Saturday, December 14, 2013

Nursing Home Reviews - Which One is the Best?


Reading nursing homes reviews helps a lot when it comes to looking for the most suitable nursing homes in the market. However, there are a lot of N home reviews that are done based primarily on advertising which is more of a promotional sales pitch rather than an impartial review about a specific N home truthfully.

In looking for an unbiased and truthful review of a N home, you must first look for the following telltale signs that the specific N home review you are reading is indeed genuine. N Home reviews are commonly done by Medical organizations that evaluate residential and N homes. These organizations know all registered N homes within each state, and they produce reviews for each of them so that people who are interested in looking for suitable nursing homes can refer to them.

The best reviews should also contain a good checklist used for evaluating the nursing home. The facilities, the staff, the activities and other miscellaneous things being offered by the N home should be available in nursing home reviews. Ratings and comments should also included by the organization so that the nursing home itself could use the review to improve their services for the elderly.

The best N home reviews are usually done by organizations, and not by the N home itself. After all, why should they publish something that puts their institution in a bad light? Knowing the organization reviewing the N home further, and deciding whether their review is indeed credible, is the only way for you to search for the best N home offered in your state today.

Visiting Angels Franchise Review - Franchise Facts


Introduction:Jeffrey Johnson worked as the Director of the Social Work department in a Baltimore nursing home in the Maryland area in the 1980's. During his tenure at the nursing home, he listened to families expressing their frustration about the limited options and alternatives available in the assisted living centers or nursing facilities. This motivated Jeffrey Johnson to start Visiting Angels in the year 1992. Visiting Angels was set up to provide facilities to seniors citizens through in-home caregivers who are experienced in this field.

In 1998, three other directors joined Jeffrey and established Visiting Angels home care agencies into a nationwide network. Two of the directors had extensive experience in operating private duty that was non-medical through self-owned home care agencies. In a period of just 4 years, this goal of the company had been realized completely.

Philosophy of the Franchise:The philosophy of the directors of the Visiting Angels has always been related to their business of care giving. They believe that their business should provide senior citizens, as well as other people who are in need of home care, the best care and facilities possible while completely respecting the group of the care-giving staff. The directors believe that their network of Visiting Angels franchises of home care agencies should have the best training and support possible. This will help them in providing top-quality care to elderly clients wherever the need comes up. This has made Visiting Angels the "America's Choice in Homecare".

Business Operations:The franchise business is very strong. As a senior market company, it is very clear that this will give you an opportunity where you can learn more and your growth factor will be permanent. Visiting Angels can be a good franchise option for you if you are looking forward to the senior and basic health care industry. This senior industry is not only a profitable service but also a growing industry for many. The Visiting Angels missions are to be independent and give dignity to their customers by giving them service of the highest level, helping to keep them in private home care, as well as to have responsible managers. All of these facilities come at a very reasonable price. As there is a growth in the population, the needs of inexpensive, but quality care services are also on the rise.

This franchise can be an excellent choice for those who are looking to contribute to the senior market.

Cost and Fees:

Total Investment to be paid initially: $51,800-$78,900

Royalty Fee which has to be paid: 2.95%-2%

Initial Franchise Fee which has to be paid: $25,990-$47,200

Term of Agreement: 10 years

Renewal Fee: $2.5K

Advertising Fees: N/A

Visiting Angels is a good option for those who want to invest in the senior care market. Make your choice and contribute to the senior care industry.

Long-Term Success Hinges on Silent Generation


During the next 20 years, the last members of the Greatest Generation (those born 1924 or earlier) will be cycling out of assisted living and members of the Silent Generation (those born between 1925 and 1942) will become assisted living's principal customers. With the average age of entry into assisted living today being 83, the Silent Generation- whose oldest members are this age at the time of this writing- are just beginning to cross the threshold of assisted living residences. In 20 years, their youngest members will be 86 years of age.

About 95 percent of members of the Silent Generation are retired today. This group has been labeled conformist, believes in the status quo, adapters, people who went along and got along. Members of the Silent Generation have not been seen as risk takers-for example, only 2 percent took the risk to be self-employed, whereas the majority included long-term employees of companies that provided them a good living, good benefits, and retirement pensions.

The Silent Generation, however, may mistakenly be perceived as a group unlikely to clamor for change, and the assisted living industry should not be too complacent. The Silent Generation has taken a stand on some issues. It legitimized divorce, for example. After marrying at an average age of 23 years for men and 20 for women, the "divorce epidemic" was started among men and women born between 1930 and 1940 who showed the biggest age-bracket jump in divorce rate in history. And the Silent Generation can claim kinship with one of the greatest leaders for social change in American history, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The growth of assisted living during the next 20 years will depend on how the next generation of consumers views this long-term care alternative. Several factors will be influential: their level of family support, economic resources, health status, and the availability of technology.

FAMILY SUPPORT. Many among the next generation of senior living customers will have adult children. Ninety-four percent of women in the Silent Generation became mothers and stayed home, where they raised an average of 3.3 children. So unlike many of their daughters, women of the Silent Generation may have children to support them when they need help. And, although not all adult children will behave the same way, many will want the same independence for their parents as they will want for themselves.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK. Tomorrow's assisted living consumers may be reluctant to spend money unless they see clear benefit and value from the products and services they purchase. Children of the Great Depression and the upheavals of World War II, the Silent Generation is not inclined to take on debt or financial risk. This group has learned to weather the storm.

Although a majority of the upcoming generation of potential assisted living customers own their homes, their annual household income has stagnated- there has not been a net real increase in family incomes among age 50 and older households since 1999. The estimated median annual household incomes of the target market sector, 75-plus years of age, are expected to increase only 2.5 percent during the next five years. At best, this increase will only keep pace with inflation.

If the price of assisted living charged to customers keeps pace with inflation, the proportion of consumers with sufficient funds to afford out-of-pocket payments is likely to shrink. On the positive side, the proportion of households relying on Social Security for more than half of their income has also been shrinking.

HEALTH STATUS. Health trends among the target market sector for assisted living have begun to trend downward. The proportion of individuals at least 75 years of age who report that their health is "excellent" or "very good" dropped from 35 percent to 31 percent between 1994 and 2004. Thus, the number of individuals who will need assistance may increase during the next 20 years.

The factor that bears the greatest share of the blame in the health decline is the proportion of the populace that is overweight or obese. The proportion that is fit, in that they are not overweight or obese, has declined dramatically in the past decade. It is projected that the obesity epidemic will reduce recent gains in longevity.

USE OF TECHNOLOGY. Technologies are likely to enhance the quality of the living environment and improve service delivery in the coming years. Use of computers has increased dramatically, as has cell phone usage. Still, the segment moving into assisted living in at least the first part of the next decade will be more likely not to have adopted newer technologies. Further in the future, however, new and better technologies will emerge that will enable people to communicate better, more easily, and more affordably with each other, even at long distances. Assisted living residences that learn to take advantage of technologies to help provide opportunities for residents to have more rewarding interactions and intelligent discourse with family, friends, and professionals will help improve their prospects with future customers.

RN to MSN - What You Need to Know


RN to MSN is classified as a nursing bridge program which enables Registered Nurses to obtain their MSN (Masters Degree in Nursing) immediately after earning their BSN. The classes are tailored to meet the specific needs of each student; therefore, nurses are able to eliminate any overlap between MSN and BSN courses, as they receive the maximum amount of advanced placement credit for their BSN work as possible.

RN to MSN Overview

Admissions Requirements

While schools tend to vary in the requirements they are looking for, the following things are typically required:

-A valid RN license

-An overall GPA of 3.0

-A Graduate from an accredited diploma program/associate degree

-BLS Certification

-Diversity of experience, e.g. fluent in other languages, knowledge of other cultures, study abroad

-Personal Goal Statement

-A transcript (official) of all schools attended

-3 Reference Letters

-Work Experience

-Non-Academic Considerations

-Extracurricular Activities

-General education requirements for the BSN completed (55-58 credits)

How Much is Tuition for RN to MSN Programs?

Just as programs differ in admission requirements and content, they also differ in cost. While a state school is substantially cheaper ($12,000) than a private school ($60,000), the quality of education will not compare to what you would receive at a private school. These fees exclude books, lab fees and registration, so make sure you include these costs when budgeting for your education.

For those who may need financial aid, scholarships, loans and grants are often available.

How Important is Accreditation?

Enrolling in a program which has been accredited is a must. Accreditation proves that the education you will receive will adequately prepare you to enter the workforce.

Career Advancement

An RN to MSN program opens up many doors for registered nurses. However, career advancement depends on the specialization chosen. This includes:

-Clinical Nurse Specialist

-Certified Nurse Midwife

-Nurse Administrator

- Nurse Anaesthetist

-Nurse Educator

-Nurse Executive

-Nurse Practitioner

-Nurse Researcher

Nurses who hold a MSN degree have greater career opportunities available to them than nurses who hold an RN diploma or a BSN degree. Some opportunities which are available are in executive or teaching positions; these are very well paid in demand positions with very attractive benefits. If a nurse decides against an executive or teaching role, he/she can choose to go down the clinical path route, with pay being substantially higher than a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Practitioner, Registered Nurse, and in fact higher than the vast majority of positions in the field of nursing.

MSN degree holders can also practice under the supervision of a physician - this type of role is called a "Physician Extender," as nurses are able to offer care to patients, and increase the productivity of the physician's office, all without compromising patient care.

How Can I Choose the Best RN to MSN Program?

Accreditation

As mentioned, accreditation is very important. Therefore, narrow your selections to only those schools which have been fully accredited. If you don't, you can waste your time, money and energy on a degree which is often regarded as worthless.

Specialization

To ensure you choose the right specialization, ask yourself what your goals are. Do you want to pursue a career in education or administration, stay in clinical nursing, or become a Nurse Anaesthetist etc? This is a vital step, as not only will it affect the position you will be able to hold, but also because not all programs offer the same specializations.

One more thing to keep in mind is whether you prefer a classroom based program, or an online program.

Cost

As mentioned, the cost of an this type of bridge program varies significantly for a state school compared to a private school. You must find out which type of school you can afford, and then discover and apply for any financial aid/or and scholarships which may be available. It is also worth seeing whether a tuition reimbursement program is offered by your employer.

Work Experience Credit

One last thing to consider is whether the program you are planning to apply to will give you credit for the work experience, or any course you may have already taken. If the answer is yes, the cost of the program may be lower, and you may be able to complete a RN to MSN program in a shorter amount of time. As each school has their own specific policy regarding credit, you should ask the school what their policy is.

At times, nursing can be a challenging career, but with the satisfaction of knowing that you can make a difference to peoples' lives, it all becomes worth it. Anyone who wants to evolve beyond the position of a RN and/or wants to earn more money should seriously consider enrolling in an RN to MSN program

Incompetence Means You Pay More!


During a recent property tax appeal case we were shocked to hear the local property tax assessor make the statement, "Have him close the business and I'll consider lowering the taxes". We looked at one another in sheer amazement and before I could inform the assessor that he had just admitted to taxing the business enterprise as opposed to strictly the real estate, Clay had taken out a legal pad and said "Wait! Let me quote you on that!" The confident assessor gladly made the statement once again unaware of the fact Clay was actually documenting the quote to be utilized later during a formal appeals board hearing. Real Estate Taxes are just that, a tax that is attributable to the real estate only. This assessor made it quite clear that this personal care facility was being taxed, not only on its real estate, land plus improvements, but on the business enterprise (intangible assets) associated with the business occupying the improved property.

Appraisal literature features an abundance of articles addressing the valuation of various properties with a focus on the segregation of intangible components from the tangible assets. Most state laws hold only real property and other tangible assets subject to taxation so the importance of separating these components of value is most apparent in property tax assessment. Intangible assets, though they may enhance the value of the total operating enterprise, are not subject to ad valorem taxes.

Commercial property, especially nursing homes, personal care centers, assisted living center and hospitality owners should analyze their ad valorem tax obligation immediately. We continue to find that most assessors are incorrect in the way they are assessing these specialized types of properties. Many times these properties sell and transfer including not only the real estate but the businesses themselves. The majority of the assessing officials will simply assess the property at this sale price, which often times not only include the real estate but also the personal property and business enterprise value (BEV) which is also referred to as going-concern value.

Valuing the going concern is fairly straightforward using discounted cash flow techniques or an income capitalization approach. The difficulty arises when there is a need to decompose the going concern value into the various elements as required for assessment and condemnation assignments.

In distinguishing between BEV and real estate value, it is fundamental to recognize that income generated from a business conducted within the real estate is not the appropriate measure of real estate value. Instead, that income is the value of the going concern. For many special purpose properties, the business enterprise component is substantial, so the potential for error is large if going concern value and real estate value are confused.

In using the Income Approach, it must be kept in mind that the proprietary nursing home is more than a real estate entity consisting of land and buildings. It is a facility equipped and staffed for providing personal services. Recognition must be given to this factor in the form of a "business profit" to the owner of operator.

The real estate alone (land and buildings) is not the preponderant income-producing factor as in a facility such as an apartment building. A nursing home provides many personal services to its occupants as part of the charge for occupying a room or a bed. These include food, nursing care on a 24-hour basis, and a limited amount of entertainment....The proprietary nursing home is a "special use" property. As such, the market is quite limited. Furthermore, the special design limits the alternate uses for the real estate.

During a recently settled case of a property containing both a personal care facility and an assisted living center, we argued that the personal care facility added no value and in fact was a determent to the overall property. This was based upon the KY required payment arrangement of $37.80 per bed per day and that no prudent investor would even attempt to buy the property and continue this center based on that income. This is attributed to the going-concern and was provided to the assessor to demonstrate the lack of current success of the business within the real estate. In addition this property suffered an immeasurable amount of functional obsolescence as it was constructed in 1969. The assessor agreed and explored alternative uses for the assisted living center and was also of the opinion it did not represent the highest and best use of the property. The total assessment was lowered from $6,087,100 to $4,000,000 with an annual tax saving of $29,267 or $146,337 over the next five years. The total savings are immeasurable as they are carried into perpetuity due to the fact there is a new starting point ($4,000,000) in which the assessment may be raised in the future.

The land and buildings are not the chief income-producing factors in a nursing home......The value of a nursing home is enhanced by its reputation and good will in the medical and nursing field and in the community at large.

If a firm is prosperous it does not want to sell except for a bonus; if it is bankrupt, it often sells at a bargain upset price; and in neither case is true value measured. When Dodge Bros., automobile manufactures was purchased by capitalists, it was reported that an allowance of many millions of dollars in stock was paid for goodwill.

It is therefore readily understood that a law requiring property to be assessed at its actual value, its real value, its cash value, its market cash value or its full cash value does not mean its "transaction value" where cash paid represents but a fraction of the sales price, nor does it mean the all cash price paid at a forced sale.

This intangible value is not generally taxable. A tax assessor is often confused when an industrial property sells at a figure greatly above the assessed value. He has not the information at hand from which to fathom the intricacies of patent rights, goodwill, etc., and often the problem is left unsolved.

Ad valorem tax is one of the only taxes one pays that is based upon someone's opinion of value. Incompetence means you pay more! Don't let an incompetent assessor cost you thousands of dollars by making you pay more than your fair share by including BEV!

By Bryan S. Reynolds and Clay J. Wells

Independent Assisted Living Retirement Communities - The Perfect Solution for Many


When you go to choose how to spend your retirement years, time should be spent considering where you want to live. As housing takes up a great deal of your income, choices may be limited. Some seniors choose to stay in their own home as long as possible while others prefer to move to a retirement community where they will be surrounded by other seniors who share similar interests. Nursing homes are available for those who need around the clock care. What about those who fall in between and need some help taking care of themselves, but want to remain as independent as possible? Independent assisted living is the perfect solution.

An independent assisted living arrangement is perfect for those who can live on their own for the most part, but do need some help with basic daily activities. Research has shown that those who choose this type of retirement setting do so because they need help with an average of three daily activities. This may be bathing, cooking, cleaning or medication. Once the staff has helped with these activities, the resident then goes on with daily life as he or she would if they lived in their home or an active retirement community. It is like having the best of both worlds. The level of care is based on the needs of each individual resident. It is not one size fits all.

Why so many prefer this option is that it allows for more privacy and independence. The senior will still have his or her own apartment or unit. Staff will only come in during the times when the resident needs help. Otherwise, the resident can spend the rest of the day doing as he or she pleases. As many who find themselves in need of care now grew up very independent, this allows them to maintain that freedom without sacrificing quality care and basic needs.

When choosing an independent assisted living facility, there is one thing that you may wish to consider. If you find that your needs change and that you need more care throughout the day or even continuous care, moving to a new facility could be a hassle. You may wish to find a facility that offers both types of care in the same location. This would make the transition much easier for the resident as well as family members involved in the process. Best of all, staying in the same location may allow for more continuity of care. If a problem arises, the staff in the new section may be able to call on the staff from the old section for advice and guidance. This may not be possible if two facilities are involved.

Take care when choosing an independent assisted living retirement facility or community. Be sure to check the staff and also speak with other residents about the care they have received. Retirement living in any form is not cheap so you want to know you are getting the best possible care for what you can afford. Making a move at this stage of life is not as easy as it used to be so you don't want to have to do this unless absolutely necessary. A thorough vetting before you move in can help to prevent this.

Why Do Wandering Management Systems in Nursing Homes Fail?


Most senior living facilities have wandering management systems to help ensure the safety of residents afflicted with Dementia or Alzheimer's symptoms. Symptoms that may lead to wandering and Elopement.

The leading causes of death or injury in these situations are:

Exposure to heat or cold
Drowning
Traffic related injuries

Problems that occur and lead to deaths are:

Staff
In my opinion, the most important part of any wander management program is the staff. Different facilities shape their staff's response to an alarm differently. Some facilities only rely on some of their personnel to respond to alarms, while others take an all hands on deck approach. In either case, the responders must be engaged and vigilant. Staff engagement begins with assessments, is maintained with vigilance and ends with responsiveness. Problems occur when this breaks down. These systems can be affected by radio or electrical interference. In extreme cases staff have been known to turn off the system because it annoys them. I have heard of cases where an employee unplugs the system from an outlet to plug in a vacuum cleaner and forgets to plug it back in.

Ask the facility some basic questions. How often do they run drills? How often and how in depth does the facility test the door systems, transmitters and staff? How old is the system?

Then find out about these elements of the system,

Coverage Area
Sometimes facilities simply do not cover all exits at risk. Why? Maybe the facility has never had an elopement, except for that one time. Maybe it's a financial concern. It could be they think the wanderers always go out the front door. In my experience wanderers have a lot of time on their hands, they spend most of it trying to get out unless they have activities to do. If they have that one moment of clarity while they are trying to get out, they will. They may think that a resident would not think to go out the kitchen, storage, chapel or laundry door. Inevitably over time, these are the doors the residents elope from.

System Age
It is a fact some nursing homes still have some doors covered with wander systems from the early nineties. These systems may function but the newer systems work so much better. The newer system have anti-tailgating features, better antennas, more elaborate bypasses. Older systems usually have a two button bypass that have the bypass code keys worn off or are simple enough that the wanderers watch staff or visitors and learn the code. Keep in mind a recently renovated building doesn't mean an updated wandering system. They can be moved from door to door.

Design and Functionality
Is the facility using a system they implemented ten years ago? If the system was put in ten years ago does the design still relate to their staffing levels or foot traffic flow. Do they give bypass codes to visitors or delivery drivers.

These are just a few of the top concerns you may want to investigate when putting your at-risk family member in a home. Not all wandering prevention systems or plans are created equal.

Friday, December 13, 2013

How to Make a Claim Following a Needle Stick Injury Suffered in the Workplace


It is a well known fact that healthcare workers are most at risk of needle-stick injuries in the workplace. Healthcare workers do not only include clinical staff (i.e. doctors and nurses etc.), but non-clinical ancillary staff such as receptionists and ward clerks who may have social contact with patients. However, these are not the only group of workers that are vulnerable and needle-stick injuries also occur in other areas of work such as the police force and amongst youth workers, who are all constantly at risk.

The injury itself suffered is not of course the important aspect for accident victims. It is the psychological impact of having to wait for HIV and related tests to be carried out to determine if any infection has been acquired. Many victims suffer depression and extremely low moods during the testing phase and these are issues which generally may need medical attention.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, the main risk posed by needle-stick injury to workers is when the worker is exposed to blood-borne viruses ("BBV"). Whilst there are certain protective vaccines available, not all types of BBVs can be protected against. The most common way in which a BBV infection is acquired is when a worker is exposed to infected blood. For example, with nurses and doctors, this may be whilst carrying out a medical procedure where the skin is scratched or punctured by a surgical knife or needle.

A recent 7-year study was conducted by the Health Protection Agency ('Eye of the Needle'). The report clearly stated that needle-stick injuries were the most commonly reported type of exposure and the majority of incidents were amongst healthcare workers. The following extract was taken from the report and provides a clear indication of the number of needle-stick incidents within the healthcare profession:

"Percutaneous injury was the most commonly reported type of exposure [78% (1,664/2,140)], with nursing related professions representing 45% (962/2,140) of the initial reports and medical professionals (doctors and dentists) accounting for 37% (793/2,140). If this is compared to the numbers of nurses and doctors practising, it suggests that within their professional group, there are a greater number of reported injuries among doctors"

Whilst there are clearly a large number of incidents amongst clinical staff, the study reports that 2% of the exposures occurred in non-clinical ancillary staff. However, majority of these were sustained from wrongfully disposing needles in rubbish bags. It is clear that many of these incidents were preventable by adhering to procedures for the safe handling and disposal of needles and other clinical waste.

Perhaps more could be done by the healthcare providers to ensure that staff adhere to disposal procedures? For example, failure to dispose of needles in the correct bins could lead to an employee being disciplined. This would encourage healthcare workers to take more care when disposing of needles or other clinical waste to help reduce the number accidental exposures each year. Ultimately, it is quite clear that any reduction is largely dependent on the training and high quality education by healthcare providers and all healthcare workers should be made fully aware of the organisational procedures in place to reduce their exposure to these types of injuries.

If you have been injured in this way then you may be entitled to make a needlestick injury compensation claim Specialist solicitors will be able to advise you on whether your employer should be held accountable for your injuries.

Fighting Depression With Assisted Living


Fighting depression is an important part of staying healthy while we age. For many seniors, the answer lies within assisted living. This might seem like it doesn't make much sense, but in reality, it is quite simple. Many senior citizens face depression because their lifestyles have changed. For instance, they may have recently lost a spouse or another close family member. Or, they might feel isolated because of the difficulty that they have leaving their home. While depression is an organic illness, it is quite possible to treat it via other methods besides antidepressants. Psychiatrists generally approach their treatment of depression through a three-fold manner: medication, exercise, and counseling.

Living in an assisted living facility most closely resembles the counseling section of the generally accepted treatment approach. Being surrounded by their peers, it is more difficult to feel the isolation that one might experience if they were cooped up in their home all day. And while being around people that care for you might not exactly replace a lost loved one, it can still give you the feeling of self worth that may have begun to disintegrate. Assisted living really is therapeutic for many senior citizens because of this reason.

The importance of the social aspect of assisted living cannot be overstated. There are many studies out there that show that being around your peers can help fight off depression. There are also studies that indicate that good mental health will often translate into better physical health, too. By staying ahead with your mental health, you are going to be taking better care of your total body health. This is a very important part of aging in a healthy manner.

Exercise also is a vital part of staying depression free. The science behind this is actually pretty simple. Prolonged aerobic activity elevates levels of serotonin within the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter chemical that resides within our brains. When serotonin levels are up, the electrical impulses that our neurons (brain cells) use to communicate are sent much more easily. A fast firing brain is less likely to be a depressed brain.

What does this have to do with assisted living? Well, people are much more likely to exercise when their peers are doing so too. In assisted living, they often facilitate group exercise activities a few times a week. More importantly, in a regulated setting like an assisted living facility, there are activities designed expressly for senior citizens. While an elderly person might struggle to exercise on their own, in a secure place complete with trained supervision, exercise becomes a whole lot safer.

These combined features make assisted living residents much less likely to suffer from depression. It won't cure everyone, but it severely reduces the mental stress that someone is under. This can only have positive results.

LPN Salary Information


If you are thinking about becoming an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse), you undoubtedly want to know how much the typical LPN salary is. While the average salary stands at $46,000 a year in the USA, there are several variables which come into play which can affect the salary.

Factors Affecting LPN Salary

1. Healthcare Facility
LPNs can be found working in hospitals, clinics, nursing care centers, private homes and doctor's offices. While the job duties are similar, the salary differs depending on where one works.

Nursing Home: $42,400

Retirement Home: $31,900

Hospital: $39,950

Home healthcare services: $42,400

Doctor's offices and clinics: $36,800

2. Location
The location of where an LPN works plays an important role in affecting the salary of LPNs. Sometimes the difference in salary can be quite large, especially if you compare an LPN working in a metropolitan area to a suburban area.

High Paying States

California: $50,000

Connecticut: $52,250

New Jersey: $50,200

New Mexico: $49,720

Rhode Island: $50,100

High Paying Metropolitan Areas

Albuquerque, NM: $55,980

Oakland -Fremont-Hayward, CA: $57,100

Salinas, CA: $60,000

San Jose, CA: $57,050

San Francisco - San Mateo, CA: $55,550

3. Experience
Whatever the career, the more experience a person has, the more they will be paid - working as a licensed practical nurse is no exception. Take a look at the average LPN salary relative to experience:

Less than 1 year: $28,000 - $45,000

1 to 4 years: $30,000 - $48,000

5 to 9 years: $31,000 - $51,000

10 to 19 years: $32,000 - $ $54,000

20 years>: $35,000 - $56,000

How Career Advancement Affects LPN Salary

As mentioned, moving to a different state, acquiring more experience or working in a different healthcare facility all play a role in affecting an LPN salary. However, many LPNs decide to advance their careers, not only to earn a higher wage but also to take on more job responsibility which results in a more rewarding career. Many LPNs take their career to the next level by becoming "Change Nurses," meaning that they have the additional responsibility of supervising other LPNs working in the healthcare facility. However, this position is not available in all healthcare settings - nursing homes seem to employ the highest percentage of change nurses.

Many LPNs have taken to advancing their career by going back to school and completing an LPN to RN Bridge program. As a registered nurse is able to earn double the amount an LPN earns and has a higher level of job responsibility, it is no surprise that enrolling in this type of bridge program is a popular choice.

Now you know what the average LPN salary is relative to location, experience and setting. While the majority of people do not go into the nursing field for the money, most people would agree that money matters. If you are one of the many people who shares this opinion, it is recommended that you enrol in an LPN to RN bridge program as soon as possible to advance your career, and thus start earning a higher salary.

Nursing Assistants Can Make More Money As A Home Health Aide


In today's economy, it would be imperative to increase a person's chances in obtaining work, by diversifying your career. As a Nursing Assistant there are opportunities available, but as a Home Health Aide you can add additional skills to your resume. This educational addition will take less time than a Nursing Assistant training.

Nursing Assistants work with multiple patients in various medical institutions and preform care such as bathing, grooming, transferring, and taking vital signs.These are skills that can lead the nursing aide to higher positions in nursing. Health Care is always needing competent staff to assist with patient care. So, it only makes sense for a Nursing Aide to work in home care. The skills are easily transferred to a Home Health Aide. An Aide takes care of patients in their homes. An aide takes care of one patient at a time. An Aide can work eight or twelve hours a shift. These shifts are assigned to the Home Health Aide by the Home Care Coordinator. The H.H.A can also work overnight in the patients home. This can be for three or four days straight.

The amount of pay may be capped off at a rate of sixteen hours for the day, because you will be sleeping and will not be paid when your sleeping.The advantage of this set up is that a certified nursing assistant can receive a Home Health Aide certification, by taking a conversion class at an agency that converts certified nursing assistant to H.H.A. This usually takes one day of class, which goes over additional skills that are not performed by Nursing Assistants, such as cooking, shopping, reviewing the plan of care, and safety in the field. Since Nursing Assistants already have the medical training background, which covers infection control, care of the elderly, bed making, one person transfer with a hydraulic lift, and light housekeeping their training conversion is fast. So, after the training is complete the student not only already has a nursing assistant license, but also obtains a home health aide certification. which makes that individual more marketable in this economy. The certificate remains valid as long as the Home Health Aide comes in for in service during the year. If the person does not work as a home health aide for two years, the certificate will expire. Then the individual must take the one day class over.

Chlorine - The Great, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!


Chlorine History: Leviticus 2:13 1446 BC, Matthew 5:13, Mark 9:50

Possibly the earliest recorded use and form of chlorine is found is the scriptures cited above. Since the beginning when humans first walked the earth, chlorine has been an essential element for survival. Without sodium chloride (salt), there would be no life. Chlorine and chlorine-related compounds, used as disinfectants and pharmaceuticals have saved more lives than any other chemical in the history of the human race. The largest source of sodium chloride is obviously the ocean. There is a limitless supply.

Every generation seems to multiply the uses of chlorine. There could not be life as we know it without chlorine. Chlorine has become so essential to modern life that it is "the single material on which production of other chemicals most depend". One might well say the chlorine is universal in its uses.

The earths crust is composed of 0.045% chlorine compounds and the earths seas are 2.9%. Chlorine always has been one of the most common elements in nature, more plentiful than carbon. In our blood, skin and teeth, chlorine compounds occur naturally.

In a small experimental laboratory in 1774, the Swedish pharmacist Karl Wilhem Scheele place a few drops of hydrochloric acid onto a piece of manganese dioxide. Immediately, a green yellowish gas arose. He did not realize that he had just discovered chlorine. The word chlorine was first classified as an element by Humphrey Davy in 1810. He named it after the Greek word chloros, which means pale green.

Chlorine was first used in 1846 as a germicide to prevent the spread of "child bed fever" in maternity wards of Vienna General Hospital in Austria. It has become the world's most potent weapon against infectious diseases.

In 1850, John Snow used chlorine for water disinfection at the Broad Street Pump water supply in London after an outbreak of cholera. In 1897, Sims Woodhead used a bleach solution to sterilize potable water distribution mains in England following a typhoid outbreak.

Maurice Duyk the Belgian chemist developed chlorine gas in 1893 and this made possible disinfection of drinking water. That same year chlorine was first applied as a disinfectant of a plant scale basis in Hamburg, Germany. The first full scale chlorine installation disinfection plant was in 1908 in Chicago at the Bubbly Creek Filter Plant. In 1914 the Department of the Treasury enacted for drinking water.

Since 1908, America has used chlorination as its principle disinfectant for waterborne infectious diseases. Chlorine and filtration of drinking water are credited as being responsible for the 50% increase in life expectancy over the last 97 years. Filtration and chlorine has also been credited as being the most significant public health developments by many magazines and periodicals since their inception.

After successes in England, the use of chlorine began to spread rapidly and in 1908 was used in Jersey City, New Jersey. Water born diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery and hepatitis were literally eliminated as the use of chlorine spread rapidly. Today, 98% of community water treatment systems use chlorine and are benefiting over 220,000,000 people in North America.

Chlorine was the first deadly gas used in warfare. It was used in World War I as a weapon on April 22, 1915 at Ypres by the Germans. When the wind was blowing in just the right direction toward the American front lines, they released the chlorine gas which rapidly killed about five thousand Americans. It was more effective than the German forces estimated it would be but they were not strong enough to defend the area gained by the chlorine gas. Some compounds of chlorine like phosgene, chloropicrin and mustard gas are even more deadly.

Very few innovations or discoveries have been made in the use of chlorine after the first 70 years. Chlorine is still the most widely used method of disinfection used in the United States, but other areas of the world are beginning to use other methods of disinfection with increased frequency.

Many Valuable Uses: Since 1846 when chlorine was first used as a germicide, it has become much more than most people realize. Due to its ability to combine and react with other elements and compounds, chlorine is now a key building block of modern life. Almost every product made today benefits from chlorine chemistry. Chlorine makes water safe to drink, produces life-saving drugs and medical equipment, shields police and fire fighters, protects crops, comes to the rescue in disasters, and cleans and disinfects everything in or around the home. Hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, restaurants, schools, businesses and manufacturers all depend on chlorine.

The miracles of modern medicine are made possible by chlorine. About 85% of all medicines contain or are manufactured using chlorine. These medicines are then place in vinyl bags or bottles made with chlorine based products.

Chlorine saves lives! Aside from disinfectants and medicines, chlorine is a principle component of protective equipment such as bullet resistant vest, bullet resistant glass (actually special plastic made using chlorine chemistry), helmets, flame-resistant clothing, seat belts and air bags. Many thousands of lives have been saved using these products.

Every year, approximately 12 million tons of chlorine is produced in North America alone. The chlorine industry employs nearly 2 million Americans with an annual payroll of about $52 billion. Over 200 industries are direct users of chlorine and they represent about 40% of all employment that produce 36% of the U. S. national income. More than 3,500 naturally occurring chlorinated organic compounds have been identified. Need I say more?

What about chlorine and poultry? Imagine your poultry farm without chlorine. There would be no PVC plumbing, the medications, much of the housing, the clothes you wear, the water that both your family and the birds drink, the equipment, the vehicles, and just about everything else would be different. You would have more cost, less profit and more work. Consider the hatchery, the company's office, your home, etc. It is mind boggling to imagine how different life would be without chlorine. This article in 5000 pages could not render even a partial understanding of all the great, the good, the bad and the ugly of chlorine.

In recent years, there have been numerous concerns about chlorine. Although chlorine disinfects drinking water, it also reacts with traces of other material of particles, such as dissolved solids, in the water and forms trace amounts of substances known as disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The most common of these are known as trihalomethanes (THMs). The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified THMs as a probable carcinogen.

Alternatives to the use of chlorine such as chloramines, chlorine dioxide, ozone and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation have received attention since concerns over DBPs have emerged. Even though these other processes provide efficient disinfection capabilities, each has its own disadvantages. Ozone and UV light do not provide residual disinfection or lasting protection. Most disinfection alternatives produce some type of byproducts.

Chlorine is said by some to be the original persistent organic pollutant (POP). POPs persist in the environment for decades and research by Columbia University suggests they may remain for centuries.

Realizing the importance to begin the chlorine sunset, the Clinton Administration announced a Water Plan that could eventually eliminate the chemical's use in thousands of products and applications. The announcement was made February 1, 1994, by Carol Browner, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was immediately embraced by environmental groups favoring a broad ban on chlorine. The representatives of the chemical manufacturing industry attacked the Water Plan with great vigor.

The banned substances (e.g., Agent Orange, DDT, PCBs) and many others like them all have one legal cousin, chlorine. Dr. Joe Thornton a biologist at Oregon University states in his book "Pandora's Poison" that all of the organochlorines contaminate the environment, wildlife, our food and our bodies. They have just one antidote: "ban them all". An organochlorine is a class of chemicals formed when chlorine gas produced by the chemical industry comes into contact with organic matter in industrial processes and in agricultural uses.

There are 11,000 organochlorines that are known to exist. They are both persistent and stable in the environment, and they accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans. They have been in existent since 1940 and now blanket the entire planet. Everyone on Earth now eats, drinks, and breathes a constantly changing and poorly characterized soup of organochlorines, said Dr. Joe Thornton.

Organochlorines have been linked to immune system suppression, falling sperm counts and infertility, as well as learning disability in children.

Notable Quotes and Facts


  • A study by the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality showed that the cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.

  • Dr. Lance Wallace of the Environmental Protection Agency states "Taking long hot showers is a health risk exposing us to a greater extent to the toxic chemicals contained in water."

  • Dr. Niels Skakkebaek of the University of Copenhagen made a study that demonstrated the average human sperm counts have dropped in Denmark by almost 50% due to the presence of man-made chlorine found in human tissues and breast milk.

  • Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, found that high levels of trihalomethanes, a by-product of chlorine in drinking water, significantly increased the risk of stillbirth.

  • Dr. Roy E. Albert, chairman of the EPS Carcinogen Assessment Group stated the record of EPA regulation is abysmal. Research is expensive and the funding we are now getting is inadequate. The sobering truth is "We are guinea pigs."

  • Dr. Patrick Flanagan, named at age 17 as one of the Top 10 Scientists in America by Life Magazine, recently advised in the book ELIXIR OF THE AGELESS: that Drinking tap water is a slow form of suicide, today's tap water is yesterday's toilet water, too thin to plow and too thick to drink.

  • McDonalds, the hamburger giant, is phasing out their chlorine-bleached French-fry bags because dioxin is leaking into the fries. Dioxin is a highly toxic, chlorine based carcinogen, Proctor and Gamble, manufacturers of Tide and other products, now have laundry detergents on store shelves with a "bleach alternative" in it. Bleach is the same as liquid chlorine - only half as strong.

  • Dr. J. M. Price states that the cause of arteriosclerosis and resulting heart attacks and strokes is none other than ubiquitous chlorine in our drinking water.

  • A Professor of Water Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh claims that exposure to vaporized chemicals in the water supplies through showering, bathing, and inhalation is 100 times greater than through drinking water.

  • The National Academy of Sciences estimate that over 1000 people die in the United States each year from cancer caused by ingesting the contaminates in water. Tens of thousands are made acutely ill.

  • Dr. Thornton warns, that the levels of dioxin in the environment can only increase, as long as organochlorines are produced. "Once we've got them, we've got them, and there's no safe way of disposing of them." "Once they're in you, there's no way to get them out."


Dr. Riddle suggests that since chlorine is required by health regulations to be present in all public drinking water supplies, it is up to the individual to remove the chlorine by "point of entry systems" at the home and "point of use systems" elsewhere when possible. Many farms are using chlorine to disinfect or oxidize their private wells. It is advisable that they must filter out the residual of this chlorine. It is not expensive to filter and with understanding of the many cautions mention in this article, all research states that all chlorine must be removed prior to consumption.

Our firm has just finished preparation for a grant to the United States Department of Agriculture to develop alternatives to chlorine and also methods of disinfection that will rotate best with chlorine or other disinfectants. There are living micro organisms that will develop immunity to chlorine (as with most disinfectants), rendering it less or completely ineffective as a disinfectant.

Chlorine the Great and the Good article that preceded this one should make us all very thankful for the advent of chlorine in 1904 in public water treatment. Surely many of us would not be here if chlorine had not been used to eradicate the plagues and diseases that were prevalent prior to 1904. Your parents or grandparents might have been among those who fell victim to those water borne diseases. It was chlorine that increased life expectancy from 45 years to 77 years. What we know now about chlorine has improved our health, finances and all of the many conveniences that we enjoy. Chlorine has been both great and good for us all.

It is also completely true that what we don't know about chlorine may harm us in numerous ways. This article has only mentioned a fraction of one percent of those possibilities.

Filing a Police Report After a Car Accident


After a car accident, do everything possible to document an accident so you can recover from an insurance company or another party if you are not at fault. Have a police report written up at the scene. After an accident, you may be injured and taken to the hospital. A police report helps you in finding out the names and addresses of the responsible parties.

A police report is also a public record that is an exception to the hearsay rule. Hearsay is an out of court statement offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. Police reports are admissible evidence. Because people's memories and road conditions fade or change, a police report may be credible evidence at trial or settlement discussions. Police reports document what occurred a few moments after an accident. However, police reports are not business records because the persons interviewed do not have an obligation to make the reports.

The police report may even help in assigning liability if the police officer specifies a party violated the vehicle code. Even if there is no citation issued for a violation, the officer indicates the accident occurred because of the carelessness of one side. This information helps in settling a case, especially when there are pressing expenses that cannot be paid because of the lost income of a loved one or the inability of a deceased to care or protect the survivors. This may prevent the need for an accident victim to file bankruptcy. Filing bankruptcy will ruin a person's credit, though the damage is already done each time a bill is paid late.

Read up on the PA vehicle code after an accident. The party at fault or its insurance company may try to put the blame at the accident victim by misinterpreting the vehicle code, or saying that they have a witness who saw things differently.

If after the accident, an officer makes a negative comment in a police report about the accident victim or does not include something, find the officer and ask the officer to say for sure who is at fault, or state that the officer cannot tell clearly who is at fault if that is the situation. Be prepared that the police officer may go by the report. The police officer may do so many reports that he or she does not remember one accident from the other. If this is so, note the date and time when speaking with the officer so if another party says the accident victim is liable for the accident because of the officer's negative comment, the accident victim can say the officer already discussed about it and the officer declined to say specifically who was at fault.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Nursing Home Abuse - Ombudsman


A nursing home ombudsman is a person who is trained to respond to complaints of elder abuse and neglect that occur in a nursing home. Ombudsmen are either paid for their services or volunteer their time for this important task.

The ombudsman's assistance is critical as an impartial investigator. Their task is not to advocate for the patient; rather, it is to investigate the complaint to determine whether abuse or neglect has occurred and then report the incident if warranted. However, many patients have no family members who visit with any regularity, and no other interested person to assist when abuse or neglect is committed against this "forgotten population".

Typically, the ombudsman's office will receive a complaint from a family member who reports that their elderly loved one is being abused or neglected as a nursing home patient. The type of abuse or neglect may arise from a variety of ways.

Often, the complaint is that the patient is suffering from decubitis ulcers, or bed sores, that occur when a non-ambulatory patient is not turned in their bed at regular intervals. This condition can develop within weeks and may result in a deep wound that extends down to the bone.

Other complaints may involve improper feeding. Some patients have hands and arms that are too weak or shaky to allow them to use a fork or spoon. It's not that they aren't hungry; rather, their physical limitations simply prevent them from performing the otherwise simple task of eating. Neglectful nursing home personnel bring the patient their food, but leave it entirely to the patient to eat. When the employee comes back to retrieve the food tray, they simply note the patient's chart as "not hungry".

When an ombudsman receives a complaint, they then make an unannounced inspection to investigate. During the investigation, they will speak with the nursing home personnel - including the director of nursing and the particular employees responsible for the daily care of the patient. The ombudsman will also review the patient's medical records to determine whether any notations are made that support or refute the allegations of abuse or neglect.

If the ombudsman finds fault against the nursing home, then a report can be made to the local county or state authorities who monitor and also respond to such cases.

In California, the law requires that all 58 counties provide these ombudsman services. Unfortunately, the state's budget crisis has forced this program to be severely slashed - reducing state funding by $3.8 million (2008). As a result, ombudsman programs are laying off full-time employees or reducing hours to part-time, and relying more than ever on volunteers.

The Riverside County, California program recently was forced to lay off its three full-time employees, reduce a full-time employee to part-time, and eliminate mileage reimbursement for 20 volunteers.

The bottom line: many complaints against nursing home abuse and neglect will not be investigated and the "forgotten population" of elderly patients will suffer without representation. Elder law attorneys will increasingly be called upon to conduct investigations. However, the ombudsman's role continues to be a valuable tool in combating elder abuse and neglect.

By: George F. Dickerman, Esq.

Protecting a Minor Child's Personal Injury Settlement


So many times we hear about personal injury settlements involving adults. But how are injury claims handled for minors? Is the minor's settlement protected? The general rule is that a personal injury settlement for a minor is not binding against the minor unless there is court approval of the settlement. If the parents settle an injury claim for their minor child, then that settlement is not necessarily binding against the minor child. Therefore, that minor child may re-assert the claim within two years after that child's eighteenth birthday. So you might ask: Why would an insurance company ever settle a personal injury claim involving a minor child if the agreement is not binding. Simply put, the insurance company can condition the settlement upon getting court approval through a "friendly suit."

Once the parties have reached a settlement agreement for the minor child, the insurance company refers the case to their attorney who prepares the court papers for a friendly suit. Once the friendly suit is filed, the judge then appoints an independent "guardian ad-litem," sometimes known as an "attorney ad-litem." This person is an attorney appointed by the judge to review and investigate the settlement to determine whether it is in the best interest of the minor child.

Prior to approving the settlement, the ad-litem also reviews the terms of the settlement agreement. The ad-litem will normally recommend that the settlement proceeds for the minor child be deposited and held in the court's registry until the child turns eighteen (18) years old. Sometimes, the parties will agree to have the proceeds placed into a private annuity where the funds might gain a higher rate of interest. Nevertheless, the funds are to be placed into such a fund for the protection of the minor child. Likewise, the parents are not permitted any access to these funds.

Once the ad-litem concludes the investigation, the attorney will recommend to the court whether the settlement should or should not be approved. Unless there is anything out of the ordinary, the ad-litem and the court will normally approve the settlement after a short hearing. The procedures in a friendly suit are usually very simple and routine.

There may be few situations where the court has permitted the parents to invest the minor's settlement proceeds into an investment of their choice, such as a college savings account. However, the parents would be required to follow the courts's order to invest those funds accordingly and not use the funds for their own use. After all, the purpose of the friendly suit is to protect the minor's settlement proceeds for the benefit of the minor child.

Once the settlement is approved by the court, then the settlement becomes binding against the minor child. Likewise, the child cannot reassert any claims arising from the injury. This is how the insurance company is assured that the settlement is final. However, a friendly suit costs money. And since the friendly suit is there for the benefit of the insurance company, then the insurance company pays the costs associated with the friendly suit, including the fees charged by the ad-litem. Therefore, on smaller settlements, the insurance company may not insist on a friendly suit. Under these circumstances, the proceeds of the child's settlement are tendered to the parents and are not legally protected.

Signs of Nursing Home Abuse


Most elderly people in nursing homes are unable to take care of their daily living needs without assistance, which is why their families have placed them in surroundings where that assistance is supposedly at hand.

While many, of not most, nursing homes are caring and conscientious, there are some where that assistance is negligently absent. And further, there are times when conscious or deliberate harm is done to elderly people. It can be physical or emotional harm, or both, but in either case it's personal injury and therefore potentially a legal matter.
If you have a loved one in a nursing home, it's important to be able to recognize signs of nursing home abuse or mistreatment. Here are some things to watch out for.

New wounds or scars on the skin
These could be from a fall, or from overly tight restraint, or from rough handling by the staff. As we age, our skin thins out and becomes delicate, easily bruising or tearing. Our elderly loved ones need gentle handling to avoid injury.

From Falls
Perhaps your loved one needs assistance sitting upright. There's a safe and appropriate way to do this, but sometimes it's forgotten, so the person could fall from the chair, or get up and wander around, sustaining a fall.

Our eyesight deteriorates as we age, but perhaps the glasses have been lost or broken.
The floors should be kept free of debris or obstacles, but perhaps someone left liquid or clutter where it could cause a fall.

From Overly tight restraint
Restraints are used to prevent falls, and to prevent a person with Alzheimer's, for instance, from wandering off the premises and becoming lost or hurt on the street. There's a correct way to use a restraint, but if it's put on too tightly, it can cause bruising, or break the skin.

From Rough handling
Sometimes nursing home staff are overworked and become too tired, or too impatient. That's a possible explanation for rough handling, but not a justification of it. A tight grip on an elderly person's arm can cause bruising and pain and even in more extreme cases a broken bone. But perhaps the elderly person is unable to speak well enough to object, or perhaps they feel intimidated.

Pressure sores
Some elderly people have difficulty turning themselves while in bed, or are entirely unable to do it because of having had a stroke, for instance. The staff is required to turn them at least every two hours and if this isn't done, the continual pressure on one place wears down the skin, causing an open sore known as a decubitus ulcer.

This is usually on a hip or near the coccyx. If it isn't treated immediately, it will enlarge and deepen and potentially become infected. It can even enter the bone tissue. These sores are preventable by good care.

Depression or anxiety
When you visit your loved one in the nursing home, you can gauge their mood each time, and if they appear to be more depressed, you can ask them what's troubling them. If their speech is intact you may learn at once what the problem is and be able to rectify it.
But if their speech is impaired, they may not be able to tell you. If their mood seems to be lower at each visit it may be time to discuss it with nursing home staff, and find out if any emotional abuse is happening. Sometimes there's even sexual abuse.

Weight loss
Many elderly people lose weight rather than gaining it, as a function of advancing age. But if you notice that your loved one starts losing weight more than you would expect, it could be that for some reason they've lost their appetite (see Depression or anxiety), or that food is being withheld. Why would food be withheld? Either from laziness and neglect, or as an inappropriate punishment. In either case, you'd be wise to check into what's happening.

Dehydration
Some harm doesn't give you obvious external signs. For instance, if a person is mildly or even moderately dehydrated, you might not notice it on a visit (although the nursing staff should notice it).

As we age, we tend to lose our sense of thirst, so your loved one might be thirsty but not reach for the nearby water. For that reason, nursing home staff is expected to offer drinking water at least every two hours. But you might notice extra dry lips, or eagerness for water to drink when you offer it, and if so, you could pay extra attention to that on each visit, or perhaps mention it to the staff. Severe dehydration is life-threatening and calls for quick action.

Elder Abuse - One Sure Way to Detect It


The stories about elder abuse keep getting worse and worse. As more of our seniors are retiring, elder care facilities are bursting at the seams. Every year up to 2,000,000 vulnerable elders are abused or neglected. Those are the cases we know about. For every one of those there are five more that are never reported.

Many politicians feel that not enough attention is being given to the problem. They point out that penalties for animal abuse are more severe than for elder abuse.

"It's hard to know because of the secrecy when nursing home residents are cared for at night with some of the staff or the secrecy that occurs behind closed doors in anyone's individual homes," says Iris Freeman of the Center on Elder Justice and Policy at the William Mitchell College of Law.

"Many cases of deprivation occur in such secrecy, in such silence, that by the time the victim is found there has been such disastrous harm that the victim is not likely to live," says Iris.

There was a government survey done not long ago that showed as many as 60% of all long-term care facilities had employees with criminal records.

The home healthcare industry is barely regulated and so the chance for abuse is even greater. With more families opting for hiring their own care workers the opportunities for abuse in a home healthcare setting is much more obvious.

Part of the problem is due to the growth in the nursing home and long-term care industry. Because of that growth there is a higher demand for employees, and quite frankly there just aren't enough qualified ones to go around which leads to shortcuts in the vetting process for employees. Employers feel it's better to have a warm body than a qualified body. Therein lies the problem.

So if you have parents that are in a long-term care facility, nursing home or home healthcare setting, one of the best things you can do is install a motion activated Covert Hidden Camera in their room to keep an eye on them to see what is going on with them. Most hidden cameras have DVRs in them so they can record motion activation and allow you to play back easily on an SD card that's in the DVR. If abuse is detected, you have strong visual evidence that will aid in prosecution.

Often in these cases, especially with Alzheimer's patients, the credibility of the patient is questioned and they are not given much credence. This can be eliminated by having strong visual evidence that only a hidden camera can produce.

Yes Wii Can Kinect With Our Grandparents!


Twenty-five years ago, Nintendo released its original game console, and the world has not been the same since. Kids were addicted to their own epic adventures killing dragons, saving princess, and maybe, just maybe, jumping over flagpoles. But for all those hours of hair raising quests, their grandparents sat back and yawned. They could not share the excitement.

Indeed, the elder generation has been slow in general to share in the joys of technology, but the gaming world has been particularly incomprehensible for them. Blame the music, or the controls, or the general kiddish marketing. No matter what the reason, the aging population endured video games, and did not revel in them for more than two decades.

The Nintendo Wii

And then came the Nintendo Wii. Whether the manufacturers knew it or not, the Wii would turn out to be a massive hit for senior citizens all over the country. Assisted Living centers and Nursing Homes from Oregon to Florida were buying them up and installing them in their common rooms. Patients and residents took to it quickly, and have since become almost as absorbed as their children were two decades earlier. What changed? The shift from tiny buttons to motion activation. The Wii allowed users to to control their games by moving naturally with a controller in hand or a balance board under their feet. And after just four years, the entire demographic has changed dramatically. More than 25% of the gaming population is over the age of fifty.

The Xbox Kinect

Today, we are being barraged with advertisements for another system which will only increase this trend. The Xbox Kinect system picks up where the Wii left off. With the Kinect, a user does not have to hold any controllers, or stand on any board. The gamer's own body genstures and voice commands operate the games. So now, seniors will be able to gather in front of a TV, talk to the Kinect, and play a round of virtual golf in a startlingly realistic setting. There are no complicated tiny buttons to navigate with, and nothing they have to hold on to.

Xbox has upped the ante in another way, too. The Kinect, which is connected with the Xbox 360 system, has video conferencing capabilities and a sophisticated online environment. For seniors, this could be a huge draw. Not only can they talk to their ten year old grandson on the television, they can also challenge him to a virtual inter-state grudge match.

The Wii became a way for seniors to embrace technology. The Kinect could do something even more profound. If seniors can get past the price tag (the Kinect will easily cost more than $400 for the full console, game, and add on features) this system could allow kids to embrace their grandparents on terms that they are both comfortable with, no matter where they live.

Have You Been The Victim of Shigella Poisoning?


Shigella poisoning happens when Shigella bacteria contaminates food that is consumed by humans. Shigella is a family of bacteria that is rod shaped and is usually found in human fecal matter as well as in primate fecal matter, such as in chimpanzees and monkeys. Shigella is not typically found in other types of animal fecal matter, but can be found in water that is contaminated with human waste. The bacterium is named after the Japanese scientist who discovered it, and was named Shega.

When a person becomes infected with Shigella bacteria, an illness is developed that is known as shigellosis. Shigellosis, which is also sometimes referred to as bacillary dysentery, is recognized by the symptoms it causes which are gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea. The majority of cases of shigellosis clear up in about one week's time. There are some cases that may take a number of months to resolve; all the while gastrointestinal issues persist. In rare cases, shigellosis can develop into more serious conditions, such as Reiter's syndrome, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and reactive arthritis.

For the most part, shigellosis is passed from person to person by means of ingesting fecal material that is infected with Shigella bacteria. This is done unknowingly when food becomes contaminated because of hygiene that is unsanitary. Shigella remains in the fecal material of a person who has been infected, and continues to remain in the matter for two weeks after the infection has cleared. Toddlers who have been infected with the bacteria commonly pass the condition on to other children. It is also possible for vegetables and other types of produce to be contaminated with Shigella if sewer water is used on the field in which they are grown.

What's more, people can become infected with Shigella bacteria by drinking or swimming in water that contains the organism. Water can become contaminated when sewer drain off mixes with drinking water sources, or when someone with shigellosis swims in the water.

Two thirds of all of the shigellosis cases in the United States are caused by "Group D" Shigella, which is a type of Shigella bacteria called Shigella sonnei. "Group B" Shigella bacteria, or Shigella flexneri, make up the remaining cases. This family of bacteria is also responsible for deadly outbreaks in developing countries, mostly due to Shigelladysenteriae strain. This form and other forms than those listed above are quite rare in the United States.

Shigellosis makes a person ill by infecting the lining of the intestines. Once the bacteria take up residence in the intestines it is released from the intestines and makes its way to the person's stools. This is why stool samples are collected and tested when making a diagnosis of shigellosis. Stools that contain the bacteria then become the main carrier of further contamination. Therefore, when a person who is infected does not practice proper hygiene and hand washing, the contaminated stools can then be passed into water, food, and other people.

In areas where there are crowded living conditions, outbreaks of shigellosis often occur because of contaminated water and food sources, as well as improper sanitation. It is estimated that there are about eighteen thousand cases of shigellosis annually in the United States. Day care centers often see the most cases, however there are many cases linked to restaurants and other dining facilities.

Even just a small amount of Shigella bacteria entering the mouth can lead to severe, unpleasant symptoms associated with shigellosis. Symptoms of the illness typically pop up within one to seven days, averaging about three days after contact with the organism. The most common symptoms associated with Shigellosis include: fever that can be high enough to induce seizures; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea that is watery; pus, blood, or mucus in the stool; pain or cramps in the rectal area; and sudden pain or cramping in the abdomen. Because these symptoms can be quite serious, complications can arise such as: dehydration; abnormal kidney function; gall stones that develop by fast hemolysis, which happens when hemoglobin leaks into the blood stream because of broken red blood cells; seizures; arthritis; coma; convulsions; hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS); stroke; kidney failure that may result in the need for a kidney transplant; uremia, which is kidney failure; respiratory disease syndrome; pancreatic enzymes that are elevated; diabetes; pancreatitis; thrombocyteopenia, which is a blood platelet deficiency; encephalopathy; various types of neurological problems; blindness due to damage that takes place in the occipital cortex of the brain, also known as cortical blindness; various types of blood complications; hemolytic anemia; heart problems; heart attacks; congestive heart failure; cardio myopathy; cardiogenic shock; dizziness; irritability; disorientation; hallucinations; tremors; delirium; changes in behavior; central nervous system problems; and death.

While the above information may be a bit startling, it is important to note that even though food poisoning cases happen on a regular basis, most, if not all of them could have and should have been prevented if proper care had been exercised. Anyone who handles food in any capacity has a duty of care to provide items intended for human consumption that are safe and free of contaminants. When this duty of care is breached, a form of negligence has occurred and you may be entitled to seek legal compensation for your injuries.

In the event that you or someone you know has had to seek medical treatment for a Shigella infection you should not delay in contacting a personal injury attorney for assistance. These professionals are quite skilled in this area of the law and can help you to determine the best course of action. From start to finish your case will be handled on your behalf, and you can take comfort in knowing that your claim is progressing properly. Best of all, most personal injury attorneys do not require any money upfront to pursue a claim; therefore you can focus your attention on your personal health and recovery. Personal injury attorneys will work hard to seek compensation for your injuries, your medical expenses (past and present), lost wages, and various other types of damages.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Assisted Living - What Care Managers Look For When Choosing A Facility


Selecting an assisted living facility for a senior family member or loved one can be a very tricky task. You should do as much research as possible by reading reviews and articles by knowledgeable health care professionals and other trusted sources.

CareGrade interviewed professional care manager Michael Newell, RN, MSN and found out what he looks for in assisted living facilitates. His insight gives a professional's viewpoint and offers advice to consumers looking for these types of services. As a professional geriatric care manager, he earns his living advocating for seniors and is extremely knowledgeable about what seniors and their families should look for when choosing a facility. According to Michael, the following list contains key elements a family should consider when looking into an assisted living facility


  1. Identify your goals. What do you want the facility to do? E.g., Some have offer more skilled care than others, some have a nicer setting, some may be nearer to friends and family

  2. What hospital would the resident be taken to if he/she got acutely ill? Is it one that you would want to see them in?

  3. Who will be doing the primary medical care? Do they come to the facility? Are you or your parent/loved one comfortable with their style and credentials?

  4. Don't go for the lowest price. Add up the needs present and likely future care needs of the resident and compare prices that way.

  5. Sit in a common area for an hour or so and see how people interact with each other. Is this a setting that you or your loved one would feel comfortable in for the long haul?

  6. Ask your local care manager what the reputation is of the facility. A care management consultation will be money well spent.

While researching these facilities may seem like a chore for you, keep in mind it is a life altering event for the senior you are helping. They will often be leaving a home they have had for many years, along with many of their possessions and memories. You should go about selecting an assisted living facility the same way you would look for a new home, as that is what it will become. It is more than just a building, or a room. Each location has its own personality, so look beyond the grand entrance and pretty wall paper and take the time to really get to know the facility before you make any decisions.

Renaissance Science, Registered 21st Century Rebirth Document


This essay is the birth certificate of the 21st Century Renaissance. It shows how the life-science of the Classical Greek era's Humanities has been upgraded in order to bring balance into Western technological culture. Many philosophers have warned that the fate of human civilisation depends upon achieving that goal.

The ancient Greek Parthenon represented a Greek life-science culture, symbolising concepts of political government long lost to modern Western science. The Ottoman military once stored gunpowder in the Parthenon and in1687 a Venetian mortar round blew the building into ruin. Recent restoration techniques using computers revealed that strange illusionary optical engineering principles had been used in the building's construction. We know that they were associated with the mathematics of the Music of the Spheres that Pythagoras had brought back from the Egyptian Mystery Schools. We also know that Plato considered that any engineer who did not understand about spiritual optical engineering principles was a barbarian.

Harvard University's Novartis Chair Professor, Amy Edmondson, in her online biography of Buckminster Fuller, The Fuller Explanation, wrote about how Fuller had plagiarised Plato's spiritual engineering discoveries and used them to derive his life-science synergistic theories. Those theories, which completely challenged the basis of the 20th Century Einsteinian world-view are now the basis of a new medical science instigated by the three 1996 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry. During the 21st Century the complex Fullerene geometrical reasoning has brought about the rebirth of the lost ancient Greek optical science of life. This is now rewriting Western technological culture, so there is a need to know why Buckminster Fuller wrote that this reunification provides a choice between Utopia or Oblivion.

After presenting complex geometrical reasoning, Professor Edmondson wrote, "By now familiar with Fuller's underlying assumptions, we shall take time out to introduce some background material. The origins of humanity's fascination with geometry can be traced back four thousand years, to the Babylonian and Egyptian civilisations; two millennia later, geometry flourished in ancient Greece, and its development continues today. Yet most of us know almost nothing about the accumulated findings of this long search. Familiarity with some of these geometric shapes and transformations will ease the rest of the journey into the intricacies of synergetics."

Human survival now depends upon a more general understanding that ethics is not about how science is used but about what is the ethical form of the spiritual, or holographic structure of science itself. There is no need for the reader to become conversant with the complex geometrical equations suggested by Professor Amy Edmondson, in order to follow the journey of ethical logic from ancient Egypt to the 21st Century Renaissance. However, before undertaking that journey we need to realise the nightmare scenario that the unbalanced 20th Century understanding of science has forced global humanity to endure and which Buckminster Fuller warned about.

In 1903, Lord Bertrand Russell's book A Freeman's Worship was published, containing his vision of A Universe in Thermodynamic Ruin. This nightmare mathematical assessment of reality stated that all the most ennobling thoughts of humankind amounted to nothing at all and all life in the universe must be destroyed. Lord Russell wrote that humans must endure, with total despair, the hopelessness of living within a reality that was totally governed by a lifeless energy law that Einstein was to call The Premier law of all science.

The name of the law governing 20th Century technological culture is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. It is also known as the Universal heat death law or, the Law of Universal chaos.

That law demands the total extinction of all life in the universe when all heat is dissipated into cold space. As a result of that law, all life sciences, including global economic rationalism, can only be about species moving toward this imaginary heat death extinction.

Buckminster Fuller's life-science energy does not obey the heat death law. It is based instead upon fractal logic, which exists forever. Einstein's governing death-science law is the correct basis of modern chemistry, but that chemistry is balanced by Plato's spiritual engineering principles, or the functioning of Fullerene holographic 'chemistry'. While mainstream science does indeed accept that fractal logic extends to infinity, no life science within the Western technological culture can possibly be part of its workings. That mindset can be a serious distraction to biologists who seek to associate rain cloud fractal logic with the effects of climate change upon human evolution.

In 1996 within an Open Letter to the Secretariat of the United Nations on behalf of the Science-Art Research Centre of Australia, Australian National Library Canberra Australian Citation RECORD 2645463, a complaint was made that the Australian Government was unintentionally committing a major crime against humanity for endorsing a totally entropic educational system governed by the second law of thermodynamics. At the United Nations University in Washington the complaint was handed to the United Nations University Millennium, Project-Australasian Node, for investigation. Seven years of peer reviewed research ensued, concluding that the complaint was justified. In 2006 a formal Decree of Recognition was issued by the Australasian Division of the United Nations University Millennium Project, attesting to the urgent global importance of this issue.

Having contrasted the 21st Century rebirth of Classical Greek fractal logic life-science - the New Renaissance, with the 20th Century nightmare, we can follow Professor Amy Edmondson's advice to begin our journey of ethical understanding from ancient Egypt. (George Sarton's, A History of Science argues that ancient Kemetic theories of Egypt were scientific and established the foundations of later Hellenistic science).

The ability of the ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom to reason that two geometries existed to balance the workings of the universe was praised by the Greek philosopher Plato, whose fundamental idea was that "All is Geometry". Old Kingdom wall paintings depicted that evil thoughts prevented evolutionary access to a spiritual reality. The geometry used to survey farm boundaries lost each year when the River Nile flooded was quite different from the sacred geometries basic to Egyptian religious ceremonies.

The BBC television program about the collapse of the Egyptian Old Kingdom by Professor Fekri Hassan of the Institute of Archaeology, University College, London, explained that some 4000 years ago, a prolonged drought collapsed the First Kingdom, soon after the death of King Pepy II. Professor Hassan explains that 100 years after the collapse, hieroglyphs record that Egyptian government was restored when the people insisted that the ethics of social justice, mercy and compassion were fused into the fabric of political law. It is rather important to realise that at that point of time in history, ethics associated with fractal geometrical logic had been fused into a political structure.

During the 6th Century BCE the Greek scholar Thales went to Egypt to study the ethics of life-science at the Egyptian Mystery schools and he advised Pythagoras to do the same. Pythagoras learned that evolutionary wisdom was generated by the movement of celestial bodies, which the Greeks called The music of the Spheres. It was thought that this harmonic music could transfer its wisdom to the atomic movement of the soul through the forces of harmonic resonance, such as when a high note shatters a wine glass.

The Platonic tradition of Greek philosophy was to fuse ethics into a model of reality called the Nous, postulated by the scientific thinker Anaxagoras. The Nous was a whirling force that acted upon primordial particles in space to form the worlds and to evolve intelligence. The ancient Greeks decided to invent science by fusing further ethics into the fractal logic structure of the Nous. The harmonic movement of the moon could be thought to influence the female fertility cycle and this science could explain a mother's love and compassion for children. The Classical Greek science was about how humans might establish an ethical life-science to guide ennobling political government. The idea was, that by existing for the health of the universe, human civilisation would avoid extinction.

The Classical Greek life-science was constructed upon the concept of good and evil. Good was For the Health of the Universe. A very precise definition of evil is found in Plato's book, The Timaeus. Evil was classified as a destructive property of unformed matter within the physical atom.

The ancient Greek atom was considered to be physically indivisible and it can be considered that the anti-life properties of nuclear radiation had been classified as evil. Modern chemistry is constructed upon the logic of universal atomic decay, which is governed by the second law of thermodynamics. The Egyptian concept of evil thought processes leading to oblivion echoes Plato's and Buckminster Fuller's concepts of an oblivion brought about through an obsession with an unbalanced geometrical world-view.

The Max Plank Astrophysicist, Professor Peter Kafka, in his six essays entitled The Principle of Creation and the Global Acceleration Crisis, written over a period from 1976 to 1994, predicted the current global financial collapse being brought about by "scientists, technologists and politicians" who had an unbalanced understanding of the second law of thermodynamics. Kafka wrote in chapter four, entitled Ethics from Physics, that the second law of thermodynamics had been known for centuries. Kafka realised that it had various other names throughout history such as Diabolos, the Destroyer of Worlds, the evil god of Plato's Physics of Chaos, now the god of modern Chaos Physics.

The science to explain a mother's love for children involving both celestial and atomic movement became associated with the Science of Universal Love taught in Greece during the 3rd Century BCE.

Julius Caesar's colleague, the Historian Cicero, recorded during the 1st Century BCE, that this science was being taught throughout Italy and across to Turkey by teachers called 'saviours'. He considered that such teaching challenged Roman political stability. During the 5th Century some 1000 years of fractal logic scrolls held in the Great Library of Alexandria were burned. The custodian of the library, the mathematician Hypatia, was brutally murdered by a Christain mob during the rule of Pope Cyril. Hypatia's fractal logic life-science was condemned by St Augustine as the work of the Devil. In his The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon marked Hypatia's murder as the beginning of the Dark Ages.

Encyclopaedia Britannica lists St Augustine as the mind which mostly completely fused the Platonic tradition of Greek philosophy with the religion of the New Testament, influencing both Protestant and Catholic religious belief in modern times. His translation of Plato's atomic evil as female sexuality, influenced the 13th Century Angel Physics of St Thomas Aquinas, known as History's Doctor of Science. During the mid 14th Century until the mid 17th Century, Angel Physics was used to legalise the imprisonment, ritualistic torture and burning alive of countless women and children. The argument that Augustine's banishment of fractal life-science logic in the 5th Century was responsible for Western life-science becoming obsessed with the second law of thermodynamics can be validated.

The Reverend Thomas Malthus derived his famous Principles of Population essay from the writings of St Thomas Aquinas and used it to establish the economic and political policies of the East India Company. Charles Darwin, employed by that company, cited Malthus' essay as the basis of his survival of the fittest life-science. Darwin, in the 18th Century, held the essay as synonymous with the second law of thermodynamics.

Plato's Academy had been closed for being a pagan institution in 529 by the Christian Emperor Justinian, Banished Greek scholars fled to Islamic Spain where their theories were tolerated. The Golden Age of Islamic science, from which Western science emerged, included the Translation School in Toledo. Islamic, Christian and Jewish scholars worked together to translate the lost Greek ideas into Latin. The Franciscan monk, Roger Bacon, during the 13th Century studied work from Jewish scholars familiar with the research undertaken at the Toledo school. Pope Clement IV encouraged Bacon to write his pagan ideas in secret, but after the death of Clement IV, Roger Bacon was imprisoned by the Franciscans.

Roger Bacon developed ideas about flying machines, horseless carriages,submarines and self propelling ships from the same Islamic source that later inspired Leonardo da Vinci. Roger Bacon studied the optics of Plato and the upgrading of Plato's optics by Islamic scholars. Unlike Leonardo, Roger Bacon agreed with Al Haytham, History's Father of Optics, that the eye could not be the source of all knowledge, an erroneous idea of reality that Descartes and Sir Francis Bacon, the Renaissance author and father of inductive reasoning, used to usher in the age of industrial entropic materialism. Thomas Jefferson, inspired by Francis Bacon's vision of a great Empire for All Men based upon all knowledge from the eye, depicted the concept onto the Great Seal Of America.

Cosimo Medici, with the help of Sultan Memhed II, re-established Plato's Academy in Florence during the 15th Century. Cosimo appointed Marcilio Ficino as its manager. Ficino wrote about the Platonic love associated with the Music of the Spheres influencing the atoms of the soul. He carefully avoided serious charges of heresy by placing eminent Christian figures into his writings and paintings associated with the new Platonic Academy. Two famous paintings commissioned by the Medici that survived the Great Burning, instigated by the Christian Monk Savarola, illustrated Ficino's cunning.

In 1480 Botticelli was commissioned to paint a portrait of St Augustine in His Study, in which a book is depicted opened at a page displaying Pythagorean mathematics. Alongside the written formulae is an instrument for observing celestial movement. Augustine is gazing directly at an armillary sphere, an instrument used to calculate data relevant to Pythagoras' Music of the Spheres. The Saint's halo, accepted at that time as representing the consciousness of the soul, upon close examination, has a spherical book-stud within its orbit, depicting Ficino's atom of the soul responding to the Music of the Spheres.

At the same time that Botticelli was commissioned to paint Augustine's portrait, Ghirlandhiao was commissioned to paint a portrait of Augustine's close colleague, St Jerome in His Study. Again, with careful examination, Jerome's halo can be seen to have a spherical bookstud placed into its orbit, demonstrating that Botticelli's depiction of the atom of the soul associated with the Music of the Spheres was not coincidental. Both Botticell and Ghirlandaio were mentors to Leonardo da Vinci.

By realising that Roger Bacon's knowledge of Platonic optics was generally superior to Leonardo's, the Science-Art Research Centre of Australia, in collaboration with a cancer research team at the University of Sydney, during 1986, was able to successfully modify the optical key to Leonardo's da Vinci's Theory of Knowledge. This discovery also corrected the optics understanding of Descates, Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Russell, Emmanuel Kant, Albert Einstein and other scientists who considered Al Haitham's optics as being industrially impractical.

The Science-Art Research Centre's correction to the crucial optics key was published in a Science-Art book launched in Los Angeles in 1989 under the auspices of the Hollywood Thalian Mental Health Organisation. In 1991 the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Peirre de Genes for his theories about liquid crystal optics. In the following year the vast new science and technology, predicted by the Science-Art Centre's correction of da Vinci's work, was discovered The principal discoverer, Professor Barry Ninham of the Australian National University, later to become the Italy's National Chair of Chemistry, wrote that the Centre's work encompassed a revolution of thought, as important to science and society as the Copernican and Newtonian revolutions.

Leonardo da Vinci was certainly a great genius, but he was not really the Man of the Renaissance at all, because he was unable to comprehend the life-energy basis of Plato's spiritual optical engineering principles. He had attempted to develop the relevant optics for several years then reverted back to what Plato had referred to as the engineering practices of a barbarian. On the other hand, Sir Isaac Newton, was a genuine Man of the Renaissance, as his unpublished papers, discovered last century revealed. His certain conviction that "a more profound natural philosophy existed to balance the mechanical description of the universe," was based upon the same physics principles that upheld the lost Classical Greek Era's science of life and they are now at the cutting edge of fractal logic quantum biology.

The 20th Century began with the aforesaid Lord Bertrand Russell's horrific acquiescence to enslavement by the second law of thermodynamics in 1903, followed in 1905 by Einstein's unbalanced E=Mc2. TIME Magazine's Century of Science lists Maria Montessori as the greatest scientist of 1907. Her association with President Woodrow Wilson, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Jefferson and Teildard de Chardin demonstrated how the entropy law embraces Plato's definition of evil. Montessorri called the second law of thermodynamics the energy greed law. Montessori and de Chardin's electromagnetic life-science key to open their Golden Gates of the future were derived from concepts based upon the spiritualisation of matter and humanity evolving with the cosmos. That was in direct contrast to the electromagnetic understanding of Alexander Graham Bell.

President Wilson was genuinely troubled by the loss of life during World War I. He and Alexander Bell chose Darwin's entropic life-science as the electromagnetic key to the future of America rather that Montessori's. After World War II, High Command Nazi prisoners at the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal protested that Adolph Hitler had based the policies of the Third Reich upon the the Darwinian Eugenics of which Present Wilson and Alexander Bell had been involved with.

The scientist, Matti Pitkanen, can be considered to have upgraded de Chardin's ethical electromagnetic key to open Montessori's Golden Gates to the future. De Chardin insisted that the gates would only open for all people at the same time and not for any chosen race nor privileged few. Pitkanen noted that the earth's regular deflection of potentially lethal radiation from the sun fulfilled the criteria of an act of consciousness, protecting all life on earth at the same time.

The 1937 Nobel Prize Winner for Medicine, Szent-Gyoergyi, wrote a book about scientists who did not recognise that their understanding of the second law of thermodynamics was balanced by the evolution of consciousness. The title of the book was The Crazy Apes. In his 1959 Rede Lecture at the University of Cambridge in 1959, the Molecular Biologist, Sir C P Snow, argued that the inadequate understanding about the nature and functioning of the second law of thermodynamics by his fellow scientists was scientifically irresponsible. He referred to their thinking as belonging to their neolithic cave dwelling ancestors. The title of Snow's lecture was The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution. This book was listed by The Times Literary Supplement as one of 100 books most influencing Western public thinking since World War II and has been systematically denounced ever since.

During the past 15 years, science has developed so rapidly that it has given the Humanities no time to grasp the significance of the social ramifications of the rebirth of Fuller's Platonic spiritual, or holographic, engineering principles from ancient Greece. Organised religious opposition to criticism of the understanding of the second law of thermodynamics from Christian schools, Colleges and Universities has been extremely thorough throughout the world. For example Professor F M Cornford, educated at St Paul's School and Trinity College, Cambridge, was made a Fellow in 1899, becoming the Laurence Professor of Ancient Philosophy in 1932, and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1937. His grasp of the ancient Greek fractal science of life can be shown to be completely illogical, yet it is the foundation for well organised international academic study courses at the present time.

Since 1932 Cambridge University has produced ten editions of Cornford's book Before and after Socrates. Cornford states in this book that Plato can be considered as one of the greatest fathers of the Christian religion. Encyclopaedia Britannica advises that St Augustine was the mind which mostly completely fused the Platonic tradition of Greek philosophy with the religion of the New Testament. Such pious academic reasoning flies in the face of Plato's spiritual engineering principles being observed functioning within the DNA as a function of a fractal life-science evolutionary function, and is therefore ludicrous.Plato defined that reasoning as being ignorant and barbaric and the language of engineers not fit to be considered philosophers. The Harvard Smithsonian/NASA High Energy Astrophysics Division Library has published papers by the Science Advisor to the Belgrade Institute of Physics, Professor Petar Grujic, arguing that the Classical Greek life-science was based upon fractal logic, a totally incomprehensible concept within the much lauded ancient Greek study courses currently set for post graduate studies.

Having arrived at the destination of Professor Amy Edmondson's journey from ancient Egypt to modern times, in order to be educated about the importance of Buckminster Fuller's geometrical understanding, we are able to grasp the stark reality of the title of his book Utopia or Oblivion. The objective of this essay, to construct the foundations of the Social Cradle to nurture the Florentine New Measurement of Humanity Renaissance, was derived from that book. The following explains the Science-Art Research Centre of Australia's long and arduous struggle to help contribute towards the vital human survival research now being carried out under the auspices of the New Florentine Renaissance.

In 1979 the Science Unit of Australian National Television documented the work of the Science-Art Research Centre into its eight part series The Scientists-Profiles of Discovery. During that year, at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, China's most highly awarded physicist, Kun Huang, proposed a research plan that was put into operation by the Centre. Professor Huang was angry that Einstein and the framers of the 20th Century world-view were unable to discuss the Classical Greek life sciences in infinite biological energy terms. He proposed that by observing the evolutionary patterning changes to species designed upon ancient Greek Golden Mean geometry, it should be possible to deduce the nature of the life-force governing their evolution through space-time.

Huang suggested that the world's seashell fossil record would provide the necessary patterning-change information. The research was assisted by the communities of the six towns comprising the Riverland Region of South Australia. During the 1980s the Centre's several seashell life-energy papers, written by the Centre's mathematician, Chris Illert, were published by Italy's leading scientific journal, il Nuovo Cimento. In 1990 two of the papers were selected as important discoveries of the 20th Century and were reprinted by the world's leading technological research institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in Washington.

By deriving an Art-master optics formula from the Italian Renaissance, which can be considered to be associated with fractal logic, a simulation of a living seashell creature was generated. By lowering the musical harmonics a simulation of the creature's fossil ancestor was obtained. By lowering the musical order by a different amount, the simulation of a strange, grotesque creature was generated. The Smithsonian Institute identified the fossil as being the famous Nipponites Mirabilis that drifted along the coast of Japan 20 million years ago. It was designed to drift along upright in water in order to ensnare its prey. Chris Illert became the first scientist to link its evolution to a living seashell.

In 1995 the discovery won an internationally peer reviewed Biology Prize from the Institute for Basic Research in America. China's most eminent physicist, Kun Huang, was greatly honoured. The work was acclaimed for the discovery of new physics laws governing optimum biological growth and development through space-time. The Research Institute's President, Professor Ruggero Santilli, in collaboration with the Centre's mathematician, made a most important observation. He observed that the accepted scientific world-view could not be used to generate such futuristic simulations. Instead it generated cancer-like biological distortions through space-time.

The Centre's Bio-Aesthetics Researcher, the late Dr George Robert Cockburn, Royal Fellow of Medicine (London), who had worked with the centre's mathematician, became concerned by the scientific community's refusal to challenge its obsolete understanding of the second law of thermodynamics. He published several books about creative consciousness based upon the ancient Greek fractal logic life-science. His correction to Emmanuel Kant's Aesthetics was later found to be validated by the 19th Century's mathematician Bernard Bolzano's Theory of Science. Bolzano's own correction to Emmanuel Kant's ethics had been assessed by Edmund Husserl in his Logical Investigations- vol. I - Prolegomena to a pure logic 61 (Appendix) (1900), as being the work of one of the greatest logicians of all time.

We know that Bolzano corrected the ethical logic of Immanuel Kant by using aspects of fractal logic, as the famous Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem of 1817 is now synonymous with the pioneering of modern fractal logic. The Aesthetics associated with Emmanuel Kant belonging to the destructive entropic world-view are hailed as being of global importance during the 21st Century, when, in fact, they are known to be obsolete. J Alberto Coffa's book The semantic tradition from Kant to Carnap: to the Vienna station, edited by Linda Wessels - Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 1991 contains the statement "Kant had not even seen these problems; Bolzano solved them. And his solutions were made possible by, and were the source of, a new approach to the content and character of a priori knowledge." The famous Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem was based upon fractal logic concepts.

In the book The Beauty of Fractals- Images of Complex Dynamical Systems is a chapter entitled Freedom, Science and Aesthetics by Professor Gert Eilenberger, who also corrected an aspect of Kantian Aesthetics in order to upgrade quantum mechanics into quantum biology. Professor Eilenberger wrote about the excitement surrounding pictures of fractal computer art, as demonstrating that "out of research an inner connection, a bridge, can be made between rational scientific insight and emotional aesthetic appeal; these two modes of cognition of the human species are now beginning to concur in their estimation of what constitutes nature".

The Science-Art Centre had discovered that by using special 3-D optical glasses, holographic images emerge from within fractal computer generated artwork. The excitement within the art-work itself extends to the realisation that, over the centuries, certain paintings reveal the same phenomenon, created unconsciously by the artist, indicating the existence of an aspect of evolving creative consciousness associated with Plato's spiritual optical engineering principles now linked to the new Fullerene life-science chemistry.

The electromagnetic evolutionary information properties generated into existence by the liquid crystal optical functioning of the fertilised ovum are transmitted to the first bone created within the human embryo. From the Humanoid fossil record, each time that bone changes its Golden Mean patterning design, a new humanoid species emerges. It is currently altering its shape under the influence of the same physics forces responsible for seashell evolution, as was discovered by the Science-Art Research Centre of Australia during the 1980s. The sphenoid bone is in vibrational contact with the seashell design of the human cochlea.The design of Nipponites Mirabilis was to keep its owner upright in water, the cochlea design is to enable humans to balance so as to keep them upright on land.

The cerebral electromagnetic functioning of creative human consciousness as a Grand Music of the Spheres Composition has been adequately charted by Texas University's Dr Richard Merrick in his book Interference. The Fullerene life-science of the three 1996 Nobel Laureates in Chemistry has found expression within the medical company, C Sixty Inc. The Science-Art Research Centre in Australia considers that Buckminster Fuller's crucial Social Cradle within the Arts, under the auspices of the Florentine New Renassaince Project might be able to bring to the public an understanding for the global betterment of the human condition.

China's most eminent physicist, Hun Huang's research program can now be upgraded to generate healthy sustainable futuristic human simulations through millions of space-time years, and from those human survival blueprints the technologies needed for overpopulated earth to ethically utilise the universal holographic environment are becoming obvious. The 20th Century adage that ethics is how one uses science is as barbaric as Plato's Spiritual engineering classified it. Ethical consciousness has quantum biological properties beyond Einstein's world-view as has been proven by medical research conducted under the auspices of the Florentine New Measurement of Humanity Renaissance.

Dr Candace Pert's Molecule of Emotion, discovered in 1972, referred to in the films What the Bleep, do we know? and Down the Rabbit Hole, has been experimentally extended into further realms of holographic life-science reality. Dr Pert's Molecule of Emotion is the same in humans as in a primitive cell, but has evolved by increasing the speed of its molecular movement. Associated with this emotional evolution is the functioning of endocrine fluids necessary to maintain cellular health. The Florentine life-energy research has established that endocrine fluids evolve within the earth's holographic electromagnetic environment, affecting health in a manner beyond the understanding of an unbalanced 20th Century world-view.

On the 24th of September 2010, on behalf of the President of the Italian Republic, Dr. Giovanna Ferri, awarded the "Giorgio Napolitano Medal" to Professor Massimo Pregnolato, who shared it with Prof. Paolo Manzelli for research conducted in Quantumbionet/Egocreanet by their Florentine New `Renaissance Project.

This essay has explained the primary obstacle that has prevented Sir Isaac Newton's 'more profound natural philosophy to balance the mechanical description of the universe' from being brought about. The knowledge of how to correct this situation has become central to the objectives of the Florentine New Measurement of Humanity Renaissance of the 21st Century. This essay is the Birth Registration Certificate of the New Renaissance.

Copyright Robert Pope 2010.