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Sunday, 25 May 2008 06:00 |
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PRESS RELEASE For free distribution in any medium. Word count
727 at 60 characters per line Contact: Linda LaPointe,
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Work & eldercare is a difficult marriage for the half of all
employees who are caring for an aging loved one.
You may know the facts:
The cost of absenteeism, shortened or interrupted work
days is $29 billion a year. The cost of replacing
employees who leave due to eldercare responsibilities is $4.93
billion a year. Many spend up to 8 hours per week on the
phone with eldercare issues, come in late & take more time off.
One half of employees care for dependent adults.
Three fourths of elder caregivers are in the workforce.
One third of caregivers acknowledge their eldercare
responsibilities interfere with work.
These issues not only concern the employer, they also greatly
concern the employee who wants to do a good job. Yet most
caregivers don’t know what kind of help or information to ask
for and often tell Linda LaPointe, CaregiverCoach, “It’s
difficult to concentrate on a project when I feel like you
should make a call or stop in to check on Mom & Dad.” “Education
is the key,” LaPointe says, “so caregivers have some idea what
to expect and how to help.”
Having seen both sides of the aging situation as a former
administrator and now as a Geriatric Care Manager, Linda
LaPointe remembers the day she knew what she would do to help
families in crisis. She tells us about it:
The 60ish man looked to be assisting his father from the
passenger side of the car, when he suddenly and shockingly, in
one swift movement, slammed the car door, leapt to the sidewalk
and yelled, “You old f------ son of a b------!”, leaving the
older man in the car. Watching this from the next car, it was
the final straw. I was determined to develop a simulation so
that adult children of aging parents could get some idea what it
must be like to grow old and how they can assist their loved
ones, as so often they don’t know what to do. The hurt, the
fear, the anger, the defeat, the exhaustion; I’d seen it all,
over and over again. I could not remember how many times I had
told caregivers, “S/he isn’t doing that on purpose just to upset
you.” Some, relieved, believed me. Others, resentful, would
never believe me. In My Shoes: Growing Old is now a boardgame.
“People can attend days of lecture and seminars and not be as
affected as when they spend one hour moving around the
gameboard, living ‘in my shoes’, as one who is aging.” declares
Linda LaPointe, author of the simulation. She has watched
players “come away with more understanding, patience and empathy
after they have ‘experienced’ being an elder facing the many
challenges, joys and losses.” It is good for employee assistance
professionals, administrators and direct supervisors as well as
the workers who are caregivers.
LaPointe explains that we learn more when our emotions are
called upon. We are engaged and energized by our feelings, not
by facts. “When we can really ‘feel your pain’ we don’t forget
it.” Emotions impress or imprint upon our memories. “One woman
thanked me for a ‘beautiful piece of work’. I’m glad that so
many have been positively impacted by it. I did it with great
respect and compassion, yet kept the humor and a lighthearted,
upbeat optimism.” LaPointe is gratified when people are heard to
say, “Now I really get it….in my gut.”
Years in the making, this new and innovative learning tool, In
My Shoes: Growing Old is now available to the general public,
employers and long term care communities for training staff.
Players will experience: •physical, social, financial, spiritual
& emotional aspects of aging •common conditions of aging
•adaptive devices & treatments available to retain independence
•tips to age gracefully or to help others do so •long term care
& advanced planning options It can be used over and over, and
has an accompanying manual packed with instructions,
information, resources and exercises which can be used to create
a 1-8 hour educational session. Training can be fun & games.
Step up to the challenge with In My Shoes: Growing Old.
Learn more, see the game or order from http://www.SOSpueblo.com
or contact Linda LaPointe toll free at 866.241.7009 or email at
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Saturday, 15 March 2008 14:00 |
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Baby Strollers and Carriers for New Parents
Just about to have your first baby? Congratulations!!! You are
about to embark on one of the greatest moments in Life. I
remember having our first child. What a fantastic experience.
The fun of the anticipation leading up to the birth was like
Christmas eve for a four year old!
The part of having you baby that can be a bit overwhelming is
the preparation period. Especially for first time parents. You
have the nursery to decorate, a crib to buy, clothes, formula,
bottles, bottle sterilizers, bibs, diapers, a diaper Genie,
bouncers, toys, blankets, and of course a carrier and stroller
so you can actually leave home again! Whew!!!!
I"m just going to focus on strollers and
carriers because without them, you are just about stuck
at home for 3 years.
An Array of Products Available For Today"s Baby
With out first child, we wanted everything to be perfect.
(Since then, I have discovered that we were not alone). So when
shopping for that first stroller, we had little experience at
what was a good choice. Our shopping methods revolved around
safety and comfort for the baby (which is important). We looked
at a lot of strollers and eventually purchased the "Cadillac"
stroller that had a long sturdy frame, extra soft wheels (for
added comfort) and a seat that looked like a miniature Lazy Boy
recliner!
It had a ton of extras! unfortunately for us, we didn"t think
past the stroller itself.Things like... one of us would actually
have to lift this heavy thing out of the trunk and unfold it and
its many components EVERY time we went out with the baby! The
thing must have weighted sixty pounds!
The other half of the formula we missed was the fact that every
time we went some where, we had to unbuckle junior from the car
seat (a five point harness mind you) and carefully and gently
lift him from car seat firmly fastened in the back seat and
place him gingerly in the stroller seat, then buckle him in
there. Only to return from a fifteen minute stroll through the
drug store to go through this routine once again! Let"s hope it
wasn"t raining!!!
After about four months of this self inflicted, back straining,
time consuming regimen, we both agreed that we needed a more
practical, but still comfortable stroller.
We Discovered the Experienced Parents Secret Weapon for Easy
Travel
After four months of being the new parents with the "we"ll
do it our way, thank you" attitude, we talked with some friends
that had kids. We watched parents that had figured out the
secret weapon for quick and easy travel with a newborn. Travel
systems! I wish I could meet the person that invented these gems
- I would thank them for their fine contribution in life.
The baby carrier/stroller combination has to be the most
ingenious invention since the automobile! Don"t believe me? Try
the routine I described above for just two weeks and you"ll
agree.
These strollers have a baby carrier that attaches to the frame
with the baby facing you, the more practical way - especially in
the first six months. The carrier detaches with a simple tug on
a latch handle that locks the carrier to the stroller.
A car seat base that comes with the travel system is securely
attached to the back seat in the car by the seatbelt. You simple
"snap" the carrier into the base with one click and you are
ready to go! This is especially great when your little one is
sound asleep and you don"t want to have to wake her up as you
move her back and forth from the car seat to the stroller.
Safety Is Always an Issue
These travel systems are built with strict standards to
insure that your baby is safe and secure, while giving you a
lightweight and fast way to move from the house to the car, the
car to the store and back again. Always be sure that your
carrier is securely fastened and be certain that you only buy a
rear facing carrier/car seat for an infant. Many new designs are
reversible to let your newborn "grow into" your new
investment.
Design is Another Important Area
Of course as you decide on your travel accessories, you want
to look closely at how easily the stroller folds up and unfolds.
Pick it up a few times to be sure it isn"t going to be too heavy
for you to pull out of a trunk. And you"ll want to choose one
that looks cool too. But definitely choose portability and
convenience over looks. Trust me on this one ;)
The Cost Factor
As a first time parent myself, I know that money can be
tight. One thing you will want to think hard about is the safety
of your most prized possession. There are things in life that
you cannot put a price on. Your child"s safety is one of them.
I"m not suggesting that you overspend, but definitely don"t cut
corners on equipment that you will use for transporting you
child on a daily basis. The aggravation of cheap equipment isn"t
worth the few dollars saved.
Look No Further - Online Shopping For Your Baby Needs
Keep in mind as you start to look for baby strollers
and carriers, you now have the ability to shop the
planet for the best items for your baby! As ecommerce gains
speed, literally millions of items are purchased and shipped to
buyers front doors every day! Hey, you don"t even need to get
out of your pajamas to research and shop for the best baby
products available.
Best of luck with your new family member and be sure to get the
travel system that makes sense for you!
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 17:00 |
You are probably well aware that college costs are soaring and
that the need for parents to build college savings has never
been greater. You may also be aware of various loyalty reward
programs (such as Upromise and BabyMint) that pledge to help
build your college savings by paying back a small percentage of
the amount you spend using their credit card and/or buying
certain products. Companies offer these programs because, in the
aggregate, they know they will lead to higher spending on their
products or services. Smart consumers learn to maximize earned
rewards without altering their spending habits.
Reward programs can help build college savings. That"s
the good news. The bad news is that these programs have grown in
number and become very complex. It is very difficult for parents
to take time to fully understand, compare and select the program
best suited for them. This article aims to cut through the
morass and lay out a clear strategy for parents to follow to get
the most from college reward programs.
The Basics
The various college savings reward programs fall into two broad
categories: credit card rewards and savings
clubs. The distinction gets blurry because many of the
"savings club" programs also sponsor a credit card under the
same name. Nonetheless, you can better understand and optimize
your use of the programs if you categorize them in this manner:
A college savings reward credit card is a regular MasterCard
or Visa card that - in lieu of frequent flier miles or cash back
bonuses - makes a 1% or 2% contribution to a college savings
account based on purchases made with the card.
A savings club (or loyalty program), on the other hand, is a
membership club through which a network of merchants offers
members special rebates for buying their products or services.
Rebates are directed to the member"s college savings account.
Some savings clubs have membership fees or require that you have
their affiliated credit card to be a member. Others are free and
permit the use of non-affiliated credit cards.
| College Rewards Credit Card | Associated Savings Club |
| BabyMint College Credit Card | Baby mint |
| Baby Center Credit Card | Baby Center Savings
Program |
| Being Developed | edexpress |
| Fidelity/MBNA College Rewards | NONE |
| futuretrust Credit Card | futuretrust |
| Savingforcollege Credit Card | NONE |
| The Education Plan Credit Card | The Education
Plan | | Citi Upromise Card |
Upromise | - Select the College Rewards Credit Card Paying the
Highest Rebate on All Purchases - Typically, credit card
rewards will generate greater college savings than the savings
club programs. This is simply because the rebate (1% or 2%) is
paid on the value of all purchases made with the card (subject
to the card"s limits). Savings club rebates, on the other hand,
are paid only on the value of purchases from specified
participating merchants (although often at higher rates than the
credit cards). Most of the college reward credit cards - pay a
1% rebate. The sole exception is the Fidelity/MBNA College
Rewards MasterCard that pays 2% (up to $1,500 per year). You can
find more detailed information about the various college reward
credit cards by visiting www.529rewards.com.
- Use the College Rewards Credit Card as Your Principal
Method of Payment - Your aim should be to keep spending at
current levels (i.e. within your income) but to replace checks,
cash, and other credit/debit cards with the rewards card as your
principal method of payment.
- Maximize Use of the Credit Card But Always With a Goal
of Paying the Balance in Full Each Month - Credit card
acceptance is becoming more universal each day. This means new
opportunities to earn 529 rewards - e.g. car and homeowners
insurance payments, municipal water and tax bills, groceries,
tuition, etc. For each $1,000 of monthly costs that you can
shift to the rewards card, you"ll earn $10 - $20 of free cash
for future college expenses.
Use the credit card as an intermediary payment vehicle for large
purchases. For example, if you borrow to make home improvements,
pay contractors and suppliers first with the rewards card and
then pay the credit card with your home equity loan. This will
earn you additional points.
However, it is very important that you pay your statement
balance in full each month. Rewards earned at 1% or 2% will
quickly dissipate if you are paying 10% to 13% interest on even
a small balance. For rewards to accumulate effectively, it is
essential that you use your reward credit card as simply a
substitute for cash payment and not as a source of additional
credit.
- Use the Free Upromise and BabyMint Savings Clubs -
Chances are that you frequent some of the grocery and drugstores
included in the Upromise network and that you already buy
products offering Upromise rewards. Since participation costs
you nothing, there is no reason not to participate and earn
additional rewards. Sign-up for "loyalty cards" offered by
grocery stores and drug stores you use. Register these cards on
Upromise and then use them every time you shop. The amount you
earn will depend on your family"s product preferences. As an
example, Coke products earn Upromise rewards while Pepsi
products do not. Resist becoming too loyal to brands just
because of the Upromise rewards. If either Coke or Pepsi can
satisfy your palette, and Pepsi is on sale, it may be the better
buy despite the lure of Coke"s Upromise rewards.
The BabyMint merchant network is not as extensive as Upromise.
Still, the program is free and there may be significant
opportunities (especially for on-line shopping) to enhance your
rebates. There are other college savings club programs available
in addition to Upromise and BabyMint. However, for the most part
these are "copycats" and appear to not offer any distinct
advantages over the original Upromise or BabyMint plans.
One exception is the edexpress plan which does provide
generally higher rebate percentages than the other savings club
programs. The trade-off is that edexpress has a $24.95 annual
membership fee. It"s a worth taking a look at edexpress to
determine if your family"s spending habits are such that the
additional earned rewards will offset the annual fee.
- Recruit Other Family Members and Friends -
Following the strategy outlined here, you can earn significant
college rewards on your own. But building a network of family
and friends willing to direct rewards to your child"s college
savings account can greatly accelerate your college savings
program. According to Finaid.org, 60% of grandparents say that
they would contribute to a section 529 college savings plan if
asked, especially since they know the money will be spent on the
child"s education.
Ideally, grandparents and others will use a college rewards
credit card and direct reward earnings to your college savings
account. However, with the large number of other credit card
reward programs available, you may not feel comfortable asking
them to give up frequent flier miles to put additional cash in
your child"s account. On the other hand, registering family and
friends grocery/drugstore loyalty cards through Upromise will
cost them nothing. Typically, the card user will get in-store
discounts for buying select items. Behind the scenes, Upromise
rebates accrue, but there are no alternative uses for these
rewards. Often, the use of loyalty cards also generates rewards
for churches or charitable organizations designated by the
cardholder. This should be pointed out as encouragement to use
the cards.
Following this strategy a savvy, disciplined family can reap
sizable rewards from college reward loyalty programs with
relatively little effort. As an example, my middle-income family
has generated slightly over $1,000 in rewards in the last twelve
months. Certainly you cannot expect to pay for a full college
education with loyalty rewards alone, but savvy users can build
a sizable nest egg to help ease the burden of college costs.
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