Category: Lifestyle

Although it may be tempting to just ignore the possibility of a break-in, fire or any other emergency, it is not a wise way to live. It is essential to stay prepared for the worst to live peacefully, hence we have listed below 8 safety essentials that are a must in every home;

1. A Smart Lock

Losing keys is quite common, but it is also a safety hazard as someone else may get access to your home. Getting a smart lock installed will make sure that only you and your family have access to your home. You can also create temporary virtual keys for your guests. Another advantage is that you do not need to always remember to carry around keys and also the ability to check the visitor logs through an app will give you peace of mind.

2. First Aid

Keeping a first aid kit at home is mandatory as minor home accidents are common and this will ensure that you do not have to run to a pharmacy every time it happens. Just maintain a case which has all basic medical supplies. Make sure to check for expiry dates and keep refreshing the kit.

3. Safety Mask

With the world changing every day including the climatic change and rise in pollution along with industries multiplying and friction rising between various nations, you never know when a situation may arise where you will need a respirator mask for protection against hazardous gases or dust hence keep a full-face respirator mask available for every member of your family just in case of such emergencies. Professional radon detector is also a very useful tool to save your family from hazardous gas. 

4. Emergency Escape

During any house emergency such as a gas leak or fire, the best way to save yourself is by escaping from your home hence think beforehand and plan emergency escape routes with proper access to timely escape the hazard safely.

5. Motion Detector

Motion detectors are highly recommended to defend against intruders. As intruders prefer dark hence motion detectors installed near the entryway will stun them and force them to abort, additionally, it also provides safe passage to everyone arriving at your home.

6. Portable Power

Power loss is a common issue hence you need to be prepared by keeping portable power sources available such as power banks to charge your phone and batteries to operate instruments. An LED flashlight is a must and also keep candles and matchsticks available in your house and basement, just in case.

7. Portable Heater

Power outages during winter may be dangerous as the heating system of the house relies on electricity, hence keep backup portable heaters available to prevent discomfort in such a scenario.

8. Fire Extinguisher

This is one piece of equipment that every house needs to keep as a small fire can easily spread rapidly even before the firefighters arrive, hence a small extinguisher can save your home from burning down to ashes.

The probability of you needing to use the above-mentioned safety equipment may be very low but it is always good to be prepared beforehand rather than repent later, hence make sure to abide by all the safety measures mentioned above to lead a safe life.

Hypothyroidism can be a difficult condition to pin down. But if left unchecked,  by the time someone has got themselves to the doctors for a formal diagnosis it has already ravaged the body. But some of the worse effects of hypothyroidism can be staved off providing you are proactive. To do this, we hope to educate you on how to recognise the troubling effects of hypothyroidism.

Endocrine system

The body is dependent on the thyroid hormones T3 and T4 to keep everything functioning the way it should. If you’re not getting enough T3 and T4, then your energy levels will plummet and with it, your metabolism, which means you will have difficulty losing weight. However, you can maintain a healthy flow of manufactured T3 and T4 in the form of liothyronine and levothyroxine.

Circulatory and cardiovascular system

You rely on your heart to maintain a consistent beat while keeping blood pumping around your body. Hypothyroidism can slow your heart rate down, thus making it difficult to maintain a consistent heartbeat, which also leaves you open to the risk of raised blood pressure, as a result of narrowed arteries. You’ll also be susceptible to high cholesterol, which, along with high blood pressure, increases the risk of heart disease.

Nervous system

If hypothyroidism is left untreated, then this will also impact the way information is carried to and from the brain, the areas most hindered being the brain and spinal cord. This, in turn, can cause another condition called peripheral neuropathy, with symptoms including numbness and tingling/burning sensations in various parts of the body.

Respiratory system

The muscles that you use to breathe can be weakened by the lack of thyroid hormones, which will make breathing difficult, exacerbating any existing breathing conditions. This will be most prominent following exercise.

Digestive system

A lack of thyroid hormones will slow the digestive tract, leaving you vulnerable to heartburn and constipation.

Reproductive system

For female sufferers of hypothyroidism, periods are often disrupted and when they do recur, they are often much heavier, which can heavily impact the pregnancy process. Those who are trying to get pregnant may struggle to do so and those who are expecting may be more likely to suffer a miscarriage.

Others symptoms

The body’s metabolism is an all-encompassing component that has a knock-on effect on many of the other systems in the body. You may find yourself suffering from chronic fatigue, easily becoming exhausted even with minimal exercise. You will find yourself developing an over-intolerance to cold. There will also be physical changes on your body, such as hands and feet swelling, rough and patchy skin, and possible hair loss.

It doesn’t matter where it strikes or how it disrupts your day, hypothyroidism has the capacity to ravage your body and leave you physically drained and emotionally exhausted. If you exhibit any of these symptoms, then your doctor should be your next port of call, who can advise you on how to manage the symptoms and – if you manage to catch them in time – make a full recovery.

There is a distinct link with the desire of the senior people to age in place with their sense of attachment with other people in the community. They are also very keen to retain and even increase their social connection as they age which the community-staying facilitates the most.

According to different research, it is found that the seniors are very passionate and attached to the place they live in. the reasons that they cite for their attachment to the specific community include:

• The extraordinary feeling and features of the communities
• The warmth of the place 
• The connection and chances of interaction among locals and most importantly
• The feeling of safety and security living in a known and socially vibrant and active community.

However, the external representations may not be always true and most of the times these are found to be more problematic than beneficial.

Several reports of different surveys as well as the suggestions of the Philadelphia Corporation for aging there are also a few instances of personal experiences of crime. There are some of the respondents to the survey who separated these incidents from the community they live in.

The importance of it

These facts, however, highlight the significance of it and indicate that the researchers and policy need to make an effort to explore the internal nuances of a community from the outlook of the people staying there instead of relying on the statistics that only figure the problems without focusing on the actual story.

Typically, the factors that are overlooked include:

• The sense of multiculturalism
• Friendliness
• Connection with different communities
• Feeling safe and secured
• Access to public transport and other community services.

Most of the time, people prefer to stay in their home and age simply due to their attachment to material things of their neighborhoods such as part of one or a couple of streets.

Other reasons cited

At other times it is found that people like to stay in their homes to age simply because they have lived in a particular house for decades together. 

These factors enable them to develop a very strong sense of connection to the physical space as well as the neighbors both. The physical factors may include anything such as:

• Their gardens
• Their room or
• Their belongings. 

On the contrary, there are a few other respondents who said that they want to live in their homes or community and age simply because they have established a connection with the people living in the neighborhood rather than their home or living space.

This means that it is interesting that people distinguish between their house and the area which is on contrary to the literature that tends to blend the two terms instead of distinguishing them.

In short, most people want to age in place simply due to the fact that familiarity is most important for them, be it with the place or the people. For them, it is the social connection that enables them to make such a pragmatic decision whether to age in their place or in any other nursing home or assisted care living facility.

Meaning of aging in place

The meaning of aging in place is petty simple but the detail of it can be complex and varied. There are a few things that you should know in this regard.

Few people are often in a dilemma and ask whether or not they need to make any change when they choose to age in their place. Most of the time, changes are not needed to make. This is because such necessary changes in the home will take place gradually over time. The primary reasons to make such arrangements or changes beforehand is to:

• Help in mobility
• Ensure safety and prevent falls.

This is because the physical ability tends to decline over the years which is why you will modify your home as and when required. 

If you look at it in a positive view, aging in their place can be the best choice for many older adults. This is because they can continue living an independent life and lifestyle. The people who live and age in their place are often found to be more active in comparison to those who live in an assisted living facility.

Concept of assistive technology

In this modern world where technology rules all aspects of life, aging in place is facilitated with the implementation of assistive technology. This comes with several innovative ideas that will allow the seniors to stay in their own homes safely and more independently.

Assistive technology is now a popular thing that typically refers to assistive, adaptive, or rehabilitation products. These devices are designed specially that will assure greater independence to the older adults, especially those people with limited abilities or disabilities that are typically associated with aging.

The assistive technology products will help these people to do a variety of jobs allowing them to stay in their home and age as well as improve their quality of life.

Things to consider

With or without assistive technology to support you, if you want to age in place then there are a few things you should consider such as:

• Make your home safe with a few modifications as well as a few structural changes but make sure that you stick to the building codes.
• If you want to live in your home and suffer from a chronic disease you will need to consider the type of support required in the future. 
• If you want to stay in age and hire the service of in-home caregivers or companions to make sure that you research them while you are still active to do a little bit of net-surfing and running about.

Always hire the service of a geriatric care manager to understand the risks, evaluate and coordinate the crisis interventions. Also, make a proper care plan including transportation and always discuss your plan with the other members of your family. Also consider things from the financial aspect as well as your health concerns, physical or mental, to create the best plan.

Even though not something that is done too often, changing your surname actually isn’t all that uncommon. Of course, people tend to have different reasons why they’re changing their surname, but it is certainly doable.

Now, how easy you can do it, and how the process goes, does depend on where you are. For example, changing your surname in the United States can sometimes be very different from changing your surname in the UK. Changing your name in the United States also varies from state to state. For example, if you’re in California, the cost of changing your name might be different than if you are in New York. Details like location and pricing are important factors to consider when changing your name.

That being said, how is it done? Well, if that’s what you want to know, we’ve got a step-by-step process for you. Before we get to it, though, let’s take a look at the different situations that will allow you to change your surname.

What is your surname?

Your surname is actually a part of your name that you have either inherited, from your parents, or assumed, as a kind of nickname. As such, it’s not a part of the name you’re “given”, whether in baptism or otherwise.

Just like with your first name, there is nothing in the law that’s going to stop you from changing your surname, at pretty much any time. All that’s required is for you not to have any kind of fraudulent or criminal intent.

You get to choose any surname you want and use it in addition to, or as a substitution for, your current surname. There are a few things that you should know about changing it, though.

The surname also isn’t someone’s right or property. Nothing can stop you from assuming someone else’s surname. There are multiple cases to prove this, such as Dubolay v Dubolay.

When can you change your surname?

Even though you can do it at pretty much any time (with some limitations), the most common occurrence of changing your surname is when you’re getting married or divorced. When you’re getting married to your spouse, you can choose between continuing to use your surname, taking your spouse’s, or using a combination of both. This, legally speaking, is no different from changing your surname with a deed poll.

Now, getting married doesn’t oblige you to change your name. Nothing is wrong with assuming your partner’s surname, as long as you don’t have any fraudulent intention, and as long as you aren’t fraudulently claiming you’re married, when in fact, you aren’t. 

When getting divorced, you can either choose to keep your married name, or you can go back to your maiden name. Also, when getting married for the second time, you can also choose to keep the married name from your previous marriage.

Are there any limitations?

To prevent abuse, there are certain limitations to changing one’s surname. For example, if a child is under 16 years old, only one change of surname is allowed, as well as one change of forename. And if there is a registered change of forename in infancy, the child doesn’t have a right to change their forename until they’re 16 years old.

For persons that are 16 years old, or over, up to three changes of the surname may be recorded. However, again, to prevent abuse, there must be a period of five years between successive surname changes. Note that these laws apply in the UK, other places might have different limitations in place.

So, how do you change your surname?

As mentioned earlier, you can change your surname during marriage or divorce. If you do this during the marriage, you shall use your new surname when signing your marriage license. However, if it’s done during divorce, you can ask your attorney to take care of this for you, and they should be able to revert you to your maiden name.

If it is done outside of these circumstances, you can change your surname with a deed poll. A deed poll is a declaration of your intent to assume a change of your surname, and as such, is evidence that you have done the change in good faith. You can use the deed poll to update your documents and records, and thus show you’re using your name publicly.

That’s it – it’s actually quite a bit simpler than you might think, but changing your surname can be done pretty quickly.