Tuesday, February 28, 2012

High Turnover For Nursing Home Attendants

The nursing home industry is one that is experiencing growth right now, since many aging Americans from the "baby boom" generation are beginning to retire and some decide to enter into nursing homes and assisted living facilities.  With the boom in patients, nursing home are either hiring more attendants or giving attendants longer work hours.  Unfortunately, nursing homes also have a high turnover rate for employees.

A recent article by USA Today talked at length about this phenomenon.  According to the newspaper article, staff shortages are common in nursing home facilities and turnover rates are high.  Between states, the annual turnover rate is between 60-100%, according to research from the Institute for the Future of Aging Services.This is due in large part to the low wages paid by many nursing homes.  Over 20 states have regulated the industry, resulting in minimum-wage protection, some staff members do still make less than $7.25 an hour.  Additionally, according to the article, "Since 2000, there has been a 23% increase in home health care employment, while salaries have remained the same, about $21,000 a year, according to a study conducted by Michael Hicks of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University".  Overall, low wages and little to no benefits are leading to low desirability and high turnover rates for these jobs.

This new insight into nursing home employees will be helpful in allowing nursing homes to realize how to care for and better serve their patients and staff. With this in mind, nursing homes may be able to modify their practices and staffing procedures to decrease their incidents of negligence, abuse, and under/inefficient staffing.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a central Pennsylvania lawyer specializing in nursing home abuse and negligence.  For more information on his practice, please visit our website.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Chronic Pain iPhone Application

Chronic pain is a medical diagnosis that, when discussed with a doctor, requires a lot of data to be taken about the nature of your pain problems.  In addition to possible brain scans and an office visit, most physicians require new patients to keep a pain diary.  This pain diary is a way for patients to record the intensity, duration, and frequency of their pain symptoms throughout the day and night.  This pain diary may be required to cover any time frame from a few days to several weeks.  With this data, the physician can make more informed and accurate treatment decisions tailored to the patient's unique pain pattern.

Technology creators and developers have recognized this phenomenon as well.  A sufferer of chronic pain actually developed an application for the iPhone called "My Pain Diary".  It is specifically designed to help people keep track  of their pain, both for their own benefit and as a data collection tool for their physicians to view.  The application can be customized for whatever medical condition a user is experiencing.  The application is quick and easy to use, and only requires the user to input a few words about their pain.  With that information, it creates charts and graphs to represent the chronic pain symptoms.  It can also use a locator feature so it will input where you were when you updated the diary with your symptoms.  You can then print a report with the data you've collected and give it to your doctor.  The developer of this application hopes that the electronic nature of the pain tracker is more convenient and easy to use than having to have a pen and pencil with you at all times to track your pain.

Chronic pain is a serious and life-altering diagnosis.  If you have been having trouble sleeping and have also had consistent pain lasting over six months, it might be time to consult with a doctor.  If this pain was caused by an accident due to the fault of another, it may also be time to consult with an attorney.   If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100. 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Chiropractor Explains Most Common Car Accident Mistakes

The San Francisco Chronicle recently had a very helpful online article in which a local chiropractor explains the five most costly mistakes to make after you've been in a car accident.  The article was originally published by Car Crash Pain, an organization that works with accident victims to provide health, legal, and auto insurance information.  According to the article, the five most costly mistakes to make post-accident are:

1.)    Ignoring or minimizing injuries.

It may take a few months for people to become fully aware of the extent of their injuries.  If you are in a car crash, you should receive medical assistance, even if you feel that the injury will heal by itself.  According to Car Crash Pain, pain that lasts over 3 months has a 90% change of becoming permanent and developing into chronic pain. Additionally, 50% of all chronic neck pain sufferers attribute their pain to a car accident. Therefore, it is important to treat pain symptoms as soon as possible.

2.)    Believing that the car insurance company is on your side.


Insurance companies often look to settle claims at the lowest possible amount as soon as possible. Don't settle for less if you feel that you are not getting sufficient compensation for your injuries.

3.)    Accepting a settlement without fully understanding your rights.

If you are planning on negotiating a settlement as a result of injury from a car accident, it is important to research and find a lawyer that will fight for you.  You may possibly also be eligible for compensation not only for your medical bills, but also lost wages, and pain and suffering (although these things are not a guarantee).  Being aware of your rights is important before settling a claim.  

4.)    Choosing the wrong auto body repair shop.

Repair estimates vary greatly between auto body repair shops.  You have the right to choose who fixes your vehicle; you don't have to choose the shop with the lowest estimate or one that the insurance company recommended to you.

5.)    Becoming overwhelmed by paperwork and deadlines.

According to the article, "automobile accidents come with a flood of paperwork that needs to be completed in a timely manner. This can include everything from police reports and insurance forms to medical documentation. If forms are not filled out on time, you could miss out on a full range of benefits and end up having to pick up the costs on your own."  Be aware of deadlines and stay organized to keep records of all paperwork involving your accident.  You should bring this paperwork to your meetings with your attorney as well.

 Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer practicing in western and central Pennsylvania.  He has successfully litigated cases involving motor vehicle accidents as well as cases involving serious brain injuries. For more information on him and his firm, please click here.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Chronic Pain Discussed In Congress

The discussion about chronic pain is not only reaching state government, but also national government.  Recently, a discussion took place about the recognition of chronic pain at a U.S. Senate meeting in early February.

A panel of chronic pain experts spoke before a U.S. Senate committee to talk about the recognition of chronic pain as a disease and not a symptom.  This marks the first time that there was a congressional hearing regarding chronic pain.  The meeting was chaired by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who is a strong advocate for pain management awareness and the rising diagnosis of chronic pain. According to the senator, "Chronic pain is a significant public health challenge that has yet to receive adequate attention given the tremendous impact it has on people all across our nation. Chronic pain remains one of the most challenging conditions to assess and effectively treat even though its one of the top reasons for doctors visits.”  It has been estimated that the number of chronic pain diagnoses will increase as our nation's population ages.  Due to this hypothesis, it is important to raise awareness of chronic pain now and better train doctors and researchers how to effectively diagnose, treat, and manage chronic pain.

Different diagnoses exist within the larger realm of chronic pain. Working with your physician and seeing what your exact diagnosis and treatment options are is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100. 

Friday, February 17, 2012

PA Nursing Homes Face Budget Cuts

Pennsylvania, among many other states, is trying to trim down their spending in certain areas.  For Pennsylvania, this means nursing homes will lose funding from the state through Medicaid cutbacks. Governor Tom Corbett recently released his fiscal year budget, which would become effective July 1st.  Within this budget proposal, there would be a 4% cut in Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes.  This amounts to about a $46.5 million dollar revenue loss, as reported by the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.  Broken down by day, this is a loss of about $8 per day from an average $194 spent on Medicaid-eligible patients. Nursing homes are already operating at a loss under the current budget when serving Medicaid patients, with an average loss per patient per day of $19.23.  These numbers are especially important when you take into consideration that about 2/3 of residents in state nursing homes are covered under Medicaid.  This also varies by location.  For example, Philadelphia-area nursing homes have about 75% of their state home residents covered under the program. 


Budget cuts affect nursing homes in many ways. A lack of financial resources may result in understaffing and decreased patient-employee interactions.  It will almost certainly lower the quality of care able to be given to these patients as well.  With this in mind, nursing homes will have to modify their practices and staffing procedures, which may eventually lead to increased incidents of negligence, abuse, and under/inefficient staffing.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a central Pennsylvania lawyer specializing in nursing home abuse and negligence.  For more information on his practice, please visit our website.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Nursing Home Ratings Over Time

Many businesses and professional services may receive ratings by clients, other businesspeople, or the state.  Nursing homes also receive ratings from the government, and range on scale of 1 to 5 stars.  A nursing home receives its rating based on a variety of factors, such as cleanliness and staff attention to patients.  A recent article showed that nursing homes, especially ones on the lower end of the government rating scales, may not improve much over time.

An article by USA Today focused on the rating system within nursing homes and how they have improved over a period of three years.  According to the writer, "More than 560 of the nation's nursing homes have not budged for the past three years from a one-star federal government rating — the lowest on a five-star scale — even as most homes improved, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal data."  Nursing homes are rated in each state relative to other nursing homes.  With this in mind, a one-star nursing home in Pennsylvania is relative to other nursing homes in Pennsylvania, not all nursing homes across the country.  The good news is that many high-star nursing homes did improve and the number of 4 and 5 star rated homes increased markedly over time.  It appears that low-performing homes continue to perform below standard, while higher-level homes work to improve.

This new government rating system will be helpful in allowing nursing homes to realize how to care for and better serve their patients. With this in mind, nursing homes may be able to modify their practices and staffing procedures to decrease their incidents of negligence, abuse, and under/inefficient staffing.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a central Pennsylvania lawyer specializing in nursing home abuse and negligence.  For more information on his practice, please visit our website.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Chronic Pain Bill In Ohio State Senate

A significant bill relating to chronic pain has reached the neighboring Ohio State Senate.  Last month, a bill was passed by the Ohio State House’s Health and Aging Committee in the Ohio State Senate, which will educate Ohio practicing physicians about Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).  CRPS is a chronic pain disease that is characterized by burning pain, excessive sweating, swelling of the tissues, and becoming very sensitive to touch.

According to a recent article covering the bill, it is mentioned that “The average CRPS patient might see five doctors before it is diagnosed”.  Additionally, the article stated that chronic pain affects more than 116 million people and costs as much as $650 billion each year in treatment and lost productivity.  This particular bill is the product of the work of a local Akron, Ohio carpenter who suffered from the syndrome for years.  He has been working on trying to get this bill passed for the past five years.  The bill still has to pass the House of Representatives and the Governor’s office for his signature.  Proponents of the bill believe that the governor will be willing to sign it.

 Different diagnoses exist within the larger realm of chronic pain. Working with your physician and seeing what your exact diagnosis and treatment options are is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Integrative Medicine Next Step For Pain Management

Pain management, especially chronic pain, does not often respond well to traditional treatments alone (such as prescription drugs).  Due to this problem, physicians often look for alternate ways to treat pain in tandem with medication.  The intersection of eastern and western medicine, called "integrative medicine", is one way to try and treat persistent pain symptoms.


CBS Local-Pittsburgh recently published an online article about integrative medicine as it relates to chronic pain managment.  Throughout the article, doctors who use the mindset of integrative medicine are highlighted, including one doctor, Dr. Gallagher, who is both a medical doctor and an chiropractor.  According to his quote from the article, "Pain is a very subjective phenomenon, but most people in chronic pain can’t get any relief regardless of what they do” which is why integrative medicine is being used when patients do not respond to traditional remedies.  The article also mentioned the fact that the United States Army is beginning to take the integrative approach as well, and is using a technique called "battlefield acupuncture" to treat wounded soldiers.

Integrative medicine may be an effective treatment option for those patients who require more multi-faceted pain management treatments. Chronic pain is a tricky diagnosis in terms of finding the right medication combination that will work, but will not lead to overmedication.  Working with your physician and seeing what is right for you is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Chronic Pain and Workplace Performance

One of the main problems surrounding symptoms of chronic pain is how it influences every aspect of your life.  Chronic pain is often not a disorder that changes its symptoms or decreases across situations.  Due to this, chronic pain can lead to problems in other aspects of your life, such as socially, athletically, and in workplace performance.


An article by Human Resource Executive Online addressed this problem in one of their online articles.  According to the article, HR professionals have an obligation to look for the signs of chronic pain and approach employees about it when appropriate.  Additionally, these professionals should familiarize themselves with the laws and regulations surrounding disabilities (professionally diagnosed chronic pain is considered both a medical condition and a disability). Workers with chronic pain do have rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act.  The article also acknowledged that chronic pain can carry stigma for the suffer, so HR representatives should be sensitive when broaching the subject.  Many companies also have infrastructure in place to support people with disabilities, so HR representatives should work to try and get those services put in place for the sufferer of chronic pain.   Overall, it is prudent on the part of the employee and HR representative to work together to discuss the medical condition and come to grips with how that will affect their job performance.

Chronic pain is a tricky diagnosis in terms of finding the right medication combination that will work, but will not lead to overmedication.  Working with your physician and seeing what is right for you is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Four Ways To Help Relieve Chronic Pain Symptoms

Many people living with chronic pain run out of options that effectively help them manage their condition.  Often, over the counter or prescription drugs do not relieve symptoms of pain and leave the sufferer feeling drowsy, foggy, and lethargic.  A recent article by the San Francisco Chronicle highlighted some ways to re-train the body to help reduce instances of chronic pain.  


According to the article, there are four main steps to take to help relieve long-lasting pain.  They are:


Readjusting the spine:  re-aligning your spine may aid in healing the nervous system.  If your spine is out of alignment, the problem could manifest itself through pain almost anywhere else in the body.  Using traditional or more recent approaches, chiropractors may be able to help a chronic pain patient drastically reduce their symptoms.

Pay attention to your posture: this step goes along with the previous one.  People with poor posture often suffer from more back and head aches, as well as nervous system irritation that only worsens with time.  Having good posture helps to re-align your back and neck and may reduce pressure on previously compressed and painful nerves.


Stay hydrated:  When your body does not have enough water, muscles can become tense and stressed.  This makes any pain you feel become intensified.  Try to stay away from dehydrating drinks, such as coffee, alcohol, soda, and some tea, which may make the problem worse.


Monitor pain killers:  It is very easy for the body to become accustomed to medication and, therefore, may make the medication lose its effect over time. Additionally, pain is the body's way of telling you that something is wrong, so pay attention to where your pain is coming from, as well as when it feels worse/better.  In that way, you can more closely monitor your body as it (hopefully) heals!


Chronic pain is a tricky diagnosis in terms of finding the right medication combination that will work, but will not lead to overmedication.  Working with your physician and seeing what is right for you is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Chronic Pain Is Gaining Press

Chronic pain is a disease that millions of people across the country suffer from, but is just now starting to receive notice and press.  Since the disease has only recently been recognized as a disease by itself, and not a byproduct of another bodily problem, there is still little known about the cause of the disease.  As a result, it still remains underdiagnosed.


A recent op-ed piece by a Boston area news reporter highlighted the elevated press surrounding chronic pain and its under-diagnosis.  The reporter talked at length about a recent article published by the New England Journal of Medicine, a very old and prestigious medical journal. According to both articles, "the magnitude of pain in the United States is astounding.” More than 116 million Americans live in some degree of chronic pain, and this figure doesn’t even include kids, people in the military or people in nursing homes. The cost is astounding, too: An estimated $560 to $635 billion, more than the costs of cancer, heart disease and diabetes combined."  Furthermore, the article went on to state that medical schools do not really teach about the treatment and management of chronic pain.  According to a   survey of 117 medical schools last year showed, it seemed that doctors learn remarkably little about pain in school and primary care physicians do not feel fully prepared to deal with cases involving significant pain.

Chronic pain is a tricky diagnosis in terms of finding the right medication combination that will work, but will not lead to overmedication.  Working with your physician and seeing what is right for you is the only way to find an effective, realistic pain management treatment.  If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Prescription Errors In Nursing Homes

Many nursing home residents are on a variety of prescription drugs to regulate their medical conditions.  These drugs are recorded and administered by the staff of the nursing home.  However, the journey from the pharmacist to the patient is a way for medication errors to occur.  The general public is starting to hear about these errors and some cases are being nationally publicized.


An article by the New York Times exposed an investigation into nursing homes in California that have had a high number of prescription drug errors by pharmacists.  According to the article, "In reports obtained by a local newspaper, the department found that in 18 of the 32 investigations conducted in California nursing homes between May 2010 and June 2011 pharmacists failed to red-flag cases in which residents were inappropriately prescribed powerful antipsychotic medications like Seroquel, a drug used to treat schizophrenia. Pharmacists also overlooked or approved cases in which medications were prescribed at questionable levels or in unsafe combinations that could put patients at risk of seizures, accidents or even death, according to the public health department".    The United States Department of Health is also keeping an eye on this phenomenon after a recent study it conducted in which  it was found that, in nursing homes across the country, at least 40 percent of all Medicare claims for antipsychotics, are "inappropriate, given in excessive doses, given for too long, given without the need for use, without adequate monitoring or “in the presence of adverse consequences" and should be reduced or discontinued."

It is important to monitor your loved one's medication, including type and dosage, in order to help minimize the risk of injury or illness.  If your loved one has been injured in a nursing home setting and if you feel that the nursing home has improperly medicated your loved one, it may be time to seek legal assistance.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury attorney specializing in nursing home abuse and negligence. For more information on him and his firm, please visit our website or call us at (814) 946-4100.