Tips for Preparing for Long Term Care

There comes a time in a person’s life where you have to start thinking about long term care.  I know that it is nothing anyone wants to think about when their loved ones start to grow older.  Hopefully, you won’t need long term care but, it is good to have in case you do need it.  Planning long term care can be a long and daunting process.  First you have to sit down and find out what your loved one wants.  I am sure this is not something you want to have to discuss as the child or the parent.  My friends at Genworth have some great tips on how to talk to your family about long term care.  I wouldn’t really know how to bring it up to someone.

Do they have a living will; do they want to be resuscitated? Do they want to be at a certain facility? Maybe they have friends at a nursing home that they want to be with.  Will their spouse be able to join them if that is an option, like in assisted living? I know that is an option at some places.  Is there somewhere special they would like to live, like near a certain family member? I know when my Grandma Diana had cancer and in her last days, she wanted to be back in England. She was born there and she wanted to pass away there too.  That was very important to her to spend time with my aunt and cousin and other family members.

After you find out what your loved ones want for long term care, you need to decide on how you are going to pay for it. I read an article on Fox Business about howexpensive long term care is.  It is important that you and your spouse make these decisions before you are in the position where decisions have to be made quickly. Maybe you could start an account where you’re put in a certain amount each month as your long term care fund.  I find that with anything it is easier to put in small amounts than trying to come up with a large chunk of money at once. If you are over 65 Medicare will cover some of your costs.  It is pretty common that those who need long term care also have Medicaid.  Usually with Medicaid when you are in long term care, you have to give most of your monthly Social Security to the facility and Medicaid covers the rest. 

When my Grandma Rose was in need for long term care, my mom sold her house. That gave some money for long term care but you would be surprised how quickly it went.   A good healthcare facility can be pretty expensive. It doesn't include living expenses like clothes to wear, toiletries, books etc. Another good thing to consider doing is prepaying your funeral costs.  That way your family isn’t burdened with that expense in the middle of grieving. That way you can know that they will not have to worry about it. They won’t have to fight about it, trust me I have seen quite a few court shows where there are people suing family members over funeral and burial expenses.The last thing anyone wants is to be a burden to someone else.  

I hope I have helped you to start thinking about long term care and how important it is to plan just in case. With any luck, you will never need your back up plan and you grow older healthy and happy.

This post was inspired by Genworth and Brandfluential. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Struggle of Putting a Child to Bed

If you are a parent, you have probably experienced on more than one occasion the epic battle that is trying to get your little ones to bed.

Research has shown that children who fail to get enough sleep on a night are more likely to be restless, agitated and less motivated. In addition, your child’s lack of sleep can have a knock on effect on you too, leaving you feeling tired and with little time to complete essential tasks that you would have done while they were sleeping.

If the regular bedtime battles are getting too much for you to handle, follow these top tips and regulate your routine…

Remove distractions

Most of the time when children are refusing to go to sleep, it is because they do not want to miss what is going on around them. It can be especially difficult to get your child to sleep if they have an older sibling who is allowed to stay up later than them.

If your child has an older sibling, you should clearly explain to them that the reason their brother or sister is allowed to stay up later is because they are older, and that when they reach that age, they will be able to as well.

In order to try and get your child to bed at a reasonable hour, you should remove all distractions from their bedrooms. Televisions, electronic toys and other gadgets, can be simply too tempting for your child when they should be sleeping.

Try to have a quiet house when you put them to bed. Keep distracting noise, like the television or radio, to a minimum to keep them from hearing and wanting to know what’s going on.

Use their own bed

For some children, the reason why they don’t want to go to bed is because they don’t want to be separated from their parents in their own room. As tempting as it is to give in and let your child sleep in your bed, this will only produce a routine where your child’s bed is constantly empty.

If your child attempts to get into your bed during the night, keep returning them to their own bed until they realise it is a pointless activity. You may experience a few sleepless nights using this technique, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Decorate their bedroom in a way that makes it seem more appealing to sleep in. Go for bedding with their favourite characters on, and remove any toys that could produce any scary shadows at night. If your child is scared of the dark, a nightlight is a great addition that will ensure your child’s peace of mind and confidence in sleeping.

Ensure their comfort

Another factor that may affect your child’s sleeping is how comfortable their bed is. Just like with adults, an uncomfortable mattress can produce a hellish night sleep. Mattresses should be replaced every 5 to 7 years, so if your child’s mattress is a bit on the old side you should consider investing in a new one.

If your little ones wriggle about and lie in odd positions in their sleep, it may be worth buying a memory foam mattress. This special technology works to adjust to your body shape, providing the upmost comfort and support.

A good set of pillows and fluffy quilt will finish off your child’s bed, providing them with everything they need for an excellent night’s sleep.   

Give these tips a try, and give you and your child the perfect rest you need.

Choc-V's Chocolate Vitamins Review

Noah is a very picky eater. I am not sure why that is, I am a somewhat picky eater but I am nowhere near as bad. I have been expanding my palate some, so I am trying.  When you have a picky eater like I do, it can become difficult to make sure he is receiving the right amounts of vitamins and nutrients. Most of what Noah eats is healthy just not a huge variety of things. He also goes to a nut free school, which means he can’t bring peanut butter and jelly in his lunch. He doesn’t like to eat meat so; protein in his diet is tricky.  Of course he will eat peanut butter and jelly at home, but he doesn’t eat it all the time.  I try and supplement him with vitamins.  Oh how have vitamins changed since I was a little girl.  I used to have to take those cartoon rock chewable vitamins.  I did not care for them but I had to take them. I probably almost choked on them more than I care to remember.  Kids are lucky now, they have many different choices.  I just learned about Choc-V’s. Choc-V’s are vitamins for kids that are chocolate.  Yes, chocolate.  If I had those growing up, I would never flush my vitamins down the toilet. Choc-V’s come in three varieties. 

Multi-V which is a multivitamin that contains 17 essential vitamins & minerals, including 1000IU Vitamin D with a great milk chocolate taste. Multi-V's helps support healthy eyes, strong bones and teeth, and a healthy immune system.

Probotic that contains 1 billion microflora to help restore digestive health, strengthen natural defense systems, and prebiotic fiber to help promote the effectiveness of the probiotic. It comes in white chocolate.

Calcium Choc-V's contains 300mg of Calcium to help build strong bones and teeth. Also contains Vitamin D to help the body absorb and use the calcium. Enjoy the great white chocolate taste.  

Not only is it good for you, it tastes great. Noah enjoys the Choc-V’s we received. I gave him one last night and he asked for one with his breakfast! Of course, I had to say no.  I have friends that won’t let their children take gummy vitamins because of the dental issues it can cause.  So until now they were stuck with the hard chewable vitamins that were disgusting.  Choc-V’s saves the day!

Here is some additional information on Choc-V’s from the company:

Everyone loves chocolate. That's why we added yummy chocolate to our vitamins - and vitamins to our chocolate. Choc-V's combines the wonderful taste of chocolate with all your essential daily vitamins for a new and improved, delicious vitamin. So leave your pills, your capsules, and your gummies behind and get ready for the next big thing in the evolution of vitamins. No artificial colors or preservatives.

Choc-V’s came up with a fun campaign called the Chocofier.  It’s really easy and fun to use.  All you do is go to the Chocofier machine website. Type in the URL of the site you want to chocoify. Pick your flavor of chocolate and the website becomes drenched in chocolate. 
  Here is my site Chocofied:

I wouldn’t do it on an empty stomach because it definitely made me hungry.

For more information and to find out where to buy please visit Choc-V’s website.