Elder Abuse Attorney Discusses Signs of Elder Abuse

With the “graying of America” comes a significant portion of the population that are currently being cared for by a private caregiver or are living in a long term care facility. By current estimates, there will be close to 60 million people over the age of 65 in the United States by the year 2020. Estimates also tell us that a significant percentage of them will need long-term or private nurse care. By the time we look at the age group over age 85, more than one-third of them will require some type of care. The treatment that our senior citizens receive at a long term care facility, nursing home, hospital or by a private caregiver should be important to every one of us. Some day, that senior citizen will be you. If you loved one has been abused in a nuring home contact a lawyer immediately.

Unfortunately, elder abuse is all too common in long term care facilities and by private caregivers. Experts put the number of elders that are abused each year at well over one million. Elder abuse can come in many forms – physical abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, mistreatment and neglect are the most common. Often, the victim does not speak up for fear of retaliation or because they are ashamed. So what can you do to try and prevent your loved one from becoming the victim of elder abuse?

1. Look for signs of physical abuse. While elders are more prone to physical injuries, look for unexplained bruises or broken bones, pressure marks, signs of restraints, abrasions and burns.

2. Check for bedsores or poor hygiene. These may be signs of neglect. Medical needs that go unattended and sudden weight loss can also be signs of neglect.

3. Changes in social behavior or alertness can also be signs of abuse. If your loved one suddenly withdraws form his usual routine or his personality appears to change, this could be a sign of abuse or of over-medication.

4. Keep track of your loved one’s finances if possible. Any sudden changes, withdrawals or requests to transfer money or property could be a sign that someone is exploiting your loved one.

5. Any bruising or injury around the genital or breast area could indicate sexual abuse.

6. Watch the interaction between the caregiver and your loved one. Is the relationship carefree and mutually pleasant or does it appear strained and tense? If your loved one appears scared, worried, tense or abnormally quiet when the caregiver is around then this could be a sign that they are being abused and are afraid to say anything.

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Zan Perrion – Men’s Health Magazine Interview

An interview with Men’s Health Magazine in early 2006 in Cape Town, South Africa – www.zanperrion.com

SafePresence Caregiver Communicator – 30 Spot

Caregiver communication is a challenge. With The SafePresence Caregiver Communicator- you can be anywhere in the house and still have two way communication when a need arises. Find out more about SafePresence today: SafePresence.com
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Choosing the Right Assisted Living Facilities for Your Loved One

Finding the right assisted living facilities for your loved one may seem like a daunting and overwhelming process. Many families struggle to find the right facilities to meet the needs of their aging or disabled relative. With the right amount of time, patience and knowledge, it is easy to find the assisted living facility to meet your needs.

The first step in choosing the right facility is to determine the level of care that the resident will need. Some care facilities offer apartment-style living in which the residents care for themselves with limited assistance from staff. These types of facilities allow residents to maintain a sense of independence and privacy while being available to provide assistance as needed. Other facilities offer a moderate level of care, providing medical treatment, meals and personal care, but allowing residents the freedom to make choices about their daily living. Finally, there are facilities that provide extensive care, round the clock supervision and treatment and full service meals and personal care. Many of these are connected to a hospital or other medical care center.

Many assisted living facilities provide a number of amenities to make the resident’s experience as pleasurable as possible. These include full service meals in community dining rooms, administering medication, religious and spiritual services, recreational activities and transportation services. It is important to choose a facility that will offer the right balance of services while helping your loved one maintain their dignity and mental well being. The best facilities encourage a healthy relationship between the resident and their family and community.

Making sure the assisted living facility is perfect for your family member is an active process that requires careful selection and follow-up. Before admitting your loved one as a resident, many facilities interview the family and the potential resident to determine their needs and to formulate a plan for their care. This interview process will allow you to assess the facility, voice any concerns and make suggestions that will benefit your loved one. In addition, this will give you the opportunity to tour the residence and get a feel for the overall atmosphere of the facility.

There are many assisted living facilities to serve the needs of your aging or disabled relative. It may seem like a daunting task to choose from the many senior residences, care facilities and assisted living communities available. By assessing the needs of your loved one and targeting facilities that meet those needs, you will find the assisted living facility that is perfect for your family.

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Cumbernauld Action Care for the Elderly

Cumbernauld Action Care for the Elderly (CACE) was initially founded in 1990 to provide a number of different services which support older people in the Cumbernauld and surrounding area. Our aim is to promote the welfare of vulnerable older people and their carers. We educate and train everyone involved with vulnerable older people to improve their quality of life

Here is the IELTS essay question that I submitted to the student: In many countries, the proportion of older people is steadily increasing. Does this trend have more positive or negative effects on society? And here is the student’s entire essay from start to finish (uncorrected): Today, older people make up an increasing proportion of our population. This is very clear in the government statistics, that, the inhabitants aged 50 and over has grown in the last 3 decades. It is believed that aged people has a negative effects on society. This will be proven by analyzing one of the way that retired people spend their money as they are more likely to be providing unpaid care. On these days, we can see that there are a lots gambling shops that are usually busy of aged people. As older people are retired, the pension money that they normally get are spent in betting shops. This example makes clear where retired people are more interested. Thus, there is an obvious link between aged people and a unhappy society. As funded home care services has fallen, the over 50s/60s probably will not get paid care in the next few years. This is very apparent that the government will not have the money to pay for the health care services. It is obvious that the society will be affected. After analyzing the areas of older people hobbies and the lack of the government funding to pay aged people care, it is clear that the only factor that will be affected and will have negative effects is the …
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Second Hand Smoke Awareness for Kids Health

The object of this report from Institute for Vibrant Living is to educate those amongst us that smoke tobacco, or know someone who does, on the inherent dangers of second-hand smoke. If you imbibe in smoking tobacco, please read this briefreport and then make the following adjustments below immediately whether you plan to quit or not:

Smoke outside only.
Smoke low-tar when possible.
Wear a smoking jacket when smoking. (Or some kind of outer wear you can take off when done)
Wash hands and face, comb hair, then brush teeth after you smoke kids will appreciate that you don’t smell like a chimney.
Limit the amount of smoke breaks you take time with the kids is precious.

Please make the effort to quit. But until then, read this report and make the effort to shield your kids and loved ones as much as possible from the dangers outlined below:

According to the American Lung Association, there are an estimated 150,000 to 300,000 cases each year of bronchitis and pneumonia among infants and children under 18 years of age who had to breathe secondhand tobacco smoke.

These exposures to secondhand smoke result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year amongst this helpless group of kids.

That’s a real shocker. But even more insidious is the fact that an estimated 22 percent of all American youth, under the age of 18, are exposed to second hand smoke in their homes.

The National Cancer Institute has conducted numerous awareness campaigns aimed at reducing second hand smoke within the home, especially homes with children.

Children are at much higher risk for developing problems related to secondhand smoke because their bodies are still developing and their breathing rate is generally faster than that of adult age groups.

Therefore, when the air is tainted with cigarette smoke, young developing lungs receive a much higher concentration of inhaled toxins than older lungs receive.

Here’s another brutal statistic: Did you know that children who spend only one hour in a smoky room inhale enough toxic chemicals to equal 10 cigarettes?

According to the American Thoracic Society “healthy” children of smokers who don’t show outward signs of breathing difficulties, may still be experiencing reduced lung function which could progressively worsen with continued exposure.

For very young children and infants, secondhand smoke exposure raises the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Pregnant women who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have babies with low birth weight. In some cases, second hand smoke has caused miscarriages.

Babies born to smoking mothers are at an increased risk for developmental issues, learning disabilities and cerebral palsy.

When a person is exposed to secondhand smoke they are actually exposed to two forms of smoke. “Sidestream” smoke is emitted between puffs of a burning cigarette, pipe or cigar and “mainstream” smoke is exhaled by the smoker. This combination of smoke contains at least 60 cancer-causing agents as well as toxins such as nicotine and carbon dioxide.

Consider these facts from the American Lung Association:

Secondhand smoke is responsible for an estimated 38,000 deaths among non-smokers each year which includes 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 deaths due to heart disease.
Second hand smoke can worsen existing pulmonary symptoms for people with asthma, chronic bronchitis and allergies.
The incidence of lung cancer in waitresses and bartenders who work in restaurants where smoking is allowed is more than twice that of the general population.
There is no safe amount of second hand smoke.

Please make the effort to tell a smoking friend, spouse, or family member to read this brief report.

In their heart, they’ll know you’re right to share these disturbing factsit may even spur them on to some kind of positive change!

Michael Savage – Angry People, Disturbances, Restaurants, Health, and Ernest Hemingway

Savage discusses a variety of topics in less than five minutes. (8-18-09).
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Bunk Beds Are Good For Kids Health

Kids of all ages love Bunk Beds and Loft Beds because they offer more floor space, a little adventure, and a cozy nest for sleeping. Bunk Beds, futon bunks, and ladders are now available online so they are easier than ever to purchase.

Bunk beds help even the most lackadaisical kids to get at least a moment of exercise. Climbing up and down the ladder of a bunk bed helps build strength in the arms and legs, gives a brief cardiovascular boost, and helps kids develop better muscular coordination.

Rather than taking up space in a kids room with two beds placed on either side of the room across from each other, install a bunk bed instead and open up that extra space to be used for playing, studying, or storage.

One thing you want to be sure to do is buy your bed from someone who sells quality furniture so that you know it’ll be a good sturdy piece that will last a long time and not fall apart. Look for guard rails on the top bunk in a ladder that is attached permanently to the frame of the bed. When you get your bed home, it’s important to assemble it specifically to the instructions to be sure that it is set up properly and no accidents will happen.

Bunk beds have become a very useful and popular piece of any child’s bedroom; they not only create maximum space in cramped bedrooms but are useful for having two or more kids in one room. They allow two children to sleep in the same room while maximizing available floor space. They normally are supported by four poles at each corner of the bed; however some are made with only three. To use the top bunk a ladder is fitted, though many children make it their main objective to find their own way up quicker.

Place the bunk bed tightly against the wall to prevent children from becoming trapped between the bunk and wall. Use both long-side guardrails and caution your children from trying to slip down the back of the bed to the lower bunk.

Before buying a bunk bed, check its sturdiness by placing your hand on the top bed and shaking the whole piece to check if there is any movement. Always make sure the lighter child sleeps on the top bed. The best bunk bed to consider would be a full bed on the bottom and a twin bed on top. The wider bed below would create a better balance.

These days, there are many beds of this type available, although they are more expensive than traditional beds. Often these are bunk beds! Most bunk beds of this style include a play area underneath the bed, and often an imaginative way of getting down from the top bunk. Most commonly this is a slide, so you will need to make sure that the room the bed is to be placed in is big enough for this slide not to be a hazard, both in terms of your child sliding down it and tripping over it at other times.

For Buying bunk beds for your children please visit spacify.com

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Discussion on Elderly Care and Abuse by Elderly Abuse Attorney

The population of United States is increasing at good speed and thus the government is concerned about how to offer Social Security to the millions of people who will reach the stage to receive it yearly. Census data states that the count of people living in America above the age of 65 is three times greater than it was before.

It is estimated that by the year 2020, there will be more than 55 million people in the United States above the age of 65 and about over 13 million people above the age of 85. So, with the “graying of America” our nation will require more numbers of long term care facilities and long term caregivers. It is also very important that the person who is caring for your elder relative should offer good care and respect.If you think that your loved one is abused in a nursing home then you can consult a lawyer immediately to file a case.

Not all the long term care facilities are good in taking care of the elderly people. There are only very few facilities that appoints and insists their staff follow the rules of state and federal regulations, and most of the facilities do not abide by regulations and they do not even supervise their employees, only once in a while to check the situation of the elderly people. Therefore this is the main reason for elder abuse.

Elder abuse is of different kinds, such as emotional, physical and financial. Most of the elderly people suffer a lot from mistreatment and ignoring them. If the employees working at a long term care facility had proper training or if they are screened frequently, then there won’t be any elder abuse. Most of the time what happen is the staff members show all their emotional feeling on them, if they have any problem at home they show that anger on these poor elderly victims in a harsh way.

Normally, a long term care facilities should require a licensed nurse and physicians on staff, but in most of the places, the staff that are actually taking care of your loved one may not have a certificate to specialize in this area and are not licensed. Even it is not a matter whether the staff are licensed or not, but if they are hired then they are expected to obey the rules of the long term care and are required to take care of the elderly person with proper care, kindness and self-respect. If they are not up to the task, then the person can be warned by personal injury negligence lawsuit.

A personal injury lawyer will be helpful in this type of case, as he will evaluate your claim and also help to get some compensation from the caregiver or the staff of the long term care facility your elderly relative has been abused.

Mickey Rooney spoke out against elder abuse before a senate committee on aging on Wednesday. The 90-year-old actor says he’s been the victim of abuse at the hands of his own family. (March 2)
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Video captures home health aide beating elderly woman

A New Jersey woman placed a camera in the room of her 91-year-old mother so that family members could see her, but what was caught on camera has shocked the family and led to an arrest. The footage shows a home health aide beating the 91-year-old woman, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. The health aide, 52-year-old Carmen Pereira, was charged with aggravated assault and other charges related to what was captured on the video footage, said Mike Post, a detective from the Jersey City Police Department. In the footage, the aide is seen tending to the elderly woman, forcefully brushing her teeth or putting her in bed by picking her up and slamming her down. The video also shows the aide repeatedly slapping the woman and yanking her hair. Pereira was arrested September 2. Along with aggravated assault, she faces charges of endangering the welfare of an elderly person and neglect of an incompetent person, Post said.