(SkyNewswire.com) --- Elder neglect is one of the most common forms of nursing home abuse, and it accounts for up to half of all nursing home injuries suffered by residents each year. If you have a loved one currently residing in a nursing home, you need to be familiar with signs of elder neglect so that you can make sure they are getting the care they deserve.

Passive Neglect
There are two different types of elder neglect. Passive neglect occurs when an older individual is ignored extensively or restrained for a long period of time. This type of neglect can come in the form of placing an older person in a wheelchair in a corner and preventing them from being able to leave. Passive neglect also occurs when cries or other requests are ignored because the staff doesn't believe the resident really needs help.

(SkyNewswire.com) --- While taking a loan from your retirement savings may be preferable to cashing out, the dangers of borrowing from your 401k are a serious threat to your retirement dreams. While they are actually a good deal, especially as loans go, the effect on your retirement savings can be devastating. Not every employer offers this as an option with their plan, but the ones who do are generally set up the same way. You will pay a very low interest rate and what you do pay will go back into your account. You can borrow up to $50,000, or 50% of your account balance, whichever is lower. You will have five years to finish repaying the balance.


So far, all of this sounds like a pretty great deal as far as loans go, and it is really! But there are dangers borrowing from your 401k, and too many people fall prey to them. To understand the consequences of some things you need to understand that when you cash out from your account you have to pay a penalty. This consists of both federal and state taxes, plus a ten percent early withdrawal penalty. Depending on your tax bracket this can easily add up to thirty to forty percent.

(SkyNewswire.com) --- In California, nursing home care can pose a serious problem for elderly residents and their families. Despite significant governmental efforts to improve care by providing additional funding for nursing homes, many homes have cut staff and decreased wages, leading to increased concerns over the quality of care. Patient advocates argue that staffing deficiencies commonly leads to neglect, which is the primary cause of injuries in nursing homes. Nursing home providers argue that they do not have the income to pay the wages necessary to attract quality caretakers so that staffing issues do not lead to injuries.


Nursing Home Quality Care Act of 2004
Lawmakers in California took notice of this problem and passed the Nursing Home Quality Care Act of 2004. The law was designed to attack two major nursing home issues: staffing needs and MediCal reimbursement. With more money at their disposal, legislators believed that nursing home operators would be able to hire more staff members and care for more medically fragile patients. Prior to the new law, MediCal reimbursement was $124 per day. Afterward, nursing homes could be reimbursed $152 per day for the same type of care.

(SkyNewswire.com) --- While most people assume that their aging loved ones will be treated with dignity and respect, the striking reality is that elder abuse is more common than you might realize. Being well informed about what constitutes elder abuse, and how you can recognize it when it happens, will ensure that you can take the necessary steps to intervene should you suspect that abuse is taking place.


Though the majority of elder abuse takes place in private residences (at the hands of family members), as much as 15 percent of it occurs in paid nursing homes or assisted living centers. Tragically, if your loved one is currently under the care of a third party (or he or she is receiving in-home aid), abuse could be occurring right under your nose. Perhaps most disturbingly, some studies indicate that only approximately one in five instances of abuse is ever reported.

(SkyNewswire.com) --- The Laverton is a historic Victorian building in the heart of Westbury, Wiltshire. It serves as the town council's headquarters and now, thanks to a 100,000 pounds Sterling refurbishment, doubles as a multi-function venue and community centre. Local schools, churches, groups and businesses use the Laverton for exhibitions, displays, cultural activities, meetings and training sessions. The council wants to ensure the building is accessible to the elderly and people with physical impairments. Indeed, as the Laverton is a public venue this is required under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). A movemanSKG Prestige platform lift allows wheelchair users to reach a large hall on
the first floor.

John Parker, Westbury Town Council's Project Officer, explains; "Our aim is to increase the Laverton's usage as a community centre and we are currently sourcing an additional 200,000 pounds Sterling through grant funding to develop the building further over the next three years. Disabled access is a top priority for Westbury Town Council and we fully support the DDA. movemanSKG's platform lift gets regular use and is essential to the normal operation of the Laverton."

(SkyNewswire.com)--- The Laverton is a historic Victorian building in the heart of Westbury, Wiltshire. It serves as the town council's headquarters and now, thanks to a 100,000 pounds Sterling refurbishment, doubles as a multi-function venue and community centre. Local schools, churches, groups and businesses use the Laverton for exhibitions, displays, cultural activities, meetings and training sessions. The council wants to ensure the building is accessible to the elderly and people with physical impairments. Indeed, as the Laverton is a public venue this is required under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). A movemanSKG Prestige platform lift allows wheelchair users to reach a large hall on the first floor.


John Parker, Westbury Town Council's Project Officer, explains; "Our aim is to increase the Laverton's usage as a community centre and we are currently sourcing an additional 200,000 pounds Sterling through grant funding to develop the building further over the next three years. Disabled access is a top priority for Westbury Town Council and we fully support the DDA. movemanSKG's platform lift gets regular use and is essential to the normal operation of the Laverton."

(SkyNewswire.com)--- VQ ActionCare, LLC, developer of high-quality fitness and lifestyle products for active older adults, experienced a more than 55 percent jump in sales of its Resistance Chair® during Q4 2009 and Q1 2010, further reinforcing VQ ActionCare’s position as a leading developer of older adult active lifestyle products. VQ ActionCare attributes partnering with Evolve Communications, new hires in the marketing and customer service divisions, a strategic trainer and reseller partnership with Hangar Orthopedic Group in Scottsdale, Ariz., educational marketing, and rising consumer demand as the fuel for its recent growth. VQ ActionCare’s customers are over the age of 45 and use the Resistance Chair to help maintain mobility and better overall health. The Resistance Chair is the most complete at-home exercise unit on the market specifically designed for older adults to meet their unique fitness needs.

“We are thrilled to see a 55 percent jump in our sales in just six months,” said Andrew Siminoff, media director, VQ ActionCare. “The older adult demographic is changing and becoming more active and fitness-minded. By maintaining VQ ActionCare’s focus on this niche market, through internal growth, continuous demographic education and strategic reseller partnerships, we have established the Resistance Chair as the trusted at-home exercise system.”

(SkyNewswire.com)--- Seniors hang on to their possessions for a variety of reasons from sentimental attachment to health issues that stand in the way of home upkeep and even safety. CAREGiversSM from the Home Instead Senior Care network have witnessed why seniors don’t want to give up their stuff, and they’ve offered solutions for what to do about it. The advice is timed appropriately both for spring cleaning and Home Safety Month in June, sponsored by the Home Safety Council; an observance that focuses on how to help keep homeowners safe in their homes.

CAREGiver Betty Collins remembers the half a dozen strips of yarn she found on her client’s rug. When she bent down to pick up and discard the yarn, her client stopped her with a resounding “no, no, no.” “She told me that her daughter, who has since died, played with the yarn when she was little,” Collins said. “She had to see that every day. “In addition, older adults are often set in their ways and everything to them becomes important,” Collins said. “Junk to us is their life. That builds up, and some seniors just don’t know what to do with it. A lot of older adults walk with a walker and live by themselves. They just set things aside and then become overwhelmed.”

Clutter can creep up on seniors before they know it, said Paul Hogan, co-founder and CEO of the Home Instead Senior Care network. “Piles of mail and unpaid bills, difficulty walking safely through a home, frustration trying to organize and difficulty managing activities of daily living are all signs that clutter could be posing a danger to older adults and driving families to the breaking point,” Hogan said. “That’s when it may be time for family caregivers to offer help and support.”

(SkyNewswire.com)--- When we think about mobile phones, the things we think of most are corporate employees and chatty teens. What we normally don't think about is our aging community and what their needs may be. However, it is in the most vulnerable groups in our society that mobile communication can play the most significant role, in the sense of keeping them connected at times in their life when they may require it the most. Senior citizens in this country are now a major group that companies are marketing mobile phones to. In fact, some companies are even designing more senior friendly phones.


The new phones are designed with just the basic mobile phone functions. Calling out, receiving calls and storing numbers in the phones internal phone book are the standard functions. This paired with larger buttons for easier dialing make these phones ideal for senior citizens. Now grandma doesn't have to spend 45 minutes trying to find a phone number and another 30 trying to see and push the tiny number buttons to call out.

(SkyNewswire.com)--- Early Retirement Investor.com has been developed to help British nationals find ways of achieving a comfortable and early retirement. Designed for any aspiring early retirement investor, both young and old, Early Retirement Investor.com offers access to relevant information on retirement, pensions, saving and investing –all in plain English – together with commentaries of its editor, Steven Dotsch, a lifelong income investor. Early Retirement Investor.com guides newcomers and the more advanced investment surfers to relevant web sites on how to do their own research, prepare their own stock analysis, select and monitor their own UK quoted investments with a view to retiring earlier and richer.

Steven Dotsch, founder and editing director of EMAR Publishing, said "In the current climate of huge budget deficits in the UK and an unstable international economic and financial situation, now more than ever individuals need to take responsibility in making sure that they can afford to retire when they want to. By empowering with the right information, Early Retirement Investor.com is about helping people to realise their potential to retire earlier and richer."

Early-Retirement-Investor.com
http://www.early-retirement-investor.com is a special interest portal for savers, investors and others with an interest in saving, investing in UK quoted shares, pensions and retirement.

(SkyNewswire.com)--- Towson, Md.– The work of a professional caregiver with Senior Helpers, the nation’s fastest growing provider of in-home care for seniors, was featured in a four minute segment on Good Morning America on May 10, 2010. The morning news segment highlighted the valuable work Senior Helpers caregivers do for elderly clients and their families in communities around the nation every day.


Good Morning America is the second highest rated morning newscast in the United States, averaging upwards of 4.6 million total viewers each day. The segment highlighted the daily routine of Shawn Villines, a hardworking caregiver from Spokane, Wash.


Peter Ross, CEO of Senior Helpers, commented on the ABC feature, “It was great for one of the Senior Helpers family to be featured on such a prominent national stage. Our caregivers work hard to provide the finest in-home care possible and are focused on improving quality of life for each Senior Helpers client around the country. It’s great to have our organization’s work highlighted and shown to the nation.” The segment “Gigonomics: The New Job Trend” can be found on the Good Morning America website, http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/.
For More information on Senior Helpers, visit www.seniorhelpers.com.

(SkyNewswire.com)--- Morris county fitness expert C. Carey Yang was interviewed and featured in a Daily Record Morris Life article syndicated with the Associated Press. Yang is the Founder and Master Trainer of Beyond Fitness Solutions in Denville, New Jersey. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on middle-aged women’s weight challenges has hit the news headline. According to the 13-year study on 34,079 middle-aged women, they gained an average of almost 6 pounds during the study. The findings suggest that at least an hour of moderate activity a day is needed for older women to avoid weight gain who aren’t dieting. “This is a wake-up for many middle-aged women to start taking charge of their health,” Yang said. “Hormonal changes in menopause and pregnancy are already two strikes against women,” Yang said. “But you’re not out yet – if you set realistic goals based on your personal needs and lifestyle, it’s not impossible to avoid weight gain.” Yang shares his strategies with middle-aged women how to avoid weight gain. It goes beyond just an hour of moderate exercise a day.

1. Know where you are. You got to know your numbers - weigh, body mass index (BMI), body fat, and waist measurement. User-friendly calculators can be found www.cdc.gov/healthy weight/assessing. If you are not sure, find a fitness trainer in the gym and hire one to your home for consultation.
2. Exercise right and amp up intensity. The study refers to an hour of moderate exercise. It doesn't mean you have to gym every day or run on treadmill or bike. Other activites such as walking, hiking, golfing all help 300 to 400 calories. If you increase the activity level and intensity, you can even burn more calories by running, aerobics or swimming.
3. Watch your calories. The truth is that you can't outtrain a bad diet. You can train all day, every day, but eat all night and more than you can burn off, you will gain weight.
4. Portion control. Most people are overweight for one simple reason: They eat too much. You have to learn what a serving size is. It varies depending on the type of food, form and measuring unit. You'll find calorie counting isn't that hard. It may be tough at first, but in time you'll find that you don't have to be stuffed to be satisfied.

About C. Carey Yang
C. Carey Yang, Your Dream Body WorkoutXpert, is a certified personal trainer and fitness boot camp instructor based in Denville, New Jersey. Yang is the founder and master trainer of Beyond Fitness Solutions, LLC providing in-home personal fitness training, backyard boot camp, wellness and lifestyle coaching, and fitness and weight-management seminar. Yang specializes in helping busy, working professionals who want safe, effective workouts with maximum results in minimum time. Yang is the creator of the 6-Step Dream Body Blueprint Body Transformation System.

(SkyNewswire.com)--- Hesham Magd (2003) examines the issue of employing older workers in the hospitality industry. The author introduces a number of socio-economical models and theoretical concepts in an attempt to study the perception of older individuals by modern organisations. Magd explains that the focus on the young people as the primary workers (especially as part-time employees) of the hospitality industry is rapidly changing. Until recently, old age, often starting in a person's 40s, was a time of decline, of diseases and lessened abilities. Because young adults, until recent decades, presented the main source of unskilled and thus low-paid labour to majority of companies in the tourism industry, older employees were regarded as more of a burden than benefit to the organisation. The author explains that “labour shortages resulted from the demographic time bomb”, which is the term “used to express the downturn in the population as a result of a drop in the birth-rate and the increasing life expectancy of the population” (Magd 2003, p. 393). Baby-boomers, the author states, got old, and the young people decided to receive higher education rather than suffice themselves with seasonal jobs.


Magd argues that for more than a few decades, many have been concerned about the strong, persistent tendency for hospitality industry companies to virtually force older employees out of the workforce or to make them take an option of early retirement. Today, fresh look is given to the older employees as many industries, including a tourist one need them. Until quite recently, much of the older employees group—whether workers, professionals, or managers— has been, on the whole, poorly managed and their resources were underutilised. For a long time, aging employees in hospitality industry have been largely cut off from job-related education, development, and promotional opportunities because they were approaching the retirement state. With the continued aging of the modern workforce (the number of employees between 45 and 59 years old will increase by 15% during 2005-2010) and the expanding influence of older employees, present-day directors can no longer afford to take a casual view of one of the few resources that are growing in quantity and quality. Perhaps nowhere are new attitudes, new practices, and new visions more needed than in the management of older employees and the opportunities they provide in the hospitality industry. The three objectives of the study presented by Magd (2003, p. 394) are:

(SkyNewswire.com)--- London(Shakespeare Finance ):According to the lobby group, the new tension could raise, regarding the charges imposed under the re-structured National Employment Savings Trust (NEST). This new model is designed to encourage users to save more but, the staff is expected to oppose the new charges imposed in this structure.As per the functioning process of new system, ever employee would avail the pension under his/her employers' pension scheme, in case the employer does not provide any saving plan.


CBI has recently studied the whole process and came up with the warning according to which the individuals would not be saving according to the needs.


Looking at the whole process with the vision of lenders, one can see that the lending like payday loans would come to a rise with this.

(SkyNewswire.com)--- The Senior Care Podcast by LivHOME has released Episode 19 -- Sex After 60.

In this episode, Mary Beth Hardy, LivHOME's Midwest Regional Director, discusses issues related to sexual activity among older adults, such as:


* the high incidence of sexually transmitted disease among this age group,
* how lack of privacy and mobility impact sexually active older adults, and
* ways adult children and caregivers can become advocates for sexually active seniors.


"Sex is a vital part of who were are -- both in youth and beyond. By keeping communication open, making accommodations in the physical environment, and understanding each individual's desires, we can promote health and quality of life for seniors as sexual beings," says Hardy.