By: Katherine Dumont

Imagine this: you’re racing down the road, the sun on your face, the wind in your hair, your legs pumping in time to the beat of Katy Perry—pumping the pedals of your bicycle, that is. More and more people are choosing to trade in their car ride to work for a spin on the bicycle, but before you jump on the bandwagon, let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of riding a bicycle to work every day.

Perhaps the first advantage that comes to mind when riding a bicycle to work is the health benefits. A study performed by a team from the University of Glasgow showed that, for commuters who cycled, there was a 46% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 52% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in both the United States and the United Kingdom (Murnane). Besides improving cardiovascular health, bicycle riding helps lower blood pressure, increase muscle mass and overall energy, enhance coordination, reduce stress, and improve the mood of the bicyclist (“Top 10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Bike to Work”). There was a positive correlation between increased mileage and health benefits, but even a little distance covered by bicycle seemed to help improve the person’s health (Murnane).

Besides the health benefits that come with being active, riding a bike to work also produces a financial benefit. The rider is able to save money in several ways: they no longer have to pay for gas to and from work; they do not have to pay for parking; and their cost of maintenance for their transportation has drastically decreased. Other benefits include saving time by bypassing congested areas of vehicle traffic, keeping a low mileage on your car and saving on its wear and tear, freeing up a shared vehicle, and reducing the emissions released into the environment, limiting the overall exhaust and noise pollution.

While the bicycle is looking pretty good right now compared to the eco-enemy that is your car, there are some disadvantages to riding a bike to work. Perhaps the biggest challenge bicycle riders face is something that no man has control over—Mother Nature. Bicycles offer no protection from the rain, wind, cold, or heat, not to mention the several feet of snow that appear during the winter months in the northern states. Other disadvantages include the ease of stealing a bike rather than a car, the limited storage available on a bike, the impracticality of biking a long distance if you live far from work, and the necessity of a shower before going into the office for the day. Bicycles also lack the safety features present in a car: the seatbelt, airbag, steel body frame, etc., a lack that can lead to serious injury for the cyclist (“Sharing the Road with Cyclists”). In fact, the biggest disadvantage to riding a bike to work is the potential danger it puts the rider in every time they mount up.

Bike lanes are not always available for use, forcing the rider to bike in the road. If the biker slows the flow of traffic and does not pull over occasionally to let the cars behind them pass, the drivers are more likely to take risks they normally would not in order to pass the bicyclist, not only endangering themselves but the biker as well. Also, while the sun might have been shining when the riders went into work, those extra hours put in after the close of the work day may mean a return trip in the dark. Due to the low visibility at night while riding with the flow of traffic, it is possible that the cars coming up behind the rider will not see them until it is too late. Even in the daylight, with drivers distracted by their phones, the radio, or the screeching baby in the backseat, it is uncertain whether the driver will see the bicycle in time. Some drivers do not give the same respect to bicycles that they give to other cars, while other drivers simply are not specifically watching for bicycles in the flow of traffic and overlook them, which can lead to accidents.

While the potential for bike accidents remains high, there are some precautions that riders can take to help limit the dangers they face. Riders should: install a headlight and taillight in case they are caught out after dark; always wear a helmet; ensure their bicycle is in the best working condition using quick, consistent inspections; avoid alcohol consumption or other reflex-inhibiting substances before riding; make certain they are following the rules of the road; familiarize themselves with the roads they need to take; and be vigilant to avoid potholes, rocks, tree limbs, and other items that may cause an accident (“Crash Course in Bicycle Safety”).

Resources:

“Crash Course in Bicycle Safety.” Mainor Wirth Injury Lawyers. Mainor Wirth Injury Lawyers, 2019. Web. 13 July 2019. https://mainorwirth.com/blog/crash-course-in-bicycle-safety/

Murnane, Kevin. “New Research Indicates Cycling to Work Has Extraordinary Health Benefits.” Forbes. Forbes Media LLC, 25 Apr. 2017. Web. 13 July 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurnane/2017/04/25/new-research-indicates-cycling-to-work-has-extraordinary-health-benefits/#6201412a3e62

“Sharing the Road with Cyclists.” Mainor Wirth Injury Lawyers. Mainor Wirth Injury Lawyers, 2019. Web. 13 July 2019. https://mainorwirth.com/blog/sharing-the-road-with-cyclists/

“Top 10 Reasons Everyone Should Bike to Work.” MomentumMag. Momentum Magazine, Ltd., 2 June 2015. Web. 13 July 2019. https://momentummag.com/top-10-reasons-you-should-bike-to-work/

By: Katherine Dumont

They’ve been there from the beginning, for all of the firsts: the first steps, words, day of school, car, love, heartbreak, failure, and success. They’ve helped raise us, teach us wrong from right, invest in us, but what happens when the people who have always been there for us need our help?

Nursing homes offer an alternative solution when a loved one is not able to take care of themselves and your busy schedule and full house limit the attention and care you are able to provide, but a big concern that is becoming more prevalent is the safety of these nursing homes to which you are entrusting your loved ones. Studies conducted by Cornell University show that 400 patients out of the 2,000 surveyed admitted to experiencing some form of abuse, whether physical, sexual, or verbal, from their peers (“When Nursing Home Violence Results in Injuries, Death”). These forms of abuse can result in bruising and other injuries or low self-esteem and changes in mood and behavior, to name a few (“Negligence in Nursing Home Patients”). While nursing homes are more careful to monitor those patients with a proclivity towards violence or nonverbal abuse, usually stemming from dementia or other cognitive impairments that affect their normal behavior, the best way to make nursing homes safer is to go on the offensive and be thorough in the preventative measures taken to reduce the risk of physical and emotional harm.

A big safety concern for family members who have loved ones in a nursing home is neglect. It is estimated that 2.5 million Americans in nursing homes experience neglect each year (“Negligence in Nursing Home Patients”).  Neglect can socially isolate a patient from the people around them and also cause great bodily damage. For instance, some medications, diarrhea, vomiting, diabetes, or other medical issues may cause dehydration, which can lead to problems urinating, increased heart rate, dizziness, seizures, comas, and kidney failure if no proper action is taken (“When a Nursing Home Is Responsible for a Resident’s Dehydration”). The biggest way to prevent neglect is for the family members of the patient to get involved in their care plan. Because a lot of patients are unable to fight for themselves, they rely on their loved ones to be their advocates. Family members should get to know all the staff personally, observe them as they work, and measure their response times (Marak). They should note whether the staff report all incidents, however minor, so something can be done immediately to remedy the problem, or if the smaller occurrences are shrugged off in an attempt not to make a big deal out of “nothing.” Family members should randomly but frequently visit their loved ones, ensure they are getting the proper nutrition and care, and make sure they are comfortable with their environment (Marak).

When contemplating which nursing home would be a best fit for your loved one, make sure to assess the safety of the building, monitoring things like the door alarm, whether the key codes are different for each individual room, and whether the staff has a plan of action for wandering patients (Marak). It is important to ensure there are enough staff members available to properly monitor the number of patients at all times, and the staff should be trained and prepared to monitor small changes in patients that could later lead to bigger issues. For example, is a full assessment done upon admission? Are vital signs taken frequently, and are the patients asked about their comfort? Are comparisons made from the beginning to the end of the shift, and are the findings communicated to the new workers coming in for the next shift (Marak)? Communication is key to safety—whether it is between patient and nurse, nurse and nurse, or patient and family member—and, as perhaps the single greatest factor of patient safety, it is on this that the focus should be placed when deliberating new methods to increase safety in nursing homes.

Resources:

Marak, Carol. “Nursing Home Safety—Resident Safety in Skilled Nursing Facilities.” Skilled Nursing Facilities. SeniorCare, 2019. Web. 12 July 2019.

https://www.skillednursingfacilities.org/resources/nursing-home-safety/

“Negligence in Nursing Home Patients.” Nursing Home Abuse Guide. Meyer Law Firm, P.C., 2019. Web. 12 July 2019.

http://www.nursinghomeabuseguide.org/neglect/

“When a Nursing Home Is Responsible for a Resident’s Dehydration.” Cogan and Power. Cogan and Power, P.C., 16 Apr. 2019. Web. 12 July 2019.

https://coganpower.com/blog/nursing-home-dehydration/

“When Nursing Home Violence Results in Injuries, Death.” Bogdan Martinovich Attorney at Law. Bogdan Martinovich, 2019. Web. 12 July 2019.

https://libertyvillepersonalinjurylawyer.com/nursing-home-violence/

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
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The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

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• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.