No matter the circumstances, having to choose a nursing home for a loved one is a difficult task. Although nursing homes tend to be the last resort, many times, these facilities offer an experience that is simply unmatched by home care. Nursing homes can attend to the needs of your loved ones on a 24-hour basis, which for many families who work is simply not a possibility.

However, you also want to rest assured that your loved one is extremely cared for, here is how you can pick the best nursing home…

​Location and size are two of the most important factors when deciding upon the most suitable care home. You want to be close enough to visit on a regular basis, however, you want to ensure that it’s also the right fit for your loved one and small enough for them to be cared for attentively.

Due to the history of negligence in nursing homes, the most worrying aspect is the fear that your loved one will be mistreated during their stay. Thankfully, with a bit of research, you can now see which homes have a bad reputation and poor violation history.

Another way to choose a nursing home is by finding one that focuses on a specific area of care. Different institutions will be more adept at caring for different illnesses. For example, some homes offer a special emphasis on care for patients with dementia.

S​ometimes the best way to find a hidden gem is by asking around for recommendations. If you have friends or family that have also gone through the same process, it could be helpful to ask them for advice, even if it’s just to tell you which homes you should stay away from.

Not everyone has the opportunity to take their time when making such an important decision. However, if you can take the time to thoroughly research and visit facilities before you make a decision, you should do this.

​No matter how many video calls, brochures, and videos you look at, nothing will compare to seeing the facility in person. You need to be there physically in order to get a feel for the place. This way you can interact with the staff yourself and ask residents any questions you may have. 

At the end of the day, you want to feel at peace with your decision. If you are able to, we recommend that you take your time when looking for the right nursing home. This isn’t a decision that you really want to rush into. 

There are many factors that make a fantastic care home, so try to find one that fits all of your criteria. If you can, go out and scout the different locations. If you have a bad feeling about any, trust your instincts and keep looking until you find the perfect fit.

For most homeowners, the thought of a fire is the most tragic thing they can imagine. However, accidents are inevitable, and they happen when we least expect them. A home fire can have devastating effects, and not just on the possessions they touch but also on the lives they impact. There can be plenty of emotions and several questions following a house fire, and it’s difficult to know what to do next. Knowing who can help and what to do is key to getting your life back together. Here are important things to do after a house fire.

Fire accidents can be terrifying, especially for children and pets. You will need a safe place to stay for a few days to give your family time to relax as you plan your next moves. Whatever the size of the fire, you will need another place to stay to give space and time for the property to be inspected to ensure its safe for reoccupying. Even after a small fire, the house needs to be thoroughly cleaned of soot, ash, smoke, and burned materials before you start living there again.

​You need to call your insurance agent as soon as possible to inform them about the loss and set the claim process in motion. It also allows you to start the fire damage restoration project. In addition, your insurance agent should advise you on how to prevent further damage and secure your home.

​Typically, your homeowner’s policy covers your property when it’s damaged by fire, but most policies require you to secure your home to avoid further damage or destruction, including damage from the element and other people. Before you leave the property, ensure you board up any openings or doors and windows that may have been destroyed by the fire. You can then contact the police and inform them that you will be away from the property for a few days so they can help watch the house as well.

​Despite the fire, your financial responsibilities won’t stop. While your policy may cover the restoration costs and mortgage, it’s important you plan your finances for other recurring costs. You also need to cancel your cable and internet services if you will be staying away from the property for some time.

​After talking to your insurance agent, they can give you the go-ahead to find a restoration company to help you with immediate concerns like securing your home from weather or break-ins and water damage. The sooner the company starts the process, the easier it will be to evaluate and act on the damage.

Moving on after a house fire can be daunting and can sometimes feel downright impossible. However, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you know what to do. If you just suffered a house fire, find a safe place to stay, call your insurance agent, secure your home and get the right fire damage restoration company to rebuild your home.

A lot of people are turning to dating apps these days, especially since dating has become really challenging because of COVID-19 restrictions. But even though a dating app can be a great tool that you can use to meet new people you might be compatible with, there are also some serious drawbacks and risks to consider.
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To learn more, check out our list of tips on how to protect yourself in 2021 when you are using a dating app to find love.

One smart way to protect yourself when using a dating app is by only sharing basic, general information about yourself. In other words, don’t give away too much about yourself, and never give out sensitive details that are personal and private.
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For example, don’t post your specific location, and if the app has any features that automatically pick up on your location and share it, it’s a good idea to turn those features off. 
Until you know exactly who you are talking to, and until you can rest assured that they are safe and trustworthy, proceed with caution. As you will see below, there are scammers on dating apps, so it isn’t wise to put personal details about yourself on the app or in private messages.

It’s sad, but true: there is the potential that you will run into a scammer when you are using a dating app. The key is to try to protect yourself as much as possible so you won’t become a victim.

How do people scam others on dating apps? Well, they can pretend to be someone they aren’t, and they can collect personal information from people after gaining their trust. 
Again, to protect yourself, don’t give away any of your personal information, whether you are setting up your dating profile or you are interacting with people via private messages.
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Also, in order to figure out if you are talking to someone who is being honest about who they are, you can use Nuwber to look up information about them, such as their contact details, police records, property info, lawsuits, and more.

If you determine that someone isn’t being honest, see if the app has a feature that allows you to block that person so they can no longer contact you. Also, reporting them to the app is a great idea to help keep others safe.

​Although you might be tempted to give your matches your phone number so you can send text messages to one another throughout the day, it is actually best to stick with the app’s built-in system for messaging​. By doing so, you can avoid giving out your phone number to someone you don’t really know too well.

Again, until you get to know someone and until you have run a background check to verify that they are who they claim to be, it is wise to keep your private information secure. So, while it might be convenient to use your phone’s text messaging app, keep things on the dating app until you’re totally sure you can trust someone.
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Ultimately, with the right strategies in place, you can make the most of a dating app without needing to worry so much about your safety and security!

​Parents spend much of their life looking out for yours. Making sure that you have food to eat on the table and the coolest clothes to wear out. It seems only right that when they have reached a ripe old age, you look after them as much as you possibly can. This doesn’t mean becoming their career but perhaps just ensuring they are cared for. However, retirement and moving to a retirement home can be intimidating prospects. This article will look to answer your burning questions.

Retirement does not have to mean that you finish work and stop doing anything at all. Retirement can often be the beginning of your biggest adventure yet. Hopefully, after a long and hardworking career, retirement is the time to sit down and relax away from all the hustle and bustle of a career. This could mean going traveling or just spending time visiting family or even just doing activities that you had always meant to start but never found the time for. Retirement should be an exciting prospect!

Not everyone wants to move into a retirement home straight away, and they can be intimidating places if you have no experience of them or want to maintain your independence. Some people love to spread horror stories about retirement homes where those who stay there are trapped but this is very rarely the case. Abuse in nursing homes does happen, but there are solutions to this and should be the furthest thing from your mind when considering them as accommodation. Always remember that there are specialist lawyers and solicitors out there if you need them. 

Many nursing homes or retirement homes are luxury faculties that can cater to your every whim. They merely take the stress out of your day-to-day life. No more will it be required of you or your family to prepare meals, do the laundry or deal with that pesky garden. The entire point of these facilities is to ensure that you have time to relax and spend time doing the activities you enjoy.

An important aspect to remember about retirement is that whilst you have likely retired from your main income career, you do not have to completely stop work. In fact, in some homes, working is encouraged by offering you the opportunity to continue employment through an online business, selling goods, writing, or becoming a tutor. All these options allow you to still earn money and hopefully spend your time enjoying what you do.

As well as this, some retirement homes even offer the opportunity to commit to seasonal or part-time work, often in more practical employment. This can be in gardening, local shops or even getting involved in local heritage. All of these opportunities will ensure that you stay active in mind and body and can socialize with others if that is something you enjoy doing. Entering a care home doesn’t mean you will be stuck inside.

For both those entering a retirement home and for those admitting their relatives, these can be daunting places. However, this is not always the case and there are plenty of options out there to ensure that your family is well looked after.

It’s not uncommon to find different businesses that offer giveaways or freebies when you try their products or services. Online brokerage firms also do the same, and the trend among them is to give free stocks to newbie users of their platforms.

These new brokerage firms seek to disrupt the traditional model, and they are quite successful in doing so. Enticed by the promise of free stocks and no signup and commission fees, millions of users are flocking to these platforms to invest and trade.

So, if you want to avail yourself of free stocks, here are five online brokers that you should try right now.

​Based out of New York City, Webull Financial LLC is one of the popular online brokers that don’t charge commission fees and have no minimum account requirement. It has an app that facilitates your investing and trading activities. And what’s great about this platform is that it offers free stocks worth up to $1,850!

You might be asking right now: how people are getting up to $1,850 In free stocks?

Well, first, you have to open a Webull account. Enter your real name, address, Social Security Number, and email. The free stock you can get by opening an account will be worth between $2.50 and $250.

But, wait, there’s more! When you fund an initial deposit of $100 or more into your account, you can get a second free stock valued between $8 and $1,600. Make sure to make an initial deposit 30 days after opening your Webull account.

Firstrade is another stock brokerage firm headquartered in New York. Like Webull, there’s zero commission fee when you trade with Firstrade. But unlike the previous broker mentioned on our list, Firstrade offers three free stocks instead of two.

When you sign up with Firstrade, you can get 1 free stock. Then, you can get 2 free stocks after depositing $100 or more within 30 days of opening your account.

Besides free stocks, there are also rebates if you transfer an account from another broker to Firstrade.

​Considered the pioneer in $0 commission trading, Robinhood arguably has the most users on our list (at around 13 million). It was established in 2013 by two prominent figures in the world of high-frequency stock trading, Baiju Bhatt and Vladimir Tenev.

You can purchase and sell stocks and ETFs using Robinhood without shelling out commission fees. There’s also no maintenance charge that you have to pay. The millions of users of Robinhood surely get attracted by these offerings. Plus, there’s a free stock given to you upon signing up with this brokerage.

A free stock worth between $5 and $150 is to be given to anyone who opens an account and fulfills the conditions of the promotion. The free stock will be randomly selected from Robinhood’s inventory of settled shares.

Since it’s a random selection, you may not get the same stock as other new users. But the average stock value that you can receive is around $10.

​NVSTR (pronounced as “investor”) isn’t a zero-commission trading platform like Robinhood and Webull. You have to pay $4.50 per trade, which is nevertheless affordable than most brokerages that charge commission fees.

The good thing is that there are no signup fees, no monthly fees, no fund transfer fees, and no closing fees. There’s also no minimum deposit, which is advantageous for traders across all wealth spectrum.

When you open an account with NVSTR, you can avail of free stocks valued between $20 and $500.

Public is a $0 commission trading platform that allows investors to purchase fractional shares of stocks for as low as $5. There’s also a social feature about its app, which lets you see the stocks people are investing in and their investment strategies when they make their positions public.

You also have the option to follow investment strategies, such as investments in American Made, Tech Giants, and other big companies. You can also purchase exchange-traded funds. Another advantage is that funds are Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) insured up to $500,000 and your uninvested money can gain 2.53% interest per year.

Upon signing up with Public, you can receive a free stock worth $10 from one of these 9 giant companies: Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Chase, Visa, Facebook, J&J, Alphabet, or Alibaba. Make sure to provide your phone number so that you can get instructions regarding the signup process.

​Online brokerage platforms are on the rise right now, and they’re vying for the top position. With this competition, various offerings and giveaways significantly benefit investors.

No commission fees, no minimum deposits, and free stocks are a few of the advantages that you can get from these brokers. If you want free stocks, you should try the brokerage firms mentioned on this list.

Homework is a chore no student looks forward to. In recent times, there has been an uptick in the number of people who are being vocal against the amount of homework out schools prescribe for their students. The mountains of homework always translate to students being unable to meet friends or have time for extra-curricular activities.

Homework can feel tedious and can feel never-ending. This is probably because you are making some common homework mistakes that you can easily avoid. Homework mistakes are mistakes you make when approaching your homework. This includes the setup of your room, what you do while doing homework, and when you choose to do your home. Let’s find out what these mistakes are now!

When you come back home from school, you can feel exhausted. Even now, when the pandemic is raging, and classes are taking place digitally, students still feel tired at the end of the day. It can be easy to slip into the habit of deferring your homework.

However, when you skip homework for one day, you’re just setting yourself up to do double the amount of homework tomorrow. Instead, do your homework the day it is assigned wherever possible. If you have some time to submit your assignment, then make sure you make a plan to finish by the deadline and stick to it.

Clutter in your room can translate to having a distracted and cluttered mind. Research has shown that having a messy room can be a huge distraction when you’re trying to work. Thus, if you do your homework in your room, it’s time to get out your cleaning supplies and get busy!

Clear out the trash from your room and organize everything else. If you’re unsure about how to do that, always keep in mind the following adage - “a place for everything and everything in its place!” Use this and make your own system or organization, so you know where things are when you need them.

Be honest with yourself - when you sit down to do homework, how many times do you get up for snacks or even water? Most students get up multiple times an hour to grab something to eat or drink while they are struggling with homework. This disrupts the flow of your thoughts and gets you out of the zone to study. It can take time to get back in the zone and get back your flow.

Instead, keep a container of snacks in your room. You can even dedicate a drawer to keeping healthy, low-calorie snacks to keep you from getting up multiple times. Before you sit down to study, bring water or your preferred beverage into your room and keep it close by. Make sure these containers are airtight to avoid ants or other insects.

The point of your homework is to revise your memory of what you learned in class. Homework often is an excellent measure of whether you understood the study material the way it was supposed to be understood. If you find yourself struggling with your homework, it’s usually an indication that you need a little extra help or tutoring in that subject or topic.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can ask anyone to be your homework helper - it can be friends, family, or even teachers you think are approachable. You can even look for homework help online in case these avenues are busy or if you are shy. The internet is an excellent resource you can utilize to keep ahead of your homework schedule.

​Being distracted is one of the most significant factors that’s making you feel that homework is lasting forever. When you are not focused on the task at hand, you only make incremental advancements in finishing it. Thus, you might write a few lines in half an hour when you’re distracted. On the other hand, you might finish your 1000 word assignment in 45 mins if you give the assignment dedicated time and focus.

It can be challenging to focus at home nowadays. Everyone is working or studying from home, and homes are pretty crowded. People can talk, or me in loud meetings, or play video games, or be noisy in general. To prevent these from affecting you, you can play music or invest in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones. You can also choose to work in a quiet area in the house.