More than one-third of adults over age 65 fall each year, and one-third of older adults who fall suffer moderate to serious injuries, including hip fractures and head trauma.
Climbing chairs and ladders to decorate the tree, string Christmas lights and other holiday chores is the downfall of many, sending about 6,000 Americans each year to the ER.
With the weather warming up, families may be keeping windows open throughout the house to stay cool – this can be a serious safety risk for young kids.
Dogs and cats cause more than 86,000 falls each year—about 240 day—serious enough to send someone to the emergency department, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dogs caused more than seven times as many injuries as cats (88% vs. 11.7%), and girls and women were more than twice as likely [...]
2007 was a slightly safer year in Seattle and King County, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s office. According to the Medical Examiners 2007 annual report, deaths due to homicide fell in King County from 91 in 2006 to 76 in 2007 and deaths due to suicide fell slightly, from 227 to 223. Most [...]
More than one in three US adults age 65 or older will fall this year. In fact, falls are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma in this age group. F The consequences can be serious: in 2005, for example, almost 2 million people 65 and older were treated in [...]
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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