Breast Cancer Companion Therapies

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and an opportunity for your agency to show your commitment to women’s health. Promote the importance of early detection, research, and support for breast cancer survivors on all your social media platforms.

Awareness is making a difference. Researchers continue to develop new methods for arresting invasive and noninvasive cancers. In addition to treatments, research has uncovered some natural companion therapies which cancer patients can use to help relieve symptoms, reduce pain, and increase quality of life.

Acupuncture

Recent studies indicate that the traditional Chinese practice of acupuncture may help reduce pain and relieve nausea caused by chemotherapy treatments. Acupuncture stimulates the brain through a process of inserting very thin needles in specific pressure points in the skin.

Massage therapy

Massage therapy is known to relieve stress, anxiety, fatigue, and depression and in some cases may relieve pain.

Tai chi

Tai chi is a Chinese movement-based exercise that focuses on balancing the body’s energies through movement, breathing, and meditation. Research indicates that practicing tai chi may improve mental and emotional health of cancer patents.

Diet

Maintaining a healthy diet is important all the time, but especially for those who are fighting cancer. This can be challenging as chemotherapy commonly disrupts a person’s sense of taste. Dietitians recommend adding seasonings like spices, herbs, peppers, wine, teriyaki or barbecue sauce to make food more flavorful. Dietary supplements can also be beneficial in filling nutritional gaps, but cancer patients should discuss all supplement use with their oncology team to avoid any adverse interactions with their chemotherapy regimen.

Some ways your home care agency can promote Breast Cancer awareness this October:

  • Encourage your cancer patients to share their stories.

  • Host a Passionately Pink fundraiser to benefit the SUSAN G. KOMEN Breast Cancer Foundation.

  • Deliver HOPE kits to Oncology centers in your community.

  • Speak at local women’s groups on the importance of breast cancer screening.

  • Wear your Pink!

  • If you don’t want to tackle hosting an event of your own, find a local event and join in: https://ww5.komen.org/FindAnEvent.aspx

 Visit TAGWebstore.com for home health and hospice educational print media.

Resources: Cancer.net, healthline.com, mayoclinic.org, cancer.org

Breast Cancer Awareness

Fall is just about here and It will soon be time to bring out your pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Every October people of all ages and all walks of life will wear pink in support of the brave women and their families fighting breast cancer.

According to the CDC, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women besides skin cancer. The good news is that most women can survive breast cancer if it’s found at an early stage.  While there are a variety of diagnostic tools available to detect breast cancer, mammograms are currently the most common screening method used. Mammograms are recommended every two years for women between the ages of 50 and 74.

Take the opportunity this October to remind your referral sources of the role that Home Health care plays as part of the patient cancer care team.

Home Health care benefits physicians by providing:

  • Updated clinical assessment data.
  • Better case management to reduce calls.
  • Early detection/intervention for better disease management.
  • A streamlined plan of care.
  • In-depth outcome reports

 Home Health care benefits patients, families, and caregivers by:

  • Improving quality of life through greater symptom management.
  • Maximizing patient activity tolerance.
  • Instructing when conditions indicate immediate attention may be needed.
  • Reducing emergency room visits and re-admissions.

 Some ways you can get involved:

  • As Health Care providers be sure to share information on breast cancer through your social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
  • Encourage your cancer patients to share their stories.
  • Partner with your referral network and host a fundraiser.
  • Have your nurses speak at local women’s groups on the importance of getting screened for breast cancer.
  • Wear your Pink!

Visit TAG Web store for your Home Health and Hospice marketing and educational materials.

September 2014: Get ready for huge referral opportunities in October.

Strokes kill more than 800,000 Americans every year, making this condition the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. A staggering 7 million people over age 20 in this country have had a stroke at some point in their lives. The seriousness of this condition underscores how important it is to get involved in raising awareness about strokes and how to prevent them. A perfect time to do that is Oct. 29, World Stroke Day. You not only may save lives through your outreach efforts, but you’ll be raising awareness of your stroke-specific medical services.

  • Call on clinical referral sources in your community and sell them on your agency’s outcomes when it comes to providing care for stroke patients. Find great Patient Outcomes Brochures for the Physician at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-physicians.php. You can easily show off how you compare to your competitors when it comes to a variety of outcomes measures.
  • The Patient Outcomes Senior Brochures are a natural companion to the physician brochures. They educate about stroke in easy-to-understand language. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-senior.php.
  • While touting your outcomes to physicians, show them that patient education is a strong component of your home health program. Comprehensive Patient Education Guides for Stroke not only are an eye-catching example of your work, but they help patients get more involved in their own care, which improves outcomes. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-education-guides.php.
  • Distribute personalized stroke care flyers at community health fairs, libraries, senior centers and anywhere that seniors gather. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/health-care-flyers.php.
  • Stock the offices of referral sources, as well as pharmacies, rehab centers and hospital waiting rooms with rack cards about stroke. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/rack-cards.php.

Take a deep breath and get ready because October is all about lung awareness. Not only is October Healthy Lung Month, but Lung Health Day is Oct. 29 and National Respiratory Care Week Is Oct. 19-25. The number of Americans affected by lung disease is staggering. With about 158,000 deaths every year (more than prostate, pancreas, breast and colon cancer combined), lung cancer is the nation’s deadliest cancer. About 206,000 people are diagnosed with the condition each year. Additionally, about 10 million adults are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis each year, and about 4.7 million others have ever been diagnosed with emphysema – the diseases that make up Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). About 25 million people live with asthma. Take a stand for lung health and encourage your community to spread the word about lung disease.

  • Use your agency’s COPD outcome scores to demonstrate to physicians your success at providing quality outcomes for certain conditions. Outcomes brochures for the physician detail the specific services you offer and display your outcome scores as compared to state or national averages. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-physicians.php. Companion brochures for patients are available at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-senior.php.
  • Hospice agencies can visit with physicians and discharge planners to discuss when referral is appropriate for patients with lung disease/COPD. The hospice specialty care flyer, which includes easy-to-follow end-stage indicators, is a wonderful tool to clearly convey this message. Find it at www.tagwebstore.com/hospice-specialty-care-flyers.php.
  • Partner with physicians to improve hospice care for patients with COPD. The COPD hospice disease case study provides a specific patient scenario in which hospice referral would be recommended. Find it at www.tagwebstore.com/disease-case-study.php.
  • Empower your COPD patients and improve your positive outcomes by providing them with COPD zone flyers that tell them when their symptoms indicate a call to their home health nurse is needed, and when it’s time to call 911. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/zone-flyer.php. Reminder stickers and magnets also are available at www.tagwebstore.com/zoneflyer-english-products.php.
  • Show physicians you’re serious about giving patients an active role in managing their condition by using patient education guides, which are packed with guidance, tips, goals and logs. Be sure to take the guides along when you call on physicians to discuss potential referrals and the care you provide. Find guides for asthma and COPD at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-education-guides.php.

Get your pink ribbons ready because October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society estimated that 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer and about 64,640 new cases of non-invasive carcinoma in situ were expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2013. Additionally, about 39,620 women were expected to die from breast cancer that year. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, surpassed only by lung cancer. With nearly 3 million breast cancer survivors in this country alone, it’s a disease that touches nearly everyone in some way. So put on that pink T-shirt and prepare to spread the word about breast cancer awareness, treatment and how home care and hospice can help.

Get focused. Get training. Get more referrals.

The end of the year is in sight and it’s time to start thinking about refocusing your efforts to get even more of your local market share. A great way to do that is by attending a home care and hospice-specific sales and marketing training event to get energized and learn the latest tips and tricks from experts in home care and business growth.

  • There is still time to register for PMX, a three-day specialized sales and marketing experience devoted entirely to home health, hospice and private duty. PMX: PlayMaker CRM Expo & User Conference is the industry’s top destination for gaining the innovative tools and strategies needed to improve marketing efficiency; strengthen branding; increase referrals, census and revenue; and dominate your market. You do not have to be a PlayMaker CRM customer to attend or to get the full benefit of PMX.

PMX is Sept. 18-20 in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.pmxusercon.com to learn more. We have secured a special discount for readers of this blog. Enter promo code BOGO when you register to buy one seat and get the second seat FREE.

Take a deep breath and get ready because October is all about lung awareness. Not only is October Healthy Lung Month, but Lung Health Day is Oct. 30 and National Respiratory Care Week Is Oct. 20-26. The number of Americans affected by lung disease is staggering. With about 158,000 deaths every year (more than prostate, pancreas, breast and colon cancer combined), lung cancer is the nation’s deadliest cancer. About 206,000 people are diagnosed with the condition each year. Additionally, about 10 million adults are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis each year, and about 4.7 million others have ever been diagnosed with emphysema – the diseases that make up Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). About 25 million people live with asthma. Take a stand for lung health and encourage your community to spread the word about lung disease.

  • Use your agency’s COPD outcome scores to demonstrate to physicians your success at providing quality outcomes for certain conditions. Outcomes brochures for the physician detail the specific services you offer and display your outcome scores as compared to state or national averages. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-physicians.php. Companion brochures for patients are available at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-outcomes-senior.php.
  • Hospice agencies can visit with physicians and discharge planners to discuss when referral is appropriate for patients with lung disease/COPD. The hospice specialty care flyer, which includes easy-to-follow end-stage indicators, is a wonderful tool to clearly convey this message. Find it at www.tagwebstore.com/hospice-specialty-care-flyers.php.
  • Partner with physicians to improve hospice care for patients with COPD. The COPD hospice disease case study provides a specific patient scenario in which hospice referral would be recommended. Find it at www.tagwebstore.com/disease-case-study.php.
  • Empower your COPD patients and improve your positive outcomes by providing them with COPD zone flyers that tell them when their symptoms indicate a call to their home health nurse is needed, and when it’s time to call 911. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/zone-flyer.php. Reminder stickers and magnets also are available at www.tagwebstore.com/zoneflyer-english-products.php.
  • Show physicians you’re serious about giving patients an active role in managing their condition by using patient education guides, which are packed with guidance, tips, goals and logs. Be sure to take the guides along when you call on physicians to discuss potential referrals and the care you provide. Find guides for asthma and COPD at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-education-guides.php.

Get your pink ribbons ready. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The American Cancer Society estimates that 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer and about 34,640 new cases of non-invasive carcinoma in situ will be diagnosed in the United States in 2013. About 39,620 women will die from breast cancer in 2013. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, surpassed only by lung cancer. With nearly 3 million breast cancer survivors in this country alone, it’s a disease that touches nearly everyone in some way. So put on that pink T-shirt and prepare to spread the word about breast cancer awareness, treatment and how home care and hospice can help.

International Infection Prevention Week is Oct. 20-26. Having good hand hygiene and awareness of simple protections to prevent contracting a cold or flu are simple but hugely important steps we all need to keep from getting sick. Highlight these simple strategies this week and play your part in reducing your community’s rates of potentially deadly infections.