do occur daily. Agents and consumers are affected equally; both have an inherent interest in opening communication and eliminating problems.

My book is the only current resource available which provides a compendium of problems plus ways to resolve them before they affect you directly.

Open communication breeds trust. By illustrating ways agents and consumers can open communication and resolve issues amicably, "Risk Hotline" will strengthen the quality of the process and ensure a lasting client relationship.

Irene Watson is Managing Editor of Reader Views, a book review service based in Austin, Texas readerviews.com readerviews.com