ravi triken asked:


Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) are tools that identify and quantify an individual's risk of

morbidity or mortality using demographic, medical and lifestyle information. «Health Risk

Assessments (HRAs) and Medicare», an evaluation report completed by RAND for CMS, reached the

following conclusions.

• Effective Health Risk Assessment (HRA) plan have demonstrated beneficial effects on behavior,

physiological variables and general health status

• Interventions that combine Health Risk Assessment (HRA) feedback with the provision of Health

Plans are most likely to show beneficial effects

• To be effective, Health Risk Assessment (HRA) questionnaires should be accompanied by follow-up

interventions (e.g., information, support and referrals)

High quality Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) offer, a computation for individual risk from the

following most common diseases and risk factors.

• Asthma

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseaase (COPD)

• Diabetes

• High Blood Pressure

• Ischemic heart disease

• Major depression

• Stroke

• Overweight/Obesity

• Use of Tobaccos Products

• Mental health

• Immunizations

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) collects and reviews information to predict a member's

likelihood of experiencing the most common diseases.

Health Risk Assessments (HRAs): Demographic characteristics

A person's age, gender and ethnicity are indicators of elevated risk for certain diseases. At

minimum, the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should collect information, to the extent allowed by

law, information on the member's age, gender and ethnicity.

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should include queries addressing the individual's personal and

family history of diseases or risk factors for common diseases. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA)

must include queries to assess health risks related to the highly personal health characteristics

and behaviors listed below.

• Weight Management

• Nutrition

• Use of Tobaccos Products

• High Blood Pressure

• Cholesterol

• Exercise

• Alcohol consumption

• Traveling by motor vehicle

• Stress Management

• Mental health

Perceived Health Status

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should include queries that assess A person's self-perceived

health status. The queries should allow an individual to rate their own health status on a

relative scale.

Disclosure of use of Health Risk Assessment (HRA) information

The organization should disclose how the information obtained from the Health Risk Assessment

(HRA) will be used and to whom it'll be disclosed. The organization may offer the disclosure and

use information within the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) tool or reports or through written

communications.

Ability to save and print Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results

Internet-based Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should give the member the ability to save and print

his or her Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results. For paper-based Health Risk Assessments (HRAs),

the organization should have a mechanism in place for the member to receive a written copy of the

results.

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) Results

Companies should offer a printed or printer-friendly internet-based report for each individual

participant. The report may emphasis on either individual risks for specified diseases or on

Health.

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) computations may emphasis on either individual risks based upon

personal risk factors or on overall risk or health. The report should offer an explanatory

information to help them understand the outcome. Reports should clearly identify behaviors that

can lower risk for each risk factor, and recommend targets for improvement. Reports should

include resources (e.g., community plan, internet-based information and materials) that can help

members change to a healthier lifestyle. At minimum, the organization should give computation for

individual risk from the following most common diseases and risk factors.

• Asthma

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseaase (COPD)

• Diabetes

• High Blood Pressure

• Ischemic heart disease

• Major depression

• Stroke

• Overweight/Obesity

• Use of Tobaccos Products

• Mental health

• Immunizations

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) should give internet-based print-friendly results and the

ability for the user to print the results. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report should include

a profile of individual risk level for personal conditions or diseases according to age, gender,

ethnicity and risk factors that were identified in the questionnaire. The report should clearly

identify behaviors that can lower the risk for each risk factor and recommend targets for

improvements.

Available Resources

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report should also include references to resources that can help

the member understand the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results and assist the member in changing

to a healthier lifestyle.

The resources can include references to relevant internet-based information, materials and

community plan.

ravi triken asked:


Do you find it challenging to stay motivated when endeavoring to make changes to your health? Are you aware that changes must be made in your daily life but you do not know where to begin? If so then Health and Wellness Coaching might just be the solution you have been seeking.

Health and Wellness Coaching is a service offered by trained professionals who work with you individually to assist you reach your Wellness goals. Health and Wellness Coaching motivates, guides, and supports a person in order to reach sustainable behavioral changes by offering creative solutions to their problems.

Health and Wellness Coaching provides individually designed programs to meet your unique needs by focusing on physical, mental, and emotional health. They assist you become proactive in your life by removing unhealthy behaviors and making Wellness a priority.

Benefits of Health and Wellness Coaching for Your Staff Members

Staff Members can benefit from Health and Wellness Coaching in a variety of ways. Health and Wellness Coaching can assist individuals decrease major health risks in their lives by changing high risk behaviors. Some of the many reasons why employees work with Wellness Coaches are to get in shape, lose a little (or lot) of weight, reduce stress, stop using tobacco, and design balance in their lives. Wellness Coaches aid individuals with current health problems as well as preventing future health issues.

Because each program that a Wellness Coach designs is unique to suit the needs of the individual, they can be sure that it'll be a program that is right for them. Most busy employees mistakenly believe that they do not have the time for Health and Wellness Coaching. Fortunately Health and Wellness Coaching professionals are able to offer their services in a variety of convenient ways. While electronic Health and Wellness Coaching through the use of e-mails and instant messaging has become a popular method due to its convenience, telephone and face-to-face interactions may also be used. Staff Members have the ability to reach their goals and improve their lives through the assistance of Health and Wellness Coaching.

Benefits of Health and Wellness Coaching for the Company

The overall benefits of Health and Wellness Coaching for a business are remarkable. Staff Member high risk behaviors such as tobacco use and obesity cost companies millions of dollars every year. These high risk behaviors often cause preventable illness and keep employees from coming to work. Health and Wellness Coaching guides, supports, hold individuals accountable, and ensures that they receive continued motivation to assist them reach their Wellness goals and eliminate unhealthy behaviors in their lives.

By implementing Wellness Plans and using Health and Wellness Coaching in their companies, employers reduce the risk of preventable illness in their companies. This improves the overall health of employees, reduces healthcare and insurance costs, decreases absenteeism, and ultimately enhances performance and productivity. When employees experience the benefits of higher levels Wellness in their lives it causes an improvement in job attitude, energy, and morale. Companies that utilize Health and Wellness Coaching for their employees experience the benefits of higher productivity.

Wellness Coach

Wellness incorporates many facets of our daily lives. From the amount of sleep to the water we drink, to the food that we eat and the activity that we maintain, our health is dependent upon many factors of our lifestyle. Working to improve our Wellness can be challenging to reach on our own. That is why we can utilize the assistance of a Wellness Coach.

What's a Wellness Coach?

A Wellness Coach is a highly educated professional who is trained in behavioral change. Wellness Coaches generally have degrees in Exercise Science, Health Education, Exercise Physiology, Counseling and Education. A Wellness Coach assists individuals in recognizing current health concerns as well as preventing future health related issues. These professionals work with individuals in a variety of ways including; face-to-face, phone, via instant messaging and / or email. The latter of those is also referred to as electronic Health and Wellness Coaching and is the most efficient and cost effective method of working with a Wellness Coach. No matter what method is used for communication a Wellness Coach provides a personalized program specifically designed to address the needs and concerns of each personal client.

In what ways can a Wellness Coach assist me? 

Most individuals maintain several healthy habits in their lives. One person may be a fitness enthusiast; another may abstain from alcohol and tobacco; while another may maintain a healthy daily diet. However, overall Wellness is much like a puzzle, and a high level of health is only achieved when each piece of this puzzle is in place. A Wellness Coach will aid an individual in correcting his/her missing piece of the puzzle. An web-based Wellness Coach may address the needs of sleep deprivation, stress management, diet, or any number of health related issues. The Wellness Coach will motivate, guide, and offer valuable resources to offer individuals with the necessary tools to make life changes.

How is a Wellness Coach unique?

A Wellness Coach serves a distinctly different purpose than a personal trainer, a counselor, or a supportive family member or friend. First, a Wellness Coach is an expert in his/her personal field. When a client determines the need for a Wellness Coach he or she will complete a Health Risk Assessment (HRA). based on this assessment the individual will be assigned a Wellness Coach specifically selected to address his/her individual needs. Next, a Wellness Coach is available electronically 24 hours per day. Through web-based communication individuals have the opportunity to contact a Wellness Coach as much or as little as he may like. Communication with a Wellness Coach may range from daily to weekly, and can occur by e-mail, journal or a combination of both. Finally, a Wellness Coach is trained to aid in changing the way that the individual thinks and the way that they view themselves. A Wellness Coach maintains the purpose of helping the individual to work towards achieving a higher quality in life. This happens by addressing the cause of a certain problem rather than simply addressing the effects of a problem. A Wellness Coach will assist individuals recognize their needs, determine goals, and take the necessary steps towards achieving these goals.

While Wellness are growing concerns in our daily lives, it may seem challenging to make the time to educate oneself and address the needs or our well being. Working with the assistance of a Wellness Coach enables us to emphasis on our personal needs and make progress towards changing.

ravi triken asked:


is health coaching?

Health coaching is a collaborative and personalized program that focuses on improving health and wellness. Health Coaching builds an individual’s capacity to achieve short- and long-term health and fitness goals. Participants in a health coaching program interact one-on-one with their health coach by telephone, instant messenger, email and online journal.

Frequently Asked Questions About Health Coaching

What is health coaching?

Health coaching is a collaborative and personalized program that focuses on improving health and wellness. Health Coaching builds an individual’s capacity to achieve short- and long-term health and fitness goals. Participants in a health coaching program interact one-on-one with their health coach by telephone, instant messenger, email and online journal.

Unlike personal training or counseling, YOU, the client, are the expert when working with a health coach. Whether you're working toward general wellness or a more specific health-related issue, a health coach will focus on enhancing your quality of life. Our health coaches guide, motivate, provide customized resources, and help you to set achievable goals. Health Coaches do not diagnose, prescribe, or give advice. Instead health coaches use their expertise to provide you with tools, not opinions.

The role of a health coach is unique. A health coach will not just ask you if you have done your crunches for the day UNLESS that is what you want your health coach to do. Instead, the health coach is there to help you identify and achieve whatever goals you set for improved vitality by coordinating the many resources available to you through this and other programs.

Do I have to have a serious health issue to benefit from a health coach?

No. We know that no two people are exactly the same and your health status may vary from day to day. Health coaches help you to assess your level of health and well-being and to work on the issues at hand. Your health coach will provide the human touch to motivate you toward setting and achieving your goals through a personalized plan of action. However, if you do have a serious health issue, your health coach can help. If you need to modify your lifestyle due to an issue such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and/or musculoskeletal injuries, a degreed and highly trained expert health coach can assist.

Who are the health coaches?

Our health coaches are high-level, seasoned professionals, experienced in behavioral change and in serving moderate-risk and sedentary, high-risk and high-stress populations. All Health Coaches hold degrees in Exercise Science, Health Education, Exercise Physiology, Counseling and Health Education, Counseling and Education, and each health coach has a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and at least 3 years of experience. In addition, 80 percent of our health coaches also hold a graduate degree in a related field.

I'm not sure health coaching is right for me. How do I decide?

If you would like someone to provide support, guidance and motivation that can help you achieve personal health and lifestyle goals, you will benefit from your relationship with a health coach.

How much time will health coaching take?

The time you devote to health coaching is entirely at your discretion. Communication between you and your Personal Health Coach will be as often as needed and will be determined on an individual basis. You will be paired with a health coach who will remain with you throughout your entire health coaching process. Communication between you and your health coach may occur every day, just once per week, or even less whether it is by email, journal or a combination of both.

If you would like to spend more time learning about your challenge and your solutions you have come to the right place. Through the health coaching program you will have access to a comprehensive library of lifestyle education and resource materials that will be hand selected by your health coach specifically for you. These resources come from nationally acclaimed resource providers.

What is health coaching?

Health coaching is a collaborative and personalized program that focuses on improving health and wellness. Health Coaching builds an individual’s capacity to achieve short- and long-term health and fitness goals. Participants in a health coaching program interact one-on-one with their health coach by telephone, instant messenger, email and online journal.

Ravi Verma asked:


Health Risk Appraisals are tools that identify and quantify an individual's risk of morbidity or mortality using demographic, medical and lifestyle information. «Health Risk Appraisals and Medicare», an evaluation report completed by RAND for CMS, reached the following conclusions.

• Effective Health Risk Assessment (HRA) programs have demonstrated beneficial effects on behavior, physiological variables and general health status

• Interventions that combine Health Risk Assessment (HRA) feedback with the provision of Wellness Plans are most likely to show beneficial effects

• To be effective, Health Risk Assessment (HRA) questionnaires ought to be accompanied by follow-up interventions (e.g., information, support and referrals)

High quality Health Risk Appraisals offer, a computation for individual risk from the following most common diseases and health risk factors.

• Chronic Asthma

• COPD

• Diabetes

• High Blood Pressure

• Ischemic heart disease

• Major depression

• Stroke

• Overweight and obesity

• Use of Tobaccos Products

• Mental health

• Immunizations

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) collects and analyzes data to predict a individual's likelihood of experiencing the most common diseases.

Health Risk Appraisals: Demographic characteristics

An individual's age, *** and ethnicity are indicators of increased risk for certain diseases or conditions. At minimum, the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) ought to collect information, to the extent allowed by law, information on the individual's age, *** and ethnicity.

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) ought to include questions addressing the individual's personal and family history of diseases or risk factors for common diseases or conditions. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) must include questions to assess health risks related to the personal health characteristics and behaviors listed below.

• Weight

• Diet and Nutrition

• Use of Tobaccos Products

• High Blood Pressure

• Cholesterol

• Physical Fitness

• Alcohol Use

• Traveling by motor vehicle

• Stress Management

• Mental health

Perceived Health Status

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) ought to include questions that assess An individual's self-perceived health status. The questions ought to allow an individual to rate their own health status on a relative scale.

Disclosure of use of Health Risk Assessment (HRA) information

The business ought to disclose how the information obtained from the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) will be used and to whom it'll be disclosed. The business may offer the disclosure and use information within the Health Risk Assessment (HRA) tool or reports or through written communications.

Ability to save/print Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results

Internet-based Health Risk Assessment (HRA) ought to give the individual the ability to save/print his/her Health Risk Assessment (HRA) results. For paper-based Health Risk Appraisals, the business ought to have a mechanism in place for the individual to receive a written copy of the results.

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) Results

Companies ought to offer a printed/printer-friendly web-based report for each individual participant. The report may emphasis on either individual risks for specified diseases or on Wellness.

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) computations may emphasis on either individual risks based on personal risk factors or on overall risk or health. The report ought to offer an explanatory information to assist them understand the outcome. Reports ought to clearly identify specific behaviors that can lower risk for each risk factor, and recommend targets for improvement. Reports ought to include resources (e.g., community programs, web-based resources and materials) that can assist individuals change to a healthier lifestyle. At minimum, the business ought to offer computation for individual risk from the following most common diseases and health risk factors.

• Chronic Asthma

• COPD

• Diabetes

• High Blood Pressure

• Ischemic heart disease

• Major depression

• Stroke

• Overweight and obesity

• Use of Tobaccos Products

• Mental health

• Immunizations

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) ought to offer web-based print-friendly results and the ability for the user to print the results. The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) report ought to include a profile of individual risk level for personal diseases or conditions according to age, sex, ethnicity and health risk factors that were identified in the questionnaire. The report ought to clearly identify specific behaviors that can lower the risk for each risk factor and recommend targets for improvements.

Resource Avaiability

Sharquenta Wells asked:


Public Health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting  health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities and individuals. However, as individuals we must take an active role in maintaining our health by leading healthy lifestyles and making sure that we are using proper nutrition daily.

Nutrition is the science that studies how people eat and how eating affects their health and performance. This includes foods or food components that cause diseases or deteriorate health such as eating too many calories. This is a major contributing factor to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Personal health depends partially on the social structure of one’s life.

Healthy eating is a choice but not much of a choice for those who simply lack the knowledge, awareness and clear understanding about healthy cooking. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capacities. Health represents the amount of damage a character can take before death.

Healthy people should have the right to boost their brains with pills, supplements, herbs and vitamins like those prescribed for hyperactive kids or memory-impaired older folks. 

Health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of

mental and physical well being through the services offered by the medical, nursing, and allied health professions.

Health research builds primarily on the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, and physics as well as a variety of multidisciplinary fields, i.e. medical sociology.  Health care is further the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of health through the services offered by the medical, dental, nursing, and allied health professions. 

Health care embraces all the goods and services designed to promote health, including preventive, curative and palliative interventions, whether directed to individuals or to populations. 

Health care in Venezuela is probably the most extensive and given the country's fortunes in oil wealth, expenditure has recently increased greatly, starting with mass vaccinations under the Plan Bolivar 2000. While health care in Africa is usually non existent or highly limited and under resourced. 

Here in the United States health inspectors are conducting fewer inspections of nursing homes, restaurants and adult day care sites because of budget constraints and the inability to train and keep inspectors and officials. For this reason it is imperative that you take control of your health care issues and become active in resolving them.

Health system problems aggravated a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe 10 December 2008 — A

widespread cholera outbreak and inadequate access to safe drinking water and hygiene are

threatening the well being of thousands of Zimbabweans. 

Because of the on-going importance of health — customers are never more than a single click away from ordering products online and referring their friends and associates who are ready to join a membership program. 

Customers spread around the world can be attracted by a health business and take notice. You will see that other people will also be interested in marketing a vitamin or natural health business by noticing that others will easily sign up underneath you. 

Online store owners, entrepreneurs and small businesses who e-sell their own products find that they have money rolling into their accounts in no time soon after taking action because shoppers readily kick into high-gear. 

There are many resources to help you and your family stay healthy. Products classified as dietary supplements are not required to meet any Food and Drug Administration standards which makes it easy to promote a natural health business. 

Making extra income can’t get much easier in the booming health industry especially when you don’t have to look after any products or logistics. Health and wellness spending is continuing as companies seek new marketing channels for their advertisements and employers look to control healthcare spending.

ravi triken asked:


A Health and Wellness Coach can help you:

Increase profits Attract and retain more customers Expand your reach beyond your facility Increase services without adding staff Greatly differentiate your gym from your competitors Improve the health and wellbeing of your customers A Health and Wellness Coach can expand your reach and increase profits without expanding your resources

Imagine that your members interacted with a health and wellness coach every day.  With consistent personalized attention, members would become more dedicated to their fitness regimen, feel better about themselves and their health, and be more satisfied with your fitness center—all of which makes them more likely to maintain their program and less likely to leave.

The Health and Wellness Coach solution from InfiniteHealthCoach.com

Our Health and Wellness Coach program is an affordable Web-based «virtual club and personal training studio» designed to help members succeed in achieving their fitness goals. It is a powerful and practical way for members to have daily interaction with a certified health coach, giving your fitness center an innovative advantage in member retention and profitability.

Each new member who joins your facility provides additional revenue that goes straight to your bottom line. In today's aggressive market, it may just be the unique member benefit your fitness center needs to «outmuscle» the competition.

Boost Member Retention with Health and Wellness Coaching

By increasing your ability to provide personalized attention, InfiniteHealthCoach.com helps you reduce attrition, turning “at risk” members back into active members who renew at the end of their contract.

This high-quality health and fitness resource lets you target high-risk dropout candidates by offering them their own online personal trainer and health and wellness coaching service that…

Makes it easy to set goals and track progress Demonstrates proper exercise techniques Motivates and engages members regardless of their location

Satisfied members stay members longer, and each month they work with a health and wellness coach generates additional revenue for you.

Extend Your Reach with Health and Wellness Coaching

The anywhere, anytime the online convenience of health and wellness coaching allows you to expand your core services beyond the walls of your fitness center to reach non-traditional members who might not otherwise come into your facility. Offering a Web-based membership program to these individuals also helps you develop a feeder system for new traditional memberships.

Plus, you'll be able to better serve corporate clients with a proven behavior-changing program that proactively addresses their rising health care costs. The system's flexibility allows you to tailor a program to virtually any topic your client companies may request;from simple tobacco cessation or stress reduction to full-scale health and wellness coaching.

A Small Investment in Health and Wellness Coaching Yields Exceptional ROI

For a small per-member investment, InfiniteHealthCoach.com can help you provide a service that enhances your members' success. As a result, members develop a better appreciation for your fitness center and the added value you provide. By giving clients fast, convenient access to their health and wellness coach, you can generate additional revenue over a longer period of time.

Health and Wellness Coaching for Fitness Centers

A Health and Wellness Coach can help you: Increase profits Attract and retain more customers Expand your reach beyond your facility Increase services without adding staff Greatly differentiate your gym from your competitors Improve the health and wellbeing of your customers A Health and Wellness Coach can expand your reach and increase profits without expanding your resources

Imagine that your members interacted with a health and wellness coach every day.  With consistent personalized attention, members would become more dedicated to their fitness regimen, feel better about themselves and their health, and be more satisfied with your fitness center—all of which makes them more likely to maintain their program and less likely to leave.

The Health and Wellness Coach solution from InfiniteHealthCoach.com

Our Health and Wellness Coach program is an affordable Web-based «virtual club and personal training studio» designed to help members succeed in achieving their fitness goals. It is a powerful and practical way for members to have daily interaction with a certified health coach, giving your fitness center an innovative advantage in member retention and profitability.

Each new member who joins your facility provides additional revenue that goes straight to your bottom line. In today's aggressive market, it may just be the unique member benefit your fitness center needs to «outmuscle» the competition.

-

Boost Member Retention with Health and Wellness Coaching

By increasing your ability to provide personalized attention, InfiniteHealthCoach.com helps you reduce attrition, turning “at risk” members back into active members who renew at the end of their contract.

This high-quality health and fitness resource lets you target high-risk dropout candidates by offering them their own online personal trainer and health and wellness coaching service that…

Makes it easy to set goals and track progress Demonstrates proper exercise techniques Motivates and engages members regardless of their location

Satisfied members stay members longer, and each month they work with a health and wellness coach generates additional revenue for you.

Extend Your Reach with Health and Wellness Coaching

The anywhere, anytime the online convenience of health and wellness coaching allows you to expand your core services beyond the walls of your fitness center to reach non-traditional members who might not otherwise come into your facility. Offering a Web-based membership program to these individuals also helps you develop a feeder system for new traditional memberships.

Plus, you'll be able to better serve corporate clients with a proven behavior-changing program that proactively addresses their rising health care costs. The system's flexibility allows you to tailor a program to virtually any topic your client companies may request;from simple tobacco cessation or stress reduction to full-scale health and wellness coaching.

A Small Investment in Health and Wellness Coaching Yields Exceptional ROI

For a small per-member investment, InfiniteHealthCoach.com can help you provide a service that enhances your members' success. As a result, members develop a better appreciation for your fitness center and the added value you provide. By giving clients fast, convenient access to their health and wellness coach, you can generate additional revenue over a longer period of time.

The Results-Oriented Approach To Health and Wellness Coaching

InfiniteHealthCoach.com offers members unlimited access to their own health and wellness coach and therefore are able use the service as often as they like, with no additional cost to you.

Through our health and wellness coaches employees not only learn what they need to do, but more importantly, they learn how to sustain their new, healthy lifestyles. The health and wellness coach is there to provide positive reinforcement, advice, additional information and support at every step.

The results speak for themselves.  Of those who used the InfiniteHealthCoach.com health and wellness coaching model...

94% of participants reach their primary goals 89% reported improved overall health and well-being 75% experienced fewer stress-related physical symptoms 56% improved aerobic conditioning 50% increased their healthy eating choices 72% of those who lost weight lost more than five pounds 40% remained tobacco-free at 6 months

Paloma Home Health Agency asked:


Home health care helps seniors live independently for as long as possible, given the limits of their medical condition. It covers a wide range of services and can often delay the need for long-term nursing home care.

More specifically, home health care may include occupational and physical therapy, speech therapy, and even skilled nursing. It may involve helping the elderly with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, and eating. Or it may include assistance with cooking, cleaning, other housekeeping jobs, and monitoring one's daily regimen of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

At this point, it is important to understand the difference between home health care and home care services. Although they sound the same (and home health care may include some home care services), home health care is more medically oriented. While home care typically includes chore and housecleaning services, home health care usually involves helping seniors recover from an illness or injury. That is why the people who provide home health care are often licensed practical nurses, therapists, or home health aides. Most work for home health agencies, hospitals, or public health departments that are licensed by the state.

How Do I Make Sure That Home Health Care Is Quality Care?

As with any important purchase, it is always a good idea to talk with friends, neighbors, and your local area agency on aging to learn more about the home health care agencies in your community.

In looking for a home health care agency, the following 20 questions can be used to help guide your search:

How long has the agency been serving this community? Does the agency have any printed brochures describing the services it offers and how much they cost? If so, get one. Is the agency an approved Medicare provider? Is the quality of care certified by a national accrediting body such as the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations? Does the agency have a current license to practice (if required in the state where you live)? Does the agency offer seniors a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” that describes the rights and responsibilities of both the agency and the senior being cared for? Does the agency write a plan of care for the patient (with input from the patient, his or her doctor and family), and update the plan as necessary? Does the care plan outline the patient’s course of treatment, describing the specific tasks to be performed by each caregiver? How closely do supervisors oversee care to ensure quality? Will agency caregivers keep family members informed about the kind of care their loved one is getting? Are agency staff members available around the clock, seven days a week, if necessary? Does the agency have a nursing supervisor available to provide on-call assistance 24 hours a day? How does the agency ensure patient confidentiality? How are agency caregivers hired and trained? What is the procedure for resolving problems when they occur, and who can I call with questions or complaints? How does the agency handle billing? Is there a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay, and is financial assistance available to pay for services? Will the agency provide a list of references for its caregivers? Who does the agency call if the home health care worker cannot come when scheduled? What type of employee screening is done?

When purchasing home health care directly from an individual provider (instead of through an agency), it is even more important to screen the person thoroughly. This should include an interview with the home health caregiver to make sure that he or she is qualified for the job. You should request references. Also, prepare for the interview by making a list if any special needs the senior might have. For example, you would want to note whether the elderly patient needs help getting into or out of a wheelchair. Clearly, if this is the case, the home health caregiver must be able to provide that assistance. The screening process will go easier if you have a better idea of what you are looking for first.

Another thing to remember is that it always helps to look ahead, anticipate changing needs, and have a backup plan for special situations. Since every employee occasionally needs time off (or a vacation), it is unrealistic to assume that one home health care worker will always be around to provide care. Seniors or family members who hire home health workers directly may want to consider interviewing a second part-time or on-call person who can be available when the primary caregiver cannot be. Calling an agency for temporary respite care also may help to solve this problem (see the Respite Care fact sheet for more information about these services).

In any event, whether you arrange for home health care through an agency or hire an independent home health care aide on an individual basis, it helps to spend some time preparing for the person who will be doing the work. Ideally, you could spend a day with him or her, before the job formally begins, to discuss what will be involved in the daily routine. If nothing else, tell the home health care provider (both verbally and in writing) the following things that he or she should know about the senior:

Illnesses/injuries, and signs of an emergency medical situation Likes and dislikes Medications, and how and when they should be taken Need for dentures, eyeglasses, canes, walkers, etc. Possible behavior problems and how best to deal with them Problems getting around (in or out of a wheelchair, for example, or trouble walking) Special diets or nutritional needs Therapeutic exercises.

In addition, you should give the home health care provider more information about:

Clothing the senior may need (if/when it gets too hot or too cold) How you can be contacted (and who else should be contacted in an emergency) How to find and use medical supplies and medications When to lock up the apartment/house and where to find the keys Where to find food, cooking utensils, and serving items Where to find cleaning supplies Where to find light bulbs and flash lights, and where the fuse box is located (in case of a power failure) Where to find the washer, dryer, and other household appliances (as well as instructions for how to use them).

A WORD OF CAUTION . . .

Although most states require that home health care agencies perform criminal background checks on their workers and carefully screen job applicants for these positions, the actual regulations will vary depending on where you live. Therefore, before contacting a home health care agency, you may want to call your local area agency on aging or department of public health to learn what laws apply in your state.



HOW CAN I PAY FOR HOME HEALTH CARE?

The cost of home health care varies across states and within states. In addition, costs will fluctuate depending on the type of health care professional required. Home care services can be paid for directly by the patient and his or her family members, or through a variety of public and private sources. Sources for home health care funding include Medicare, Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Veterans' Administration, and private insurance.

Medicare is the largest single payer of home care services. The Medicare program will pay for home health care if all of the following conditions are met:

The patient must be homebound and under a doctor’s care; The patient must need skilled nursing care, or occupational, physical, or speech therapy, on at least an intermittent basis (that is, regularly but not continuously) The services provided must be under a doctor’s supervision and performed as part of a home health care plan written specifically for that patient The patient must be eligible for the Medicare program and the services ordered must be “medically reasonable and necessary” The home health care agency providing the services must be certified by the Medicare program.

To get help with your Medicare questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY/TDD: 1-877-486-2048 for the speech and hearing impaired) or look on the Internet at http://www.medicare.gov.

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT HOME HEALTH CARE?

There are several national organizations that can provide additional consumer information about home health care services. These include the following:

The National Association for Home Care, which can be reached at 202-547-7424 or by visiting its website at www.nahc.org. The postal address is: 228 7th St., SE; Washington, DC 20003. The Visiting Nurse Associations of America, which can be reached at 617-737-3200 or by visiting its website at http://www.vnaa.org. The postal addresses are: 99 Summer St., Suite 1700; Boston, MA 02110.

To find out more about home health care programs where you live, you will want to contact your local aging information and assistance provider or area agency on aging (AAA). The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the Administration on Aging (at 1-800-677-1116 or http://www.eldercare.gov  can help connect you to these agencies.

Case Study

WHEN IS HOME HEALTH CARE APPROPRIATE?

Because it is not always clear to the average person when an ailing senior needs home health care and when he or she needs nursing home care, it is usually best to consult a medical professional for advice. The following case study describes one situation in which home health care proved to be the right choice.

Francis is 84 years old and recently had a stroke. She was hospitalized briefly and then discharged to continue recovering at home. To enable her to return home, her doctor called a home health care agency, and the agency gave Francis a complete home health care plan for six weeks. Since the doctor ordered the home care for Francis, Medicare paid for it.

For the first week after Francis went home, a nurse visited her every day. The nurse met with Francis’s family to discuss her special dietary needs and to arrange for exercise therapy to help Francis regain her strength. Once that was done, the nurse visited Francis twice a week to check on how well she was recovering. The home health care agency also sent a homemaker, a personal care attendant, and a physical therapist to visit Francis several times during the week. The homemaker would do the shopping and cook light meals. The personal care attendant would help Francis bathe, get dressed, and walk. The physical therapist would keep Francis moving and see to it that she got some exercise to aid in her recovery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Yan Huang asked:


The responsibility of school health education is to provide the complete positive experience and the knowledge structure to the student, including the establishment of health education curriculum, the creation of school health environment and carrying out the appropriate school health education plan through principal, teacher, guardian and the broad cooperation which leads in the community.

The significance of school health education:  

Health is one of the main factors which affect young students’ learning capability. So the government has the responsibility to provide the best study conditions. This goal can be achieved by school health education. The school health education program can systematically organize all the factors that promote young people’s health.

The significance of school health education is: Young students are in the life preparation time, health education work, may help them to accept systematic health education since childhood. It will be very helpful for young people to establish a healthy life style, strengthen the self-health care consciousness and ability, prevent common disease, frequently-occurring disease, and even adult sickness. School health education builds the good foundation for their life and the effect is lifelong.

The implementation scope of school health education:

School health education is not only limited to the health education curriculum but also through many kinds of health education in young people's daily study and the life such as food security, nutrition, smoking control, personal hygiene and so on.

The teaching of school health education:  

Health education should be a part of the entire school education system.

1) The health education curriculum: young students may start their health habit since the baby time. But they usually obtain the systematic medicine and health knowledge in school.  So the school health education curriculum should be the main way for students to obtain this kind of knowledge.

There is huge difference in receptivity and thinking mode among the young students of different ages. So the goal, content, teaching style and materials of health education curriculum should be accordant of the characteristics of different age sections. Because our work is to help student to be active learning not non-passive learning.

Healthy behavior instruction:

The goal of healthy behavior instruction is to help the students to have the basic healthcare knowledge and to command the basic skills of self-healthcare. Health behavior instruction helps students to develop a faith of health and medicine, correct judge and the appraisal ability and healthy behavior. Good behavior may affect not only the individual but also the family and the society.

There are two ways of healthy behavior instruction: Collective activity and individual consultation.  Collective activity aims at the existing behavior question among students. Individual consultation helps each individual student who has special health behavior or medical care questions. 

The school health service:

School health service is directly related to students’ health activities. It is also the essential part of the entire school health plan.  The school health service mainly includes: medical examination, dental examination, immunity vaccination, infectious disease control, common disease prevention and the psychological consultation as well. The school should also provide the necessary services to the disabled students.

The school health environment:

School health environment stimulates and promotes the student to participate in the beneficial health activities, raises their health consciousness of the external environment, including interpersonal and material environment.

The interpersonal environment mainly includes the school interpersonal relationship between the teachers and students, schoolmate and the other personnel.  

The material environment is related to the school constructions, the ground size, the drainage, the garbage disposal system and so on.

How to provide a harmonious and healthy environment to all the students should be considered by all the school health educators.