By Premier Homehealth Posted in
General |
As a nurse, it is your job to care. You care for your patients, your patients families, your families, but when do you care for yourself? You are in the profession of giving. This is why burnout among healthcare professionals is one of the highest among all professions.
Nurses have such a high intensity of work that takes a huge toll on both the mind and body. In a Danish study on the effects of work-related stress on nurses, it found that nurses struggling with excess work pressure had double the risk for a heart attack!
Eventually, health professionals who constantly put their patients’ needs above their own will burn out. To combat nurse burnout, many facilities are turning to Eastern practices aimed at easing the strains of the hectic work environment that nurses are faced with daily.
Adopting a Zen Philosophy into your everyday life can have a positive impact on your personal and professional life. Here are some practices that you may find useful in reducing the stress in your everyday routines.
- Deep Breathes: It sounds simple but doing breathing exercises has been linked to improving overall health, namely through reducing stress and anxiety.
- The Power of Intention: Set a daily intention that you wish to accomplish. It can be basic, like every hour take 1 minute to do a quick breathing exercise or be patient with your patients.
- Think Positive: Remind yourself how important and meaningful your job is. You are a healer.
- Forward Progress: Aspire to be better… a better friend, spouse or a better nurse and make strides to get there.
- The Precious Present: Live in the moment. This will make you a better nurse. If you are present, you will be able to listen to and understand the needs of your patients better.
- Take Priority: Take as much care of yourself as you do of other people. Eat healthy, exercise, meditate, make time for the things that you love to do.
So you have decided to turn to a home health agency for help caring for your loved one… Now what? There are countless home health care providers out there, some good, some not so good. How do you decide who to trust with the enormous responsibility of caring for your family members. How do you decide who to bring into your home and your life?
Choosing a home health agency is something that you should take seriously and put some time and effort into being informed. Here are a list of things to consider when making your decision.
- How long has the company been in business?
- Does the agency provide literature explaining its services, eligibility requirements, fees and funding sources?
- How does the agency recruit care providers? Are they properly screened and qualified?
- Do they have effective policies, benefits packages and malpractice insurance for their caregivers?
- Do they provide an in-home assessment from the Clinical Director prior to providing care? Do they work with the Primary Care Physician to develop a plan of care?
- Are caregivers supervised? If so, how often?
- How easily can the agency be contacted with questions or complaints? Do they have an 24 hour on-call representative?
- What is the process for handling complaints?
- Does the company have procedures in place in the event of an emergency?
- What are the financial procedures of this provider? Does the provider furnish written statements explaining all of the costs and payment plan options associated with home care?
- How does this provider ensure patient confidentiality?
Don’t be afraid to ask tons of questions. The more you know, the better. If you are currently looking for a Home Health Care agency, contact a Premier representative and we will be more than happy to answer ANY questions you may have.
This is a great resource on How to Choose A Home Care Provider
By Premier Homehealth Posted in
General |
In March, Obama signed into law a bill that are going to massively change the healthcare landscape in America, hopefully for the better. The law affects homecare recipients in two major ways. There are provisions which help the homecare recipient through Medicare and public programs and provisions that help the caregiver through expanded health insurance coverage and better consumer protections. Here are some main points on the benefits that the pediatric homecare industry can look forward to.
- Health care coverage for all children!!!
- Eliminating pre-existing conditions for children to ensure sick children can get insurance coverage
- Permitting children up to age 26 to stay on their parents insurance policies regardless of whether or not they are full-time students
- Requiring that all health plans cover, at no cost, the preventive care and screenings for children
- Prohibiting lifetime benefits caps on health insurance
- Expanding Medicaid to all non-Medicare eligible individuals under age 65 (children, pregnant women, parents, and adults without dependent children)
- Matching federal dollars to states that expand their home care services
- A voluntary long term care program that working people can purchase that covers home care, respite care, home modifications, transportation, and assistive technologies
These provisions will be implemented over the next 10 years, so as good as some of it sounds on paper… only time will tell.
Lifting, moving and positioning patients, bending over to check vitals, constantly on your feet or slumped over a pile of paperwork… Its no wonder why the number one work-related injury in the Healthcare industry is back injuries. According to the 2000 BLS statistics, healthcare industry workers sustain 4.5 times more overexertion injuries than any other type of worker and six of the top 10 professions at greatest risk for back injury include nurse’s aides, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, health aides, radiology technicians and physical therapists.
In a recent article, The Chronic Nursing Injury, Debbi Mouradjian offers the following tips and tidbits on how to avoid back injuries.
- What is the best method I can use to help my posture?
- Act as if you have a string attached to the top of your head and someone else is pulling it upward. This position will naturally pull your shoulders back and give help give you an erect posture.
- My work is administrative and I find myself sitting a lot. What is the optimal body position?
- It is best to move your entire body forward (by rocking the pelvis) and keep the chin up (instead of drooping) when doing computer work. This will provide the correct lumbar spine curve. For paperwork, don’t allow the shoulders to round forward too much and try to keep from allowing the head to fall into an exaggerated anterior head carriage position.
- Does the body conform to the position I sit in on a daily basis? Is this a good or bad thing?
- Yes, the body tends to conform based on the posture you routinely use. For example, if you tend to veer or lean to one side of your body versus the other side, the side you lean toward becomes dominant and shorter. Using a good chair is key. The more expensive the chair doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it’s better. For nurses who need more lumbar support, it is worth it to invest in a L-support pillow.
- What about standing dos and don’ts?
- Many people have a tendency to shift their body weight and bear weight on one leg and shift to the other leg. This places a tremendous strain on your hip and pelvis. It is important to distribute weight evenly when standing.
- What are some postural conditions I should be aware of? And can you recommend any exercises?
- I often see very tight and strong neck muscles. An exercise that I recommend for this is, when you are in bed, lay on your back with your head situated on a pillow. Pushing your head directly back down into the pillow for a few seconds, which will offer relief for this area.
- What do I look for when choosing a chiropractor?
- Go to a reputable and credible doctor of chiropractic. The chiropractic professional will possess the assessment and evaluation skills needed in order to determine the specific needs of the patient.
- How do I know whether I need to see a chiropractor or get assistance from an orthopedic specialist?
- If you feel pain, it is important to take measures by having a checkup. A qualified chiropractor will determine if your condition requires intervention from the appropriate health care provider.
- Are consistent exercise and stretching regimens important?
- Core strengthening exercises, as well as stretching/flexibility exercises, are very important in maintaining your back health. It greatly assists to avoid stiffening and shortening of the muscles, thus helping to alleviate some chronic pain.
- A strong balanced core and back will help establish and maintain postural awareness. When we participate in aerobic and resistance training exercises our muscles shorten upon contraction. After the workout, it is so imperative to stretch your body while the muscles are warm. A complete active and/or passive stretching session increases flexibility and lessens stiffness and tightness in the hamstrings and hip flexors, which can aggravate your back. A 10-minute walk prior to stretching helps to ensure that blood flow has circulated and that synovial fluid has bathed the joints.
Turns out, as always, mom was right… So “Stand Up Straight, Dear” and don’t become another statistic. Here are some parting words of wisdom to keep you injury free…
- Easy Does It: If it looks to heavy, it probably is. Recognition is the first step to recovery…errr… prevention.
- Team Work: Now that you know it’s too heavy or far away, ask for help! No one likes a hero with a bum back.
- Back Off: So you didn’t listen, huh? Well start listening now. Get treatment at the first sign of pain and take it easy. Nearly 10 percent will of you will suffer a re-injury if left untreated.
- Don’t Be Shy: Know your benefits and rights and document everything if a work-related injury occurs. It’s estimated that up to 30% of work-related back injuries go unreported.
By Premier Homehealth Posted in
General |
Check out Janksa’s clothing line called Wellness Wear. The specialty clothing line consists of polar fleece clothing that is virtually effortless to put on and take off for those who want comfort with a little flare!
http://www.janskawellnesswear.com/
In an article by Tim Rowan, he tells the story of how one woman’s dream to provide a practical clothing solution for disabled people came to fruition. Jan Erickson, the designer behind Janksa, got the idea for the Wellness Wear line while providing voluntary care for an elderly church member.
Because her inspiration was a patient who wanted to be comfortable and independent without the clinical attire, Erickson took her concept a step further. She studied the effects of her clothing and learned that “people with mobility and other ADL issues are profoundly affected by being in real clothes rather than ‘sick people clothes’ all day.”
Next time your patients are complaining about being uncomfortable in a hospital gown, let them know about Janska’s clothing where Fashion and Functionality collide.
By Premier Homehealth Posted in
General |
Welcome to the Premier blog!! We will do our best to provide you with news and information relevant to the home healthcare industry and hopefully a little entertainment in the process. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!!