Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

Not to sound like a home improvement article but, with winter just around the corner there are some tasks around the house that should be done to prepare for the bitter chill and harsh elements we typically face here in Minnesota. Especially for the our loved ones that are in their own homes and we want them to feel safe and protected.

Take just a few minutes with some basic tools to do it yourself. You’ll save money and have great satisfaction in knowing you did it yourself. So grab your toolbox, get a grip on your patience and dig in. Here are five winter tasks you might not even know you can successfully tackle:

1. Shut off outdoor water spigots: Your faucets outside can freeze and break in extreme cold if the valve inside your house isn’t turned off. This task is as easy as finding the valve and turning it to the right until it’s tight. If you don’t know where the valve is, note how many feet the faucet is from the corner of the outside wall. Then go inside (usually to the basement wall) and measure from the same corner. The valve should be high on the inside wall near the foundation. After you shut it off, go outside and turn on the spigot to drain any remaining water. Don’t forget to drain hoses and store them inside so excess water does not freeze and cause the hose to crack.

2. Change your furnace filter: It’s important to change your filter once a month in the winter when the furnace is in high gear. Doing so will help it run more efficiently, which will save you money and keep cleaner air distributing throughout the house. If you don’t know which type of filter your furnace uses, check the owner’s manual. You can also remove the filter (with the furnace turned off) and take it to the hardware store to match it up. Most filter sizes go by standard inches (example: 16 x 22) and are about 1 inch thick. Once you find the filter slot in your furnace, simply pull it out. Some furnaces have a clip that holds the filter in place. Most filters, which are inexpensive, are disposable, so toss the old one then slide the new one in its place and secure the clip.

3. Winterize your lawn mower: To make sure your mower starts in the spring, drain the remaining gas from the tank by running the mower until it stops. If you’re unable to drain the gas or have a gas/oil mix, buy additives to treat your gas so it doesn’t go bad during the winter months.

4. Get your fireplace ready: Now is a great time to give your fireplace a once over and possibly even hire a chimney sweep to reduce the risk of a chimney fire. Take a good look at your damper and make sure it opens and closes properly. Also take a look at the mortar between the bricks (tuck points) inside the fireplace. If it’s crumbling or loose, arrange to have a mason make repairs. If you haven’t had your chimney cleaned in a few years, make that call.

5. Install storm windows and doors: It’s important to remove your screens for the winter to allow optimum sunlight for added warmth. Replace them with storm windows and doors. Most attach easily with a screwdriver to tighten four or five screws around the edges. But they’re all different and some involve vinyl or rubber edging that, when pushed into place, seals the storm door in place. Storm windows are key to helping conserve energy, so don’t ignore this task.

6. Lastly, make sure you have good snow shovels: It never fails, when the first snow falls and you go to shovel out you don’t have a shovel that can do the job. Worse yet, by the time you go to buy one most stores are sold out.

Again, not to sound like a home improvement article but, I bring this topic up since there always seems to be some tragic home care story that hits the news during the dead of winter that could have been prevented if some precautions around the home were cared for.

It’s important to know, Aspirience Home Care can help you with your home care options by keeping your loved ones where they are most comfortable and safe at home.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

I’m sure this is not news to anyone but, The Carlyle Group, a private-equity investment firm with investments in business sectors ranging from aerospace to telecommunications, is about to buy its way into Ohio’s nursing home market.

A cash offer to buy HCR Manor Care, the owner of some 500 nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, rehabilitation centers and hospice and home-care agencies in 30 states, including Ohio, received Manor Care shareholders’ approval this week.

The deal is getting resistance, especially from the Service Employees International Union, which has launched a nationwide campaign to get Carlyle to guarantee that if the homes change hands, the new owners will improve care and staff levels.

What a great idea!

A recent investigation by the New York Times lends an extra degree of credibility to the SEIU’s concerns. The newspaper found that private equity firms, which have bought into the nursing home industry in a big way since 2000, show a disturbing tendency to manage their properties with a great deal more concern about the bottom line than about proper staffing and patient care.

The Times also found that once they’ve gained control of a nursing home chain, private-equity firms use intricate management structures to insulate themselves from liability when things go wrong. In fact, it’s often hard to tell whose nursing homes they are.

Now comes Carlyle, with its plans for Manor Care and its 44 homes in Ohio, a state where the nursing home industry already has one of the most powerful influences.

State nursing home regulators should turn a stern gaze on the quality of care given at homes bought by private equity firms. Decreases in the level of staff, something Manor Care’s current ownership says will not happen, must be treated as cause for immediate concern.

Taking care of aging people who can no longer live independently is a big business, and it’s only going to get bigger as the baby boom generation goes deeper into its twilight years. But those who profit must be held accountable for the level of care they provide.

There’s no reason why private equity firms can’t do the job right. But like other nursing home owners, they’re going to have to be watched closely and constantly by regulators and residents’ families, to keep them honest.

It’s important to know, Aspirience Home Care can help you with your home care options by keeping your loved ones where they are most comfortable and safe at home.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

A long-time provider of child daycare services will close Friday, Dec. 7.

Kids Care Center, 640 N. Main St., River Falls, WI, will go out of business on that date. Families using Kids Care are now being assisted in their efforts to find other daycare providers.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

What exactly is a skilled nursing facility? The definition is a medical facility offering similar services as a hospital, providing care for the appropriate seniors with optional long-term or short-term care. The price of skilled nursing home care is rising rapidly every year. However, skilled nursing homes are an excellent choice for those who require medical professionals. But they are not for every senior. Some seniors just need help with their activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, preparing food, going to the bathroom, or bathing.

Is it necessary for a senior to be in an expensive nursing home facility when all they need in assistance with their ADLs?

As a matter of fact, there are a number of elderly folk who are in skilled nursing home facilities who only need help with their ADLs, due to the lack of experience and the knowledge, they are unaware of the options that are accessible to them. Skilled nursing homes supply solutions for patients with complicated medial issues. The problems the residents could have may include mental illness such as dementia, physical illnesses like major infections, wound care, IV therapy, tube feeding, and physical/occupational therapy.

There are many attainable alternatives to skilled nursing home care if a senior does not need the 24 hour service from a skilled nurse just to help them prepare a meal or something simple. Retirement housing options are abundant across the United States, assisted living, private, or senior living communities are just a few of the facilities offered.

Assisted living is a considerable alternative for elderly people who just need a little help to get them through the day and probably also one of the most common for retired seniors. A great benefit of assisted living is the resident can live in their own home, apartment, or retirement community and have a care giver come over and cook them lunch or help them get dressed or what ever they need help with to get them through the day. The resident still has their privacy and freedom in the comfort of their own space. Basically, assisted living homes are homes that provide care for seniors who are incapable of living alone and just need help with the ADLs, and do not require skilled nursing home care.

However, if the senior has more needs with assistance and medical issues then a skilled nursing home facility is probably their best bet to get the care they need. A skilled care nursing home is required to customarily have other professionals on board to assist with patients needs. A social worker is typically on staff to assist the residents with their emotional problems and arrangements for the patients care. Occupational and physical therapists work within the structure of care, reporting progress to the doctors and coordinating specifically ordered therapies. The nurses generally take care of administering medications and prescriptions.

Individuals contemplating a skilled nursing home should investigate their choices and options of their individual situation before making a decision. There are different types of nursing home care options to choose from and in some cases the best plan of care is to just stay at home and have a care giver come over and help.

It’s important to know, Aspirience Home Care can help with long term care by keeping your loved ones at home where they are most comfortable and safe.

Author

Thomas Wiest

CEO, Aspirience Home Care

PRESS RELEASE – Shakopee, Minnesota, October 1, 2007 – Aspirience Home Care to sponsor The Minnesota Epilepsy Foundation’s Maximize Your Care Convention.

This annual conference, being held Saturday, November 10th at the Radisson University Hotel 615 Washington Avenue S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55414, brings together national and local experts for a full day of education, information and support.

Understanding what happens in your doctor’s office or during the various tests for epilepsy and how to best prepare for your visits has a big impact on how well your seizures will be controlled.

Conference speakers will explain what happens during tests ordered for people with epilepsy, how to prepare for your follow-up visits and how to communicate with health care providers.

Other speakers will discuss the latest on anti-seizure medications, epilepsy surgery, VNS and brain stimulation for epilepsy. Our goal is to provide practical information to help you take charge of your epilepsy care.

The conference includes an exhibit area, where sponsors, such as Aspirience Home Care, and exhibitors can have face-to-face conversations with event attendees and volunteers.

Conference agenda:

8:15 a.m. Registration & Continental Breakfast - view exhibits

8:45 a.m. Welcome

9:00 a.m. Diagnosis and History: Neurological Exam Demonstration

• Fredrick Langendorf, MD, Hennepin County Medical Center

9:40 a.m. Imaging and EEG’s

• Tom Henry, MD, University of Minnesota

10:20 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Teaming with Your Physician: Get the Most Out of Your Visit

• Sarah Engkjer RN, BSN, Minnesota Epilepsy Group
• Role Play (Ted Walczak, M.D. MINCEP Epilepsy Care and John Thompson)

11: 20 a.m. Break/Lunch

11:45 a.m. Managing Your Medications

• Jeannine Conway, Pharm.D., University of Minnesota

12:30 p.m. Treatment Options Update

• Medication: Patricia Penovich, MD, Minnesota Epilepsy Group
• Devices: Ilo Leppik, MD, University of Minnesota
• Surgery Options: Ted Walczak, MD, MINCEP Epilepsy Care

1:30 p.m. Panel Q&A

2:00 p.m. Closing/Adjourn

This conference was a huge success last year and attracted professionals, care givers, people with Epilepsy and many of their family members. This year the expected turnout will be even higher. You can reach the Epilepsy Foundation at 1600 University Ave, Suite 205, St. Paul, MN 55105 or by phone at 651-287-2300.

It’s important to know, you can partner with a home care provider like Aspirience to help you too.