Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Medical discounts can help cut electric costs

When Tim Hawkes moved into his 1,700-square-foot Palm Springs homes in 2009, his higher-than-expected electric bills pushed him to look for any possible way to save.
One option he found was the discount program Southern California Edison offers customers with certain medical equipment in their homes. Hawkes qualified because he uses a CPAP machine to help him breath while sleeping. The machine itself doesn’t use a lot of power, but Hawkes was glad to receive any help available.

“Obviously, I had to get a doctor’s note,” Hawkes, 67, said.

Like many utility companies, the two serving the Coachella Valley, Southern California Edison and the Imperial Irrigation District, both offer discounts for certain medical equipment. The two local programs work differently: Southern California Edison, which serves the eastern valley, gives all approved customers a set amount of extra electricity at the lower billing rate. For IID customers, the discount varies based on the type of equipment in the home.

The medical baseline program for Southern California Edison is open to any household with a full-time resident using any one of specific medical devices — including a hospital bed, motorized wheelchair, dialysis machine or oxygen generator. Certain medical conditions, including multiple sclerosis and paralysis, also qualify a household. Qualifications for the IID program are similar. Both require a sign off from a doctor.
For customers who qualify, the Southern California Edison program gives them an extra 16.5 kWh of electricity at the lowest rate each day before higher rates kick in. For those customers in the Palm Springs area, this more than triples their wintertime baseline, or Tier 1 allotment, the amount of electricity they can hit before higher electricity rates kick in.

A Southern California Edison spokeswoman said the company has around 84,000 customers enrolled in the medical baseline program. Because the effect on their bills varies depending on electricity usage and where they live, it’s not possible to say with any certainty the typical amount of money saved.

The savings may not be huge, but most people welcome the chance to cut their monthly electric bill, especially if they’re also facing high medical costs.
Hawkes couldn’t estimate how much money he’s saved through the Southern California Edison program, known as a medical baseline allowance. Between it and other discount programs he qualifies for -— plus improvements he made on his home — Hawkes said his summertime bill is usually around $160 or $190.
The Imperial Irrigation District reported it had processed 352 applications for its Medical Equipment Energy Usage Assistance Program in 2015, with total discounts surpassing $55,000. That’s far ahead of the $35,000 discounted for 2014.

Individual monthly discounts of IID customers ranged from about $5 to $75.
Elizabeth Hengstler used the IID program for a year and a half to reduce the electric bill for the state-licensed residential group homes she runs in Indio under the name Desert Cottages.

At one house in a gated community in north Indio this week, some of the six residents sat on the back patio playing games while calming music played inside the home. The home caters to people with advanced mental impairments. Those who need help with basic care but don't require the medical attention of a hospital. It also houses residents after they've moved into hospice care.
Hengstler estimated the savings she was seeing at around $100 a month in each of the three homes she runs. A relatively small discount, but enough that Hengstler became miffed, when in May, a renewal application was rejected without what she felt was a clear explanation.
When she asked for an explanation in writing, IID didn’t respond.

“We just try to maximize anything possible,” Hengstler said. “Anything to try and keep the costs under control.”

Marion Champion, an IID spokeswoman, told The Desert Sun that the utility company is going to again extend the discount to Hengstler. While she could not discuss specific account details, she said there had been issues with processing the application.

Champion noted that the medical discount program is intended for residential customers and that IID is looking at its guidelines to possibly make that clearer.
Hengstler wondered if that distinction should matter in her case.

“If these individuals were in their homes, being taken care of by family members, wouldn’t they qualify,” she said. “ They’ve literally been told they can’t stay at home. This is their home.”
Health and wellness reporter Barrett Newkirk can be reached at (760)778-4767, barrett.newkirk@desertsun.com or on Twitter @barrettnewkirk.

For more information
Southern California Edison customers: For information on Southern California Edison's medical baseline discount, visit www.sce.com or call 1-800-655-4555.
Imperial Irrigation District customers: For information on IID's Medical Equipment Energy Usage Assistance Program (MEEUAP) visit www.iid.com or call 1-800-303-7756.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

The importance of care and piece of mind for those with Dementia/Alzheimers

Desert Cottages provides professional, loving care in a warm, residential setting, and we take pride in what we do. It is important to put forth the effort as if it were your own family member. The families mental health is just as important as the persons in out care, piece of mind is of the upmost importance. Read what a few of our families wrote about their experience with Desert Cottages.

"The family and I wanted to thank you for making my father’s last few months as comfortable as possible. I believe that finding a good place where my dad could get the care and attention he needed was a major factor in the family’s overall mental and physical health. My mother has made a full recovery from her serious illness, and the rest of the family have been able to continue with their lives knowing my father was being well cared for rather than us struggling to meet his needs. What a wonderful caring “gift” you can provide to families with your service!"

-R Applegarth
"Words cannot express our gratitude for all that you do, not only for mom, but for all your residents.

I have had the opportunity over the years to see how other facilities, both large and small are run, and observe the caregivers that work there. I am sure I don’t have to tell you how rare it is to be totally satisfied!

Your homes are immaculate, the caregivers are warm and caring and diligent in their care of each resident. The food is the best. (We should know, as mom tells us often enough!!!)"

-Robin, Donna, Cheryl and of course Mom

 

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Dementia Care Positive Thoughts

Caring for someone with dementia means devotedly and patiently doing a hundred little things each day like cultivating a more meaningful relationships with loved ones who have dementia and memory loss.

You need to emphasize communication, affirmative response, and empowerment—transforming the caregiving process from a burden into a fulfilling journey.

Caregivers need not to neglect themselves: take care of yourself so you will have physical and mental energy to share with your loved ones.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Indio,ca facility provides care for people with Alzheimer's disease

Today our facility and staff were featured in the Desert Sun News article can be seen here, which is great. It is good to know the word is getting out that we specialize in residential care for individuals suffering from dementia/Alzheimer's. 

Residential care refers to long-term care given to adults or children who stay in a residential setting rather than in their own home or family home. At Desert Cottages, we provide a safe and secure environment for our residents, with a strong focus on improving quality of life.

With Dementia/ Memory Care being our main emphasis, we have created an environment that allows us to care for not just our memory impaired residents, but also for individuals that suffer from dementia. You will find our homes designed not only with the security features necessary for a safe and secure environment, but also with interior design features that incorporate soft tones and provide a calming environment. The family room hosts a specially-designed focal point wall, which provides added mental stimulation and serves as the primary location for all of our social activies. For our residents that prefer a little quiet time, we offer a retreat area.

Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease or dementia can be a long, stressful, and intensely emotional journey. In the United States, there are about 15 million people caring for someone with dementia, and millions of others around the world. As there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, and only limited medical treatments available for the symptoms, it is care giving that can make the biggest difference to your loved one's quality of life.

That is a remarkable gift.



Monday, November 2, 2015

Dementia/ Memory Care Program


With Dementia/ Memory Care being our main emphasis, we have created an environment that allows us to care for not just our memory impaired residents, but also for individuals that suffer from dementia. You will find our homes designed not only with the security features necessary for a safe and secure environment, but also with interior design features that incorporate soft tones and provide a calming environment. The family room hosts a specially-designed focal point wall, which provides added mental stimulation and serves as the primary location for all of our social activies. For our residents that prefer a little quiet time, we offer a retreat area. Additionally, Desert Cottages has been very successful in handling residents that suffer from behavioral issues such as combativeness and aggressiveness.

      Our Dementia Care at Desert Cottages guarantees
  • Closed living area with single and double rooms lovingly furnished
  • Individual furnishings of personal rooms for a familiar feeling
  • Handicap accessible bathrooms and toilets
  • Access to continuous and confidential care by our trained staff
  • Inclusion of family members according to personal needs and wishes
  • Friendly day rooms for social activities
  • Generous walks and a garden just for our dementia patients to accommodate their increased drive to move about.