Earlier this year, a Boston woman's long life ended in a manner that completely contradicted her clearly stated intentions. The octogenarian was a victim of a medical kidnapping.
A disgruntled family member who was not involved in the decisions affecting the woman's health care made a complaint to Central Elder Services, alleging abuse. This resulted in the woman being taken into the custody of a guardianship and given anti-psychotic drugs against her will.
The multiple gas explosions in nearby Essex County on Thursday, Sept. 13, caused at least one death. According to Andover authorities, there was at least one firefighter who got injured fighting the infernos that broke out.
The deceased is reportedly an 18-year-old man. He died in Lawrence when a chimney landed on top of his car. Ten additional individuals were reportedly also injured in the blasts, according to the Massachusetts State Police (MSP).
Last month in Boston, a construction worker on the job at the Landmark Center was injured in the underground site on Park Drive in the Fenway neighborhood after suffering an accident on the job.
At approximately 1:15 a.m., on Aug. 24, witnesses reported that the man's shirt got entangled in a grinder.
You go to the doctor, get a clean bill of health and then move on with your life. Nothing to worry about, right? Maybe, but what if you are still experiencing troubling symptoms despite a Massachusetts doctor reassuring you that nothing is wrong? You could be the victim of a missed diagnosis.
A missed diagnosis can cause you to suffer profound injuries, pain and psychological trauma. Easy treatment options might have been available if a doctor diagnosed you when you first sought help, but now you could be facing much more rigorous treatment options that will take longer and put a greater toll on your body.
Making the decision to place an elderly loved one in a nursing home or assisted living center is often fraught with guilt and worry. That's understandable, since one-third of the residents and patients in skilled nursing facilities experience harm like infections and medication errors related to their treatment.
In one independent review of patient records, physicians found 59 percent of the injuries and errors were preventable. Over 50 percent of those patients who suffered harm were readmitted to hospitals as a result.
Occupational eye injuries can threaten the vision of workers on a short or long-term basis. In turn, this loss of vision can affect injured workers' ability to earn an income. Fortunately, victims of workplace eye injuries are usually eligible for workers' compensation benefits. These benefits replace a portion of the worker's lost wages and cover medical treatment for the injury.
While it is comforting to know that workers' compensation will cover a worker's expenses and income, it's preferable to avoid eye injuries in the first place. Boston workers can reduce the risk of suffering these injuries by learning more about workplace eye hazards, including:
It is an understatement to say that medical providers in Boston have a very difficult job. Tasked with juggling the huge amount of knowledge they have accrued with the symptoms of many patients can certainly be a challenge. This is especially so for general practitioners and family doctors who see a wide variety of patients.
However, just because it is difficult, that does not mean that medical providers are exempt from their duty to assess patients properly and recommend the best treatment. Failure to diagnose any condition accurately can result in a poor quality of life, worsening symptoms and even death in some situations.
Working in the manufacturing industry can be hazardous and often leads to many workers' compensation claims. Developing and implementing good safety practices may keep workers safe, but accidents and injuries still occur. According to IndustrySafe, a safety management company, these are the top four dangers that industrial workers face:
A recent accident at the Haartz Corporation's plant in Acton, Massachusetts, shows that explosions are also a danger in manufacturing facilities. The incident left one employee with severe burns. Five other injured employees were taken to area hospitals for treatment.
You already know that developing cancer or heart disease can lead to death, but did you know that going to the hospital can be almost as deadly? Medical errors have severe implications for Massachusetts patients and are currently the third most common cause of death.
This figure may be hard to believe. After all, medical professionals spend years in school studying and training so that they can safely treat patients. Despite years of education and new technology that promotes better oversight, medical errors still pose a serious threat to your health.
Losing a baby after it is born or when it still in the womb is a devastating experience for parents. A natural response to this loss is searching for blame. Many Massachusetts parents go through a period in which they blame themselves for the infant's death. When this period ends, both mothers and fathers often look elsewhere for a place to lay the blame.
In many cases, stillbirths cannot be explained despite current and existing research into the phenomenon. Other times, stillbirths may occur because of birth defects or genetic conditions like Down syndrome. About 14 percent of stillbirths occur because of these genetic conditions.
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