2011年9月9日 星期五
Data: No spillover violence in U.S. border cities
Despite the colorful and headline-grabbing statements of politicians about a rising "spillover" effect of Mexican drug cartel violence within the United States, an analysis of federal crime statistics show border cities are safer than other areas of the states along the U.S. southern border - and are even safer than the U.S. national average.
Writing in USA Today, Alan Gomez, Jack Gillum and Kevin Johnson report that such talk of an "out of control" area likened to a war zone does not match the data.
The paper analyzed detailed crime data from the past decade from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and found that U.S. border cities were statistically safer on average than other cities in those states, and had lower crime rates than the national average. Murder rates were lower, as were robbery rates, and kidnapping cases have been on the decline.
Rather than seeing a spike in violence in the border region (Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, at a May 2011 congressional hearing: "It has never been more violent or dangerous than it is today. Anyone who lives down there will tell you that"), the crime rate has been falling for years - predating the expansion of security assets along the border.
The paper notes that while the rhetoric of border violence may not match the reality, it has nonetheless helped drive the national debate on such issues as immigration and the expenditure of federal dollars on security.
Yet the perception among the majority of Americans that violence in border cities is higher than the country in general is high (83 percent, according to a recent USA Today/Gallup poll).
Criminologist and University at Albany-SUNY sociology professor Steven Messner calls the results of the analysis "contrary to conventional speculation that the border is an out-of-control place."
Others read the numbers as proof the issue of "spillover violence" from Mexico is being exaggerated and used as an impetus for anti-immigration legislation and stepped-up federal and state funding to law enforcement agencies along the border.
Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, told USA Today that the analysis illustrates "the ugliest version of the politics of fear that our country has seen for quite a while."
Army finds biggest pot plantation ever in Mexico
In Mexico's drug war, 40 new corpses in 24 hours
Some local law enforcement officials concurred with USA Today's report. "Over the last five years, whether you take a look at violent crime or property crime, we've seen a 30 percent decrease," said Chula Vista (Calif.) Police Chief David Bejarano.
In Arizona, the epicenter of the immigration debate since the state passed a tough immigration enforcement law last year, some police officials are frustrated by the rhetoric.
"Everything looks really good, which is why it's so distressing and frustrating to read about these reports about crime going up everywhere along the border, when I know for a fact that the numbers don't support those allegations,"
Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villase?or said it was "frustrating" to read reports of rising crime along the border, "when I know for a fact that the numbers don't support those allegations,"
But not all local officials buy the data's findings.
"Don't tell me that the violence isn't spilling over," Pinal County (Ariz.) Sheriff Paul Babeu told the paper. "When you have American citizens who don't feel safe in their own home or free in their own country, this should be appalling to everyone."
For more on the story and how the data was analyzed, visit USA Today.
2011年9月8日 星期四
Doga: Aligning mind, body - and paws?
Yoga has been around for over 5,000 years. Dogs have been domesticated by humans for thousands of years. What happens when you put the two together? The newest exercise craze that's sweeping Hong Kong - doga.
Doga is a way for owners to use the ancient exercise of yoga to achieve harmony with their pets - through mediation, stretches, and massage. Some say it's a good way to stay healthy. Experts have long touted the health benefits of yoga, including a stronger core, better posture, lower blood pressure, and less stress. It can also help with asthma, back pain, multiple sclerosis, and insomnia, according to WebMD.
In this photo, yoga student Oksana Maxwell and her dog perform exercises at a studio in Hong Kong on July 14, 2011. Keep clicking to see doga in action...
Credit: AP2011年9月7日 星期三
Do tea, coffee drinkers have lower "superbug" risk?
A barista prepares a coffee drink in in Bogota, Colombia June 3, 2011.
Credit: Reuters/Fredy BuilesBy Amy NortonNEW YORK | Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:24am EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who regularly drink tea or coffee may be less likely to carry the antibiotic-resistant "superbug" MRSA in their nostrils, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that of more than 5,500 Americans in a government study, those who drank hot tea or coffee were about half as likely as non-drinkers to harbor MRSA bacteria in their nostrils.
Exactly what it all means, though, is unclear.
MRSA (pronounced "mersa") stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that causes staph infections that are resistant to several common antibiotics. In hospital patients, MRSA can cause life-threatening pneumonia or blood infections. In the general public, it typically causes painful skin infections, but those can sometimes develop into serious invasive infections.
A small segment of the population -- about one percent -- carries MRSA in the nose or on the skin but does not get sick.
For the new study, reported in the Annals of Family Medicine, researchers looked at whether coffee or tea drinkers were any less likely than other people to harbor MRSA in the nose.
The idea for the study came from the fact that, in both the lab dish and in humans, topically applied or inhaled tea extracts have shown some anti-MRSA activity, explained lead researcher Dr. Eric M. Matheson, of the University of South Carolina, Charleston.
Less research has been done on coffee compounds, he told Reuters Health, but there is some evidence of antibacterial powers there as well.
Matheson's team found that, indeed, tea and coffee drinkers were less likely to carry MRSA.
Overall, 1.4 percent of the study group harbored the bacteria in their noses. But those odds were about 50 percent lower among people who said they drank hot tea or coffee, versus non-drinkers.
The big caveat, though, is that the link does not prove that tea or coffee, themselves, are the reason for the lower risk.
The study shows an association between the two, Matheson said, "but you never can conclude causation from an association."
"I can't tell you that this finding isn't just a coincidence," he said.
The researchers tried to account for several other factors -- like whether differences in age, income or self-rated health explained the difference between tea or coffee drinkers and non-drinkers. And the beverages were still linked to lower odds of being a MRSA carrier.
But, Matheson said, there could still be other explanations for the connection.
For now, he stopped short of recommending that people start drinking coffee or tea in the hopes of fending off MRSA.
"Based on one association study, that would probably be saying too much," Matheson said.
Another question is, even if coffee and tea drinkers do have a lower chance of carrying MRSA, are they any less likely to get sick? Matheson said there is still debate about whether MRSA carriers are at increased risk of developing an active infection.
It's estimated that in 2005, MRSA caused severe infections in 95,000 Americans, killing nearly 19,000.
The rate of hospital infections has gone down in recent years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but MRSA infections in the general population have been on the upswing since the 1990s and have shown no reversal yet.
To cut the risk of contracting the superbug, experts advise that people regularly wash their hands, keep skin wounds covered, and avoid sharing personal items like towels, washcloths and razors.
And those preventive steps are key, Matheson noted, whether you're a java lover or not.
SOURCE: bit.ly/qA66m7 Annals of Family Medicine, July/August 2011.
Bard Catheter for Immediate Relief From Overflow Incontinence
It is usually the elderly people who are prone to develop the problem of 'overflow incontinence' consequent upon the enlargement of their prostrate glands. It so happens that when the prostrate gland (which encircles the urethra at the outlet of the bladder) gets enlarged, it depresses the urethra and thus hinders the free outflow of urine from the urethra. As the obstruction becomes more acute, a condition develops in which not all of the urine is emptied from the bladder at the time of voiding. When such a condition of obstruction progresses, there comes a time when the person can no longer empty his bladder at all. The bladder continues to fill, producing distention and considerable discomfort. This type of complete urinary retention constitutes an emergency. A bard catheter is, therefore, inserted into the bladder through the urethra to drain away the impounded urine and thereby provide immediate relief to the patient from an otherwise grave situation.
Self-catheterization:
In an emergency situation, when the availability of a doctor or trained professional poses another problem, it is possible to use the catheter by yourself to draw out the accumulated urine from the bladder. However, the following things must be procured before beginning the operation:
i) A bard catheter-it is available in both latex and non-latex variety because some people are allergic to latex.
ii) Drainage bag-for receiving the urine drawn from the bladder.
iii) Sterile lubricant-for lubricating the tip end of the catheter.
iv) Elastic leg strap-for strapping the drainage bag to your leg.
v) Genital cleansing solution.
vi) Irrigation syringe-for filling the balloon at the tip of the catheter with distilled water.
Anti-bacterial soap, medical tape, paper towels and sterile gloves may also be kept handy.
Step by step procedure:
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap.
2. Dry your hands with clean towel and put on the sterile gloves.
3. Fill the irrigation syringe with 10 cc of distilled water for later use.
4. Lubricate the tip of the catheter to a few inches below-with sterile lubricant.
5. Get yourself comfortably seated. Note that you should be able to spread your legs with ease.
6. Clean your genital area meticulously with genital cleansing solution.
7. You may then start inserting the catheter into your urethra-gently and slowly.
8. When the catheter has reached the outlet of the bladder (sometimes called the neck of the bladder), you may then inject distilled water into the small tube at the upper end (which is also the drainage end) of the catheter. This is to inflate the balloon at the tip of the catheter. The inflated balloon is meant to keep the catheter firmly in place.
9. Gently tape the upper end of the catheter to your body so that any unnecessary movement may be avoided.
10. Attach the drainage bag to the upper end of the catheter and strap it to your leg with the help of the elastic strap.
Post-insertion Precautionary Measures:
It is advisable for those using bard catheters to ensure sufficient intake of water or fruit juices daily. Minimum 8 ounces of water - every 2 to 3 hours is recommended. Sufficient daily intake of fluids is essential for: making the urine dilute and keeping the catheter drained at all times. Catheter users are also advised to avoid taking Tea, Coffee, Alcohol, and even soft drinks-as these drinks might irritate the bladder and aggravate the situation.
Looking for high quality, reliable and affordable incontinence products or bard catheters? Look no further! Our top quality products are simply perfect for everyone.
1888 Edison recording may be 1st talking doll
Thomas Edison(Credit: AP Photo, file) (CBS/AP) - Scientists using advanced imaging technology have recovered a 123-year-old recording made by Thomas Edison that is believed to be the world's first attempt at a talking doll and may mark the dawn of the American recording industry.
Pictures: Edison's talking doll record plays 123 years later
In the sound recording, a woman can be heard reciting a verse of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
Historians believe Edison hired the woman to make the recording less than two years before he unsuccessfully put the first talking doll on the market.
"Based on the date of fall 1888, it is the oldest American-made recording of a woman's voice that we can listen to today," said Patrick Feaster, a historian at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Feaster pored through historical documents and 19th-century newspaper reports to piece together the story behind the recording. Edison hoped to mass-produce the toys, but the era's rudimentary technology meant that to make 100 dolls, Edison would have to get artists to recite the lullaby 100 times.
"They must have been hired and paid to do this," Feaster said. "These were presumably the first professional recording artists."
The small piece of ring-shaped tin bearing the woman's voice never made it into a doll because wax records replaced metal ones by 1890, when Edison started selling his first talking dolls. Those fragile and easily broken toys were a market flop.
Yet almost 80 years after the mystery woman lent her voice to Edison, the recording showed up in 1967 in the archives of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange, having been recovered from a secretary's desk drawer in Edison's laboratory.
"It was clear from looking under the microscope that it had a sound recording on it. Phonograph grooves have a familiar shape," said Jerry Fabris, a museum curator with the National Park Service.
But the metal ring - about 2.5 inches around and half an inch wide - was so bent and damaged that scientists couldn't play it.
More than four decades later, scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California used image analysis in May to create a digital model of the record's surface. That model was then used to reproduce the recording as a digital file, not unlike the modern technology behind the voice that emerges from today's talking dolls.
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2011年9月6日 星期二
Report: Tiger's income dwindling; Nike cuts pay
SANDWICH, England -- Forbes Magazine, a longtime observer of the financial tide around the globe, has turned its eyes toward Tiger Woods and found ...
Not much, apparently.
The magazine's website posted a story this week stating that the reason Woods signed a deal to hawk a Japanese pain-relief rub (watch ad at bottom) was because he's out of money after being cleaned out in his divorce and losing several lucrative endorsement deals in the wake of his sex scandal, writes CBSSports.com's Steve Elling.
Tiger pitches heat rub in Japan
Like many Americans, Woods is carrying a fat mortgage, on his new Jupiter Island abode, too.
Said the story: "It's no secret that Woods, once king of the sports world, has suffered financially since his fall from grace. His endorsement list shrank and his marriage ended in a divorce settlement reportedly worth $100 million. But now he may actually be hurting for funds. At the very least, there are signs that he isn't generating enough to comfortably cover his costs."
However, the biggest note was yet to come. The story suggests that Nike, which has an entire golf division built around Woods, docked him millions in pay as penalty for his humiliating indiscretions.
Said the story: "With giants like Gillette, Accenture, Tag Heuer, and Gatorade having jumped ship, Tiger's major deals are down to three: Nike, EA Sports, and Kowa. His EA Sports video game, Tiger Woods PGA Tour '12, set a first-week franchise record of 225,000 games sold. But our source also tells us that Tiger's Nike money fell by as much as 50% in 2010 (to about $10 million, down from $20 million in 2009) and that he will get the same reduced amount for 2011. The reason? Nike penalized him for his indiscretions, reducing his payment for two years as a response to his public behavior. Nike had no comment."
Woods' agent denied that his lone client is in financial hot water, but did not speak to the particulars of the Nike details cited.
"Tiger Woods is financially sound and strong, contrary to wide-ranging rumors and inaccurate figures in the media," Mark Steinberg wrote in an email to Forbes. "Stating anything else is incorrect and factually baseless."
Mother in law that Pulls in Family Members and Friends with Lies and Destructive Gossip
by Betty
(Burkett)
She says what ever she thinks will hurt us and make the person she is in conversation with be on her side. Like we are putting poison in the coffee container, and extreme versions of family events to make us look bad. How do you get past the depression that follows the finding out and anger of her being caught?
2011年9月5日 星期一
Helping Seniors Stay Safe on Their Own
It is so interesting that as our parent's age we become the ones that start to parent them. Not only do I worry about them inside their home in regards to personal safety and safety due to mobility but I worry about them with outsiders. I have read many studies that show senior citizens are the least targeted group for crimes I still however worry that one day someone will realize a vulnerable senior loves in the neighborhood. I worry about a physical assault as well as any other. I know it is more likely they will be taken advantage of financially then physically. All this tends to worry me. I can take care of the aging in place needs like a wheelchair accessible ramp but how can I make sure they are safe from predators?
The first tip I have involving the safety of senior citizens involves the wheelchair accessible ramps. When a home has a ramp that is visible from the street it basically tells all the people that drive by that someone elderly or disabled lives in this home. This is not the message that you want to send to the crooked people that exist in our world. Instead of having wheelchair accessible ramps installed at the front of the house add one to the back or side yard. In the side yard it is easy enough to put up decorative fencing or tall hedges to camouflage the ramp which in turn does not allow predators to know that a person that has limited mobility lives in the home.
It is also important to use locks that include a steel stopper. Believe it or not deadbolt locks can still be broken through. If you add a metal stopper it is nearly impossible for the door to be kicked in. Alarm systems also help keep our loved ones safe. When looking into alarm systems for parents who are aging in place that notify police, fire and ambulatory services. Security lights should be installed at different angles of the home. This is also valuable for seniors to be able to see out into the yard in the evening hours. I would also recommend that all sliding doors have locks and extra security rods put into place.
Make sure that a trusted neighbor has an extra key to the house. Thieves know all the hiding spots for spare keys. Don't chance it. It is one hundred percent safer to leave a key with a neighbor in case of an emergency. I also really like the option of purchasing a realtor lock. This way if there is an emergency and entrance is needed a code could be given to EMS and they could obtain entry to your loved one.
Like my parents did to me when I was little I did to them now that they are aging. I sat them down and discussed the birds and bees of financial safety. I remind them that social security number and credit cards were something that should never be released to anyone over the phone or that comes to your door. In fact I have asked them not to open the door when they are not expecting visitors. Internet safety was something I addressed as well.
When my parents leave the house I always remind them to carry only one credit card and enough cash for their purchases. My dad has begun carrying his wallet in his front pocket and my mother is very careful to hold her purse close to her side. As they have aged there are limits on when they should be out verses home. My parents are home before dark so that it is easier for them to drive, park and enter the house again without problems. Using the handicap accessible ramp becomes difficult for my mom at night. When she is tired and has been going all day the level of strength she possesses has decreased and my dad does not have enough strength to help her.
For their safety and my piece of mind they allow me to help guide changes in their lives so that they can age in place instead of moving into assisted living. It seems to be a winning combination for us right now. As they continue to age and become less mobile we will discuss options but for now it works.
If you have enjoyed this article on wheelchair accessible ramps from Kevin Germain at CPS visit our website http://www.glennmillerthehomedoctor.com/ today where you will find useful information on installing wheelchair accessible ramps.
Ad hoc efforts help cut U.S. healthcare costs
A stethoscope rests on a container of hand sanitizer inside of the doctor's office of One Medical Group in New York March 17, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Lucas JacksonBy David MorganWASHINGTON | Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:57am EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare, comparative research made physicians realize that inducing early childbirth in healthy women created unnecessary and costly risks for newborns.
Artificially induced deliveries had become an accepted way to make childbirth fit busy personal schedules. The practice has health risks, but the average doctor saw only one or two cases a year wind up in a neonatal intensive care unit.
"It was such a low number," said Greg Poulsen, a senior vice president with the nonprofit system. "In the physician's own practice, it would be impossible to identify a trend."
About four years ago, Intermountain started comparing data on births induced after a full 39-week pregnancy to births induced one to two weeks early. The results showed the need for intensive care in babies with respiratory problems were twice as high at 38 weeks and five times as high at 37 weeks.
"Suddenly, the data was just very clear that we were putting people at risk by doing an induction prior to 39 weeks," Poulsen said. "And once the docs saw that data, they said: Whoa! We had no idea!"
The findings prompted Intermountain to limit induced births for healthy women before 39 weeks in the 18 hospitals with maternity wards within its system. Intermountain has 23 hospitals overall.
As a result, about 500 newborns avoided breathing problems and the ICU over the following year, sparing parents the grueling sight of their infant on a ventilator and saving at least $1 million a year in unnecessary medical costs for families and insurers.
Fewer inductions also led to fewer caesarean sections. That reduced risk and brought even more savings because C-sections, the most common surgery in the United States, can cost twice as much as vaginal deliveries and lead to medical complications for children.
Intermountain, which has 360 doctors delivering babies, said the reduced C-section rate delivered about $46 million in savings compared with the national average in 2008.
Poulsen's story is just one example of the individual efforts to contain costs within the $2.3 trillion U.S. healthcare system. Employers, insurance companies and doctors nationwide are trying to find savings on medical services. But the effort is largely piecemeal so far.
Policy experts say a systemic approach is needed to prevent these costs from sinking the economy. While a new U.S. healthcare law includes provisions that might lead to lower spending -- such as a focus on preventive medicine and research grants to study the most effective forms of treatment -- it's main goal is to extend access to millions of Americans.
Analysts say the country's leaders are still years away from taking the job of reining in underlying health costs seriously, even as Republicans and Democrats argue over ways to cut government spending on healthcare in deficit talks.
BEST HOPE FOR CHANGE
"Everybody agrees, from right to left, that something has to be done. If the federal government doesn't do something, the entire economy will be at risk," said Susan Tanaka of the nonpartisan New York-based Peter G. Peterson Foundation.
Neither lawmakers nor the White House are likely to undertake a new concerted effort to find a solution until after the 2012 presidential election. They are wary of the setbacks that Democrats saw in crafting President Barack Obama's healthcare law and that Republicans faced after proposing changes to the Medicare program for the elderly.
In the interim, the best hope for change might be strategies such as those employed at Intermountain, which seeks to coordinate care through medical teams whose job is to find the best practices for keeping patients healthy and curbing costs.
Similar innovations have taken root elsewhere. An example is Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle-based nonprofit system that provides both health insurance and medical care.
Its vertical integration -- linking doctors, hospitals and insurance coverage in a single system -- eliminates the fee-for-service incentives many blame for sky-high healthcare costs elsewhere.
The cost of a C-section at a Group Health hospital can average between $7,100 and $9,400, compared with an average statewide range of $15,200 to $21,600, according to data compiled by the Washington State Hospital Association.
Health insurance companies such as UnitedHealth Group Inc and Aetna Inc are building incentives for primary and preventive care and acquiring clinics and small networks of physicians to have full control over how healthcare services are delivered.
"If we don't change, it's a bleak picture. There's no question. But there are some glimmers of hope," said Dr. Elliott Fisher of Dartmouth Medical School, a leading voice in healthcare reform.
"A year or two from now, we will have a firm foundation to come back to Congress and say there are things you could do now to move further in this direction."
2013
Healthcare costs make up 16.5 percent of U.S. GDP and are projected to equal more than one-quarter of the economy by 2035, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. By contrast, healthcare costs were only 4.8 percent of GDP in 1960 and 9.8 percent in 1985.
The CBO's 2011 report, which notes it is difficult to make accurate long-term cost projections, warns that spiraling health costs would probably slow only as a result of higher costs, less access for most households and tighter state Medicaid eligibility for poor families, unless U.S. law is changed.
Analysts say any deal to close the U.S. government's $1.4 trillion annual budget deficit would also suffer repercussions if the government took no action to control rising healthcare costs that are driving growth in Medicare and Medicaid.
"Failure to address healthcare will make the solution inevitably more painful," said Paul Ginsburg of the nonpartisan Washington-based Center for Studying Health System Change.
"It will mean more spending cuts in other areas. It will eventually, despite what Republicans say, lead to higher tax rates. Because the alternative is a bankrupt country."
The difficulty lies in attacking healthcare costs broadly without hurting individual patients' access and quality of care. It also raises the prospect of a new showdown between Republicans, who see deregulation and market competition as the best lever for curbing costs, and Democrats who favor government intervention.
When might those battles begin?
"2013," said Joseph Antos of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "There's going to be a hue and cry for somebody to do something. Even Republicans, who used to shy away from health, they're going to be on this whether they're the minority or not."
(Reporting by David Morgan; editing by Michele Gershberg and Andre Grenon)
2011年9月4日 星期日
The Future of Healthcare for Seniors
Now that the so-called "age wave" has begun crashing on society's shores we are all re-examining the implications this demographic shift will have on the provision of healthcare, particularly with respect to senior citizens. Given that public healthcare in more and more jurisdictions is beginning to hit a wall that no amount of funding will breach, it is incumbent on us to come up with alternatives to public healthcare in the provision of long-term care for seniors.
It is clear that long-term care for seniors is not a real priority to most governments, given the resources that are allocated to this sector versus, say, resources allocated to prisons. For instance, in the province of Ontario, government-subsidization of care for seniors in long term care facilities appears to be a mere afterthought. The province recently raised the daily food subsidy for seniors from $7.15 to $7.31 per day. This amount is intended to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and all beverages for the residents of such facilities. By comparison, the food allowance for a prisoner at an Ontario penitentiary is currently more than double that. In addition, the province has managed to find money to pay drug-addicted inmates to attend rehabilitation sessions.
The number of seniors in society is increasing dramatically for two reasons. The first is that baby-boomers, which comprise the largest single demographic in our society, are beginning to reach their 60s. Gradually, this demographic will account for close to 50% of the entire population within the next two decades. In addition, improvements in healthcare and the choice of a healthier lifestyle will ensure that people live longer. The average age of residents in most long-term care facilities right now is at about 87. Given the above advances in healthcare and lifestyle, there is little doubt that this average will increase by a good 10 years, if not more.
So what are the alternatives? There really isn't an easy answer to this question, as the thinking behind the policies that have created this dilemma really hasn't changed over the past decades, nor does it appear too many policy makers are even aware that there is a looming problem. But let's say that meaningful solutions will be found when we view the problem through a different paradigm. Jim Scott, the visionary developer of Serenity Care for Seniors, Inc. has looked at the problem through a different paradigm and devised an elegant solution with the concept of foster care for seniors. I met and wrote about Jim back in the fall of 2008, as I was greatly impressed by his concept.
Other concepts could include family cooperatives that work in association with government agencies to provide long-term care for small groups of seniors living in regular homes. The idea being that family members of the residents as well as individuals within the community volunteer on a rotating basis to care for the aged residents. The up side of such a plan would be that seniors would not be stigmatized with having to be institutionalized and would enjoy a higher level of care than that provided in a long term care facility. The down side, of course would be increased cost and a limitation of access to qualified nursing staff. But even that down side isn't insurmountable as most jurisdictions have a community care organization already in place to provide some level of care to those in need.
I believe that the best solution doesn't necessarily entail any one answer, but a melding of a number of different concepts. It's clear to me that larger and ever more extensive nursing homes are not the answer, given that these tend to breed blind and unbending bureaucracies exacerbated by employees that fall under the auspices of public sector unions. That's why long-term care has become so prohibitively expensive over the past decades and has yielded less than stellar outcomes.
If we are going to meet the challenges this demographic shift will pose, it's important that we look beyond what we currently know and explore options that focus on the health and wellness of those being served, rather than looking for the most expedient way to make the problem go away.
Written by Klaus Rohrich - http://www.maturitymarketing.com/
Maturity Marketing specializes in marketing to baby boomers. Allow us to help you target the 50+ market and bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and a proven record of success.
2011年9月3日 星期六
Murdoch apologizes to family of murdered girl
Last Updated 1:19 p.m. ET
LONDON — Rupert Murdoch met with the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was hacked by the now-defunct tabloid News of the World, and offered "a full and sincere apology," a lawyer for the family said.
Mark Lewis described Murdoch as "very humbled" and "very shaken" in the private meeting at a London hotel.
Revelations that journalists had accessed Dowler's phone in search of information for news stories while her family and the police searched in vain for the missing girl - later found dead - inflamed the long-simmering phone hacking scandal involving Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut down last week.
Lewis told reporters that the media baron had apologized "many times" to the Dowlers, telling them that the events that transpired at the tabloid were not in keeping with the standards set out when his own father entered the media industry.
Rebekah Brooks resigns amid hacking scandal
Hacking scandal casts light on Murdoch politics
Special section: Murdoch in crisis
The meeting came hours after Murdoch released a copy of an apology that will be printed this weekend in British newspapers.
The ad signed by Murdoch says News International is "deeply sorry for the hurt" caused to phone-hacking victims. It adds that, "we regret not acting faster to sort things out."
Above: Sally Dowler (left), Gemma Dowler and Bob Dowler walk from the One Aldwych Hotel as their attorney Mark Lewis (right) looks on, after meeting with News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, July 15, 2011 in London. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)
Also today, the head of Murdoch's British newspaper operation resigned, becoming the highest-ranking casualty yet in the phone-hacking scandal roiling Britain.
BBC News quotes Dowler attorney Lewis as calling the resignation of Rebekah Brooks - editor of the newspaper at the time - as "poetic justice."
Brooks, chief executive of Murdoch's embattled U.K. newspapers and his loyal lieutenant, resigned today. As she departed, Murdoch's son James signaled a new strategy for dealing with the storm that has knocked billions off the value of News Corp., scuttled its ambitions to take full control of lucrative British Sky Broadcasting, and radically changed the power balance between U.K. politicians and the feared Murdoch press.
A new chief executive untainted by the U.K. problems, Tom Mockridge, 55, was installed to replace Brooks at News International, the local unit of Rupert Murdoch's global News Corp. media empire. Mockridge, a New Zealander who has served as a spokesman for the Australian government, joined News Corp. in 1991 and has been in charge of Sky Italia since 2003.
The moves come after News Corp. brought in Edelman Communications to help with public relations and lobbying.
But with two U.K. police investigations running as well as an FBI review into the possible hacking of the phones of 9/11 victims, it remains far from clear what happened, what may yet be revealed or which of the proliferating allegations of wrongdoing circulating among Britain's papers is really true.
Murdoch had defended the 43-year-old Brooks in the face of demands from British politicians that she step down, and had previously refused to accept her resignation. He made an abrupt switch, however, as News Corp. struggled but failed to contain the crisis.
BNET: Murdoch Dumps Loyal Lieutenant — Next Step: Redemption!
Brooks was editor of the News of the World tabloid between 2000 and 2003, when the paper's employees allegedly hacked into the phone of 13-year-old murder victim Milly Dowler in 2002 as police searched for her, potentially interfering with the police investigation.
That report last week provoked outrage far beyond any previous revelations of snooping on celebrities, politicians and athletes. In quick succession, Murdoch closed the 168-year-old News of the World and abandoned his bid for full BSkyB ownership. Prime Minister David Cameron then appointed a judge to conduct a sweeping inquiry into criminal activity at the paper and in the British media.
Brooks said the debate over her position as CEO of News International — the British arm of News Corp. — was now too much of a distraction.
"I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate," Brooks said in an email Friday to colleagues that was released by News International. "This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavors to fix the problems of the past."
Yet Brooks hinted last week that there was more to come.
"We have more visibility perhaps with what we can see coming our way than you guys can," she told staff at News of the World as they prepared their last edition.
"I am tied by the criminal investigation but I think in a year's time, every single one of you in this room might come up and say 'OK, well, I see what she saw now,"' she said, according to a recording obtained by Sky News.
The comments Friday by James Murdoch, who heads the international operations of the New York-based News Corp., were an abrupt shift in tone from an interview his father gave Thursday to The Wall Street Journal — another Murdoch paper. Rupert Murdoch had said that News Corp. management had handled the crisis "extremely well in every way possible" save for a few "minor mistakes."
Brooks has been in charge of News International's four — now three — British newspapers since 2007, following a four-year stint as editor of the market-leading daily tabloid, The Sun. Just a week ago, she faced 200 angry employees at the News of the World who had lost their jobs as she kept hers when Murdoch shut down the paper.
The news of her resignation was greeted with relief by British politicians.
"It is right that Rebekah Brooks has finally taken responsibility for the terrible events that happened on her watch, like the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone," said opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband. "No one in this country should exercise power without responsibility."
Cameron, who had called for Brooks to step down, said she had made "the right decision," said Steve Field, the prime minister's spokesman.
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Alsaud, the second-largest News Corp. stockholder, told the BBC on Thursday that if Brooks were found to be implicated in wrongdoing by the newspapers "for sure she has to go. "
Brooks has agreed to answer questions next week from a U.K. parliamentary committee. Rupert and James Murdoch initially resisted, but also agreed to appear after the committee issued formal summonses to them.
Being hauled before a hostile group of legislators marks a rapid change of fortune for the 80-year-old Murdoch, long accustomed to being courted by prime ministers and other politicians scared of provoking the wrath of his editors.
"Murdoch is like a beast or a god. He can attack you and destroy you or he can give you great power and glory," Lord Maurice Glasman said Friday in a House of Lords debate. "He was outside the constraints, outside of law. He makes and breaks kings."
British police have arrested seven people in their investigation of phone hacking, and two others in a parallel investigation of alleged bribery of police officers for information. Police say they have recovered a list of 3,700 names — regarded as potential victims — but so far have been in touch with fewer than 200 people.
News Corp. shares were down 1.3 percent at $15.78 in early New York trading.
Vitamin A may not prevent asthma: study
NEW YORK | Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:43pm EDT
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite the important role of vitamin A in lung development, researchers have found that giving the nutrient to pregnant women or preschoolers in Nepal doesn't protect kids against asthma.
But the findings don't mean vitamin A isn't important, especially in regions where vitamin deficiencies are common, according to the scientists.
Women taking vitamin supplements had a lower chance of dying during pregnancy, for instance. And those who took vitamin A while pregnant had kids with larger lungs, which have been linked to better survival.
"We're kind of narrowing down what the effect of vitamin A is," said Dr. William Checkley, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who worked on the study.
The lungs need vitamin A as they are developing and the nutrient is also involved in keeping lung tissue healthy over time, the researchers explain in the European Respiratory Journal.
In addition, previous studies hinted that people with lower levels of vitamin A in their blood are more likely to have asthma. But those kinds of studies, called observational studies, can't tease out cause and effect. Checkley and his colleagues wanted to see if by adding vitamin A to kids' or pregnant women's diets, they might lower the children's risk of asthma.
So the team followed up on two different trials that gave vitamin A or vitamin-free placebo pills to Nepalese women or kids.
The studies involved more than 5,000 kids and young adults, age nine to 23, who had gotten vitamin A or a placebo as preschoolers, or whose mothers had done so before and during pregnancy. All of them were living in an area of rural Nepal where vitamin deficiency is common.
Researchers asked all the kids if they had problems with wheezing or coughing or had ever had asthma. They also tested how well the kids' lungs were working using a device called a spirometer.
Between zero and two percent of the kids said they had had asthma at some point, and less than one percent currently did so -- with no differences between the placebo and vitamin groups.
There were no differences in how many kids reported wheezing or coughing in the two groups either, or in how well their lungs worked.
Still, Checkley said the findings might have looked different in another location.
"The effect of vitamin A may vary as to the setting," he told Reuters Health. "The prevalence (of asthma) was low in Nepal."
In the U.S., for example, nearly 10 percent of kids are diagnosed with the disease.
It's possible that in an urban area where asthma is more common to begin with, giving pregnant moms or kids vitamin A may better protect kids against asthma, Checkley said.
It's also not clear how the findings would apply to a population where vitamin A deficiency wasn't such a problem.
More than 300 million people worldwide have asthma, Checkley said, and increases in asthma rates have put researchers on a search for possible culprits. Pollution and allergies have been linked to asthma, and food and nutrition are other targets of investigation.
"Obviously diet is still one of those questions -- is it important or not?" Checkley said. Researchers are still wondering, "Can we prevent or reduce the risk of asthma by giving (vitamin A) supplements?"
So far, his work suggests the answer is no -- at least in this group of kids, in one part of the world.
SOURCE: bit.ly/pHaFUy European Respiratory Journal, online June 23, 2011.
2011年9月2日 星期五
Seniors and Their Rights in Long-Term Care Facilities
At the skilled nursing facility where I work, we remind seniors that they all have rights. Their rights put them in charge of their experience in the facility and can direct their plan of treatment, as well as their personal way of living.
Well, we have a resident who prefers to wear only his underwear during the day. Yes, he's totally alert, and there's no trace of dementia. Of course, he has his rights, but sometimes resident's rights can get a bit tricky to interpret. There are boundaries and then there are dignity issues.
I often run into situations where residents will request or even do something outrageous. Though, I'm a little too shy to share some of those stories with you today (blush, blush).
If your senior parents have specific requests that may be out of the norm and you're worried about their rights, you should know that there are both state and federal regulations that protect them in long term care facilities.
Seniors who live in long-term care (LTC) facilities are definitely more vulnerable than seniors who live independently. In 1987, the U. S. Congress recognized this fact and passed The Nursing Home Reform Act that gave nursing home residents additional legal protections, including a set of Residents Rights.
In 1995, the Washington State Long-Term Care Ombudsman successfully persuaded the Washington legislature to extend Residents Rights to other LTC facilities such as assisted living facilities, adult family homes and state operated veterans' homes. The point was to advance consumer healthcare education and to empower older adults and their family members to make informed long-term care decisions.
To review the full list of 12 Residents Rights, go to http://www.ltcop.org/index.htm. It includes all aspects of long-term care stay starting from the day of admission, lasting throughout their stay to the day of their discharge.
Let's dig into 5 of them right now:
1. You can communicate with whom you choose.
This means that seniors can make decisions about all aspects of their daily living. So, the minute a senior wakes up in the morning, he can actually determine the time he wants to get up. Some residents believe that if they don't get up early for breakfast, they would miss their first meal. Not so.
2. Right to participate in and decide your plan of care.
Everyone has the right to refuse care. As health care professionals, we will explain the risks and benefits to you, just to make sure you understand the consequences. For example, nurses may run into the dilemma of a senior declining his medications. This is a tough one and a common one. I personally work with seniors who refuse to eat, every single day.
3. Right to information.
All healthcare professionals will document everything about you, even if you are misbehaving. And, you have the right to read all about it.
4. Right to privacy and respect.
You must be respected and the residents around you must also be respected. The underwear story fits into this one. Again, healthcare professionals will educate you on the risks or benefits of your decisions.
5. Right to hold resident and family meetings.
You have the right to participate in resident gatherings in the facility; lots of meetings are usually going on. And, if you like, you can call a meeting as often as you wish.
A Registered Dietitian and Senior Resource Diva, April Fan, RD, CD, Founder of SeniorResourceCentral.com, a finalist in SeniorHomes.com's "Best of the Web" 2011 and top honors winner in StartupNation.com's "Leading Moms in Business" 2011, is on a mission to educate baffled adult children who are currently caring for their own children as well as their aging parents. Her goal is to help these juggling caregivers discover how to take the confusion out of this daunting role. Tap into April's personal and clinical experiences, proven resources, handy tips and sane ideas at http://www.seniorresourcecentral.com/.
Marilyn Monroe sculpture unveiled in Chicago
Spectators look at " Forever Marilyn", a sculpture by Seward Johnson, on July 15, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois.(Credit: Getty) (CBS/AP) CHICAGO - A 26-foot sculpture of Marilyn Monroe in her most famous pose was unveiled on Chicago's Magnificent Mile on Friday morning.
Passers-by wasted little time positioning themselves under her billowing skirt to get a subway-grate view of Monroe in the same stance as she appeared in the 1955 film "The Seven Year Itch."
Pictures: Marilyn Monroe
Pioneer Court, where the stainless steel and aluminum sculpture of Monroe now stands, is known for unusual public art displays. Years ago, Michigan Avenue was lined with fiberglass cows.
And in that same plaza, another sculpture by the same artist, Seward Johnson, was put up: a tribute to the grim-faced farmer and daughter of Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting.
The Marilyn Monroe statue will stand though spring 2012.
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2011年9月1日 星期四
NFL deal could come within 24 hours
NEW YORK - Significant progress on a major sticking point in the NFL labor impasse — soaring rookie salaries — during marathon talks Thursday raised hopes that a tentative agreement in principle could perhaps come within 24 hours, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.
They cautioned, however, that other key issues remained for owners and players to resolve, including free agency and new offseason workout rules.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the negotiations aimed at ending the NFL's four-month-long lockout are supposed to be confidential.
CBSSports.com national columnist Mike Freeman reports that a source with direct knowledge of the talks between owners and players describes them this way: "We're at the half-yard line. The ball was just snapped. Now we gotta punch it in."
After meeting for nearly 15 hours Thursday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith, players and owners were back at the negotiating table Friday as they attempted to end the sport's first work stoppage since 1987.
"I know our fans are frustrated and want (us) to get it done," Smith said as he entered the Times Square office building where the negotiations were being held. "We'll get everything to the players when the time is right."
Talks gained steam in May, overseen by a court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, who is on vacation this week. Boylan ordered both sides to meet with him in Minneapolis early next week, and the owners have a special meeting set for next Thursday in Atlanta, where they potentially could ratify a new deal.
Any agreement also must be voted on by groups of players, including the named plaintiffs in a class-action antitrust lawsuit pending in federal court and the NFLPA's 32 team representatives.
Baltimore Ravens defensive back Domonique Foxworth emphasized that when the last of the participants left after 11:30 p.m. Thursday, saying "there's really no deal until our players approve it."
Even once an agreement in principle on the core economic issues is drawn up, there will be more work to be done. That's because there are certain issues that won't be addressed in full until after the NFLPA re-establishes itself as a union — a process that might take a couple of days — and can then serve once again as a collective bargaining unit for the players.
Items that could fall under that umbrella include the league's drug-testing program, health insurance, retired players' pensions and other benefits, none of which is likely to be resolved completely while the union is still dissolved.
There's also a chance the players could pursue a lockout injunction for rookies and free agents after an appeals court ruled last week that the work stoppage could continue.
The NFL locked out players in March, after negotiations broke down and the old collective bargaining agreement expired, and now the preseason is fast approaching. The need to arrive at a deal becomes greater with each passing day.
The Hall of Fame game that opens the exhibition season is scheduled for Aug. 7 between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears, who hope to be able to start training camp at the end of next week. Yet camps will not open without a new CBA in place.
Disruptions to the planned preseason schedule would decrease the overall revenue pie — by tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on how many games are canceled. The parameters for how to divide the more than $9 billion in annual league revenues have been sketched out, but remaining hurdles include the owners' desire to have more right-of-first-refusal tags for unrestricted free agents.
The players want to get back to free agency rules similar to 2009, when a four-year veteran whose contract expired was unrestricted. That minimum shifted to six years in 2010, when there was no salary cap because owners already had declared they were opting out of the old CBA.
On rookie salaries, four people familiar with the talks said Thursday that first-round draft picks will sign four-year contracts with a club option for a fifth year. That represents a compromise; owners were hoping for five-year contracts, while players wanted highly drafted rookies to be under a team's control for only four years.
NFL owners have long sought to restrict the huge bonuses and salaries paid to unproven rookies, particularly those selected at the top of the draft. Quarterback Sam Bradford, taken No. 1 overall in 2010 by the St. Louis Rams, signed a six-year, $78 million contract that included a record $50 million in guaranteed money.
Under the system discussed Thursday, people told the AP, clubs will have an option for a fifth year on a rookie's contract for a predetermined amount based on the player's performance during the previous years of the deal.
This week's talks in New York began Monday with two days of meetings involving primarily lawyers. Wednesday's face-to-face session that was attended by Goodell, Smith, owners and players went nearly 11 hours.
On Thursday, Goodell was joined by eight of the 10 members of the owners' labor committee, including Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and John Mara of the New York Giants. Two new participants Thursday were Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy and San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos.
Smith's group included Foxworth, Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, and Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora. Umenyiora is one of the 10 named plaintiffs in the antitrust case against the league.