As someone in charge of online content, you have to be prepared
to take on any job when someone calls in sick. Your editor, who is a pro at
writing headlines, may not always be there, so you must be able to fill in
when she can't.
Marva Marrow says that English skills are extremely
important. "I can't stress that strongly enough. If you have misspellings
or bad syntax, you'll have a handicap," she says.
In addition
to getting the content online, which requires good English, Marrow and Amy
Strycula say communication is essential. They receive at least 300 e-mails
a day. Also, since the web is an entrepreneurial place, as owner of a start-up,
you may need to write a business plan and other documents to get your site
off the ground.
New
Care Facility Brings Seniors Back Home
From the street, the Victorian
mansion on the bayou looks like a bed and breakfast. Its turrets rise over
the 600-year-old oaks. The white rocking chairs on the sun porch, wind chimes,
and hand-carved pumpkins (in celebration of the upcoming holiday) do nothing
to convince you otherwise.
Opening the front door, the melody of a
classic piano greets you. You walk into a cozy parlor and the concierge bids
a warm hello. Is that apple pie baking in the oven? Red's ears perk up
but the dog remains curled and slumbering.
You wonder where you should
check in. But this is not a place for a casual overnighter. The people that
come to Sunshine Farm, a medical care facility for the elderly, are in for
a longer haul. In less modern times, this is what was referred to as an "old
folks' home." Today it is simply called assisted living. Red, the house
dog, is living proof of what Sunshine Farm is trying to recreate for seniors
-- the warmth of a home.
Sunshine is a Life Giver
Joe
Greene is executive director of the local center, which opened two weeks ago.
He explains how one doctor reacted negatively to Sunshine's ways of caring.
The bone the doctor had was with Red. The critic asked, "What if people are
allergic? What if someone trips over the dog?"
Greene answered, "You
could lock people in a room so they wouldn't be exposed to allergens
or so they wouldn't be at risk of tripping, but what would be their quality
of life? If you have no risk in your life, you have no life."
While
other assisted living centers may concern themselves dutifully with care of
the body, many ignore care of the mind, he says.
Forming Long-Lasting
Ties
Assisted living centers cater to seniors who need help with
daily tasks, such as cooking meals, taking medications or doing laundry, but
do not need round-the-clock medical care.
But Sunshine is unlike other
facilities, says Greene. Besides its homey atmosphere, there is its universal
caregiver concept: One person takes care of a resident's needs, from
dressing and bathing to serving them food, says Greene. "We want this one
person to know you better. We want Sunshine to be a caregiver atmosphere,
like when a daughter takes care of her mother in the home."
What's
to Like About Sunshine?
Tina Jones recently moved one of her elderly
clients into Sunshine Farms. Jones is an attorney for Taking Care of Ma and
Pa, Inc. The firm handles end-of-life decisions for the elderly when there
is no family, or the family is too old, too far away or financially abusive
to the person.
As part of her job, Jones has toured many facilities.
She says she was very impressed by Sunshine. "It allows the residents the
greatest amount of freedom and independence." She also says she liked the
attitude of the staff.