National Nurses Week is May 6-12. Make an effort in May to recognize nurses and the important role they play in our agencies. Be sure to highlight the work of those nurses at your agency, as well as those at long-term care facilities, hospitals and medical staffing agencies.
- Give nurses heartfelt thanks with cards, stickers, memo pads and other items developed especially for this special week. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/nursesweek.php.
- Give your nursing staff a special item to show them how much you value the hard work they do. Find a wide selection of promotional products you can personalize to your agency at http://theadamgrp.logomall.com/.
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 May: Stroke Awareness Month. 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.
More than 50 million Americans are living with some form of arthritis, a joint inflammation that is characterized by pain and stiffness around one or more joints. That means one in five adults is coping with this disease! The CDC reports that about 42 percent of those with arthritis report that the condition limits their activities. May is National Arthritis Month, an awareness event sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation. Help increase awareness of this painful condition in your community while spreading the word about your agency’s services.
- Visit the offices of your local professionals who specialize in treating those with arthritis and leave behind a stack of brochures about arthritis and how your agency’s services can help. Be sure to go beyond rheumatologists, internists, orthopedists, physical medicine, and family practice doctors. Others who encounter these patients include physical and occupational therapists, nutritionists, chiropractors and acupuncturists. Find the brochures at www.tagwebstore.com/brochure.php.
- When speaking with potential referral sources, show them how serious you are about arthritis care. Show off your arthritis treatment program’s professionalism with comprehensive patient education guides. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/patient-education-guides.php.
- Market your agency’s services while educating about arthritis by placing rack cards in stands at senior centers, pharmacies, rehabilitation facilities and independent living facilities. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/rack-cards.php.
Bone health is no joke. May is National Osteoporosis Awareness Prevention Month. According to the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, half of all Americans age 50 and older soon will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass if immediate action is not taken by doctors, patients, health systems and policymakers.
- Volunteer to teach a free community education class about fall prevention or bone, joint and muscle health at a local senior center or library. Find done-for-you classes at https://tagwebstore.com/startupkit-products.php.
- Provide brochures about osteoporosis and home health at the offices of your primary care and gerontology referral sources. The brochures educate about the condition and how it can be prevented. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/brochure.php.
- Help patients improve their overall health with health logs. Having patients take an active role in their care will lead to better outcomes and better overall health. Find them at www.tagwebstore.com/healthlog.php.
