As many older adults become elderly, they prefer independence and choose to remain in the home they know instead of assisted living facilities. While living alone might be frightening at times for younger adults, the dangers are increased for seniors. Fortunately, there are proactive measures seniors may implement to avoid the possibility of injury.

1. Avoid slips and falls
Ensure flooring throughout your home is non-slip. This is especially important in bathroom areas. Installing safety bars and slip-resistant mats in showers and bathtubs is also essential to avoid falls due to slippery surfaces. Make sure electrical cords are out of your path, also ensure rugs lie flat and avoid low furniture to decrease the risk of tripping. In addition, use ample lighting to illuminate your home to spot other potential areas of concern.

2. Invest in a medical alert system
There are numerous medical alert companies that provide around-the-clock monitoring services for a nominal fee. Clients choose to wear either a bracelet or necklace and the device is directly linked to emergency services with one touch of a button.

3. Test smoke alarms on a regular basis
Conduct routine tests of your smoke alarms once a week. Install fresh batteries every six months to ensure smoke detectors are in working order. To remember this procedure, it is recommended to change the batteries when daylight savings time occurs, once every six months.

4. Have a buddy system
Get to know your neighbors and surroundings. Although you may prefer your privacy, arrange daily check-ins with a neighbor or relative. While daily visits may not be necessary, a quick phone call is a good idea. Also, if something or someone in your neighborhood seems odd or suspicious, tell someone you trust. If you feel threatened or unsafe at any time, contact the authorities immediately.

5. Keep an emergency list
Maintain a current list of prescribed medications, any allergies, and the contact information of close friends and family who are familiar with your medical history. Keep the list with you at all times in your purse or wallet – it will come in handy if you become incapacitated and require medical assistance.

6. Install a home security system with motion sensors
If motion lighting is installed outside of your home, movement activates the sensors to trigger the lights, commonly deterring thieves. However, if motion lights are not enough to prevent the risk of burglars, alarm systems are also an option. Most systems notify you if windows or doors are ajar, and the loud alarms often scare burglars away. For a small monthly fee, your home may be monitored 24/7.

7. Take care of yourself
Remaining healthy is always important, especially in your senior years. Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is essential to reduce the risk of illness or complications due to minor injuries. If you are unsure of what exercises are safe and what foods are right for you, consult your healthcare physician to create a personalized regimen.

8. Use proper medical supplies
Many older individuals may have difficulty moving around. There are many medical supplies available to those who need assistance. Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and braces are among the supplies commonly used. Other prescribed devices include dialysis machines and oxygen concentrators. Some types of supplies require a prescription, so contact your physician if you think you need any medical equipment to improve your quality of life.

9. Avoid over-medicating or mix-ups
Many seniors require medications to treat conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol – the list goes on. If you have difficulty reading the small print, ask your pharmacy to print larger labels on medicine bottles. Avoid mix-ups if you are on various prescriptions and store medication in its original packaging. Lastly, make sure to bring all medications you are on to any doctor’s appointments and inform your provider immediately of any adverse reactions or concerns.

The mobile app market has been expanding over the years. The smartphone has become an integral part of modern existence. Who remembers what life was like in pre-smartphone times? Many people today use the smartphone to do more than connecting with others. They can watch YouTube videos, listen to music, send and receive email, make payments, and more. These are some of the mobile app trends you may expect:

Revenue Will Continue to Grow

Revenue from the mobile app industry will grow to more than $180 billion within the next three years. There is nothing that shows that the market will reach saturation point in the short term. Less than 40 percent of the global population owned smartphones by the end of last year. Industry pundits expect the number of smartphone users to rise to almost 45 percent worldwide by the end of 2017. It is reasonable to assume that revenue may increase substantially.

Single-Purpose Apps Will Be All the Rage

Unbundling of existing enterprise apps into single-purpose apps may continue. The term unbundling refers to a process where an app developer “separates” an existing app into several stand-alone apps. Each of the new apps so created serves a specific need of a company’s customer base. For example, a company may build a new app that its customers use for instant messaging. When Facebook unbundled, it gifted Messenger to the world. Google also did it, and Docs and Sheet materialized.

Teletransportation Will Become a Reality

The potential of the mobile technology is limitless. Innovative companies such as Ubiatar.com know that mobile apps are capable of more than is currently thought possible.

Teletransportation is one of the latest mobile app trends. It will soon be possible for people to visit far-away places and experience life there. Two people using smartphones will make this possible. A user will connect with another person through a suitable app. They will then request the other party to do certain things for them. A person in the U.S. will explore Tokyo in Japan and even do some shopping. They will do all this using the other person’s body for a fee.

M-Commerce Will Grow in Importance

We have been hearing the word “e-commerce” in a lot of today’s conversations. Thanks to e-commerce, companies like Amazon have grown to monstrous proportions, making their owners very rich. The next big thing that you might see soon is m-commerce. Modern smartphones come with a fingerprint recognition functionality. People should be able to make payments in a way that is fast and secure.

Demand for Enterprise Apps Will Increase

For the last few years, mobile app developers have focused on consumer mobile apps. But things are changing. More and more developers are turning their attention to enterprise mobile apps. Most small-and-medium-sized businesses are fueling this demand. These apps serve the needs of an organization as opposed to those of outsiders. They increase employee productivity and empower field workers. Analytics with relevance to an organization’s goals will become an integral part of enterprise apps.

The Internet of Things Will Usher in a World of Possibilities

The Internet of things is big business. It is a $19 trillion industry. Over five billion people worldwide may be using IoT within the next five years.

One of the most popular applications of IoT is the smart home. People can control tens of devices using their voices. You can expect an “advanced” smart home in the years to come. The modern car comes equipped with Internet access and can send and receive data.

IoT will transform existing cities into smart cities. The technology might be used in future to address traffic congestion, pollution, and crime. There are many more examples where IoT has found considerable use.

It is getting increasingly tricky to talk about the future these days. The future is becoming the present pretty fast. Mobile apps may be one of the most important realities that shape the future of modern society.

Whether it’s health, home, car, or life, you carry insurance for protection when something unexpected occurs. Insurance is designed to help you cover the cost of rebuilding your life, your home, your health, and even your car when something tragic occurs, And no one ever assumes the insurance they’ve paid for most of their lives will be rejected. Unfortunately, insurance claims are denied and rejected all the time for various reasons, but primarily because insurance companies want to pay as little as possible to protect their bottom line. Insurance companies will do anything not to pay a claim. If your claim is denied or rejected, you do have options.

Check the Information You Submitted

One of the most common reasons for denied insurance claims is misinformation. The paperwork you submitted when you filed your claim might contain a mistake or two, or even a Social Security or policy number that’s just one digit off. If this is the case, the insurance company is quick to deny the claim. Don’t panic until you’re certain you didn’t make any mistakes filing your claim. If you did, fix it and resubmit the claim.

The Problem Was Your Fault

Attorney Matthew L. Sharp states, “Insurance companies owe their customers a duty of good faith and fair dealing, and an insurance company’s violation of this duty can amount to insurance bad faith. In connection with their obligation of good faith and fair dealing, insurance companies have a number of obligations to their customers, including the timely and appropriate payment of claims, compliance with the terms of the insurance policy, and considering policyholders’ interests at least equal to their own interests.”

If your car was broken into, damaged, and in need of repair, it could be pinned on you for leaving shopping bags on the seat. The insurance company is well within its rights to deny a claim for this reason, and it’s devastating for the policyholder. If your medical claim is denied because you forgot to show up for a follow-up appointment, it’s considered lack of due care. Let your attorney help you fight this type of denial.

You Were Not Truthful

Sometimes, you make mistakes when filling out paperwork related to insurance claims. If you were injured at work and required to fill out time-consuming, confusing, and lengthy insurance paperwork, you might accidentally check off the “No” box for one of the health problems you live with. If the insurance company sees this and catches it, they might claim you were not truthful about your medical conditions and deny your claim.

You might not even realize you didn’t fill out the form appropriately. You were in a hurry, you were tired, you were on page 17 of 30 and just looking to finish. Your claim could be denied because you accidentally lied about something.

Call Your Attorney

The best way to handle an insurance claim rejection is to call your attorney. Your attorney can help you go over your policy details to ensure the company didn’t try to deny a claim they can’t deny. Your attorney can help you fix the paperwork you previously submitted by rewording information and clarifying anything that was deemed confusing.

You then resubmit your claim and hope that the insurance company is willing to reconsider their position on their previous denial. Most will, but there are some instances in which a company might continuously deny you in hopes you’ll stop submitting the paperwork for the claim. This is when having an attorney on your side is the most beneficial.

Your attorney’s job is to help you understand the confusing instructions and legal jargon used by insurance companies. The terms they use and ask for aren’t always easily understandable by those who don’t work in the legal or insurance industries, and this makes it very easy for you to make a mistake that might cost you your claim.

People who are in their 30s are often still at a time when they’re discovering themselves and they’re trying to make experiences and moments that they can look back to when they’re old. But while it’s fun to hang out with coworkers after work and spend hundreds of dollars online shopping every week, one should be using this time to invest in his/her financial future. Here are six easy moves to make in their 30s that can have a huge financial impact in the next few decades:

Aim to Get a Promotion

In your twenties, time was mostly spent just trying to get a job and getting as much field experience as possible, regardless of the pay or perks. Your thirties should be the time in your life to reap the fruits of your diligent and hardworking younger self. Advance your career by researching possible career paths that someone with your experience and skill set can elevate himself/herself to. Determine the kinds of jobs and employers that need you.

Supplement Your Education 

To be able to grow personally and professionally, one must continue learning beyond his/her college years. While having a bachelor’s degree can help you get a decent job in your 20s and 30s, competing for upper-level job positions requires a broader knowledge base and skill set. Consider signing up for online courses during your free time. Sites, like Udemy and Coursera, are good places to look for advanced courses on your field of work, especially for those working in a STEM field.

Maximize Your Retirement Account

Getting a raise from a career promotion can only help up your lifestyle in the short-term. One must prepare beyond that by investing those savings and bonuses on low-risk retirement accounts. Max out your 401(k) account, which sums up to $18,000 in annual contributions or $1,500 a month. Supplement your 401(k) with an IRA account, which allows you to contribute up to $5,500 per year. Roth IRAs are similar with traditional IRAs in terms of maximum allowed contributions, but are taxed differently.

Invest in Stocks

Stocks are another staple in any investor’s portfolio. Instead of parking your money on a savings account that offers measly gains, invest in company stocks. Avoid penny stocks that tend to be volatile and high-risk and go for companies that have a proven track record, is financially stable, and has a strong management team running it. Stocks, like Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Ford, are value companies that you should look into.

Invest in a House 

People choose to rent an apartment in their 20s since it often fits their lifestyle. It gives them more freedom to move and doesn’t impact their finances as much as buying or leasing a property of their own. In your thirties, however, long-term goals set in and people start to plan for a family or retirement. Start allotting a portion of your income towards a mortgage on a house.

Pay Off Debt

Debt can debilitate you financially, from both the initial amount borrowed and the interest rates that add up over time. A lot of people accrue debt in their 20s since their earning power is low and their lifestyle is usually consumer-driven. Pay off any college debt and credit cards first before putting any money to your retirement accounts. Paying off debt will have the effect of improving your credit score, which ultimately leads to lower interest rates on your loans and credit cards. If you have a low credit score, get credit repair services to boost up your numbers.

Final Thoughts

Making sound financial moves in your thirties can impact how you live in your retirement years. Use the power of compounding to increase your future net worth and retirement nest. To put this into perspective, $50,000 saved between the ages of 25 to 35 can net more than $1 million by the age of 65.

Purchasing kitchen cookware is much harder than it seems. Nowadays, there are many kitchen products that you can buy for your customized house. However, it can be confusing to separate quality from junk. This article will help you to learn more about high-quality kitchen essentials.

Chef’s Knife

It is one of the essential kitchen items that should be about 9 inches long. A high-quality chef knife is heavy, sharp, and easy to use. Its function is to cut vegetables, meat, and other ingredients during cooking preparation. It is affordable and easy to maintain.

Cutting Board

Cutting boards can be plastic or wooden. Wooden boards are more durable than the plastic ones. People use it when cutting vegetables and chopping meat. You should clean cutting boards immediately after use to avoid tiny pieces and dirty particles getting stuck.

Can Opener

It is a multi-tool used to open jar lids, Pull tabs, unscrew tops, and crown caps. It is safe and comfortable to use a can opener.

Measuring Cups and Spoons

These are must-have items in the kitchen. A set of high-quality stainless steel measuring cup and spoons are ideal for measuring solid or liquid ingredients. After using them, you should clean them and store them properly on top of each other.

Food Processor

It is used to make sauces and soups, grind meat and nuts, making homemade mayonnaise and shredding cheese. The texture is excellent and kneads pasta dough very well. The Cuisinart food processor is highly rated. It has a stainless steel base and a capacity to prepare food for more people.

Mixing Bowls

Glass made mixing bowls are most preferred. They do not absorb odor and are easy to clean. They are used to stir or whip desserts, creams, and eggs.

Ladle

It is a large bowl used to serve soups and other meals. You should choose one that has a bent handle to hook the spoon on the side of the pot to prevent falling.

Spatula

Metallic spatulas are the best to handle delicate foods without breaking. The blade should not be too small or too long.

Grater

When cooking, you need to grate and zest some ingredients. Choose a grater that has four to six sides. The handle needs to be stable to avoid bending. Buy two graters of different sizes.

Shears

You might not think of a kitchen shear as an essential kitchen item, but it is helpful in cutting chicken bones and lobsters. Choose one that has sharp tips with solid handles.

Paring Knife

It is designed to peel fruits, cutting vegetables, and coring tomatoes and apples. It should not be longer than 4 inches. Look for one that has a tang that goes all the way to the handle.

Bread knife

Serrated bread knife needs to be at least eight inches to cut through large loaves of bread. Find one that has an offset handle to avoid hurting your knuckles every time you make a sandwich.

Potato Masher

It is used to mash potatoes. Choose one that flips to make it easier to store in the drawer. It should be stainless steel and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. The potato needs to be a circular piece to avoid the handle separating from the head.

Kitchen Thermometer

Make sure to shop for a kitchen thermometer and not a medical one. It should be resistant to heat and durable with an easy to read display.

Stainless Steel Colander

It is used to wash vegetables and to drain pasta. Choose one that has non-slip handles and stands to avoid slipping. This item is durable and cannot break easily, even after falling several times.

Whisk

It is one of the most used kitchen items. It is used to mix sauces, salad dressings, desserts, eggs and other ingredients. Choose one that fits well in hand. Avoid ones that have wired handles to avoid spending too much time removing foods stuck in the handle. The wire of the whisk needs to be thin and to some extent flexible.

Stainless Steel Skillet

It is a kitchen cookware used quite often. It is used for searing, frying, browning, and sauteing. The handle makes it easy to carry loads without tipping.

It is advisable to have these and other kitchen items. They will enable you to prepare food and perform other activities in the kitchen efficiently.

Okay. The easiest way to organize all your stuff is getting rid of everything and living in a completely empty apartment or house. But, that is not going to work for most people. Fortunately, organizing what you have is easier than you might think. It just takes a bit of thinking and planning.

First Things First, before you start organizing anything, there are two things you need to do.

• Get rid of anything you don’t need. Organizing things you don’t need is a waste of time and space. It is time to let go of the clothes you wore in high school or the broken plates in the back of the cupboard.

• Deep clean your storage spaces. Why organize your stuff in dusty, dirty spaces? Pick a space and clean it from top to bottom, back to front. These two steps will make the organization process much easier.

12 Ways to Organize Your Stuff

1. Designate a place for everything. An old adage, but it still carries weight. For example, when you put your bills in one spot, you know where they go and where they are when it’s time to pay them.

2. Put the overflow in self-storage. If you live in a small space, or just have limited storage, you may have stuff that is just in the way. A self-storage unit can take that overflow and keep it safe.

3. Consolidate small items. Do you have pens and pencils all over the place? Put them all into a pretty mug in a handy place. You can do something similar with hair accessories, office supplies, kitchen utensils, batteries, and anything else you can think of.

4. Put lesser used items up high or in the back. Most people have items that they don’t use that often. Those are the items that need to go out of the way. Think the top of the closet or the back of the cupboard.

5. Invest in organizers for drawers. It is so easy for items in a drawer to move around and get mixed up. Organizers can help keep them in place. Built-in organizers are optimal, but plastic ones at the dollar store are just as effective.

6. Have a designated area for your daily stuff. These are your keys, wallet, purse, coat, and other items that you take with you as you leave the house. With a designated area, you will know where to find things and where to put things.

7. Label everything. Okay. Not everything. But, labeling items in a cupboard can make it easy to find odd items. It also makes it easy to put things back into their designated spot.

8. Use the top of your kitchen cabinets. The space between the ceiling and the tops of your cabinets can easily be used for organizing lesser used items. Pretty boxes and baskets will beautify the space and keep it organized.

9. Categorize your clothes. Most people have different clothes for work, play, sleep and home. Keeping your clothing for each part of life in its own space will make keeping it organized easier. Keep common items together also.

10. Keep your countertop and desk clear. When you are done with a task, take a few seconds to clean up your work area. Putting away spices, throwing away trash, and filing papers will keep your workspace organized and ready for the next task on your list.

11. Think before buying anything new. When you buy new things, you are going to need a place to put them. Take a few seconds to think where you will put a new purchase. Maybe you can donate an old unused item to make space. Maybe you can do without.

12. Keep things in good order. Before you put things away, perform any cleaning or maintenance required. That goes for wiping off a condiment bottle or replacing the shoelaces in your sneakers. This will keep the storage space clean and your stuff ready to go.

All of these tips will help get your stuff organized and keep it that way. You don’t have to do it all at one time. Pick one and get started. You will be surprised at how fast your stuff finds its place.