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Victim Liaison/Victim Advocate Spotlight

Columbiana County is fortunate to have two outstanding Victim Liaisons (sometimes called “Victim Advocates”) that work for the Prosecutor’s Office. Victim Liaisons play a vital role in the criminal justice system, and a brief history of victim advocacy is in order to truly understand their role. Shortly after WWII, it was widely determined that victims of crime should be entitled to financial reimbursement if they suffered a hardship due to crime. The first victim compensation laws were passed in New Zealand in 1963 and in the United States in 1965. Victim advocacy is widely ...

Alzheimer’s can change personality

Editor’s Note: The following column was previously published Nov. 30, 2019. Thanks to breakthroughs in medicine and nutrition in recent years, we are living longer than ever before. But this increase in life expectancy also brings an increase in the number of diseases, injuries and impairments that affect older adults. With this in mind, we at the local Visiting Angels office in Salem have created this series of articles to keep our older population and their families informed and to offer some practical advice for meeting the challenges faced by seniors and those who care for them. ...

SRMC offers tips for dealing with Daylight Saving Time

SALEM — Sunday, March 13 marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST), when clocks are moved ahead one hour to maximize sunlight during the spring and summer months. While many people welcome the extra hour of daylight, “losing” just one hour of sleep can disrupt a person’s sleep cycle and cause sleepiness and fatigue. Tips to Sleep Better During DST As Daylight Saving Time approaches, the Salem Sleep Center offers tips to lessen the impact of the time change and improve sleep quality: • Gradually Adjust Your Bedtime: A few days before the time change, start going ...

Protecting Ohio insurance consumers with services

Protecting insurance consumers is at the core of everything we do at the Ohio Department of Insurance. Consumer Protection Week is March 6-12 and it gives us an opportunity to remind Ohioans how we serve and protect them, and to encourage Ohioans to take advantage of our educational information and services. We are a free and unbiased resource that consumers can depend on for help navigating the complexities of insurance and standing up for their rights. Last year, we saved or recovered $34 million for insurance consumers, helping them resolve coverage and claim disputes, identify ...

A local war continues

Even as other crises wane and world politics have caused everyone to hold our collective breaths, the opioid crisis continues. Despite the world view, life goes on as it usually does, with the emergencies demanding attention much closer to home. There is a war going on right here in Columbiana County. And the facts don’t lie. Last summer the Ohio Department of Health and several bureaucratic collaborators released an update for a document titled “Ohio Drug Overdose Profiles: Columbiana County.” This information is specific to Columbiana County with our approximately 101,883 ...

How much is enough?

You go to your first doctor appointment of the year and are handed a clipboard and pen to update your information. Or you are seeing a new doctor and must list your health information before any kind of treatment will be discussed. A list of criteria is there that may or may not apply to you. You mark the ones that do, things like family history, surgeries you may have had, smoking history. Do you drink alcohol? How often and how much? They want to know your life history! Yes, they do, so they can assist you with your health and well-being. Last fall, it was reported that alcohol ...