Tag: pension

by Incredible Planet Staff

Our Tips For Preparing Your Loved One For Residential Care


People

It isn’t often that our loved ones go into residential care willingly and so making the decision to move them into a care home can be an emotionally-straining process. Whether you’re looking for the best care homes in Rugby, or you’re looking for something a little more rural, choosing the right care home is only half of the battle. Once you’ve chosen the perfect residency, it’s now time to prepare your loved one – and yourself – for their move. Here are our tips.

Organise The Support You’ll Both Need In Advance

If your loved one is going into nursing care, it could be worth having their GP or a social worker on hand throughout the entire process. From breaking the news, to communicating with the nursing home to give them the full run-down of everything that’s needed for their care, professionals can take off a lot of the stress you might feel like you’re facing alone. Similarly, keeping family and friends around to support both you and your loved one on the day and afterwards can make the entire move much easier. You aren’t going to be able to be by your loved ones side every moment for the first few days, but by organising people to visit when you can’t, your loved one won’t be left alone as they settle.

 

Personalise Your Loved One’s Room

If the care home allow personalisation of a resident’s room, then take full advantage. The more like home you can make the room seem, the more comfortable your loved one is going to be. Bring their most treasured belongings, their blankets and pillows, entertainment and frankly anything that might make them feel more at home while away from it.

Write A History Of Your Loved One For The Residency

This is especially useful if your loved one is suffering from dementia, but giving the care home a ‘life story’ can help them with how they care for them. By knowing more about how they grew up, how they lived before moving and everything in between will give them a reference to go off of to better understand anything your loved one says and give better chance at holding a valuable conversation to make them feel included and comfortable.

Develop Relationships With The Staff At The Home

Developing a relationship with the staff at the home whom are responsible for your loved one’s care will not only ensure a comfortable experience for all, but will also encourage a much better level of communication. The home may be experts in medical care, but you are the expert in your loved one and giving them all of the information they need about how to care for them will make the entire move much smoother. You know their quirks, their likes and dislikes, what you can and can’t do – pass on your wisdom!

Be Prepared To Feel Guilty

You’re going to feel guilty, no matter how much your loved one needs the care. You’ll feel guilty the moment you make the decision, and it will travel with you throughout the entire process of preparing and moving them into the home. Don’t hold onto feelings of guilt too much. It’s okay to feel this, but make sure you get support from family and friends to help you through it and if you feel like you need extra support, there are plenty of helplines available to provide exactly that.


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by Incredible Planet Staff

What to Consider Before Buying a Holiday Villa


People

While purchasing a second home is a dream of many, the reality is that it isn’t a decision that can (or should) be made lightly. It can make financial and logistical sense, but only if you ask yourself some serious questions.

Here are eight things to think about before taking the exciting (but slightly overwhelming) leap, and buying a holiday villa.

1. Can I afford it?

Despite popular opinion, real estate is not a liquid investment. You can’t presume or even count on the fact that you will be in a position to sell your holiday villa for a profit or even break-even — especially in your first few years of ownership.

There are definitely specific locales that are more likely to increase in value than others, Cassia at The Fields in Dubai being one of them. But it is up to you to do your research and speak with knowledgeable real estate professionals in your desired area.

2. Have I calculated all the costs?

When asking yourself whether or not you can actually afford a holiday villa, it is crucial that you keep in mind all of the costs. The price tag on the property is only a part (a hefty chunk, but still just a portion) of what you will need to spend.

Calculate the cost of utilities, HOA or condo fees, property taxes, insurance and the cost of furnishing a new home even down to the forks, candles, and rugs.

Bear in mind that if you are buying a holiday villa in a resort area, you and your family may also want skis, snowboards, kayaks, water toys or other gear. Oh, and don’t forget the travel costs to get there and back!

3. How often am I going to be able to visit?

Speaking of travel costs, another area where you need to be realistic is when it comes to how often you are genuinely going to be able to visit.

It should go without saying that your holiday villa should be in a destination that you love and want to return to often (have you seen the Meydan Villas in Dubai or holiday villas in Thassos, Greece?)!

That being said, take into account the price of roundtrip travel, your ability to get time off work or your children out of school, and the length of travel time and the time differences.

4. Am I interested in renting out my holiday villa?

If you aren’t going to be able to frequent the villa often enough to make the purchase advantageous, then consider renting out your unit. In addition to the monetary benefits, it will also ensure that your holiday villa isn’t sitting uninhabited for lengthy stretches of time.

However, if you do choose to rent out your holiday villa, you must be aware that this route will also come with expenses. For example, in between tenants, you will be required to pay for cleaning. You may also have to invest in advertising your villa, and possibly even for property management.

Furthermore, if your holiday villa is located in a resort, there is a good chance the resort will be required to take a percentage.

5. Am I even allowed to rent it out?

First things first, not all holiday villas can be rented out. With the growth of sites such as Airbnb, many condo associations and cities have set specific rules for rentals.

As mentioned previously, some resorts may also necessitate you to utilize their in-house programs, which will decide specifications for things such as interior furnishings and amenities.

If you are considering renting out your second home, make sure to research the specific rules of the community or neighborhood thoroughly prior to making an offer.

6. What is the realistic calculation of my return on investment?

For many people, owning a vacation home is part of their overall investment strategy. If this is the case for you, ensure that you are not being blindsided by the longing for a second place, and make sure it is actually a smart money move.

Sit down with your accountant or financial advisor, and estimate a realistic calculation of your returns, and then compare it against other uses of the same money.

7. How will I protect the villa when it is unoccupied?

The fact of the matter is that unoccupied homes invite unwelcome guests or intruders. For this reason, safeguard yourself and your belongings, and take steps to prevent your holiday villa from appearing uninhabited.

Your plan of action may include installing lights on timers, or asking friends or neighbors to come over, collect the mail, and park in your driveway. Brainstorm ways to make it not so visible that someone isn’t permanently home.

8. Do I have a foolproof plan for emergencies?

However, in the case of an emergency, you want to guarantee you have a plan of action. If you are unable to visit the villa regularly, identify someone who can.

Within the first couple of weeks of owning the home, introduce yourself to a hardworking and trustworthy handyman or better yet, a property manager who can arrange for any repairs quickly and safely.

After discussing these questions with your family, you will be in a sensible mindset to make the thrilling decision to add a second home to your family’s lifestyle!

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by Ibrahim Khader

7 Reasons Why You Should Consider Home Health Care for a Loved One


People

The goal of professional home health care is to ensure that the elderly and ill patients receive personal, sympathetic and high quality care. Because of this personalized service, more and more patients and their families prefer it.

When you need to enlist help for managing a loved one’s chronic disease or a specific disability, it’s important that you have someone who can provide care even when you’re not around. For most individuals, receiving health care at home makes them feel more confident and functional. Recovering patients get help in maintaining their sense of dignity and security.

What to consider when getting a health care service?

When someone in the family isn’t in tip-top physical condition, it can cause stress and discomfort for everyone concerned. A trusted health care service provider can help ease your burdens while you continue with your normal day-to-day routine.

But before proceeding, you need to do the following:

  1. Understand the difference between home care and home health care.

At first, they may both sound similar so it’s easy to mistake one for the other. A home health care service involves a trained professional or a nurse staff which doctors recommend as part of a treatment plan. On the other hand, a home care service is usually done by a non-clinical staff who assists patients with daily tasks.

  1. Do some research on what services your home health care service provides.

Once you already have an idea that your chosen home health care agency provides the professional care you need, check out their list of services. Most traditional home health care providers offer the following:

  • Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy
  • Home Health Aid – Helps a patient accomplish basic personal activities like walking, dressing bathing, etc.
  • Medical Social Services
  • Nursing – Ostomy care, wound dressing, medication, IV therapy and general health support and monitoring
  1. Choose a home health care service that builds a bridge between you and the doctor.

The road to making your loved one feel better can be very overwhelming. When you forget all the doctor’s instructions, a home health care service translates these instructions into a treatment plan. The agency acts as the doctor’s eyes and ears to coordinate the best care for your loved one.

Besides the assurance that your loved one is well taken care of, there are still many benefits that a personal health care service can offer. Below are seven reasons why you should consider getting a home health care provider.

  1. Affordability

A professional home health care provider gives quality care and is generally more affordable than a nursing home. If the patient is an elderly person, keeping them at home will make them happier while not costing as much as a nursing facility. A home health care provider also gives reasonable and simple pricing rates which don’t always involve monthly and annual contracts.

  1. Home Comfort

For a sick family member, the feeling of being at home while recovering makes them more comfortable. With friends and family around to support them, they can recover faster. Also, patients become more responsive to therapies and treatments as they’re likely to cooperate since they feel more secure in their homes.

  1. One-on-one care

Home health care services provide personal and professional nursing and medical care. As the nurse only focuses on one patient, it allows for dedicated and careful service. Also, the patient is less prone to maltreatment and injuries.

With one-on-one care, you can make sure that your loved one gets the necessary medical attention while being comfortable at home.

  1. Family Togetherness

In times of sickness or any health challenges, a strong family bond is vital. The family is the best source of emotional support. Since your loved one is in an environment that you have full access to, you can personally monitor their condition.

More than being in the comforts of home, you can prevent your loved one from feeling neglected. Letting loved ones stay at home despite their health condition will make them feel valued and loved. They will also be more emotionally healthy compared to those who are staying in medical care institutions.

  1. Independence and Confidence

A home setting is not a restrictive environment for your loved one which means they get to remain engaged in their daily routine. With a home health care service, your loved one has full control and the ability to lead an independent and meaningful life while recovering.

  1. Diet and Nutrition Support

Individuals with chronic conditions are at risk of poor nutrition. Home health care ensures that your loved one gets the right nutrition to stay healthy and aids in their recovery. Most home health care providers include the preparation of home-cooked meals and nutritional counselling to prevent malnutrition as part of their services.

  1. Medication Management

It can be confusing to manage many prescriptions for a loved one. A home health care professional makes sure that the patient takes the right medications on an exact schedule. Enlisting help from a health care provider prevents harmful drug interactions and health conditions.

Obtain peace of mind

More than ensuring the best care for your loved one, a home health care gives you peace of mind as well. Juggling everyday responsibilities while taking care of a loved one can be very difficult. With responsibilities such as a career and kids, it can be almost impossible for you to give all the attention the patient needs.

Having a professional nurse at home allows you to efficiently manage all of your adult responsibilities. And you can give the love and support your loved one needs since you have full access to the patient at home.