Guns and Dementia

From: WebMD

A new survey looks at access to guns by people with dementia. It finds that caregivers and family members of people being checked for problems with thinking didn't consistently remove guns from their homes or keep them locked up.

The study underlines the need for doctors to ask caregivers if they have guns in the home and, if so, advise them on safety measures to take, the researchers say.

In the United States, there is "a significant presence of firearms in the homes of patients with dementia, and many of these patients suffer from delusions and hallucinations, some of which can be paranoid, persecutory, or hostile," says Jason Hsieh, a medical student at Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine.

The results were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) 2014.

Suicide, Homicide

In the U.S., 27% percent of people over the age of 65 own a firearm, Hsieh says. "In general, almost 40% of households in the U.S. contain a firearm, and surprisingly, in households with a firearm, the average number of firearms is 6.6," he says.

The elderly have the highest suicide rate of any part of the population, and firearms are the most common, as well as the most fatal, method of suicide. Data from the National Trauma Databank show that as people get older, the proportion of gun injuries that are self-inflicted rises. Other data show that as they age, people are less likely to survive a gunshot and less likely to return home after recovery.

Official to colleges: Fix sexual assault or lose funding

From: MSNBC

When it comes to combating sexual assault on college campuses, the federal government already has what it needs to enforce the law and is not afraid to use it, one Obama administration official said Monday.

Speaking at a conference on campus sexual assault held at Dartmouth College, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education Catherine Lhamon said that despite the fact it has never been done before, she is prepared to cut off federal funding to schools that violate Title IX, the 1972 gender equity law.

Calling that one enforcement mechanism part of a set of “very, very effective tools,” Lhamon said, “If a school refuses to comply with Title IX in any respect, I will enforce.”

In her 10-month tenure at the Department of Education, Lhamon has threatened to withdraw federal funding from four schools. “It’s not surprising to me that we haven’t gone to the last step,” she said. “It means that so far the process has been working.”

Linking infant age and bed-sharing to SIDS

New information on how risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) appear to change with the age of the infant, researchers say.

They found that younger babies are more likely to die when they're sharing beds, while older babies face a higher risk of sudden death when there are objects in the crib with them, such as pillows and toys.

"This study is the first to show that the risks during sleep may be different for infants of different ages," said lead author Dr. Rachel Moon, associate chief of Children's National Medical Center's division of general pediatrics and community health, in Washington, D.C. "Parents of infants under 4 months of age should be aware that bed-sharing is a huge risk factor."

Parents should also be careful to make sure their infants sleep without objects around them, she said.

Click here for the news story from healthfinder.gov

Click here for the full study from Pediatrics

Save the Date: "Your Community, Your Voice"

Every five years the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program is required to conduct a statewide needs assessment of the health and well-being of Colorado’s women, children and youth, including those with special health care needs, and their families. The purpose of the assessment is to identify seven to 10 specific priorities that state and local MCH programs can impact during the next five years. The selected priorities will focus MCH work from 2016-20.

WE NEED YOU?  Community members who care about the health and well-being of women, children, youth and families across the great state of Colorado (including local public health agencies and community partners, community members, family and youth leaders, etc.) are invited to attend. 

WHAT? "Your Community, Your Voice" conversations are designed to hear YOUR ideas on how to improve the health and well-being of women, children and youth, including those with special health care needs, and their families. 

WHEN and WHERE? PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!!!

• August 4 – Frisco 
• August 5 – Rifle 
• August 25 – Boulder 
• September 3 – Colorado Springs
• September 8 – Denver
• September 9 – Greeley
• September 23 - Durango 
• September 25 – Pueblo
• October 9 – Alamosa

WHY? It is critical to partner with people from local communities across Colorado, especially those who are most affected by these state-level priorities and decisions. So, please make the time to share your ideas and get your voice heard! 

HOW? In the coming weeks, registration information will be sent via email.  Or, check out https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/mchneedsassessment for more information. 

You may also contact Gina Febbraro at gina.febbraro@state.co.us or (303) 692-6409 with any questions

Open Competitive Opportunity for a Suicide Prevention Commission Coordinator at CDPHE

The Prevention Services Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is accepting applications for the the Suicide Prevention Commission Coordinator.

Classification: GP III
Job Location: Denver
Close Date: July 23, 2014 OR until we have identified an adequate applicant pool, whichever comes first.

TO APPLY: Suicide Prevention Commission Coordinator - 01704 - GP III

If you have difficulty with the link, please access the State of Colorado job website at
https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/jobs

Free Teen Driver Training Program, July 22-23, 2014

Ford Driving Skills for Life is a FREE program developed in 2003 in conjunction with the Governors Highway Safety Association and a panel of safety experts to address the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States – vehicle crashes.

There are four session available to any teen with a valid permit or license, each session will have 100 available seats. Parents are encouraged to attend, and if there is availability are more than welcome to go behind the wheel.  You can register for a session through the links below or see the program flier for more information.

Tuesday July 22 AM Session
Tuesday July 22 PM Session
Wednesday July 23 AM Session
Wednesday July 23 PM Session

DICK’S SPORTING GOODS PARK

600 Victory Way
Commerce City, CO 80022

Registration is limited and signed consent forms are required. For more information and to register, please visit Ford Driving Skills for Life.

Mental illness and reduction of gun violence and suicide: bringing epidemiologic research to policy

Mental illness and reduction of gun violence and suicide published in the Annals of Epidemiology describes epidemiologic evidence concerning risk of gun violence and suicide linked to psychiatric disorders, in contrast to media-fueled public perceptions of the dangerousness of mentally ill individuals, and evaluates effectiveness of policies and laws designed to prevent firearms injury and mortality associated with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

The results found that media accounts of mass shootings by disturbed individuals galvanize public attention and reinforce popular belief that mental illness often results in violence. Epidemiologic studies show that the large majority of people with serious mental illnesses are never violent. However, mental illness is strongly associated with increased risk of suicide, which accounts for over half of US firearms–related fatalities.