Elder Safety

Much research has been focused on the consequences of texting while driving and indeed any cellphone usage at the wheel.  But that’s far from the only distraction confronting modern drivers.  In fact, a new study takes a look at how dangerous it can be to drive with an unrestrained pet in the vehicle. The University… read more

The newest iteration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report details the ever-increasing risks faced by pedestrians as they age.  Hopefully, government officials can begin to understand these trends and install the types of safety mechanisms that can go a long way toward protecting persons on foot. The research… read more

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration may soon reconfigure its ratings system slightly to take into account how certain subsets of the population might react during a crash.  When a new automobile comes onto the market, the NHTSA rates it as part of something known as the New Car Assessment Program.  Since 1978, a vehicle… read more

The Napa Fire Department recently sent a contingent of members to a Senior Activity Center in Napa Valley to field questions and provide tips on staying safe in the event of an emergency, and some of the advice would hold true anywhere.  The officials stressed the importance of calling 911 in the event of any… read more

A new article talks about the efforts of a special assistant with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office to raise awareness of and cut down on instances of financial abuse of the elderly.  She became so concerned about the issue that she ditched her previous position as a beauty salon supervisor in order to pursue… read more

As we age, common hazards scattered throughout the home that we never thought about before begin to showcase their ability to cause an injury.  What used to not seem like a big deal can be the impetus for a serious calamity that requires extensive medical care.  To make sure that your home doesn’t pose any… read more

A series of investigations has been prompted after a nurse with the Bakersfield-based Glenwood Gardens retirement home refused to provide CPR to a resident, but even as those investigations get carried out, the family of the now-deceased resident has expressed satisfaction with the way the facility carried out the woman’s care.  The possibility of elder… read more

Glenwood Gardens, a retirement home in Bakersfield, is being scrutinized in the media because of a nurse’s refusal to provide a resident with CPR that could have saved the woman’s life.  An 87 year old woman collapsed at the facility, and her breathing was compromised.  A nurse called 911 and reported the incident, but when… read more

Elder abuse is a serious problem taking place all across the country, and one form of abuse that sadly goes unreported far too often is financial abuse.  A new report estimates that only about 20% of instances of elder abuse is reported to the necessary authorities, and financial abuse alone leads to $3 billion in… read more

A recent poll conducted by AARP has brought to light how seniors throughout the state of Florida feel about various matters pertaining to safety.  By querying nearly 900 persons older than 50, it was discovered that around 90% of respondents think that nursing home quality standards require better oversight.  The same number of people believe… read more

Caregivers hope that a new law mandating new elder abuse reporting procedures will assist the police in investigating instances of crime and thus cut down on such incidents in the future.  At the beginning of this year, a new measure was enacted that tasks caregivers with getting in touch with police the moment they suspect… read more

Officials in El Dorado County are growing increasingly concerned about the number of instances of elder abuse in the area.  Officials estimate that 2012 saw an increase of 9% in the number of occurrences.  That number could be attributable to better classification of incidents, or it could be a sign of a more insidious trend…. read more