On July 29, 2010, I wrote about the danger of metal bats in youth baseball. There are a growing number of head and brain injuries caused when baseballs hit by metal bats strike a pitcher in the head. Some players have been severely injured. One 16-year-old young man, Gunnar Sandberg, was nearly killed by a […]
Pitchers Get More Protection in Youth Baseball Read More »
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning people who use the anti-seizure medication Lamictal (lamotrigine) to be aware of the potential for aseptic meningitis. This side effect has put dozens of people in the hospital. Lamictal is a medication commonly used for seizures in children age 2 and older, and in adults
FDA Warning About Seizure Drug Read More »
According to an article on WRAL.com, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has recommended that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services fine Britthaven of Chapel Hill nursing home for violations that led to the hospitalization of six patients in February. One patient, 84-year-old Rachel Holliday, died. Ms. Holliday and eight
State Calls for Fines for Britthaven of Chapel Hill Nursing Home Read More »
About four years ago, Texan Dianne Helms drove home after a night of partying and drinking. She crashed her Toyota Tundra into a culvert. Her body was tossed around in the car…her head went through the driver’s side window and smashed onto the pavement. That’s how her year-long coma began. That’s how she ended up
Lessons after Traumatic Brain Injury Read More »
The little North Carolina town of Knightdale, just east of Raleigh, has grown a lot in the past year, but apparently a lot of that growth includes people who run red lights. According to a story on WRAL.com, the red-light camera along route 64 capture speeders, red-light runners, and even some horrific traffic accidents, including
Red-Light Cameras Capture Everything Read More »
Aging isn’t always dignified. That’s especially true for people with dementia. Alzheimer’s disease dismantles a person’s life piece by piece: short-term memory is the first to go, followed by long-term memory, recognition of family members, recognition of self, all cognitive abilities. In addition, a person loses physical capabilities–the ability to walk, to talk, to balance,
Dementia in Nursing Homes Requires Special Care…and Compassion Read More »
Turning 16 is a grand milestone for most teens. Their driver’s license gives them their first real taste of freedom. But combine that with a 3,000-pound car and their invincible mentality and teens hit the fast lane to danger. [Rocky Mount Telegram, July 31, 2010] North Carolina has seen a 40% decrease in teenage driver
NC Highway Patrol Working to Keep Teen Drivers Alive Read More »
The official wrap up of the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure 2010 is in, and there is a cause for thanks and celebration across the board. This year, there were 462 registered cyclists (23% more riders) who rode up to 200 miles… more than 160 volunteers… and a total of more than $220,000 raised
HensonFuerst Tops in Tour de Cure 2010 Fundraising Read More »
Ivy Bean was 104 when she died Wednesday, July 28. She was known as “the World’s Oldest Tweeter.” According to the Irish Times, Ivy Bean wrote about her life in Hillside nursing home in Bradford. She started out on Facebook, but had to switch to Twitter when she exceeded her quota of 5000 fans. In
World's Oldest Tweeter Will Be Missed by Thousands Read More »
This week, Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed into law SB 326, a landmark nursing home safety reform bill. This legislation is designed to improve living conditions by increasing the number of nursing home inspectors and nursing staff, and increasing licensing fees. And–perhaps most important–there are provisions designed to reduce chronic violence that has been reported
Nursing Home Reform in Illinois Read More »