Home Safety For Senior Citizens

As with any other member of your household, elderly residents deserve protection that caters to their needs. Making your home safe for the elderly simply requires some planning and preventative precautionary measures. If you have an elderly relative living in your home - a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle - it will be benefit everyone if you spend some time working out safety plans that take their individual needs into account.

Many seniors are, quite understandably, extremely reluctant to give up their sense of independence, which they have spent a lifetime cultivating and exercising. We all want a dignified old age, for ourselves and for our loved ones. For some families, safety may be a delicate issue, and it should be approached with respect and tact. Any sense of condescension or patronization may be taken as an unwarranted affront on independence and self-responsibility.

Objects that seem utterly benign and ordinary to us can convert into real dangers for old people. A small stoop, a loose rug, sticky door knobs, simple appliances, and slippery floors - all of these can pose difficulties to someone with arthritis, poor eyesight, or limited mobility. Most home injuries to the elderly are the result of falls, and your efforts should be concentrated on reducing the likelihood of such an occurrence. All rooms should be well-lit, and light switches easily accessible. Illuminated switches are highly recommended, as these eliminate needless and frustrating fumbling in the dark. Stairways should have adequate railings to aid in safer stair climbing. If your senior housemate has a walker or wheelchair, this obviously raises other issues that need to be dealt with. Do away with rugs and consider replacing deep carpeting with hardwood floors or with low-pile carpet that won't pose a problem to walkers and wheelchairs.

The bathroom is a maze of potential dangers, and most home injuries occur here. Your bathrooms are likely to be what requires the most work in creating a safer home for the elderly. Install grab bars in the shower and adjacent to the toilet to increase stability. Put down a slip-proof mat in the shower, and consider installing a seat if necessary. Hand-held shower heads are also useful to those with limited mobility, or for seated bathing. Even something as simple as the faucets on the sink and bath deserve your attention. Lever faucets are much easier to manipulate than turn faucets. Levers are also good because they usually combine hot and cold controls into one faucet, making it easier to adjust the water temperature.

Aside from the possibility of injury within the home, other safety measures need to be designed and implemented. It is important to have a contingency plan in case of fire, particularly if the senior in question requires a walker, wheelchair, or other assistance in order to move about. If you have a burglar alarm, it should be easy to arm and disarm. Some home security systems include remote controls or other portable devices for triggering the alarm. This can be very useful in case there is an emergency where the elderly person cannot reach a phone.

In short, home safety for the elderly depends on taking into account various infirmities and their potential impact. Focus on making your home easier to move around, thereby reducing the chance of falls. With a little planning and renovation, you can easily make your home a place that is safe for people of all ages; and improved safety for some is improved quality for all.

Don't be a victim! Help protect the people and things you care most about with an ADT monitored home security system. ADT is the nation's most trusted security company, with millions of customers. Trust ADT security to help keep you safe.

Bat Certification - Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR)

BESR Ball Exit Speed Ratio is a rule which applies to all non-wood bats used by all high schools who are members of the National Federation High School Associations.

All non-wood bats used must bear the BESR certification mark.

The Ball Exit Speed Ratio mark ensures a maximum exit speed of 97 miles per hour. The rules also a part of the BESR standard, have the following requirement a maximum of 2 5/8 inches diameter bat barrel and a minus-3 differential between the length and weight. (i.e.,a 33-inch-long bat cannot weigh less than 30 ounces).

Folks all of the above criteria and certification is dedicated to safety for our high school baseball players.

Good people first off let me admit some ignorance on this dedicated to safety part of this BESR certification. I originally thought the safety thing was referring to the bat staying in one piece and not flying apart when some over strength lad really laced into little white baseball.

That is not the safety bit at all it is the safety of those lads out there in the infield trying to corral the well hit ball. It seems the elasticity of materials used in a metallic bat will cause a baseball to leave the bat so fast and with such velocity it is or could be a dangerous missile.

Would you want your kid waiting patiently down there at third base trying to stop a baseball coming off a metal bat travelling like a shot from a 30 ought 6 rifle? Never ! so the BESR certification establishes that the flexibility or elasticity if that metal bat has been tempered to a control point so that the ball will not be leaving the bat at more than the specified 97 miles per hour.

So much for science and physics in the matter all we can hope for is that the manufacturing and production process is up to snuff and have it right all the time when the BESR mark is put on every metal bat.

Maybe the rules committee failed to certify or place a mark for size of the boy or muscle strength allowed to use a bat.

Collegiate use of non-wood bats might want to consider this Exit Speed Ratio thing to consider the safety net. A bat with a Ball Exit Speed Ratio maximum above 97 miles per hour might ruin the College home run records and statistics.

Since professional or major league baseball has placed non-wood bats off limits this BESR thing is of no consequence in professional baseball as of today.

I seriously doubt professional baseball leagues will ever adopt the use of non-wood bats. The sweet sound of that wood on the baseball has a sound so unique an experienced player can by the sound alone tell if the ball is well hit and heading to the far reaches of the ball park.

The sound of the metallic bats meeting the ball has a pinging sound and reminds one of the sound of a hub cap coming off the wheel of a car. The professional and sandlot players have yet to become attuned to judging the travel probability of a ball leaving these modern day metallic bats.

Major league teams still have to contend with the "Tar Baby Bat" because George just might knock the tar out of that hosshide.

Batter Up---Let's Play Ball...

BaseballFarming is for real so an Introduction to the concept of baseball farming which includes ideas on strategies, training, and winning! by Major Wiley B. Channell USMC (ret) is available at: http://www.baseballfarming.com

Baseball Lingo is real baseball talk by the baseball world. You can become fully up to speed walk the walk and talk the talk by visiting us at: http://www.baseballfarming.com/BaseballCoachingClinics.html

Why You Should Be Extra Careful Choosing Paraben Free Face Care

We are seeing more and more paraben free face care products on the market and that's a good thing, but not really enough. Most of the paraben free lotions and creams include another artificial preservative. Sometimes, the preservatives of choice are even more hazardous than parabens.

All artificial preservatives are allergens. Most of them are irritating to the skin. Natural vitamin E and grape seed extract are effective preservatives that are non-irritating and do not cause allergic reactions.

One of the paraben free face care products on the market lists this on the label; "Proprietary Paraben-free Preservative System". Cosmetic companies are allowed to keep "trade secrets". They are not required to list the "actual" ingredients, because someone could steal their formula.

But, if paraben free lotions and creams do not list the actual preservative, then how can the consumer know whether or not it will cause an allergic reaction. I'm also not sure how a preservative could be a proprietary formula. There are only so many options available. Some companies simply list "preservatives". The whole industry is largely under-regulated.

Cosmetic companies are allowed to use practically any chemical that they choose to. They are not required to test the ingredients for safety, before releasing them. They are not required to test for contaminants. Often, it is public safety groups that test suspected products and report the contamination to regulating authorities.

But, even then, it is up to the individual companies to make changes to correct the problems. So, far, cancer-causing contaminants have only been found in paraben free face care cleansers. Four companies have been sued by the state of California, because of excessive levels of Dioxane in their products.

If paraben free lotions and creams contain Dioxane, then using them is not going to protect our health. Basically, consumers need to be well educated when they shop for paraben free lotions and creams, unless they can find a company that is truly committed to providing safe and effective products.

The best companies test raw ingredients for contaminants like lead, bug spray and weed killer. They test the completed batch for Dioxane and other contaminants. They provide paraben free face care, without including other hazardous artificial preservatives.

Their products are free of added fragrances, because they are the second most common cause of allergic reactions. It's okay to use a little cologne, but you don't want to saturate your body with chemicals, just because they smell nice.

If you choose the right paraben free lotions and creams, you can delay or reduce the signs of aging. You can make fine lines disappear and wrinkles less deep. There are safe and natural ingredients that stimulate the production of new cells and fibers, increase firmness, fade stretch marks, help heal scars, reduce inflammation...

Any skin problem that you might face has a natural solution. Most of them are found in the plant kingdom. Hopefully, this information will help you find the best paraben free face care solutions and you'll look better for life.

Kathleen P. Walsh has been connected with skin care for more than a decade and advocates the use of natural skin care. Visit her informational web site http://mosteffectiveskincare.com for details about the best anti aging skin care and other quality skin products. Remember you can look younger for life, if you make the right choice.

Confined Space Safety Policy - The 9 Policy Headings

A Confined Space (CS) Safety Policy can be divided into 9 sections.

This article briefly describes the nine parts of a comprehensive yet efficient CS safety program.

1 - Purpose - This safety policy states the requirements for the identification and safe entry into both permit required and non-permit required confined spaces. The policy applies to areas of the workplace not designed for continuous occupancy and containing recognized serious safety or health hazards.

2 - Reference - OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146

3 - Scope - Applicable to all of the business's employees, visitors and contractors.

4 - Administration - Variable, but generally administration of the CS policy is by safety coordinators, supervisors, engineers and other trained managerial staff.

5 - Definitions - Can be standard, see: OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health Act

6 - Descriptions -

A confined work location is an area/space where an employee: - has limited openings for entry and egress; - can bodily enter and which is large enough to perform assigned work; - could be engulfed by bulk materials; - is not intended to continuously occupy.

Non-Permit Required CS is a confined work area neither containing nor having the potential to contain any hazard.

Permit Required CS is a confined space with: - a hazardous atmosphere or potential for it; - material that could engulf an entrant; - converging/tapering walls/floors that could entrap or asphyxiate; - a recognized hazard.

Procedures Followed For All Permit Required Confined Space Entry

- Permit

- - Issuance - By the supervisor, mandatory for the employee, one shift in duration.

- - Cancellation - At shift end or on job completion.

- - Retention - Must be reviewed and kept.

- Alternate Entry/Space Reclassification - Specific ref: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 (c)(5)/(c)(7)

- Pre-Entry Briefing - By permit issuing entry supervisor.

- Contractor Notification - Outside contractor adheres to procedures - compliance must be assured.

- Lighting Requirements - Natural, auxiliary, emergency.

- Special Tools and Equipment - Intrinsically safe in flammable or combustible atmosphere.

- Preparation and Hazard Control - Preventing engulfment, burns. Lockout/tagout procedures.

- Assuring adequate ventilation.

- - Pre-Entry Atmospheric Testing - Includes employee training with testing equipment.

- - Monitor Calibration and Testing - Field and Manufacturer Testing.

- Attendant Duties - Mandatory for permit required confined space entry, no other duties.

- Entry Supervisor Duties - Trained and authorized entry supervisor.

- Safety Equipment - PPE, non-entry rescue, rescue, general.

- Equipment Inspection - Per manufacturer's recommendation.

- Handling Problems.

- Rescue and Emergency Services - Documented, available, trained, equipped.

- Summoning Rescue Services Procedure

7 - Responsibilities - Employees and Entry Supervisor - Safety Coordinators - Supervisors - Contractors

8 - Training - Initial - Refresher - Annual

9 - Revision - Annually by Safety Coordinators

These are the nine parts of a Confined Space Safety Policy. The actual policy expands on each item, and those details are available at:

http://greatlakesenvironmental.com/safety/confined.html

Additional briefs on the subject of industrial safety, environmental health and safety, and loss control are available at: http://greatlakesenvironmental.com/safety/index.html

Rayce Bannon is a freelance writer working closely with Evan Casey and his staff at Great Lakes Environmental and Safety Consultants.

Is Your PAT Testing Company Going To Burn Your Business Down?

If you are looking for a Portable appliance testing business it is of value making sure they have certification and membership with the following bodies and agencies.

National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)

The NICEIC is the leading independent voluntary regulatory body for electrical safety matters in the United Kingdom. It maintains and publishes registers of electrical freelancer that have been measured next to Scheme requirements, which include the national electrical safety standard BS 7671 and the IEE Wiring Regulations. The registers NICEIC maintains and publishes consist of the national Roll of Approved Contractors (established in 1956), and the Register of Domestic Installers. NICEIC provides a range of product qualifications activities centring on portable, transportable and fixed electrical equipment covering the design, fix, testing, commissioning and repairs of electrical installations in commercial, industrial and home environments. Ensuring that any of the PAT testing companies that use them have trained testers. The business employs more than 70 full-time assessing engineers and over 100 associate assessors over the United Kingdom that visit registered contractors checking their capability and examine examples of what they do. There is a head office staff of greater than 80 people which include electrical engineers and professional support teams.

British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM)

The British Institute of Facilities Management is the United Kingdom's forefront institute representing the welfare of individuals who are part of facilities management and others who work in organisations supplying facilities management connected products or services. Since its formation in 1993, the BIFM has remained the quickest developing expert body in the United Kingdom and is the biggest national FM establishments in the world. A lot of its members are individual experts and there is an increasing business joinings educating its members in the importance of good PAT testing practice.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)

RoSPA's mission is to save lives and lessen wounding. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is a listed charity established in excess of 80 years past and seeks to campaign for change, pressure attitudes, add to discussions, educate and notify - for the betterment of all. By supplying information, guidance, resources and instruction, RoSPA is actively working towards the promotion of safety and the prevention of mishaps in most areas of life - at work, in the home, and on the roads, in schools, at recreation and on (or near) water which is helping raise awareness about what PAT testing is.

Electrical Safety Council

The Electrical Safety Council is an independent non-profit-making organisation, listed as a charity, set up to look after the wellbeing of consumers. Supported by all areas of the electrical industry as well as area and central government, the Council sorts out all electrical safety matters for the general public. The Council is a powerful force in the area of electrical safety for the protection of consumers, involving with other organisations to benefit standards and encourage best practice. The Council's responsibility is also shown in its mission, which is: To lessen electrical accidents and injuries. The Electrical Safety Council intends to fulfill its mission through activities, cooperation and enterprise so that peoples needs on issues of electrical safety are allowed the appropriate priority and helping people understand why they require PAT testing.

Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

Previously the Institution of Electrical Engineers and Institution of Incorporated Engineers, the Institution of Engineering and Technology is one of the planets main professional societies for the industrial and technology networks. The IET has greater than 150,000 members in 127 nations and has offices in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. The Institution offers a global knowledge network to manage the exchange of knowledge and facts. And promotes the positive responsblity of Science, Engineering and Technology in the planet. The IET represents the engineering profession in matters of civic concern and help institutions to make the public aware of technological issues. It also provides guidance on all areas of engineering, regularly guiding Parliament and other agencies and making sure that the role of PAT testing is up on the schedule.

City & Guilds Qualifications

The Electricity at Work Regulations require electrical systems to be repaired to prevent hazard. The regulations comprise all electrical equipment that can be connected to a source of electrical energy and that might cause personal injury. Such equipment can take the form of electrical/electronic appliances, tools, heating apparatus and test instruments, etc. An amount of Health and Safety Executive documents, BS and BS EN publications, the Electricity at Work Regulations and IEE Code of Practice for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment and the IEE Electrical Maintenance document may be referred to for authoritative guidance on maintenance procedures. The City & Guilds 2377 "Certificate for In-service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment" course is made to make sure that working electricians or others accountable for the maintenance of electrical equipment are familiar with the use of the Institute of Electrical Engineer's code of practice, for in-service inspection and testing of electrical equipment, and making sure that persons that are undertaking PAT testing are to a competent level.

Portable appliance testng should only be dealt with by professionally certified people. You risk not only your own safety but those of the people around you, if you do otherwise.

For a professional service that you can trust contact PAT Testing in London.

Portable Appliance Testing is the only way to give you piece of mind with your electrical appliances.

Implications of NIMS Integration Plan For Hospitals and Healthcare

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 provided the authority for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It also directed the Director of DHS to create a National Incident Management System (NIMS). Published in 2004, NIMS formed the framework for detection, mitigation, response and recovery from manmade and natural occurring disasters, events and incidents of national significance within the United States, its territories, protectorates and Indian Tribal nations. NIMS provided the framework for the creation of the National Response Plan (NRP), also published in 2004.

The National Response Plan is an all-hazards, all-agencies approach to the detection, mitigation, response and recovery from disasters, whether natural or manmade events and incidents of national significance. A little known provision of NIMS created a classification system for all disaster-related resources. This classification system, the National Resource Typing System (NRTS) provides a unified cross-agency, cross-jurisdictional means of classifying all resources that are or could be used in response to a NRP/NIMS event, whether these resources are equipment or personnel.

Responsibilities of a Signatory:

All federal agencies, all 50 states, all U.S. protectorates and territories and all Tribal Nations within the scope and authority of the federal government have now become signatories to NRP/NIMS. Among these signatories are the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the parent agency for Medicare, Medicaid and Veteran Healthcare funding. This signatory status places certain responsibilities upon these agencies and governments, as well as providing them certain rights and privileges. These rights and responsibilities are incumbent upon all agencies that derive their funding or authority from a signatory to NRP/NIMS.

In addition to an irrevocable agreement to participate fully in any disaster, whether manmade or natural, event or incident of national significance within the region of that signatory or the authority of that signatory’s office, department or agency, all signatories to the NIMS/NRP have pre-agreed to all changes, classifications, modifications and regulations that may be promulgated by the director of DHS or the NIMS Integration Center or the NRP Implementation Center. Such changes, classifications, modifications and regulations must be implemented without modification.

NIMS Requirements Upon DHS of Significance:

Within NIMS, there are several clauses that are of significance to establishing a new industry in the area of Disaster Preparedness, Planning, Training and Evaluation within the United States. Recurrent through the document is the phrase “establish qualifications, credentials and certification for hospitals and healthcare facilities in cooperation with … and national professional organizations”. This phrase appears in every reference to hospitals and healthcare facilities in all levels of the response – administrative, financial, logistical and most notably operational. When hospitals are specifically noted, this phrase occurs with increased regularity. To date, there has been no classification, credentialing or certification system implemented by the DHS, NIMS, or NRP.

The NRTS provides no guidance, as of the writing of this report, for the qualification, certification, credentialing, or typing of medical providers and, more specifically, physicians. However, the NIMS Integration Center, on September 12, 2006, quietly published a Hospital and Healthcare Facility NIMS Implementation Plan.

NIMS Responsibility Upon DHHS of Significance:

In addition to an irrevocable agreement to participate fully in any disaster, whether manmade or natural, event or incident of national significance within the region of that signatory or the authority of that signatory’s office, department or agency, all signatories to the NIMS/NRP have pre-agreed to all changes, classifications, modifications and regulations that may be promulgated by the director of DHS or the NIMS Integration Center or the NRP Implementation Center. Such changes, classifications, modifications and regulations must be implemented without modification.

The Center for Medical Services (CMS) is the DHHS agency specifically empowered and charged with the responsibility of overseeing all operations for Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare. These responsibilities include the certification of participating Hospitals and Healthcare facilities whether directly through a network of Regional Offices (RO’s) and State Agencies (SA’s) or through approved private organizations including the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Healthcare Facility Accreditation Program (HFAP) of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). CMS draws its authority directly from the secretary of DHHS and is responsible for performing all the duties and responsibilities of the secretary of DHHS as applied to Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare, including but not limited to promulgating regulations and regulatory guidance towards this end.

NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan:

The NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan provides a new landscape for those providing Disaster Planning, Preparedness, Training and Evaluation services as well as for national organizations involved in the certification or accreditation of healthcare facilities, healthcare professionals, planning professionals and emergency management professionals.

JCAHO Accreditation Standards and Disaster Preparedness:

The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has become the de facto standard for hospital and healthcare facility accreditation. The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) has a parallel Healthcare Facility Accreditation Program (HFAP). For the purposes of this discussion, there is no practical difference in the standards set forth by JCAHO and AOA. As JCAHO is the more common accreditation, the discussion will center on the JCAHO standards.

Participating hospitals and healthcare facilities renounce “self-certification” in favor of external accreditation by JCAHO. The DHHS through CMS uses JCAHO accreditation in lieu of CMS certification for the purposes of CMS provider eligibility. Loss of JCAHO accreditation is synonymous with loss of CMS provider eligibility. JCAHO published a special compliance manual entitled Standing Together which outlines the JCAHO standards for disaster preparedness in the post-9/11 era and provides guidance on meeting these standards.

The JCAHO standards have specifically adopted the START/JumpSTART Disaster Triage System (aka Integrated Triage). JCAHO guidance also specifically addresses Disaster Preparedness and Training through Immersion Simulation Drills, referred to as “community wide” and “influx drills.” The JCAHO guidance allows tabletop exercises, but this type of drill does not fulfill the need for influx drills. JCAHO specifies that an accredited hospital must conduct at least one community wide drill every year and at least two influx drills every two years.

Center for Medical Services (CMS):

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), a signatory to NRP/NIMS is the supervisory agency for Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare (Veteran’s Administration) funding through the Center for Medical Services (CMS). The regulatory agency provides certification for hospitals and other healthcare facilities either through JCAHO/HFAP or directly though its own system of state inspection offices/teams. CMS regulations carry the force of federal law under various aspects of the Social Security Act Title XVIII and XIV. The specific Federal Register sections applicable to this discussion include 42CFR482.1 and its applicable regulatory guidance. The CMS State Operations Manual provides the clearest guidance on the current interpretation of 42CFR482.1 and CMS regulations. CMS provides for both enforcement of these safety and preparedness regulations.

As an office of a NRP/NIMS signatory agency, it is incumbent on CMS to comply with the full implementation of NRP/NIMS. This compliance includes requiring NRP/NIMS compliance of all vendors (Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities) receiving funding through CMS. CMS regulations create a regulatory requirement for full NRP/NIMS compliance by all Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare certified Hospitals and Healthcare facilities. As an office of a NRP/NIMS signatory (DHHS) these requirements are no more than a restatement of NIMS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan. Further, CMS has elevated non-compliance with safety and preparedness to the level of an “immediate jeopardy” and thus immediate suspension of a hospital or healthcare facility’s status as a CMS (Medicare, Medicaid & Tricare) participating provider.

Correlation of the NIMS-IC Plan, CMS Regulations & JCAHO Standards:

Correlation 1:

The NRP/NIMS signatory agreement signed by DHHS and thus incumbent upon CMS to implement combined with the applicable policies, regulations and accreditation requirements of CMS, HRSA and JCAHO create a mandate for full and unmodified compliance with NRP/NIMS/NRTS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan is incumbent upon all hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Correlation 2:

CMS regulations and JCAHO standards both call for the use of an Incident Command structure and attention to the four phases of disaster. This paraphrases the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan requirements for the use of the Incident Command System structure and ICS education.

Correlation 3:

CMS regulations and JCAHO standards require hospitals and healthcare facilities cooperate with community based multi-agency responses to disaster as well as participating in community wide multi-agency drills. This parallels the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan and effectively implements this portion of this plan.

Correlation 4:

The combination of the CMS use of JCAHO accreditation as CMS certification and the deferment of certification by hospitals to JCAHO makes JCAHO accreditation the de facto certification to fulfill the NIMS Implementation Center mandate for “self-certification.” Thus JCAHO accreditation also has become the de facto certification of compliance with the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan for each individual Hospital or Healthcare Facility.

Correlation 5:

CMS regulations and JCAHO standards prescribe that an accredited hospital or healthcare facility must develop and publish for CMS/JCAHO review an operational budget including the provision of capital for all aspects of business operation. This echoes the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan provisions regarding Preparedness Funding.

Correlation 6:

CMS regulations and JCAHO standards require revision of existing plans as well as regular updating of plans in light of both pre-event Vulnerability Analysis and Post Event Review (After Action Review). These clauses validate the NRP/NIMS and NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan requirements for plan revision and regular reevaluation.

Correlation 7:

CMS regulations and JCAHO standards detail requirements for both Community Wide and Surge (Influx) disaster drills. Further, both organizations discourage Tabletop Exercises in favor of Live Patient and Simulator Environment Drills. The detailed and recurrent reference to these drills emphasizes the weight and importance placed on this phase by these regulatory and accrediting agencies. This emphasis reflects the same importance given to disaster drills by NRP/NIMS and NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan.

Correlation 8:

CMS regulations and JCAHO standards specify that hospitals and healthcare facilities must maintain sufficient supplies and resources including generators, potable water, medications and oxygen to ensure the safety of all staff, patients and residents. These requirements are included in multiple key sections of the regulations including Life Safety, Facility Operations, Patient Safety and Human Resources/Personnel. The JCAHO and CMS sections are actually more stringent and specific than the comparable NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan portions.

Correlation 9:

CMS regulations and JCAHO standards specify the use of plain English and a common nomenclature in all communications without allowance for a different language or nomenclature in event of disaster. This common language requirement is far more stringently worded than the associated NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan sections in large part owing to the high priority placed by both CMS and JCAHO on the 1999 To Err is Human report published by the Institute of Medicine.

Implication of the NIMS-IC Plan, CMS Regulations & JCAHO Standards:

Implication 1:

Whether by design or serendipity, recently published CMS regulatory changes and progressive refinement of JCAHO standards have resulted in accreditation criteria that now closely approximate those put forth in NRP/NIMS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan. This has the effect of creating a regulatory mandate for hospitals and healthcare facilities to fully implement NRP/NIMS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan. It is the position of High Alert that this creates a new market for Disaster Planning Services and Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery Education.

Implication 2:

Owing largely to the Nationals Patient Safety Program initiated by JCAHO and CMS in response to the Institutes of Medicine To Err is Human report, recently published CMS regulatory changes and progressive refinement of JCAHO standards have resulted in accreditation criteria for resource acquisition/inventory and common communication nomenclature that exceed those put forth in NRP/NIMS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan. Further, both agencies have tied these criteria to the facility safety/Life Safety criteria for accreditation.

Implication 3:

Following the catastrophic events of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane season and the recent National Academies of Science reports regarding Hospital and Community Disaster Preparedness, recently published CMS regulatory changes and progressive refinement of JCAHO standards have resulted in accreditation criteria for disaster planning, education and drills that exceed those put forth in NRP/NIMS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan. Further, both agencies have tied these criteria to the facility safety/Life Safety criteria for accreditation.

Implication 4:

Because certification by CMS and indirectly JCAHO accreditation are required for Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare insurance participation and because CMS and JCAHO have tied much of their disaster preparedness criteria to the facility safety and Life Safety certification criteria, violation of these criteria would immediately suspend CMS certification and thus immediately suspend Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare insurance participation by the violating hospital or healthcare facility. Further, all private insurance suspends program participation in the event o a CMS suspension. Thus violation of the CMS and/or JCAHO disaster preparedness criteria and by extension the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan holds significant financial penalties for any hospital or healthcare facility.

Conclusion:

Based on the comprehensive review of CMS regulations, JCAHO standards, NRP/NIMS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan, it is the position of High Alert that this creates a market pressure towards Comprehensive Immersion Simulation Training that includes a “Crawl – Walk – Run” Disaster Exercise program for staff and ICS training for administration. This program can be delivered in 5 to 6 days and provide all required education and drills to meet all patient safety, disaster preparedness/response and community/multi-agency drills required under CMS regulations, JCAHO standards, NRP/NIMS and the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan. Such a program provide client hospitals and healthcare facilities with comprehensive disaster planning, preparation and response training, significant patient safety improvement through the use of simulation based training and demonstrable cost savings compared to the present market approach to these processes while protecting these clients from potential financial harm.

The fortuitous conflagration of CMS regulations, JCAHO standards, NRP/NIMS/NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan revisions, National Academies of Sciences Reports on Hospital and Community Preparedness and the Institutes of Medicine To Err is Human report create an unexpected environment that yields de facto mandates for full and unmodified implementation of the NIMS Implementation Center Hospital and Healthcare Facility Plan. Further the market is ripe for the introduction of the next evolution disaster preparedness training.

Immersion Simulation Training will extend the disaster training to the inpatient bedside environment and include high fidelity human patient simulators to train not only disaster and terrorism response/treatment, but also patient safety and other issues raised in the Institute of Medicine report To Err is Human. This model creates a training environment akin to that used to train airline pilots and fighter pilots. Teams trained in this model we employ techniques patterned after those used to train NASCAR Pit Crews to work quickly and accurately in a high risk, high stress and fast paced environment. NDLS-FL and its partners cannot afford to miss such an opportunity.

Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez is the founder and president of the consulting firm High Alert, LLC.. He serves on expert panels for pandemic preparedness and healthcare surge planning with Congressional and Cabinet Members. Board certified in multiple specialties, Dr. Ramirez is Founding Chairperson of the American Board of Disaster Medicine and serves the nation as a Senior Physician-Federal Medical Officer in the National Disaster Medical System. Dr. Ramirez has a new book: You Can Survive Anything, Anywhere, Every Time. His website is http://www.High-Alert.com

Selecting a Home Security Safety System

Locating the proper home security safety system for your residence may be a somewhat of a ordeal, however, if you identify your main concerns when it comes to home security, you will focus your selections to discover a security system that can make it easier to protect you, your home and your family for years into the future. Below are a few home security safety systems you might wish to contemplate.

A primary consideration should be the size of your home, and the manner that your house is constructed. Are there a large number of windows in your house? How far is front door from the back door, or the main living room of the house? Are the bedrooms downstairs or upstairs? These aspects should aid you to ascertain the location to put in the home safety security mechanisms that you select, and can provide you with an picture of how much you'll need to pay as you consider burglar alarm systems.

Subsequently, you should consider the kind of safety measures you require. If you have windows encircling your house, it might be better to affix motion detectors on the windows, so that you'll be alerted immediately if glass breaks. Should you own a short driveway, motion detectors in the manner of lights will alert you if somebody is attempting to break and enter your home in the dead of night. A security camera system will let you to observe what's happening in every region of your house, and will supply you with the data you require to contact the police ahead of your family being in danger. You may install the security camera's software onto your computer, or you may obtain small surveillance devices or dome cameras to inconspicuously set up in different areas of your house.

For more information about home security safety, try visiting http://homesecurity.best-info-on.com - a popular home security site that features information about best home security, home security equipment, home security burglar alarms, and more.