Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

Borderline Personality and Bipolar Disorder Differences Part I: Diagnosis

Excerpt from Psych Central: (click for entire article)

Bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder often share many of the same symptoms – mood shifts, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity. In “Is Bipolar Disorder Overdiagnosed in Adults?” I cited a study suggesting that a number of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder actually meet criteria for borderline personality disorder, instead.

So what’s the difference? It’s a complicated discussion. Although some overlap may exist, important distinctions separate the two conditions, yet some researchers believe both conditions are likely a part of a continuum and are, in fact, related to one another.

In this part of a two-part series, I highlight the diagnostic differences between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. In Part II, I focus on differences in treatment for the two conditions.

Get ready, get set ... sneeze!

Excerpt from Salina.com: (click for entire article)

When autumn is in the air in Kansas, it can mean only one thing: frequent sneezing, coughing, wheezing, stuffy and running noses, throbbing headaches and red, watery eyes.

Welcome to the fall allergy season.

This year, more than most, may prove to be a nightmare for allergy sufferers. That's primarily due to the growing abundance of ragweed and other seasonal weeds -- such as goldenrod and pigweed -- that have begun filling the air with microscopic irritants and will continue to do so until the first freeze.

Blame the high ragweed count on early spring and summer rains that provided ideal growing conditions for these allergy-inducing weeds and other plants, said Tom Maxwell, district extension agent in crops and soils for K-State Research and Extension Central Kansas District.

"Those weeds are doing well with all the moisture and shedding a lot of pollen," he said.

Two Men Arrested on Terror Suspicion on Flight From Chicago to Amsterdam

Excerpt from Fox News: (click for entire article)

Two men from the Detroit area were arrested in Amsterdam on a flight arriving from Chicago, reportedly suspected of assessing the aviation system for a potential future terror attack.

The two men did not have prohibited items on them, a law enforcement official told Fox News, saying that although knives were found in their checked luggage, such checked items aren't prohibited. Law enforcement officials also found several non-functioning cell phones taped together, a phone taped to a Pepto Bismol bottle and a knife and box cutter in checked luggage connected with the men.

"Suspicious items were located in checked luggage associated with two passengers on United Flight 908 from Chicago O'Hare to Amsterdam," the Transportation Safety Administration said in a written statement. "The items were not deemed to be dangerous in and of themselves."

New “Village” Community Helps Elderly Residents Stay in Their Homes

Excerpt from Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog: (click for entire article)

As frequently reported on this blog, elderly residents across the country now have more options when they reach a point in their lives when they need additional assistance. Our Chicago nursing home lawyers  at Levin & Perconti continue to watch as nursing homes provide inadequate care to vulnerable residents in their facilities, so it is no surprise than many seniors wish to avoid these negligent homes for as long as possible.

One alternative option is participation in what are becoming known as "elderly villages.” As discussed today in a Columbus Dispatch article, there are currently around 50 villages in the country, with nearly 100 more in various stages of being organized. These villages are buddy-style communities that allow seniors the chance to stay in their homes but still receive low-cost nursing visits, home maintenance, and other help that is needed.

The group is comparatively low-cost, with members paying $400 a year to cover employment costs of two staff members and other expenses. Collectively, members are able to negotiate discounts with home-care aides, physical therapists, and other medical providers.

Urban Gardens Flourishing in Detroit

Excerpt from My Fox Detroit: (click for entire article)

It's a growing trend in the city of Detroit.  Urban farming is transforming vacant, blighted land.  Where there once were abandoned homes and empty lots, there's now hope and fresh food.

Johnny Martin is the proud caretaker of a blossoming urban garden at Jefferson and St. James.  He used to make a living working on manhole covers, but lately he's been volunteering and pouring his love into a small patch of land.

"So, you have to treat it just like you would treat a child, like a newborn baby," said Martin.  "We have zucchini.  We have squash.  We have greens."

Small businesses hold off spending while waiting for aid

Excerpt from USA Today: (click for entire article)

Small businesses have put hiring, supply buying and real estate expansion on hold as they wait out the vote on a small-business-aid bill that stalled in the Senate earlier this summer.

The much-debated legislation offers tax breaks and waived loan fees. But it also comes with more divisive components, such as a $30 billion fund that would help community banks give loans to small businesses. Opponents say the fund would be a mini version of the often-criticized TARP large-bank bailout program.

Many small businesses had hoped the legislation would pass the Senate by the end of July. With two weeks left until Congress reconvenes, those firms are in a holding pattern.

"I'm still waiting for Congress to sign off on the bill," says Amarjit Kaur, who runs a convenience store and gas station in Wood Village, Ore. She leases her property but has a chance to buy it. With the waived-fee provision, Kaur says she could save about $35,000 on her pending loan.

Expiration of Bush tax cuts doesn't mean higher taxes for wealthy

Excerpt from Smart Brief: (click for entire article)

Even if the Bush tax cuts for those earning more than $250,000 a year disappear, it doesn't necessarily mean the wealthy will pay more taxes, tax expert Andrew Friedman tells CNBC. He says that those who have been paying the Alternative Minimum Tax, but who will no longer qualify for it if the Bush tax cuts expire, may receive a tax credit for the AMT taxes they paid in the past. "Some will see that their regular tax will exceed their alternative tax when the regular taxes go up," he said. "But I think what people have not realized is that the alternative taxes paid in prior years can then be carried forward and offset against their new higher regular taxes."

Tahoe Forest Hospice memorial service honors those who have passed on

Excerpt from Sierra Sun: (click for entire article)

Tahoe Forest Health System held the sixth annual Tahoe Forest Hospice Memorial Service, to remember and honor hospice patients and community members who have passed away within the last 18 months. The memorial service took place Aug. 22 at the Tahoe Forest Hospice Memorial Garden on the corner of Tahoe and Lake Avenue in Truckee. The program featured inspirational music, devotional thought, tributes and a remembrance ritual.

Surviving the loss of a loved one is a personal and often challenging experience. Tahoe Forest Hospice Services offers grief support in a safe and supportive environment. They can help develop insight on how to endure the loss of a loved one, ease the burden of grieving alone and develop skills for adjusting to a new life situation.

Bass: Some Disabled "Simply Lost the Will to Work"

Excerpt from Blue Hampshire: (click for entire article)

Legacy politician and former six-termer Charles Bass puts on his best Alan Simpson:

For example, he said there are tens of thousands of people receiving Social Security disability checks because they simply lost the will to work. The cases are never reviewed, he noted.

So now we have descended to demonizing the disabled in an effort to get elected and once again regularly collect checks paid for by Joe Taxpayer.

Evaluating Employee Turnover in Home and Hospice Care

Excerpt from Aging and Disability in America: (click for entire article)

The number of home and community based services for older adults have grown tremendously over the past 20 years. This has occurred because of a continued shift in government expenditure related to these programs and an increasing desire of older adults to age in place in their homes and/or communities. Because of this growth, it is no surprise that questions about staffing quality and professionalization are now occurring related to home-based care. In response, a new study has compared the turnover rates of home care and hospice agencies among their direct care staff.