Daily Archives: January 9, 2017

Amid National Blood Shortage, Red Cross Calls for Donations

Red cross clothing donations

The American Red Cross has been one of the leading organizations in assisting struggling families and individuals for over a century. Along with the Red Cross clothes donations they handle, they also are well known for their blood donation program.

According to NWI Times, the Red Cross is currently experiencing a major blood shortage and is issuing an emergency call for blood donors to schedule an appointment, donate now, and help save a struggling patient’s life.

“Blood and platelet donations are critically needed in the coming days so that patients can continue to receive the lifesaving treatments they are counting on,” said Rodney Wilson, the communications maker for the Red Cross Indiana-Ohio Blood Services Region. “We encourage donors to invite a family member or friend to donate with them to help meet patient needs. Right now, blood and platelet donations are being distributed to hospitals faster than they are coming in.”

The Red Cross stated that because of busy holiday schedules and intense winter weather conditions, there was a shortage of roughly 37,000 donations in November and December across the United States. More than 90 blood drives also were forced to cancel during that time because of snowstorms.

The organization is in most need of Type O-positive.

Whether or not you’re donating blood this winter, Red Cross clothes donations can truly change a person’s life for the better as well. There are Red Cross clothing donation centers that will accept your new or used clothing donations. Once you’ve made your donation, you can rest assure knowing that those items of clothing will be properly handled, cleaned, and distributed to struggling families who might otherwise not even have clothes on their backs.

Unfortunately, there are so many poor families and homeless people in the world. As government officials and politicians look toward solutions to these poverty issues, it’s up to individuals on a grass roots level to donate clothing and help out in any way they possibly can.

Rather than letting all your extra clothing pile up in your home, and especially rather than throwing out those items and harming the environment, make a Red Cross clothes donation this year and begin making a difference.

Enjoy Your Senior Years in a Retirement Community

Senior living florida

Are you looking for assisted living information? While there are several options you may want to consider, senior retirement communities and assisted living facilities are two popular choices.

At present, there are approximately one million people in the United States that are living in some type of senior living community. It is interesting to note that by 2030, the amount of people living in these types of communities is expected to double.

On average, people tend to retire at 63. In some cases, particularly if they’re experiencing health issues, these individuals may benefit from living in a senior living facility that provides medication monitoring and other services, such as arranging transportation to-and-from the doctor.

While many people look forward to retiring, others may be concerned about this time of transition. Quite a few retirees are discovering that they’re happier than they expected to be upon retiring. A Money readership survey found that 48% of retirees are actually happier than anticipated.

What makes for a happy retirement? According to a recent survey, 81% of the participants indicated that good health was a major factor in how happy they were. This can obviously make a difference with how much energy these retirees have as well as the number of activities within which they engage.

The same survey reported that the happiest retirees are the ones that participate in three-to-four activities on a regular basis. The least happy retirees, however, only participated in one or two regular activities.

One of the many benefits of living in a senior retirement community is that there are regularly scheduled activities. These may include classes, social events, and sightseeing trips.

When reviewing assisted living information, it’s helpful to hear from individuals that are currently living in independent living situations. A 2012 customer satisfaction survey conducted by National Research showed that roughly 60% of the participants visited two or more communities before choosing the one they decided to live in.

The National Research poll also indicated that 44% of the survey participants chose their new home based on its reputation or because it was recommended to them. Location did make a difference for 40% of those surveyed.

In 2013, Holleran Consulting LLC provided information from a conference related to senior living communities. The information came from 57,900 participants living in 265 different senior living communities located in 36 states. These individuals provided the following information on their overall satisfaction:

    Good-to-excellent: 89.3%
    Would recommend their community: 84.5%

When visiting senior communities, it’s important to choose one that appeals to you. If you’re a healthy and active senior, you want to find a community that provides opportunities to meet new people and engage in a variety of activities. Furthermore, even though you may not require assistance with daily tasks, if at some point you do, there are professional staff available to assist you.

You can obtain assisted living information when you contact and visit a senior retirement community. At that time, you will probably have a detailed list of questions. When you visit one or more retirement centers, you probably want to bring a friend or family member along. It’s a good idea to be able to discuss your perceptions with others whom you trust.