We know that not everyone have vacations in a hotel or an all-inclusive resort. So when you plan your vacation at your favorite local place in that rental home you just adore, you should always try to be covered by vacation rental insurance too!

Rental Condo Home Vacation Coverage

While the rental property owner surely has homeowner’s insurance, that coverage won’t necessarily help you with the cost and inconvenience of a doomed or disrupted vacation. You want a vacation rental insurance plan to cover if a destination becomes uninhabitable before or during your trip.

Most comprehensive plans offer some kind of coverage for vacation rentals. If a major weather event or another unforeseen issue, like a fire, damages the property you will be renting so badly that you can’t use it, you may be reimbursed. Many popular vacation rental spots are located in hurricane-prone areas. Some comprehensive plans will provide you with trip cancellation coverage if you must cancel your trip due to a NOAA Hurricane Warning for your destination issued 24 hours or less before your departure.

When Driving to a Condo Rental Property

If you’re driving to a vacation rental property, you may need to look into a travel insurance plan that has coverage for road closures that prevent you from getting to your destination. If your vacation rental home is located on a beautifully secluded island, only accessible by one road, you may want to consider this coverage.

The Process of Appraisal

Appraisal is a binding contractual process available to settle valuation disputes between policyholders and their insurance companies when they fail to agree on the amount of loss or the scope of damages. Either the policyholder or the insurance company may initiate the appraisal clause, which is usually done in writing. Disputes centering on coverage issues cannot be decided by appraisal.

Prior to an appraisal, you and your insurance company must have first made an honest attempt to come to a consensus as to the question of loss and damages. Appraisal is not appropriate based on an initial disagreement between the two parties without some effort to resolve the disagreement.

An insurance appraiser is a competent and disinterested professional who will evaluate the claim and value of the property or amount of the loss. Each party (insurance company and policyholder) must pick its own impartial appraiser when the insurance appraisal clause is invoked. An insurance appraiser can be an adjuster, contractor, engineer, or anyone else who is competent to value and determine the amount of loss.

Once the appraisers are selected, they work together to select a competent, disinterested and impartial individual to serve as umpire. The umpire renders a binding decision when the two appraisers fail to agree on the value of property or the amount of a property loss. An qualified umpire is someone like a retired judge, engineer, contractor, or anyone who can give an impartial valuation based on their expertise in the field.

Selecting the Right Appraiser is Crucial

The key to a successful appraisal is hiring an expert who knows the ins and outs of the process. Knowing who to choose as an umpire and how to agree to an impartial umpire is one of the most important factors for a successful appraisal. Also, it helps knowing how to negotiate and come to an agreement quickly with the other appraiser and umpire.

When properly executed, insurance appraisal is a great tool for settling insurance claim disputes. Before invoking appraisal, you need to have an experienced expert on your side who understands the process, otherwise the the insurance company will very likely have the advantage. If not properly executed, an appraisal can compound claim problems and result in costly delays.

Insurance Appraisal Pitfalls and Disadvantages

When is invoking an appraisal not appropriate to settle a claim dispute? For issues involving policy coverage, policy provisions, deductibles, or how much was previously paid on the claim, an appraisal is not recommended.

The difference in the amount disputed also needs to be substantial enough to make an appraisal worthwhile. For example, if you and your insurer are, say, $5,000 apart, fees alone could take up much of any proceeds should you be successful. But when an insurance company and policyholder are $50,000 worth of damage or more apart on the amount of loss, appraisal may be more beneficial.

Other disadvantages of invoking appraisal include:

•There are no guarantees in appraisal; once an award is signed, there are limited options in getting more money or changing the award, such as suing the insurer for breach of contract or acting in bad faith.

•Appraisals can take longer since there is a least 1-2 months in waiting for the other side’s named appraiser and waiting to agree on an umpire.

•There are fewer experienced party appraisers willing to work for insured’s, while those who work for insurance companies are plentiful.

•Impartial umpires are also more difficult to find and be approved by the insurance carrier’s appraiser.

Invoking an appraisal clause could be your best option to resolve significant claim dispute with your insurance company. When done correctly, you can add significant value to your claim without the added time and expense of a protracted litigation. It’s crucial to hire an expert well-versed in the process.

Insurance Solutions for Adult Day Care Facilities highland risk services

Adult day care facilities are designed for older adults who can no longer manage independently, or who are isolated and lonely. Adult day care is a planned program of activities designed to promote well-being though social and health-related services.

Adult day care centers operate during daytime hours, Monday through Friday. The goal for care in these facilities is:

•To provide older adults an opportunity to get out of the house and receive both mental and social stimulation

•To give caregivers a much-needed break in which to attend to personal needs, or simply rest and relax

For people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, adult day centers provide a chance to be social and to participate in staffed activities such as music and exercise programs.

Adult Day Care: Services Provided

The services provided vary depending upon the center. Common types of services include:

• Counseling – The center may provide support services, such as guidance on outside resources and arrangement for supportive care in the home.

• Health services – Patients with Alzheimer’s may require medical services (i.e., insulin shots, help with medication, etc.). Some centers may also provide blood pressure checks, as well as physical evaluations, and dental, eye, or ear examinations.

• Nutrition – Centers provide meals and snacks, and often accommodate a special diet or provide a culturally specific menu. Some centers also offer nutritional education programs.

• Personal care – Centers may provide help with hairstyling, toileting, eating, showering and other personal care tasks.

• Activities – Daily activities may include music, art, recreation, discussion and support groups. Some also provide special activities for people with dementia.

• Behavior management – Some centers specialize in dealing with behaviors associated with dementia – wandering, incontinence, hallucinations, sexually inappropriate behavior, or speech difficulties.

• Therapy – Some centers help arrange for needed physical, occupational or speech therapy with onsite or on-call therapists.

• Special needs – Some centers are equipped to deal with someone who uses a wheelchair, who is hearing or visually impaired, or who is handicapped in another way.

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