The recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti reminded us of how unexpected and devastating these events could be, especially for seniors, who are sometimes the last to get help.

Seniors can be particularly vulnerable due to limited mobility and ability to connect with others. Critical medicines may be left behind. Special nutritional needs can go unmet. Family members may not know where to find their senior loved ones.

The secret to getting through a major disaster for many seniors is advanced preparation. LivHOME recommends that seniors prepare both for cases where they will remain in their homes as well as those where evacuation is necessary. Click here for LivHOME’s emergency preparedness list.

So think ahead and get your plan in place today.

Finding the right caregiving balance can be the most important job a Care Manager does for a senior and his or her family.

Susan Peterson, a LivHOME Care Manager in the Metro D.C. area, demonstrated this as she helped two daughters care for their nearly 90-year-old father – taking the pressure off of them to be full-time caregivers as well as daughters.

The father, who suffers from moderate dementia, clearly needed help in order to remain at home safely and with dignity.

To hear the full interview with Susan, click here.

We are very excited to announce the opening of our new office in Monterey, which represents LivHOME’s 16th office in our home state of California.

Bonnie Craig, a nurse and 10-year veteran of LivHOME, is in charge of the new facility.

Beyond expanding our presence in California — where we provide coverage from San Diego County to the San Francisco Bay area — the Monterey office is another important step in LivHOME’s nationwide expansion.  The new office is located at 475 Washington St., Suite E, Monterey, CA, 93940, and can be reached by phone at 831-641-9659.

Click here if you’d like to see our full Monterey press announcement.

Ashley Mirone, a LivHOME Eldercare Consultant in Riverside, Calif., has won a full scholarship to attend the Alzheimer’s Association’s Alzheimer Action Summit in Washington, DC.

The summit, which will be held March 7-9, is attended by hundreds of Alzheimer’s advocates each year.  Ashley was selected for the 2010 scholarship based on her work on behalf of Alzheimer’s patients in her area of the country.

Ashley is very active in her community, participating in a number of organizations including: the Inland Empire Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk (Committee Member); the Inland Association for Continuity of Care (Vendor Chairperson); the “A” Team Senior Care Assistance (Coachella Valley); the Riverside Estate Planning Council; and Networking for Seniors.

A 5-year veteran of LivHOME, Ashley is responsible for business development in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

In LivHOME’s latest podcast episode, Rob Pohls, an attorney who works with long term care insurance companies, explains the ins and outs of this type of insurance. He addresses topics including: at what age someone might consider a long term care policy; understanding the different types of coverage – for example, not all policies cover at-home care; and tips for anyone looking to take out long term care coverage.

You can listen to the episode at http://www.livhome.com/Podcast/.