Manage your Stress ... be Healthier

Living with a chronic illness certainly takes a toll on a person’s physical wellbeing, but it also does a number on their mental wellbeing. The activities of daily living (ADL) can become overwhelming obstacles for those suffering with chronic illness. The mental effect of needing assistance with the basic activities of daily living, coupled with the demands it makes on family members, can be a major source of stress for everyone involved. Finding ways to relieve that stress will not only improve the body’s responsiveness to medical treatment, but will improve quality of life. Here are some relaxation techniques you might consider:

  • Meditate

  • Perform visualization

  • Practice deep breathing

  • Have a go at yoga

  • Listen to music

  • Go for a walk

  • Try aromatherapy

  • Get a massage  

  • Take up a hobby

  • Read a book

  • Visit the Spa

Spend time with friends (especially those that make you laugh)

A good first step to help patients reduce stress and improve their quality of life is to refer to home health and hospice.  Patients receive high quality care in the serenity and comfort of their homes, which reduces both apprehension and stress.

April is National Stress Awareness Month. Maximize your marketing throughout the month by emphasizing the comfort and convenience of home care.  

Spread the word:

  • Post about stress management and relaxation techniques on your social media outlets throughout the month.

  • Visit your referral sources and provide information on coping with chronic illness they can share with their patients.

  • Make life a little easier for the clinicians in your service area by distributing discharge planner brochures with solutions for post hospital care.

  • Partner with local alternative healers in your community and host a mini fair at senior centers throughout your community. Have your PTs and OTs demonstrate safe exercises that can help with mobility and in turn reduce stress.

Visit the TAGWebStore.com for all your Home health and Hospice print media essentials.

Highlight your grief assistance this July

It’s something we seldom discuss, but the loss of a child or grandchild is among the most tragic and painful events a parent can experience.

It doesn’t matter whether the child was 5 minutes or 50 years old — the loss is devastating. July is Worldwide Bereaved Parents Awareness Month. Make an effort this month to raise awareness about grief, depression, and coping.

  • Visit the Association for Death Education and Counseling’s website to access their educational resources on grief to begin familiarizing yourself with grief and ways to help.
  • Volunteer to provide refreshments for the attendees of a local grief support group meeting. Contact the Compassionate Friends, an organization that supports family members after a child dies, for information about groups in your area.
  • If you already host support groups, make sure they are posted on your company’s website and listed in your local newspaper’s community meetings section.
  • Hospice agencies, distribute a newsletter focused on grief to the family members of your patients.
  • Host a class on understanding depression at a local library. Distribute additional information to attendees and be sure your agency’s name and contact information is prominently displayed.
  • Put together a handout on how to help someone who is grieving. This should include simple things to say and do. Distribute it to your community-based referral sources. Find materials to get started at the websites of Bereaved Parents of the USA, AARP, and helpguide.org.
  • In memory of those children (including adult children) and grandchildren who have passed, host a balloon or butterfly release in your community. (Note: Butterflies are much more environmentally friendly.) Spread the word at area churches, senior centers and libraries, and don’t forget to alert the media. The event can include a short program that includes acknowledging the loss. Provide plenty of tissues, refreshments and care. You can invite other non-competing providers to participate as well.
  • Hospice companies, drop in to reconnect with referral sources and remind them of the support services available to your patients' loved ones for an extended period after the patient has died. Leave behind a flyer with the schedule of your upcoming grief support meetings.