Dangerous Dares
March 23,2016
It usually starts out innocently enough. “Watch me!” they say, as they eagerly display some newly discovered feat of balance or coordination. Later on, it’s “Mom! Dad! Look what I can do!” as they successfully mimic some grown-up behavior. And then one day, a line gets crossed and a harmless attention-seeking activity morphs into precarious conduct that can be hazardous to their health. In fact, it sometimes se...
Avoiding Injury During March Madness
March 09,2016
March Madness. Seems like relatively harmless alliteration, a catchy phrase to mark the end of the NCAA men’s basketball season. The term can be traced back to 1939, when it was first used by an official with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). In fact, it referred only to Illinois high-school basketball until 1982 when it was used by Brent Musburger during NCAA tournament coverage. Several years and multiple r...
The Financial Exploitation Component of Elder Abuse
February 29,2016
Discussions of elder abuse often center around bodily injury. Physical force resulting in bruises and broken bones is common. So is neglect, as indicated by bedsores, poor hygiene, or absence of necessities such as food and water. But there is another pervasive form of mistreatment that can be just as damaging to our older loved ones – financial exploitation. The National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) r...
Assisted Living Costs: Explanations & Tips
February 24,2016
Often confused with nursing homes, assisted living facilities are in fact quite different. The easiest way to determine which category a facility falls under is to look at what it can’t do in regard to medical services. Assisted living facilities are not licensed to give skilled nursing care, do not have the same safety or administrative requirements as a skilled nursing facility, and are not regulated by the state Depa...
When the “Other Driver” is a Home Health Care Worker
February 08,2016
Being a health care worker is an important job, one in high demand as our country’s population ages. That need is partly why 9 of the top 10 best jobs for 2016 are in the health care field. Home health care, in particular, is booming. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2020, the number of home health care workers will grow by more than 1.3 million -- an increase of 70 percent (for comparison, the U.S. job m...
