10 Things to Look For in a Home-Equity Line of Credit

If you are a homeowner, you've probably received offers to apply for a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Handled with care, home equity credit lines can be an excellent way to improve financial flexibility, provide readily available cash reserves for emergencies, or pay for large expenses (like college tuition or home improvements) that have irregular payment schedules. But be aware that not all home equity credit lines are created equal. If you decide that a HELOC is right for you, what features should you look for? Here are ten things that should be at the top of your list:

1. No application fee (or fee should be refunded at closing) - The HELOC market is very competitive. Some lenders may charge a fee to help cover their costs of processing your HELOC application and to ensure applications are received only from seriously interested homeowners. If your lender assesses an application fee, be certain that it is refundable at closing. Otherwise, look elsewhere for your HELOC.

2. No appraisal or closing costs - The market value of your property is key to determining the amount of your credit line. Some lenders are willing to use publicly available tax assessment data in lieu of formal appraisals. Others may absorb appraisal costs to attract customers. Either way, there are enough no-cost options available that you should not have to settle for HELOC lender that charges appraisal costs or any other closing costs.

3. No account maintenance or check-writing fees - Lenders obviously make their money when you write checks (borrow) on the home equity credit line. Most lenders make it as hassle-free as possible with free checks and, sometimes, even debit cards. If your lender charges fees for the privilege of having a HELOC checking account, look elsewhere

4. No "non-usage" fees - The market value of your property is key to determining the amount of your credit line. Some lenders are willing to use publicly available tax assessment data in lieu of formal appraisals. Others may absorb appraisal costs to attract customers. Either way, there are enough no-cost options available that you should not have to settle for HELOC lender that charges appraisal costs or any other closing costs.

5. Variable APR equal to or near the prime rate (adjusted quarterly) - The only cost involved with a good home equity credit line should be interest charged (APR) on the balance borrowed. As with any loan, the borrower's goal is to get the lowest possible APR. Most lenders use the "prime rate" as published in the Wall Street Journal (or other publication) as a base index and charge you an APR equal to prime plus or minus a marginal percentage (e.g. 0.25%). Search for the best rate available, but be aware of low "teaser" rates that may suddenly change after a brief introductory period or be accompanied by special fees. Also, keep in mind that the periodic and lifetime caps on rate changes are as important as the initial rate (see below).

6. Periodic cap on interest rate changes (the amount that the rate can be changed at one time) - Virtually all HELOC's are variable rate loans meaning that the initial interest rate (APR) will change at some point as surely as the weather. A key is to understand how often the rate can adjust and how much the rate can be adjusted at one time. Of course, when rates are falling the larger and faster the change, the better for you. But more important is the upside risk you face when rates are rising. Look for a HELOC that adjusts quarterly (rather than monthly) in increments of 0.5% or less. Note: with expectations of rising interest rates, many lenders appear to be eliminating the periodic rate cap feature and raising lifetime caps to legal limits. If you have an older HELOC that incorporates relatively low rate ceilings (or if you find one), consider yourself fortunate!

7. Lifetime cap on rate increases (the amount that the rate can be adjusted over the loan's life) - A good HELOC is something you'll want to keep for awhile. Although interest rates have been at relatively low levels for a number of years, it wasn't too long ago that a 10% loan was regarded as a bargain! The point is that interest rates over time can rise dramatically. You'll want to find a HELOC with a lifetime rate cap that you can live with. Ask your loan officer to clearly spell out the "worst case" scenario for rate increases for the HELOC you are applying for.

8. Ability to convert to a fixed rate loan - When rates do rise, people often get skittish about their variable-rate debt. A useful feature to look for in a HELOC is the ability to convert the line of credit to a standard fixed-rate, fixed-term home greeneasylife.com equity loan (HEL). You likely won't get an APR as favorable as a newly issued HEL, but you also won't have appraisal or closing costs to pay if you convert. However, note that many lenders charge a fee for converting to a fixed rate loan.

9. Interest-only payments allowed - It is usually best to make regular principal payments on your HELOC balance. Yet a job loss or other emergency can make it a challenge to keep payments current. In these situations it is nice to have the flexibility to lower your HELOC payment as much as possible without increasing your loan balance or raising red flags at the credit rating agencies.

10. Unrestricted ability to repay principal without penalty - On the other hand, you also want the flexibility to pay down principal on the loan when you choose. You may get a bonus from your job that you want to apply to the loan or you may find a 0% balance transfer offer that is worth taking advantage of. In any case, a key component of a good HELOC is the unfettered ability to repay principal.

Shop around and you will be able to find a home equity line of credit with many (if not all) of these features. Keep in mind that your bank is not the only game in town. Credit card companies, mortgage bankers and brokerage firms have all entered the market and offer competing products. Credit unions typically offer excellent terms and should not be overlooked. Also, there are many reputable on-line sources that have lower overhead costs and may be able to offer better terms than the local bank.

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

Home Health Care Explained

Patients and families prefer to go with home care rather than hospitalization and Medicare's regulations have become the accepted standard for the health happinesslifetime.com care agencies. You need to be under a doctor's care and homebound to avail of this medical treatment option.

Some of the reasons why the demand for home health care has increased rapidly can be summed up as follows:

Most patients prefer not to have to pay for expensive medical care at the end of their sojourn on earth.
Highly advanced technology has given rise to very expensive hospital costs.
Patients prefer to be treated at home rather than lie in isolation from family, in a hospital.
As the population ages, diseases that target the elderly are on the rise.
Medical advancement in the field of HIV and AIDS means that the disease can be better managed at home.

Patients who qualify for home health care need to be 'homebound', meaning they are unable to leave the house or moving them will require considerable effort. Anyone who seldom leaves their residence and when they do it is for the purpose of a medical visit will qualify for home care. Going out for the purpose of religious worship does not disqualify a patient in any way from being qualified as homebound. Anyone who needs the assistance of another person to go out or needs a walker or cane and even the mentally ill are all considered homebound patients.

The medical requirement for intravenous therapy, wound care, speech therapy and physical therapy all necessitate the need for the skilled care of a nurse or therapist, even a social worker. A therapist usually performs the initial screening and assessment and a nurse may or may not be involved in the process. A doctor has to certify that home health care is mandatory for the patient.

Jacko has been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in fun, fitness and health, you can also check out his latest website on foldingpokertabletop.net Folding Poker Table which reviews and lists. He also writes for a site about computerdrawingtablet.net Computer Drawing Tablet.

How Do I Get Home Insurance?

The first question that arises in the minds of people when considering home insurance is how to get home insurance very easily. To get home coverage, the first vital step is to find a prospective insurer. For this, consumers need to shop around for them.

It is also beneficial to check over the online companies and their quotes and prices. However, avoid stressing more on low cost coverage. This is because a low cost coverage does not mean a good deal. The stability and service of a company is most important. Hence, ascertain the credit status of insurance companies. After short listing the best companies, collect their quotes.

Some homeowners include their land cost in their insurance coverage. This is the most common mistake among all homeowners who buy insurance. However, they have to avoid such practices. This is because, when theft, flood or earthquakes occur, the land should not suffer any permanent damage. This may cause a customer to pay larger premiums in tune with the land value in their home insurance coverage.

A Few Effective Ways to Get Home Insurance:

Anyone who shops for a home policy is concerned about how to get home coverage with the best features. First, consumers need to determine what is best for them, and then decide how to get such coverage at an affordable price. Below are a few guidelines on how to get home insurance coverage with little or no trouble.

Ask friends and relatives about their experiences with home firms. If they suggest some insurer or agent, note them down. However, do not simply go with suggestions. Try to get details about such agents and insurers.


Visit the State Department of Insurance and create a list of firms that have a rank of A or greater. Remember to collect quotes from these short listed companies.


Get online quotes from as many of these companies as you can, and compare their quotes. Choose the best five insurance companies among them.


After selecting five companies, try to find out their ratings from several independent sources. Use A.M. Best Company, Better Business Bureau and Phelps to ascertain their crediting status. These credit rating agencies will help to decide how solid each of the selected insurers is.

Do not go for any company that has a rating less than A. Such companies are not in any position to guarantee compensation, if an insured person makes a claim.

Conclusion:

Insurance buyers may seek help from different bureaus, which exist online as well as off-line, to select the best deal for their dream home. Another key factor is that deals have to be within an insurance buyer's financial budget.

Consumers have the option to search for an optimal and affordable deal, from various companies that offer similar deals. Remember to hunt for discounts on any chosen policy.

The Internet is vast and there will be numerous results. However, consumers have to be very careful in finding a superior home insurance to protect their homes. The resources below can come in handy when looking for coverage.

Ian Wright wants everyone to be able to get the home insurance coverage that they need. So to help he has created pages on how to get: quick-online-insurance-quote.com/cheap-home-insurance-quotes-online.html cheap home insurance quotes or visit: quick-online-insurance-quote.com/compare-home-insurance-quotes-online.html quick-online-insurance-quote.com/compare-home-insurance-quotes-online.html.

Home Care: In a Nutshell

Home care is an arena that allows a person with special needs to stay in their home. It might be for people, who are getting older, are chronically ill, recovering from surgery or disabled. Home care services would include:

1. Personal care: such as getting a bath, washing one's hair, getting dressed, toileting, or changing sides (if the patient is bed ridden).

2. Homemaking: like cleaning the house, doing light household work, or yard work.

3. Cooking and delivering the meals, and making sure that the patient has these meals.

4. Health care: wherein a health care assistant would be coming to one's home and supervising them.

In today's world it is possible to get almost any type of help in your home. While some of the caregivers work comes free or is donated. You can also get paid jobs. In case it is a CNA, who has been hired to be the health aide for an elderly person or a sickly person. They are expected to be paid since they look after others for a living. If the patients have a serious condition, at that point nurses are hired out. The needs of the patient are met with by the health home care agency who are contacted to do so. Medical claims can also cover the cost of these home care health aides, in case it is recommended by the doctors. It is, nevertheless, not a very expensive option. The money required to hire a caregiver is not much, and one can easily afford it. Caregivers are paid on an hourly basis in case they are registered with the State and have got their jobs through the community services. The charges of the personal caregivers may vary, bearing in mind if they are self-employed and/or found through the help of a third party. The caregivers fees may vary but only very slightly.

For more information, visit 1800homecare.com. They offer information on homecare.wikidot.com homecare, including conducting a 1800homecare.com home care study.

Licensed Caregivers - 5 Reasons To Use Agency Managed Home Care

Elderly parents, people with a limiting disability or people recovering from an injury or surgery may need assistance with everyday chores. Licensed, agency managed caregivers can provide temporary or full-time help with daily chores, running errands and providing transportation. The main benefit and purpose of getting a caregiver from a state licensed agency is to provide competent service, dignity and safety for the people in their care and peace of mind to the concerned clients who contract with them.

Licensed, agency managed home caregivers are:

1.? Trained

These employees are pleasant and professional, treating each client with dignity while assisting them in everyday life with housework, laundry, bathing and keeping medical appointments. Continuous education allows these trained professionals to bring the latest innovations to the attention of people who may benefit from them.

2.? Screened

Agencies perform background checks and fingerprinting on every potential caregiver. Only quality employees will have access to an individual who may be helpless or incapable of protecting themselves and their home and property. This company is licensed, bonded and insured to protect its employees and clients.

3.? Alert

Agency caregivers assess and report the condition of the individual and the property. Any noticeable changes are reported to the appropriate parties promptly. Skilled, observant caregivers are a valuable solution for protecting those who cannot protect themselves.

4.? Guaranteed Commitment

Most agencies are competent and reliable companies. If one of their caregiver employees cannot keep the appointment, another employee is sent. The client should not be kept waiting or without the care they need and expect.

5.? Fully Managed

Avoid the risks of hiring an incompetent or untrustworthy caregiver. Avoid the management and overhead hassles associated with hiring a caregiver privately. NJ licensed agencies hire, manage, bond and train their employee caregivers to assure the highest quality service. They also take care of all employment taxes, insurance, employee benefits and much more.

Using a licensed agency caregiver allows every one to retain their dignity, independence and most importantly, peace of mind. An individual who needs help dealing with life's everyday activities and chores cannot be on their own for an extended period of time. So, a concerned family member or friend unable to provide all the assistance required for them can depend upon licensed agency caregivers to provide a satisfactory solution to both of these problems.

Bob Thomson is an experienced home care consultant, writer and researcher who reviews licensed experthomecare.com NJ Caregiver services. When loved ones need professional home care in New Jersey, Expert Home Care is the obvious choice with nearly 3 decades experience and friendly, professional service to over 5,000 clients! Visit their website now: experthomecare.com experthomecare.com

Maintaining Your Goldfish Tank Properly

When you introduce goldfish in your tank, you are thinking of healthy and growing fish which will live for a long time. This depends on good maintenance of your tank. If you are regular, it will not take much time and efforts.

You may either maintain your tank yourself or you may give that a work to an agency that can come regularly to your home or office to do the work. However, doing the maintenance work on your own is certainly a rewarding and pleasing experience.

How to maintain your tank?

Filtration system is the most important aspect of your maintenance. There are many varieties of filtration systems available in the market. Generally the system will have a box which will be mounted over the tank. The whole supply of water will circulate through such system. Usually charcoal is used in such systems to purify the water. There is another type of filtration system which is called biological filtration. It allows bacterial colonies to form in the tank. These colonies are useful for maintaining clean limits in your tank. Both these systems can go together.

If your tank is crowded with a large number of fish, it will affect the quality of water in the tank. If the tank is relatively small, the fish waste as well as the uneaten food particles can contaminate your tank very quickly. So it is always advisable to keep the population of your fish under control.

Another problem which can contaminate the tank is overfeeding. If you're feeding your fish too much, fish may not be able to eat all that and that food will stay at the bottom of the tank which will start decaying sooner. You should carefully decide the quantity of food which you are going to offer your fish. If you provide less food, it is not going to do any harm.

Changing the water regularly

You have to change the water in your tank after every couple of weeks. However never make the mistake of changing the entire water. Just take out about 15-20% of the tank water every time. After doing such a change, wait for another week for the next one. You should never use tap water directly while changing the water. Keep that water aside for sometimes so that all the gases will be the least out of it. Then you should treat it before you introduce it in your fish tank.

Carefully observe your fish every day

You should take out at least a few minutes during the day to observe your fish. In that process, you can check out that all the equipment is functioning correctly and the behavior of your fish is normal. Also check that the air pump is working correctly so that your fish is getting a lot of oxygen. Goldfish does not require heating but if you are planning breeding, it may require an increase in the temperature of your tank.

If you notice any unusual behavior of your fish, think about it; make some on-line search to find out the solution. If you find any fish sick, shift it to a separate tank so that the other fish population does not get the infection.

It is not difficult to maintain a clean aquarium and healthy living conditions for your goldfish. It requires only some of your time and regular maintenance process.

Chintamani Abhyankar is a angelfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding angelfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy angelfish the natural way. His famous angelfishcaretips.com digital book, "Secrets on Keeping Beautiful Goldfish", offers simple, easy to follow instruction for raising healthy, long-living angelfish. Visit his website angelfishcaretips.com angelfishcaretips.com to learn more about expertly raising your angelfish and to receive your FREE copy of his special report, "Fish-Keeping Hobby Secrets Revealed."

Home Business 101 - Types of Home Businesses

Work from home opportunities can be categorized into three groups:

Work from home "JOBS"

Work from home BUSINESS

Work from home BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Work from home "JOBS"

Anything advertised as a "Work from home Job" is synonymous with the word "CAUTION". There are indeed "jobs" which you can do from home. They are mostly of the telecommute type for local employers. Best source - ask your own employer - ask a friend if their employer has any telecommuting type jobs - check the local papers, or even a local employment agency (be very careful about paying any fee in advance). "Work from home jobs" advertised on the internet are often outright scams designed to get a small registration or certification fee or some kind of purchase from you without any real promise of a "job" in return. Here are a few offers to be especially careful of:

*Envelope Stuffing

*Assembly or Craft Work

*Claim Processing

*Medical Billing

*Taking Surveys or Rebate Processing

Here are some questions to ask if you are considering a work at home job:

1. Exactly what will you have to do?

2. How will you be paid - hourly, piece work or by commission?

3. Who will pay you, and when will you get your first paycheck?

4. Do you have to purchase equipment, goods or products to resell

5. Is there an up-front cost to you like registration or training fee? (Very bad sign)

Finally, when it comes to work from home jobs, my rule would be "Never pay money to get a job". Like most rules, there are times to make an exception, but only with extreme caution.

Work from Home BUSINESS Prospects are a little brighter here. Many people make a decent income pursuing a business from home.

How? Selling a service you (or others under you) provide, or a product of your own you can sell. You can sell your service or product on-line (Internet Marketing, Ebay, Craig's List, etc.) or off-line (Classifieds, Direct mail, Consignment, Networking, etc.).

Don't know what Service you could offer? What are your skills? Here is a short list of skills that lend themselves to working from home:

*Consultant

*Coach/Trainer (nutrition, life skills, financial, personal development, etc.)

*Copywriter

*Proof - reader

*Virtual Assistant

I could go on, but you get the point. Out-sourcing tasks to someone who has skills they need, or who can do it better and quicker, is a way of life for many small businesses or busy people. How do you market your services?

1. Decide exactly what service you will provide and what you will charge (tip - type in that service into Google search and see what others are offering).

2. Make up your "elevator speech" (a quick pitch you can deliver in 30 seconds when someone asks "what do you do")

3. Flesh out that "elevator speech" into a sales letter that sells the benefits of your service (not you or your service - benefits for your customer). Hire a copywriter to help in needed.

4. Create a workspace in your home and make sure you have everything needed to deliver first class service at hand and ready.

5. Before you spend any more money or energy, contact your local SCORE chapter and seek the (FREE) advice of an experienced Small Business Consultant who can help guide you to success.

6. Get an internet platform (website or blog) with a capture page, a "contact me" page and information about yourself and your services (and testimonials if you can get some).

7. Advertise in local classifieds - and in Craig's List (your town - I'd direct responses to your site as opposed to your telephone number).

8. Get on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace and learn to market your services on social networks (search the net for FREE information on how to do it).

9. Advertise in Google "Local Business" (don't bother with phone book - nobody looks there anymore). Hold off further paid advertising until you're making some money.

10. Make a list of all local businesses (or friends or relatives) that might need your service.

11. Get some business.educationeasy.net business cards to go with your sales letter and get out and talk to people.

Marketing and selling a Product is a little more complex. You are going to have to plan not only how to market and sell, but how to deliver the product and receive payment. And, depending how and where you sell the product, collecting and paying state & local sales tax.

The 11 point list above is a pretty good start, but you will need to add shopping cart to your website and provisions for payment (I'd suggest PayPal). Many people market and sell on eBay. It's pretty easy - get an eBay account and go to it. And, depending on the product, don't overlook consignment at local stores and businesses.

Work from home BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Work from home Business Opportunities generally come from two sources; Affiliate Marketing and Multi-Level Marketing (also known as Network Marketing). Later in this series I will devote an entire article to each of these subjects, but I will highlight some important points here.

Affiliate Marketing - is thought to be one of the easiest ways for a beginner to get into Internet Marketing. You select someone else's product to sell (check the ClickBank Market Place and you will see hundreds of offers), market it through Internet Marketing, Social Networks, or even off-line methods. You direct the prospects to your website capture page - or direct to the vendors site, where they take over the sales process. If a sale is made you get a commission. The trick is to select a product that is in demand by a lot of people, and is something you are knowledgeable about (passionate about would be better). This can be done by keyword search, but more on that in later articles.

Multi-Level Marketing - is where you select a company (who participates in MLM) and apply to be an Independent Business Owner (that's the usual term), licensed to sell their products. Most of these companies will provide a website where you can provide information about, and sell the product. Some provide some training and a marketing system.

It is called Multi-level Marketing because you can recruit other people to sell for the company and you will receive a commission on their sales as well as your own.

This fact (and some very complex compensation plans) has given Multi-Level Marketing in general a bad name which is - in many cases - well deserved. "Scam" and "Pyramid Scheme" are names that come to many people's mind when Multi-Level Marketing is mentioned and this scares off many people from what can be a legitimate (and profitable) opportunity.

The category (legitimate business or Pyramid Scheme or Scam) the company falls into can generally be determined by two things; the cost value of the product being sold, and more importantly the legal definition of a pyramid scheme which has to do with compensation received for recruiting efforts vs. for sale of Product. If you receive the vast majority of your compensation in the form of recruiting bonuses, you're probably involved in a pyramid scheme.

As with Affiliate Marketing, I will devote an entire article to Multi-level Marketing later in this series on Home Businesses.

Look for the next article in the series;

Home Business 101 - Why Do You Want To Be In Business? HOW BIG IS YOUR WHY?

Dick Bendtzen, author of "Yes You Can Start And Run A Small Business" offers advice on small business topics on his website and forum - smallbusinessyesyoucan.com smallbusinessyesyoucan.com and in a monthly Newsletter "Small Business News and Views". You can also tune in to Dick on Blog Talk Radio at blogtalkradio.com/Dick-Bendtzen blogtalkradio.com/Dick-Bendtzen

The 5 Do's and Don'ts Regarding Cleaning Your Home's Outside Windows

The windows of your home offer visitors a glimpse into the way you maintain your home. It is however, a necessary chore to keep your windows sparkling clean. Here are 5 Do's and Don'ts that can help you to get cleaner windows while saving time, money and effort.

Do's

1. Use your vacuum cleaner first so that you can suck in loose dirt and cobwebs. This will help prevent the dirt mixing along with the water and resulting in smudges or streaks that could be a pain to remove.

If you have a screen or blinds on the inside of your window, then use your vacuum to clean them too. If you have a mesh screen on the outside, then use the vacuum first and then if possible, remove it and clean it with a mild detergent, water and a brush in your sink or bathroom.

2. If there are fine scratches on the glass, use a professional cutting paste with a piece of cloth or try rubbing toothpaste on the scratch. You can remove any decals, stickers or hardened dirt with a razor blade.

But be very careful and move the blade in a single direction only while ensuring that water is always present between the blade and the glass. The blade should be firmly held at a consistent angle if you do not want to end up scratching your glass.

3. You can clean the outside glass with a cloth, a sponge, a bucket of water, a squeegee and a glass-cleaning product. However, with the world moving towards greener solutions, you can easily replace the glass-cleaning product with vinegar, lemon juice, washing soda or even baking soda.

You can mix vinegar with water in equal parts for normal cleaning and neat vinegar to remove stubborn stains. You can also use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in 1 quart of water.

4. Start on the outside glass by dipping the sponge in the bucket of your cleaning solution and cleaning the glass. Then, clean the glass with your squeegee using a vertical or horizontal motion, starting from the top. Do ensure that the rubber blade of the squeegee is new and even.

5. Use a newspaper or any micro-fiber soft cloth to clean any streaks left behind by your squeegee. For cleaning outside glass on the top floors, use a ladder or open adjoining windows to clean it safely. Start with the top floors and slowly proceed down. Ensure that the ladder is fixed securely to the windowsill.

Don'ts.

1. Do not attempt to clean the outside windows on the top floors, if you do not have a sturdy ladder that can be securely propped against your home. If your ladder falls short of the windows on the top floor, then avoid over-stretching yourself. You might fall down and break your leg, or worse, your neck. Call a professional cleaning agency and get the job done.

2. Do not use an old razor blade to remove decals or stickers. Do not use the razor blade in a bi-directional mode to clean the glass. You might end up scratching the surface permanently.

3. Do not forget to clean the windowsills and gutters. Do not forget to clean and lubricate the window frame hinges or sliding window rails. It is better to complete the entire job in one process.

4. Do not mix any products such as ammonia, vinegar, alcohol and lime juice haphazardly since it might end up damaging your windowpane rather than cleaning it. If you are using a strong commercial cleaner to remove stains, then do not forget to wear protective gloves.

5. Do not leave water or your cleaning solution on your windows. They will leave stains once the water dries up. Do not run your razor or your squeegee over dry glass. Do not use a squeegee that is uneven.

A clean outside window will not only adds class to your home but will also allow more sunlight to enter your home and keep it warm during those winter months. Use the above tips to safely clean your homes outside windows.

In today's fast pace world why spend your time doing the jobs you hate when you can get professional like Dirty Blasted to do those jobs for you. Dirty Blasted are Auckland's No.1 Home Washing & Water Blasting Specialists - Check them out at aucklandwaterblasting.com aucklandwaterblasting.com

Involving The Elderly In Social Service - Age Is No Criteria To Make A Difference To Society!

The relationship between the elderly and the caregiver is a unique one. All the decisions made, revolve around the senior citizen and his needs or it is something that is worked out together to solve his problems. The world of the elderly is centered on their own physical and emotional needs.

Centering all the focus on themselves can make the senior citizen overwhelmed by compulsive habits and they begin to think that everything must begin and end with themselves. They are then not interested in being with other people and seldom go beyond thinking about themselves. This is a very unhealthy trend and can be detrimental to the mental health of the elderly.

One way of taking care of this issue is to suggest that the elder join with you to go out and do something that may be of value to others. By providing the elderly in your care an opportunity to make a difference to someone, you are encouraging them to regain their self esteem. Going out of the confines of the house into the fresh air can be a good break from their self-centered existence.

There will be much resistance to this idea of service to others by the elders initially, because they will not see any gain in it for themselves. However, you need to be very insistent and explain to them that there is life beyond themselves and the service to others will do them good, eventually.

As a caregiver, you have to plan for something simple to do, keeping in mind the physical condition of the elderly. If your mom or dad is disabled, there may be some simpler things for them to do too. Some of these are listed below:

- Take your elderly parent for a walk in the park and pick up the trash on a slow walk. This is a cleanliness drive meant to serve the society in general.

- You could take your parent to the nearby retirement home to meet someone there who would enjoy some visitors.

- Help to stuff envelopes or make telephone calls for the church or some charitable institute. This is ideal for the elderly who are confined to a wheelchair.

- You can read to the disadvantaged kids at your local library. This is again ideal for wheelchair bound elderly persons.

- You can even take a young child to the zoo or to watch the ball game, occasionally.

There are volunteer coordination agencies in most of the cities. These provide volunteering opportunities suited to the capabilities of the senior citizen. You can make use of these agencies to work out something for your elderly parent. Once the elders are out, you may be surprised at their enthusiasm for such volunteer activities.

Making a difference to others gives a great feeling of satisfaction and contentment to everyone, and more so to the elderly, because you are doing things together. This may be helpful in regaining their lost self esteem and alleviate feelings of depression or boredom. It is a good therapy for the elderly and may help to turn around their life and induce them to take a positive approach towards life.

Abhishek successfully runs an Old Age Home and he has got some great Senior-Guides.com/560/index.htm Eldercare Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 80 Page Ebook, "How To Take Great Care Of Elders" from his website Senior-Guides.com/560/index.htm Senior-Guides.com/560/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Tips For Choosing Long-term Insurance

Nursing homes come first in our mind when discussing about long-term happinesslifetime.com care insurance policy. People prefer going for individual health plan, but in reality, long-term happinesslifetime.com care insurance might be the only thing that keeps you away from nursing home. It can pay for your home care, and could really happen. Statistics has proven that once you turn to be 60, one out of you two people would require some type of care at some point of time. Monthly insurance premium for this care could be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on your desire situation.

Tips

- Do ask lot of question to each agency you approach to make sure you are comfortable with their existing services, as it is an important and sensitive role of your life.

- Ask about their hiring practices that are offered. Do they believe in thorough background checks on every caregiver?

- Find out if they have any arrangements to offer a qualified backup person in case the caregiver is not well or cannot appear for any reason?

- Find out the qualifications and necessary licenses of your caregivers.

- Understand that when in-home services start, it might take a couple of weeks or so to get the constancy of care, which you want as the caregivers are getting used to your specific needs and wants.

Good reasons to buy long-term insurance

There are some tax reasons as well for getting long-term happinesslifetime.com care insurance. The insurance premiums paid are deductible as a medical expense. There is further an individual health insurance plan known as a health savings account. If a person has a high-deductible health plan, the premium for long-term happinesslifetime.com care insurance policy could be paid through the health savings account also, avoiding income tax and Social Security tax on the premium, decreasing the total cost of insurance drastically.

Talk to a long-term happinesslifetime.com care insurance expert soon. It could mean thousands of dollars residing in your bank account in its place of being used for care or going to the tax man.

The Blue Cross believes that people after years of hard work and paying appropriate taxes, deserve nothing but the best medical care that they can get. For a few years now, retirees, government and private employees, unemployed individuals, housewives, as well as US citizens working abroad have been receiving some form of benefit from a Blue Cross or Blue Shield health care provider. The Blue Cross offers affordable monthly health insurance premiums and provides you with a choice between short and long-term health coverage, depending on your individual needs. Blue Cross offers discounts on medical procedures, consultations and general health care and has plans for medical supplies in case of an injury or a short period of stay in the hospital.

The Blue Cross of California Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Plans cover more of the costs of your health care than any other plan type. HMO Plans provide coverage only for services received from doctors and hospitals within the HMO Network. You can choose a specific health care group and physician within the network to coordinate all of your health care needs. As a Blue Cross member, you will also enjoy special member services, including Health Extension SM program, which provides the members information about discounts offered by independent vendors on health products and services and round the clock confidential access to registered nurses to help members manage chronic diseases including diabetes, asthma and congestive heart problems.

Charles is a Expert author for goodhealthquotes.com/application.htm goodhealthquotes.com/application.htm He has written many articles like goodhealthquotes.com/customer-login-frame.htm goodhealthquotes.com/customer-login-frame.htm Contact him at

Home Health Aide Training

If you are seeking a profession that is expected to grow steadily in the future, you should look into home health aide training. The demand for experienced home health aides is skyrocketing due to our aging population and a preference for at-home health care.

Home health aides (also known as caregivers or personal support specialists) are responsible for providing routine, personal health care, such as bathing, dressing, or grooming, to elderly, convalescent, or disabled persons in the home of patients or in a residential care facility. Under the direction of nursing or medical staff, they provide health-related services, such as administering oral medications, change dressings, and check pulse, temperature and respiration rates. A few weeks or months of could give you a great advantage when seeking employment. Although a formal education is not always necessary for this profession, Federal law suggests at least 75 hours of classroom and practical training, supervised by a registered nurse.

Home health aide courses are available from community colleges, vocational schools, elder care programs and home health happinesslifetime.com care agencies. You can learn to assist elderly or disabled adults with daily living activities in the person's home or in a daytime non-residential facility. The duties of an aide are not limited to health care, but may also include such routine tasks as doing laundry, making beds, washing dishes, preparing meals, etc. Good training can give you the confidence to advise the elderly or disabled (and their families) on such things as nutrition, cleanliness, and keeping house.

Before you begin, there are a few important things to consider: Employment in this health care field may require you to submit to a physical examination and a background check before you can be hired. Your personality is also important. You should be a person who is patient, understanding, tactful, and a good communicator. Above all, you should have a desire to help people.

Formal home health aide education must meet the standards of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. State regulations for training programs can vary greatly, so be sure to check with regulating agencies to be sure your school or college will meet the educational requirements for your region of employment. The National Association for Home Care offers national certification, a credential that will demonstrate that training has met industry standards. Some states also require personal support specialists to be licensed.

If you would like to learn more about home health aide training, submit a request to schools found on our website. You will soon receive in-depth information to help you decide if schoolsgalore.com/categories/3/personal_support_training.html personal support specialist is a good career for you.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2008 - All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.

Michael Bustamante is a staff writer for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SchoolsGalore.com. Find schools providing schoolsgalore.com/categories/3/home_health_aide_training.html Home Health Aide Training, as well as Colleges, Universities, Online Schools and Vocational Schools at schoolsgalore.com SchoolsGalore.com, your resource for higher education.

Life Insurance and Medicaid Eligibility

In order to qualify for Medicaid coverage of your nursing home stay, your assets cannot exceed $2,000 if you are single, or $101,540 if you are married. However, not all of your assets are "countable" for these purposes. The biggest exemptions are your home, your car, and your personal property.

Another exemption is life insurance owned by you. The rule states that only the "cash surrender value" of a life insurance policy is countable, but only if the total face value of all life insurance policies on your life exceeds $1,500. ("Cash surrender value" is the amount the life insurance company will send you if you canceled the policy. It's also known as the "cash value." The "face value" is what the company would pay out to your beneficiaries if you died, assuming the policy was still in effect.)

So if you have a $1,000 policy with cash value of $800, you can keep it and it will not count towards your $2,000/$101,540 limit.

What if you have a term policy with a face value of $100,000? It's completely exempt since a term policy by definition has no cash value. Of course, you (or another family member) have to pay the premium each year to keep it in force.

What should you do with existing policies? If you have an existing policy and your health is not good, you may decide to keep the policy rather than cancel it. After all, you may be uninsurable, and if you keep the policy in force, your family members could benefit from the proceeds upon your death.

Assuming the total face values exceed $1,500 and your countable assets put you over the limit to qualify for Medicaid, it could be a good idea to have your children purchase the policy from you and keep it in effect (by paying the annual premiums). You see, it's not who is insured or who is the beneficiary that matters---it's who is the owner of the policy. The reasoning for this Medicaid rule is that the owner could simply cash in the policy at any time, and thus it is counted the same as if you already did so. But if your child is the owner, you have no ability to cash in or cancel the policy, so it would no longer count against you.

Another option is to assign the policy to a child, as a gift. This will cause a penalty period so in many cases this is not the best solution. However, as part of an overall plan that includes other gifting, it could make sense.

Recently, some companies have advertised single pay, non-cancelable, no cash value "life insurance." The idea behind these policies is that if there is no cash value, the policy cannot count against you. They are set up with minimal underwriting (i.e., virtually everyone is guaranteed to qualify to buy one), and the beneficiaries are usually the children.

The problem is that if you purchase an asset over which you have no control---you cannot cancel it, cannot get your money back, cannot even change the terms or the beneficiaries---the Medicaid agency may well deem this to be a gift. If that's the case, you have not accomplished what you thought you had, i.e., converting cash to a non-countable form, so that you did not have to make a gift of the cash. Accordingly, I advise my clients to stay away from this type of product unless and until it has been proven to be effective as advertised.

? 2007 by K. Gabriel Heiser

Attorney K. Gabriel Heiser has devoted his legal practice to Medicaid planning, elder law, and estate planning for the last 23 years.
NOTE: For more information on this topic and other Medicaid planning techniques, see MedicaidSecrets.com MedicaidSecrets.com, which describes an exciting new 256-page book written by attorney Heiser, "How to Protect Your Family's Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets." You don't have to go broke to get Medicaid to pay your nursing home bills, you just have to know the rules and planning techniques. For the first time ever, you can learn the inside secrets of high-priced estate planning and elder law attorneys, in attorney Heiser's new book.