Google Wants To Do Your Family History For You
Google wants to do some family history work for you.
No really, it does.
And it wants to keep you updated you on a thousand different family history searches as it does.
At this year’s RootsTech conference, Deborah Gamble, Technology Solutions Manager at American Express gave a list of tools that will perform customized family history searches for you automatically. Google was the first one Ms. Gamble mentioned. 1 Assist Care of the Valley: Assisted Living At Home in East Idaho will address some of the others in future posts.
Google has a feature called “Alerts” that allows users to stay informed about new material on the web relating to any topic that the user is interested in. If they want to stay updated on Teton Valley hiking spots or powersports in Rexburg or Idaho Falls, you can use this tool to do just that. What Ms. Gamble pointed out was that this exact same tool is a powerful one for doing family history research.
Here are step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
Let’s say you are looking for search for the death of an ancestor who I think was buried in Loudoun County.
Step One: First you go to www.google.com/alerts
It will bring up a page that should have something like this. If you click on the image, you can make the image larger:
Step 1: Go to www.google.com/alerts
Step 2: Next, you will enter the search term you are looking for. In this example, I am looking for Loudoun County graves. I enter that term into my Search query. You can make this more specific or less specific.
The more general you make it, the more information you will receive, but you might miss something as the Google search “spiders” might not pick it up.. The more specific you make it, the less information you will receive, but you are likely to find very specific information as it becomes available.
You will see below what Google brings up. Again, you can click on the image to make it larger. But you will see it brings up examples on the right of what it will send you.
Step 2: Enter what you are looking for into the search query
Step 3: Choose the result type, how often, and how many you want.
Result Type – Choose what source you want the information from. You can choose from the following. Remember, the less option you choose, the less information.
- Do you want only news articles?
- Do you want only blog posts?
- Do you only want results from books that Google has scanned into their database?
- Do you only want videos uploaded on sites like YouTube?
- Do you want everything that appears on the Internet (All of the above)
How often – Choose how often you want to be emailed about the information on the Internet.
- Do you want an email once a day?
- Do you want an email once a week?
- Do you want an email right as it comes?
My suggestion – once a week is fine, otherwise you start filling up your email box.
How many – What do you want Google to send to you?
- All results – Google will send you everything on the Internet.
- Only the best results – Google will determine what it thinks you want and will only send you that information.
Step 4: Enter your email address that you want the information sent to. It does not have to be a gmail address. You can enter any email you want. If you are logged into Gmail, it will automatically enter that address. You can add a news feed, but to keep things simple, we will not address that here.
Step 5: Press Create Alert.
A new window that will open that looks like this:
Step 5: Create Your Alert
Step 6: Live your life as normal. Google will automaticall send you the alerts to your email.
And you are all done.
You can add more searches if you want. You can do this for up to a thousand different searches.
To continue to learn and share ways to explore your genealogy and family history, be sure to like us on Facebook.
More Dangerous than Obesity For Seniors
43% of seniors suffer from the ailment that is twice as deadly as obesity.
Overcoming it is not as hard as you think.
A recent study suggests that loneliness is twice as dangerous to the elderly as obesity is. In this article 1 Assist Care of the Valley discusses how to help either yourself or your loved one overcome it.
A recent study has been completed – and its findings are worrisome, especially when you consider that 43% of seniors suffer from what the study warns us of.
According to a University of Chicago Professor, John Cacioppo, feelings of loneliness can cause premature death in seniors by 14%. That is twice the risk of obesity.
He went on to explain that the effects are quite dramatic in that they:
- Disrupt sleep
- Elevate blood pressure
- Increase levels of the hormone cortisol – which can lower immunity levels, slows the body’s ability to heal from wounds, and impairs cognitive performance
- Increase depression
- Lower overall subjective well-being
So what does that mean for your parent – or even yourself?
Traditional Options
Does that mean that retirement cannot be enjoyed the way that was envisioned? Absolutely not. Retirement can bring an added sense of drive to do those things that were difficult to do earlier, be that traveling or gardening or family history work, and so on.
Does that mean that the best choice is to put them into an assisted living home in Idaho Falls or in Rigby where they are certain to be surrounded by people?
For some, that is a great choice. When you consider the average employee to resident ratio at such homes is 10 to 1, and most residents spend much of their time alone in their own rooms, that may not be the best option either.
So what to do? – The solution is simple.
Professor Cacioppo suggests staying in the social circle that they have spent the past decades developing.
What better place than in the home where:
- Family can visit in a warm place
- They are surrounded by the neighbors that they became friends with
- They can go to church and serve in new ways and in ways that they know
- They can look forward to coming back to when they travel
- They can continue to beautify inside and out
But living alone can be dangerous! I mean, if your loved one lives in Driggs or St. Anthony, that is so isolated.
Not so much anymore. With technologies like smart homes, electronic response systems, and Skype, family and professionals can know they are safe.
But I live far away or simply cannot spend the time with my loved one the way that they need! They cannot even remember what they had for breakfast, so I am not sure if they are even eating.
1 Assist Care of the Valley Senior Care in Rexburg helps to overcome these concerns. By sending caregivers to the home, there is the one on one interaction that helps to overcome loneliness – and they help with those tasks that make a house a home. Whether that is preparing a meal and eating with them, or reminding them to take the correct medication, or exercising with them, or gardening with them, or taking them places. You can know that your loved one is safe and taken care of.
We will even keep you informed with what we have done every day and how it went.
And if 43% of seniors are suffering from loneliness, there is a pretty good chance your loved one just might need it.
To schedule a free home visit with us or to discuss some options for a senior you care about, give us a call at 208-557-4215, or fill out your information below and we will be in touch with you.
[contact-form to=’GetCare@1assistcare.com’ subject=’Someone is interested in the Loneliness Article’][contact-field label=’Your Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Phone Number’ type=’text’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’I want to schedule a home visit or some time to discuss my options’ type=’checkbox’/][contact-field label=’I want to stay informed about future posts relating to elderly care’ type=’checkbox’/][/contact-form]If your loved one is a veteran or the spouse of a veteran, be sure to ask about our program that can provide financial assistance for these types of services.
ABC: 3 Warning Signs That Your Elderly Loved One Might Need Help
We have now enjoyed Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. Typically, we are looking forward to the warmth of Spring and a break that goes along with it.
It might also be a good time to check in with your mother or father to make sure they are doing okay.
Doing so should be a positive experience. In 2014, you have a number of options not available earlier to make sure your loved one is taken care of and safe, even without you having to be there 24 hours a day or placing them into an assisted living home in Idaho Falls.
When visiting with Mom and Dad, here are some simple ABC’s to consider their situation.
A is for Aroma
Is there an unpleasant smell that seems to be new? It might be that they have lost a little of their sense of smell and may have something that needs to be thrown away. Or it could be something else. It could be that they do not have the energy, memory, or ability to either clean the house or to get cleaned up every day – or every few days.
Did your Mom or Dad insist on cleanliness growing up? That desire to have a clean house or to be clean and beautiful does not go away as they age. But their ability to or memory to may.
Bad question to ask: What is that smell? May embarrass your loved one.
Good question to ask: Mom, can I help you clean up? This will allow you to assess the situation and find out what the odor is.
B is for Bedtime Clothes
Is your Mom and Dad in their evening attire throughout the day? This may be a sign of depression or loneliness. According to a study released this year, loneliness is more deadly to seniors than obesity is. Or it may be a sign that they do not have the energy to get changed.
Either way, a change needs to be made – and not just a change of clothes.
Bad question to ask: Why are you still in your pajamas? Your loved one may get defensive.
Good question to ask: I love your pajamas! What is your secret to finding such good sleeping attire? This will open up your loved one and will open a conversation about buying clothes with large necks and other clothes that are easy to get in and out of, but still make them feel stylish and beautiful.
C is for Catching Up With Life
This one will require more conversation. Are they calling you by name? Do they remember what happened five minutes ago? Are they slurring their speech? Are they keeping up with the things they used to love, be that news or grandchildren or religious activities.
Short term memory loss, slurred speech, disengagement with life are all things that should raise red flags and it is time to seek professional help.
D is for Dining
Bonus one. Be sure to ask your loved one about what they ate for breakfast. If they cannot remember, that is a sure sign that there is a problem. This is also true is their clothes seem to start sagging. A loss of weight may mean that they are forgetting to eat, which will lead to other more serious problems.
If your conversation with your mom or dad shows signs of concern, be sure to make two more phone calls. The first to your parent’s physician. The second to 1 Assist Care of the Valley to discuss how we can help your loved one enjoy life at home while you know that they are safe and taken care of as you are able to deal with the other demands of life.
See any of these? Call us today for a free home visit from our team. You can call us at 557-4215 or fill out the contact form below and we will reach out to you.
[contact-form to=’GetCare@1assistcare.com’ subject=’Someone is interested from ABC%26#039;s blog post’][contact-field label=’Your Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Phone Number’ type=’text’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’I Want to Know More About Options For My Parents’ type=’checkbox’/][contact-field label=’Keep Me Updated On Future Posts Relating to Aging Parents’ type=’checkbox’/][/contact-form]Love Is In the Air! Win a $50 Valentine’s Day Gift Card
You still have one more day – but in case you forgot – not a problem!
1 Assist Care of the Valley is giving away a $50 gift card first thing tomorrow morning!
Here is how it works.
If we reach 100 likes on our Facebook page by 7:00 AM on Valentine’s Day (that is tomorrow), we will randomly select one lucky “liker” to win a $50 gift card to use for Valentine’s Day.
Who’s up for $50?
Go Places
Need to do some family history? We will take you, help you, and bring you back in time for dinner.
Services Include:
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Transportation
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Shopping
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Temple trips
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Family and friend gatherings
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You live in one of the most gorgeous places in the world. Let us help you get out and enjoy it!
Out of center entertaining and companionship
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Gardening
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Other outdoor excursions and activities
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Local parks, Mesa Falls, Yellowstone, Tautphaus Park Zoo, and more
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Holiday outings (Memorial Day, Fourth of July, etc.)
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Family History
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Transportation to local events and performances
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Church events
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Playmill Theater
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High school performances
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BYU-Idaho concerts and Education Week
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Events and concerts in Idaho Falls
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Mission farewells and homecomings
Whether it is a concert, a homecoming, or a play – 1 Assist Care of the Valley can take you there and bring you back.
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24/7 personal care
How to Solve Four Family History Problems in a Minute or Less Using One Tool – Puzzilla
RootsTech 2014 is come and gone. We hope you were able to view some of it online if you could not see it in person.
If not, you can view videos the the RootsTech website.
One fascinating item we learned about from the conference comes from Puzilla. Simply by logging it, in less than a minute you are able to see who has yet to be found and attached to your genealogy file (as recorded in FamilySearch.org).
In order to use the tool, you do need to have a FamilySearch account and you will need to have uploaded your family history to FamilySearch.
To the right below is an example of my family history, as shown in Puzzilla. I can see that on my mother’s side it goes back a couple generations. On my father’s side it goes back a few more. I can see where each line stops so I know where to begin my search
Here are four reasons I love this new tool
- Sometimes the hardest thing about doing family history is in knowing where to start.
Now in less than a minute, you will know exactly where to begin. - Why do family history when my family has already done all the work?
Now you can see exactly what has been done and what still needs to be done. - I get stuck trying to find one bit of information for one person and want to give up.
I can now take a break for a little bit on that line and work another line. Success creates success. If you get hung up on one line, you can get frustrated and give up. But the positive feelings you get coupled with the lessons learned when succeeding on another name or line will help you when you return to the other name you took a break from. - I have to scroll through name after name to see what has been done and what hasn’t, zooming in and out. I get lost.
By choosing how many generations back you want to go, you can see immediately instantly what lines are missing and which are completely in a single view.
Give Puzzilla a try.
Alzheimer’s Disease in East Idaho
Those suffering from Alzheimer’s are more than those diagnosed with the disease. Scroll down to watch a powerful documentary about the disease.
Here are the numbers:
- An estimated $100 billion in lost revenue to the economy
- An explosive 1000% growth rate of those diagnosed in 15 years.
- 25,000 Idahoans diagnosed.
This week, the Post Register ran a story about Alzheimer’s Disease. In it, they reported that there are 25,000 Idahoans diagnosed with the disease. That does not include those who have not yet been diagnosed. The Register then went on the guesstimate that there are 5,000 people in the area suffering from Alzheimer’s.
If you include the number of those suffering because of Alzheimer’s, that number is actually far greater. You have to include the mothers, the children, the husbands, wives, fathers, friends, siblings, and so on who must cope with a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
On Tuesday, the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership hosted a Caregiver’s Support Group. It was powerful. I would highly recommend it for those whose loved ones are receiving long term care. During it, they showed a documentary on Alzheimer’s created by PBS called “The Forgetting.”
Spend an hour watching it.
Your eyes will be opened to those whose minds are closing.
You will never be the same.
And if you have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s, please know that you are not alone – and while a cure is not yet found, there is support, help, hope and options.
Do you have a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s? Have you been diagnosed? Were you impacted by the video? Leave a comment below.
Qualifications for Assisted Living Benefits for Veterans and their Spouses from the VA
This is something that you will want to know about.
If you are a veteran, a spouse of a veteran, or the loved one of a veteran (or the loved one of a spouse of a veteran), you will want to know about this.
It is called the Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowance that is added to the monthly pension check. It is intended to help veterans and their spouses who either need some help with the tasks of daily living (cooking, cleaning, personal care) – or it can even be used to help pay for residential care at an assisted living facility.
Either way, it is a pretty great deal.
So often as we visit with veterans and their loved ones, we more often than not find two things to be the case:
- They do not know about the program
- They do not know the qualifications of the program
So here is a quick rundown of the what it takes to know if you, or someone you loves, qualifies. Just go through this initial checklist. And remember, spouses of veterans (whether the veteran has passed on or is still alive) can receive these benefits.
- Was the veteran honorably discharged?
- Did the veteran serve during a time of war
- Clarification – they did not need to be deployed to the war, as long as they served during a war
- Second Clarification – this could be World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf, etc
- Does the veteran (or spouse) have need of daily living activities due to either an illness or physical affliction?
If the answer is yes to these three questions, and you are looking at assisted living help, either at home or at an assisted living facility, then drop us a line and we will help you with the following:
- The application process with the VA (including helping you to get the necessary paperwork regarding military service)
- Locating a home care company or an assisted living facility that will work with you as a veteran, the surviving spouse of a veteran, or their loved one.
Fill out your contact information below and we will reach out to you to begin the application process. Don’t live in our area? Not a problem, fill in the information and we will put you in touch with someone in your area who will help you:
[contact-form to=’Andrew.S.Rail@Gmail.com’ subject=’Vet wants more information from Qualification posting’][contact-field label=’Veteran%26#039;s Or Spouse%26#039;s Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Your Phone Number’ type=’text’/][contact-field label=’Your Name (if not veteran or spouse listed above)’ type=’name’/][contact-field label=’This is for a veteran and/or for a surviving spouse.’ type=’checkbox’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]Note: 1 Assist Care of the Valley is not any way affiliated with the US Department of Veterans Affairs nor is 1 Assist Care of the Valley compensated for assisting with the application process. We are simply an assisted living care company that helps veterans and their spouses receive the daily living care that they require.
Great News for Family History / Genealogy Fans in East Idaho
This is exciting news for two reasons.
First, for many of us, making the trip to Salt Lake for the conference from Rexburg or Idaho Falls or Ashton or Driggs is not very easy.
The second reason is that the full conference costs $239, but these online sessions will be absolutely free! Here is the schedule of the classes that will be broadcast.
Which will you be watching and why? Leave a comment below.
Thursday, February 6
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Top 10 Things I Learned About My Family from My Couch by Tammy Hepps
1 p.m. to 2 p.m., FamilySearch Family Tree: What’s New and What’s Next by Ron Tanner
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Intro to DNA for Genealogists by James Rader
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Genealogy in the Cloud by Randy Hoffman
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sharing Your Family with Multimedia by Michael LeClerc
Friday, February 7
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Storytelling Super Powers: How to Come Off as Your Family’s Genealogy Hero by David Adelman
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Tweets, Links, Pins, and Posts: Break Down Genealogical Brick Walls with Social Media by Lisa Alzo
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Getting the Most Out of Ancestry.com by Crista Cowen
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Finding Family and Ancestors Outside the USA with New Technologies by Daniel Horowitz
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Do It Yourself Photo Restoration by Ancestry Insider
Saturday, February 8
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Become an iPad Power User by Lisa Louise Cooke
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Information Overload: Managing Online Searches and Their Results by D. Josh Taylor
2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., A Beginner’s Guide to Going Paperless by Randy Whited
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., How to Interview Yourself for a Personal History by Tom Taylor
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Five Ways to Do Genealogy in Your Sleep by Deborah Gamble
Your Mother’s Greatest Fear About Aging – And What She Loves
<em></em><i>1 Assist Care of the Valley sponsors free monthly educational sessions in East Idaho to prepare families and individuals for aging in graceful and happy ways.</i>
You know your parents. You know them well. Age changes people. And that is not a bad thing. With age comes wisdom, experience, and a beauty only the elderly can claim. But things happen to the body and the mind as we age. Here are four statistics you may not know about the elderly.
<img class=” ” alt=”Elderly woman climbing a wall with the text ” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LiX01VmZvD8/UYf-6RyNH7I/AAAAAAAAHLU/dIW-WRUmrbM/s1600/Sorry-Grandma-No-Bingo-Today-Funny-Old-Lady-In-RussSe Financial</a></span>, is that <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>they are going to be a burden on you</span>. Yeah, they are more concerned with putting you out than they are worried about death. Talking about what is in store for the future does not have to be gloomy or depressing. The time will come when age will impact your family’s life. Wouldn’t you rather face that time prepared with a plan that you have all discussed and understand what everyone is to do – and what the desires of both your parent and yourself are?
<strong>3. Your loved ones may not know what is coming
</strong>According to that same report by GenWorth, <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>49% of those who receiving long term care had not even considered the possibility that they might even need long term care</span>. That represents almost half of those receiving care.
<strong>4. You may not know what is coming
</strong>This is probably the most surprising, as it represents well over half of those who were providing support to their loved one. Of those providing support, <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>57% had to dip into their own retirement funds or personal savings to take care of their parents</span>. What does that mean? It means that not only did their loved ones not plan for or realize what was coming, but neither did the family member providing the support.
<strong>Conclusion – Be Prepared Now
</strong>Does that mean retirement does not have to look like what you hope it looks like? Absolutely not. Go and travel the way that you want. Let your loved one do the same. Read the books that you all want to read. But in order to make that happen, you need to sit down and plan. Understand the reality of what may come and prepare for it. There are options out there to help you prepare for the unexpected – and expected. The time to start is today. As in now. Schedule some time as a family. You will all pat yourselves on the back later for making the right choice now.
<a href=”www.valleyhelpathome.com”><img alt=”Picture of a frustrated woman – the greatest concern for the elderly is being a burden on their children.” src=”http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/05/11/1226639/918334-frustrated-woman.jpg” width=”312″ height=”176″ /></a> Your mother’s greatest concern about aging? That this is how your are going to feel about making sure she is taken care of as she ages.
<em>To find out more about this and other topics to prepare your family for aging, fill out the form below and we will update you on the free monthly informational sessions.</em> <em><span style=”text-decoration: underline;”><strong><a title=”Our Services” href=”http://www.valleyhelpathome.com/our-services-east-idaho-teton-jackson-hole-in-home-care/” target=”_blank”>1 Assist Care of the Valley</a></strong></span> also provides assisted living services to seniors who desire to stay in the comfort of their own home throughout East Idaho. To find out more, fill out the form below and we will reach out to you.</em> [contact-form to=’GetCare@ValleyHelpAtHome.com’ subject=’Response to I want to know more – Mom%26#039;s Greatest Concern’][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Describe Yourself’ type=’select’ options=’I am a senior considering my own future,I am considering the future of a loved one,Neither / Other’/][contact-field label=’I would like to know more about the Monthly Informational Meetings on Aging’ type=’checkbox’/][contact-field label=’I would like to know more about assisted living care at home services you provide.’ type=’checkbox’/][/contact-form]