Health
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Investing in treatment for substance use disorders is necessary to ensure the health and well-being of our community. Research shows that substance use disorders are medical conditions. In fact, treatments for drug use disorders are just as effective as treatments for other chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes.
More than 72 medical conditions have risk factors that can be attributed to substance use. Investing in treatment programs for people with substance use disorders can prevent the onset of long-term medical conditions, ultimately saving lives and decreasing long-term costs.
However, nearly 23 million Americans needed but did not receive treatment for alcohol or drug use in 2005, and interestingly, almost 77 percent of adults classified with substance dependence or abuse were employed.
Many people may not realize that investing in treatment saves money for businesses and the community in the long run. For example, treatment is cost effective, with some measurements showing a benefit-to-cost ratio of up to 7:1, with substance use disorder treatment costing $1,583 per person on average and having a monetary benefit to society of nearly $11,487 for each person treated.
Investing in treatment can have significant effects on employment and the viability of employers and businesses in the community. Treatment is associated with a 19-percent increase in employment and an 11-percent decrease in the number of clients who receive welfare.
Reported job problems, including incomplete work, absenteeism, tardiness, work-related injuries, mistakes, and disagreements with supervisors, are cut by an average of 75 percent among employees who have received treatment for substance use disorders.
Combined data from 2004 and 2005 state that among people who needed treatment for a substance use disorder, didn’t receive it at a specialty facility, and felt they needed it, 35 percent said they did not receive it because of cost and insurance barriers. These statistics apply to Lake County as well.
In the United States, 22.2 million people suffer from substance use disorders, and countless numbers of those are unable to receive the same health care options as someone with other chronic disorders, such as diabetes.
We owe it to our family, friends, and community to support treatment and recovery as effective ways to address substance use disorders. Employers, insurers, and the decision makers of Lake County must understand the financial impact substance use disorders have on our community and the importance of access to treatment and recovery support for those who need it.
When doors are open to recovery, more people will seek treatment for substance use disorders to reclaim their lives and health and to reintegrate into the community. For example, Lake County Alcohol and AODS in Lake County works to inform our residents of the importance of treatment and encourages people to share their personal stories of having a substance use disorder and the benefits of recovery.
To promote the hopeful and healing message of recovery, Lake County AODS is participating in the 18th annual observance of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, a nationwide initiative every September supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Lake County AODS is holding a variety of exciting and educational events in September to coincide with this year’s Recovery Month theme: “Join the Voices for Recovery: Saving Lives, Saving Dollars.”
On Sept. 15 AODS is hosting, along with staff from the Mental Health Department, New Beginnings, Lake Family Resource Center and other community organizations that help recovering addicts, a march for recovery and community picnic in Clearlake.
The march will begin in Redbud Park at 11 a.m. They will march to Austin Park where there will be a picnic, speakers and other activities for families to enjoy.
By participating in Recovery Month, you are supporting those already in recovery and encouraging those in need of help to seek treatment. Learning about these issues will make it easier to break down barriers to treatment, and you will be investing in the best interests of our community.
For more information about these events or for information about treatment services please call Carrie White, prevention specialist at AODS, 263-8162.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Passage means the bill now heads to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his consideration.
SB 557 had already been approved by the Senate on May 29 but a subsequent vote was required for concurrence on Assembly amendments to the bill. Those amendments require a prospective appointee to be licensed by the state’s Speech Language Pathology and Audiology Board and to pass an examination demonstrating competence in evaluation medical-legal issues.
The California Academy of Audiologists, the sponsor of the Wiggins bill, believes that an audiologist is the most qualified professional to determine whether a hearing loss would impair a worker's ability or whether a hearing loss was secondary to noise exposure on the job.
“Audiologists are uniquely trained as experts in all matters relating to hearing and hearing loss,” Wiggins said. “Including them as experts in Workers' Compensation cases will improve consumer access to professionals with special training in the assessment of hearing loss, as well as a detailed understanding of the effects of damaging influences on the auditory mechanism that may occur in various work settings.”
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Assembly Bill 106, by Berg, D-Eureka, would require that every elderly patient be offered the chance to receive immunization before they are discharged from a hospital.
“A flu vaccine saves lives,” said Assemblywoman Berg, D-Eureka. “It’s the same with a pneumonia vaccine. These simple shots can make a world of difference.”
Berg’s bill would fix a quirk in current law that says nursing facilities have to offer vaccines, but hospitals don’t.
“The older you get, the more you need immunization,” said Berg. “We need to make sure that everyone who can offer these shots does offer these shots.”
The bill incorporates recommendations by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Senior citizens are at a greater risk for complications from pneumonia, which is a leading cause of illness and death among the elderly. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases reports, that flu together with pneumonia, is the fifth leading cause of death among the elderly.
AB 106 now goes to the Governor for his consideration.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Assembly Bill 315 would remove the sunset date that allows counties to streamline and consolidate services for county health and human services programs. Humboldt, Mendocino and Alameda counties have been relying on the law to make their local programs more efficient.
“My bill helps counties use their limited resources to provide better services for county residents,” said Berg, D-Eureka. “In an era of budget cuts, the key to cost savings and better services is to consolidate and streamline programs.”
Assembly Bill 315 helps counties save money and it encourages innovation and reform.
“It’s about doing more without spending more,” said Berg.
For example, Humboldt County has been able to consolidate health and human services and deliver them through one county department instead of several. By placing all the various departments into the Department of Health and Human Services, the county has been able to better coordinate services, create community resource centers, offer more services to the working poor and access more federal funds.
With a vote of the county Board of Supervisors, the county can decide what health and human services programs to consolidate and streamline.
The bill now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his consideration.
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