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When you think of hoarding, you very well may have an image of a person living alone in squalid conditions. While it is true that more often than not a hoarder is an individual that lives alone, that is not always the case. There are a notable number of situations when two people living together…
In nearly all cases of a family member who hoards, other loved ones typically are unaware of what is going on in this regard. In many instances, loved ones learn of a hoarding situation when a family member with hoarding disorder experiences some type of emergency. For example, loved ones learn that a family member…
Television programs brought the subject of hoarding to the attention of the general public in the past 20 years. Despite the fact that more and more people appreciate that hoarding exists, a considerable majority of people from across the country lack an accurate understanding of what hoarding is all about. This includes the fact that…
An alarming reality in 21st century is the number of older women and men who live in extremely dirty conditions that arguably render their homes unhealthy and sometimes even unhabitable. The reality is that a filthy home can impact an older relative’s life in a significant manner. A filthy residence has the potential to literally…
With alarming frequency, a senior citizen ends up living in a residence that is not properly maintained. This lack of attention extends to a failure of the elderly person to properly keep up with what is considered general housekeeping. In what can be a relatively short period of time, the lack of appropriate cleaning can…
You might feel like you are alone if you discover you have an adult sibling who hoards, but the fact is you are not. In the United States, there are somewhere between 5 and 14 million people afflicted with what medically is known as hoarding disorder. If you have an adult sibling suffering from hoarding…
The most commonplace type of eviction action, and the kind we all hear the most about, is that related to nonpayment of rent. The reality is that state law together with individual rental agreements permit other types of evictions as well. One of these types of evictions not involving a rent issue arises from a…
If you face a situation in which bodily fluids like blood are present at your home or business, you must understand that there exists a specific procedure that you need to follow to clean it up. The proper way to clean up bodily fluids like blood has a sharp focus on safety and the comprehensive…
In the age of COVID-19, supermarket shelves emptied and lines grew long as everyone ran out to get their share of toilet paper, first aid supplies, groceries and cleaning equipment. But how much of that cleaning equipment was actually effective and how can you tell? Join us on our journey to uncovering the truth behind…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed a concise, direct, plain English definition of suicide contagion: Suicide contagion is the exposure to suicide or suicidal behaviors within one’s family, one’s peer group, or through media reports of suicide and can result in an increase in suicide and suicidal behaviors. Direct and indirect…
Survivors of the suicide of a student or young person face particularly striking challenges. Perhaps these are no more pronounced than they are in the grieving process. With this in mind, there are some key, fundamental steps associated with a healthy grieving process following the death of a student by suicide. These are: Accept the…
The Specialists at the Riverside Trauma Center have developed a set of guiding principles associated with the suicide postvention process. These principles are designed to provide a pathway to assist survivors of suicide of a young person or student in addressing this particularly tragic type of death. The five primary guiding principles are: Avoid oversimplifying…
One of the most traumatic events that can occur in the life of a high school, middle school, and even elementary school student in this day and age is the death of a peer by suicide. Because of the truly harrowing nature of a young person losing a peer by suicide, special attention must be…
In the past few years, a growing number of residential neighborhoods have faced the establishment of homeless encampments in their environs. Because this is something of a newer phenomenon, there is little definitive research on the precise impact homeless encampments have on property values in residential neighborhoods in which these camps exist. Historically, homeless encampments…
The Trevor Project launched its second National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health in 2020. Experts generally are only now beginning to better understand the mental health impact of the multiple crises that we’ve faced during 2020. One fact remains consistent in 2020: suicide remains a public health crisis. Suicide consistently is ranked as the…
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. On average, approximately 48,000 people die by suicide in the United States annually. There are about two and a half times as many suicides in…
In a 2020 research study by The Trevor Project, an astonishing 40 percent of LGBTQ+ people under the age of 25 reported that they had seriously contemplated suicide in the past 12 months. An associated stark reality is that when asked about suicidal thoughts or suicidal ideations, a notable percentage of people will not honestly…
Young people who lose someone because of a suicide death face an array of significant challenges, even during the proverbial “best of times.” Life during the coronavirus pandemic generally cannot be considered the “best of times” for many reasons. The pandemic has had and is likely to continue to have a negative impact on day…
The grief process following the death by suicide of a loved one can be profound, even traumatic. The reality of the complexities and difficulties associated with the grieving process following the death by suicide of a loved one extends to adults, young people, and children alike. When it comes to understanding the grief of children…
“Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble.” – Yehuda Berg Yehuda Berg has beautifully explained the words. Simply, words matter. And they matter a great deal when it comes to suicide postvention or dealing with issues following the death…
Suicide is a major public health issue in the United States and in other countries around the world. Ultimately, understanding the facts and circumstances associated with a particular death by suicide are crucial. With that noted, considering broader statistics can also be illuminating and help us to better understand the pervasive nature of suicide in…
Researchers and suicidologists have determined that approximately 150 people are affected when a person dies by suicide. This number represents people who are more directly impacted by the death by suicide of someone with a connection in their lives. In addition to these individuals more directly affected, there is another cohort of people that are…
TAPS is the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Suicide deaths are the most common types of referrals made to TAPS. More information about TAPS itself is presented in a moment. Through its work with survivors of tragic, untimely deaths of loved ones in the military services, the organization created the TAPS Three-Phase Postvention Model. The…
Suicide postvention is defined as activities that are designed to reduce risk and promote healing in the aftermath of a death by suicide, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. There are a set of principles associated with suicide postvention. These postvention principles are: Public health problem Appropriate grief process Proper suicide prevention actions Suicide…
As part of suicide postvention, it is important to understand how a death by suicide impacts certain cohorts of people. For example, the impact of a death by suicide is different on surviving family members than it is on professional colleagues. The Suicide Ecological Model is designed to assist in understanding how a death by…
When a loved one dies, those closest to the deceased individual nearly always have a desire to memorialize or commemorate the person who has passed on in some manner. For many people, there are religious traditions that form the basis upon which a deceased person is memorialized or commemorated. When a person dies by suicide,…
When a student dies by suicide, the school community needs to be defined from a broader perspective. The school community is not just the students and faculty at a particular school. Rather, the school community includes not only students and faculty at a specific school where a young person has died by suicide, but also:…
When a person dies by suicide, including a student or young person, that individual’s social media page or pages become virtual gathering points for family, friends, and others. Moreover, in addition to the deceased individual’s social media page or pages, social media more generally nearly always becomes active with posts and discussions regarding the specific…
Let’s face it. Bloodborne pathogens and the threat they pose to the human population aren’t anything new. Nevertheless, the threat of long-term complications that are associated with the contraction of bloodborne diseases shouldn’t be ignored. While the CDC estimates that over 5 million healthcare workers and those in related fields are at risk for contracting…
Bloodborne pathogens that enter the body can have serious effects on our health and wellness. These pathogens have the ability to make us very sick and rarely have short-term consequences. As a result, any problems associated with the acquisition of a bloodborne pathogen are likely to be long-term, and in some instances, can prove fatal.…
Airflow is one of the single most important factors in drying a structure. An increase of airflow increases the rate at which water evaporates, which in turn, expedites the process of achieving drying goals when attempting to remediate a water-affected structure. Because of this, the placement and utilization of air moving equipment is crucial. Air…
As the threat of COVID-19 looms over the globe comes the unsettling truth that many of us are more susceptible to the virus than others. As studies show, those that are older in age, have compromised immune systems or have underlying health issues are all at greater risk for contracting this concerning and often fatal…
Wildfires are proving to be a major and significant issue in our nation, especially in hot spots like California, North Carolina and Texas. It is estimated that there have been over 45,000 wildfires in 2020 alone and that the ramifications for home and property owners alike have been life-changing. Because of this, restorers and other…
Many don’t realize it, but the subfloor of any structure plays a crucial role in how the visible flooring of that structure will perform. In order to have a subfloor that acts as a base beneath general flooring components, there are several installation techniques that must be followed, and understood, by property owners and installers…
Americans generally are familiar with the ins and outs of Social Security retirement benefits. Additionally, U.S. citizens generally realize that Social Security does provide disability benefits in certain situations. What many people do not realize is that there are two different Social Security disability benefits programs: Social Security Disability Insurance Supplemental Security Income A discussion…
There are situations in which children qualify for Social Security disability benefits. This includes children who are homeless. There are two primary situations in which children may qualify for Social Security Benefits: When a determination is made that a child is disabled When a child has a parent who has been deemed disabled Children and…
The Riverside Trauma Center has developed a 10-component array of comprehensive primary postvention tasks that are recommended following the death by suicide of a student. The 12 primary postvention tasks are: Verify death and essential facts surrounding the death Coordinate internal and external resources Disseminate accurate information Specific support for those impacted by the death…
A 2011 study revealed that approximately 70 people are intimately or directly impacted by the suicide of a young person. Research further underscores that the effects of a young person’s death by suicide extend beyond more immediately or directly impacted survivors. A more comprehensive study on the subject indicates that 115 people are exposed each…
The aftermath of a student’s death by suicide among his or her peers can be complicated and even somewhat confounding. There is a need for a coordinated, comprehensive postvention strategy to be in place in a school setting to address issues that might arise among student suicide loss survivors. Is There a Need for Postvention…
Research has shown that the manner in which the media portrays death by suicide can play a role in the prospect of others contemplating and even acting upon suicidal ideations. Larry Berkowitz is the Director of the Riverside Recovery Center is an example of a specialist in the field of suicide prevention and postvention, including…
Sadly, suicide loss in schools across the United States is a grim, recurring reality. An array of unique challenges follow in the wake of the death of a young person by suicide, including those that confront those involved with our schools. With this in mind, there is vital information that needs to be understood when…
In a perfect world, claims made to insurance companies would be covered quickly and without hassle. And because you are making payments regularly to cover your home, business or structure, you probably expect the process of making a claim to cover a water loss to flow seamlessly once the opportunity presents itself. Unfortunately, there are…
Documentation is an integral part of the drying and remediation process. Not only does it protect remediation experts in the midst of performing their jobs, but it also gives you, the client, a clear view of the remediation project from start to finish, including what was achieved and how. Because documentation is, in essence, proof…
In recent years, the media has broadcast an increasing number of stories that link bullying and suicide. However, researchers are still looking to establish a concrete connection between these two behavioral phenomenons. The world’s suicide rates are on the rise. Meanwhile, bullying is declining around the world. The stark contrast between these statistics has helped…
Remediation teams are often challenged by clients and insurance companies about why they adhere to certain protocols and utilize the types of techniques that they do. What most don’t realize, however, is that many of these plans and techniques are put in place to increase efficiency and to the promote safety of everyone involved. Without…
Are you struggling to understand non-suicidal self-injury? Is someone you know self-injuring? Here is a comprehensive guide to non-suicidal self-injury. Read along for information and resources about NSSI. What Are Non-Suicidal Self-Injuries (NSSI) According to the International Society for the Study of Self-Injury, non-suicidal self-injury is deliberate, self-inflicted damage to body tissue. These sorts of…
Oxidizers have long been hailed as cleaning royalty for decades, and signs of its long-standing popularity doesn’t seem to be waning. While it is true that hydrogen peroxide and peroxide-containing solutions are quite valuable for killing bacteria, brightening whites and removing stains, they aren’t actually as effective at eliminating the one thing many pet owners…
Flooding can cause major issues for property owners everywhere, but it can be particularly devastating when the property affected is your home. The New York Times confirms that in 2019, nearly 14 million people were affected by flooding in the midwest and south alone, and by the end of the century, it is projected that…
While most home and business owners aren’t thinking about the condition of their piping system on a daily basis, the truth is that they probably should be. Of the many piping issues that can, and often do, plague modern American homes, sewer backups aren’t anything to take lightly. In fact, sewage water can be so…
In the age of COVID-19, it can be hard to think about any other threat to human health than the one staring us right in the face. According to the New York Times, over 7 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus and approximately 250,000 people have lost their lives over it. Needless to say, then,…
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