What is Catastrophic Injury?

A catastrophic injury can leave a person suffering from permanent disabilities for the rest of their life. Catastrophic injuries are any injuries that have serious, long-term effects on the victim. If compensation is not received for catastrophic injuries, the physical, emotional and financial strains can be devastating.

"Catastrophic injuries usually affect far more than just the victim," says Elliot Hillel Lewis, a catastrophic injury lawyer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "They can often put serious stress on the victim's family because they may need constant supervision or assistance for the rest of their lives, not to mention a lifetime of rehabilitation and medical bills."

Catastrophic injuries can be caused by any number of different circumstances, and the results of the catastrophic injury can last for weeks, months, or even years. Some of the most common catastrophic injuries include:

* Back Injuries

* Neck Injuries

* Brain Injuries

* Burns

* Organ Damage

* Paralysis

* Paraplegia

* Quadriplegia

When a victim suffers a catastrophic injury, the impact can be enormous. Not only can a catastrophic injury prevent a person from gaining any substantial income, it can prevent them from enjoying their life, and it can cause their family huge amounts of stress. Catastrophic injuries to the brain can even change a person's personality, make remembering things difficult, and prevent them from recognizing their most loved family members.

A catastrophic injury lawyer will help you recover compensation for the damages that you or your loved one has experienced, including:

* Lost Wages

* Loss of Enjoyment of Life

* Mental Anguish

* Pain

* Suffering

* Lost Future Wages

* Permanent Disability

* Medical Bills

What Makes ICS Work So Smooth?

Emergencies can occur anywhere and at any time. Therefore, it is essential to have a system which can provide required resources, equipment and personnel to the needy on time. One such system which helps nursing homes assign staff for different emergency duties and designate equipments and supplies for the needful people is known as nursing home incident command system. It's a proven management system and has been successful in different business, military and health practices for so many years.

ICS has proved its efficiency in more than 30 years of emergency and non-emergency situations. It has been tested by all levels of government and the private sector.

The system mainly supports five major functional areas and that are commands, operations, planning, logistics and finance/administration.

Every area has different personnel for its smooth functioning. Let us discuss the hierarchy of the functional officers in ICS:

Incident commander: this person is responsible for organizing and directing the facility's emergency operations. Every direction is given by this person. He orders evacuation and sheltering in place. The incident commander can assume three different functions with the help of command team which includes:

Public information officer: the person acts as a medium between the media and the public for interfacing incident related information requirements. He acts as a conduit for all information which is flowing out from facility related to emergency and facility status. He also supervises any communication needed for family and residents of the victims. There is only one PIO who works under the orders of incident commander.

Liaison officer: the person is a point of contact for external agencies, organizations, private entities and other's representatives. They help in conveying information related to facility to these organizations. Any interaction with the state licensing agency, local emergency operations center, the red cross and police also falls under his duties.

Safety officer: he is responsible for monitoring the emergency's impact on facility operations. He will communicate incident commander for operational safety. He also looks after the safety of residents, staff, visitors and other members of the facility.

Operations section chief: this person organizes and directs all activities related to resident care and services, dietary services, environmental services. These services are meant to take care of the residents and the staff, meet food service needs and manage facility grounds.

Planning section chief: this person collects and analyses all the information related to the incident across the departments. He collects all information from other section chiefs for doing long range planning in coordination with the incident commander. With all this information, the chief creates a Facility's Incident Action Plan. This plan has general objectives and strategies for the effective management of the incident. The plan is revised after every 8 hours.

Logistics section chief: he is responsible for handling those operations which provides personnel, food, and other supplies to support any facility during an incident.

Finance section chief: his task is to monitor the use of financial assets. He maintains an account for financial expenditure.

The Two Most Important Points of Senior Care

Elderly people don't often decide on their own to enroll in senior care programs. Too often, family pushes them into programs that would work perfectly for everyone but the patient. These situations are set up to fail and lead to growing resentment, weaken family bonds and encourage the onset of senior depression. If you're concerned about a loved one and feel they need extra help, keep the following two points in mind while helping to set it up:

Senior Care Is for the Senior

Now that the older person in your life can no longer handle everyday tasks, you may be feeling the burden. People today are so busy the hour or two is takes to go grocery shopping, drop things off at the library and the like sometimes really are inconvenient. Senior care may seem like the perfect arrangement. Just remember that every program is different. Encouraging your loved one to get more help than they need could be detrimental.

Work with a program that offers individualized care. If your grandmother needs help with transportation and housecleaning, you should be able to find services that target those things. Adding in meal preparation or personal hygiene when it isn't needed can cause friction between you and your family member and between patient and caregiver.

In Home Care Helps Physically, Emotionally and Financially

Because in home support needs will change over time, some people start encouraging a residential setting right away. They want to deal with the problem and have it over with versus monitoring a situation over a length of time. Don't discount the benefits of a senior staying at home. Residential settings - even after insurance - are far more expensive than most in home services. The ability to stay in familiar surroundings with familiar people lessens the risks of abuse and accidents. Also, the comfort of staying at home means the difference between living out a happy life and depression for many elderly people.

No one wants to deal with the decline of a parents' health. It's hard to see the people who picked you up and dusted you off unable to care for themselves. It's important to see the difference, however, between someone struggling with certain tasks and being unable to care for him or herself. If you and a loved one are fighting over how much assistance is needed, don't be afraid to call in an expert and ask for advice. Work with a group that offers individual services. You may be surprised by the senior care options they can provide.

Farewell My Migrant Healthcare Worker

What follows below is a slightly edited transcript of an interview with a young woman named "Jiang" (alias) which occurred in Beijing, Chaoyang District at a Starbucks coffee shop on December 1, 2011. All edits are primarily due to issues of translation, my imperfect "on the run" typing effort and a very uncomfortable seat at Starbucks. Otherwise, her responses are reported below in as true a form as possible. The purpose of the interview is to shed light on the single most critical issue within the burgeoning geriatric care industry in China: namely, the absolute dearth of properly trained human resources and consequently the use of inadequately trained personnel to administer care to the elderly Chinese. A read through the interview illuminates other social concerns, and while I am sympathetic to these, my focus here is senior care.

Jiang is a young lady of 36 years who is a migrant healthcare worker in Beijing. She is perfectly average for her social cohort in nearly every respect: neither pretty nor ugly, simply dressed, with serious tooth decay and a limited world view. She is a contract employee at a state run nursing facility and has no professional education in nursing other than what she has learned over the past few years. Jiang, and many of the people with whom she works are known as "Bao Mu", or migrant workers. Being Bao Mu carries a stigma and it is not a pleasant one; they are viewed as wholly inferior, as a lower caste, dirty and unworthy. In reality, I found in Jiang bucolic charm and a meek honesty which set her in sharp contradiction to her current urban existence; indeed, her life in Beijing could not be more uncomfortably foreign.

As we moved through the discussion, Jiang became more relaxed and began to open up. I did not intend to enter the realm of her private life but as the interview progressed, it became obvious that her past has had profound influence on her current situation. Some of her answers are startling and painful; they paint a vivid picture of not only her job but of her life as well. Lastly, you will notice that the conversation is occasionally peppered with anecdotal comments, either before or after a question, in << >> brackets. I added these notes after a final proof read as I found a simple rote reproduction of the interview resulted in a hollowness which failed to convey the emotional environment.

Jiang arrived at Starbucks prior to the translator and me. She was sitting at a small table in the back of the room waiting patiently with her coat and gloves on, giving a guarded impression and that she considered us a potential no-show. As we approached the table she stood, smiled and said hello. After a brief introduction by the translator and some explanation, I began the interview:

***

Bromme: Hello, Jiang

Jiang:Hello Sir

Bromme: Hi, my name is (Ke Bo Ming) and I have a business here in China. I help Chinese businesses build private nursing homes and senior living facilities. I have explained to you that I want to ask you a number of questions about the work you do, how you came to do it, what you think about it and generally about what you want to do in the future. Is this ok? You understand?

Jiang: Yes Sir

Bromme: Also, I am asking you these questions because I intend to publish your answers in a blog I write. You will remain anonymous, but your responses will be reproduced, after translation and small edits, in their entirety. This is OK for you?

Jiang: Yes Sir

<<Jiang nods in approval>>

Bromme: Ok, let's get started. Where were you born and where did you grow up?

Jiang: I was born in Bishan; I grew up there too; my entire life.

<<Bishan is a rural town near Chongqing. Jiang, obedient and dutiful, asks if she can take her coat off.>>

Bromme: How old are you?

Jiang: 36

Bromme: How many years of education do you have? And what have you studied?

Jiang: I studied the basic curriculum

<<This means that Jiang spent nine years in school>>

Bromme: Jiang, I understand that you work in a nursing home, how long have you worked there?

Jiang: About three years

Bromme: What do you like most about it?

Jiang: The money, but I do not get paid much.

Bromme: How much are you paid?

<<Jiang was not eager to discuss her salary and I think she found this a little intrusive. There was some conversation between them about my question between the time I asked it and her final response. It was awkward for her and, I sensed a little painful. But I believe she was truthful.>>

Jiang: They pay me 1,500 rmb per month. I also get a bed and some food.

<<This equates to roughly USD235 plus the food and bed.>>

Bromme: What do you like least about it?

Jiang: I do not like taking care of old people; I am a young person. The old people yell at me and sometimes try and hit me when I have to touch them.

Bromme: Do you get hit a lot? Why do you have to touch them? What do you mean?

Jiang: Sometimes I get hit but often they miss me because they are slow. The nurses tell me I have to clean them when they shit in the bed. Or sometimes I have to help them go to the bathroom by inserting my finger into their anus. Also, sometimes the families blame us when the old people die.

<<Jiang tried to release this bit of information as if she were sorting laundry, but she could not contain the anguish; it was embarrassing for her.>>

Bromme: Does anyone else hit you? Have the nurses ever hit you? The boss?

Jiang: No. My father used to hit me but not the nurses.

<<Obviously, this was unexpected and the result of a miscue in translation. It made both the translator and me a little uncomfortable, and I decided to ignore it for the time being. After a breath, I continued.>>

Bromme: How did you find your job here at the nursing home?

Jiang: My friends told me.

Bromme: How did they find this job?

Jiang: I don't know

Bromme: What did you do before you worked at the nursing home?

Jiang: I was a food worker. I prepared food in a factory.

<<Her answers here were robotic and truly conveyed that she was disconnected to her job; it was merely a means to an end.>>

Bromme: Jiang, when you left the factory (Where was the factory?) and came here to Beijing to work at the nursing home, what training did they give you?

Jiang: I worked in Wenzhou. When I was contracted, the nurses told me what to do and after a few weeks I was able to do most of the work alone.

<<Wenzhou is located on the coast of China, not far south of Shanghai. Wenzhou is the crucible of Chinese entrepreneurship.>>

Bromme: Other than clean the patients, what else are your duties?

Jiang: I feed them, give them medicine, help wash them, help them exercise if they want.

Bromme: Jiang, how long do you think you will work at the nursing home? Do you have other plans? What would you like to do with your life after the nursing home?

<<This question was either puzzling to Jiang or the translation was off. It took a few iterations to get it on target>>

Jiang: I have to work here because I need the money. Someday I might find another job but I don't know. I would like not to work here, but I don't know where to go. I would like to have a shop and sell things.

Bromme: What type of things would you like to sell?

Jiang: All sorts of things, cute little knickknacks, dolls, sweets!

<<Jiang turned into a little girl describing this. She was almost excited and literally disappeared into another world for a moment.>>

Bromme: So, Jiang, if I understand you correctly, you work at the nursing home for no other reason than you need the money? Right? You essentially hate the job, nothing about it interests you. In fact, caring for the old people disgusts you...they even hit you sometimes, right?

Jiang: Yes Sir

Bromme: Do you think you are good at your job? Are you proud to be a health care worker?

Jiang: Today I know my job and I do it, but I do not like it. I am not proud of being a health care worker.

<<The idea of being proud of her job was novel, but once she understood the question, she responded with little hesitation>>

Bromme: Do you think being a health care worker is an important job?

Jiang: It is not an important job, if it were I would be paid more money.

<<Jiang's logic was unassailable and her honesty was simple. I was beginning to sense that this idea of mine, that is to interview a migrant health care worker, needed something more. So I decided on a different track>>

Bromme: I want to ask you some questions not related to your job at the nursing home, ok?

Jiang: Yes

Bromme: Did you have a happy childhood and are your parents still alive?

<<I felt this was a reasonable subject to explore given her prior admission about her father.>>

Jiang: We are a very poor family. And when I was little my parents had to split up and work in different cities. I had to go and live with my relatives for a long time. One day my father came to get me and take me home. But he would beat me all day and tell me to call my mother and beg her to come home. I had a very bad relationship with my father. My parents are still alive.

<<Jiang opened up here in a way that I doubt she has in quite some time. She was almost eager to say these things. Her answer above is an abridged version of her entire response.>>

Bromme: If you could buy anything what would it be?

Jiang: A nice house for my mother and a shop for me!

<<Jiang smiled broadly. She missed her mother enormously>>

Bromme: Jiang, I have only a few more questions. When your mother is old and frail will you take care of her? Or would you consider a nursing home for her?

Jiang: Yes, I will care for her.

<<Jiang oozed empathy>>

Bromme: But you will have to work, right? How will you take care of her and work at the same time?

Jiang: I don't know.

<<And again, Jiang's honesty was never more apparent than in this answer. She paused for a while before answering, looked down at the floor hopelessly and responded without looking up. I think that this may have been the first time she ever considered the difficult situation of either caring for the mother she loves more than anything or supporting herself. I don't want to read too much into her answer but I suspect that she began to rethink her plight at this moment. Her answer in a way almost made me feel guilty about presenting her with this dilemma>>

Bromme: Jiang, do you have any questions for me?

Jiang: Sir, why do you want to work in nursing homes?

<<Clever girl, I thought>>

Bromme: I don't really work in them. I help people build them and operate them.

<<Jiang waited for the translation. It didn't appear that my response really answered her question.>>

Bromme: Thank you, Jiang. I have enjoyed speaking with you.

Jiang: Yes Sir, Did I do a good job?

Bromme: Yes, Jiang. You did a great job.

<<Jiang rose from the table and put her jacket back on. She thanked the translator, smiled and began to walk out, when I asked her one last question>>

Bromme: Jiang, have you ever seen the Chinese movie Farewell my concubine?

Jiang: Oh, no Sir, movies are too expensive. Goodbye

Bromme: Goodbye, Jiang.

***

In my two hours with her, I found Jiang to be much like Chen Dieyi in the film Farewell my concubine. Not on a superficial level, but in terms of how tortured she must be; caught in the middle of a miserable triangle with the angles of her life defined by a father who beat her as a child, the necessity of holding down a job she despises and a mother to whom she is fully devoted and loves dearly but cannot live with for financial reasons. Making this mosaic more complex, Jiang now knows that she, like millions of other poor and middle income Chinese, face a dreadful dilemma of ultimately having to care for their parents and lose a job or keep the job and turn their parents over to a nursing home.

Update: Last week I found myself in the vicinity of the nursing home where Jiang works. I stopped by to say hello and thank her again for her time. The manager of the facility seemed frustrated when I inquired about her; he told me she had quit her job three days ago and did not know where she went.

She just left he explained, raising his hands in exasperation, "Like all the Bao Mu, appear from nowhere and disappear into nowhere".

I turned and walked out of the nursing home, leaving behind the caustic tang of bleach and sour reek of dirty clothes. The cold air bit into my nose and cleared my lungs as I stepped outside. I walked down the street I thought about what the manager said regarding Bao Mu disappearing into nowhere. As I hailed a cab, I looked back at the nursing home and pictured Jiang, an apparition with suitcase in hand, furtively leaving her job, escaping under the cover of a foggy dawn.

Full of ephemeral sympathy for Jiang, I thought to myself as I got into the cab, "Indeed, has there ever been a more poignant, unknown destination?"

Med Carts and Assisted Living Facilities

Med Cart Features

Contemporary med carts are sturdy in construction and adaptable in use. They are made of lightweight aluminum and contain a steadfast inner framework. This flexibility allows the facility to create a customized cart for their specific needs.

Assisted Living Facilities can determine what type of medicine cart or unit dose cart they require. Questions they might ask themselves: what type of organization is necessary for patient records, what accessories for the cart will be needed, like amount of dividers and placement of chart holders? In addition, what safety mechanisms are available for narcotic lock boxes and Sharps disposal systems?

Size of the facility is another consideration. Will a multiple of small carts be used to cover a larger facility? Will one sizable cart do? Will only a small cart be needed to dispense medications to as few as ten residents or is a medium-sized cart necessary in order to service more residents.

Med cart options vary; therefore, the amount of assessment questions Assisted Living Facilities need to ask themselves is immense. In the end, what is generated is a custom-made med cart that adapts to each facility.

Med Carts--Aesthetically Pleasing

Innovative series of med carts that easily integrate into a facility's environment are becoming increasingly popular. Since Assisted Living Facilities are not nursing homes, a more pleasant and comfortable atmosphere is desired. Here, facilities have a great deal of options available to them as well.

Med carts with the same functionality described in the previous section can be outfitted with an assortment of hard wood finishes. Light oak, dark oak, and even cherry wood finishes are currently available. As a result, options available can address specific needs of residents, but still contribute to the ambience of the facility.

Significantly, med carts of today combine ease of use, choice of configuration, and variety of remarkable exteriors that reflect the individual expression of the Assisted Living Center.

Why Are Nursing Homes Buying the Nintendo Wii For Their Patients?

One of the many goals of a nursing home is to keep their patients as active as possible. It may not be possible for them to get out as much as they once did but they can still take part in many activities. It may surprise you to find out that many nursing homes are buying the Nintendo Wii for their patients.

This is due to the many interactive games they can play. For example the interactive bowling game allows even those in their wheelchairs to follow through the process of rolling an imaginary ball. Then they watch on the screen as the pins fall down. They can be seen being very competitive with each other and having a great time with the games.

Tennis is another interactive Nintendo Wii game that the older patients really seem to enjoy. Many of them will tell you stories about playing such sports in their youth as well. This can bring back wonderful memories that they may not have thought about for a while. Even if they have never played a real game of tennis in their life they are having a great time playing it now.

There is also golf and fishing which seem to be quite popular with the men at these nursing home facilities. In addition to them working their muscles, hand and eye coordination is continuing to take place. They also have a great time interacting with the staff and with each other. This type of fun and laugher can certainly help them to feel younger inside and out.

The market for the Nintendo Wii is amazing when you consider the range of people it appeals to. They younger generations are certainly interested in the many features and newer games it offers. Even very young children who are just learning about video games are able to enjoy a variety of games. Parents are playing many of the interactive games with their children. They love that everyone isn't just sitting around.

As you can see from some of the examples here, even the elderly are able to enjoy the various Nintendo Wii games. They allow them to regain some of their youth and vibrance. At the same time they get to have some fun on a level that they can relate to. They are even getting some low impact exercise that really makes them feel good.

As the benefits of these games for the elderly continue to be exposed, you can be sure more adult communities are going to start offering them. When you consider that the gaming console and these games can be purchased for less than $500 it is really a very good investment. In fact, some of the residents at these facilities are even asking for such activities to be offered for their entertainment.

Many doctors are even encouraging this type of activity for therapy. Tournaments for various types of games are becoming popular in these nursing homes as well. Even though these individuals are older, their spunk and their competitive nature is still there. They can have great fun trying to do better than their opponents. In the end though there is a lot of support and cheering going on in the background. This type of encouragement is really needed in such an environment.

Coping With Temporary Disability: Senior Care As a Solution for Loved Ones With Mobility Problems

Hiring a temporary senior caregiver can make a huge difference in the lives of elderly individuals who have suffered from a fall or other disability. If your parent, aging loved one, or family member has recently suffered a disability or other mobility problem and is recovering, he or she may require a lot of care and supervision from you until mobility is restored. If you don't have the time to devote to your loved one or if he or she prefers to remain in the comfort of his/her own home, hiring a elder care provider can make recovery easier for your loved one.

How Senior Care Can Make a Difference For Your Loved One

Some parents enter assisted living facilities, others move in nursing homes, and others move closer to or in with a child. Should your loved one prefer the comfort of his or her own home, or if he or she lives alone and requires transportation or help of any kind, a elder care provider can help. Whether your loved one is recovering at his or her home or yours, it's a good idea to hire a senior care provider who can assist your parent with shopping, cleaning, cooking, daily household chores, bathing, and any other necessary tasks that have become difficult and in some instances dangerous to carry out. A elder care provider is still available to help if the situation is ongoing and if the disability is long term.

A senior care provider can also help parents and loved ones with mobility problems who fear they'll fall again by evaluating your parent's home to make sure it's safe. Your senior care provider will make sure to:

• Remove clutter from the floor (and do so regularly to prevent trips and falls).


• Clearing the hallway and space between your loved one's bed and the bathroom.


• Ensure that all floor rugs are fastened down, or replaced with safer options.


• Install or help choose proper grab bars for the bathroom, i.e. near the toilet and shower.


• Improve lighting near staircases, doorways, and hallways.


• Ensure all steps have handrails next to them.

When recovering, your parent, spouse, or loved one should not carry heavy loads (this includes laundry, garbage, etc...) as they could lose their balance and become destabilized. A elder care provider can help with everyday tasks such as these, and help prepare meals, run errands, and provide means of transportation. Even if your loved one has been lucky enough to avoid a mobility limiting disability, he or she may still suffer from arthritis and any other minor injury that could limit movement.

Your loved one may be at risk for falls while recovering from a temporary disability. This is especially true if he or she has difficulty walking or getting up from chairs or out of bed, difficulty maintaining balance, or feelings of dizziness and weakness. Loved ones with Alzheimer's sometimes forget limitations and are at an increased risk for future injuries. Prevent a fall or injury from occurring during recovery period with help from a elder care provider.

Senior care is one option for aging parents and loved ones with temporary disabilities as it allows them to remain safely in their homes as long as possible and recover safely-caregivers visit as needed and take care of everyday tasks and services, including cleaning, running regular errands (cleaning and stocking the refrigerator), managing doctor's appointments, and accident proofing your loved one's home-this includes checking rugs to prevent slips, adding safety bars to the shower, and anything else to prevent falls and ensure a safe living environment. These small steps of senior care can really ease the burden on your loved one and make a big difference in their quality of life during his/her period of recovery.

Most individuals aren't sure if they need help or don't know the next steps to finding senior care. Proper planning is one way to alleviate future stress-contact a compassionate senior care provider and learn more about services and options.