Author: Family Fun

Categories
Brighton senior living Independent living rochester ny

The Three Biggest Differences Between Independent Senior Living and Assisted Living

Most seniors usually require special care and support during their retirement years. In order to avail such seniors of the personal and medical care they need, many seniors and their relatives jointly make the decision to opt for special facilities such as senior residence homes. Two kinds of senior residence homes exist: independent living centers and assisted living homes.

Before opting for a particular kind of senior residence home, it is important that the senior and the family look into national assisted living ratings and take time to consider which services are important to them. If a senior still wants to retain a bit of privacy, then an independent living center is the right fit for them. Conversely, if a senior requires help with basic activities such as cooking and bathing, an assisted living home is the ideal fit for them.

Assisted living support for seniors in assisted living homes includes monitoring of medication, recreational activities, provision of meals, housekeeping, and laundry service. Some interesting facts about assisted living facilities include:

  • i.) There are about 28,900 assisted living homes in America
  • ii.)The average assisted living home offers 33 bed spaces
  • iii.)56% of assisted living facilities are chain affiliated

 

Senior apartments rochester ny

As you’re reaching retirement, it’s a good idea to start thinking about where you will be living for your retirement. There are currently approximately 16,100 different senior living communities and homes located across the country — each one offering something unique to their residents.

When it comes to choosing your ideal senior living facilities, you generally have two options — independent living centers or assisted living homes. Not sure how these senior living communities are different? These are the three key differences you need to know for choosing the best senior living option for you:

Type of living space offered

Independent living communities for seniors are just that — independent. Seniors who live in an independent community can expect to live in a variety of different housing set-ups, ranging from individual apartments to co-op housing to separate sleeping and bathing facilities with a common kitchen and socializing area. Meanwhile, assisted senior living facilities will usually allow residents independent living space, but without a kitchen and with increased security features, usually for safety reasons.

Differing amenities available

Because seniors who live in assisted living facilities typically need help with activities like bathing and cooking, the services offered at these facilities are much more involved and assistive in nature. Assisted living facilities also provide medical care to their residents. Independent living communities, in contrast, allow residents a greater degree of independence, as the people who live there don’t typically need these services and amenities.

Methods of payment

Senior living facilities aren’t free — but they do have different ways of charging people to live there. At independent living facilities, residents typically pay a monthly rent, and occasionally will pay additional membership fees for recreational amenities in their community. Because assisted living residents require more medical care, their bills will include this extra care — but they can also receive assistance from Medicare and Medicaid to finance this care.

Know of any other ways independent living communities differ from assisted living communities? Share with us in the comments below! Find more on this topic here.

 

Categories
Banquet rooms Catering for events Miami weddings

Planning Your Wedding Shower? 3 Strategies for a Stress-Free Party

Miami banquet hall kendall

Your wedding plans are in full swing and while most of the details have been left to your wedding planner, you’re planning your own wedding shower. It might seem like a great way to cut costs, especially if you’re planning on having your shower at home. However, as the bride, you’re already under an enormous amount of stress and planning this party will only add to your emotionally full plate. But don’t fret too much, you can keep the stress to a minimum if you employ these 3 tactics.

Hire a Party Planner

You are the bride and this may be your wedding shower, but you’re going to have to delegate some of the responsibilities to people you can trust. And while some of these people may be family, it’s also important to remember that your aunt or cousin could let you down inadvertently. After all, your family members have lives too, and can’t spend every waking minute thinking about your wedding shower.

You need someone who can and that’s exactly why you should hire a professional party planner. It is the job of a party planner to eat, sleep, and breathe every aspect of your special event.

Professional planners know how to organize an event like this and can assist you with everything from food selection to decorations to party venues.This level of commitment and professionalism ensures that your shower has everything you want and goes off without a hitch.

Choose a Different Venue

If you can afford it, you should never have your wedding shower at home. Just think about all of the decorations, dishes, food, and other items that will need to be cleaned up once your shower has ended. Do you have time to stop in the middle of making wedding plans to clean up after such an event?

Moreover, do you have the time to spend trying to coerce well-meaning guests to leave after the party has ended? Having your shower at a separate location will solve both of these problems. Wedding shower event venues such as banquet halls, restaurants, clubs, and bars all have strict closing times.

Additionally, because you’re renting the space for your shower, the rental agreement you sign will clearly state the start and end time for your shower. This makes it difficult for guests to linger. It also eliminates the hassle of party cleanup, as the venue you choose will take care of the cleanup for you.

Make It a Co-Ed Event

Like nearly 40% of U.S. couples, you and your future spouse are planning your wedding together. So, it only makes sense to combine your bridal shower and his bachelor party into one co-ed event.

Having a co-ed wedding shower saves time and money, and allows your guests to mingle prior to your wedding day. This pre-wedding mingling can give you great insight into seating for your wedding reception, as it will allow you to see who gets along well and who does not.

Using these three strategies will remove much of the stress associated with your wedding shower. You’ll be free to enjoy your shower with your future spouse and, most importantly, be able to focus on what really matters- your wedding plans and your big day.
Find more on this topic here.

Categories
Lifting chairs Promoting good health Reclining lift chairs

Sleep Better with An Adjustable Bed

Handicap beds

It’s no secret that we all want to sleep better at night. For some, problems sleeping may be due to an injury or a back condition. No matter the reason, it’s a proven fact we perform better after we get a great night’s sleep.

Sleep comfort adjustable beds are one of the ways to achieve a luxurious night’s sleep. These beds allow you to alter them in an array of different sleep positions. No need to sleep in your favorite recliner, as this bed will allow you to adjust it to meet your body’s specific needs.

These beds will allow you to raise the bed to a slight incline if lying flat is out of the question. Raising your legs to take the pressure off your lower back is another option this bed allows you to achieve. Patients with osteoarthritis or stenosis now have a foundation that will support their bodies. The goal is to rest comfortably without the pain.

You can now have a hospital bed in your home. There is a reason hospitals use these adjustable style beds. Their sole purpose is to have their patients achieve the best rest possible. Having an adjustable bed at home is a great option for people who need to elevate their feet, or who simply enjoy sitting up in bed to read or watch TV.

Adjustable beds come in different sizes. Queen beds are available for couples who wish to sleep in the same bed. Don’t let your ailment stop you from sleeping with the one you love again. For many couples, this is a real gift to sleep in the same bed.

Sleep comfort adjustable beds will give you the freedom to sleep more soundly at night. They can allow you to sleep without pain and discomfort.

Categories
Replacement remotes for tv Tv remote codes Tv remote controls

The Awesomeness of Infrared Technology in Remote Controls

Tv remote control replacements

The classic TV remote controls are often underestimated and under-appreciated — and that goes for all the technology that’s included in them. Everyone is fawning over digital TV remote controls and universal apps for smartphones and tablets, but we’re forgetting that the TV remote control isn’t as simple as a little icon on a phone. It took a long time for television remote controls to get where they are today, and we should all take a moment of silence, preceded by a small history lesson, to show some appreciation for the wondrous TV remote controls.

First of all, infrared technology — a low-level light ray that can’t be detected by the human eye but can be detected by the TV set — was a long time in the making. Considering that the very first TV remote controls weren’t even wireless, and that the next replacement remotes for TVs used photo cells to communicate with TV sets, rendering the remote control useless if too much sunlight got in between the remote and the TV, it’s pretty impressive that infrared technology was discovered and implemented so easily.

Granted, it took about 30 years for the television engineers to move from the cable wire remote controls to remotes with infrared signals, but once infrared technology hit the remote control industry, life was never the same.

Tons of different devices are controlled with infrared remotes today — the most popular being TV sets, but runners-up being electronic devices like stereos, DVD players, and even coffeemakers. The average American family has about three remote controls in their homes today, and that number is only continuing to grow.

Unlike most of its predecessors — and a few of its successors — the classic infrared remote is completely safe and doesn’t have any dangerous pieces inside. Definitely a big improvement from the wired TV remote controls in the 1950s, which caused one too many embarrassing living room disasters and were literally as effective as military-grade trip wires (maybe).

It’s all pretty cool, right? Now here’s your assignment: the next time you’re watching a TV show and you mute the volume when a commercial comes on, take those few minutes of silence to thank the remote control heavens that you didn’t have to get up from your couch to do so. For more information see this.

Categories
Programmable remote controls Replace remote control Sharp remote control

The Early Days of the TV Remote

Sony remote control replacement

In what is easily the most offensive part of television’s history, the very first television remote control was called “Lazy Bones.” Because if you didn’t already hate yourself for watching five hours of the evening news alone with a TV dinner and your cat, the cherry on top is that your own TV remote controls are judging you.

Nevertheless, people seemed to be okay with the name (for while, at least) and the home invasion of TV remote controls had begun. Previously, remote control technology had only been used for official military purposes in World Wars I and II — so it was a pretty big deal when Zenith Electronics Corporation made this technology available for average people to use in 1950.

The downside to the Lazy Bones was that it a cable connection was required — not the cable that TV viewers today are thinking of, but a literal cable wire running from the remote control to the TV set. Not surprisingly, people started getting real sick of tripping over their television remote controls, and they weren’t fans of the big cable running through their living rooms.

It only took about five years for the first wireless TV remote controls to take over, and luckily, Zenith decided to rename the device to something a little more catchy. In 1955 the Flashmatic started making its way into American living rooms, and life was good again… until people started realizing that the Flashmatic had some unfortunate flaws too. For example, these TV remotes were wired with unprotected circuits, meaning that strong beams of light could get in the way of the signal and start messing with the TV.

Zenith researchers realized that something needed to change. At first, they thought they could make replacement remotes that used radio waves instead of photo cells. This got rid of the sunlight problem, but researchers soon figured out that a radio-controlled remote could accidentally end up connecting to TVs in nearby rooms, and even in separate buildings.

Eventually, Zenith engineers made use of ultrasonic waves, which are sound waves that run at such high frequencies, the human ear can’t detect them. This technology was much more effective than the Flashmatic, but it ended up being pretty pricey. It wasn’t until the 1980s that replacement remote controls with infrared light ray detection started being produced, but once the television industry found out about this technology, it was a hit: not only was it effective, but it was incredibly affordable.

Even though many newer TVs have begun using digital TV remote controls, many people still prefer the good ol’ infrared technology. These remotes are completely safe, very affordable, and easily replaced if they ever get lost (and they do have a tendency to get lost). Find out more here.

Categories
Dundalk florists Essex florist Who to call for floral arrangements in baltimore

Save $$$ With These Wedding Flower Buying Tips

Birthday florist essex

Did you know that your wedding flowers will account for approximately 10-20% of your overall wedding budget? While this may seem like only a fraction of your wedding costs, that 10-20% could be the equivalent of thousands of dollars and it’s one of the reasons the floral industry rakes in $7 billion dollars every year. However, your wedding flowers don’t have to break your budget. You can find a number of discount wedding flowers that will add beauty to your big day at your local florist shop. Here are two ways to make the most of your wedding flower budget with your local florist.
Use Less Expensive Substitutes

The trick to purchasing wedding flowers on a budget is to think outside the box. While you might have your heart set on expensive flowers, choosing affordable wedding flowers substitutes can save you a lot of money, allowing you to stretch your wedding budget even further. Some substitutions you may want to consider are:

  • Madonna lilies instead of Casablanca lilies- Madonna lilies look almost identical to Casablanca lilies, but they are far more affordable. They are also steeped in tradition because they have been in use for nearly 3,000 years. With religious undertones, Madonna lilies represent the Virgin Mary, but they also represent faith, charity, and hope- all wonderful values for a healthy marriage.
  • Sweet Pea instead of Hydrangeas- Sweet Pea flowers look very similar to Hydrangeas. Sweet Pea flowers come in a variety of colors such as white, blue, purple, red, and peach. These flowers are very fragrant and make gorgeous bouquets as well as wedding table flowers.
  • Cabbage roses instead of Peonies- Just like Peonies, Cabbage roses are fluffy and colorful. Cabbage roses come in a variety of pink, orange, caramel, white, and red shades. The large blooms of the cabbage roses will fill out your bouquet nicely, but for far less money than Peonies.
  • Carnations instead of roses- There is no doubt that roses are beautiful and symbolize love. This is why they’re given to sweethearts on Valentine’s Day. However, roses are expensive, especially for a wedding, where you may need hundreds of flowers. A better option for your wallet is to choose carnations. Like roses, red carnations represent love, but it is a deep and enduring love, which is exactly what you hope your marriage will be.

Add Greenery

When shopping for your discount wedding flowers, you’ll notice that your florist charges per stem, or per flower. This is a common practice, but it can quickly cause you to exceed your flower budget if many flowers are needed for bouquets and table arrangements.

To reduce your per flower cost you’ll need to use less flowers. However, the last thing you want is for your arrangements and bouquets to look sparse. One easy way to keep your costs down and fill out your flower arrangements and bouquets is to use greenery.
Greenery will add fullness and allow the colors of your flowers to look more vivid. When considering your greenery options, look for low cost options such as

  • fern
  • lamb’s ear
  • baby’s breath
  • ivy

By employing these two tactics, you’ll be able to find the right discount wedding flowers for your big day. They’ll not only be beautiful, but inexpensive as well, allowing you to have the wedding and the flowers, of your dreams.
Ger more information on this topic here.

Categories
Antique church pews Church steeple history Church steeples

Creating an Appropriate Aesthetic Space For Your Place of Worship

Church pews used

As a priest or minister, you are most likely aware that, according to a Gallup poll, the 40% of people residing in the United States who consider themselves to be “very religious” experience a statistically greater level of happiness than less religious Americans. Some portion of this exceptional degree of contentment may be a result of the sense of community within which church going fosters. Though a number of church goers report enjoying and being spiritually moved by services held in churches with the most uncomfortable church furniture, bumpy, hard, prickly, or uneven church furniture is tough on many elderly parishioners. Thus, church furniture restoration is an excellent option when it comes to creating a place of worship where the flock is at ease.

Luckily, installing better, more comfortable church furniture isn’t that difficult. You can buy church pews that are used and then refurbish them in any number of ways. For example, you may prefer cushioned seating on a bench-like framework, or plain wooden church furniture pews that are augmented with hassocks or footrests for those suffering from sciatica or arthritis. The point is that you understand your congregation’s needs better than anyone, and are therefore in the unique position of being able to serve their church furniture needs most appropriately.

Often, there are antique church pews for sale at estate sales or by auction. Antique church furniture is often especially lovely and well put together because each pew was built by hand. Many of these handmade pews are adorned with one of a kind lattice designs. Conversely, a number of antique church furniture pews are purposefully simple, sanded down to the sleek levelness of a glassy beach stone, glazed and polished by a century’s worth of incoming tides.

Because church is such a special place, both physically and metaphorically, in many people’s lives, church furniture should be carefully considered prior to purchase. Church furniture must be an appropriate material representation of the congregation, while at the same time serving the serving aesthetics of the environmental space. More research here: www.kivetts.com

Categories
Apartment hunters Apartment lease Apartment showcase

Apartment Hunting? Follow These Tips for a Better Experience

Apartment lease

Apartment hunting is often a long and tedious process. As stressful as it is, renting an apartment is well worth it if you find a place you like. In the United States, nearly 35% of adults rent. Renting gives you access to a quality living environment at an affordable price, and it means you don’t have to deal with the chaotic housing market with frequently fluctuating prices. Making the decision to rent an apartment has its benefits, but how do you find the perfect place? Follow these tips to make your search easier and more successful:

    Use Apartment Locators – Online apartment locators are great tools for narrowing down your search criteria and finding places in your area. They also combine pictures, descriptions and contact information all in one convenient place. Once you’ve searched through these sites, make a list of the places you’d like to visit and contact the landlord to set up a showing.

  1. Know What You Want – After you’ve made some appointments, make a list of your requirements in an apartment. Things like having off-street parking and not having laundry on-site are deal breakers for many apartment hunters. While you will have to compromise on a few things, make sure you know what you absolutely want included. If an apartment doesn’t have it, be patient and keep looking.

  2. Be Nosy – When looking around an apartment, don’t be afraid to be nosy. Make sure the water works in the kitchen and bathrooms, ensure the toilet flushes properly and open all the doors in the place to make sure you know what you’re getting. Also ask a lot of questions. It is a good idea to make a list beforehand so you don’t forget any important details.

  3. Be Prepared – It can take a while to find the perfect apartment, but when you do find it, you need to be prepared to jump on the offer immediately. This means bringing your checkbook with you to viewings, as well as information you will need to fill out a renter’s application. If you’re not ready to make an offer, someone else probably is.

The most important thing to keep in mind when you’re trying to find an apartment is that it is often a long process. Try not to get discouraged if you don’t find your ideal place right away. Be patient and the right apartment will eventually come around.
More on this topic: www.parksidehumbletx.com

Categories
Donate goods to charity Donations for non profit organizations Purple heart donate

Clothing Donations for Veterans Three Reasons to Support Military Members and Their Families

What are the best charities to donate to

Did you know that Americans throw away between 12 and 13 million tons of clothing each year? Clothing and textiles are some of the easiest materials to recycle, and yet they wind up in the landfill in staggering amounts. And the worst part is that there are individuals and families throughout the country who could use these items instead.

One population that could use clothing donations are veterans and their families. Helping military families and the brave men and women who have served in our country is a great way to give back to your community. Additionally, clothing donations for veterans are easy to give because all they require is cleaning out the closet.

There are several ways to donate clothing, but it’s worth noting that clothing donations for veterans have many unique benefits. Here are just a few ways that donations of clothing can help veterans, their spouses, and their children:

    1. Donations help veterans get back to work. Many veterans come back from active duty and need to find employment. Others may have been out of a job for some time due to injury. However, if they don’t have clothing fit for a job interview, or for work, this can create serious problems. Donating men’s and women’s clothing that is appropriate for a professional environment can ease the burden of this expense.

    2. Clothing can help veterans and their families. Many military veterans also have children, and buying clothing for them can be very expensive. By supporting military veterans with donations, you can ensure that their children have clothing for school and clothes to grow into. This helps eliminate a major household cost for military families.

    3. Donations help support veterans charities. Some clothing donations are given to veterans and their families at no charge. Others, however, may be sold in secondhand shops, providing a major discount on clothing for these families. Some shops are also set up to benefit veterans and their families, so a portion of the sales goes directly to causes that benefit military families.

There are plenty of ways to give clothing donations for veterans. You can donate to a local charity drive or charity clothing pick up, and you can also give directly to secondhand stores. If you have questions about donating, check out the local organizations in your area or search online to find out what is and isn’t accepted. You can also leave questions and comments below for more information.

Categories
Apartment hunting Apartments humble tx Meadowbrook apartments humble tx

Four Design Tricks to Create Space in a Small Apartment

Apartment plans

Apartment hunting can involve a lot of settling, and many people decide to rent an apartment that’s a little smaller than what they’d prefer. But there are ways to make even the smallest, most cramped apartment floor plans feel more spacious than they are. Here are just a few:

    1. Zone Your Space. If you have a studio with very few rooms (or even only one) it can feel like your whole life is just piled in one place. To keep from getting overwhelmed, try to break up your apartment into separate areas. Create spaces to sleep, eat and hang out within your limited space, and consider separating them with light curtains or decorative dividing screens. Finding clever ways to alter apartment floor plans without altering the apartment itself is a great way to create a comfortable space.

    2. Buy Flexible Furniture. You won’t be able to fit everything you see at Ikea into your new apartment, no matter how small and nifty it is. Instead, choose pieces based on how many potential uses they can have, and how well they’ll fit into your space. If you’re really cramped, consider a daybed that can double as a couch for TV watching. Buy a coffee table that doubles as a storage space, or a desk that can work as a make-up vanity and dinner table. The more you can get out of a single piece of furniture, the less you’ll have to clutter up your apartment.

    3. Trick the Eye. There are several designer-adored tricks for making a room look bigger than it actually is. See-through furniture and large wall mirrors can create the illusion of space, and floor-to-ceiling curtains add height to a room. You can also choose to select a few large pieces of furniture and cutting the rest. Large furniture can actually make a room seem bigger (as counter-intuitive as that seems) as long as you stick to a few small pieces. Calm, even colors can also give the illusion of space.

    4. Use Vertical Spaces. Even if you find an apartment that seems impossibly small, you may still have surprisingly high ceilings. Don’t waste this extra space. Build shelves and cabinets up to the roof, or find a way to utilize the space between the tops of furniture and your ceiling. This will draw the eye upward and create an illusion of depth.

Apartment hunters and owners, what have you done to adjust small apartment floor plans? Let us know in the comments!
More on this.