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.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Hogwarts Castle in Universal, IN gets harder without someone by their side. 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 Universal, IN 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.
“best people at there”
“Great staff!! Caring people!”
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“Working for Always Best Care has been very rewarding for me to help others in”
“Very compassionate caregivers!”
“Great staff. Well trained and kind people.”
“The Beache’s Family are great people and I would trust my mom’s well-”
“Natalia has experience taking care of people with Alzheimer and I would be very ”
“They offer a wide range of services with professional, organized individuals willing to help care”
“Exceptional staff and very caring. I know my loved ones are taken care of which”
“Mr. and Mrs. Beach are the owners of this location, and they are some of”
“best people at there”
“Great staff!! Caring people!”
“I think it’s one of the best companies there’s always someone ready and willing to go help people with great attitudes! Anyone that wants to live at home but needs a little extra help should definitely get someone from this company at your home to help out!”
“Working for Always Best Care has been very rewarding for me to help others in need. Whatever my questions may be or any help I need as a health care provider for my client they have always came through with help.”
“Very compassionate caregivers!”
“Great staff. Well trained and kind people.”
“The Beache’s Family are great people and I would trust my mom’s well- bean in their hands”
“Natalia has experience taking care of people with Alzheimer and I would be very trust my dad’s safety if they taking care of him.”
“They offer a wide range of services with professional, organized individuals willing to help care for members of your family.”
“Exceptional staff and very caring. I know my loved ones are taken care of which gives me a peace of mind. Definitely recommend!”
“Mr. and Mrs. Beach are the owners of this location, and they are some of the most caring and dedicated people I have ever met. They truly want to help people get the best care for their loved ones. My grandmother would have loved to have care like this.”
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. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Universal Islands of Adventure in Universal, IN with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
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. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local The Palm Orlando or visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley, don't feel bad. 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 Universal, IN, 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 Universal, IN 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.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
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 Universal, IN 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.
Disney and Universal have spent decades competing for theme park guests, but their rivalry has now taken an unusual turn.A member of Walt Disney’s family has publicly criticized Universal Studios Hollywood over its new roller coaster and what nearby residents say the attraction is doing to their communities.This time, the fight isn’t about attendance numbers, ticket prices, or which company can build the biggest attraction. The controversy has moved beyond the theme park gates and into surrounding neighborhoods, whe...
Disney and Universal have spent decades competing for theme park guests, but their rivalry has now taken an unusual turn.
A member of Walt Disney’s family has publicly criticized Universal Studios Hollywood over its new roller coaster and what nearby residents say the attraction is doing to their communities.
This time, the fight isn’t about attendance numbers, ticket prices, or which company can build the biggest attraction. The controversy has moved beyond the theme park gates and into surrounding neighborhoods, where residents say Universal’s latest addition has created an ongoing problem they want addressed.
Hundreds of residents recently confronted Universal executives, raising questions about land-use permits, and Universal is working on changes to address the problem.
Then, a Universal executive reportedly made a comment that infuriated residents even further.
Here are the allegations, Universal’s response, and why Disney’s involvement makes this dispute particularly unusual.
The controversy surrounds Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift, Universal Studios Hollywood’s new outdoor roller coaster.
The attraction officially opened on September 16 after technical rehearsals began in late July. The approximately 4,100-foot coaster reaches 72 mph and delivers forces up to 3.6 Gs, featuring four launches and rotating ride vehicles.
But residents apparently aren’t primarily concerned about mechanical noise.
They’re hearing riders scream.
Nearby residents have complained about repeated screams coming from the hillside. Those concerns led Universal to hold a September 30 meeting at Stage 7, where more than 350 people reportedly gathered to hear from executives and voice their frustrations.
One attendee brought the Disney name directly into the controversy.
Roy P. Disney, Walt Disney’s great-nephew and a Toluca Lake resident, reportedly spoke during the meeting.
“I would argue this is in violation of [Universal Studios’] land usage permits,” Disney said.
That doesn’t mean Universal has officially been found in violation. Disney presented the statement as his argument during the meeting.
It is also important to distinguish Roy P. Disney from The Walt Disney Company. He spoke as a resident and Disney family member, not as an official representative of the company.
Still, his involvement adds another dimension because of the decades-long rivalry between Disney and Universal.
Disney has traditionally marketed its parks heavily to families. Now, a member of Walt Disney’s family is publicly questioning Universal over an attraction that residents say is disrupting families living nearby.
Universal hasn’t ignored the complaints.
Executives reportedly told residents that Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will remain closed between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. through the end of 2026, even when the park opens earlier.
Universal is also installing a temporary barrier containing more than 1,900 square feet of sound-absorbing material. If it works, the company would need permits before making it permanent.
More dramatic ideas have apparently been considered.
Enclosed-ride vehicles were reportedly rejected due to evacuation concerns. Universal also considered helmets featuring face and scream shields before deciding against that approach.
The company could additionally adjust how the coaster’s rotating vehicles face. Universal already turns riders away from Toluca Lake during portions likely to generate screams.
Despite those efforts, tensions boiled over during the meeting.
Residents reportedly demanded during the question-and-answer portion that the problem of screaming be eliminated within a year.
Steve Blum, Universal’s executive vice president of engineering and safety, responded with a quip: “We could solve this tomorrow if you all want to wear noise-canceling headphones.”
Residents reportedly reacted angrily, with some shouting, “How dare you?”
Regardless of Blum’s intention, the joke was unlikely to calm residents attending a meeting specifically organized around their concerns.
It also created an uncomfortable contrast with the family issue Disney raised.
Universal offers plenty of family entertainment, just as Disney operates its own thrill rides. However, residents were arguing that Universal’s newest coaster was affecting their ability to enjoy their homes.
The headphones comment doesn’t prove Universal disregards families, and Disney’s statement doesn’t prove Universal violated its permits. But both moments show how contentious the situation has become.
Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift was supposed to strengthen Universal Studios Hollywood’s attraction lineup.
Instead, weeks after its official opening, the coaster is at the center of a fight involving sound barriers, operating restrictions, potential ride changes, angry residents, and allegations involving Universal’s permits.
Now, Walt Disney’s family is part of the growing conversation.
Roy P. Disney’s statement doesn’t establish that Universal violated its land-use permits. But Walt Disney’s great-nephew publicly raising that possibility brings an unmistakable Disney-versus-Universal element to the ongoing dispute.
Universal says it is actively pursuing solutions. Residents believe more needs to be done.
For two theme park names that have competed for generations, this latest dispute isn’t simply about building the newest attraction.
It’s about what happens when the effects of that attraction extend beyond the park gates.
Drawing inspiration from the icons of modern and classic horror, find a terrifying new lineup of spine-chilling experiences that will haunt your dreams at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Beijing Resort and Universal Studios Singapore.August 17, 2026Soon, guests at Universal destinations worldwide will have the opportunity to brave new frights and nightmare-inducing experiences inspired by horror fan-favorites.Halloween Horror Nights 2026H...
Drawing inspiration from the icons of modern and classic horror, find a terrifying new lineup of spine-chilling experiences that will haunt your dreams at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Beijing Resort and Universal Studios Singapore.
August 17, 2026
Soon, guests at Universal destinations worldwide will have the opportunity to brave new frights and nightmare-inducing experiences inspired by horror fan-favorites.
Halloween Horror Nights debuts this fall at Universal Orlando Resort on August 28, Universal Studios Hollywood on September 3, Universal Studios Japan on September 11 and Universal Studios Singapore on September 25.
Universal Orlando Resort marks a major milestone as the event returns for its 35th anniversary, celebrating a legacy of horror and unleashing terrifying, immersive experiences that continue to redefine Halloween entertainment.
See the global event lineup below.
Written, directed and produced by Ryan Coogler, alongside fellow Proximity Media producers Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian, Sinners takes place in 1930s Mississippi Delta, where twin brothers Smoke and Stack return to their hometown to open a juke joint for their community. The terrifying Halloween Horror Nights house will transport guests back in time to the popular Club Juke where they will quickly realize that nothing is as it seems when nefarious, red-eyed vampires Remmick, Bert and Joan appear with their insatiable hunger. As they attempt to evade the vampires at every turn, fans will encounter some of their favorite characters lifted straight from the film, including Sammie, Mary, Annie, Pearline, and Cornbread.
Since its debut in 1987, Hellraiser has become one of horror’s most influential franchises, introducing audiences to the chilling mythology of the Lament Configuration puzzle box – which, when solved, opens a portal to another dimension inhabited by the ritualistically torturous beings, the Cenobites, and their leader, the iconic Pinhead. Now, for the first time at Halloween Horror Nights, guests will experience this nightmare personally in haunted houses on both coasts that draw from the first three films: Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Additionally, legendary Pinhead actor Doug Bradley will reprise his character and lend his voice to both haunted houses in Hollywood and Orlando.
Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights celebrates the fifth and final season of the global phenomenon, Netflix’s Stranger Things, with this new haunted house experience built to terrify. Developed in partnership with Netflix, this year’s Stranger Things haunted house will showcase the most gripping moments from the final season in an authentic, visceral experience that places guests at the center of the ultimate battle to save Hawkins. Fans will confront the terror they’ve seen on screen as they navigate iconic locations and encounter favorite characters – all while evading a host of horrifying supernatural creatures…including Vecna himself.
Inspired by the franchise’s latest installment, Evil Dead Burn, the haunted houses will take guests on a terrifying firsthand journey through the film’s most frightening moments that begin at the Price family’s secluded vacation home in the woods. The nightmare grows more and more fierce as guests venture through the haunted house, encountering ferocious Deadites around every turn before succumbing to the evil forces themselves.
Halloween Horror Nights pays tribute to pioneer heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne in the all-original haunted houses, Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness. Developed as a living horror movie, this non-traditional memorial will span 45 years, transporting guests on a twisted journey though the artist’s outrageous and eccentric solo career in unique experiences across both coasts. Music from Ozzy Osbourne’s solo albums will guide guests through the experience, including The Blizzard of Ozz (1980), Diary of a Madman (1981), Bark at the Moon (1983), No More Tears (1991), Scream (2010), and Ordinary Man (2020).
Exclusive experiences at Universal Orlando Resort include:
Exclusive experiences at Universal Studios Hollywood include:
Universal Studios Japan will feature its largest-ever zombie invasion with a new storyline commemorating 15 years of Halloween Horror Nights.
The popular nighttime dance event returns, featuring King Gnu's "SO BAD." Special anniversary performances will also revive fan-favorite songs from previous years, including Ado's "Show" and J SOUL BROTHERS' "Rat-tat-tat."
Sing, dance, scream, and celebrate as you immerse yourself in this eerie, over-the-top Halloween spectacle. Join legendary characters such as the zombies and HamiKuma as they commemorate 15 years of dark and unforgettable nights.
Isolation. Confinement. Inescapable cruelty. These merciless experiences gnaw at your mind, consuming it and burrowing ever deeper into your psyche. For the first time in Halloween Horror Nights history, this attraction carries an R-18 rating and requires guests to sign a waiver.
The chilling fear of the blockbuster Resident Evil Requiem comes to life in the real world. Relentlessly pursued by grotesque creatures so horrifying you'll want to cover your eyes, you're ambushed without warning from above, below, and every direction imaginable.
Inside a forbidden zombie production facility that has long been hidden from the world, you'll come face-to-face with unimaginable terror.
Enter a mansion of mirrors where four witches dwell. Through immersive experiences and makeup transformations that encourage emotional expression, you'll unlock and embrace feelings that have long remained hidden within.
Follow the screams from the heartlands into the heart of evil at Universal Studios Singapore Halloween Horror Nights 14. At the center of it all is the Karang Guni man. Once a familiar figure roaming Singapore’s neighborhoods, he collected old, broken and forgotten things. But some forbidden things were never meant to be found. Now, his haunting call echoes once more as he unleashes a cursed collection of evil entities among the living. Brave four terrifying haunted houses where every turn brings a new nightmare, and step into immersive scare zones where the party never dies and ancient forces awaken.
To learn more about this year's Halloween Horror Nights events, click here.
Scares @ Universal, Universal Beijing Resort’s fall event, will return with thrilling upgrades from September 4 to November 1, 2026. In celebration of the resort’s 5th anniversary, an even grander, more diverse and more immersive infinitely thrilling party is set to make a spectacular arrival. As a space filled with celebratory sentiments that continues to deliver diverse IP experiences, Scares @ Universal will bring two hugely popular Chinese IPs, The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles and Identity V, into the theme park for the first time, joining beloved international IPs including the movies A Quiet Place and M3GAN to launch unprecedented, immersive experiences beyond boundaries. Five haunted mazes, four scare zones and an all-new Scaremony will come together as a limited-time celebration, inviting guests to explore and unleash the excitement.
To learn more, click here.
What began as an original character developed for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan, HamiKuma has become a global fan favorite since debuting in 2021.
New this year, fans can step into the world of HamiKuma like never before. At Universal Studios Florida, HamiKuma will debut with a meet-and-greet experience inside the Five & Dime store during Halloween Horror Nights event hours. At Universal Studios Hollywood, HamiKuma returns for a dedicated meet-and-greet during select afternoon and early evening times on event nights. HamiKuma will also take the stage once again at Universal Horror Unleashed with a new live show throughout September and October. Additional global experiences - including the character’s debut at Universal Studios Singapore and return to Universal Beijing Resort and Universal Studios Japan - will bring even more opportunities to fans around the world.
Rooted in a rich history of horror, Universal continues to develop incredible entertainment offerings, inspired by the biggest names in the genre and the company's own twisted creations. Guests can also take the terror home with all-new merchandise arriving across Universal destinations worldwide. This year’s global assortment levels up the fear with bold new apparel, collectibles, accessories, drinkware, home décor and more.
photo caption The debate over America’s role in the world has, in recent years, collapsed into a binary between two ideological extremes. One is the idea that nations and their states are intrinsically parochial and should therefore be gradually dissolved in favor of cosmopolitan ideas and institutions. At the same time, nationalists argue the opposite position: that the nation is the only community that matters and that, as a corollary, foreign policy should be thought of as a zero-sum game where any concern for other nations...
photo caption
The debate over America’s role in the world has, in recent years, collapsed into a binary between two ideological extremes. One is the idea that nations and their states are intrinsically parochial and should therefore be gradually dissolved in favor of cosmopolitan ideas and institutions. At the same time, nationalists argue the opposite position: that the nation is the only community that matters and that, as a corollary, foreign policy should be thought of as a zero-sum game where any concern for other nations must inevitably come at the expense of one’s own.
Christian realists like Reinhold Niebuhr have spent decades resisting the first temptation, arguing that “nations,” from the Greek ethnos, are both morally and prudentially legitimate building blocks of the international system. Yet today, having spent decades primarily concerned with debating cosmopolitan liberals, the rise of Christian nationalism has taken many center-right Christians by surprise. Resisting the pull of Christian nationalism will require a theological approach to nationhood specifically, not just to sin and power generally. That theology is sitting, mostly untouched, in the dogmatics of Herman Bavinck.
Bavinck is enjoying something of a renaissance, with his and the recent reissue of his shorter works introducing him to a generation of Christians as a theologian of common grace, faith and science, and the Christian worldview. But, in contrast to his contemporary Abraham Kuyper, Bavinck is far less known as a political theorist. However, as a Dutch parliamentarian and Reformed theologian, Bavinck wrote amid the rise of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century nationalism, the expansion and contestation of European imperialism, and the earliest efforts to establish an international legal order through the Hague Peace Conferences. Bavinck offers an account of nationhood that holds in tension both the particularity of all the peoples in the world and Christianity’s message of universal brotherhood of all men.
The Nation as Organism, Not Mechanism
Bavinck’s instinct, inherited from the broader neo-Calvinist tradition of Kuyper, is grounded in his own conception of creation wherein nations developorganically rather than being politically engineered. As he points out, “family, society, and state exist and live by virtue of the order of God in nature and retain their full independence alongside the church.” A nation is not merely a social contract across individuals, nor a tax-supported bureaucracy, nor an ethnic unit. It is a providentially formed community, typically with a shared sense of language, history, custom, and religion woven together over generations into a distinct way of life. This idea of organic formation runs through Bavinck’s broader view of creation not as a collection of discrete atoms but a living unity-in-diversity representative of the broader created order. Further, “Christianity preserves the harmony [between them] and reveals to us a wisdom that reconciles the human being with God, and, through this, with itself, with the world, and with life.”
In international relations, Bavinck’s views run counter to both extremes of nationalism and cosmopolitanism. For the cosmopolitan technocrat, Bavinck insists that nations are not arbitrary administrative inconveniences standing in the way of a universal rules-based order; they are real, durable, and morally significant communities that cannot simply be dissolved in the name of free trade and open borders. Simultaneously, against nationalism, he would insist that no nation is self-generated or self-justifying. A nation’s particularity is a gift held in trust, not a possession to be worshipped. The organism metaphor itself implies dependence, as an organism does not create its own life.
Pluriformity Without Fragmentation
The term Bavinck and Kuyper used for this is “pluriformity”, the idea that the diversity of peoples, churches, and all spheres of life is not a product of the fall but a positive feature of the created order intended to display a richness that no single nation ever could. After all, “The foundation of both diversity and unity is in God.” Applied to international relations, pluriformity posits as the ideal a world of sovereign nations against notions of a one-world government, even an efficient or well-intentioned one. This is not merely prudential caution about concentrated power, though that is a real concern Niebuhr would share. Instead, it is a positive theological claim: the world is supposed to be composed of many peoples, not one.
But pluriformity for Bavinck is always held in tension with catholicity. This is what separates him from a tribal “blood and soil” form of nationalism. Bavinck’s catholicity, as distinct from unity under a pope or liberal universalism, entails the conviction that the gospel addresses every people without erasing any of them, because “all are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). There is a unity available to the nations that does not require their dissolution. In international relations, the goal is neither rootless cosmopolitanism nor a fortress mentality. Instead, Bavinck’s ideal is something more like ordered plurality, where nations may recognize a common moral horizon above them while preserving their own unique identities.
What This Means for Statecraft
Bavinck’s pluriformity has a few concrete implications for how Christians might think about foreign policy today, beyond rhetorical positioning between “realists” and “internationalists.”
First, it gives weight to the idea of national interest without collapsing into myopic self-interest. A nation has standing to act for its own preservation and flourishing because it is an organic community united by the pursuit of the common good. This is very different from a Hobbesian vision of international relations: a war of all against all where might makes right. Second, it gives a principled (not merely pragmatic) reason to resist projects that aim to dissolve the nation-state as a category, whether through aggressive supranational governance or through the slower erosion of subsidiarity by international bureaucracy. Bavinck’s sphere sovereignty, which Kuyper applied to family, church, and domestic politics, has an international analog, as no single sphere, including a global one, should swallow the others.
Third, it constrains nationalism from within, rather than without. Because the nation’s particularity is a gift rather than a possession, a Bavinckian nationalism cannot easily justify cruelty toward outsiders, indifference to other peoples’ suffering, or the idolization of national power as an end in itself. Catholicity keeps showing up to discipline pluriformity. A foreign policy shaped by this theology would look more humble about universal projects and more morally serious about obligations beyond the border than either current pole in the American debate tends to be.
A Resource, Not a Doctrine
None of this hands Christian realists a ready-made guide to foreign policy. Bavinck never wrote a treatise on statecraft, and any extrapolation from his dogmatics to 21st-century policy questions must be done with care and humility about what the texts can bear. But theology of this kind is exactly what is missing from a foreign policy conversation that has become almost entirely about interests, power, and institutions, with little room for an account of what a nation actually is and why nations morally matter. Bavinck gives Christians engaged in that conversation a way to honor the nation as real without making it ultimate—something Christian realists have long emphasized.
Mitchell G. Bahnsen is a student at Westmont College studying politics, philosophy, and economics. His writing has appeared in National Review, Public Discourse, and The Daily Economy.
Providence is the only publication devoted to Christian Realism in American foreign policy and is primarily funded by donors who generously help keep our magazine running. If you would care to make a donation it would be highly appreciated to help Providence in advancing the Christian realist perspective in 2026. Thank you!
New high-transmission privacy with patented technology delivers about 12% higher transmission than standard privacy film; new on-demand platform cuts a single Eyesafe film to fit nearly any deviceMINNEAPOLIS and BERLIN, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Eyesafe, the global leader in display health and screen protection technologies, today introduced two additions to its screen protection platform at IFA 2026: Eyesafe® HT Privacy, a high-transmission privacy screen technology, and Eyesafe® Universal, an ...
New high-transmission privacy with patented technology delivers about 12% higher transmission than standard privacy film; new on-demand platform cuts a single Eyesafe film to fit nearly any device
MINNEAPOLIS and BERLIN, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Eyesafe, the global leader in display health and screen protection technologies, today introduced two additions to its screen protection platform at IFA 2026: Eyesafe® HT Privacy, a high-transmission privacy screen technology, and Eyesafe® Universal, an on-demand screen protection platform precision-cut to fit a wide range of devices.
Eyesafe HT Privacy: Privacy. Brighter.
Privacy screens protect sensitive information in public spaces - but have always demanded a familiar trade: reduced display brightness.
is engineered to improve that equation. In Eyesafe laboratory measurements across leading smartphones and industry reference displays, HT Privacy delivered 74–75% average light transmission versus 66.3% for standard privacy film - about 12% higher - while maintaining effective side-angle privacy and showing no visible color shift on any display tested.*
"Privacy screens have historically asked people to give up part of the display experience," said Justin Barrett, CEO of Eyesafe. "HT Privacy improves that equation — a brighter head-on picture, side-angle privacy maintained, and patented Eyesafe protection built in."
Eyesafe Universal: One film. Every screen.
Conventional screen protection programs require separate pre-cut inventory for every device model. replaces that wall of SKUs with a single film platform, precision-cut on demand for compatible smartphones, tablets and other displays — at the retail counter or in the service channel, including devices released after the film ships.
Eyesafe technology is integrated into the film material, maintaining clarity, touch response and a self-healing surface. Eyesafe Universal is available to partners now through evaluation programs, with volume production scaling through 2027.
Both technologies are available to brands and retailers in CPF or RPF technology variants. Eyesafe is meeting partners at IFA 2026 in Berlin, September 3–6. More: eyesafe.com/IFA2026, eyesafe.com/htprivacy and eyesafe.com/universal.
About Eyesafe
Eyesafe is the global leader in display health, screen protection and advanced light-management technologies, with more than 100 patents and technology shipped in over 350 million devices worldwide.
* Eyesafe measurement, August 2026: average transmittance 400–780nm, Eyesafe HT Privacy vs standard privacy film, measured across leading smartphones and industry reference displays; color difference ΔE2000 ≤1.9 on all displays tested. As with all privacy filters, brightness is reduced relative to an unprotected display.
SOURCE Eyesafe
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The filmmaker explains how 'Lady Bird' became an inspiration for storytelling across culturesPublished Sep 14, 2026Toronto-born writer and director Serville Poblete draws from many sources of inspiration in his latest feature film, Sunburn. Making its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, the St. James Town-set hangout film is a love letter to Toronto summers and Bleecker Street's immigrant working class community. While writing the film, however, Poblete couldn't stop thinking of an a...
The filmmaker explains how 'Lady Bird' became an inspiration for storytelling across cultures
Published Sep 14, 2026
Toronto-born writer and director Serville Poblete draws from many sources of inspiration in his latest feature film, Sunburn. Making its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, the St. James Town-set hangout film is a love letter to Toronto summers and Bleecker Street's immigrant working class community. While writing the film, however, Poblete couldn't stop thinking of an arguably surprising source: Greta Gerwig's 2017 coming-of-age-film .
"I remember watching it, and I was just so touched. I related to Lady Bird, even though I wasn't a white girl in the suburbs in Sacramento," Poblete tells Exclaim!, laughing. "I think what Greta did so well is that she made a film that felt so human and unique to herself that I felt seen."
Sunburn takes place during the dog days of summer, where three sets of young people from a St. James Town highrise search for relief from the searing temperatures after a power outage knocks out their electricity. With no phones or televisions to distract them, the kids turn to each other for company, while also confronting unspoken tensions, secrets and fears.
While Sunburn's name evokes a tight, hot, painful feeling, Poblete's film is the exact opposite. It's a balmy portrait of friendship and camaraderie, culture and community that celebrates the end of childhood and the neighbourhood that nurtured it, while also hailing the hopeful beginnings of a new chapter.
Poblete elaborates, "I realized there aren't many films about darker-skinned men or people from areas like mine where they're shown with the same humanity and softness, and shown frolicking, having fun and making mistakes like Lady Bird. I wanted to offer that for my community, for the people that look like me, where it isn't just about the bad stuff that is catchy or entertaining, but also the small stuff in life that is also worth sharing and exploring."
Despite the St. James Town neighbourhood location, Poblete "wasn't trying to make something super Toronto."
"This could be anybody, you know?" he says, referring to his characters and their intersecting relationships and storylines. "There wasn't any specific moment I wanted to capture, but more so the universal feeling when you're hanging out with your friends in the summer. Then as soon as September hits, it's over. Back to reality."
Taking what he learned from Gerwig, Poblete explains, "I think knowing that if I was very specific to who I was, how I grew up and the people I knew, and I created something within that space, it would become universal."
Poblete explores this universality through his ensemble cast. "I really felt like they had so much fun playing these roles," Poblete says. "It felt like summer camp."
He credits their casual yet effective performances with being able to easily "fall into these characters" because of their "lived experience," which they had to rely on because of the lack of on-screen representation of people similar to them.
Of the many relationships explored in Sunburn, arguably the most notable is the one between longtime friends Shay and Vince. Two young Black men learning to be vulnerable and compassionate with each other, their dynamic is one that Poblete took particular care developing.
"With a lot of men, I think they're not able to express themselves. There's a lot of noise out there on what it means to be a man or be emotional," he explains.
Inspired by a line in bell hooks's 2004 book The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love — "The patriarchy's first demand of men is emotional self-mutilation" — Poblete acknowledges how this system "affects everyone," explaining how he wanted to confront and also dismantle this social construction by depicting male characters as soft and emotional.
"Patriarchy is so powerful with how it consumes our society. I wanted to make a space for these characters to just be human, compassionate and loving," Poblete says. "Just to let them live and be who they are."
He isn't trying to "teach anyone" how to be a man, though. Rather, he hopes that his film will offer an example of "what can also define strength and power."
"I think people confuse power with physical strength. I also think loving someone and showing compassion is also such a powerful trait," Poblete muses. "It's very hard to do in this time and age."
We often refer to the U.S. as a cultural melting pot and Canada as a mosaic, where cultures retain their unique characteristics while living amongst each other. Taking inspiration from his own culture and childhood, Poblete incorporates the Filipino tradition of whistling, or "calling," to the wind to welcome colder weather, into the film.
"When I was on vacation in the Philippines and it was hot, [my father] started whistling, and it just became this thing that we all did together — my cousins and uncles, the neighbours — to call the wind," he remembers. "And then all of a sudden, the wind just started picking up. That's such a beautiful and poetic visual language, that I was like, 'If we included this in Sunburn, it just shows how the community is together, even though they're not physically with each other.'"
By incorporating traditions from his own culture, Poblete shows "how beautiful stories can be if we're given the chance to explore," by placing another stone into the greater Canadian cultural mosaic.
He continues, "I think a lot of cultures have so much to offer, if we're given the opportunity."
Gesturing to me over Zoom, he says, "If you made a film, I'm curious to see what the nuances are in your culture that are not just about food, or how you speak, but the small little things that you do with your family, that I'd be like, 'Oh, wow, that's so dope.'"
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