Home Care and Men’s Health

June is Men’s Health month which means it’s time once again to emphasize how important it is for men to have an annual check-up. Men are traditionally more reluctant than women to see their doctor regularly. This may contribute to their higher death rate for most of the leading causes of death. There are various excuses that men give as to why they don’t or won’t see their doctor, but whatever the reason behind the avoidance, it’s a serious problem. Do your part as a health care provider to encourage men to be proactive when it comes to their health.

The leading death contributing diseases among men:

• Heart Disease

• Cancers

• Stroke

• COPD

• Diabetes

Plan June promotions that highlight the benefits of home health care. Home health care provides men rehabilitating from surgery, a stroke, or those suffering with a chronic health condition a more palatable health care alternative. There is something more appealing about receiving treatment in the comfort of your recliner.

Bringing health care to the patient removes much of the anxiety that comes with frequent visits to crowed clinics, long waits in dreary waiting rooms, and the logistical dilemma of figuring out how to get to and from appointments. These are real issues for aging men and women dealing with recurrent treatments.

Here are some ways your agency can promote Men’s Health and your Agency at the same time:

• Plan a Wear Blue day to show support for Men’s health. Provide T-shirt’s for your staff to wear during Men’s Health week June 10-16.

• Organize a softball tournament and invite your referral partners, the local Red Cross, community organizations and your and local Media stations to participate. Post about it on your social media outlets to attract a big crowd.

• Partner with your local big box home improvement store to sponsor a mini health fair on the Saturday before Father’s Day. Have print media on hand highlighting men’s health issues.

• Offer to give a short presentation at elementary schools in your service area. The younger a child is exposed to positive messages about doctors and nurses the more likely they are to not avoid them as adults. Provide some fun stuff for the kiddos and some information for their parents.

 Visit TAGwebstore for promotional products and print media to market your Home Health, Home Care and Hospice Agency. Learn more about Men’s Health Month at www.MensHealthNetwork.org.

May 2015: Look out for your community’s men

June is the perfect time to show a little love to the men in our lives. After all, June is Men’s Health Month and National Men’s Health Week is June 15-21, 2015. And we can’t forget about Father’s Day on June 21. Stand up for the men in your community and remind them that when they improve their health, they improve not only their own lives, but the lives of everyone they care about. Focus efforts this month on educating about health issues that particularly affect men. Consider this: According to the Centers for Disease Control, women are twice as likely as men to visit the doctor for annual exams and preventive services.

• Take part in community health fairs this month and hand out flyers about topics such as prostate cancer, high blood pressure, medication management and pain management. Find them www.tagwebstore.com/health-care-flyers.php.
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing 307,225 men in 2009 – one in every four deaths! Volunteer to teach a free class on heart health at a local Lions Club, Kiwanis Club or VFW.  Find a ready-made class at www.tagwebstore.com/healthmatters-education-series.php.
• About 67 million American adults (one-third of the population!) have high blood pressure, a condition that contributes to heart attack, stroke and heart failure. Distribute blood pressure logs to the offices of general practitioners and internists to give to their patients with elevated blood pressure. The logs provide a consistent way to get attention for your agency while helping potential patients manage their condition. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/bloodpressurelog.php.
• It’s time to think about doing something big. Plan an event to educate your community’s men (and women) about an important Medicare benefit they may not realize they have: The Annual Wellness Visit, which includes a review of medical history and risk factors and a personalized prevention plan. Provide snacks, informative booths and access to a clinician to perform the annual exams. Find a kit to help you plan and execute the event here: www.tagwebstore.com/annual-wellness-visit-kit.php.

Taking steps to ensure safety at home can mean a world of difference to seniors hoping to maintain their independence. June’s National Home Safety Month is a great time to help. Get ready to reach out to your community and educate on home safety and how your agency can help. The National Safety Council-supported observance is an effort to educate people and influence their behaviors in relation to the top causes of preventable death and injury. Here are some things you can do to participate.

• Host a free educational class at your area senior centers on the importance and basics of fall prevention. Find a ready-made class at www.tagwebstore.com/healthmatters-education-series.php.
• Show your referral sources this month that you are committed to ensuring patient safety. Integrate patient education guides for fall prevention into your services for those at an elevated risk for a fall. The guides also are an eye-catching tool you can use to show referral sources how seriously you take this issue. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-education-guides.php.
• Health and safety go hand in hand. Give patients a powerful tool to track their health records, including medications, immunizations, blood sugar and more. Health Logs will go everywhere they go and will keep your agency top of mind. Distribute them to your both your clients and prospective clients. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/healthlog.php.
• Stock physician waiting rooms – especially those of orthopedic specialists – with flyers about home safety. Be sure to include information about your agency’s fall risk assessments. Find the flyers at www.tagwebstore.com/health-care-flyers.php.

Advances in technology and treatment options mean people diagnosed with cancer have better odds of survival than ever. Join the cancer community in celebrating life after a cancer diagnosis this National Cancer Survivors Day on June 7, 2015. Show your support for increased cancer education while also educating people about ways home care can help.

• Remind physicians that palliative care isn’t just for patients who are terminal. Sit down with physicians and remind them that all patients battling cancer can benefit from palliative care. Leave behind an informative brochure about this specialized care and how your agency can help. Find it HERE. (Bonus: All brochures at www.tagwebstore.com are Buy 1 Get 1 FREE through the May 31!)
• Home care agencies should provide oncologists with brochures that discuss the benefits of home care for cancer patients. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/disease-information-brochures.php.
• Contact the local office of the American Cancer Society and offer to organize a bake sale, sidewalk sale or other charity event to benefit the organization. Be sure to have plenty of informative materials available that educate about cancer. Find personalized agency flyers about cancer at www.tagwebstore.com/health-care-flyers.php.
• Give cancer patients a comprehensive guide to assist them as they cope with treatment. Find a patient education guide for cancer with chemotherapy/radiation at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-education-guides.php.