Magazine Posts

As part of a growing national dialogue around hospice abuse, trade groups and government watchdog agencies are pushing regulators to make changes.
Last week, the four largest hospice trade associations jointly sent a detailed memo of policy proposals to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which regulates the end-of-life care benefit. Their 34 recommendations, which span eight pages, directly address the alarming business practices outlined by a recent ProPublica-New Yorker investigation...... Read more

"...Research shows that there is little evidence to support the use of detox diets and that they are not needed anyway. The body is well-equipped to eliminate unwanted substances on its own"...... Read more

The 2022 report found climate and health impact of natural Gas stoves which can release methane and other pollutants through leaks and incomplete combustion, exposing people to respiratory disease-triggering pollutants. Stanford researchers estimate that methane leaking from stoves inside U.S. homes has the same climate impact as about 500,000 gasoline-powered cars.  Last December, U.S. Senator Cory Booker and U.S. Representative Don Beyer urged Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to address this problem. 

Senior caregivers provide much-needed services for their loved ones, often helping them manage daily tasks while ensuring that they remain active and vital. For many caregivers, it’s a time-consuming, physically demanding job that isn’t always recognized, but you can make a big difference in the lives of these caregivers by providing products or services that will help them thrive. If you know you want to help but are unsure of how to get started, read on for some ideas that may help you.

Step 1: Write out a business plan

Brainstorm a few ideas for your business and think about the best fit for your specific skill set; do you have experience with professional cleaning services? If so, you might start a company that offers those services to seniors and their caregivers in order to make their lives easier and ensure that their living spaces are healthy. Do you have connections or resources that would prove helpful for caregivers who are looking for mental health support? Consider starting a business that brings senior caregivers together with the right counselor or support group. These services are extremely beneficial for individuals who work with elderly loved ones all day.

Once you have a solid idea of what you want to do, start writing a business plan that includes your plan for funding, the details involved in daily operations, your financial projections, and the structure you’re going to choose. Having a plan will help you map out each aspect of your business so you’ll have peace of mind along the way.

Utilize social media to bring in clients

Once your business plan is written out, you’ll need to figure out the best ways to find clients or customers. Social media is one of the most popular options for businesses of all kinds since it’s a cost-effective platform to share information and ads on. It also provides a wide reach, meaning you can help caregivers from all over the country or even the world, depending on what type of business you’re in.

You can also use social media to share infographics. Not only do infographics quickly capture the attention of viewers, but they also provide an easy way to present complex data in an uncomplicated format. Additionally, the creative use of visuals and engaging contents piques readers’ interest and makes it easier to remember what they read. If you’re looking for an affordable way to create eye-catching infographics, this may help. After choosing a predesigned template, you can adapt it with your own images, fonts, and icons.

Make sure you have the right permits and licenses

When starting a business of any kind, it’s crucial to ensure that you have the right legal status to do so. This might mean obtaining anything from a business license to a certification that proves you’re qualified to handle certain materials or equipment or that you’re knowledgeable about the services you’re providing. Do some research to find out more about your responsibilities as a business owner, specifically where your chosen business type is concerned.

Get your financial details organized

After writing out your business plan, you’ll have a solid idea of how much income you can expect to bring in as well as what your expenses will be, but it’s crucial to find the right tools to keep up with this information. Finding the best accounting software for your business type and using data analytics to learn about trends and reduce costs are important moves in the beginning, as they’ll help you stay on top of your needs and ensure that you can make accurate predictions for the coming months.

Starting a business that helps family senior caregivers is a rewarding experience that can make a major difference in your community and beyond. With the right tools, you can market your business on social media, keep track of your finances, and keep your customers happy in order to grow your company exponentially.

Post contributed by Claire Wentz at CaringFromAfar.com
Photo credit: Andrea Placquadio via Pexels

"B12 is scarce in the diet, and it is found only in foods from animal sources. Fortunately, humans need only 2.4 micrograms of B12 daily, which is equivalent to one ten-millionth of an ounce – a very, very small amount. Without adequate B12 in the body, overall health and quality of life are negatively affected".... Read more

"Rheumatoid arthritis affects 1 in 100 people worldwide. It causes inflamed, painful and swollen joints, often in the hands and wrists, and can lead to loss of joint function as well as chronic pain and joint deformities and damage. What causes this condition has been unknown".....Read more

"Psychosis is a temporary state of being in which a person undergoes a disruption in their experience of commonly shared reality that is markedly different from others in their cultural group. During this state, someone can have unusual experiences" ... Read more

"More than 450 people are dying of COVID-19 in the U.S. each day as of late August 2022......  "When COVID-19 vaccines first became available, public officials, community organizations and policymakers mobilized to get shots into arms. including significant investments in making vaccines accessible to Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native populations.... ....... But boosters are a different story"....... Read more

Clear are the memories,
in the back of my head.
Not fear, which is projected
with many words of dread.
Gone from her mind,
is what I see now,
no longer the one.
I loved her completely,
as I will continue to say,
for no matter her memory,
mine is here to stay.

Mental health issues such as anxiety and depression were a leading cause of global health problems even before the spread of COVID-19; however, they’ve gotten worse........  worldwide  rates have increased by an overwhelming 25%. In the U.S., 4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic, compared with 1 in 10 from January to June 2019..... Read more

"It starts with a low hum that adheres itself to the underbelly of the hours like another dimension. Gradually, surreptitiously, the noise swells to a bellowing bass line, until it drowns out the symphony of life" ...Read more 

Photo credit: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

When pain and sorrow,
attacks the heart.
When the emotions,
play a new part,
long live the joy,
you've felt today,
when taken in bits
it takes sorrow away.