According to a Chicago Tribune report, the state of Illinois, more than any other state, relies on nursing homes to house mentally ill patients – even those patients who have been convicted of felonies.

As a result, the last year and a half has seen several incidents in Illinois nursing homes involving the mentally ill and the elderly – including the rape of a nursing home patient by a convicted felon and the severe beating of a man in a wheelchair by a mentally ill woman who had a history of drug use and prostitution.

Mentally ill patients currently make up more than 15 percent of all nursing home residents in Illinois, government records show. Included among the residents are 82 convicted murderers, 179 sex offenders and 185 armed robbers.

The Chicago Tribune found that often the background checks on new residents in nursing homes are insufficient, or criminal records are down-played. An investigation also showed that homes with more felons and mentally ill patients have fewer staff members to care for residents.

State authorities allegedly do not track assaults and other nursing home crimes, making it nearly impossible to stop the problem. When compared to the number of nursing home residents and the millions of hours of care provided to them annually, nursing home operators claim that the number of violent incidents is fairly insignificant.

The largest nursing home association in Illinois, The Health Care Council of Illinois, told the Chicago Tribune that it supports the creation of separate facilities for geriatric patients and mentally unstable criminals – and according to the Tribune’s report, state officials agree.

It seems the problem here is with the funding. In Illinois, the state just doesn’t have anywhere else to put the 3,000 criminals that have been placed in nursing homes.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Howdy HurtKurt readers! Starting today, HurtKurt is going to post a weekly top ten list on varying topics from cold remedies to worst car accidents on record.

This week, we’ll start things off with ten cold remedy tips with some help from the docs over at WebMD.

Ten Natural Tips for Treating a Cold

• Blow your nose often – Sniffing mucus back into your head can increase cold length and discomfort
• Put hot or cold compresses on your sinuses – Treating sinus pain could be as simple as an ice pack or heating pad over your nose and around your sinuses
• Get your liquids while they’re hot – Drinking hot liquids like tea helps relieve head congestion
• Gargle for a sore throat – Warm water with salt can help alleviate throat pain when gargled
• Steam it out – Hop in the shower and turn up the heat so you can inhale the steam to help alleviate congestion
• Open up your nasal passage – Put mentholated salve under your nostrils and breathe it in to help open up your airways
• Rest up – Get plenty of rest when you’re feeling under-the-weather to help boost your immune system and encourage wellness
• Add some padding – When you sleep, put an extra pillow under your head to help sinus drainage
• Stay grounded – Airplanes are a great (I mean horrible) place to pick up any germs that might be floating around
• Vaporize your congestion – Sleeping with a vaporizer in your bedroom can help break-up mucus and improve breathing when you’re sick

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

According to two studies done at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, teenage drivers who have their own cars have a higher chance of being in a car accident than those kids who share a vehicle with parents or other siblings.

RedOrbit.com reports that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers – killing more than 5,000 kids every year.

Researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia say that parents can help keep their teens safe by using some positive reinforcement tactics when talking to their kids about driving, drinking and cell phones. Parenting style can have a great impact on the way teenagers view driving – and it can help curb rebellious behavior, according to RedOrbit.com

Teens whose parents were involved in their lives and set reasonable ground rules for driving without being overbearing were reported to be 71 percent less likely to drive while drunk and 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving.

Dr. Niranjan Karnik, an adolescent mental health specialist from the University of Chicago says this new data that was all released on Friday emphasizes the importance of parenting styles when dealing with teens.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, a California company has recalled almost 2,000 cartons of spinach that have been found to contain salmonella bacteria.

The contamination was discovered during routine testing, and no illnesses have yet been reported.

The company responsible for the spinach is called Ippolito International and it’s located in Salinas, Calif. It has been in business since 2000, and is in good standing with all the food safety and handling statues in the state of California.

In healthy salmonella victims, the bacteria can lead to fever, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Salmonella can cause serious illness or death in children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems. If you are a salmonella victim, an injury lawyer in your area might be able to help determine if someone else is at fault and if you may be eligible for compensation.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

44 Best Blogs

Out in the blogosphere there are countless blogs about health, nutrition and safety – so how is a reader to know where to get the best information?

HurtKurt and friends combed the Internet and found 44 blogs that we think offer the best insight to leading a safe and healthy life in all aspects. While we don’t monitor content on the chosen blogs, we believe they are the best, and we think they’ll be the ones that interest you.

The blogs we’ve selected fall into the following categories:

• Product Recalls
• Auto and Driving Safety
• Psychology and Mental Health
• Workplace Health and Safety
• Health and Nutrition

Product Recall Blogs

• U.S. Recall News: A blog designed to keep consumers informed about recalled products in all markets in the United States from drugs to toys to food. Read it: http://www.usrecallnews.com Twitter: @usrecallnews
• The Owner IQ: At Owner IQ, owners of specific products can read about recalls and glean and share information about products. Read it: http://blog.owneriq.net Twitter: @owneriq
• Marler Blog: This law firm blog offers commentary and perspective about food poisoning issues and news across the country. Read it: http://www.marlerblog.com Twitter: @bmarler
• U.S. Food Safety Blog: This blog provides a forum for consumers to learn and share information about food safety and food products. Read it: http://blog.usfoodsafety.com Twitter: @foodsafeguru
• Food Safety Chat: Louise Manning has a PhD in global food production. She writes about food products and safety worldwide, while tying water quality and safety regulations into her posts as well. Read it: http://foodsafetychat.blogspot.com
• Recall Information Blog: This blog is for ’safe shoppers’ to find information about products that may have been recalled. It offers information consumers would expect to have available from producers and retailers. Read it: http://totalrecallinfo.blogspot.com
• News Moms Need: This is a March of Dimes sponsored blog written for women who are mother or who are soon-to-be mothers. It offers tips and info on health, motherhood and safety. Read it: http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.com
• Safe Mama: This is a blog resource for parents offering health and safety tips for keeping kids and households as healthy and safe as possible. Read it: http://www.safemama.com Twitter: @safemama
• eFood Alert: A blog that serves as an independent source for food safety and recall information. Read it: http://efoodalert.blogspot.com
• Safety Matters and Other Thoughts: This is the blog from the CEO and founder of WeMakeItSafer.com. She offers tips and information about safety and product recalls. Read it: http://blog.wemakeitsafer.com/jennifer Twitter: @wemakeitsafer

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Auto and Driving Safety Blogs

• Kicking Tires: Cars.com blog highlighting news in the automotive world. It also provides vehicle and vehicle-related product news. Read it: http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires Twitter: @kickingtires
• Pass Your Driving Test: This blog’s focus is tips for passing your driving test and making you a safe driver on the road. It includes personal experiences, advice on car care and video links. Read it: http://pass-your-driving-test.blogspot.com
• Auto Upkeep: A blog about car maintenance providing automotive news and updates. It offers reviews and a section on “Teens and Cars.” Read it: http://www.blog.autoupkeep.com Twitter: @autoupkeep
• DUI Checkpoints: Keeps you up-to-date on interesting news stories about DUI cases and information, with a section on celebrity DUI offenders. Read it: http://www.totaldui.com/blog Twitter: @totaldui
• Traffic Safety Culture: A blog focusing on the importance of driving safety. It also offers tips on how to be a safe driver. Read it: http://trafficsafetyculture.blogspot.com
• National Motorists Association: This blog takes a critical look at the policies and laws affecting the automotive industry and the everyday driver. Read it: http://www.motorists.org/blog
• StreetsBlog: A blog providing commuter news focused on New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Capitol Hill. It offers a section with videos and education. Read it: http://www.streetsblog.org Twitter: @streetsblog

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Psychology and Mental Health Blogs

• PsychCentral: This blog gives information, articles and advice in many areas of psychology. Read it: http://psychcentral.com/blog Twitter: @psychcentral
• Mental Health Blog: A blog that takes a more scientific stance on psychological studies and developments in mental health. Read it: http://www.mentalhealthblog.com
• Half Full: Science for Raising Happy Kids: This blog from UC-Berkeley offers advice and info on how to raise happy, optimistic children. It’s written from a scientific approach. Read it: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/half_full Twitter: @raisinghappiness
• Anxiety Insights: It focuses on anxiety-based psychological disorders, providing readers with articles, news and advice. Read it: http://www.anxietyinsights.info
• Beyond Blue: A mental health blog providing inspirational and faith-based advice for relationship and personal well-being. Read it: http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue Twitter: @thereseborchard
• A Beautiful Revolution: Andre Jordan showcases his insightful, sometimes somber, “doodles,” poems and stories. Links are available to his various works. Read it: http://www.abeautifulrevolution.com/blog
• Postcards from the Funny Farm: Anecdotal stories and thoughts from Damien Riley. The focus ins on inspiration, psychology, creativity and personal growth. Read it: http://www.postcardsfromthefunnyfarm.com
• Mental Help Net: This blog focuses on stress and anxiety management. It provides articles, advice and general information about various mental health topics. Read it: http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_index.php?idx=weblogs Twitter: @MentalHelpNet

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Workplace Health and Safety Blogs

• Safety at Work: This blog focuses on news stories about staying safe at work. It offers information about safety in the workplace and what makes a safe and unsafe work environment. Expert comments and contributions are always welcome. Read it: http://safetyatworkblog.wordpress.com Twitter: @SafetyOZ
• Health and Safety News: A blog that reports on health and safety issues in the workplace for businesses of all sizes and industries. It is written and maintained by an experienced health and safety consultant. Read it: http://www.healthandsafetynews.co.uk
• The Pump Handle: This blog offers a forum for people interested in public health to discuss issues of interest. Many contributing writers are American epidemiologists. Read it: http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com
• The Human Solution: A blog about ergonomics in the workplace and keeping your body safe and comfortable at work. The blog is managed by John Paulsen – Certified Professional Ergonomist. Read it: http://blog.thehumansolution.com
• Safety News Alert: A blog providing news and information about work safety. It mostly focuses on news headlines relating to safe working environments. Read it: http://www.safetynewsalert.com
• The Safety Blog: This is a forum including safety articles and tips from Safety Service Company. It offers insight on health and safety laws and legislation. Read it: http://www.safetyservicecompany.com/blog Twitter: @safetyservices

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Health and Nutrition Blogs

• Diet Blog: A blog and forum for users to discuss dieting tricks and tips. It offers advice and information about current diet trends. Read it: http://www.diet-blog.com Twitter: @dietblog
• Live from the Coroner’s Office: Rated a top health blogger by Wellsphere, Dr. Richard Keller writes about life and death from the view of a county coroner. He offers some advice and information about health practices. Read it: http://coronerlakecountyil.blogspot.com
• Mayo Clinic Expert Blog: Mayo Clinic’s expert blog from two staff nutritionists. They discuss best practices for living healthy, as well as offering diet and lifestyle advice. Read it: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/MY00431/TAB=expertblog
• Dietriffic: A diet blog exploring the scams and truths in the diet world. Blog author Mel offers advice about dieting and staying healthy for life. Read it: http://www.dietriffic.com Twitter: @dietriffic
• Whole Food and More: This health blog follows current health and nutrition news and offers tips and information about staying healthy while eating whole, natural foods. Read it: http://www.wholefoodandmore.net
• Hungry Girl: A hip diet blog for hungry girls. It offers meal advice and information about nutrition your body needs daily – and how to get it guilt-free. Read it: http://food.yahoo.com/blog/hungrygirl Twitter: @hungrygirl
• Paging Dr. Gupta: CNN’s health blog from expert Dr. Gupta. It offers information about health news and tips on dealing with illness. Read it: http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com
• i.e. Health: This health blog offers tips and information about staying healthy and ways to improve healthy lifestyle practices. It also follows health news stories. Read it: http://www.iehealth.blogspot.com
• Junk Food Science: Blog from health professional Sandy Szwarc offering information and advice about how junk food affects daily life. She talks about how to combat junk food, as well as the effects it can have on our bodies. Read it: http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com
• Small Bites: This nutrition blog offers advice and information about all kinds of foods. Author Andy Bellatti talks about common foods that can do harm to your body, as well as tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Read it: http://smallbites.andybellatti.com Twitter: @andybellatti
• Sexy Food Therapy: This lifestyle blog focuses on staying healthy and balancing food into your life. Author Melissa Ramos talks about incorporating food into emotion, without getting carried away with emotional eating. Read it: http://www.sexyfoodtherapy.blogspot.com Twitter: @sexyfoodtherapy
• Eat Stop Eat: A nutrition and exercise blog from author Brad Pilon, detailing some workout tips and ideas for healthy living. Read it: http://bradpilon.com Twitter: @bradpilon
• Nutrition Data – Know What You Eat: This nutrition blog offers a calorie counter and forum for users to discuss health issues. It gives advice on maintaining healthy eating habits. Read it: http://blog.nutritiondata.com

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Disclaimer: The content found on the HurtKurt Blog is not legal advice and is purely for informational purposes. Total Injury, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of submissions. The information provided by the bloggers on this site may not represent the opinions of the site editor(s), Total Injury, Inc. or its affiliates. The information contained herein is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Now that Labor Day weekend has passed signifying the end of summer for most of the nation’s school kids, everyone is getting back to the daily grind of work, school, sports and other activities. With school being in session, there is more opportunity for sickness to spread, so could the new school year bring with it the potential for more cases of H1N1 Swine Flu?

According to a Fox News report, the U.S. Center for Disease Control is predicting that it will. Even though cases of the disease appear to be tapering off, the CDC warns that more outbreaks could be on the horizon for the new school year.

The hardest hit area of the country is the southeast, where schools have already been in session for three to four weeks.

Many schools are just getting started today, so outbreaks of the virus may not start obviously cropping up until later this month or even the beginning of October.

The good news about H1N1 is that the virus has been around for a while now, and the strain doesn’t seem to be changing and becoming more deadly. That means most cases should be relatively easy to cure and most people won’t suffer severe illness.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

It’s generally considered common knowledge that eating sugary foods like ice creams and candies can have a negative effect on your diet – but just how negative are those effects?

According to a Wall Street Journal article, the American Heart Association is urging Americans to curb their sugar intake – not only can lower sugar intakes help prevent diseases like diabetes, but over time it can help reduce overall obesity in the U.S.

The recommended intake of daily sugar is 100 calories – or six teaspoons – for women and 150 calories – or nine teaspoons – for men.

The sugars the American Heart Association are talking about aren’t the natural sugars that occur in fruits, dairy and other products – the bad sugars are the ones that are added during product manufacturing or by the consumer, like the sugar packets you put in your morning coffee.

Not only is monitoring your sugar intake a good idea to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but over time it will add up to prevented heart attacks, strokes and diabetes – as well as avoided hospital visits, which will in turn the overall chance of medical malpractice.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

According to School Nurse, the first two months of school are the most treacherous for kids – at least as far as getting injured is concerned.

Fall sports are getting started again, after a summer free of organized school activities; kids are excited to see all their friends and act extra rambunctious on the playground during recess and lunch; and most of all, the idea of getting hurt is probably the last thing on any kid’s mind.

Of course the chance of personal injury varies depending on the age of kids. School Nurse says of injuries that happen at school, most are in the middle school/junior high age range. Here are some stats:

• 46% of at-school injuries occur at the middle school/junior high level
• 39% are among elementary school kids
• 16% of school injuries happen in high school

At least we can see that kids are getting smarter as they grow up! As for how/where injuries occur, here’s the deal:

• On the playground: 59%
• During lunch: 27%
• Athletics/gym class: 10%
• Miscellaneous: 31%

To help your kids stay safe at school, remind them to be careful and not play too rough with others. When it comes to sports, sometimes those injuries are harder to avoid – no matter how carefully an athlete plays.

If your school district has an abnormally high rate of injury among students, lobby for safer, newer playground equipment and more education about stretching before exercise and properly using equipment.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Imagine this: you’re injured in a car accident, but your doctor wants you to pay medical bills up front. A friend offers to put you in touch with someone who can help, and they do – you go to another doctor, no upfront fees, and you only have to pay if a settlement is reached in your personal injury case.

According to a CNN report, this is exactly what happened to Cynthia Johnson in 2002, and she wasn’t alone. After she realized she couldn’t afford the medical costs up front at her usual doctor, a friend put her in touch with a man – Howard Awand – whose name she was told never to mention. He set her up with the top doctors and a prominent lawyer in the area.

She had doctor’s appointment after appointment for six weeks – and surgery was recommended. She raked up more than $40,000 in medical bills. This was all for a relatively insignificant car accident Johnson had on her way to work – and a U.S. government official had been the cause.

The U.S. attorney in charge of the case, Ruth Cohen, started asking questions, and found something wasn’t right. Every doctor and lawyer Johnson had consulted was connected to this guy Awand. All the participants in this circle called themselves the “Medical Mafia,” and they had been at it for years “leveling the playing field for accident victims,” they claimed.

Insurance companies saw it a bit differently, calling the scenario something out of a horror film. Over time, Johnson’s case blew out of proportion, and caused federal trials against prominent surgeons. Ultimately, after her life was threatened by those involved with the ‘medical mafia,’ she chose to talk with the FBI about her situation, hoping to find a solution.

As CNN put it, the group who had manipulated Johnson and had been accused of insurance fraud looked like “a gang of doctors and lawyers with no intention of backing down.”

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

In a picnic area in the left field stands of the Albequerque Isotopes ballpark before a game, a boy was struck with a practice home run ball that fractured his skull.

Some may say it’s a risk baseball game goers knowingly take, so if an accident happens, the team is not to blame. In this particular case, however, the city of Albequerque has decided that the injured boy and his family can sue the Isotopes for damages incurred as a result of the ball that struck him.

There’s a widely accepted ‘baseball rule’ stating that ballparks cannot be held responsible for fan injuries as long as they have protective nets in place behind home plate, however New Mexico is a state that has not adopted this rule.

According to a New York Times article, New Mexico has ruled that the boy and his family can file a lawsuit against the minor league ball club – for the permanent brain damage their injury lawyer alleges his client suffers.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

A new study was released today, revealing that a small number of law enforcement officers who helped in the World Trade Center rescue and cleanup operation have since been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the immune system.

In the study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine examined 28,252 emergency respondents who had previously worked in the dusty ruins of ground zero. Within this large number of people, eight cases of multiple myeloma were found.

One individual was caught in a dust cloud on 9/11 and then worked long hours there for months. Another worked at the Staten Island landfill, where the rubble was transferred, for 111 days. The two others had less exposure, only working about 12 to 14 days each in the pit and debris.

In addition to being small, the numbers aren’t necessarily a surprise given that multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological cancer in the U.S. after non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Researchers would normally expect to find just about seven cases in a group that size.

So if these results seem typical, what makes researchers think there’s a link to the debris from 9/11?

A couple details surrounding the cancer patients suggest a connection to having worked in the rubble. For example, four of the eight individuals were under the age of 45; an oddity for this particular cancer, because the disease is diagnosed most regularly in patients an average of 71 years old.

Even though these results are slightly intriguing, no study to date, including the one published today, has proven a link between dust from 9/11’s wreckage and cancer, stated Lorna Thorpe, a deputy commissioner and epidemiologist at New York City’s health department.

Additionally, the majority of published research done on multiple myeloma indicates that it typically takes 10 to 20 years for it to develop in someone who has had environmental exposure to a carcinogen. In these cases, the cancers were diagnosed in as little as three to four years after the attacks, suggesting that something else – potentially the dust exposure from 9/11 – caused the disease.

Source: Fox News

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Even working in the healthcare industry doesn’t guarantee honest and reliable health coverage. For Sandie Napientek, who has worked in the healthcare field for almost 30 years, thought she could handle the ins and outs of dealing with the insurance company when her husband needed back surgery for his excruciating pain.

Before Michael Napientek went into surgery last fall, his doctor had preauthorization for the procedure from the insurance company, UMR.

Several months later, the couple started receiving medical bills, and notices that Michael’s back surgery was not paid for by UMR. The total amount owed? Nearly $150,000.

The couple didn’t know what to do. They were questioning the insurance company about the preauthorization of the procedure, which according to UMR, does not guarantee coverage. Well then what’s the point?

After many sleepless nights, attempts to appeal the insurance company’s decision and excessive financial worry, the Napienteks woke up to a letter from UnitedHealthcare – UMR’s parent company. The letter said that the insurance company would cover the medical bill after all – after a review and second opinion on the case from an outside physician.

Though this couple ended up on the lucky side of the personal injury spectrum, health insurance companies can be deceptive when it comes to their coverage.

After the claim had been taken care of, a spokesperson for UnitedHeathcare said, “This is a perfect example of how the process works. The process may not work as fast as people want it to work, but it works.”

Read the full story about the Napienteks’ insurance luck at the Chicago Tribune.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

In a recent study at the University of Rochester Medical Center, researchers determined that a compound found in the blue food dye used in M&M’s and Gatorade can help ease the effects of spinal injury.

The compound, called Brilliant Blue G (BBG), is FDA approved, which makes it a viable option for this type of treatment.

The researchers in Rochester used BBG on mice with spinal injuries, and it definitely improved their recovery. The mice were able to walk – even though they still had to limp.

Mice that were not injected with the compound after their spinal injuries did not regain their mobility.

So, what are the possible negatives to this medical advancement? The only recorded side effect: the mice turned temporarily blue.

It could be several years before any of this can be used on humans, but if the research pays off, spinal cord injury patients could see faster and more complete recoveries in the future.

To read the full story about the research, visit CNN Health.

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.

Welcome to HurtKurt’s blog! Many of you may be familiar with me, having seen me in the Twittersphere.

My reach is expanding, and I want to use my blog to share with you information about health and safety – as well as news, current events and other info about personal injury and insurance companies.

If you are suffering from an injury yourself and have pertinent questions to be answered, your best resource might be a local injury lawyer.

I look forward to sharing heath and injury information with you, and I look forward to reading your comments! Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter too @HurtKurt!

Copyright © 2009 TotalInjury, Inc. (as licensee). All rights reserved.