Our September 2015 Client Newsletter

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly utilized over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers. Mounting evidence suggests that these pharmaceuticals increase a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke.

The Food and Drug Administration thinks the evidence is noteworthy, as they recently ordered drug manufacturers to toughen the warning labels on these medications. Aspirin was not included on the new warning labels, since it has been found to lower cardiovascular risks in some patients.

Researchers believe that NSAIDs alter the lining of blood vessels, opening the door to blood clot formation. Common NSAIDs include Advil and Motrin (ibuprofen); Aleve (naproxen); and the prescription drug Celebrex. Multi-symptom cold medications, many of which contain NSAIDs, often fly under the radar, catching people unaware.

Taking an occasional NSAID here and there should not be a problem for someone who has a healthy heart if they follow the correct dosages. However, chronic users or those who already have heart issues elevate their risk of heart attack or stroke anywhere from 10–50 percent, depending on the drug and the dosage being used.

For people whom NSAIDs have brought relief from severe arthritis pain, the best course of action is to consult with their doctor. In some cases, the risks of NSAID use are outweighed by the benefits of diminished pain.

Awareness of the issue, good doctor-patient communication, and exploring the options to NSAID use are the keys to successfully navigating the potential NSAID minefield.

Falls are a common occurrence among the elderly. Diminished strength, reaction time, vision, and balance; injury; and disease are all contributing factors. However, the incidence of falls is significantly elevated in nursing homes, compared to seniors who live at home or with loved ones.

Up to 75 percent of nursing home residents fall on an annual basis, more than double the rate for elderly citizens in the general population. Adults age 65 and over are also four times more likely to die from falls or fall-related complications in a nursing home than they are living at home or with other family members. To be fair, elderly residents in nursing homes tend to be older and in poorer health than seniors who live at home. Even so, nursing homes should be able to prevent the majority of these incidents.

In too many situations, a nursing home may put profit ahead of the well-being of residents. Many nursing homes are understaffed to save on costs, resulting in employees who are stressed, overworked, and undertrained. In this climate, the risk of resident falls is heightened. Proper foot care, shoes, and walking aids may be neglected. Environmental hazards such as poor lighting and slippery or littered floors may go unaddressed. Incorrect bed heights and faulty bed rails might go unaddressed as well.

Falls produce not only physical harm but emotional and psychological damage as well. The fear of falling may cause a resident to lose further function, withdraw socially, and suffer depression.

If your loved one has experienced a serious fall in a nursing home, contact a personal injury attorney to protect their rights.

People are spending more time than ever online shopping for the lowest interest rates. But what good is a low interest rate if the lender can’t close your loan?

In a seller’s market, listing agents seek only pre-approved buyers, and compare buyers to see who is more likely to be able to close the deal quickly. Online lenders sometimes have rates a bit lower than their local counterparts. But if a loan officer is thousands of miles away and documents repeatedly get misplaced by out-of-state processors, chances are the lender won’t be able to close within the time specified. Self-employed buyers, buyers with rental income and non-traditional applications can trap loans in underwriting departments for weeks, causing buyers to need multiple extensions of loan commitment and closing dates. Sometimes sellers will stick around, and sometimes they will simply choose to move on to the next buyer.

At Brooks & Crowley, we close dozens of residential mortgage loans every month, with both local and national lenders. Call us at the beginning of your home search. We’ll match up your mortgage needs with an experienced local loan officer who will sit down with you face-to-face to assess your needs, give you a pre-approval letter, and get your loan closed.

A silent seismic threat far exceeding that of the San Andreas Fault lurks 700 miles off the Pacific Northwest coast: the Cascadian subduction zone (CSZ). Its existence wasn’t known as of 45 years ago, but northern California up to Vancouver Island, Canada, may be in peril from a 9.0+ quake and resultant tsunami.

 

The CSZ, unlike most other subduction zones (areas where tectonic plates collide), displays no perceptible evidence of seismic activity. No occasional rumblings or shaking…nothing. No earthquakes of any kind have been recorded since tracking began in the United States. However, evidence pieced together approximately 30 years ago showed that the CSZ hasn’t always been silent.

 

A ghost forest of dead western red cedars still standing on the banks of the Copolis River near the Washington coast tells the story: Saltwater killed the trees. Most scientists had believed the trees died slowly as the sea level rose. However, in the 1980s, clues in soil layers revealed that the trees died suddenly as a result of land subsidence—the ground level plummeted dramatically—something only an earthquake could produce. The trees’ growth-ring patterns confirmed that the trees died simultaneously sometime between August 1699 and May 1700. The Japanese recorded a tsunami in that same time frame that, puzzlingly, was unaccompanied by an earthquake. Mystery solved.

 

Researchers also now know from continental slope debris at the bottom of the ocean that there have been 41 CSZ earthquakes in the past 10,000 years; an average of one every 243 years. According to those numbers, the Pacific Northwest is overdue. This is one area of study in which scientists are hoping they are dead wrong.