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Officials Find "Total Collapse" of Care at Local Assisted Living Facility

Sandy Grinnell — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:21:15 GMT

According to the Orlando Sentinel, after seven complaints, officials from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration inspected an Emeritus Properties' assisted living facility called Emeritius at Crossing Pointe. As a result of the inspection, they placed an immediate stop to any and all new admissions at this facility.

Inspectors found dozens of violations over a two week period and reported conditions such as:

A patient who died of heart failure after staff members failed for four days to give her the heart medicine she had been prescribed.

Another patient who was given a blood thinner — a medicine she had not been prescribed — that made her so sick, she went to the hospital for an emergency blood transfusion.

An employee who had falsified medication and nurse's orders.

Three Alzheimer's patients with toenails so long they curled around their toes.

Managers who, over several days, could not give an accurate resident count. One day, they were off by more than 30 people.

Emeritus owns four other facilities in Orange County and have fully complied with the Agency's requests, submitting a corrective action plan in writing to address the current problems as well as preventative measures so these conditions will not occur in the future.

It is because of horror stories like these that it is imperative that caregivers fully inspect facilities prior to placing their loved ones in a facility, make unannounced visits, and visit often. Do not let this happen to your loved one!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sandy Grinnell

Protect Yourself From Bad Doctors

Ed Normand — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:03:00 GMT

Did you know...

While the new health care bill is being debated in Washington, there is something individuals can do right now to ensure that they are receiving the best possible care. Most of the doctor malpractice in the country is committed repeatedly by just a small percentage of physicians. The Florida Department of Health publishes public profiles for every licensed medical doctor, osteopathic doctor, chiropractor, podiatrist, and advanced registered nurse practitioner practicing in the state. Each profile contains self-reported information about the medical practitioner that may help in selecting a doctor, or finding out more about the health professional that is currently treating you. The website also lists whether the practitioner carries medical malpractice insurance, and whether they have been involved in any medical malpractice litigation. For the website, go to: Medical Malpractice .

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Helpful Hints In Selecting a Child Car Seat

Ed Normand — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:03:08 GMT

Baby Car Seats - Did you know...

Often parents move their child from a baby car seat to a full-size safety seat too soon. Data from crash-testing reveals that a baby is better protected in a rear-facing seat because the seat gives better support to the baby’s head and neck, and distributes the crash force over a greater area of their body. The general rule of thumb is to wait until your child is at least one-year of age, and weighs at least 20 pounds, before you move your child to a full-size safety seat. If your child weighs more than 20 pounds, but is still under a year of age, it is best to keep him/her in a rear-facing seat. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), along with car seat safety advocates, now also recommend that babies remain in a rear-facing seat as long as possible, up to the weight limit of the seat. If the weight limit of the seat is 30 pounds, these groups recommend that it is best to keep your child rear-facing until they reach the weight limit of the seat.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Orlando/Kissimmee Tops List of Deadliest Metro Areas for Pedestrians

Sandy Grinnell — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:04:44 GMT

According to the Transportation for America (TFA) latest report, Central Florida has the worst ranking in the number of pedestrian deaths for 2007 and 2008 among metro areas that have a million plus residents. 16.9% of all our traffic fatalities involved a pedestrian.

For every 100,000 residents in the Orlando/Kissimmee area, there was an average of 2.86 pedestrians killed on our streets in 2007 and 2008 putting us at the top of the list. However, Orlando was not the only Florida city to rate poorly for the safety of pedestrians. The next top three spots went to Tampa/St.Pete/Clearwater, Miami/Ft.Lauderdale/Pompano Beach and then Jacksonville.

The TFA report was aptly named Dangerous by Design as the report attributes these preventable deaths to very roads that most commuters have begged for to make their drive to work more bearable. It's the thoroughfares, or "arterial roads", like Semoran Blvd, Colonial Ave and Silver Star Road that have been widened to six lanes with a turn lane in the middle that are the most dangerous for pedestrians as they seldom come with pedestrian crosswalks.

The TFA also cites a lack of funding as a contributing factor in the high number of pedestrian deaths. The report states that although 11.8% of all traffic fatalities involve pedestrians, only 1.5% of transportation funds are aimed at improving the safety conditions for pedestrians.

These deaths are preventable and the officials at Transportation for America are asking for your help in making our streets safer for those who walk, try to cross or bike on our city streets. Let your voices be heard in Washington by contacting Transportation Secretary LaHood and requesting that pedestrian safety become a national transportation priority.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sandy Grinnell

Orlando, Florida Theme Park Injury Reports

Ed Normand — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:55:02 GMT

For the second consecutive quarter, Disney World was the only major theme park in Florida to report any guest injuries. None of the other major theme parks - including Universal Studios, Sea World, Wet ‘n Wild, or Busch Gardens in Tampa, reported a single guest being injured in that time period. Disney World reported eight injuries occurring during the third quarter. Neither the Federal Government nor the State of Florida regulate the big theme parks and they are under a Florida based voluntary reporting system that has many loopholes. The lack of reported injuries for the last 6 months at all of the theme parks except Disney shows that the voluntary reporting system is not working and injuries are happening that are not being reported. This is clear from an examination of lawsuits filed against the theme parks. The lawsuits consistently relate to injuries at the parks that the parks never report to the State of Florida or anywhere else.

The injuries at Disney during the third quarter of 2009 include the following:
A 31-year-old woman had a seizure after riding the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, and a 50-year-old woman experienced chest pains and shortness of breath after riding the same ride. A 54-year-old man had a seizure riding Star Tours, a full-motion flight simulator based on the Star Wars films. A 40-year-old man fell and broke his right wrist while getting off of Test Track, a simulated excursion through the rigorous testing procedures that GM uses to evaluate its cars, culminating in a high-speed drive around the exterior of the attraction. A 52-year-old woman complained of dizziness and memory loss after riding Mission: Space, which boasts that it realistically simulates an astronaut’s trip to Mars. A 66-year-old man felt sick after riding Expedition Everest, a high-altitude, high-speed roller coaster train ride to the “Roof of the World.” A 74-year-old woman lost her balance getting off of Peter Pan’s Flight, fell, and hit her head and broke her wrist. Finally, a 57-year-old woman passed out after riding Splash Mountain, and fractured her skull after collapsing on a concrete floor.

State regulators rely on the big theme parks to voluntarily report any significant injuries to guests. It is clear that many injuries are not being reported. According to these records, Disney is now falling far behind the other big theme parks’s safety records for the second straight quarter. With the lack of regulation it is not clear if this is a sign of safety issues at Disney or, more likely, that other parks are not reporting all the injuries at the parks. It is time that state regulators need to step in. Government oversight is needed as self-policing is clearly not working. For my previous blog on the injuries at the big theme parks for the second quarter of 2009, please check our prior blogs on Disney Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Disney Replaces Crashed Monorail

Ed Normand — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:40:54 GMT

Recently, Disney announced that a “new” monorail train, named Teal, is now up and running at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The monorail at Disney received heightened media attention over the summer, as two trains were involved in a deadly crash which killed 21-year-old Disney employee Austin Wuennenberg. According to reports, Disney decided to use the undamaged, leftover parts from the two trains involved in the crash to build the new Teal train.

For my blog posting over the summer about the crash, please see Disney Accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Unemployed and Uninsured

Ed Normand — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:41:17 GMT

So far in 2009, almost 300,000 Floridians have lost their health insurance, along with their jobs. The link between health coverage and the rise in unemployment is important, because nearly two-thirds of people under the age of 65 get health coverage through their employment, or the employment of a spouse. Florida ranks third in the nation, among working age-adults, in the number of people who have lost their health insurance since January 2009, behind only California and Texas.

Several options are available to those who become unemployed, including COBRA, where you pay to extend current health coverage, but oftentimes individuals do not have the necessary financial means. However, the current trend of citing tort reform as a means to reduce health insurance costs are misplaced. During a time when more and more individuals are needing to purchase insurance on their own, it might be easy for some to point the finger at the alleged “evil” of medical malpractice lawsuits. Much has been proposed about the potential reduction in insurance costs if awards in medical malpractice cases were capped, or eliminated altogether. What individuals don’t realize is that in actuality, little to no savings in premiums have resulted from current attempts at tort reform. In fact, insurance companies in Florida like Aetna, have stated that tort reform has produced little or no savings in insurance rates in Florida, due in part to lawsuits only making up a tiny fraction of the overall healthcare spending in the United States each year. Reducing costs needs to come from within the system, starting with reducing the myriad of preventable medical errors committed by the small percentage of bad apple physicians each year.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

More Dangers of Distracted Driving

Ed Normand — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:38:14 GMT

A client of mine was forever maimed in a recent car crash, but she wasn’t even driving. Jane was walking in her neighborhood, in broad daylight, when a car veered off the road, and mowed her down. Jane now has a broken hip, a collapsed lung, and two broken legs, a fractured spine and may never walk again. What is even more sad is that this was all completely preventable. Jane’s husband is the Home Owners Association President in their neighborhood, and has witnessed countless reckless drivers for months. In fact, he’s been trying to get help from anyone to improve safety in his neighborhood, but to no avail. Drivers have hit everything from light poles and fences, to even homes. Jane’s husband set up multiple surveillance cameras in the area before his wife’s accident, and was able to catch the entire accident on video.
Jane faces months of recovery, and most likely will never be the same. She’s in critical condition at a local hospital, with severe injuries. The video shows the terrible accident, and clearly shows how the car in question ran Jane down. The driver admitted to being distracted when he ran off the road.
I’ve blogged previously about the dangers of distracted driving. For my previous article, please visit: orlando.injuryboard.com/automobile-accidents/dangers-of-distracted-driving.aspx
It is about time the Florida Legislature does something to stop driving while texting and other forms of distracted driving. Studies have confirmed that distracted drivers are less safe than drunk drivers! Lets fix both, perhaps we need a Mothers Against Distracted Drivers group before the carnage stops.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Officials Release Cause of Tragic Bus Accident

Sandy Grinnell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:05:00 GMT

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its findings on the cause of the bus accident that took the lives of 17 and injured 38 more back in August of 2008. The bus left the highway at about 68 miles per hour, broke through a metal bridge railing and ended up 8 feet below the bridge.

After an extensive review of the crash, it was determined that the bus had been driving for a significantly long distance with an under-inflated tire. The low tire pressure resulted in such a complete tire failure that there was no way the driver could have possibly maintained control of the bus.

The report revealed that number of deaths and the significant injuries were also the result of the fact the brdige railing failed in keeping the bus from plunging over the side. To make matters even worse, the luggage racks inside the bus failed and prevented passengers from exiting and impeded the rescue of the injured.

The most significant recommendations coming from the NTSB were to:

the Federal Highway Administration by increasing the requirements for bridge railings and repair of older bridges, and

the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which was asked to impose a requirement that all new motorcoaches over 10,000 pounds have tire pressure monitoring systems, and develop performance standards for the luggage racks. In addition, the NTSB asked NHTSA once again to develop requirements for passenger safety restraints, including restraints for children, on all new buses.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sandy Grinnell

What Should Be Done to Curb Jaywalking?

Sandy Grinnell — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:12:31 GMT

When police try to enforce jaywalking laws, it's often a cause for a lot of verbal bashing by the anti-government, anti-establishment types and even some city officials. See what happened last July when police officials in the City of Savannah tried to make their city safer for pedestrians by issuing jaywalking tickets. Now their fines were out of line, but some complained just about the enforcement.

But what should be done? Just last night on my way home I had a man cross against the light with his two young children running along behind him. Now we had the green light but traffic had to wait for them to all get across. Then at the next light, another man ran into traffic - crossing on the green light and again cars had to screech to a halt to miss him. You also see a lot of folks step out between parked cars to cross the street, practically scaring the living daylights out of the drivers who pass them. Then yesterday an elderly woman in South Daytona tried to cross the street in her motorized wheelchair, not at a crosswalk, and unfortunately was struck and killed by a passing vehicle.

Now if a pedestrian, or individual in a wheelchair, is hit and found to be at fault, of course the driver would not be cited. The pedestrian would cited if they lived through accident. But who wants to go through life knowing you killed someone with your car - even if it wasn't your fault? I can imagine you would still have nightmares.

Apparently walking to the corner to cross and then waiting for the light is just too much trouble. So what's the solution? Do we need more education? More enforcement? I don't have an answer - but I do know that I stay vigilant watching for jaywalkers just waiting to step in front of my car.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Sandy Grinnell