Sandra is the Founder, Lead Legal Nurse Consultant, and Coordinator of Krug Consulting, a Legal Nurse Consulting firm. She is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). She has over 12 years of college ...
Latest From Our Blog
Suddenly Blind: Postoperative Vision Loss
By Sandra Krug
Please enjoy my article Suddenly Blind: Postoperative Vision Loss, published in the Winter 2019 edition of the Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting.
Suddenly Blind – Pages from AALNCJLNCWinter2019 (4)
If you find this information useful, please share with colleagues and send them to our website: www.LNCKRUG.com.
Prediabetes and diabetes – what can you do?
By Sandra Krug
November 14, 2019, is World Diabetes Day (WDD). It is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. WDD was created in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes.
Having prediabetes means your blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal—but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes can lead to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.
Prediabetes can often be reversed.
With type 1 diabetes, your body cannot make insulin, so you need to take insulin every day. Type 1 diabetes is less common than type 2 diabetes; about 5% of the people who have diabetes have type 1. Currently, no one knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes.
With type 2 diabetes, your body cannot properly use insulin (a hormone that helps glucose get into the cells of the body). You can get type 2 diabetes at any age, but you are at higher risk if you are older, overweight, have a family history of diabetes, are not physically active, or are a woman who had gestational diabetes.
Over eighty-four million Americans now have prediabetes.
That is 1 out of 3 adults! Of those 84 million, 9 out of 10 of them don’t even know they have it. Without taking action, many people with prediabetes could develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years.
With numbers like that, it is important to learn about prediabetes and take action.
Take the CDCs online test to find out if you are at risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a partnership of public and private organizations working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
Partners make it easier for people at risk for type 2 diabetes to participate in evidence-based lifestyle change programs to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.
The National DPP was created in 2010 to address the increasing burden of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in the United States.
This national effort created partnerships between public and private organizations to offer evidence-based, cost-effective interventions that help prevent type 2 diabetes in communities across the United States.
One key feature of the National DPP is the CDC-recognized lifestyle change program, a research-based program focusing on healthy eating and physical activity which showed that people with prediabetes who take part in a structured lifestyle change program can cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% (71% for people over 60 years old).
If you are interested in participating in a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program, learn more about the benefits of joining.
You will get a full year of support and learn how to eat healthily, add physical activity to your routine, manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can get in the way of your goals.
This program is proven to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
Participants who lost 5-7% of their body weight and added 150 minutes of exercise per week cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 58% (71% for people over 60 years old).
Diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States—and studies show that deaths related to diabetes may be under-reported! Today, 1 in 10 U.S. adults has diabetes, and if trends continue, 1 in 5 will have it by 2025.
For more information read the National Diabetes Statistics Report [PDF-1.35MB] to learn more about the toll that diabetes is taking in the United States.
Paralegal – helpful as the attorney delivers in a lawsuit
By Sandra Krug
National Paralegal Day is October 23rd
A paralegal performs a variety of tasks to support attorneys, including maintaining and organizing files, conducting legal research, and drafting documents. Legal nurse consultants provide similar support but do medical research instead of legal. Paralegals are extremely crucial to the legal team and perform various legal duties that an LNC does not have the expertise to carry out.
Paralegals can be found in all types of organizations. Most work for law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies. They usually work full time, and some may have to work more than 40 hours a week to meet deadlines.
Paralegals typically do the following:
Investigate and gather the facts of a case
Conduct research on relevant laws, regulations, and legal articles
Gather and arrange evidence and other legal documents
Draft correspondence and legal documents, such as contracts
Get affidavits and other formal statements that may be used as evidence
Help lawyers during trials by handling exhibits or reviewing transcripts
File exhibits, briefs, appeals and other legal documents
Call clients, witnesses, lawyers, and outside vendors to schedule depositions
Paralegals’ specific duties often vary depending on the area of law in which they work.
Corporate paralegals
often help lawyers prepare employee contracts, shareholder agreements, stock-option plans, and companies’ annual financial reports. Corporate paralegals may monitor and review government regulations to ensure that the corporation is aware of new legal requirements.
Litigation paralegals
maintain documents received from clients, conduct research for lawyers, retrieve and organize evidence for use at depositions and trials, and draft settlement agreements. Some litigation paralegals may also help coordinate the logistics of attending a trial, including reserving office space, transporting exhibits and documents to the courtroom, and setting up computers and other equipment.
Paralegals may also specialize in other legal areas, such as criminal law, employee benefits, intellectual property, bankruptcy, immigration, family law, and real estate.
Specific job duties may also vary by the size of the law firm.
In small firms
paralegals’ duties tend to vary more. In addition to reviewing and organizing documents, paralegals may prepare written reports that help lawyers determine how to handle their cases. If lawyers decide to file lawsuits on behalf of clients, paralegals may help draft documents to be filed with the court.
In large organizations
paralegals may work on a particular phase of a case, rather than handling a case from beginning to end. For example, paralegals may only review legal material for internal use, maintain reference files, conduct research for lawyers, or collect and organize evidence for hearings.
Attorneys depend on paralegals to get cases done. Legal nurse constultants also depend on paralegals for assistance with work on cases. The role of the pralegal is invaluable.
We want to thank you for all your hard work.
Happy National Paralegal Day!
World Mental Health Day 2019 is October 10th
By Sandra Krug
World Mental Health Day
10/10/2019 is World Mental Health Day. Mental Health First Aid is teaming up with Comedy Central to help raise awareness. Check out their new video and share it with your friends. Together, we can support each other and choose to #BeTheDifference.
Mental Health First Aid is the initial help offered to a person developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate treatment and support are received or until the crisis resolves.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health issues, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.
Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:
Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
Family history of mental health problems
Nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness (44.7 million in 2016). (National Institute of Mental Health via the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
In 2016, an estimated 10.4 million adults (4.2 percent) in the U.S. had a serious mental illness (SMI). (National Institute of Mental Health via the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
People who enroll in local Mental Health First Aid courses learn a 5-step action plan to help loved ones, colleagues, neighbors, and others cope with mental health or substance use problems.
Similar to traditional First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid is help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis until professional treatment is obtained or the crisis resolves.
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based public education and prevention tool – it improves the public’s knowledge of mental health and substance use problems and connects people with care for their mental health or substance use problems.
Mental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health issues can get better and many recover completely.
Being the difference means showing up for people. Mental Health First Aid can help: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org
Today is the official International Day of Older Persons
By Sandra Krug
October 1 is the International Day of Older Persons, a day to recognize their contribution to our communities and offer support for their needs.
The United Nations General Assembly on December 14th, 1990, declared October 1st to be the International Day of Older Persons.
Over 700 million people are now over the age of 60. It is estimated that by 2050, 2 billion people, over 20 percent of the world’s population, will be 60 years old, or older.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that an older adult is treated for a fall in an emergency department every 12 seconds and that every 18 minutes an older adult experiences a fall that results in death. The leading cause of fatal injuries, as well as physical trauma in older adults, is slip and fall accidents. The CDC estimates the cost of adults being injured by slip and fall will increase to over $67 billion by the year 2020.
Keep Older Persons Safe by Preventing Falls
Falls are a common cause of injury for older adults. Fortunately, many of these accidents are avoidable. Learn how to reduce the risks for you and your loved ones so you can enjoy more years of independent living
Learning the Facts About Falls and Older Persons
1. Get familiar with the statistics.
One out of three adults 65 years or older falls each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Up to one-third of these accidents cause serious injury including broken hips or head trauma, and increase the risk of early death.
2. Recognize your risk factors.
The chance of falling increases with age. People with certain conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or high blood pressure, are also at higher risk. However, you can control many of the causes by changing your lifestyle and installing simple safety aids in your home.
3. Know how to get up correctly.
Even if you do fall, you may be able to minimize the damage by training yourself on how to get up appropriately. If you’re seriously hurt, call for help and remain still. Otherwise, try to fall on your side or buttocks and then rise to a kneeling position from which you can lift yourself onto a chair.
Older Persons Making Behavioral Changes
1. Get your vision tested.
Poor vision can lead to a tumble. Have your eyes checked at least once a year and wear your glasses as directed.
2. Exercise regularly.
Tai Chi or yoga will improve your balance. Walking just 30 minutes a day will strengthen your legs.
3. Take care of your bones.
Any weight-bearing exercise, including walking, will also slow down bone loss. Ensure you get adequate calcium, and vitamin D. Talk with your doctor about osteoporosis.
4. Manage your medications.
Some drugs cause drowsiness and dizziness. Make sure your doctor and pharmacist know everything you take, including prescriptions and over-the-counter products.
5. Slow down. Rushing can be dangerous.
Get up slowly if you’ve been sitting or lying down for a while.
6. Dress safely.
Look for supportive shoes with thin rubber soles. Keep your bathrobes and pants hemmed.
Seniors who restrict their activities because they are afraid of falling put themselves at greater risk by becoming sedentary. Recruit a loved one or a physical therapist to help you learn to move around safely.
Modifying Surroundings for Older Persons
1. Install grab bars in your bathroom.
Most injuries occur in the bathroom. Add safety bars next to your toilet. Put them in the shower along with a stool.
2. Improve your lighting.
Buy some nightlights. Switch to light bulbs with maximum wattage. Keep a lamp next to your bed. Make sure stairs have adequate lighting from top to bottom.
3. Watch out for slippery floors.
Get rid of area rugs or secure them. You can keep them in place with double-sided tape or non-skid mats.
4. Rework your stairs.
Stairs can be another area of concern. Handrails need to run the full length of the stairs. Attach carpet firmly. Add rubber treads or reflective tape to uncarpeted stairs.
5. Rearrange your cabinets.
Move stuff out of the highest cabinets. If you have to reach for anything, buy a sturdy stool or small A-frame ladder to stand on instead of a chair.
6. Inspect the outside of your home.
Falls also happen outdoors. Repair any uneven surfaces. Clear away debris.
Slip and Fall Claims
It is possible for a slip and fall accident to be nothing more than an accident, but a slip and fall accident can also be the result of a property owner’s negligence. In these situations, it may be necessary for an accident victim to collect damages by filing a personal injury lawsuit.
A property owner has a duty to keep their area of control safe for anyone who goes there. If it can be proven that a property owner breached their duty of care, an older person who falls may be awarded monetary compensation. It must be proven that the breach of care was the cause of a older person’s injuries.
An experienced attorney will know how to file a personal injury lawsuit so that fair compensation can be received by an older person slip and fall accident victim. A lawyer will also be able to determine the damages an older person qualifies to receive.
If you are concerned about your risk of falling, talk with your doctor. There are many practical steps seniors, and their caregivers can take to prevent falls around the home or outdoors. Few are very expensive or time-consuming, either.
Enjoy International Day of Older Persons. Give the ideas above a try, and you’re on your way to a healthier, happier life!
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