Answer:
a. Customer’s name
b. Customer’s partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer’s credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a l aptop computer and go shopping at your expense.
Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest’s information is electronically ‘overwritten’ on the card and the previous guest’s information is erased in the overwriting process.
But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!
The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it’s illegal) and you’ll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.
For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and d iscover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip!
If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.
Information courtesy of: Metropolitan Police Service.
PLEASE FORWARD to friends and family
This is pretty good info. Never even thought about key cards containing anything other than an access code for the room!
Consumers need to become better educated about the process of finding a Good Therapist. However the last thirty-five years as a therapist has taught me that a Good therapist is often about the fit. What research has demonstrated is that a Good therapist FIT is based on whether the consumer feels more comfortable with a man or a woman therapist. The race and or religion can play an important part in the fit. Also the socio-economic level of the therapist can sometimes play a part in the fit. Here is what I think is the most important factor that contributes to the very best fit and successful outcome of therapy, does the therapist engage in asking meaningful questions, offer unsolicited feedback, keep you honest, encourage being accountable for your behavior, and push you to become the person you truly want to be.
Thank you for listening.
Dr. Mikol Davis – Family Conflict Specialist and Elder Care Psychologist with AgingParents.com
The Boomer’s Guide to Aging Parents (Video)
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Lots of us are providing some kind of help to aging parents. Some are working at their regular jobs, handling responsibilities for their own families, and doing caregiving chores for their parents, all at the same time.
Maybe it’s a cultural thing: “yankee independence”. Maybe we’ve been socialized to be self-reliant. Maybe it never occurs to us to get help with our elderly parents. Whatever it is, caregivers aren’t rushing out to ask everyone they know to pitch in.
Even within families, the caregiver burden seems to fall more squarely on one person, often as not, even if there are multiple siblings or other relatives who could pitch in. At AgingParents.com, we often speak with caregivers, in our role as consultants, and in mediating family conflicts. I’m a nurse-attorney, and I work with my husband, Dr. Mikol Davis. A recurring theme in the conversation with clients we meet is the resentment of one person feeling overburdened, and not getting enough help. But does the resentful one ask for the help she needs? (It’s often a “she”).
In my past work as a nurse, I was often in the role of teaching family caregivers how to manage the tasks of the job. In my role as a lawyer, I have been an advocate for individual rights. Now I’m in the role of teaching caregivers of aging relatives how to manage their complicated duties as well as teaching them how to advocate for themselves.
Speaking directly and asking for what we need calmly is not a skill everyone possesses. Even if it seems obvious that one member of the family is doing the lion’s share of the caregiving, that person often seems to say little, even while expecting and not getting assistance from others. Anger builds, sometimes boiling over into outbursts, sarcasm, and aggressive behavior.
We urge clients who are in the role of the “burdened one” to speak up. Although other family may live at a distance, or are less capable than the burdened one, you’ll never find out who is willing to help unless you ask.
If asking family doesn’t do it, it’s certainly possible to recruit volunteers from community agencies, church and synagogue groups, and other organizations. If the budget allows, paid assistance through agencies is available to take some weight off the primary caregiver. The point is to ask for the relief every caregiver needs. This is particularly true if the parent who needs the caregiving is a difficult or unpleasant person. Some parents are.
Despite our culture’s emphasis on self-reliance, we have to recognize our own limits. No one can take care of elders 24/7, or even part time, without relief unless the caregiver risks her own health breakdown.
We hope all family caregivers will take care of themselves by asking for some assistance with the work. It’s entirely reasonable to ask for help, besides being necessary for the caregiver’s own mental health.
Let’s consider “yankee independence” to be an unwise
attitude when it comes to caring for aging parents. We need all the help we can get.
Alzheimer’s is indeed a devastating diagnosis for anyone. Much fear is associated with it, as there is, unfortunately no cure as yet. You can encourage your father to talk about how it feels among your family members. You can offer to accompany him to an Alzheimer’s support group. You can offer your reassurance to him that you’ll be with him on this journey in his life, and that you will see to it that he is safe.
I suggest that you encourage him to have all legal documents he needs updated and available to the family, for his peace of mind and yours. It can also be helpful for everyone in the family to educate yourselves about Alzheimer’s Disease, using your local community resources and the Alzheimer’s Association, which is a very good source of information for all of you.
Finally, it is wise to spend as much time together as you can, enjoying the things that your father and your family like to do. This disease will cause a progressive loss of memory. It is important for the family to enjoy the moment, and to have as many positive experiences as you can with your father for as long as he is able to participate. Even if he forgets what happened a short time later, one needs to practice living for right now when you are with him. Remember that now is the time to plan for the future needs of your father with your family, don’t wait for a medical crisis.
Grieving over the loss of a spouse is one of the most difficult things we go through in life. It is very individual, and can take a year, or longer, before a grieving person feels a lessening of the sadness and devastation. We don’t really get over such a loss, we learn to better cope with and accept reality. However, we can do things for ourselves that restore a sense of purpose and provide structure and meaning to our lives, creating better mental health, even while the grieving process is going on. Being present for your mother is one of the important things you can do. Invite her to activities, or just spend time together doing things she would normally like to do. Include her in your life to the extent that she is willing. Offer to visit, cook a meal together, see a movie or play cards, for example, if those are things she would usually like. Keep trying. Ask her if she would like to talk. Sometimes, grieving can lead to depression that doesn’t let up. Rule of thumb, if it has been over one year since the death of a spouse without some progress forward, then it is time to consult the doctor. In those instances, encourage her to see her doctor to be evaluated for anti-depressant medication on a temporary basis. This can often help get a person get unstuck. Grieving is not a mental illness, but the sometimes accompanying depression can be very hard to overcome without medication. Encourage her to see her doctor if she seems to be “lost” in the process, and find out if medication and or counseling can help.
Irritability and loss of interest in activities a person used to enjoy are two symptoms of depression, but there could be other causes for these two problems. The symptoms are a cause for concern. Encourage your father to see his regular doctor and describe the symptoms. You can tell you father that you are concerned because he doesn’t seem to be having much fun lately, and offer your support in going to the doctor with him if he wants, but especially in following up if he doesn’t make the appointment. If Dad wants to go to the doctor by himself, suggest that he briefly write down some of your specific concerns while still on the phone with you. If depression is the reason for these problems, the good news is that it is successfully treated quite often in seniors.
What are the treatments for depression in older adults?
Older adults generally respond very well to medication for depression. The newer drugs, called “SSRI’s” help with brain chemicals that can be out of balance with depression. Older medications for depression also work very well for some people. Often, a combination of talk therapy and medication is a good solution to the problem, with a 80% success rate in older adults.
