The Knee Bone's Connected To ...
tsb

Such a face! Daddy Bones@ age 12, gracing the book's cover.

 

 How to Keep Your Sanity Intact When a Loved One Needs a Nursing Home  

It’s estimated that more than 50 million people provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend during any given year.

Studies show that extremely stressed caregivers can age or die prematurely. 

“Bette Davis said ‘old age is no place for sissies,’ but caring for an older loved one isn’t for the feint of heart, either,” says Bones. “I loved my dad and we were very close, but the strain of ‘putting’ him in a nursing home was so overwhelming for all of us that I felt like I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown.”

Becoming aware of some of the don’ts” of long-term care can make daily life easier for nursing home residents and for their family caretakers,” she notes.

Bones offers some key examples from her Nursing Home Checklist:

· Ask clergy, family, and friends - especially those in the health care field - to recommend outstanding nursing homes.

· When touring a nursing home, ask other visitors for frank feedback about the facility. Don’t just inspect the “sample” room, look into residents’ rooms to check for cleanliness.

· Assure your loved one that you will be their ongoing advocate.

· Visit your loved one often and at varying times of the day - and night. This alerts all of the caregivers that you are keeping an eye on your loved one.

· Get to know the staff, especially your loved one’s immediate caregivers.

· Thank the employees for the thankless job that they do.

· Put your loved one’s name on all their belongings, including clothes and personal products. Never leave money or valuables in their room.

· Place a quilt, photos and other small touches to create a “homey” room.

· Put a brief bio and picture of your loved one at the entrance of their room to “introduce” them to staff and visitors.

. Bring old photos when you visit your loved one - it will give you something to look at if conversation lags.

. Bring different edible treats to spice-up the resident's menu.

 

 


 

 

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Monday
Feb152010

You Have Some Nerve!

DateMonday, February 15, 2010 at 03:50PM

"You have some nerve" was one of my Mom's favorite sayings. (Like most moms, she had a million of 'em: "I coulda had a heart attack," "feel that breeze...," "I thought you were lying in a ditch somewhere," etc., etc.)

So when I opened my Sprint cell phone bill, Mom's words sprung to mind.

See, I had recently purchased a new Blackberry/phone so I could catch up - technologically speaking - to some degree with the younger people in my life who have owned these darn gizmos for at least several years now.

I thought I was the cat's meow with my new phone and was happy as can be until I received my first bill. Yes, of course, I knew the new gadget would cost more per month, I'm not a total moron.What irked me was the paragraph on the six-page invoice that read thusly:

"SPRINT SURCHARGES - Sprint Surcharges are rates we choose to collect from you to help defray costs imposed on us. Surcharges are not taxes on you or amounts we are required to collect from you by law. Surcharges may include: Federal USF, regulatory charges, administrative charges, gross receipts charges, and other charges incurred to recover costs associated with governmental programs, and certain taxes imposed upon Sprint."

Is the wording of their little surcharge paragraph galling or what? There's no "sorry we have to charge you" or "we regret that these costs are necessary." Instead, they say in the first line that they choose to charge us so they can stay as profitable as possible. Administrative charge? Pay your secretary, certainly, but not using my funds, OK, pal?

Despite my annoyance at the $4.64 surcharge, I couldn't help but admire the company's extraordinary bluntness. They didn't sugarcoat their action with public-relationsisms, you have to give them that. On the other hand, if they "choose to collect" from me, can't I choose NOT to pay Sprint for these little extras? How about if I try to defray some of my costs, huh, Sprint? What if I want to "recover costs associated with governmental programs"? Shall I follow your lead and just tell you I ain't gonna pay instead of - ooooppps! - pretending that I forgot? Talk about gross receipts...

When I have my speech written out, I plan to call their customer service line and give them a piece of my mind. I'm sure, after speaking with me, they'll soon realize I have none to spare. 

I'll let you know how it works out. And if you know of any other companies that "have some nerve," let me know. Mommy Bones would be so darn proud, she coulda had a heart attack.

AuthorDiane Bones | Comment3 Comments |

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Reader Comments (3)

Wonderful post... Very informational and educational as usual!

Acai Optimum

March 8, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterAcai Berry

I like this point very much...
"SPRINT SURCHARGES - Sprint Surcharges are rates we choose to collect from you to help defray costs imposed on us. Surcharges are not taxes on you or amounts we are required to collect from you by law. Surcharges may include: Federal USF, regulatory charges, administrative charges, gross receipts charges, and other charges incurred to recover costs associated with governmental programs, and certain taxes imposed upon Sprint."
Can u give more video post...
Email Database

April 3, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterSubjitha

Soon they will ask to pay for the toilet paper they use from 8 to 5 to wipe their asses

May 4, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterMichael

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