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How to choose a senior living option that is right for you

Happy senior friends spending time together

“Who  will care for you?” The October 2017 Consumer Reports cover story about senior living  asks.

Preparing for needed care in old age is a subject  that  gets joked about or shoved into a back corner.  Watching it unfold in real life is not so funny!

Dear friends of mine in their 80s  ended up moving into a senior apartment during a time when their nearby family was in the midst of a life-threatening medical crisis.

The elderly  husband was weak from a recent hospital stay.  His wife is experiencing more “senior moments” these days.  Their downsizing and moving experience was extremely traumatic despite hired movers!

Downsizing and moving while in your 80’s is not for sissies!

Safe senior living is a  topic we need to discuss with our parents and our children. Single? Even more reason to prepare.

Asking some basic questions is a place to start.  If you write down your answers, the decision-making process may become clearer.

  • Does your current medical history imply you may need a great deal of care in your old age?
  • Do you have family who has clearly stated they want you to move in with them?
  • Do you want to live with loved ones who have offered?
  • How much will it cost?
  • How soon will you have to move?
  • What can you afford with your retirement budget?
  • What type of living facility would you like and enjoy?

According to Penelope Wang, author of the  Consumer Reports article “Who will care for you?”,  the average  assisted living “move-in age”  in 2016 was 84. That may be pushing the envelope, though. What a hard age to make a major move!

It’s a difficult decision of timing for many. If you have a home nest where you’ve spent many years and made many memories, tearing up those roots is so painful. It’s your comfort zone. It’s home, sweet, home.

On the flip side, there is the cost and stress of home maintenance. Your home many not be aging as gracefully as you are.

What if aging or ill health has already taken a toll?

Unfortunately,  some assisted living residents actually belong in a nursing home where 24/7 care is available.  The intense level of medical care they actually need at this age is not fully available in a stand-alone assisted living home. What kind of care do you or your loved one need?

Maybe what is needed is an assisted living with specialized care. Many assisted living facilities are offering dementia care.  Some include care for Parkinson’s disease and very commonly, for diabetes.

When you are looking at your options,  have an honest discussion with each facility about your medical conditions.  Care matters!

Continuing-Care Communities are an option with flexiblity.  Maybe you are breezing easily through your 70s with few health issues.  You just want to shed the homeowner’s responsibilities and kick up your heels a bit. Downsizing sounds good to you. You are a canidate for an independent living unit.

With independent living units, you can enjoy your health and privacy.  If and when you require additional care, you can transfer into assisted living facilities on the same campus.

Small group homes are another option.

My grandmother with Parkinson’s was actually transferred near the end of her life from an assisted living into a small private home with a few rooms available for seniors. Happily this was a very specialized private care home able to give her more personalized care.

However, many small group homes are simply a healthy group of seniors each renting  a single bedroom and sharing common living spaces and common dining.  For the socially-minded down-sizer, this could be the perfect choice.

The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care was started as a voice for nursing home reform  in 1975.

They provide detailed information about the positives and negatives of each option here:  http://theconsumervoice.org/issues/recipients

Are you happy with the care your loved one receives now in a nursing or assisted living home?  Concerned that your loved one may be experiencing nursing home neglect or abuse?

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC  will take your concerns seriously and provide aggressive, knowledgeable  legal defense. You need an experienced nursing home abuse attorney today!

Check here for the signs of nursing home neglect or assisted living abuse: http://steimel-law.com/nursing-home.html

Call for your free consultation  today at 636-244-3737. 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

 

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National Child Passenger Safety Week — 3 ways to protect your child from personal injury

According to the Centers for Disease Control,  more than 121,350 children  ages 12 and under were injured and 602 chldren  died in car accidents in 2014!  Statistics like these are why September 17-23, 2017 is National Child Passenger Safety Week.

This hits close to home for anyone who loves and cares for children. In fact, car seat and seatbelt use saved the lives of both of my friend’s neices a few years ago. Sadly, this horrific accident claimed the lives of three adults in the same vehicle.

Here’s another story I’ll never forget:

A fifteen passenger van collided with a semi-truck on a high speed highway years ago wiping out almost the entire vanload of passengers. A tiny survivor was found still strapped into his car seat in the middle of the highway, basically uninjured.

You may have a similar story to tell.  No doubt, child safety seats and seatbelts save lives!

Parents and caregivers, you can help protect our most precious natural resource — your children — whenever they travel in a vehicle.

Here are three simple steps to improve child passenger safety:

1.) Choose the right safety seat.
This sounds like a no-brainer. But, if you are a busy parent  or childcare provider with multiple children,  this step might fall through the cracks.

There are basically four types of car seats/restraints suitable for children — rear facing, forward facing, booster, and seat belt.

The appropriate type of child safety restraint changes with size and age.

For an excellent guide on which restraint is appropriate for your children’s size and age, check out this page: https://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/Car-Seat-Types.htm?view=full

2.)  Check to see if your child safety seat  may be unsafe due to excess usage or involvement in a car crash:

Sometimes  budget constraints cause us to “make do” with what we have on hand.  A car seat’s buckles and straps get worn out by multiple users, limiting their effectiveness in an auto accident.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Advisory (NHTSA) advises against reusing a car seat that has been in a moderate to severe car accident.

How do we define a moderate to severe car crash? Again,  www.safercar.gov has a helpful brief guide here:  https://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/Using-Car-Seat-After-Crash.htm?view=full

Did you know that you can get your car seat inspected for safety and correct installation  for free?

To find a free inspection station near you, check out the link on NHTSA’s website.  https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats#inspection-inspection

3.)  Buckle up that tween in the back seat away from airbags. This may be the most difficult step to follow!  Gulp.

We wear seat belts in our family. Period. That’s a non-negotiable. It’s also the law.

Riding in the car’s front passenger seat, however, is another battle for a coveted spot!

It’s common knowledge that many car accidents damage the front of the car. So, the back seat is usually safer for children ages 12 and under.

Why? That’s the question your tween will ask. Ha! Here’s your bullet-proof answer. Airbags deploy at approximately 200 mph.

Imagine the damage this could inflict to anyone, let alone a child!  If you parent a tween,  you will have to decide if this is a risk worth fighting for.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the state of Missouri, children under 16 must wear a seat belt.  Unfortunately, this does not apply to school buses or public carriers for hire.  We have safety issues that still need to be addressed!

National Child Passenger Safety Week is just a friendly reminder to help you protect your most valuable treasures — your children.

If you or your child are injured in an auto accident due to another’s negligence, you need a car accident lawyer to fight for the compensation you deserve!  A good car accident attorney will help you handle the insurance company as well as expertly represent you in court.

You will need money to cover injuries, damages, loss of work, and the many hidden costs of a car crash.

Do not settle with your insurance company without first contacting an experienced car crash attorney! 

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC believes in fighting aggressively for your rights. Call to schedule your free evaluation at 636-244-3737 today!

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

 

 

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Ride to survive — bicycle safety and enjoyment tips

While the National Bike Challenge of 2017 ends on September 30th,  that won’t stop you from pedaling along if you are a bike enthusiast!  (Be sure to sign up next May for the next National Bike Challenge.)

You may love to cycle for many reasons.  The crisp, cool fall weather is the perfect time to get out and go cycling!

Commute to work, anyone?  We have a friend who regularly cycled twenty-plus miles each way to work for a few years. Only bad weather dampened his enthusiasm.  That’s a lot of leg power!

Small town or big city dweller, cycling to work has seen a 40% increase since 2000 according to this  Business Insider  article.

http://www.businessinsider.com/13-reasons-you-should-bike-to-work-2012-10

My favorite reason  for biking to work cited by the  author was the overall health benefits.  Places like Portland, Oregon have invested in a biking culture with the potential of saving millions of dollars in healthcare expenses over the years.

Fresh air, sunshine, and exercise are probably the top reasons people enjoy biking. 

Cycling is great personal therapy!  You cycle to get away from the “rat race” and to feel the wind in your face.

For you, biking is a wonderfully healthy hobby.

Want to explore a new trail away from the traffic? If you live in the greater St. Louis area, there are  many trails options to enjoy.

You can check them out here:  https://www.traillink.com/cityactivity/st-charles-mo-bike-trails/

Riding bikes together can promote family unity and happiness. 

Skinned knees and scraped hands — who remembers the thrill of learning to ride your own bike?

I was reminded of this childhood rite of passage when visiting with a nephew and niece this summer.  Their young faces beamed with pride as they boasted of their new skills on wheels!

Commuting, therapy or hobby cycling, and family cycling — wherever you roll, you want to stay safe and avoid being an bicycle accident statistic.

The good news is that only 2% of traffic deaths in 2014 were bicyclists!  To help stay on the good side of those statistics,  a quick run-down of safety rules on a regular basis is helpful.  Read and share the love (and safety) with your family!

Basic Bicycle Safety Tips:

  • Protect your brain-power. Wear a proper-fitting safety helmet.
  • Follow all traffic laws. It’s the law!
  • Avoid cycling at dawn, dusk, and after dark. Even with safety reflectors, bike lights, and light-colored clothing, bicycles and pedestrians are still almost invisible at these times of day.
  • Make sure your bike is in tip-top shape — no faulty brakes or leaky tires.
  • Cut out distractions such as cell-phone usage or listening to music on headphones.
  • Wear protective and reflective clothing. Fellow flip-flop wearer?  Well, just give them up for the ride!
  • Avoid drinking and riding. Why? One in five fatal bike crashes involved a cyclist with a blood alcohol content of .08  according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/bicyclists
  • Printable bike safety tips are available from AAA: http://exchange.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/AAA-Bike-Basics.pdf

Sadly, even the best bicycle safety practices cannot prevent all accidents due to a negligent driver. If you or a loved one are suffering with a personal injury from a bicycle accident due to a careless driver, you need expert legal help and advice!

http://steimel-law.com/personal-injury.html

The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC will give you a free consultation and a fair evaluation of your personal injury case with an experienced personal injury attorney.  Call 636-244-3737 to get help today!

 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How you can help prevent work-related back pain

Sometimes your job is just plain a pain in the BACK!

According the Mayo Clinic’s website, back pain is one of the leading causes of disability! It’s also a very common reason people miss work.

Truthfully, neither you nor your employer win if you miss work.  Even if you have paid time off, it’s no fun if you’re miserable!

While many factors aggravate back pain, there are some common causes for work-related back injuries.  Know your possible back pain triggers and protect yourself!

Believe it or not, sitting at a desk all day is a common cause of back pain.
Not using good posture is one key reason for this.  Poor back support is another aggravating factor.   Your boss can take the rap for cheap office chairs. Only you can prevent poor posture!

Here are a few tips to help you take control of your posture:

Lots of repetitive motion is another key factor in work-related back pain.

If you work in a factory doing assembly-line work, you know exactly what this means. The list of jobs requiring repetitive motions  is seemingly endless.

One summer I lost a lot of sleep for months due to pain from  repetitive motion injuries to my neck and upper back.

Here is a small list given to me by my physical therapist that helped me to recover.

  • Gently strengthening core muscles is key to helping with back pain due to repetitive motion.
  • Listen to your body.  Change up the direction of your motion if you can.  Always bend with your knees.
  • Give yourself a daily massage or ask a friend! Stretch and rub sore muscles  during breaks.  Make sure you take those required breaks, too!

Heavy lifting is the most obvious pain-in-the-back culprit.

It’s a double whammy to work at job in which you must do both repetitive motions and heavy lifting. UPS and FedEx, anyone?

Movers, mechanics,  nurses and medical staff, child-care workers, and almost everyone in the construction industry — our vital “movers and shakers” are everywhere!

Proper back support is key. Most companies that require a lot of heavy lifting will provide a handy back brace. In fact, check your workplace regulations if in doubt.

Practice proper lifting techniques. Thankfully, my summer job at an upholstery shop years ago emphasized this.  “Bend with your KNEES, not your back.”   Have you ever hauled seven couches in one afternoon?  Knees bent– back saved!

Have you injured your back due to your line of work? You want to work, but your back screams at you every day?

Do you have  back pain that lasts for more than two weeks? This is considered chronic back pain. Chronic back pain is often debilitating and can lead to depression.  You just want to be able to function, right?

Seeing a doctor for an evaluation is vital. Doctor’s records and notes are also a genuine evidence of your work-related back pain if you need to apply for workers’ compensation.

Is your workplace ignoring your back pain? Are you out of paid time off? Are you unsure if you qualify for workers’ compensation?

If you are struggling to work due to back pain caused by your line of work, you may qualify for workers’ compensation to give your body time to rest and heal. You need the help of an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer!

http://steimel-law.com/workers-comp.html

 

At The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC  we  aggressively help employees win workers’ compensation and personal injury cases in both Missouri and Illinois.

Attorney Steimel says, “Under the Missouri and Illinois laws governing workers’ compensation, you can be compensated for most types of injuries suffered at work, no matter who was at fault for the injury.”

Call 636-244-3737 for your free consultation today.

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.