There will be times when you can’t get your cat to the veterinarian right away, or her condition might warrant emergency first aid treatment before the trip. Be prepared, with your Feline First Aid Kit.

1. Assemble the following supplies in a box with a secure lid. Keep the box near your cat food supplies in case you need to find it in a hurry.

2. Tweezers, preferably very sharp pointed.

3. Rectal thermometer. The digital variety is preferable because it is more readily read.

4. Small scissors, preferably with blunt ends. (For cutting hair, bandages, tape.)

5. Sterile gauze pads, rolled sterile gauze, white surgical tape.

6. Cotton balls and a roll of cotton padding.

7. Hydrogen Peroxide for cleaning out wounds.

8. Sterile eyewash solution (The human variety is fine.)

9. Antiseptic cleaner, such as Bactine.

10. Hydrocortisone ointment for insect stings.

11. Eye droppers. You can buy these separately at your pharmacy.

12. Emergency ice pack. (Keep this item in your freezer, and wrap in a towel before using.)

13. The telephone number of your veterinarian, including night and emergency numbers. Keep this information in a waterproof packet, along with your pet’s medical records.

Tips:

Rotate your supplies so the medications will be fresh, and replenish supplies after use. Package spillables in plastic zip-lock bags in case you have to evacuate during a disaster. Do not use your First Aid Kit in lieu of seeing a veterinarian, in case of serious injuries or illness, but for those times when you simply can’t reach a veterinarian, and a cat’s life is at stake.

You’d Be Surprised at How Many Families Make This Mistake When it Comes to Financial Aid!

“We were told we make too much money to qualify for financial aid. Should we bother applying?”

Here’s the answer, once and for all:

YES!!

Got it?

Many families assume they make too much money to qualify for financial aid, but there are many factors that determine eligibility – not just income. In fact, according to a recent study, 53% of all eligible families never apply for aid!

The main reason preventing them from applying is this misconceived notion that they make too much money. I’ve had single moms two steps above the poverty line approach me at the end of a workshop, concerned that their income was too high! Here’s the big idea in this article: even families making healthy, six figure incomes will qualify for aid at most schools.

EVERY family with a high school senior bound for college should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The data you enter into FAFSA dictates how much money you are expected to contribute to school. This number is calculated pursuant to the Department of Education regulations.

Filling out a FAFSA is painful. You must be extremely careful – the opportunity for mistakes and pitfalls abound! According to an industry study, approximately 78% plus of all FAFSA’s contain mistakes. One of the more common gaffes that severely limits or eliminates deserved aid: listing assets that do not need to be included.

In February, the Miami Herald printed a letter from a Miami Beach woman whose son was admitted to an elite, private school. The family’s income was approximately $50,000. However, after she completed her forms, she learned that she was expected to contribute more than $30,000 per year.

By way of contrast, we recently devised a plan for a client with striking similarities. Had he done the forms the same way as the Miami Beach woman, his expected contribution for college would have been more than $147,000. After we “fixed” his problem, his magic number was $3,400 per year.

Did we hide assets in a strange offshore account? Nope. Are we magicians or weird psychics? C’mon. Did we manipulate things in an illegal, unethical or immoral manner? Of course not!

All we did was follow the guidelines promulgated by the Department of Education. These guidelines read like a phone book. There are between 67-78 different factors that bear on how much aid your family will receive.

Unless you are a specialist in this area, you couldn’t possibly understand these rules of the game. An easy analogy is tax preparation – sure, you can do your own taxes, but how likely are you to take advantage of every benefit due to you compared to if you retained an experienced CPA? Of course, if you’re the do-it-yourself type: you like to fix your own car, sprinklers, etc. you might not like this idea, but you have to admit that you cannot possibly be as competent as an expert.

OK, I’m off my high horse. I just broke some bad news; now, here’s some WORSE news! Unfortunately, the FAFSA is not the only financial aid form required.

Many private colleges require you to submit an additional form, the CSS/PROFILE. Also, many private schools require their own institutional aid forms. These forms are even more hateful, more onerous than the FAFSA. My partner, “College Pete,” likens filling out the Profile to a root canal without Novacaine. How’s that for a graphic image?

He’s got good reasons for saying this. Here’s what he’s talking about:

You must be even more careful completing the profile, particularly the sections earmarked for the student to complete. Some common questions for the student to answer: “How much money do your parents have to pay for your college education?”

Whoa, Nelly! How many high-schoolers can answer this question? Do your children know your bank balance?

If the student gives one answer on his form, and you give another figure on your form, there’s trouble in River City.

If the private forms and FAFSA are even slightly inconsistent, your financial aid application could be delayed or flat out rejected! And you can’t say something like, “my kid was on drugs when he filled out the form – please let me change the answer!” Admissions departments are kind of funny about stuff like that.

Here’s the bottom line. You must approach the college financial aid forms very carefully. Be careful whom you speak with – high school guidance counselors are typically too busy to develop any expertise in this area (the average guidance counselor handles something like 471 students in Florida). You CPA, money manager or other trusted advisor may give you advice that might make sense for their purposes, but may actually reduce the amount of aid that you’ll qualify for!

Do not wait until the last minute to plan how you will pay for college. Sophomore Year (yes, Sophomore Year!) is the ideal time to get serious about the planning process. Speak to a knowledgeable college financial aid expert sooner, rather than later.

Any and every person should consider taking part in a first aid course. First aid encompasses a range of issues, from simple scrapes and bruises to accidental poisoning. Knowledge of first aid can turn a major accident into a minor inconvenience. First aid training can also be the difference between life and death.

First Aid Training is For Everyone.

Some may believe that first aid training is largely for individuals who are often surrounded by young people, such as parents, teachers, or caregivers. While these persons are in dire need of up-to-date first aid training, they are not the only ones who can benefit from this knowledge. Anyone who wishes to be able to supply immediate care to others or even to themselves should seriously consider learning the varied methods of applying first aid.

First Aid Training Increases Confidence.

If you have ever been in a situation where you are faced with an immediate and difficult decision, you can understand the importance of learning how to face medical emergencies prior to those emergencies occurring. If a person suffers from a chemical burns, what care should you provide until the victim can reach the hospital? Is the treatment the same as other burns? First aid training can give you that knowledge so that you can provide care without worry that you are actually exacerbating the problem.

First Aid Training Protects You.

If you are in a situation where you are alone and no one else can help you, with first aid training, you can help yourself. Some 7 million individuals suffer debilitating injuries in and around their own homes in the United States each year, according to the American Heart Association. If you are in your home and must seek help alone, you are much better prepared if you have completed first aid training.

First aid training also legally protects well-meaning persons in most jurisdictions. Under Good Samaritan Laws, many states require that persons providing voluntary, emergency assistance have first aid training of some sort in order to be protected from lawsuits that may arise if an accident occurs.

American Health Care Academy supplies first aid training that is easy to learn, inexpensive, and convenient, as all classes take place online. American Health Care Academy’s first aid course includes first aid basics as well as items specifically geared to wound burns and poison control, among many others. Learn more at www.cpraedcourse.com.

The Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) has mandated that cell phones should be rated depending on how much interference they are likely to cause to hearing aids. The need for hearing aid compatible cell phones has increased due to the demand of people experiencing interferences. Several digital devices like cell phones and computers give off different kinds of radio frequency and electromagnetic radiation. This often results in hearing annoying interference when holding a cell phone or any other wireless device near to your hearing aid or cochlear implant.

“Presidential hearing aid history includes President Ronald Reagan and President Bill Clinton, two presidents of very different ages who both wore hearing aids.”

The interference is typically in the form of buzzing or humming, which can make it hard for you to comprehend speech. There are also known cases where the severity of the interference can render your cell phone completely useless when you are wearing hearing aids.

The hearing aid compatible cell phones are rated through radio frequency emissions ( RF ). Additionally, the RF rating can be measured through the microphone ( M ) rating and the telecoil coupling ( T or t – coil ) rating. The scale for hearing aid compatibility ranges from one to four providing four possibilities: shaky ( M1 or T1 ), fair ( M2 or T2 ), good ( M3 or T3 ), and excellent ( M4 or T4 ).

“Considering advances in technology, and the ability of science to shrink useful items, the hearing aid of the future is likely to be an implantable device or even a surgical procedure”

The hearing aid compatible cell phones should only have three or four rating and those having one or two ratings are deemed unacceptable.

The Federal Communications Commission also ordered cell phone manufacturers to provide an icon on their products indicating that the products are hearing aid compatible cell phones. There is also an indication showing the level of compatibility for both the microphone and t – coil rating.

“There are at least two hearing aid manufacturers claiming to make the smallest hearing aid in the world”

The hearing aids must also be designed to be resistant from radio frequency interference. The scale rating of RF interference resistance for hearing aids is similar to cell phone ratings. There are currently a number of hearing aids that have a rating of M2 and T2.

Manufacturers of Hearing Aid Compatible Cell Phones

There are several manufacturers of hearing aid compatible cell phones for hearing – impaired customers. AT&T carries Motorola cell phones models that are hearing aid compatible including: the Motorola RAZR V3xx, Motorola RAZR V3, Motorola KRZR K11, and the Motorola RAZR2 V9.

“However amazing the world’s smallest hearing aids are, they still might be the wrong hearing aids for you. Since you will be working with these devices every day, you need to be comfortable handling them, putting them on and taking them off”

In any event, AT&T also carries hearing aid compatible cell phones from other manufacturers such as LG and Samsung. The LG Shine, LG CU515, LG Trax CU575, LG CE110, Samsung A727 and Moto Q9h Global are some of the few hearing aid compatible cell phones available in the market.

There are other cell phone carriers that provide communication lines for several hearing aid compatible cell phones. Such carries are Nextel, Sprint, T – Mobile and Verizon.

Starkey Laboratories is one of the world’s leading hearing aid manufacturers. Focused on customer service, they were the first company to provide a warranty and free trial period for hearing aid buyers. Starkey has locations in more than 24 countries and works with hearing specialists to determine the needs of each customer. Starkey makes a variety of different types of hearing aids to cater to all hearing aid wearer’s needs. All current Starkey hearing aid models are digital.

Starkey offers the Destiny line of hearing aids. These come in a wide range of models and styles to fit any budget and hearing need. The Destiny 400 is an entry-level model, which works best in quiet environments. It eliminates feedback and offers a good digital option at an affordable price. It adjusts automatically for telephone communication and provides indicator tones when attention is needed such as battery replacement. The Destiny 400 adapts easily for each environment. It can be highly customized using a hearing specialist.

The Destiny 800 has all the features of the 400 plus more easily adapts to different environments. It is able to detect and identify different sounds as well as quiet and adjusts automatically.

The Destiny 1200 is well-suited to active wearers who often switch between different types of acoustic environments. It works well at sporting events as well as at home. It is designed to virtually eliminate feedback and enables the user to hear even subtle sounds.

The Destiny 1600 is the top of the line Starkey hearing aid. It uses Starkey-specific technology called nFusion, which is loaded with every state of the art feature possible. It has voice indicators to help understand tones. A built-in self-check provides diagnostic reports. It has immediate environmental adaptation, which allows the user to transition seamlessly between different types of environments.

New wireless solution products are also available to provide wireless connectivity with your hearing aid and your wireless or Bluetooth enabled electronic device such as cell phone or computer.

Starkey hearing aids come in styles to suit any hearing need. The type of device you need is determined by the type and level of your hearing loss. BTE – Behind the ear style sits just behind the ear. ITE – In the ear style sits just inside the ear. ITC – In the ear canal style is made to sit lower into the ear. CIC – Completely in the ear canal style slides deeper into the ear canal.

Before buying a hearing aid, consult with a hearing specialist who can determine the best type of hearing aid for your hearing loss. Of all the hearing aid styles, BTE is the most versatile and usually offer better hearing results. This style is making a big comeback, particularly in light of all the new technology that uses similar looking earpieces.

Besides Starkey, the other major manufacturers of hearing aids include Siemens, Beltone, Phonak, Widex and Oticon. It is good to shop around in order to find the hearing aid that suits your hearing needs, comfort, lifestyle and budget.

Basic first aid is the front lines of medical treatment. In many cases this can be the complete treatment. Whether it is an injury or sickness; the best in basic first aid follows the old Boy Scouts motto of “Be Prepared”. It involves learning how to effectively provide basic first aid. Knowing the different scenarios that can happen will give you a lot of food for thought.

Basic first aid training involves learning to stop wounds from bleeding, expelling items that are being choked on, splinting injured limbs, clearing fluid from breathing channels removing splinters and more. Another important aspect found in basic first aid is knowing your limits. Calling for help is needed sometimes.

Today there are many opportunities available for learning basic first aid. In addition there are more advanced first aid courses specializing and detailing more. CPR is yet another popular course in this area. With basic first aid classes you will learn detailed aspects and wind up with a manual too. It’s wise to keep a copy of the manual handy in your first aid kits.

Basic first aid training will help you to understand the details of emergency situations and other injury treatments. Outside simple injuries such as cuts, bruises, minor sunburns, and similar you are simply the frontline until more qualified help is in place. When you are in doubt of any aspect of basic first aid, it’s very wise to be on the phone with a medical authority’s advice while maintaining the situation.

Your role is comfort, and other aspects such as stopping bleeding, putting a splint on broken or sprained limbs, and clearing the throat. Things more intensive than basic first aid will be tasks that the next line covers. Prescription medicine, stitches, and even surgery are all things that require more extensive medical treatment.

Don’t think for one minute that basic first aid isn’t important even in severe cases. If you don’t stop the bleeding, by the time those with the medical training to do much more won’t be able to do anything; if their patient is no longer alive. You can be the difference between life and death. For these reasons, whether it’s part of your job or not, it’s wise to have first aid kits and basic training on them. This way you can make the difference.

Your basic first aid kit should have a mix of bandage sizes. As training will show you, there are a number of needs in this area. Further you will probably learn a little about improvising as well. Some over the counter medications should also be in there such as pain relievers, antibiotic ointment, stomach relief, sterilization solutions and antihistamines. A few tools such as tweezers, a thermometer and scissors will be needed too. The best first aid kit will have useful local numbers for emergency help as well.

When it comes to basic first aid, it’s wise to have training no matter what you do. Having the resources to carry it out is great. You never know in personal or professional settings what will come up and with knowledge you may be able to save the day!

Hiking can be one of the most wonderful activities you can pursue; physical activity in beautiful surroundings; exploring new places; breathing in fresh air. Unfortunately it can also be one of best places to experience a myriad of injuries. Because of the nature of the activity – traveling, sometimes solo, in a secluded setting – it is absolutely imperative to carry a first aid kit for hiking.

A first aid kit for hiking includes a number of important things and should be carried with you at all times. Make sure the container is lightweight and easily transportable as you will more than likely carry it with your other supplies in your backpack.

Some inclusions in your first aid kit for hiking should be bandages of all sizes including gauze and tape, alcohol or other antiseptic for cleaning wounds, antibiotic cream, pain relievers, a small pair of scissors, bug repellant, and sanitary wipes.

If you take any medications on a daily basis, be sure to bring them with you just in case. Keep extra medications in your first aid kit for hiking so that you’re always prepared.

First and foremost, in addition to your comprehensive first aid kit for hiking, anyone hiking should always carry a cell phone on them at all times; especially when traveling alone. Alert friends and family about where you’ll be and what time you’ll be back; that way someone will know where to find you if you’ve been gone an excessive amount of time.

A first aid kit for hiking is one of the most important things you can bring with you to ensure an enjoyable, successful hike. Preparedness will save you time, inconvenience, and possibly even your life.

Take the steps necessary to assemble a first aid kit for hiking by visiting some outdoor sporting stores. Many will sell a pre-assembled first aid kit for hiking in a lightweight container easily stored in a backpack. Shopping online will also yield you a number of first aid kits of appropriate size.

Or if you wish to assemble one yourself then just look for the appropriate container and begin purchasing the necessary items specific to you.

Either way, a first aid kit for hiking should be considered part of your hiking equipment. Never leave home without it and you’ll never be caught off guard.

The funny thing about emergencies is that you never know when they’re going to strike. But, medical emergencies, at least minor ones, can be planned for. A good first aid kit that’s well stocked can really help take the panic out of an emergency situation and help you and your loved ones get back to the business of living quick. Every home should have at least one well stocked kit to enable family members to handle minor situations that arise.

A first aid kit in a home should be put in a location that’s agreed upon by everyone. If it contains items that might be dangerous for little people, keep the kit out of their reach. But, do make sure family members who can use and benefit from it know its whereabouts.

When stocking a first aid kit for a home, it’s important to include basic items. The list includes:

Band-Aids. You should have several sizes of bandages included in a good first aid kit. It’s hard to tell when these will be needed and how large they need to be, so multiple choices help you cover your bets. Burn cream. Burns happen at home. There’s no way around it. Whether it’s from cooking or lighting a fire, they just happen. A good, medical grade burn cream included in a first aid kit can help take the sting out of the situation. Speaking of stings, bee stings, mosquito bites and other such insect run-ins can be real problems around the home. Inasmuch, a good kit should include anti-itch cream to help combat the effects of these critters. Peroxide. If a wound is present, it should be properly cleaned out. Peroxide is therefore a smart thing to include. Aspirin or baby fever reducer. If you don’t think these things belong in a kit, trying being up at 3 in the morning with a little one who has a high fever. If the medicine is kept in the first aid kit, you always know where to find it. Cold compresses. Sprains, strains and so on can require fast treatment to help avoid swelling. These portable first aid kit created compresses are wonderful for getting the job done and they are easier to bring with you if an emergency room visit is in order. Butterfly bandages. These are vital to include. These close small wounds effectively until medical treatment can be sought out.

Depending on any special needs in your home, you might need to have other items in your first aid kit. A home with a diabetic, for example, might want a glucose shot for crash emergencies and one with a small child might require lotion for diaper rash and so on.

Store bought first aid kits are great, but the ones that really pay off are those that have enough room for you to add items you think are important. Medical needs in each home can differ, so first aid kits should not be one size fits all.

If you are thinking about getting a hearing aid, you probably want one that is small, that no one can see, and one that can help you hear better and is comfortable. Well, there is good news for you! New Open Ear hearing aid technology has dramatically improved hearing capabilities as well as good looks.

The Open Ear style hearing aid is a discreet device that sends the sounds into your ear in one of two ways. Some Open Ear style hearing aids use a small tube with an earbud (a soft tip) on the end that connects to your ear. A more recent innovation in Open Ear hearing aid design is the receiver in the ear delivery system. The names for this type of product vary. You may see them advertised as RIC, RITE, or CRT. They all mean the same thing, the receiver (speaker) is actually in your ear and connected to the hearing aid by a thin wire.

Using a RITE connection provides several benefits. This is so the wire cannot kink from repetitive use and it will maintain its shape. Because the speaker is actually in the ear, the sound quality is better and the hearing aid can provide more high frequency amplification. Feedback (that annoying whistling sound) happens less often because the microphone and the speaker are further apart. Hearing aid manufacturers have also developed disposable wax guards for the speaker which are easily replaced. This style results in less breakdowns from earwax.

Of the current Open Ear products using RITE technology, the Oticon Delta hearing aid is one of the most popular. Oticon Delta has a small, triangular design. Because it is so small, this hearing aid looks like it could be a bluetooth communication device or a fasion accessory. The Delta hearing aid is available in a variety of colors, some trendy and some designed to camouflage. I find most patients want discreet colors which hide the hearing aid in your hair and make it virtually invisible. However, sometimes a patient will want to make a bold statement and pick a color like Deep Purple or Sunset Orange.

The Oticon Delta hearing aid was selected as an International CES Best of Innovations 2007 Design and Engineering Award winner. Innovations 2007 recognizes the best-designed and best-engineered products in consumer technology, and is one of the most widely renowned consumer technology awards programs worldwide. The Oticon Delta hearing aid was awarded one of the highest scores in the Personal Electronics category based on its value to a user, aesthetics, contributions to quality of life, and innovative qualities.

Another popular new Open Ear hearing aid is the Phonak Audeo. Very tiny, light and discreet, the Audeo hearing aid has several features that make it an excellent choice. CrystalSound is the core of the hearing aid processor. It digitally amplifies the subtle, high-pitched sounds critical to understanding speech and makes sure nothing gets lost. Digital SurroundZoom is one the industry’s best directional microphone systems. All packaged into a cool, Red Dot Design Award winning form that combines style with ergonomics and practicality. The Audeo shape is designed to allow optimum placement of the dual microphones on the hearing aid for the best performance in noise.

Many Open Ear hearing aids can also be used for more than just high frequency hearing loss. By making a custom tip, they can be used for moderate to severe hearing loss at all frequencies. This allows even more hearing aid users to enjoy the technological and cosmetic advantages. Open Ear technology is the new breakthrough for hearing aid users.

When we think of the items that should be kept in vehicle first aid kits, a few common wound care supplies come to mind:

Antiseptic cleansing wipes Plastic adhesive bandages Butterfly closure strips Antibiotic ointment Burn relief cream

Since the purpose of an automobile first aid kit is to be prepared for unexpected situations, you may want to ensure that your vehicle is stocked with these less obvious safety supplies to ensure preparedness in different types of emergencies:

First aid tape, cotton tipped applicators and gauze in a range of sizes: While the basic wound care supplies mentioned above are important to keep in any vehicle first aid kit, having gauze in a variety of sizes as well as other wound care supplies provides the ability to treat wounds of varying severity. Instant cold compresses: An instant cold compress is a small pack that becomes extremely cold and acts as an ice pack when activated. An instant ice pack can be used to alleviate swelling when ice is not available, as is usually the case in roadside emergencies. Emergency blanket: Emergency blankets use reflective foil to trap body heat and maintain optimal body temperature in cold environments. Emergency blankets can be life savers in the event that you get stranded with no heat in frigid winter temperatures. Disposable gloves: Disposable gloves such as latex gloves, vinyl exam gloves or disposable nitrile gloves protect against the spread of germs when administering or receiving first aid. Gloves help prevent the spread of germs from the hands to a wound and vice versa in an emergency situation.

A vehicle first aid kit may not be something you think about often, but having the right medical supplies on hand to deal with unpredictable circumstances is an important part of vehicle safety. While we recommend keeping a complete first aid kit in your vehicle to prepare for emergencies, we also hope you never have to use it!