Feel closer with voice and video calls

Free internet calls with Skype-to-Skype calls

Free calls It’s what Skype is made for.

Using Skype to call another person who also has Skype is totally free. Yep, absolutely nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch

You’ve downloaded Skype, and so has your friend. Now you can get started on the really cool stuff – such as making completely free and great quality calls from your computer. That’s the great thing about Skype, you can use your internet connection and turn your computer into an internet phone and make free Skype-to-Skype calls.

You and your friend will need to have a headset (or use your computer’s built-in microphone and speakers) to talk to each other. You can really improve the sound quality of your calls with a headset, or take your calls to the next level with free video calls.

You can also use Skype to make terrific value calls to phones and mobiles.

Skype lets you talk and video conference over the Internet

"Enjoy the World, hobbies, crafts, creative pastimes, e-mail,web based Conversations, Blogs, Articles"

Skype is a little piece of software that lets you talk and video conference over the Internet with anyone, anywhere in the world for free while viewing each other on your computer screens.

This Listen-Zone describes one of several ways to set up and use Skype

Basic Requirements for Skype
# A high speed Internet connection
# a personal computer (Your computer must have Windows 2000, XP or Vista to run Skype)
# a webcam, a microphone (some web cams have a built in microphone) and speakers attached to your computer). Many lap-tops have built in speakers, some have built in webcam. If you are concerned with the audio being overheard you can use a headset with microphone
# first install the camera's software on your computer
# Then Connect the camera with the USB cable to any of the the computer's USB sockets (ports).
Many computers will automatically recognize that you plugged the webcam in and it will tell you there is a new device on the computer
# With the webcam connected you have also connected the microphone that is built into the webcam to the computer. You can now adjust the audio settings using the webcam controls or wait until you have installed Skype.
# The Logitech installer will guide you through the con figuration of the audio. You may download from the Logitech site or from Skype.
# Skype provides the software free of charge. After you have Skype installed they have additional services that you buy into.
# This article is limited to free services over the Internet to anyone, anywhere in the world for free while viewing each other on your computer screens.
# You will be asked to choose a Skype name
This the name or nickname that people will use to call you (connect with you) on using Skype. The Skype Setup Wizard will appear and guide you through the rest of the installation.
# Make certain peakers are plugged in and volume turned up. (or if using a head set plug it in)
# Now call the Skype Test service. It is an automated service that you call and it calls you back so that you know you are ready to Skype.
# Make your first call
Select your friend's Skype Name and press the big green call button.
# Sign up for a Google Account and for a Google gmail account

Caring elderly seniors, parent, elderly spouse, domestic partner or close friend

http://www.aging-parents-and-elder-care.com/ Twitter: twitter.com/mike_gamble

Elder Care - Overcoming the challenges of long term elder care

This article will walk you through the first steps of elder care – whether your loved one has Alzheimers Disease or another form of dementia, is recovering from a broken hip, or you are trying to figure out Medicare benefits. It is a primer - a source of both information and comfort. Each elder care situation is unique, of course. Your loved one's medical history, financial resources, personality, relationships with potential caregivers, proximity to services and other factors all determine the best approach to take.

Citizen Creator project, edit and share compelling narratives.

Introduction to Story Capture | story capture

Introduction to Story Capture

Our goal is to create an easy-to-use tool and process for chronicling non-profit initiatives, volunteer projects, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. But we've also realized that the same approach is useful in a wide variety of fields and communities, including healthcare, marketing, and product development.

Story Capture looks and works like many common blog systems, but provides a set of tools for reversing the sequence of blog posts (putting them in chronological order) and then editing the resulting "story line" into a coherent narrative. Participants and staff can input story material using widely accessible social media (blog posts, email, Twitter, etc.) and then edit that material (through a shared interface) into compelling stories, articles or web pages including photos, video and other types of media files.

The Basic Idea

The basic idea of Story Capture is simple ... create a story, blog about what you're doing (write a paragraph or two) on a regular basis, and attach photos or video that you've shot. Then we provide an easy way to roll up those blog posts and generate a "story line" ... the same content in reverse order (the linear sequence in which we would tell a story), formatted to be easy to read and/or re-edit into a final report or web document.

How Tos and Suggestions

Of course, the tool is just a convenience. What's important is your process for capturing the story. (Building a story can be an individual or group effort; if you're mainly a visual person, you might want to collaborate with a word person, or vice versa.) It helps to think and talk about what's the core story behind your project. What are you trying to do? Why is it important? Who's involved in this story? Who should I interview, what questions should I ask? What's the timeline of the project, and how often should I write and shoot video or take pictures? The depth and quality of the story will depend on thinking deeply about what you're trying to capture.

Check out "How to ..." for nitty-gritty help on using the tool, and "Suggestions for ..." to get tips on how to improve your stories and media.

Who We Are

The Story Capture program is an initiative of the Citizen Creator project, which is being supported by the Learning Worlds Institute. We're hoping to encourage the use of storytelling methodologies to help volunteers and non-profit organizations to document and celebrate the good work they do. We're interested in developing and spreading the Story Capture process and tools through pilot projects and workshops. Please contact us (pilots@storycapture.org) if you'd like to work together.

Short and Long term Care for your Pets, plan now

When Aging Parents Can No Longer Care for their Pets | Tender Loving Eldercare

Short Term Care Options

During a brief illness or a short-term hospital stay, seniors would probably prefer a family member, neighbor or friend to care for their pet(s). Identify who they would like them to be, and also designate one or two back up people just in case the first choice isn’t available for some unforeseen circumstance. Ask the designated individuals or families in advance if they can, and would be willing to, take on this responsibility. Also ask if they would or could consider caring for the pets if your aging parents’ hospital stay is lengthier than anticipated. Prepare a resource list of the pets’ daily routines, favorite foods (and treats), exercise needs, medical records, any medications they take and the veterinarians’ contact information.

Elderly Leave Nursing Homes for Home

Helping Elderly Leave Nursing Homes for a Home - NYTimes.com

A growing number of states are reaching out to people like Mr. Brown, who have been in nursing homes for more than six months, aiming to disprove the notion that once people have settled into a nursing home, they will be there forever. Since 2007, Medicaid has teamed up with 29 states to finance such programs, enabling the low-income elderly and people with disabilities to receive many services in their own homes.

The program in Pennsylvania provides up to $4,000 in moving expenses, including a furniture allowance and modifications to the apartment, and Mr. Brown has a home health aide every morning and a care manager to arrange for services like physical therapy. The new programs, financed largely by $1.75 billion from Medicaid, are a sharp departure from past practices, where Medicaid practically steered people into nursing homes.

CBS video: Caregivers Are Pressed For Cash

Caregivers Pressed For Cash

November 19, 2007 11:11 PM

A recent healthcare study has found that many caregivers are using a large portion of their income to cover costs. Sandra Hughes reports.

View the video report: Caregivers Pressed For Cash - CBS News Video.

Your Caregiving Journey: a internet talk radio show

Your Caregiving Journey, with Denise Brown, delves into discussions about your caregiving situations. Each week, a topic related to the challenges of eldercare.
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BlogTalkRadio is a provider of thousands of internet talk radio shows.

LifeCare, consultations by Matt Burns

LifeCare, Alzheimer’s Assoc. offering consultations - Business First of Columbus:

The Central Ohio branch of the Alzheimer’s Association is moving from knocking on doors to opening its own through a new partnership with Columbus’ LifeCare Alliance.

The association and LifeCare, which runs the Meals on Wheels program among other services, this month began a program offering free consultations to individuals and families dealing with Alzheimer’s or those who believe a family member could have the disease.

In Columbus, the groups are hosting five consultations a month at churches, senior centers and community centers, while several other nearby counties will have similar consultations set up on a less frequent basis, association CEO Michelle Chippas said.

For the sake of public health

Shortage of doctors hits MetroWest - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News

the Massachusetts Medical Society to discuss the primary care shortage.

In its latest survey of state doctors, released this week, the society found shortages of dermatologists, neurologists, urologists, vascular surgeons, OB/GYNs and, once again, the internists and family practioners who make up primary care.

In particular, this year the society found that 40 percent of family care doctors and 56 percent of internists are not accepting new patients, the highest proportions in the study's eight-year history.

Also, this year marks the first appearance of OB/GYNs on the shortage list, exacerbating the lack of internists and family doctors since many women rely on that specialty for routine care.

"With our state health reform initiative, we quickly learned that universal coverage doesn't equate to universal access," said Medical Society President Dr. Mario Motta, referring to a 2006 state law that has achieved insurance coverage for 97 percent of residents but strained the system.

Communication Problems | caregivers of elderly patients

Communication Problems Between Dementia Patients and their Caregivers Can Cause Physical Strain « Home Instead Senior Care of Michigan

by: Bert Copple, Home Instead Senior Care of Michigan

A recent study took a look at how caregivers of dementia patients feel when caring for and transferring their patients. The study, which was done at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, investigates how nurses’ aides at three dementia care facilities in western Sweden feel about person transfers in the workplace and what they do to reduce the physical strain. Although the resident’s weight was hardly a factor in physical strain, Cristina Wångblad, one of the researchers behind the study recently published in the scientific journal Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, found communication problems and misunderstandings to be much more leading causes.

‘The symptoms of dementia are very individual and can vary from one day to the next, and sometimes even from one moment to the next. This makes person transfers in dementia care very demanding for the personnel’, says physiotherapist Cristina Wångblad.

It’s noted that individual-specific knowledge about patients can be useful as well. Caregivers can give, for example, specific vocal queues and pitches, and gestures that are specific to and recognized well by each patient.

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Recommend reading full article.

Home Instead Senior Care of Michigan provides In-Home Non-Medical Care and Companionship for Seniors Living in Michigan

Aging In Place Technology Watch

About | Aging In Place Technology Watch

"Laurie M. Orlov, a tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate, is the founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch, a market research firm that provides thought leadership, analysis and guidance about technologies and related services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice. In addition to her technology background and years as a technology industry analyst, Laurie is a certified long-term care ombudsman in Florida"

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Categories

* Aging in Place Tech business potential
* assistive technologies
* cognitive and brain fitness
* communication devices
* computers and internet
* contribution and legacy
* dementia care technologies
* games
* games, fun and fitness
* healthcare
* home and remote monitoring
* medication management
* product snapshots
* telehealth and telemedicine

http://www.ageinplacetech.com/user/register

Gerobabble | Diane LeVan's Blog

Gerobabble
Diane LeVan's Blog

Location: San Francisco : CA : United States
A grad student in Clinical Gerontology at Notre Dame de Namur University, currently working onMasters thesis, plus a certificate in grief counseling.

Gerontechnology Start up company

Gerobabble: Gerontechnology: Eldercare-at-home startup seeks beta testers

Maham Daher
Masters in Public Health & MBA
University of California, Berkeley
Haas School of Business

Cell: 617-319-6290
maham_daher@haas.berkeley.edu

A start-up that has begun providing Aging in Place Assessments for Bay Area families.
Of special interest:: technologies to keep people connected to their family (ex. digital picture frames, phones with amplification, etc)

Is It Depression? by Mikol Davis, Psychologist

"Feeling low doesn’t have to be a permanent part of getting older. There are many elders who are able to take aging in stride, and accept the many limitations that accompany getting along in years. Aging is frequently marked by losses. Loss of spouses, siblings and friends, as well as losses of physical strength and abilities can lead to sadness. The sadness associated with loss can lessen with time."
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read full article
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Health.Care.Coach-.Elder.Care.Management.800-240-0908

Health Care Coach- Elder Care Management
8311 NW 24 Ct.
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
800-240-0908

Healthy Diet Plan For ElderCare

Looking For a Healthy Diet Plan For Your Senior?
Article Marketer Author: Carrie Tucker

When caring for seniors, a healthy diet is one of the best ways to improve their quality of life. A wide variety of whole foods is best for everyone.

When dealing with a senior who is very attached to their comfort foods, you need to take into consideration that it is hard to change a long standing habit.

Another issue to consider is how well they are able to chew their foods. This may be something that they don't like to talk about, or it may be a challenge you are well aware of.

Healthy Diet Plans are about what to avoid as much as they are about what to eat. Since whole foods are desired, emphasize whole food and avoid processed foods. You may find that very challenging since many comfort foods may be processed, depleted, sugary and salty foods.

Your senior needs whole, nourishing foods that are NATURALLY sweet and flavorful. Of course they have to be in on the plan if you want to succeed. Do whatever you can to inspire them to make changes that will benefit them.

The term "processed foods" refers to any processing that would make a food less wholesome or harmful. Remember these 10 tips to guide your senior's healthy diet plan.
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Article is recommended reading.
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About the Author
Carrie Tucker is a health expert you can trust. She has many years of experience helping people reclaim their health, and take better care of their ailing patients. . Heart Failure Solutions can give you insight into how YOU can help yourself, and those you care for.

Pain In ederly often undiagnosed

Pain In People With Dementia Often Undiagnosed

Laurie Wang
University of Alberta how to identify when an elderly person is experiencing pain - and receive treatment sooner rather than later.

The University of Alberta's Cary Brown, PhD, has a new tool to help. She has developed an online workshop and toolkit for caregivers, health-care providers, family members and friends of people with dementia.

The researcher from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine created an evidence-based website with a narrated presentation on pain and dementia, a downloadable resource pack for family members, a downloadable pain log and a facilitator's toolkit with background material, a planning guide, promotional material and supplemental information for organizations who wish to put on a workshop.

The online workshop and toolkit are available at: http://www.painanddementia.ualberta.ca

Home Health Care Agencies the Next Business "Bubble?"

The Deli

Are Home Health Care Agencies the Next Business "Bubble?"
Ads for Home Health Care agencies are all over the Classifieds sections of local newspapers these days. Not only are these businesses wanting you to hire their caregivers to assist you our your loved one at home, they want YOU to work for them! Suddenly, the market for Certified Nurses' Aides (CNAs) is huge, and training sessions are springing up everywhere to prepare those who wish to enter the workforce in this capacity.

Boston Examiners examine hundreds of topics. http://www.examiner.com/boston

Elder care book review - Family in The Attic by Elizabeth R. Pettiford

“Family in The Attic” is an amazing book and really should be required reading for anyone who has a senior parent, perhaps living alone, but beginning to find it too difficult to keep up their home and their own care. As families of such senior family members find themselves faced with total bewilderment of what to do and where to go, there are many great resources out there to help you...

No Kids, Worry

Newsday.com

No kids, no worries? Not necessarily
August 27, 2009 by PAULA GANZI LICATA / Special to Newsday