As providers of care for individuals who have been affected by an auto injury we are closely monitoring the potential changes to the laws for Michigan Auto No-Fault Insurance. This article, from Michigan Radio by Lester Graham and Michigan Watch is by far one of the best overviews of the potential changes. Please take the time read the article and do your part to protect the current laws in Michigan.
Great read from the AARP about caring for aging parents!
Holidays are a Good Time to Assess How Your Elderly Parents are Faring
Many of our clients and their families have benefitted over the years from the current no-fault auto insurance that is required in the State of Michigan, with the proposed changes on the table for the legislators we want you to consider what would happen if we were to lose these benefits. If you haven’t suffered a catastrophic injury from an accident the true cost of your care and recovery is hard to wrap your head around, but for those who have they can tell you about how quickly the cost of care piles up. With a proposed cap on the benefits many in Michigan will quickly exhaust their benefits in the years to come. To find out more about what these proposed changes would mean to you and your family we suggest you check out this article.
If you would like to write to your representatives in support of keeping the current no-fault insurance standards in the state, you can find out more information on the CPAN website.
This past weekend several members of the Dobson team endured the cold and crazy winds to walk in the Saginaw Making Strides Walk. Many of us walked for family members who were affected by breast cancer or a close friend. The turnout for the event was amazing and we look forward to participating in the event next year! Thank You to all of you who supported us in helping us in the fight to end breast cancer!
Interesting study on the true affects of sugar on your diet. Check it out
The New York Times had a great article about advances in treatment of individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries today. The number of American Soliders with TBI’s is only going to increase and new breakthroughs in care are a wonderful thing to see! At Dobson we are constantly searching for the most cutting edge care we can find for our clients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, this includes keeping up on the trends of care that are coming to the mainstream such as “neuroplasticity” that the New York Times article discusses.
Some Great News for veterans who have suffered a traumatic brain inury since Oct. 7th, 2001. If you know someone who has suffered a TBI while in the service from that date forth, please pass on this information!
Have you thanked a nurse today? May 6th is the beginning of a very important week in health care…National Nurses Week. For all of the unsung heroes in healthcare my hat goes off to you.
The media is quick to relay the horror stories of patients receiving wrong medications or undergoing a wrong surgical procedure. What you don’t hear in the news are the thousands of times that a simple intervention of a nurse has saved a patient unnecessary pain, trauma or anguish. The actions of a single nurse can calm a crying child, comfort a grieving family member and provide compassionate care to those who may not ‘deserve it’ in the eyes of the general public.
Once upon a time, nurses were expected, not only to be the right hand of the physicians in the hospitals, but to be the custodians, maintenance personnel, respiratory therapist, physical therapist, activities director and cooks. I have had the honor to have a grandmother-in-law who was a 1932 graduate of the Charlotte Englehart School of Nursing. She was always eager to compare her experiences as a hospital nurse to my own. I loved to hear her stories of “the olden days of nursing” and she loved to hear about the “new fangled equipment and procedures” of today’s nursing. Despite nearly 60 years separating our entrances in the world of nursing, I couldn’t help but be aware that there was always a common thread of compassion and concern for ‘our’ patients.
As we get set to celebrate Florence Nightingale’s birthday, please remember the nurses who have touched your life. Whether it is the nurse who handed you your newborn baby with a tear of joy in her eye, the nurse who explained a complicated surgical procedure with patience in his voice, the nurse who came into your home and became a member of your family or the nurse who greets you by name each time you attend an appointment at your physician’s office, each nurse starts their day knowing that it may not be an easy day, but the trials will be worth it. I would like to personally thank each nurse whom I have worked with, for I have learned something from each and every one of you – my respect and admiration knows no bounds!
Happy Nurses Week!!!
Julie Hobgood, R.N., can be reached at juliehobgood@dobsonhealthcare.com
Complementary medical treatments for TBI’s?
A recent study out of the University of Colorado, Boulder indicates that an ancient form of “complementary” medicine MAY be effective in helping treat people with a mild traumatic brain injury, “TBI”. The treatment known as acupressure, is where one’s fingertips are used to stimulate particular points on a person’s body. The results indicate a link between the acupressure treatments and enhanced cognitive function in the study subjects with mild TBI. The study subjects showed scoring on tests of working memory significantly better when compared to the TBI subjects in the placebo group. This hypothesis suggest that acupressure could be an effective adjunctive therapy for TBI sufferers.
The acupressure treatment type used in this study is called Jin Shin. The practitioners used 26 points on the human body from the head to the feet. These points are found along “meridians” in the body that are associated with specific energy pathways. It is believed that each point is tied to the health of specific organs in the body as well as the entire body and brain. The meridians are described as “freeways” and the pressure points as towns along the way. For example, when there is a traffic jam in Detroit that causes problems as far away as Flint, clearing the traffic jam or “energy blocks” helps to improve the flow, therefore overall health.
The team then used a standard series of neuro-psychological tests to assess the results. The subjects receiving active acupressure treatments, showed increased memory function. Those receiving treatments also responded to stimuli more rapidly than those receiving placebo treatments.
The hope is that the Jin Shin treatment may be useful to military veterans returning home with TBI’s. The treatment can be taught to family and friends of those with TBI and can even be used as a self treatment, which could allow for more independence.
A 2010 study on acupressure concluded that Jin Shin triggered a larger and faster relaxation response during active treatments and a decreased stress response following active treatments compared to placebo treatments. A new study is being embarked upon with Jin Shin with regard to athletes to see if the enhanced relaxation response and decreased stress can reduce the likelihood of athletic injury.
Source: Centre for Neuro Skills, Spring 2011
April 2011 TBI Tidbit provided by Dar Warner, LPN, CBIS. Dar can be contacted at darwarner@dobsonhealthcare.com
We will be a break sponsor and exhibitor this Friday at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s Rehab Symposium. The event will be held at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. If you are an attendee please make sure to stop by our booth and say hello.
For more information you may call the RIM office at 313-966-8490