Featured Professional

Addiction Recovery

Rick Zehr - Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery

Rick Zehr is Vice President of Addiction & Behavioral Services at Proctor Hospital where he oversees the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery. The Institute treats all types of addictions, including alcohol, drugs, sex, food, tobacco, and internet. He holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology degree from ISU, as well as several certifications in the areas drug abuse, compulsive gambling, and addictive disorders. Mr. Zehr helped develop Illinois' first gambling addiction treatment program, and the nation's first internet addiction treatment program. You can find out more at www.AddictionRecov.org and Your Health Matters.

  • From Jean A. Daily - Westminster Village

    How do I know if I can afford retirement living?

    Depending on income and assets you might qualify for income based housing. These can be either Independent Apartments or Assisted Living which when income based it is called Supportive Living. If you have too much income for affordable housing you may want to look at what is called market rate or private pay retirement options. There are a multitude of options with many different costs.

    First, list all your assets, bank accounts, investments, etc, then your monthly income to know what you have to work with for retirement. Then figure our your current cost, house payment or rent, utilities, taxes, insurance and other services you pay for like housekeeper, lawn care, snow removal, etc. Continue by looking at a period of the last 5 – 10 years and figure out the maintenance you have done to your home and the replacement of appliances you have made. Then add and divide to find an average. Also if you are looking at an option that includes meals, you need to include a percentage of your food budget.

    Then you need to look at options, their fees and what the fees include. Put the services on a spread sheet and compare it to your current cost should tell you if you can afford the option you are considering.

  • From The Federal Warehouse Team - Federal Warehouse Co.

    How do I go about choosing a mover?

    Start off by asking friends, family, and colleagues at work. Find out who they might have used in the past. Ask them about good experiences they have had. Ask them about less than satisfactory experiences they have had. Check the Yellow Pages for movers in your area. Make sure that they have a Motor Carrier (MC) number from the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Illinois Commerce Commission. If they do not have these they are unlicensed and unregulated movers and you may be setting yourself up for a lot of pain, financial and otherwise. Check with your Better Business Bureau before contacting a mover. Check out the Illinois Mover’s and Warehouseman’s Association website; they provide some great information for choosing a mover.

    When calling the company to set an appointment for an estimate for moving, ask them if they are a member of the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA). These movers have agreed to the terms of the published tariffs and participate in an AMSA sponsored Arbitration Program. Ask if their moving counselors are Certified Moving Consultants (CMC), and if their company is a Certified Van Line. Certified Van Lines are professionals who have agreed to follow an industry Code of Conduct by performing quality moves and responding to complaints in a timely and ethical manner. Certified Moving Consultants represent fundamental competency and adherence to a Code of Ethics and Professional Standards. In dealing with a CMC while planning a move, you can be assured that you are working with a knowledgeable sales consultant who is committed to providing fair and quality service. For more detailed info about CMCs and the AMSA visit their website at www.amconf.com.

    Ask the company representative about their company’s vision and mission statement. Ask the representative for references. Evaluate the person sent to your home for the initial consultation and work with someone who you are comfortable with and displays a professional attitude.

  • From Debbie Davison - Home Health Care Plus, Inc.

    I am trying to care for my husband but he's getting difficult to transfer and dress. He had a stroke last year but has recently gotten weaker and I hurt my back trying to lift him. Any suggestions will help. I want to keep him home.

    Family and friends who provide care to loved ones at home are at risk of inury to themselves. Muscle straings, falls and broken bones occure because of improper lifting and transfer techniques. Call Home Care and request a Home assessment for your husband. Physical therapy can work with him on strengthening exercises and assess to see if a Hoyer life and/or life chair may be needed, which does the lifting and transfer for you with your guidance. There are many assistive devices to make care easier and safer for both of you. Keeping caregivers, who are often at high risk for injury or exhaustion, healthy is the key to successful home care.

  • From Rick Zehr - Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery

    I've tried several times to quit smoking without success. Why is it so hard to kick this habit?

    A two-pack-a-day person will inhale cigarette smoke over three million times in ten years, and each of these puffs represents the injection of nicotine, an addictive drug. Every activity in life, both positive and negative, becomes associated with this chemical. Multiple failed attempts to quit, called relapses, signal an individual's genuine attempt to stop using tobacco. While a few people can simply put down their cigarettes and declare "I quit," most people need help. At the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, we help people quit through a variety of programs. The health problems associated with smoking are many, and well documented. It is not important how you quit. It is only important that you do quit.

  • From Bill Wuthrich - KBL Design Center

    Can I get a custom design without paying for a custom cabinet?

    Yes. With innovative design you can accomplish wonderful things with standard products.