EPA RULES, TOXIC SUBSTANCE CONTROL ACT, CHEMICALS, HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION, CHRONIC DISEASE, CAREGIVER SUPPORT

"New and Improved" EPA rules boost "acceptable" levels of toxins

In the editorial for the September 2013 Consumer Reports, CR President Jim Guest writes about the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act:

"In theory it gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to collect information about the hazards posed by chemicals and to take action to control 'unreasonable risks'. In reality, collecting information is all but impossible because of trademark secrets embedded into the law; and controlling risks is so tied up in legalese that even asbestos, long ago proved to cause cancer and other fatal diseases is not banned in the U.S.

There are now more than 83,000 chemicals and classes of chemicals listed in the EPA inventory. In the years since the act was passed, the agency has banned, limited or restricted the use of five of those.
Five.

Does that mean that the manufacturers of the other 82,995 have confirmed that they're safe to be in our food containers, cleaning products, carpets and toys?  No, it doesn't. Manufacturers don't have to do a thing; the law requires instead that the EPA prove that a chemical is not safe."
 



Even very low levels of chemicals in the environment found to cause signs of chronic disease

A common mantra of the "skeptics" crowd purports that industrial and environmental chemicals are not necessarily a threat to humans, because these chemicals exist at levels so low that their toxicity is moot. But a new study published in The FASEB Journal suggests otherwise, having found that exposure to even very low levels of chemicals is dangerous, particularly due to their synergistic toxicity.

Individual chemicals may be deemed 'safe' at certain levels, but what happens when these chemicals combine?

But are individual chemicals the problem? Not necessarily. As it turns out, it is the synergistic effect of chemicals in combination with one another that poses the highest risk. And yet existing toxicology assessment protocols fail to look at how individual chemicals affect humans when they combine with other chemicals.

The Human Experiment is a new documentary which explores chemicals that are in everyday household products. 

 


23 Tips For Men on Supporting a Partner with Chronic Pain

Pete Beisner knows a lot about supporting a partner in pain. Here, he shares insights on how to take care of the person you love.

So, I have two sets of tips. The first set of tips is for supporting someone you love who has chronic pain. The second set of tips are practical suggestions for how to support a woman in an episode of critical pain, like just after she has had major surgery or a serious injury.



VA CAREGIVER SUPPORT

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Veterans' family caregivers, once forgotten, now getting support through new VA program

I don't want to sound cynical but what about all the caregivers prior to September 1, 2001? I cared for my husband for 6 years. I had to leave my career in town management in order to care for my husband. I didn't receive any compensation for my loss of income or for anything else related to my husband's care. I'm not the only one. There are many wives caring for their disabled veteran husbands who served prior to September 11, 2001. Caregivers of veterans who receive a disability which is service connected should be compensated. All veterans and their families should be treated the same. Sharon L. Perry, Founder

Bredberg is what the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs calls a “hero on the homefront.” For many years veteran caregivers like Bredberg were largely forgotten.
But now for the first time the VA is offering cash compensation, health insurance and other benefits to eligible caregivers of veterans seriously injured in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001.

Bredberg recently enrolled in the caregiver support program at the VA Medical Center in Syracuse and now receives a monthly stipend of $1,700. The program was authorized by federal legislation passed earlier this year.

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VA Launches Benefits for Veterans' Caregivers

The Veteran Affairs Department has launched enhanced services supporting family caregivers of seriously ill and injured veterans.

The benefits are part of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, signed into law by President Obama in May, and help many in the Fort Bragg community and those leaving the service because of injuries connected to the military.

The Source

Veterans Caregiver Program Available 4 Vets of All Eras: Help available for veterans’ caregivers

Many veterans are unaware of the longstanding respite care program, which allows a veteran to receive inpatient care to allow the caregiver to receive medical care or take a break.

Just the other day, she said, a Vietnam veteran, who is totally disabled, and his wife were in her office and did not know the caregiver respite program is available for veterans of all eras.

Veterans can download a copy of the caregiver program application at www.caregiver.va.gov. The application allows the veteran to designate one primary family caregiver and up to two secondary family caregivers, if desired.

Caregiver support coordinators are available at any VA medical center to help veterans and their families with the application process. For more assistance, call (877) 222-8387.

Questions about the comprehensive assistance program for family caregivers and other caregiver assistance programs can also be directed to Smith at (800) 410-9723, extension 9-3559, or emailing kathrine.smith7@va.gov.


The Source

Veteran Family Caregiver Program: VA officials issuing first payments to caregivers

VA officials issuing first payments to caregivers

Department of Veterans Affairs officials will send out more than $430,000 in stipend payments in July to nearly 200 family caregivers of veterans. These family caregivers were the first to complete their caregiver training under the program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers. The first payments to 96 recipients were issued July 1.

Family caregivers will receive an average $1,600 in monthly stipend payments. The initial payments will average $2,500 because the first stipend checks are retroactive to the date of application. The amount of the stipend is based on the condition of the veteran and the amount of care he or she requires as well as the geographic location where the veteran resides. An additional 80 stipend payments will be released from the U.S. Treasury on July 8 bringing the total to 176 family caregivers receiving the stipend in July.

Veterans may review the criteria for eligibility and download the family caregiver program application (VA CG 10-10) at www.caregiver.va.gov.

Support for all caregivers is also available via the national caregiver support line at 1-855-260-3274. Caregivers of veterans from all eras are encouraged to use the website and support line to learn about more than two dozen supportive services VA officials offer to family caregivers.

Image Compliments of Jennifer 'Emery' Bakken