Nursing Homes Provide Shelter For Abuse Victims

US News, Health Division, recently covered an article about nursing homes providing shelter for elders suffering from abuse.  The article, published on 3/18/2013,discusses the rising rate of elderly Americans who are being physically and financially abused by their own children.  Overall, elder abuse affects about 10% of aging Americans; much of this abuse comes at the hands of the victim's own family members. About 2 million people abuse their elderly relatives in some way or form.  In order to protect these people, several nursing homes across the country are creating shelters within their buildings to create emergency short-term housing and health care services to abuse victims.  One of these sites is the Hebrew Home in Riverdale, NY, which established an Elder Abuse Prevention center in 2005. 

According to the National Center on Elder Abuse, elder abuse victims often suffer from abuse from a family member or friend who has a substance abuse problem or mental illness.  There is also research to suggest that elderly victims who have a lower cognitive ability suffer from a higher rate of abuse. Some nursing home shelters, like the one mentioned above, take victims that are referred from emergency room staff, police officers, and social service workers.  Some neighbors also make referrals.  These centers also train people to detect elder abuse, such as doormen, clergy, and other people in service related positions. Once an abuse victim is safely in the shelter, they are often integrated into the regular nursing home atmosphere, interacting with other residents and providing necessary support to make the victim feel safe and welcome.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for older Pennsylvanians who have been abused or neglected.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.  Attorney Stoehr takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties.

Camp Hill Workers Fight For Residents' Rights

According to The Sentinel,  Camp Hill nursing home workers are fighting for the rights of their residents.  Workers from the Golden Living Center in Camp Hill have been picketing outside the facility to demand quality care for residents and quality jobs for employees.  The employees are represented by a Pennsylvania nursing home union which has over 10,000 members.  This display from the workers is part of a statewide campaign to make the public aware of the decreasing quality of case for nursing home patients, largely due to staffing issues and shortages of necessary supplies.

Some of the workers from the Golden Living Center also attended a protest at the state capitol building in Harrisburg.  The protest was in support of a state senate bill that would make nursing homes more accountable to be appropriately staffed and have sufficient funding.  It was noted in the article that staffing is the number one complaint of Pennsylvania nursing home workers.  In fact, almost 30% of surveyed nursing home workers said that their facilities are never properly staffed.  Nursing homes and other extended care facilities employ nearly 200,000 PA workers.

The Sentinel also reported that "A recent survey conducted by the Service Employees International Union of nursing home workers across the state found that 68 percent reduced living expenses in 2012 — half of which cut back on food allowances. The survey said 12 percent of employees worked more than one job to make ends meet while 11 percent received public assistance, such as food stamps, and 21 percent insured their children through CHIP or Medicaid programs."

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He takes claims for elderly people who have been abused or neglected in nursing homes or hospitals.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please call his firm at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com. 

Background on Chronic Pain

Information provided through a recent article in the Bangor Daily News suggests that many Americans, over 100 million, suffer from chronic pain. Lower back pain is reported as the most common chronic pain symptom. 
About 10% of American adults report using some type of pain relief drug, whether over-the-counter or prescription. Some of these drugs are anti-inflammatories, which can cause long-lasting to damage to internal organs.  Some of these drugs cause over 15,000 deaths per year and result in over 100,000 hospitalizations.  Additionally, some of these prescriptions are addictive and can result in serious drug abuse.  If painkilling drugs do not effectively manage pain, some patients turn to more aggressive and potentially harmful treatments.  These may include surgery, nerve stimulation, and steroid shots. 

The majority of chronic pain begins in the joints and muscles, but then can move into the central nervous system. There is also research that has shown that persistent pain can re-map brain pathways, making pain worsen over time.  To manage this, it is best to consult with your physician as soon as you begin to feel chronic pain symptoms.  Catching the problem early may make treatment easier, less time consuming, and more effective.

Attorney Doug Stoehr takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain due to an accident or injury due to the fault of another.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please visit his website at  http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

Chronic Pain and Childhood Hunger

The McCook Daily Gazette recently covered an article showing the correlation between childhood hunger and chronic pain as an adult.  Citing a study originating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, many children who frequently missed meals as children may be more prone to physical and psychological issues in adulthood. The university study showed a correlation between childhood hunger and depression in mothers, as well as chronic pain and depression in working-age adults.

The study, which looked at over 4,000 adult surveys, found a link between children who frequently miss meals and the onset of chronic pain and depression as an adult.  The study focused on adults from 25-64 years of age.   According to the article, "childhood conditions that are strongly correlated with the risk of experiencing depression in adulthood may, in fact, also be similar to the childhood conditions that are correlated with chronic pain in adulthood," (McCook Daily Gazette).  Other results of the study show that that the risk of chronic pain increases when you are born to parents with less than 12 years of education as opposed to highly educated parents.


Attorney Doug Stoehr takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain due to an accident or injury due to the fault of another.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please visit his website at  http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

Huffington Post looks at CPS

The Huffington Post recently covered the topic of Central Pain Syndrome (CPS), a neurological condition that affects more that 2 million people across the world.  In a series of video segments about living with chronic pain, The Huffington Post examined the widespread occurrence of CPS.  Considered a rare disease that affects the central nervous system, CPS often goes undiagnosed.  It can be caused by many factors, such as a stroke, and is most often caused by injuries to the spine/brain/nervous system.  One respondent noted that CPS caused her to feel "every sort of pain sensation known to man all at once, all day" (Huffington Post). 
CPS symptoms are just beginning to be recognized as hallmarks of the disorder.  Many CPS patients report feeling like they are burning or have persistent stabbing pain.  Many physicians formerly thought these patients were either falsifying their symptoms or were seeking drugs. However, more doctors are now taking these symptoms seriously and considering CPS when making a medical diagnosis.
Attorney Doug Stoehr takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain due to an accident or injury due to the fault of another.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

Genes and Chronic Pain

Recent studies by McGill University in Canada show that chronic pain may change how DNA is activated in the brain. These changes may continue months after the initial pain-inducing injury.  These DNA changes, called epigenetic changes, can also be a result of changes in environmental conditions, such as stress, diet, exposure to contaminants, and poverty.

Genetic causes for diseases are thought to be inherited and unable to be altered, but epigenetic causes are different in that they come as a result of how genes are activated/inactivated.  As a result, there are some theories that suggest that epigenetic diseases can potentially be altered or reversed. 

McGill researchers examined this theory and discovered a biological mechanism that encodes the memory of an injury into the DNA, by use of a chemical coating called DNA methylation. In cases of chronic pain, by changing or reversing the process of DNA methylation, the symptoms of chronic pain may be reversed. This study is the first to link chronic pain to epigenetic changes in the brain. This study could  change the way that chronic pain is diagnosed, treated, and eliminated.  Pilot studies surrounding altering DNA methylation in labratory mice have found that chronic pain directly corresponds to the amount of DNA methylation in certain regions of the brain.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.   For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com. 

Warning Signs of a Bad Nursing Home

According to US and World News, there are several warning signs you can look for to see if a loved one in a nursing home is recently subpar care.  Many of the warning signs the article noted involve examining your elderly relative's reaction to people and aspects of the home.  In this way, substandard care may become apparent through your loved one's emotional or physical changes, including looking unhealthy, sudden changes in appetite, and becoming easily agitated or fearful around certain people.  Additionally, if your relative mentions that they don't want a particular person to take care of them, that might be a sign of a serious problem, such as abuse or neglect.  If your relative also appears malnourished or dehydrated, that is a definite warning sign of a potential problem.

Another way to examine the care of a nursing home is to examine its staff. If they don't answer or deflect your questions, that may be a sign of a potential problem.  Additionally, if there is a large staff turnover rate and if the staff appear frantic, disorganized, or inadequate, it might be time to examine the nursing home's workings and day-to-day operations further to make sure your loved one's needs are being met.  Also, if you notice that phones are often ringing and remain unanswered consistently, this may be a red flag as to quality of care.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for older Pennsylvanians who have been abused or neglected in nursing homes or hospitals.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.  Attorney Stoehr takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties.

Corbett's Budget May Help and Hurt PA Seniors

A press release by PRNewswire.com on 2/5/2013 covered a recent report by AARP Pennsylvania.  According to the report, Governor Corbett's budget for the next year is proposed to both help and hurt the elderly population of PA.

This budget for 2013-2014 is increasing the lottery-funded programs for seniors by $50M.  These programs benefit both home and community-based programs that offer alternatives for seniors who are living at home as opposed to in a nursing home.  However, that same money is also being used to fill in the gaps left by the state Medicaid budget.  Governor Corbett proposes shifting $309M from lottery earnings to the Medicaid budget.  If this budget passes, it will result in over $1.3B in lottery earnings over the last 6 years to the state Medicaid program.

Although more money is being shifted to Medicaid, AARP is concerned that the Governor's budget does not suggest expanding Medicaid eligibility as recommended by the Affordable Care Act, which would allow over 500,000 insured Pennsylvanians to become insured by 2022 at no cost to the state for the first several years. AARP is also concerned about the pension reform that may affect older Pennsylvanians nearing retirement age.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for older Pennsylvanians who have been abused or neglected in nursing homes or hospitals.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.  Attorney Stoehr takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties.

Looking Out For A Loved One In A Nursing Home

A news article by USNews.com recently directed family members how to look out for an elderly relative in a nursing home.  According to the 2/26/2013 article, there are many ways to assure that your loved one is being properly cared for at their nursing home.

First of all, make sure that you check in with your relative and ask them firsthand how they feeling about their nursing home.  Asking questions, like how comfortable and safe they fell, are good starting points for getting the real feel of the facility. Other important questions to ask are how long it takes for a call button to get answered and if they have formed positive relationships with any staff or other residents.  Also asking questions about what a typical day looks like  may be helpful in determining potential problems within the facility.

Additionally, look around the facility and be alert for unusual sounds and smells.  Do the residents and their clothing also appear clean and taken care of?  Also, listen carefully.  Do you hear silence, laughter, or music? Or do you hear silence or clanking, rattling pipes?   As small as these observations might seem, they may be important for gauging the atmosphere and mood of the facility.

You should be able to check in with the nursing home any time you would like, but is courteous to ask the staff when the best time during the day to call might be.  Many nursing homes often have quarterly conferences to give you and your elderly family member times to catch up with staff and address potential questions/concerns.  Also dropping by the facility unannounced may give you a clear picture of a normal day.

Also be conscious of the fact that the nursing home staff needs several things from you as well.  They need a phone number where they can reach you promptly and efficiently.  They also need you to be respectful of them and their time, since they have very busy and demanding jobs. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who  takes nursing home abuse and neglect cases in the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  He takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties, and his practice is based in Altoona, PA.  For more information on his firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com 

Dangerous Bacteria In Nursing Homes

Dangerous bacteria is invading nursing homes and hospitals across the country, according to a recent report by HealthDay News.  This bacteria is resistant to antibiotics and leads to about a 50% fatality rate.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, this bacteria has been reported in over 200 hospitals and nursing homes.  Almost 5% of U.S. hospitals and almost 20% of nursing homes have reported at least one case of  the bacteria within the first half of 2012. 


This bacteria, known commonly as CRE, is from the same family as E. coli and is resistant to last-resort antibiotics.  The occurrence of CREs in the U.S. has increased 4x in the last ten years, with some strains increasing as much as 7x.  Many CRE infections occur after long-term stays in hospitals, and are also more widespread in nursing homes.

CRE is most commonly transmitted between patients from the hands of healthcare workers.  The most disturbing aspect of this bacterial strain is that it can transfer its antibiotic resistance to similar bacteria.  On the brighter side, other countries who have experienced outbreaks of CRE have effectively reduced the rate of infections in patients.

Attorney Doug Stoehr takes claims for patients in nursing homes who have suffered from an injury due to the fault of another.  Common cases that Attorney Stoehr has handled for clients include slip-and-fall, wrongful death, bed sores, and other personal injury claims.  To learn more about his Altoona, PA firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

Distracted Driving Assemblies in PA

Pennsylvania organizations are teaming up to talk about the serious nature of distracted driving to Pennsylvania teens.  According to TheAutoChannel, the Pennsylvania Assocation for Justice (PAJ), The Casey Feldman Foundation/EndDD,org, and 60forSafety.org are teaming up to discuss ways that teenage drivers can be safer on the road.  Specifically focusing on distracted driving, the program is part of a national movement spearheaded by trial lawyer called "End Distracted Driving".  This program uses a wide variety of material to demonstrate just how much an effect a small distraction can have on driving safety.  The program has already a meeting at a school in Exton, PA.

Many trial lawyers see many accidents involving distracted driving.  Since, by nature, these accidents are preventable, the fact that they occur at all is particularly aggravating. The "End Distracted Driving" program began a year ago and has already reached over 50,000 students nationwide. The creator of this program, Joel Feldman, is a partner at the Philly area law firm of Anapol Swartz.  The creation of this program is due in large part to the death of their daughter, who was a victim of a distracted driving accident in 2009.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is an Altoona based personal injury lawyer who takes claims for many clients who have been injured in automobile accidents.  He also takes cases for victims of distracted driving accidents in Altoona, Blair County, and the seven surrounding counties in Pennsylvania. For more information on his central Pennsylvania practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com

Chronic Pain and Stress Linked In The Brain

Recent research shows that managing stress may also help control the symptoms associated with chronic pain. Researchers from the University of Montreal studied chronic pain and found an association between intensity of pain and reported stress levels, as reported by the Huffington Post.

In this study, about 25 participants were examined, with about half experiencing chronic pain and the other acting as control subjects.  Researchers found that participants with a smaller hippocampus also often had higher cortisol levels, a stress hormone.  Higher levels of cortisol led to increased pain reporting using a scale of intensity. This was commonly seen in subjects who reported chronic pain symptoms.  

The participants were also put into a functional MRI scanner to measure brain activity.  The fMRI results showed that subjects with a smaller hippocampus responded to pain in an area that's also linked to anticipatory anxiety.  Additionally, those same participants were also more likely to have heightened cortisol levels (chronic pain sufferers).  The link between these two areas suggests that, by controlling stress and anxiety, chronic pain symptoms may also be controlled as well. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury attorney who serves the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  His clients include those who now suffer from chronic pain as a result of an injury due to the fault of another.  For more information on his Altoona, PA practice, please visit his website http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

PA Teenage Drivers Safer

Teen drivers in Pennsylvania seem to be driving more safely in recent years, according to the Radnor Patch and AAA.com.  AAA, Mid-Atlantic region, recently reported that the driving deaths of early teenage drivers has decrease in Pennsylvania.  This is opposite of the national trend, which saw an increase of 19% in early teenage driving deaths.

Taking data from the first half of 2012, six teenage drivers between the ages of 16-17 died in automobile accidents.  This is a decrease of 4 from the same six months of 2011.  Nationally, the death toll in this age range between the first six months of 2011 to 2012 increased from 202 to 240.

Some AAA representatives feel that the decreased driving deaths for Pennsylvania teens is due to the recent legislation that tightened up teenage driving rules in PA.  It is also important to recognize the parent's role in keeping teenage drivers safe as well. Teaching teens proper road safety and etiquette is the first step to avoiding a potentially fatal accident. 

Others are concerned that the improving economy will lead more teens to travel longer distances in cars, either for work or pleasure, which could potentially lead to more automobile accidents.  Either way, at the moment, Pennsylvania teens are proving to the state that they can be safe and responsible on the road.

For more information about automobile accidents and their related personal injury claims, please visit Altoona area personal injury lawyer Doug Stoehr's website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com. You can also call his law firm at 814-946-4100.