What Is Hospice Care, And Why You Might Need To Know:

Answering All Your Questions About Hospice Care

The American Cancer Society states that hospice care provides humane and compassionate care for people in the last phases of an incurable disease so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible.  It’s an easy definition of a very complex issue. 

The more detailed definition is:  Hospice is a philosophy of care. The hospice philosophy or viewpoint accepts death as the final stage of life. The goal of hospice is to help patients live their last days as alert and pain-free as possible. Hospice care tries to manage symptoms so that a person’s last days may be spent with dignity and quality, surrounded by their loved ones. Hospice affirms life and neither hastens nor postpones death. Hospice care treats the person rather than the disease; it focuses on quality rather than length of life. Hospice care is family-centered — it includes the patient and the family in making decisions.

This care is planned to cover 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Hospice care can be given in the patient’s home, a hospital, nursing home, or private hospice facility. Most hospice care in the United States is given in the home, with family members or friends serving as the main hands-on caregivers. Because of this, a patient getting home hospice care must have a caregiver in the home with them 24 hours a day

What services encompass hospice care?

Doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors, home health aides, clergy, therapists, and trained volunteers care for you and your family. Each of these people offers support based on their special areas of expertise. Together, they give you and your loved ones complete palliative care aimed at relieving symptoms and giving social, emotional, and spiritual support.

Also included are pain and symptom control, spiritual care, home and inpatient care, respite care.  Family conferences can be used, along with volunteers and staff support.

Hospice care may take place in the home, hospice-based hospitals, long-term care facilities, or independently owned hospices.

Who pays for hospice care?

Home hospice care usually costs less than care in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutional settings. This is because less high-cost technology is used and family and friends provide most of the care at home.

Medicare, Medicaid in most states, the Department of Veterans Affairs, most private insurance plans, HMOs, and other managed care organizations pay for hospice care. Also, community contributions, memorial donations, and foundation gifts allow many hospices to give free services to patients who can’t afford payment. Some programs charge patients according to their ability to pay.

For further information, we suggest you read further items at the official website of the American Cancer Society at:  www.cancer.org.

Cybercrime and How It Can Affect You!

What is Cybercrime?

Like traditional crime, cybercrime covers a broad scope of criminal activity and can occur anytime and anyplace. What makes it different is that the crime is committed using a computer and the Internet. You may recognize some of its most common forms such as identity theft, computer viruses and phishing, and at a corporate level, computer hacking of customer databases. 

Most people are aware of these and protect themselves and their PCs with anti-spyware and anti-virus software such as Norton or McAfee programs. However, you should be alert to the fact that cybercrime is becoming more and more sophisticated and not only targets consumers and large corporations, but small to medium sized businesses as well. Single programs against these intrusions are not enough.

An alarming cybercrime now affecting everyone is “account take over.” This involves cyber criminals penetrating a computer network and spreading malicious software, such as a “keylogger” which records the words typed, Web browsing history, passwords and other private information. This in turn allows them access to programs using your log-in credentials.

If they steal your password and breach your online banking system, the cyber criminal can begin an online session to initiate funds transfers, by ACH or wire transfer, to their accomplices. The accomplices withdraw the money almost immediately.

Take the first steps to prevent fraud – become aware of the latest cybercrimes and how they can access your network. You should also employ the most up-to-date online security practices on a pro-active basis.

Online Security Practices

While no tools or automated software is 100% effective, the best solutions to protect yourself against liability is to be well informed and use common sense.

1.   Do you have a hardware based firewall at the network level?

2.   Does the network firewall include anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-spam services along with content filtering and intrusion prevention, detection and real-time reporting?

3.   At the individual PC level, does each computer have centrally updated and monitored anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-spam software loaded?

4.   Are your computers set up to automatically update your operating system and applications for the latest available security and critical updates?

5.   Do you consider your browser security setting to determine how much or how little information the browser can accept from, or transmit to, a website?

6.  Do you have cybercrime insurance to protect your data and liability exposure in the event of an intrusion?

7.  Does your online banking system provide multiple layers of security tools to prevent intrusions into the system such as token-based authentication?

These are just some of the basic steps you can implement to assess and protect yourself from cybercrime. 

If you become a victim:

If you discover, or even suspect, you have fallen victim to identity theft, you should proceed as follows:

•           Immediately cease all online activity.
•           Remove the affected computer from a network, if applicable and any other computer stations involved.
•           Contact your financial institution to disable online access to the accounts and close affected accounts. You can then open new accounts and reset passwords.
•           Notify other partners that may have been affected, such as your insurance carriers or financial institutions.
•           File a report with the police department.

What We Can Do

“At the Bogle Agency, we can custom-tailor an insurance policy which protects you or your business against cyber exposure of this type,” said Philip Bogle, owner.  “Since this kind of intrusion is still new and not fully defined, we can take the risk out of any problem you might encounter.”

“Why worry if you may or may not be covered, when we can guarantee your safety and assets,” added Bogle  “Our job is to make sure you are covered and comfortable against any threats which exist.  Feel free to give us a call today to discuss your options into this ever-growing threat.”

Common Online Fraud Definitions

•           Malware refers to software programs designed to damage or do other unwanted actions on a computer system. Common examples of malware include spyware, keyloggers, and viruses.

•           Spyware is a type of malware installed on your computer without your knowledge. It collects small to large pieces of personal information including Internet surfing habits. It can redirect web browser activity and change computer settings. Spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect once installed without proper antispyware tools.

•           Keyloggers, as with spyware, are installed on your computer without your knowledge. It is the action of tracking (or logging) the keys struck on a keyboard, typically in a hidden manner so that the person using the keyboard is unaware that their actions are being monitored. Keystroke logging can record the words typed, Web browsing history, passwords and other private information. This is extremely dangerous in all aspects of computer usage.

•           Viruses are an ever changing and constant threat to all systems. Based on their digital makeup they can deliver malicious content to your data and systems in an effort to either collect data, destroy data, or turn your systems into a machine that spreads the virus or other malware.

•           “Phishing” is the act of obtaining personal information or spreading malware using emails, calls, text messages or pop-up messages from what appear to be friends or legitimate banks, retailers, government agencies or other organizations.

Changing Your Insurance Agent

It’s not that hard, and not that complicated.

Whether you like it or not, insurance is something you cannot ignore or avoid. Many types of insurance are required by law, while others are necessities, and still others are purely a luxury. Regardless of the type of insurance policy, or what it is actually designed to protect, you are not required to conduct business with only one insurance agent. If you are uncomfortable with the agent currently servicing one of your policies, you can change agents while still maintaining your insurance policy. On the other hand, if you believe that your needs would be more appropriately served by another insurance agent or another insurance carrier, you are free to switch companies at any time.

If you believe your insurance needs would be better served by switching insurance carriers entirely, look for another insurance agency that is able to provide you with the type of coverage you need. Explain why you are looking for a new insurance agent, why you believe a new carrier will be beneficial, and ask relevant questions to ensure that your previous problems or concerns will not be repeated again by the new insurance company.

“At the Bogle Agency, we handle this sort of transition all the time,” said Philip R. Bogle, owner.  “Our job is to make the switch as easily and painlessly as possible, and we are experienced in doing it the right way.  At the same time, we may be able to bolster your coverage and save you some money.  Since we are an independent insurance agency, we represent several different insurance carriers and we can figure out what’s best for you. We hope you will contact us to explore your options.”

To get started, you can schedule a convenient time to visit your new agent in his or her office, or have them come and visit you.  Bring your current insurance contract or policy declaration page so that comparable quotes can be prepared from a new insurance carrier. It’s as easy as that.
 
Once your new agent has provided quotes and discussed the pros and cons of a new policy, complete the necessary paperwork to obtain new coverage. “When your new policy is in force, we will contact your former insurance carrier and provide instructions for terminating your old policy,” added Bogle, “but remember, if you decide to change insurance carriers, do not cancel or terminate coverage under your old policy until you are certain that new coverage is actually in place. This will ensure that no gap will appear in your protection and leave you without important coverage.”

“We know that changing the people you do business with can sometimes be a stressful or uncomfortable situation, so our goal is to make it easy,” said Bogle.  “Let us do the work and get you the coverage you require and deserve.  That’s what we’re here for! Give us a call today!”