Wednesday, December 12, 2012

10 holiday warning signs to help elderly loved ones - bocagrandetalk.com | News from Gasparilla Island, Boca Grande - Gasparilla Gazette

10 holiday warning signs to help elderly loved ones - bocagrandetalk.com | News from Gasparilla Island, Boca Grande - Gasparilla Gazette

Please take a moment to read this article by the Gasparilla Gazette.  This helpful article gives 10 warning signs that elderly people in your family may need assistance where they are living or may be suffering from some type of elder abuse and neglect in their current living situation.  During the holidays, many families are seeing their elderly loved ones for the first time in months and may not have a clear idea of how their day-to-day lives are running.  During this time, it is important to ask questions from their elderly family member and/or other caregivers in order to get a better idea of the current living situation.  It is also important to look for the warning signs mentioned in the article above to see if your loved one needs assistance or a change of living placement.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania that takes claims for elderly people and their families.  These claims may include elder abuse, elder neglect, nursing home abuse or neglect, and hospital abuse or neglect.  If you suspect that any abuse or neglect has happened to an elderly friend or family member due to the fault of their caregiver, it might be time to seek legal counsel.  For more information on Attorney Stoehr's practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

Operation: Safe Holiday

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), along with the Pennsylvania State Police and other safety officials, are launching a state-wide campaign for safe driving this holiday season called Operation: Safe Holiday.  As part of this program, different safety officials will be making stops at PA schools to talk about safe driving habits and defensive driving during high-traffic times.  It will also feature the DUI Victims' Moving Memorial, a mobile memorial located in a 30-foot trailer that is a replica of the original memorial located in Harrisburg, PA.  The memorial includes a 25-foot wall with the names of DUI victims inscribed on them; the original memorial also has a garden around it. 

State officials will also be operating driving checkpoints over the holiday season to test for drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol, as well as speeding, texting while driving, and other moving violations.  The State of Pennsylvania hopes that Operation: Safe Holiday will significantly decrease the number of driving-related holiday accidents this year and keep our state safe for holiday travel.

Motor vehicle accidents, such as car, truck, or motorcycle accidents, increase during the holiday season as more people begin to travel to spend time with family and friends.  During this time, it is extremely important to be a safe, defensive driver to keep yourself and others in your car safe while traveling during the holidays.  Remember that it is more important to be safe than late for a party or event, and be mindful of what other drivers around you are doing.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  For more information on his Altoona, PA practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Car Accidents Over The Holiday Season


Be careful while out driving this holiday season in Pennsylvania.  The Pennsylvania State Police released their statistics from traffic accidents and injuries over the Thanksgiving holiday 11/21-11/25, and their statistics are sobering.  According to their reports, Pennsylvania experienced 13 total road-related fatalities, 349 were injured, and 1,124 car crashes occurred.  Five of the people killed were not wearing seatbelts. Alcohol played a factor in two of the deaths and 86 of the crashes.  Police also charged 509 people with DUIs, issued over 9,000 speeding tickets, cited over 1,100 people for not wearing seat belts, and issued citations to 124 people for not having children in proper safety seats.  In 2011, there were 10 fatalities, 326 injuries, and 1,007 total crashes during the same five-day period.
Car accidents are frightening, expensive, and time-consuming.  These accidents may also result in injuries that are extensive, painful, and long-lasting.  If you suffered an injury due to a car accident caused by another, it might be time to consult with an attorney.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania. For more information on his Altoona, PA law firm, please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at814-946-4100.

Hypnosis May Be Effective For Chronic Pain


Hypnosis may help control chronic pain, says the Florida Today.  The British Medical Association and the American Medical Association both approved the clinical use of hypnosis more than 50 years ago. The National Institute of Health has also studied the effectiveness of hypnosis on chronic pain and found that hypnosis can provide significant relief for the disorder.  Other research performed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine also found that subjects who had pre-surgery hypnosis had significantly less pain and nausea post-surgery than their counterparts who did not receive hypnosis.

Even though hypnosis has proven effective through research-based studies, many people are still hesitant to use it.  Many doctors have not been trained in hypnosis, and many of them don’t believe in its effects. Many hypnotherapists train their clients how to hypnotize themselves to tune out their pain perceptions.  Hypnotherapists purport that this self-hypnosis is similar to daydreaming or “tuning out” during a meeting. It does not remove the body’s ability to send pain signals, but may change how we perceive the signals.
Alternative medicine may be helpful in situations where traditional medicine is not providing a desired effect to reduce pain. Attorney Doug Stoehr takes claims for clients who have been injured as the result of an accident due to the fault of another and are now experiencing chronic pain.  For more information on his Altoona, PA practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Chronic Pain and Sleep Deprivation

The symptoms of chronic pain may be able to be partially relieved through adequate sleep.  A small new study covered in an article by the Huffington Post spoke about the benefits of sleep aiding many chronic pain conditions.  The study, which used 18 people between 21-35 years of age, tested pain sensitivity after a period of sleep deprivation.  Some subjects then went to bed for a normal amount of time, while others received 10 hours of sleep per night.  All subjects then completed a pain tolerance test which consisted of having subjects leave their finger over a source of heat for as long as possible.  The subjects who stayed in bed longer could keep their fingers over the heat source for 25% longer than those subjects who received less sleep.   Researchers hypothesized that this difference in pain tolerance may have to do with cytokines, which may increase inflammation.  Cytokines are activated when sleep is disrupted or restricted.

People who suffer from chronic pain due to an injury may be able to receive compensation if the injury was due to the fault of another.  Injuries sustained through car crashes, slip and falls, or elder abuse may lead to chronic pain that is long-lasting and detrimental.  If you or a loved one are now dealing with chronic pain due to an accident at the fault of another person, it might be time to consult with an attorney.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  For more information on his law practice, please visit his website athttp://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his law firm at 814-946-4100.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Slipping On The Winter Ice?

Slip and fall injuries tend to increase during the winter months, due to an increase in bad weather, such as sleet, ice, and snow.  These falls may lead to long-lasting and/or painful injuries, such as broken bones, concussions, and loss of consciousness.  Extended damage from such an injury may include chronic pain and nerve damage.

Slip and fall injuries may result from improper care or maintenance of outdoor facilities, like sidewalks, driveways, or steps.  Owners may not promptly shovel their sidewalks, pour rock salt on their steps, or fail to perform other types of common and expected winter maintenance measures.  If an injury occurs due to the improper maintenance of such areas, the owners of the property may be liable for the injury.

If you or a loved one has sustained an injury from a slip and fall accident, it might be time to consult with an attorney.  Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer located in Altoona, PA who serves the western and central Pennsylvania area.  For more information on his legal practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Elder Abuse Horror Story

Elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes is a frequently publicized occurrence and is a significant worry for many family members considering a nursing home for their loved one.  A recent incident of elder abuse in Youngstown, OH was recently covered by Vindy.com.

According to the news report, a 90 year old woman was found beaten and bloody with head injuries, and had to be taken to a hospital from the nursing home in which she was living.  At the nursing home, police collected a blood-soaked gown, bloody rags, and a broken clothes hanger.  The injured woman died a month later.  Police suspect that a nurse's aide attacked the woman, and she has since been fired from the nursing home.   There has been evidence suggesting that the nurse's aide might have been drinking on the night of the attack.  The nursing home promptly began training on elder abuse and stress

Elder abuse and neglect is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.  If you are considering a legal claim due to suspected elder abuse or neglect, Attorney Doug Stoehr takes claims in the central and western Pennsylvania region.  For more information on his legal practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.