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In these parts, humidity has the effect of turning any clothing into a literal sweatsuit.  I visited Las Vegas this summer and was discussing the weather with a local.  We discussed the use of a dehumidifier.  She had never heard of such a thing. She’d also never been to Arkansas in the summer!

Here, there is little cause for optimism from the months of May until September.  You see, summer is not so much a season in Arkansas as it is a malady. Worse yet, it is a chronic condition.

Those who long for summer rainfalls with the belief that relief will come are simple fools.  In exchange for a two degree drop in the temperatures, the air is infused with another ten to twenty percent humidity. That kind of relief is no relief at all.

And August.  Oh August.  August is best described as a migraine; a full thirty one days of suffering.  The prescription for the pain is to relocate to a cool, dark place and lie with a cool, damp cloth over one’s face.

The miserable heat and humidity make for a lack of motivation. Movement through the thick air proves difficult and breathing becomes labored. Relief is found only in cool water, or indoors as you lie around thinking of creative ways to pay the dreaded electric bill.  (Hence the hiatus from the blog.)

Summer’s hold on Arkansas is strong and deep, and only the inevitable creep toward autumn offers any promise of relief.  Even in September it may still be plenty hot, but we begin to see the steady retreat of the daily highs from triple digits, to the nineties and so on.  Finally we reach that magical moment when we praise the meteorologist as he reports, “Highs all week in the seventies.”

**Some text adapted from “Wake Me When It’s Autumn” by E. Francis

On June 27, 2008, seven inmates and two guards were in a van on its way to Little Rock. Both guards were wearing seat belts, while the inmates were unsecured in the back of the van.  Apparently the 43-year-old driver, Gregory O. Reed, had fallen asleep at the wheel.  Another guard grabbed the wheel but overcorrected, and the van struck a culvert and went airborne and rolled twice.

The parents of Shawn Robert Talbot, a 29-year-old man who was killed in the incident,sued U.S. Extradition Services in federal court in the wrongful death case.  The family accused the company’s driver of negligence.  The case has now settled in a confidential agreement.

Shawn Talbot had previously plead guilty and mentally ill to second-degree felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.  He had been ordered to serve 36 months of probation.  It is unclear why he was an inmate at the time of the accident.

No information was provided regarding the driver, Gregory Reed.  The case has settled in a confidential agreement.  Arkansas has numerous prison facilities across the state.  The inmates were said to be traveling to Little Rock.  The only facility in Pulaski County is Wrightsville.  A variety of programs are available at Wrightsville including educational training, substance abuse treatment, pre-release program, and even a parenting program.

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Listed below are some resources that might help you in caring for your elder loved one. Let me know if you have others you wish to share and I’ll update the post.

Arkansas Department of Human Services
Division of Aging and Adult Services
PO Box 1437, Slot S-530
Little Rock, AR 72203
501-382-2441
Director: Herb Sanderson
http://www.arkansas.gov/dhs/aging

Arkansas Geriatric Education Center
4301 W Markham Street, #798
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-257-5543
http://www.agec.org

AARP Arkansas State Office
1701 Centerview Drive, Suite 205
Little Rock, AR 72211
866-554-8379
http://www.aarp.org/states/ar/ar-about/a2004-01-26-ar-stateoffice.html

Arkansas Area Agencies on Aging:
AAA of Southeast Arkansas                                              www.asea.org
Age with Dignity – AAA of Southwest Arkansas      www.agewithdignity.com
AAA of Northwest Arkansas                                            www.aaanwar.org
CareLink – AAA of Central Arkansas                            www.care-link.org
East Arkansas AAA                                                               www.e4aonline.com
West Central Arkansas AAA                                             www.seniorspecialists.org
Western Arkansas AAA                                                     www.agingwest.org
White River AAA                                                                 www.wraaa.com

By searching this blog for “resources” (see the search box to the right and below the image) one will discover a wealth of information regarding resources for the disabled.  I have recently obtained additional resources from a social worker that are certainly worth sharing.  Most of these resources are national, but a few are specific to Central Arkansas.  Please feel free to comment with your additions to this list.

• Easter Seals Arkansas – www.ar.easterseals.com
• Easter Seals – www.easterseals.com
• Arkansas Waiver Association – www.arkansaswaiver,com
• Arkansas Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Council -  www.ddcouncil.org
• Arkansas Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health – www.affcmh.org
• Arkansas Support Network – www.supports.org
• Arkansas Rehabilitation Services – www.arsinfo.org
• Arkansas Autism Resource and Outreach Center – www.aaroc.org
• Arkansas Down Syndrome Association – www.ardownsyndrome.org
• Arkansas School for the Blind – 501-296-1810
• Arkansas School for the Deaf  – 501-324-9506
• ACCESS Schools – www.accessschools.org
• American Diabetes Association – www.diabetes.org
• Aphasia, the National Aphasia Organization – www.aphasia.org
• Autism Association of Northeast Arkansas – www.aanea.org
• Autism Speaks – www.autismspeaks.org (local events/information www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/arkansas)
• Brain Injury Association of Arkansas – www.brainassociation.org
• Community Connections Autism Resource Center of Arkansas – www.communityconnectionsar.org
• Conway Asperger – a Support Group in Conway, Arkansas – www.conwayasperger.org
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -  www.cff.org/Chapters/arkansas
• Dyslexia Arkansas – www.dyslexia-teacher.com/Arkansas
• Disability Rights Center – www.arkdisabilityrights.org
• Eye Contact Arkansas blog – www.eyecontactar.org
• HEAR – Helping Educate about Autism Recovery – www.arkansasautism.org
• Learning Disabilities Association of Arkansas – www.ldarkansas.org
• Meetup Little Rock Autism Families – www.meetup.com/little-rock-autism-families
• Muscular Dystrophy Association, Central Arkansas Chapter – 501-227-7098
• National Autism Association Arkansas – www.arkansasnaa.org
• Partners for Inclusive Communities – www.uams.edu/partners
• PEACE, Parents Educating Arkansas about Children with Epilepsy – www.peaceinark.com
• Riley’s Warriors – www.rileyswarriors.org
• United Cerebral Palsy of Arkansas – www.ucpark.org

A lawsuit has been filed against the Huntington Beach Marine Safety Department after the death of an 11-year-old girl during one of the department’s junior lifeguard training exercises. Junior lifeguard Allyssa Squirrell was killed last July when she was struck by the propellers of a boat that was picking up the group during a water exercise. The lawsuit accuses the the department and the boat’s driver, Lt. Greg Crow, of negligence.  Shelby Grad, LA Times

We are blessed to live in the Natural State—Arkansas.  Our state has beautiful mountains, tons of lakes and streams and is a wonderful place to be outdoors.  Being in the South, lots of families have swimming pools, as well.  When I read this article, it made me think of all the ways children and adults can be injured in the outdoors.  Of all of those, bodies of water—natural or man-made can be the most dangerous.  Even moment’s inattention in the water can be fatal.

I feel for this little girl and her family, and also for the boat pilot.  He was no novice, having 32 years of experience, without any mishaps.  This was truly a terrible accident, but it was an accident, as ruled in November of 2009.

To my readers:  Summer is coming, please be careful in your summer activities, especially those involving being in the water.

If you or a loved one has suffered from amputation, help is just around the corner.  Arkansas is home to the American Amputee Foundation as well as several support groups.  I highly recommend that you become a member of the Amputee Coalition of America too.  If you still cannot find the help and support you need, contact me directly and I will help you find someone to talk to.  In addition to life care planning services, I also provide care management for those with catastrophic injury and illness so I have many contacts within the amputation and prosthetic communities.

Below are several support group locations for amputees and their loved ones:

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Housing is an issue for many catastrophically injured individuals.  A worker suffering from an injury can suddenly find themselves in need of handicapped or low cost housing.  This list from Disability.gov lists some resources that might be of assistance.

As a case manager I often have a difficult time obtaining transportation for my patients.  Without a way in which to attend their physician appointments, they fail to improve.  I recently ran across this listing from Disability.gov which is specific to Arkansas, but all states are listed on their website.  I have personal experience with the Ozark transportation which I found to be excellent and very reasonably priced.

As a Nurse Life Care Planner, I often have to research various agencies to determine what resources exist when developing life plans for a catastrophically ill or injured patient.  For the past few years I have been collecting resource links.  For the last six months or so I have been sharing these resources with others in hopes of helping others locate this information in a convenient (and search-able) fashion.  In this edition I have posted some great links that are specific to Arkansas.  Check here for agencies and information regarding a variety of illnesses and conditions.

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For those seeking benefits associated with disability, check out these resources from Disability.gov

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