If a door at the top or the bottom of the stairs may be blocked by the rail of the stairlift, there are a number of models designed to overcome this problem. Some manufacturers are able to produce a rail with reduced overhang upstairs, so the lift will not protrude as far into the hallway. This may solve the problem at the top of your stairs and is a very cost effective solution.

If there is a door or passageway at the bottom of the stairs then it is likely that you will need a folding track or hinged rail stairlift. This means that the bottom section of the rail can be folded out of the way when the lift is not being used. This will allow you to gain access to a door that would be blocked by a normal rail and also means that there is no tripping hazard if you have an open hallway downstairs.

The hinged rail option is available from most suppliers but the cost and quality can vary greatly. Seek independent advice and consider if you would be able to fold the rail manually or if you would require powered operation. Most people do need the powered version as the mechanism can be quite heavy. Unfortunately these options will add to the cost of the lift.

The only other option is to stop the rail of the lift short, to prevent it protruding as far into the hallway. This might make getting off the lift dangerous and is not an ideal solution by any means. Again you must seek advice, preferably from an occupational therapist. Also take into account that while you may be able to use the lift this way in the short term you may find it impossible in the future. Some companies may not consider it an option as they feel there is too much risk involved.

Christian Dunnage is a director of Dolphin Mobility Ltd, a UK based independent supplier of stair lifts and mobility products http://www.dolphinlifts.co.uk and author of http://www.stairlift.co.uk an impartial online guide to having a stair lift in your home.

There is now widespread agreement among research scientists and medical professionals that Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a problem quickly growing to vast proportions. As the life expectancy of Americans continues to rise, increasing the percentage of the population over 65 years of age, so does the number of Alzheimer’s cases.

It is currently estimated that people over 65 years of age have a 10% chance of developing Alzheimer’s, while those over 85 have a 50% likelihood of developing AD, making it the leading cause of dementia among older people. Though the disease is associated primarily with memory loss, its effects also comprise a number of other severe disabilities, including changes in personality, disorientation, difficulty with speech and comprehension, and a lack of ability to move normally.

Consequently, most Alzheimer’s patients require a great deal of care, costing society close to $100 billion annually. According to Christian Fritze, Ph.D., Director of the Antibody Products Division at Covance Research Products, "The impact of Alzheimer’s Disease on our society will only increase as our population ages. The prevalence of the disease and disabling effects on the patient are significant by themselves. In addition we are becoming increasingly aware of the far-reaching effects on families, care-giver networks and the economics of our health care system. The drive for progress towards effective treatments by the research and drug development community is growing stronger every day."

A New Consensus

But recent developments in the medical research community do provide some hope. During the last two years, there has been a growing consensus among Alzheimer researchers about the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, providing focus for scientists exploring the new treatment options.

The focus is on amyloid beta oligomers, a new wrinkle on an older hypothesis called the “amyloid cascade hypothesis”. Widespread acceptance of this new conclusion is something of a milestone in the history of Alzheimer’s research. As Dr. Fritze says, "The decades old quest for the causative agent in Alzheimer’s Disease has recently focused on the precursors of amyloid plaques. These precursors are part of a bewildering array of processed (APP) Amyloid Precursor Protein) variants, Tau isoforms and secretase components that play a role in neuronal cytotoxicity and subsequent brain dysfunction.”

Amyloid plaques are sticky protein deposits in the brain containing amyloid beta peptide. Researchers have associated the buildup of this plaque with Alzheimer’s disease since its discovery in 1907. But despite the clear correlation, scientists were not sure what, exactly, spurred the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The hypothesis that amyloid beta accumulation in the brain is the major cause of Alzheimer’s Disease1 has been the focus of much attention over the past decade. Although this hypothesis was the leading explanation for the cause of AD, it had several weaknesses. The most obvious problem with the theory was the fact that the buildup of amyloid beta peptides did not necessarily correspond with the severity of Alzheimer’s symptoms.

However, in 19982 and in 20023, researchers proposed that it was not the amyloid beta plaques themselves that were neurotoxic – and therefore the cause of Alzheimer’s – but rather precursors to amyloid beta plaques formed by smaller aggregates of amyloid beta. These new ideas are gaining widespread acceptance among the Alzheimer’s research community, creating a consensus that had not existed before.

This new focus provides one more spur to action for Alzheimer’s researchers, and underscores the need for further advancement. “The AD field demands sophisticated, highly-sensitive research tools to track these components and quantitate the existence of monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar amyloid forms present in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Fritze.

Antibody Treatment

Two new studies, both released in October 20044, suggest that new treatment options may be on the horizon. The studies are the modification of one of two previous attempts using amyloid beta (Aβ) antibodies in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. The previous attempts, though not successful, did at least suggest new courses of action in Alzheimer’s research and provided invaluable information for researchers.

In the first of the two previous attempts, researchers injected the antigen itself – pieces of the beta amyloid protein that makes up amyloid plaque – into mice, in the hopes that the injections would generate an immune (antibody) response against amyloid. Results were initially positive. The injected antigen produced Aβ antibodies and slowed the onset of the disease by decreasing Aβ levels. However, when tried on humans, the procedure led to meningoencephalitis (an inflammation of tissue around the brain) in some patients, and was therefore halted.

In the second attempt, a passive immunity therapy was tried in which antibodies to amyloid beta (not amyloid protein) were injected into mice, but hemorrhaging and inflammation ensued due to the high antibody doses required to be effective.

New Hope

But now there appears to be new hope for the use of antibodies as therapeutic agents for the treatment of Alzheimer’s patients. In the first of the two new studies that appeared in October conducted by the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, NCGG, and the Center for Neurological Diseases, Brigham & Women’s College, Harvard Institute of Medicine, researchers modified the first procedure. Concluding that the meningoenchaphalitis which occurred in some patients was caused by autoimmune T-cell activation, the researchers hoped to develop a vaccine that could minimize this T-cell activation while retaining the production of Aß antibodies.

To accomplish this they created an oral vaccine that attached Aß DNA to an adeno-associated virus vector, which served to mitigate T-cell activation. Thus they were able to decrease Aß levels in the brains of the mice and yet not activate T-cells to the degree they had before, greatly reducing the risk of meningoencephalitis.

In the other new study, conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago, researchers succeeded in making the passive immunity protocol much safer. This they accomplished by changing the point of entry for the Aß antibodies. Rather than injecting the antibodies into the body of the mice, as was done previously, antibody was injected directly into the brain of the mice. Because the antibodies were injected directly into the brain, smaller doses were needed, and side effects were minimized.

The results of the above studies, and the potential for further optimized immunization strategies may prove to be watershed events in the history of Alzheimer’s treatment.

Covance is a leading provider of innovative antibody products and custom antibody development services to the research community for Alzheimer’s disease. Visit www.Covance.com for more in-depth information and to view the suite of products for Alzheimer’s disease. Boris Predovich is Vice President of Immunology and Surgical Services at Covance Research Products.

Notes

1. J.A. Hardy, G.A. Higgins (1992), Science, 256:184-5.
2. M.P. Lambert et al (1998), Proc Natl Acad Sci, 95:6448-53.
3. D.M. Walsh et al (2002), Nature, 416:535-9.
4. Neelima B. Chauhan et al (2004), Journal of Neuroscience Research, 78, 5:732-741.
Hideo Hara et al (2004), Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 6, 5:483-488.

R. L. Fielding writes on many health-related topics.

The King had a modest kingdom. He was Danish. This meant he was proud, tall, athletic and he enjoyed a quick wit. He was married to a princess from Great Britain at a very young age. They were both really just children when they began their own family.

They had three children, two boys and a girl. The children all shared one common aim, to make the King proud. Each child vied for the King’s attention and love, each using a different strategy.

The eldest son used music to make his father proud. The middle child, the daughter used humor and dancing. The youngest chose sports, knowing his father had once been a great athlete, a champion in several sports.

They had a modest castle, the King always worked hard to provide for his family. Demonstrating affection wasn’t something he was ever comfortable with. So, in his own way, he captured treasured moments by making or collecting trinkets. Each little symbol represented a special family moment. Some were shiny, golden; still others were like little bells that made a sound when you picked them up. There was a story for each trinket.

You see the King was a gifted storyteller. At dinner he would open up the box and hold up a trinket and smile. He would look up and to the right, and then tell a wonderful story that would have the children laughing, crying or shaking their head in disbelief.

Telling stories became a family tradition.

He encouraged the children to begin collecting their own trinkets and stories.

As it is with most children, they obeyed their father and began filling up their boxes with symbols. Though the children were never very close, there were moments of family joy. They were all very busy trying to please the King with their respective gifts.

As the years went by, the Kings Box became a giant chest, ornate, hand carved and full of trinkets. As the King grew older the quality and quantity of the contents of the chest improved. Soon the children had children of their own and they maintained the ritual of stories at the dinner table.

One day, the King reached in his box for a specific trinket and found it missing.

Thinking this somewhat odd, he thought perhaps he might have given it to his youngest son. He forgot about it. The next day, the same thing happened; a specific trinket was not to be found.

What the King did not know was a thief had snuck in the night and stolen the shiniest trinket. The thief liked the trinket so much, the next night he took a different one.

Because there were so many at first the King didn’t notice. You see, this thief in the night was relentless, insidious, crafty and brutal. He was sneaking into his chambers and quietly pinching the King’s most treasured possessions, his memories.

One night the Queen heard a noise that startled her. She lit a match and held up the candle beside the bed. Holding it up high she saw the thief…it was a raccoon! He had a little bell in his hands. The light scared him and he scurried off with the bell.

The queen had long since suspected something was wrong, now she knew. She gave it a name. That terrible raccoon. The King wasn’t crazy and neither was she. Something really was taking the King’s most treasured gifts.

The next day they put a lock on the chest. That would stop the thief. The raccoon was too crafty. He picked the lock and kept stealing trinkets every night. The queen tried an alarm, a special light, and guard dogs, nothing worked. Each night the raccoon kept stealing the King’s prizes. One day the box was empty! It was a sad day in the kingdom. The children came and sat at the feet the of the King and Queen and cried.

There was nothing to do.

All the memories were gone. The King had no more stories to tell. He was silent. He sat there with a far away look. That was how it was going to be. That is life when the box is empty.

After a time, when the pain of the empty box came a little easier to accept, the Queen said to her children, go home, go through your chests, your boxes of trinkets. Choose the best ones. Each time you come to visit the King, bring a trinket and we shall put it in your father’s box. We shall tell that story, and laugh, cry and enjoy it as something special. I will guard it.

I will keep a constant vigil. In this way, the raccoon can never take your stories. When we get together we shall honor the King in this special way.

So it was, once a week, the children would bring their children for a visit and drop a trinket in the box. This brought the children together in a way that never existed before.

The raccoon was very unhappy about all this. He still tried to get in the castle, but the love of the family kept him on the outside, looking in. Though he tried to keep stealing as thieves do, he never took another trinket.

Love does that. It’s not something even the smartest thief in the world can take. That was the lesson learned in the Kingdom.

The box was full until the day the King finally passed away. When he did, he was surrounded by children, grandchildren, stories, trinkets and love.

Only one life that soon is past; only what’s done with love will last.

To people all over the world, that ever suffered the terrible pain of losing a loved one to Alzheimer’s. I understand your pain. The night I read this story to my youngest son Evan, we wept together, holding each other tight. I pray science one day finds a cure for this terrible disease. In the meantime, may this little story bring you and your family comfort. May it bring your family a little closer together, as it has mine. Send this story to someone you know that is suffering. Perhaps it will heal the pain of loss for them or their children just a little bit. Grief is a form of energy and must find a way out. My hope is you make the time to put some trinkets in your family’s box. It won’t feel quite so empty.

Love,
Mark Matteson

Ugly Dog Publishing - Copyright 2005
877.672.2001
mark@mattesonavenue.com
http://www.mattesonavenue.com

I finally went to the doctor this morning for my bad cold. My appointment was for 9:30 am and yet I didn’t get home until after 1:00 pm.

I’d asked the doctor to call in my prescription so I stopped at the store to pick it up on my way home. I was standing in line coughing and making people frown at me when I noticed this elderly couple. The woman got out of line and took her husband (he was blind) to sit in one of the chairs that are off to the side. And she started walking away. Well, I’m not paying much attention to them, I just want to get my medicine and go home and get back in the bed. I get my prescription and go to my truck to leave. WHY I SEE THE LITTLE OLD LADY OUTSIDE INCHING ACROSS THE PARKING LOT USING AN OLD UMBRELLA AS A CANE?????????? Geez!

So I pull up next to her and ask her where she was going. She said she had to go to the bank to get some money to pay for the medicine and their groceries. Now keep in mind that the bank is across this busy azz street which accesses the interstate. So…I get out of my truck and help her into the passenger seat. I drive her to the bank. While driving, she tells me that this elderly bus thing picked them up and dropped them off at Safeway and would be back to pick them up at 2:00. WHAT THE HECK?????????

Oh…she’d given her cane to someone "who had nothing" so they could use it and had to use the umbrella until she got another one. *sigh*

Okay…so I take her back to the store…I’m hacking the whole way sounding like a water egress or a crane but there was no way I could leave those two old people sitting out front of the store until the bus thing showed back up. *sigh*

So…..I helped her get her groceries. (IT TOOK FOREVER!!!!!) and then I put her and her husband in my truck and took them home. I stopped at Eckerds and bought her a new cane. It was only $19.99 and she was gonna bust her butt with that umbrella.

Now here’s the sticker. It turns out that they have a son who is a doctor. His azz lives in Ohio. He bought them a house…but they have absolutely no help. NONE! The woman has heart problems and the man is blind and they have to rely on the elderly bus to take them around to doctor’s appointments, etc. I’m thinking to myself…there would be no way I’d let my mama and daddy live like that. I’d either move them to Ohio or I’d move and be closer to them. I mean dang…a doctor can get a job anywhere.

Anyway…you KNOW I gave them my number…and this voice that sounded like mine told them to call if they ever needed something. *sigh*

But listen to this…after I unloaded them and their groceries…the lady tried to give me some money for gas. I was like…ma’am please…my heart would hurt too much if I took something from you. Then she said…well..only God can repay you. How may I pray for you? I said to pray that I have healthy babies one day. And she said…better than that…I’ll pray you have healthy babies whom will take care of you in your old age. Wow. That said a lot.

*sigh* I’m sad for them. Their son sucks.

http://www.MonicaMingo.com
http://www.DragonflySmooches.com

Do you worry about whether your aging parents have their "affairs in order?" You should. After all, you’re the one who will have to pay unnecessary taxes and endure time-consuming court procedures if your parents don’t have an effective estate plan. Without some forethought on their part and your part, you could be facing a lot of wasted time and money in addition to a lot of frustration. All of the waste and frustration can easily be avoided.

Experts predict $10 trillion will be transferred in the next two decades from parents to baby boomers. The average inheritance will be $200,000. The parents have spent all of their lives saving to leave something to their family. For most boomers, their inheritance will be the largest single financial transaction most they will ever handle. Depending upon the planning done today, the amount actually transferred could be doubled.

During the final years of a parent’s life, the family can lose a lot of the estate in rest home expenses or legal fees. Too often the family has to get a court order to have a parent declared incompetent and get permission to manage their affairs. After both parents die, probate will eat 2-5% of the estate, and estate taxes can take another 37-50%. Additionally, the estate mess can take many days of time out of the boomer’s busy life. Not only money is lost, but life styles often have to be altered just to work through the mess.

Good planning is worth every effort made and every dime spent, not just in the money and timesavings, but also in the peace of mind it will give to both the parents and the kids. Boomers need to help get the planning done. However, discussing money, especially in this context, is very unpleasant for most families. The kids don’t want to appear grabby or look like they are just waiting for their parents to die so they can get their inheritance. The parents don’t want to face their own mortality, and they don’t want the kids nosing in their financial affairs. The bottom line is nothing gets done.

The sooner this discussion takes place the better. Everybody has to recognize that planning is good business and financial management. The parents have an obligation to take care of it for the children’s sake, and the children have an obligation to help their aging parents. The discussion will take place at some point. The worst time to have the discussion is when a parent is in intensive care.

The following six tips will help protect a parent’s hard-earned money, transfer the maximum amount of inheritance to the family, and ease the family’s legal and emotional burden.

1. Review current wills and/or living trusts. Do the documents reflect the parent’s current wishes? Have there been changes in family relationships, such as divorces, marriages, or new grandchildren?

2. Look into living trusts. All wills that transfer property must go through a court process called probate. Probate eats time and money – lots of both. Today, many families use living trusts to avoid probate, reduce legal fees, and pay the least possible taxes. Living trusts work well, provided they are handled properly during the parent’s life. Is the living trust being used properly?

3. Dodge family disputes. Make sure either the will or trust distribute personal items with a list describing the item and the intended recipient. Most states allows distribution of personal items through a “personal letter,” which is just a list of items and their intended recipient. The letter is not part of the will until death, and then it essentially becomes part of the will. Thus, the letter can be rewritten or updated as often as desired without a trip back to the attorney. The letter must be “authorized” by the individual’s will in order for it to be effective. If specific distribution of personal items like the shot gun, wedding ring, and the family stamp collection is made in the letter, family fights will be avoided.

4. Split trusts to save taxes. If mom and dad have over $1.5 million in their estate, including the life insurance, retirement money, and business, they should either have an individual trust for each or have a trust that “splits” into two trusts when the first one of them dies. This shields up to $3 million from estate taxes that eat away at a family’s wealth.

5. Protect life insurance. Life insurance is taxed. The family doesn’t have to pay income tax on the money they get, but the money is taxed in the departed loved one’s estate and the IRS will routinely take up to 50% of it. A living trust can help in smaller estates, and an irrevocable insurance trust can totally eliminate the tax in bigger estates.

6. Solve the incompetency problem. Use a durable power of attorney to transfer power to someone when the parent can no longer take care of their own business affairs. The power of attorney has to have language in it that states it will endure the incompetency of the individual making the power of attorney. With the power of attorney, there isn’t any need to have the parent declared incompetent and have a court appoint a guardian. It removes a lot of frustration.

The parents need to soften up and realize that estate planning is something they need to talk about and be taking care of. If they cannot do it for themselves, they need to realize that their children are the ones that they have to turn to. The boomers need to take their parents’ estate planning very seriously. The boomers have a lot at stake – a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of frustration.

Attorney Lee R. Phillips is a nationally recognized expert in the field of finance, estate planning, and asset protection. Lee is licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court and also holds licenses in insurance and securities. Lee is an engaging, dynamic speaker and has spoken to over a half million people throughout the United States, Canada and the Pacific Rim helping them understand the law and how to use it to their benefit.

His goal is to reposition you in the law so you can actually use the law to make more money, and keep it! His ability to present critical information in a clear manner has made him a highly sought after guest on hundreds of radio and television shows.

His specialty is in creating easy to understand, do-it-yourself legal systems. For more information, visit http://www.DIYestateplanning.com.

Every year we hear stories of seniors falling, ending up in hospitals and never fully recovering. Unfortunately, these falls often result in death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury related deaths for seniors age 65 and older. Every year, approximately 35% to 40% of seniors over 65 years of age fall at least one time. The following are five ways to help reduce the risk of you or a loved one from falling:

1. Keep Indoor Pathways Safe- Remove throw rugs or use double sided tape to prevent rugs from becoming loose. Keep telephone and electrical cords out of walkways as well as items such as shoes, blankets and books. Move furniture out of walkways to ensure the path is clear. Always keep stairways free from clutter.

2. Review Medications- Visit with your doctor or pharmacist about the medications you or a loved one is taking. Some prescriptions and over the counter drugs can cause one to become drowsy, dizzy or unsteady. In addition, make sure to get your vision checked once a year to reduce the risk of falling due to poor vision.

3. Exercise Regularly- It is important to improve your muscle flexibility and strength to reduce the risk of falling. Balance and coordination are also important to help prevent falling, and these can be accomplished through regular exercise.

4. Add Safety Features to Bathroom and Bedroom- Install mats or suction cups in the bathtub. Place grab bars near the toilet, shower, and tub area, as well as bench or a stool in the shower. Consider using an elevated toilet seat to help reduce the risk of falling. In the bedroom, keep a lamp or light switch that can be easily reached without getting out of bed. Use night lights in the bedroom, bathroom and hallways.

5. Improve Outdoor Walkways- Paint the edges of outdoor steps, especially steps that are narrow or are higher or lower than other steps. Paint outside stairs with a mixture of sand and paint to help with traction. Keep walkways well lit and clear from debris, snow and ice.

In addition to keeping the home safe from hazards, always try to maintain good health and exercise habits. It is important to wear rubber soled shoes that fully support your feet. Furthermore, limit the consumption of alcohol, and use walking devices such as a cane or a walker if extra support is needed. By reducing the risk of falling, one is increasing the chances of living a happy and safe life.

————————————————————————— You have permission to use this article as long as the author’s full bio is present as well as any hyperlinks to author’s website.

Torey Farnsworth has over 12 years of experience working with seniors. Ms. Farnsworth’s vast expertise encompasses a wide variety of senior issues ranging from adult care to elder law. Her legal experience includes long term care planning, estate planning, ALTCS eligibility and Medicaid planning. Ms. Farnsworth is also a certified caregiver with the State of Arizona as well as a Certified Senior Advisor. Ms. Farnsworth has spent her career in senior care as her family owns and operates assisted living homes.

Ms. Farnsworth owns and operates a senior care placement business in Arizona called Horizon Senior Care Referral. Her placement services are free to seniors and their families. For information on placement services in Arizona, visit http://www.adultcarecentral.com

The following are a few of the care options available for seniors who can no longer live on their own and require assistance with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL), or require skilled nursing care. Every state is a little different in terms of availability and cost, state regulations, and the specific names used for each care option:

Assisted Living Home- A facility consisting of 10 or fewer residents in a private home setting located in residential neighborhoods. Residents have the option of choosing a private or semi-private room. Most homes provide for all levels of care. Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) is provided 24 hours a day. Assisted Living Homes are ideal for those who prefer to live in a home-like setting and do not require skilled nursing care. Monthly prices range from $1,500 to $3,000.

Assisted Living Center- A facility consisting of 11 or more residents. Many of these types of facilities are in the form of apartments or units. Each facility provides assistance with ADLs. Level of assistance may vary depending on the level of care the facility is licensed for. Monthly prices range from $1,800 to $4,500.

Alzheimer’s/Memory Care- An assisted living facility consisting of a secure environment geared towards the specific needs of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The staff has additional training to care for those who suffer from dementia. Many facilities offer specific activities geared towards memory loss in order to keep residents active, motivated and stimulated. Monthly prices range from $2,600 to $6,000.

Nursing Home/Skilled Nursing Facility- A facility consisting of skilled nursing care for seniors 24 hours a day. Registered/licensed nurses are on staff 24 hours a day. Therapeutic services are provided to residents when needed. The number of beds varies between facilities, and can range from 11 to over 100 beds. Monthly prices range from $4,000 to $6,000.

Home Care/Home Health Care- There are a variety of services offered to seniors who require assistance with their ADLs but wish to remain in their own home. Home Care agencies provide non-medical services including assistance with meal preparation, laundry services, bathing, dressing and other daily tasks. Home Health agencies provide medical care provided by licensed medical professionals as well as assistance with ADLs. Prices for home care range from $15 to $19/hr, and $100/hr for home health care.

Adult Day Health Care- A facility consisting of structured programs for seniors during the day. Such programs include meals, social activities, and therapy. Adult Day Care is often used for respite care for caregivers who work during the day, or need a break from daily caregiving duties. Facilities range from 16 to 100 seniors. Daily prices range from $40 to $100 depending on the program.

You have permission to use this article as long as the author’s full bio is present as well as any hyperlinks to author’s website.

Torey Farnsworth has over 12 years of experience working with seniors. Ms. Farnsworth’s vast expertise encompasses a wide variety of senior issues ranging from adult care to elder law. Her legal experience includes long term care planning, estate planning, ALTCS eligibility and Medicaid planning. Ms. Farnsworth is also a certified caregiver with the State of Arizona as well as a Certified Senior Advisor. Ms. Farnsworth has spent her career in senior care as her family owns and operates assisted living homes.

Ms. Farnsworth owns and operates a senior care placement business in Arizona called Horizon Senior Care Referral. Her placement services are free to seniors and their families. For information on placement services in Arizona, visit http://www.adultcarecentral.com

I’ve just made another Photoshop video. This one is about colour tinting (or "colorizing") an old photo. You may not know this, but back in the 1800’s - long before colour photography was invented - people used to hand-tint black and white photographs with coloured inks or water-colour paints, and I wanted to achieve that type of effect. Tinting monochrome prints using Photoshop is considerably less messy!

The photo I decided to use was a recently restored photo of my maternal great-grandmother (my mother’s, mother’s, mother). It was taken sometime in the late 1880’s when she probably in her late teens. It’s a typical Victorian studio portrait: Great-grandma is wearing her best dress, is standing against a painted background of a garden, and has one hand resting on a rustic looking chair.

The only thing I knew for certain was that Great-grandma had blue eyes, every other colour was a conjecture. Her dress was a dark colour, and after experimenting with a few different colours, I decided that navy blue looked best. I coloured in the background light green - although it could have been cyan. The bamboo chair was obviously a bamboo colour. That just left the colour of her hair to try and figure out.

My maternal grandmother had strawberry-blonde hair in her younger days (I’ve seen colour photos of her when she was young) but when I tried to colour her mother’s hair that colour, it just didn’t look right. Too light. Auburn? No, that didn’t look right either. I asked my mother, but she had no idea. Great-grandma was a white-haired old lady by the time my mother came along.

The only thing I could do was just to play about with the colour sliders until her hair looked "right". That’s when I made a profound discovery: my great-grandmother’s hair was brown - like mine! It was the only colour that looked natural.

My great-grandmother and I never met, but thanks to Photoshop, I now have a better idea of what she looked like than would have been possible just from a black and white photo.

I’ve posted her picture on my webpage.

Shaun Pearce is a writer and video maker. His latest production "Photoshop Master" shows you how to get the most from Photoshop, and can be downloaded from http://www.learnphotoshopfast.com.

A skilled nursing home is a medical facility providing services similar to a hospital. The homes are staffed with licensed nurses, shared rooms, hospital beds, regular scheduled doctor rounds, meals and housekeeping. Skilled nursing homes often provide a more pleasant setting with optimal nurse to patient ratios and relaxed atmospheres.

Skilled nursing homes provide both long-term and short-term care solutions for seniors. Unlike Assisted Living or Board and Care homes, skilled nursing homes provide solutions for patients with complex medical issues that require 24-hour supervision. These issues can include mental issues such as dementia and physical issues such as major infections, wound care, IV therapy, tube feeding and physical/occupational therapy. Skilled nursing facilities are also a common solution for seniors that are unable to care for themselves on daily basis such as those suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

A skilled nursing home typically provides a team approach when providing medical care to patients. A licensed individual, usually called the “administrator”, oversees the departments comprising the skilled nursing home. A licensed Director of Nursing [“D.O.N.”] is then responsible for the administration of each department providing care to residents. Each D.O.N. is directly involved in the medical care of each patient. Their duties include overseeing nurses, interacting with physicians and resolving any patient-related issues. In essence, the D.O.N. is the person overseeing the day-to-day medical care of the patient.

In addition to the Director of Nursing, a skilled nursing home will customarily have other professionals on staff to assist patients. A med nurse is always assigned for the sole purpose of administering medications prescribed for the patients. Physical and occupational therapists also work within the structure of care, coordinating specifically ordered therapies and reporting progress to doctors. An activities director is in charge of all social interaction and planned activities. Finally, a social worker is typically on staff to assist patients with emotional issues and arrangements for their care after discharge.

Alex Jensen is with http://www.careplacement.com - a free placement service for Southern California. Care Placement’s staff can review your care requirements to determine whether skilled nursing care, assisted living facilities or board and care homes are a viable option for seniors.

According to the Arizona Administrative Code (R9-10-710), those who reside in assisted living facilities in Arizona have certain rights. In addition to having the right to live in an environment that promotes dignity, independence, self-determination, individuality, privacy and the right of choice, the following are a few of the rights given to residents who reside in assisted living facilities:

1. The right to be free from physical and chemical restraints.

2. The right to privacy regarding correspondence, visitation, communications, financial and personal affairs, hygiene and health related services.

3. The right to be involved in the creation of a written service plan and the right to review and re-negotiate the service plan at any time.

4. The right to refuse services as long as the services are not court ordered or the health, safety or general welfare of other individuals is not compromised due to the refusal of services.

5. The right to request to relocate or refuse to relocate within the facility based upon the needs and desires of the resident, and the availability of options.

6. The right to choose activities, schedules and daily routines.

7. The right to choose a primary care provider, pharmacy, or other service provider and to assume additional costs as a result of such choices.

8. The right to refuse to participate in social, recreational, rehabilitation, religious, political and community activities.

9. The right to be free from discrimination, and to be given the same civil and human rights others are given.

10. The right to be treated with consideration and respect.

Upon moving into an assisted living facility, a copy of the complete list of Resident Rights must be given to the resident or their representative. In addition, the facility is required to provide current phone numbers of several agencies such as D.E.S. Adult Protective Services and the Governor’s Office for Americans with Disabilities. If a resident or their representative feels these rights are being violated, the resident has the right to submit grievances to the facility, or other outside agencies. In summary, those residing in assisted living facilities have the right to remain as independent as possible, while residing in a facility that promotes such independence and strives to enhance the quality of life for their residents.

Torey Farnsworth has over 12 years of experience working with seniors. Ms. Farnsworth’s vast expertise encompasses a wide variety of senior issues ranging from adult care to elder law. Ms. Farnsworth owns and operates a senior care placement business in Arizona called Horizon Senior Care Referral. Her placement services are free to seniors and their families. For information on placement services in Arizona, visit http://www.adultcarecentral.com