It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Gibson, IA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Gibson, IA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Gibson, IA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Gibson, IA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Ballard entered the 2022-2023 boys basketball season with a couple of huge questions marks.The Bombers, state qualifiers from 2019-2021 and a 16-7 team a year ago, lost the last big pieces of that amazing four-year run with the graduation of 6-3 guard Ashton Hermann and powerful 6-7 center Kale Krough.Hermann, now at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, led all of Class 3A in scoring last year at 27.1 points per game. Krogh, now a member of the Iowa football team, averaged 11.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.Ente...
Ballard entered the 2022-2023 boys basketball season with a couple of huge questions marks.
The Bombers, state qualifiers from 2019-2021 and a 16-7 team a year ago, lost the last big pieces of that amazing four-year run with the graduation of 6-3 guard Ashton Hermann and powerful 6-7 center Kale Krough.
Hermann, now at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, led all of Class 3A in scoring last year at 27.1 points per game. Krogh, now a member of the Iowa football team, averaged 11.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.
Enter Jude Gibson.
Gibson has taken the basketball court by storm for Ballard to start off his freshman year.
“Jude has got it all,” Ballard senior guard Austin Shoen said. “He’s got the athleticism and he can shoot, score and pass. But on top of that his attitude is really good. He’s got accountability.”
Through Ballard's first two games Gibson is averaging 20.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 steals.
The first game of Gibson's varsity career saw him put up 21 points, six steals, five rebounds and four assists in a thrilling 64-62 comeback win on the road over Adel-Desoto-Minburn Dec. 2. Four days later Gibson recorded 19 points, six assists and two steals in a 75-69 home loss to Bondurant-Farrar.
As lofty as those numbers appear, Gibson is nowhere near satisfied with where he is at.
“Even after a quite successful first night and following it up with another good night he was texting me asking me what we saw that he could improve on," Ballard coach Jeff Schertz said. "He’s got some big goals for himself. We can help him get there, but he’s the one that’s going to make it happen.”
Ever since he started playing AAU ball in fourth grade Gibson has been in his comfort zone on the basketball court.
“It’s having a confident mindset and playing hard,” Gibson said. “Believe in yourself and put work into it. Over time that work shows off.”
As the point guard he has embraced being the team's quarterback on offense. It's a lot to handle, but Gibson has been more than up to the challenge.
“I don’t see it as a load,” Gibson said. “I’ve been working on playing point guard all my life. It just kind of comes natural to me — handling the ball and controlling the game.”
His ability to slash, drive and dish has created havoc for every opposing team he's ever faced.
“I like to drive,” Gibson said. “Finishing off two, off one or kicking it out when I don’t have a layup. I’ve just got to remember where my teammates are at, what I’m going to do with the ball and who’s guarding me. I like finding open cutters and getting them open looks. A lot of times when I’m driving teams are helping off and I’ll see that.”
If his opponents sag off him to cut off his passing lanes Gibson usually makes them play with his speed and ball-handling skills.
“He’s got a burst,” Schertz said. “That’s hard to teach. There probably aren’t too many people who can keep in front of him.”
Schertz also loves Gibson's ability to take care of the basketball.
“He’s got very few turnovers relative to how much the ball is in his hands,” Schertz said. “I think he’s at 2-1 with his assist to turnover ratio, but there are a number of other good passes in there.”
As good as he is on offense, Gibson may stand out even more defensively.
“His defense is crazy,” Ballard senior guard Mason Gorsh said. “You’ll know when he turns it on. He can get steals whenever he wants.”
Gibson said he learned a lot from watching Hermann and listening to what he had to say. Gibson recognizes he may go too fast at times or get out of position on occasion, but he is willing to be patient and listen to Schertz and his older teammates.
“Just believe in your teammates and your coach and what he’s running,” Gibson said. “You just have to trust in each other a lot.”
As good as he's looked so far, Gibson is just getting started.
He and the rest of his teammates are playing with a big chip on their shoulders this season.
“In a way we are starting over,” Schertz said. “The past few years we’ve had multiple guys returning with in-game varsity experience and this year we’ve got one guy with legitimate varsity experience. We are kind of turning a page into a different time in Ballard basketball.”
Many outsiders expected Ballard to take a step back after losing Hermann and Krogh, but Gibson and the inexperienced Bombers are determined to prove their doubters wrong.
"People talk about it all the time saying we don’t have Ashton, so we won’t be good,” Gibson said. “For us that’s motivation to play harder and show we are still up there and still compete and win games.”
Gibson knows his best days are still way ahead of him. But he's ready to make an impact right now and help show the rest of the Raccoon River Conference and the 3A field that Ballard isn't going anywhere.
“Our goal is obviously to win state,” Gibson said. “I want to get better individually and as a team. People are doubting that we won’t be good, so we have to work extra hard.”
Bloomfield Hills — The International Academy is used to getting attention with its ranking as one of the top public high schools in America since 2003.Just last year, the school's Bloomfield Hills campus was ranked 30th in the top 100 schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report.But this year, the school is getting attention for a different reason: An online petition is calling for the removal of its principal, and the school's governing body faces allegations it has repeatedly violated the state's open mee...
Bloomfield Hills — The International Academy is used to getting attention with its ranking as one of the top public high schools in America since 2003.
Just last year, the school's Bloomfield Hills campus was ranked 30th in the top 100 schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report.
But this year, the school is getting attention for a different reason: An online petition is calling for the removal of its principal, and the school's governing body faces allegations it has repeatedly violated the state's open meeting law.
A petition, started by a former student on Jan. 27 at change.org, calls for the removal of Lynne Gibson, principal of all three International Academy campuses in Oakland County. An initial form of the petition indicated it is in response to concerns raised by teachers, former students and parents over Gibson’s involvement in the establishment of a private school in China known as the Qingdao Okma International Academy.
The IA sister school was established in 2015 by Gibson’s husband, Bert Okma, who started the International Academy in Oakland County. It was closed in June 2017 after it failed to thrive, school officials said.
The petition has been signed by at least 1,100 people.
"Several involved parties have tried to bring concerns surrounding the QIA Project to the attention of the (IA) Joint Steering Committee, but feel they have been largely ignored," the petition states.
“These concerns include inconsistencies and lack of transparency regarding funding, legitimacy of licensing of the school, issues with retaliatory behavior, and drafting and execution of contracts,” the petition says.
The petition alleges officials haven't been upfront about IA's exact role in the foreign school and that IA resources were used to drive decisions at the school in China.
The IA is a tuition-free countywide magnet school with three campuses that educates about 1,554 students. It is run by a consortium of 13 Oakland County districts. The Bloomfield Hills Schools district is the fiscal agent for the IA campus in Bloomfield Hills.
To get into the school, students must enter a lottery and take a math placement test.
Gibson, chairwoman of the Joint Steering Committee, is also an employee of the Bloomfield Hills school district and oversees all three IA schools. She has been principal since 2009.
Gibson said last week the superintendents of each of IA's consortium districts are actively addressing the Open Meetings Act allegations.
"This is an issue that is not within my level of responsibility. ... The consortium districts of the IA are in the process of finalizing their own investigation of the situation," Gibson said in an email.
Gibson declined to comment directly on the petition but referred to a Feb. 13 letter from her attorney, Jackie Cook.
Cook sent a letter to the Bloomfield Hills board of education requesting that members use its bylaws to prevent a former IA teacher from "personally attacking and defaming" Gibson and Okma during public comment at board meetings.
Steven Eschrich sued Okma and the IA school in China in Oakland County Circuit Court alleging Okma fraudulently induced Eschrich to leave his teaching position at the IA and move to China to open up the sister school. The lawsuit was dismissed on Nov. 21.
"Enough is enough," Cook wrote in the letter to the school board. "As the allegations presented by Mr. Eschrich to the Board over the last month are nearly identical to allegations dismissed as baseless by the District in 2017 and the Circuit Court in 2018, we respectfully request that this Board cease giving him a platform lodging his personal attacks against Principal Gibson and Mr. Okma."
Bloomfield Hills school board president Paul Kolin said Friday he has reviewed Cook's letter with district attorneys and they feel it is inaccurate.
"We think everything said at public comment was not a personal attack against an employee," Kolin said.
Attorneys for the district also reviewed allegations that the IA's Joint Steering Committee meetings were violating the Open Meetings Act, he said.
"In the meetings, they were making decisions in violation of the Open Meetings Act. Our attorney concurred. They will be open to the public. ... We agree they should be open. The next meeting will be open," Kolin said.
On Feb. 7, Kolin announced a task force is being formed to examine allegations involving the IA and to review documents provided by the public.
The Bloomfield Hills school board president has invited all 13 consortium districts to participate in the task force, which will ultimately produce findings, Kolin said.
Bloomfield Hills Schools superintendent Rob Glass said an investigation was done by the district's legal counsel in 2017 into allegations that the district, the IA and Gibson violated Michigan law or district conflict-of-interest standards.
It found no wrongdoing against Gibson or IA, he said.
"Due diligence was undertaken," Glass said.
No taxpayer dollars were spent to establish or staff the sister school in China, Glass said. No students came from China to attend the IA either, school officials said.
According to a letter from Robert Lusk, an attorney for the Bloomfield Hills district, Eschrich took a voluntary leave of absence from his teaching position to accept a position at the school in China. There was no written employment or other contract with the school or Okma, Lusk said.
"Unfortunately for all concerned, QIA did not thrive, was not always able to meet its commitments to its employees and ultimately closed," the letter said.
"The District believes, from an educational perspective, there are positive and negative considerations to an exclusive sister school relationship between IA and another international academy. These considerations will be taken into account should the opportunity for another sister school relationship arise," the letter said.
Eschrich attended a Feb. 4 meeting for the Bloomfield Hills Schools board of education to ask for a continued investigation into Gibson and conflict of interest issues.
He called the district's investigation "farcical" and accused the IA and Gibson of using IA school resources such as teachers' time and lesson plans for the school in China.
"I am here today, not solely as an aggrieved party, but also as a resident who is deeply concerned that lack of transparency and effective oversight of IA administration, almost since its beginning, has cost the IA ... its students ... and the community some of its most valuable assets," he said.
Nancy Costello, director of the Michigan State University First Amendment Law Clinic, says the Joint Steering Committee has violated the state Open Meetings Act for years, thwarting the public’s right to know what decisions are being made to operate the school.
Costello alleges the body held meetings to conduct official business without a quorum, failed to make meeting minutes available to the public and closed meetings that should have been open.
On Tuesday, Costello said the law clinic is filing a complaint with the state Attorney General's Office against the Joint Steering Committee and the IA for violating the Open Meetings Act.
"I think there's evidence there is intentional violation of OMA and also some community members have submitted a FOIA request and were charged in excess of $8,000," Costello said.
Ken Jackson, who has two children in Bloomfield Hills Schools, says the bigger issue rising from the controversy is why officials used school time and resources to support the creation of a private school in China when districts in Michigan are facing school closures and competition from for-profit charter schools.
“This is a case where a consortium of districts supported a private school venture in China,” Jackson said. “That is the height of hypocrisy when you are spending resources to stop privatization on one hand and on the other hand you are asking for taxpayers to foot the bill for Okma and Gibson.
“To me, it's completely nuts,” Jackson said.
IA graduate Nicole Valdivieso said she tried emailing Gibson to get her side of the story and was told by Gibson that she had been "advised by my superiors to not engage in a back and forth dialogue in regard to these accusations."
Valdivieso, who graduated from the school in 2013, said she cares deeply about IA and what it stands for.
"I know it's troubling both to myself and to many other members of the IA community to think we might not have the entire story," she wrote in her email to Gibson.
Valdivieso attended the Feb. 4 meeting to ask again for information from Gibson and the board.
"We have been unable to get any comment from the other side — that was my attempt to get something from her, and she basically said nothing," Valdivieso said.
Glass says he has confidence in Gibson to do her job. The school pursued a school partnership in China, Glass said, because the International Baccalaureate program is about global mindedness and there are Chinese students who want to come to the United States to study.
According to a website explaining the IB, its focus is on teaching students to "think critically and independently, and how to inquire with care and logic."
"Anything new that comes into question, we will certainly look into it .. .We will not shy away from that," Glass said. "There are no plans (by us) for any new schools" in China.
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