Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with care

How to care for preemie twin boys?

hgswell — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:11:58 -0800

Looking for info on taking care of and raising two preemie twin boys. I've looked on Google and found two local twin groups, but neither of them have responded to inquiries.

The boys were born in October, they were due in February. They are fraternal (as far as we can tell). If anyone has any resources they would recommend or things to try (other than stocking up on diapers), I would be more than willing listen and extremely thankful.

How do I care for sterling silver jewelry?

peanut_mcgillicuty — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:36:22 -0800

How do I take care of sterling silver jewelry? I feel dumb that I don't know how to do this, but I have no idea how to take care of jewelry. My family does not wear any for religious reasons, so I've never seen how it's supposed to be stored or cleaned.

I mostly own costume jewelry, but I have a number of pieces of sterling silver jewelry, most of which is from SilverJewelryClub.com. Some of the pieces are tarnished and dirty, but not all of them, and there's no rhyme or reason--it's not the pieces I wear the most that look tarnished, nor the pieces I wear the least. Some of the pieces are just as bright and shiny as the day I bought them.

All the pieces are less than five years old. I keep all my jewelry in a clean old makeup case which was never used for storing makeup, so doesn't have any residue in it. I never wear the jewelry swimming or in the shower and don't sleep in it. I hang the necklaces so they don't get tangled, and toss rings and earrings into the box of the case, which is lined with cloth. It is open to the air, so could be getting dusty, I suppose. The room is not especially humid nor especially dry.

I used an aluminum foil/baking soda/hot water mixture to clean and brighten some of the pieces a few weeks ago, which made a difference but some of them still look just, well, old and dirty. I've done some reading online about how to care for jewelry, but I'm looking for realistic advice--I'm not going to wipe down my jewelry with a special cloth every time I take it off, or store it in a special jewelry chest with velvet linings or anything like that. That's not really how people live, right?

So. Am I being unrealistic and sterling silver jewelry really does need that level of care? Or are the pieces with the problems more likely just junk? Or am I doing something else wrong?

Nursing Home Hacks

Thin Lizzy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:34:34 -0800

What are some good nursing home/hospital hacks? My grandmother recently settled into a full time nursing home after living in the same house for 50 years. When we moved her in we brought as many things as possible to make her new room feel a little more like home- pictures of our family, some little tsotchkes my grandfather gave her, the comforter and pillows from her bed, as well as some small luxury items- nice hand cream, a bag of candy, a bigger TV, etc. While the nursing home is what she needs and is staffed with friendly, competent people, it still feels like a hospital and I get the feeling that she's a little uncomfortable there (but of course she doesn't want to worry me and insists that she doesn't need anything). So what are you're favorite nursing home hacks- things that would make her life just a little bit easier or provide a degree of comfort that's hard to come by in a hospital setting?

A little more about her- she's in her 90s and uses a wheelchair most of the time. She has some trouble with her memory, but is "with it" for the most part (she has reading material, but probably wouldn't be interested in puzzles or games). She has a roommate (who she seems to like) and her room is laid out much like a typical hospital room- the beds side-by-side with a divider between them and a private bathroom.

My kitty is the center of the universe

reenum — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:50:20 -0800

My cat is used to getting a lot of attention, but is now left home alone for most of the day. How can I ensure she doesn't feel too lonely? My cat, Rani, is a tough old girl. She's 13 and for most of those years, my mom was home with her and lavished her with tons of attention.

Mom has now moved overseas and I have Rani. I work all day, so Rani's always home alone. When I get home, she's very clingy and wants lots of petting.

Is there something I can do so she stays occupied during the day and doesn't feel so alone? I've tried getting her cat toys, but she doesn't like any of them.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

How do I clean body oil residue from a leather couch

archimago — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:27:07 -0800

How do I clean body/hair product residue buildup from a leather sofa? The backrest on my leather sofa has accumulated a thick waxy residue on the places where people's necks/heads rest. Yeah, it's gross, but the couch is dark brown and I just noticed it when I accidently scratched the couch with my fingernail and instead of scratching the leather, I got a dark waxy residue under my fingernail. It's only in the places where heads/necks rest, so I am assuming it is from body oils and hair products. It's pretty thick. I "clean" the couch with a leather conditioner, but I never noticed this as you can't really see it on the dark sofa so it has been building up for years.

How do I get it off? Some warm water and mild dish soap? I have no idea what kind of leather it is, so my internet surfing is frustrating as everyone has a different method depending on the type of leather it is.

How do I care for a cat with diabetes?

dbgrady — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:17:38 -0800

How do I best care for a cat with diabetes? A few specific questions:

1. Is it really difficult to inject a cat with insulin?

2. Is insulin necessary if the diabetes isn't severe?

3. Has anyone given their cat metformin pills instead of insulin? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

4. Is there anything practical I should know or expect with regard to the cat's behavior, side-effects, etc?

(I am aware of this previous question.)

(Posted for a friend)

Thank you.

ball python care in winter

crapples — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:46:49 -0800

Ball-Python-Care-Filter: How do we best care for our ball python during the cold cold winter? We just got him in May and we absolutely love him. We have been lucky because he eats really well, and is great with the kids.

However, I live in the midwest and when winter comes it will be cold. Our house will regularly get down to 58 degrees at night and rise to no more than 67-68 during the day.

He lives in a 20 gallon-long tank. We have an under-tank sticky heating pad on one side of the tank, and that has been his only source of heat during the summer. So, I know that I will have to get a heat lamp for the winter.

My questions are these:

1 - Do I leave the heat lamp on 24 hours a day? Or can he handle a cold night as long as he warms up during the day?

2 - Should we change his feeding schedule during the winter (right now he eats a mouse every week, exactly. He doesn't mess around either! He grabs that thing within seconds of it being in the tank with him).

3 - Anything else I should know?

Thanks a lot.

[HealthFilter] How much does the average no complication birth cost?

gnash — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:59:17 -0800

Had a beautiful baby girl a few months ago. Previous baby due to excellent insurance cost exactly $0. This baby, with crappy Aetna insurance close to $4k. This is after deductible, and using a doctor that was non-preferred (which we paid more for) I am still puzzled how I ended up getting charged this much. Anyway I got to thinking. Why is my out of pocket cost $4k for a birth with no complications? Why is the total cost for this birth $17 - $18k? Some detail:
Pomosin (sp?)
Epidural
Misc pain killers
2 nights stay post birth
4 - 5 hours labor @ hospital, less than an hour for the "all hands operation"
Cord blood draw

My question - what was the total cost for YOUR kiddo's birth (or your friends)? Is this really what it costs nowadays for what is, for the most part, an incredibly routine procedure?

Burn, Baby, Burn!

Jon-o — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:23:46 -0800

Holy Crap! I burned a tattoo! The other day, I got a serious burn right on one of my tattoos (hot exhaust+forearms=teh suck)
I gave it some first aid, but it's a really nasty, deep, ugly burn and it's probably going to scar. Unfortunately, it's right in the line of fire, as far as being aggravated goes. It gets touched and scraped all the time and I'm really worried about how messed up the ink will be when it finally heals.
Aside from keeping it covered (I'm doing my best, but I tend to sweat the bandages off), what other advice do you have for helping this come out at least ok-ish? Is my ink doomed? I'm really upset and worried.

What do I need to do to store my mountain bike?

logicalsequence — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:23:36 -0800

I'm fairly new to the mountain bike game and unfortunately I am having to park my mountain bike for three months whilst I work away. Security is not an issue but in general what maintenance and precautions do I need to take, if any, before it goes away? FYI: I have a 2008 Kona Cinder Cone (linky) and the bike is currently in a reasonably clean state (but not spotless).

Bo Knows . . .

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:22:19 -0800

Health Mystery Solved. I have been given a diagnosis of avascular necrosis. My general practitioner relayed these results to me after she saw my MRI results. On Friday I meet with an orthopedic surgeon. Please help me prepare. What questions should I be sure to ask? My gp described the damage as 'fairly advanced' or something.
In addition to questions to ask, I would love to hear anecdotal experiences from mefis directly affected by this.

Short of total hip replacement, (THR), what are the cutting edge effective treatments? If THR plays out as the only/necessary option how was your experience?

Since first being told that my pain was unrelated to a muscle strain/tear I feel as good as I have in 18 months. I can't really explain it but, even without the pain management meds I was prescribed, I know walk with a nearly indiscernible limp and actually feel pretty good. I am otherwise healthy and, according to the chart on the wall, I am within 4lbs of my ideal weight.

I am now a 40yo single, straight male with no kids. I have no family in California where I have called home for 22 years. I was medically discharged in 1990 and have been granted coverage at the Veteran's Administration hospital in my community. Without exception, the care I have received there has been kind, thoughtful and genuine.

Help me prepare for my meeting on Friday and for possible outcomes in the near(?) future.

I'll dust off hiplegpain@gmail.com if anyone would like to contact me directly. Thank you.

Recommend a professional skin care brand?

pinkbungalow — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:46:40 -0800

What is your favorite professional skin care line? I'm opening a studio where we will offer skin care services. I have been searching and researching and trying different lines. I am ruling out Dermalogica. What has worked for you? Nice smelling, organic, all that would be great but it has to be a line that can produce good results for my clients. I've already selected PCA, but I'd like to find another that may be a notch down in price points. I can't recommend something I don't believe in, so I'd love any suggestions.

California elder care question... Is this legit??

jbenben — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:51:27 -0800

California: anyone know what government entity reimburses the elderly for home care? Is it local, state, or federal program? Or perhaps a charity?? Asking for a friend who has an elderly neighbor that offered her a "job." She can't ask neighbor questions directly at this time, so if anyone out there has insight - thanks!

The elderly neighbor offered her a small job doing errands and helping around the house, keeping alert when neighbor is in the bath (in case they fall and there is no one around to help) etc. Neighbor claims they get reimbursed by the government (or via some entity - this part was vague!) for the hours worked. All that is required is for the worker (my friend) to sign a paper/former confirming the hours worked and amount paid.

Is this legit? What entity facilitates this type of financial compensation?

My understanding of the sitch is that the elderly neighbor pays the worker (my friend), the worker signs something stipulating payment was received, and then payment is reimbursed to the elderly neighbor.

We think it sounds fishy. Or maybe care for the elderly really is subsidized to this extent and we've just never heard about it before?? For sure, my friend has no medical training or anything like, and we can not imagine some gov't entity just doles out money so easily without licenses or degrees.

Thoughts?

Where can you find adult foster care work in Miami?

aussicht — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:32:03 -0800

What sorts of jobs exist in Miami (or Florida) for people who work with adult foster care for clients with developmental disabilities? A friend of mine is thinking of moving out to Miami, and is wondering about job opportunities for working with clients who have developmental disabilities in an adult foster care environment. I've had the hardest time finding anything concrete about this to tell him about, and am curious if people know where to look, if Florida uses different terms for the work, etc? Any help?

Thanks!

Caring for cockatiels

asras — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:54:15 -0800

We just got new cockatiels and we need all the help and advice we can get. We got new cockatiels yesterday! There is a two-year old male-female pair, and they have a three week old chick [pic].* The grey is male and the white is female. There are also three eggs. The birds have been hand trained, but for now they're keeping to themselves, and we're letting them be to let them get adjusted to their new environment. The male is also being extremely protective, hissing and puffing up his feathers every time I tried to take a picture. These are the first pets we've had, so it's really exciting. I'm looking for general advice, tips, and tricks about caring for these lovely birds.

*btw, that is not their cage. they have a bigger cage adjoining that little room, where the chick and eggs are staying put for now.

Keep the new car Shiny

tdreyer — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:39:38 -0800

Just got a sweet new car. Now I'm looking for car care products, tips, and suggestions. After a few years getting by with a old junker car, Mrs. tdreyer1 and I have gotten ourselves a new 2009 Kia Optima. Unlike with my old car, I actually care what this car looks like & how long it lasts. Because of this, I'm new to taking care of the car (beyond mechanical maintenance) and I am looking for car care products for the interior and exterior, tips on keeping it nice for as long as possible, and anything else anyone thinks would be useful to keep it looking nice and working good for years to come.

Looking for more cosmetic care & protection than mechanical. Thanks!

But what about the children?

Quizicalcoatl — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:50:52 -0800

What do people do when they have kids and both parents work? Bonus points if you have answers specific to Concord, NH! I'm going to graduate school next fall after 5 years of being our family's primary caregiver. We've never had to deal with day care before. My wife and I are relatively competent people, but this seems overwhelming. We can't seem to find the convergence of available openings, knowledge that our kids will be safe and happy, and a cost we can afford. The answers must be out there because I see families with 2 working parents all the time and I'm sure that they don't all just toss the kids into the first random nursery they come across.

Possibly relevant: We have no family in the area. The miniature quizicalcoatls will be 5 and 3 next fall. The 5 year old will be attending our fair city's half-day kindergarten, and so will need after school care 5 days a week. We need coverage for three afternoons and 2 full days each week for the 3yo. I'd love a place that will be educational in some way...

Lawn mold identification

Kevin S — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 09:37:59 -0800

What kind of lawn mold do I have? Can anyone identify what type of lawn mold I am dealing with to better guide remediation? The lawn is located in the northeast (albany ny area); neighbors have a similar problem. Here are snapshots.

Presumably the mold is on this list, but I can't tell which one.

Thanks

Care Package Recommendations?

nj_subgenius — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:01:29 -0800

Help me find some other items to send in a care package to Iraq? Having signed up at AnySoldier.com to send food items, toletries, etc., to a Marine unit in Iraq, I am having trouble coming up with a proper list.I know some basics, like send food in a separate box from toiletries. The list the unit is looking for is and specific enough for the females in the unit, and I've got the food figured out- but there's not much specific for the males (suggestions welcomed).

Can you recommend something else the whole unit would enjoy while in Iraq to help them through their remaining deployment - games - supplies they won't have from a PX- etc?

I've looked at all the prepackaged stuff you can send and would rather pick out, pack and ship myself, so specific suggestions are a lot more welcome than links to prepackaged gifts.

Thanks!

Bald male skin care

ebesan — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:22:08 -0800

Bald male looking for scalp/face care. Not vain, but my scalp is looking mottled, uneven. I'm told that men's skin is different from womens. What can I use to protect/and look better on top, and on my face/eyes?

How to get treatment for depression without income or health insurance?

jnnla — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:14:14 -0800

I suspect I am suffering from Depression and I have no health insurance or current source of income - how do I get help? Three months ago I quit my high-paying job due to extreme job dissatisfaction, and with the job, I also lost my employee sponsored health care. I have since missed the deadline to file for COBRA (I live in California).

As a result I am currently unemployed (by choice) and without health care. I am 26 years old and am extremely fit and healthy physically (gym 3x at least per week), but mentally I suspect that I am suffering from depression.

I was diagnosed with depression as an 18 year old, but overcame it and within a year and a half became happy and healthy again.

Within the last two years, however, I have felt "flat," and I feel the familiar pangs of depression - a general all-encompassing apathy, constant anxiety and intrusive negative thoughts, as well as the random urge to cry or hole myself away in my bed. My omnipresent negative emotions and worries, I feel, prevent me from reaching my potential. These feelings partly led to my decision to quit my job, which was only exacerbating my condition. I committed to take time off for a few months to work on personal projects, explore other possible career paths, and to try to handle my negative feelings. I have saved up money (quickly running out) in order to facilitate this plan.

I would like to see a therapist and get a diagnosis, as well as schedule regular therapy sessions. In my normal state I am a very vibrant and social person, who has a zest and love for life - and I would very much like to have that person back and get him working again...but I feel I need treatment.

QUESTION:
So...what is an unemployed person without health insurance to do? How do I go about getting help? I can afford CHEAP health insurance for a few months (100-150 dollars per month). I have looked into Tonik, and am going to give them a call but it is unclear to me whether they have mental health coverage - furthermore, should I be mentioning my condition when calling health insurance companies or will that get me denied or put me in a waiting period for treatment? I assume my options are to see a therapist of my choice out of pocket or to buy health insurance and have them foot the bill for an in-network shrink. In the meantime are there any free or state-sponsored options I can look into? Any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

How do I resolve this ridiculosity?

The Giant Squid — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:54:11 -0800

How do I resolve a child care conflict with people who swear they have done nothing wrong? Two weeks ago, my wife and I decided it was time for a 'date night' (our third since the child's birth), and dropped our seven-month old son off with her parents to babysit for the evening (they had been asking for this privilege for months). We run a few errands, get dinner, and then head out to the Roller Derby. Six hours after dropping him off, we call the in-laws up to find out how the little man is doing, and they inform us that they've dropped our son off with their neighbors, and they are out getting dinner with family from out of town.

I called their neighbors, and when they picked up, the kid was screaming his head off. Apparently he hadn't eaten since we dropped him off (and he normally eats every 2.5 hours). He's mainly breastfed, and just wasn't taking to the bottles they offered.

My wife and I called 'date night' off, and sped off to the neighbors house, grabbed the kid, the wife hopped in the back seat to feed him, and we went back home, trying to make sense of the events of the past few hours.

That was a Saturday, and we spent Sunday cooling off. My father-in-law called my wife and told her: "we need to talk". We arranged to visit them on the following Tuesday night.

In hoping to straighten things out, I commence asking: "So, let's talk about Saturday." And, the first thing out of my mother-in-law's mouth was: "You need to apologize to the neighbors for the way you treated them." They further suggested that we had embarrassed them and their neighbors, and were rash in our decision-making. I asked them several times if they felt it would have been appropriate to call us to notify us and their response was: "You're overreacting." Any further commentary was met with: "The neighbors are good people and I trust them with my grandson's life. It's not like they're criminals or anything."

My mood grew considerably worse, and I asked if they felt that could admit that they were wrong in dropping the kid off with the neighbors, and all I got was an "I'm sorry you feel that way", which, in my opinion, is the weaseliest non-apology anyone can half-offer. I then said something along the lines of "If you can't admit any wrongdoing here, we're leaving." No wrongdoing was admitted. I was told I was overreacting (my wife mainly remained silent...) - and so, we packed up with our child and headed off.

So, as of today, two weeks have elapsed, since the Tuesday argument/fight and the in-laws have not contacted us, (to issue an apology or otherwise) and now I believe my wife is starting to get angry with me. She asserts that I should commence 'making nice' with them, and that she feels guilty 'denying them access to their grandchild'.

The in-laws will never apologize nor admit wrongdoing. Unfortunately, I feel like to 'make nice', I've got to go to them and pretend to be the 'bad guy', which I feel like I've done nothing wrong. In such a situation, I'd have to go to them, hat in hand, and apologize to them for 'overreacting' or having a 'short fuse' or whatever.

In my 'ideal' world, the in-laws would contact us and, at the very least, offer a 'well, we didn't do right then, but we'll try to at least notify you if we change plans in the future'.

Unfortunately, the longer my in-laws take in ... well, not offering an apology, the more guilty my wife feels, and the more pressure I am under to 'make things right'.

Any ideas for any sort of resolution I could put forth in which I can satisfy my wife, straighten things out with the in-laws, and somehow not feel like I've been shat on by my in-laws and then reward bad behavior?

What can I say... I love growing things!

Mastercheddaar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:57:54 -0800

Spring time gardening care filter. Need a little advice. With warming weather coming I thought it would be a good idea to prepare everything now. I have a green thumb and I pretty much can grow anything so general maintenance is a snap. The only problem is I need some help with the more complicated stuff.
I have planted the following: a Victory Garden! (many years running), Raspberry bushes (1 year old), Blueberry bushes(1 year old), 2 peach trees (2 years old), a nectarine tree( 3 years old), 2 cherry trees(2 years old), a buckeye tree(1 year old), a dogwood tree(1 year old), and lastly a fig tree(1 year old).

For the bushes: I have read on several different sites plenty of different pruning methods (cut the cranes, don't cut the canes, let them grow out, give them something to grow on, etc.) Which ones work? Which ones don't?

For the peach/nectarine: I had peach scab on them bad last year. What can I spray them with to prevent that this year?

For the Cherries: Japanese beetles nearly killed one of them last year. Any hints on how to prevent that from happening again? I heard an herb "Rue" helps keep them away. Anyone ever hear of that?

For the victory garden: I have done this for a while and have the regular veggies down pat. Any unique ones anyone can think of? I got a small patch of about 10-15 feet square I can use.

AND lastly I order some hop rhizomes to plant along my fence. Anyone have any hints for those as well?

Sorry for the huge question but any suggestions are welcome.

Diaper suggestions for small infant?

Happydaz — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:44:45 -0800

Our newborn pees right through the preemie diapers, through two layers of clothes and into the crib/blanket. This happens every time. Help! I_love_therain and I just brought our baby boy home from the hospital on Monday. He's absolutely fantastic, and so is his bladder. His weight when leaving the hospital was 5 pounds 10 ounces, so we've been using preemie diapers on him. (A combination of Huggies and Pampers. We probably have about 100 of these diapers left right now.) The diapers contain the poop no problem, but whenever he pees it soaks right through the diaper (usually through one of the legs) and gets everything else wet. I don't mind changing 5 diapers in one hour (which is what we did last night, when he just peed and peed and then peed some more) but 5 outfits in an hour is just ridiculous. Isn't it?

This is our first child. Everything else with him is going great, and I'm just wondering, should we be using normal diapers instead of preemies? Am I installing them incorrectly? Is this just something you suffer through until the infant is big enough to wear real diapers? Oh, and if you've read this far, here's the obligatory link to a photo of our kid. :-).

How should I manage these garments?

Baby_Balrog — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:42:45 -0800

Is my brother right about caring for these Brooks Brothers non-iron shirts? Help! I've recently acquired a half dozen lovely new Brooks Brothers non-irons (blue tag). I need to wear one tomorrow morning but they're kind of wrinkly from being recently purchased.

My brother swears that the best method for caring for them is to wash them cold and let them hang dry. This seems crazy to me because the nice lady at Brooks Brothers says to just wash and dry them like normal because the heat from the drier activates the resin that releases the wrinkles. BUT maaaybe she's just saying that so I go through the shirts faster by wearing them out! Thus necessitating the purchase of additional marvelous BB non-iron shirts!

1. Is my brother wrong?
2. To get one in working shape for tomorrow could I throw it in the dryer?