Tag: Health

Practical Tips For Supporting Vulnerable People Who Are Self-Isolating

Two key focuses of my blog are Current Events and Health/Wellness. As our world is dealing with the Coronavirus/Covid-19 Pandemic, people are being asked to practice “Social Distancing” and self-isolation. These new Coronavirus strategies aren’t necessarily healthy for people who are self-isolating even though they are necessary. The following contributed post is entitled, Practical Tips For Supporting Vulnerable People Who Are Self-Isolating.

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We live in scary and uncertain times. The coronavirus will have far-reaching effects not just for our healthcare system but for the global economy and business to say nothing of the potential long-term sociological effects. Yet, for those of us who make a living from caring for society’s most vulnerable, or those of us who care for elderly or infirm loved ones, our thoughts turn not to ourselves, but to those who rely on us. If you care for someone who is self-isolated, elderly or sick with a compromised immune system, whether you’re a medical professional or just a loving relative, here are some practical tips for protecting our most vulnerable and isolated in this difficult time.

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Encourage healthy eating

Those who are isolated tend to be less inclined to cook for themselves. Moreover, those who are in a state of stress or anxiety may experience a dramatic decline in appetite. At best, vulnerable people may sustain themselves with a variety of highly processed sugary, fatty or salty convenience foods. At worst they may eat nothing at all.

It’s essential to encourage, or even facilitate, healthy eating. Ensure that they eat a diet that is balanced with a good nutrient to calorie ratio. Make sure they have access to as much fresh fruit and veggies as possible. Not only is fresh produce packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein, it also contains phytonutrients which are believed to support immune function.

Plus, let’s not forget, food is a source of enjoyment as well as fuel for our bodies. Sharing delicious home cooked meals can make a huge difference to someone’s day.

Encourage them to wash their hands properly

We all know how important hand washing is in the current climate. As much as people seem to think that stockpiling alcoholic hand sanitizer will insulate them from the risk of coronavirus, there’s really no substitute for good old fashioned soap and water. In fact, the very act of washing your hands literally tears viruses apart. Viruses come packaged in a wall of fats and proteins. Soaps dissolve the bonds that hold viral cells together so when you wash your hands, you’re not just washing them down the drain, you’re wiping them out.

However, our charges who experience diminished cognitive functions or neurological impediments such as dementia may not be willing or able to wash their hands regularly. Where possible, it’s vital to ensure that they understand and use the proper hand washing technique. Medical professionals will already be well aware of this but family carers can check it out here. Where it’s not possible to educate your charge on proper hand washing technique, it’s up to you to ensure that their hands are clean especially before eating.

Ensure that they are continuously monitored

As hard and as diligently as you work to protect the person or people you care for, it’s okay to admit that you’re only human. Fortunately, technology can lend a helping hand to monitor charges even when you’re not on the premises. Continuous EEG monitoring equipment is appropriate both for home and hospital use. It offers real time monitoring of brain activity 24/7 to give carers peace of mind and inform ongoing therapy options. It can track seizure activity, provide a steady stream of data for review by your charge’s doctor or specialist physician and help medical professionals to make fast and effective decisions pertaining to therapies or drug treatments.

Help them feel cared for and supported

We’ve yet to encounter the true sociological cost of self-isolation. As friends and family members become separated from one another and married couples experience potential cabin fever that can put a strain on their relationship, we can expect to see some serious social fallout as a result of the coronavirus. However, for the people in your care, it may compound their existing feelings of isolation and vulnerability. The elderly and infirm are among the most isolated in our society and the most prone to anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts.

As such, perhaps one of the most important things medical professionals and family members can do is be there for our charges socially. Keep them chatting, let them know you’re available. Ask how they’re feeling and encourage them to share their thoughts and experiences with you.

Your emotional support, compassion and availability may be just as lifesaving as your health and hygiene precautions or the medication you administer.

This current pandemic can exacerbate the sense of isolation felt by the isolated and make them even more vulnerable. In this climate, the support you lend them is more important than ever!

Avoid Health Hazards At Work

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. While we go to work to earn a living, there are also multiple health hazards depending on the workplace. There’s a lot of planning that management has to think about to prevent these hazards. The following contributed post is entitled, Avoid Health Hazards At Work.

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There are many hazards that can occur in the workplace and if they are not properly dealt with, it could cause a big problem and you could be paying out for compensation, insurance and more. Offices will contain health and safety hazards which need to be monitored and controlled, even outside the office. For example if you have poor paving and someone trips and breaks their ankle, you need to ensure that you have a good working environment outside also. Looking at concrete replacement could be something for you to look at https://www.keflatwork.com/concrete-repair-replacement/ to ensure that your paving is perfect.

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But inside the workplace, you will certainly find that offices need to have hazards identified and there must be risk assessments carried out to be sure that the right measures are in place and can be implemented just in case something occurs. You must secure your office http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBigWordsBlogSite/~3/nA54f2JImMg/. Here are the most common things and hazards that you will find inside the office:

● Poor or inadequate lighting, people could trip, fall, drop things
● Ergonomic hazards;
● Extremes of temperature, if the heating is broken, it could lead to cold-related illnesses or vice versa for hot.
● Manual handling hazards which may include machinery
● Tripping and falling hazards such as poor placement of furniture, boxes being left or equipment not properly stored.
● Electrical hazards, sockets, wires, poor electrical systems that aren’t tested etc.
● Contagious illnesses spread by sick workers, because workers feel they cannot stay home and take a sick day for fear of getting behind or leaving other workers in the lurch
● Fire hazards, poor fire exits, or none at all, no real route to get out of the way should there be a fire
● Chemical hazards, cleaning products or any toxic products left around or not stored properly, or falling into the wrong hands.
● Stress hazards such as high stress jobs, tight deadlines and poor working environments that can make people suffer stress and anxiety. Stress at work is a huge thing as you can read about further here https://qz.com/work/1443824/stress-at-work-is-a-dangerous-health-hazard/

All health and safety hazards must be properly identified, and then you will need to ensure that there is a risk assessed and that then you can implement the new rules and regulations to keep your workers safe. To do this you need to look at the likelihood of the risks causing any serious injury and then prove that you have put the necessary things in place to stop them from occurring. Workers may file a complaint if this is not done or things don’t change, after all they too want to protect themselves from issues within the workplace.

Then, once the systems are implemented, you must control the measures, keep an eye on them and monitor them closely as it is essential that you keep on top of them all to ensure that they remain effective for some time and that nothing is sliding back into old ways. Moving forwards will help everyone and ensure a more productive workspace, inside and outside of the working office. You can find more information online about how to implement this but it’s also best to assess yourself first.

Is Your Home Keeping Your Healthy Or Making You Sick?

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. While our homes are supposed to be safe spaces where we can retreat from the world, they can also be sources of injury, pain and sickness. This is something most people don’t think about. The following contributed post is entitled, Is Your Home Keeping Your Healthy Or Making You Sick?

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When it comes to improving our health, we need to think about more than just the changes we make to our own bodies. We need to think about how our environment affects our health as well. For that reason, we’re going to take a look at the impact that our home can have on us, how it can make us healthy, how it can make us sick, and how to make better use of it.

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You may have more guests than you realize
No one wants pests in their home. That much should be a given. However, many may underestimate just how much harm pests can really do once they’re inside. Their droppings, urine, and other dander can lead to a major risk of allergies and respiratory illnesses. Other pests are disease carriers. Read more here about how to identify whether you might have pests in your home, and what to do about them if you do. There are many pests you may be able to ward off without professional help.

How clean is clean?
If you’re very health conscious, then you’re also likely to be very clean conscious. You want to get rid of bacteria that could get you sick, but what do you use to do it? Common household cleaning products could contain more dangerous ingredients than you might realize. Some can cause irritation, others can exacerbate respiratory issues, and some are even linked to cancer. Learn here about the household cleaning ingredients we should all be much more aware of, as well as some the alternatives that could be much healthier for you and your home.

How well do you manage your air quality?
The very air we breathe is going to have an impact on our health. As such, the home plays an important role in creating a boundary between us and the outside world. If that boundary fails, we can let in all the allergens, not to mention the damp, that can slowly make the air in our home more dangerous. Learn more about keeping the roof repaired and sealing off air gaps to protect the boundary of your home. You shouldn’t simply let the outdoors come in when it wants.

Home is where the head is
When it comes to your mental health, the home can have just as profound an impact on that, as well. For instance, a cluttered, messy home has been shown to increase symptoms and feelings of stress significantly in people. More importantly, the home should act as a comforting haven that you’re glad to return to after a day of dealing with work and other responsibilities. Ways to make your home more welcoming can include incorporating more personal aspects of decor, such as photos, and making use of aromatherapy candles to help relax.

You can’t avoid every malady with the tips above, but it does raise the important question of how our homes contribute to our health. Make sure you take care of your home and it will take better care of you.

(Big and Small) Lifestyle Changes for Better Mental Health

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Arguably our most important aspect of health is our mental health. There things we can do to maintain and foster good mental health. The following contributed post is entitled, (Big and Small) Lifestyle Changes for Better Mental Health.

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So many of us struggle with our mental health that is is becoming a very serious epidemic. Obviously, if you are feeling very unwell, it is useful to visit a doctor or therapist and see what they have to offer, but there are lots of lifestyle changes, with big and small, that if you are able, could help you to live a happier, healthier less stressful life too.

Combining doctor’s advice with the following ideas may prove to be useful to you on your wellness journey…

Eat an Enhanced Diet

Although it’s unlikely to be the whole story, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that the way we eat can impact upon our mental wellbeing, as we all know it does with our physical health. Whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains have been found to boost mood, as have omega-3 rich foods, while trans fats and junk food have been found to be unhelpful, perhaps due to the fact that they change the bacteria in our guts for the worse. So, by adding more good foods and reducing the number of unhealthy foods we eat, we can easily increase our sense of wellbeing.

Change Your Job

If you do a job that you hate, which is hard work for you and which sees you get few rewards, it’s easy to start feeling stressed out, anxious and depressed. It’s a big step, but if you feel able to take the leap, retraining for a job you know you’ll love could be just what you need to get you out of your funk. Whether you find farming land for sale and ditch the office for a life living on the land or you quit the call center and start work in the office, shaking up your work so that it’s more in line with who you are could be the start of things looking up. Be brave.

Meditating

Meditating is something you can do in 5-15 minutes each day, but it can be completely transformational for your mental health. Learning how to be more mindful; how to go with the flow more; and how to stop identifying with every negative thought you have, can bring you a peace of mind you never thought possible. Meditation has been shown to improve symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety, so make it a part of your everyday life.

Travel the World

Taking off and traveling the world might not be practical, and if you’re feeling very mentally well, it might not feel remotely possible, but seeing more of the world when you are able to do so, can really help boost your mental health. Seeing new things and having new experiences can shock you back into the present and put life into perspective for you. It can teach you new things about yourself and show you what you’re really made of. Even if you can only travel to the next state, getting out of your current environment could do you the world of good.

Make as many positive changes, as big or small as you can manage, and your wellness levels will soon start to soar!

How to Manage Your Relationship With Stuff

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. A key aspect to our lives is our living space. Sometimes our living space becomes unhealthy to our attachment to items and things. There’s a healthy balance to managing your belongings and your living space. The following contributed post is entitled, How to Manage Your Relationship With Stuff.

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‘Stuff’ was a big topic in 2019 and it’s no surprise that 2020 is set to continue the conversation. As we watch the planet change due to our activities, it is natural to question the wisdom that has gone before. Challenging how we live and what we accumulate along the way is a sensible start but it isn’t as simple as throwing everything away and starting again. In fact, that would be a disaster!

Learning to manage your relationship with stuff is about more than being tidy. You need to learn the difference between needs and wants, better understand terms like quality and value for money and only then begin to live with a little less.

How Much Stuff Do I Already Have?

There are some incredible statistics out there that really show how we relate to stuff. For example, the average American home has doubled in size over the last 50 years and now contains around 300,000 items. Just trying to imagine that is quite difficult but if you consider the number of pens, pots, pans and pairs of pants you own, you can see how quickly the numbers add up – and we’ve not even considered the rest of the alphabet yet!

Another interesting statistic claims that 10% of Americans also rent off-site storage. This is madness when you consider that you could get a simple residential shed from twin city sheds for your garden but even crazier when you ask how often these people actually use those belongings (almost never). So why do people continue to pay to store things they don’t need? Because they don’t have a healthy relationship with stuff or really know what they need.

Having stuff makes us feel successful and safe. Knowing that you have a thing – even if you never use it – is reassuring because it might come in useful in the future. But that way lies hoarding and an unhealthy obsession with gathering and holding onto stuff. The classic item is a pair of trousers you are going to slim into at some point in the future. You keep hold of them because they cement the idea that a “better you” is possible and you need to be prepared for that eventuality. But, of course, the future never comes.

How Much Stuff Do I Actually Need?

The amount of stuff you personally need depends entirely on who you are and what you want to achieve. If you are an artist, for example, you might have a lot of stuff so that you can pursue your work. If you are a parent, you will probably have more toys than you think you need but your kids will insist otherwise! If you are a determined and radical minimalist, you might have just a few important things and little else.

There are a few ways to realize that you have more stuff than you need but perhaps the most obvious is that there is stuff everywhere. When you literally can’t put things away because there is no storage left, you need to reconsider what you need and what can go.

Imagine for a second that your home is completely empty – what do you need? When you start writing your list, you will quickly find that the number of items racks up. But, when you then go around your house, you will see how many items didn’t make the list but are still there. These are the items that you should now think about more ruthlessly. You don’t need them, so do you really want them?

Learning to Live With Less

Buying less is a great way to save money, space and sanity. When you stop bringing more and more unnecessary stuff into your house, the space you have will feel a lot bigger and calmer. But how do you curb the tide of stuff?

One good idea is to start focusing on experiences instead of things. This is really popular with younger people who value experience far more than things. There are a few interesting suggestions as to why but perhaps the most interesting is that millennials were watching in 2008 when the markets crashed and suddenly people didn’t own their stuff anymore. It seems like a natural response to choose experiences, where the memory will last a lifetime, when you can’t rely on keeping your stuff forever. This generation has also grown up with a sharing economy, endless pressure to update social media showing off an incredible lifestyle and genuinely can’t afford to accumulate stuff anyway!

By focusing on experience, you can also add value to your life. Investing in travel or education or a particular passion will bring you far more joy than buying more and more stuff to fill up your house. Of course, as your interests change, you might find yourself purchasing items to explore a particular passion or hobby. But what is important is that you recognize when your interest is spent and it’s time to get rid and move on.

Selecting the Right Stuff

When you are comfortable living with less, it’s important that you then learn to select the right stuff. Instead of buying a variety of things in the interim, making do with what you have and then investing on the things you really want is far smarter. A little of something perfect is often preferable to a lot of something imperfect.

Quality and value for money are the key phrases here. Buying something of a high quality is often more expensive but if it lasts longer than comparable products, it is a good investment. This is one of the reasons smart spending is so important. Saving up and spending more can actually save you money in the long term.

When you are less dependent on stuff for your happiness, you own less clutter and value experience more, you are likely to be happier, healthier and calmer. But don’t try to change your lifestyle completely overnight. Like any relationship, your relationship with stuff takes time to build and will always include a bit of negotiation!

The Secret to Fitness When You Don’t Go to the Gym

A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. While we all know going to the gym is good for our health, it isn’t always easy to do. Fortunately, there are other ways to manage our health and wellness. The following contributed post is entitled, The Secret to Fitness When You Don’t Go to the Gym.

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Keeping fit and staying in shape is a massive part of modern society, but not in the way that fat-shaming engulfed much of the previous decade. Instead, people are no longer forcing themselves to go to the gym to look good for other people; they are embracing the gym to look good for themselves.

However, the gym is not right for everybody. Some people do not have the budget. Others are still self-conscious about how they look. While there are also budget issues to consider, especially with the average price of gym membership in the US. just because the gym is not for you, though, doesn’t mean you can’t still start your journey towards better health, and here are some secrets to help you out.

The Right Space

You don’t need wall-to-wall mirrors, pumping music, and that industrial decor so many gyms possess to get into shape successfully. All you need is a space for you to hit the weights.

You can create a home gym either in the spare room or if you’ve got the space in the backyard, metal sheds are a fantastic and often low-cost way of installing a workout space in your home without splashing out on home renovations.

The benefits of these personal spaces are that you can design and decorate them however you like. You can include weight benches, mats, and exercise balls, as well as choosing the music, so you don’t have to deal through endless loops of Top 40 tunes.

The Right Food

The old cliche is that it’s impossible to outwork a bad diet. No matter how many hours you spend on the treadmill, if you overeat pizza and takeout food once you get home, you’re going to undo all of your hard work at the gym.

To ensure you see the results you want, consider looking into healthy meal plans that you can prepare every Sunday before the week starts so that you never need to rely on eating out when you don’t have time to make breakfast in the morning.

Not only can you eat exactly what you want, but you’ll also develop a routine that will soon be hard to stray from.

The Right Attitude

Above all else, though, you need to have the right attitude if you want to explore your fitness options. This attitude is essential, especially if you do not have a home gym or an easy way to prepare your meals.

Nothing good ever comes easy, so it’s worth training your mind as well as your body. Once well prepared, you can resist temptations and be more creative with your workout endeavors. This means you can keep up with your fitness routine even when you are away from home.

You don’t always need to gym; you don’t always need your healthy meal. But you do need the right attitude to overcome your obstacles.

The Right Lifestyle

Getting into shape is not something that happens overnight. It takes dedication, discipline, and willpower. Once you have achieved this, you’ll feel better in body and mind, and the world is yours for the taking.

Signs that Stress is Having an Impact on your Health

A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. Stress is a known killer and can have numerous negative effects on your health. Understanding the signs is critical as it can prevent you from getting seriously sick. The following contributed post is entitled, Signs that Stress is Having an Impact on your Health.

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If you are under a great deal of pressure at work, then you may find that you are unable to focus on anything else. Over time this can really take its toll on your body and this is the last thing that you need when you already have so much going on. If you want to help yourself here, then there are a few things that you can do.

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Insomnia

Have you ever found it difficult to fall asleep? This is even the case if you are tired at night. Either way, you might have insomnia. It may be that your body is all out of fuel and stress is the only thing keeping you going. Having trouble actually staying asleep is also your body’s way of telling you that something needs to change. If you are having a really hard time sleeping, then it’s a good idea for you to talk with your doctor as they will be able to give you the support you need to get a consistent sleeping pattern.

Not Being Able to Lose Weight

If you are finding it hard to lose the weight that you have gained, then this is your body’s way of trying to tell you something. There is no exact science to dieting, but it may be that you are dieting in an unhealthy way or one that is not suited to your bodily needs. If you just can’t find a solution, then it’s a good idea for you to talk to your doctor to see if they can do anything to analyse your weight problem while also finding out of stress is to blame.

Digestive system

When you are under stress, your liver will produce additional blood sugar. This will give you a boost of energy. This ultimately means that you are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Sometimes you may also feel inclined to reach for junk food in order to give yourself that rush, which can rot your teeth. If you have problems with your teeth then you may be able to get same day dental crowns but at the end of the day, you need to deal with the source of the problem. There are a few ways that you can do this, such as by reaching for carrot sticks instead of sweets or even by trying to avoid junk food altogether so that you can take better care of your dental and digestive health.

Central Nervous System

Your central nervous system is essentially in charge of your fight or flight responses. In the brain, the hypothalamus will get the ball rolling and this will tell the adrenal gland to release stress hormones. These hormones will increase your heartbeat and it will also send blood to the areas that need it the most. When the source of the fear has gone, the hypothalamus then needs to tell everything else to go back to normal. If this doesn’t happen the stress can continue, and in some instances it can lead to certain behaviours.

What Meaningful Things Can Businesses Do To Safeguard Their Employees’ Health?

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Health/Wellness. A major consideration for any business with a staff is the health and wellness of its staff. Healthy employees will continue to help your operations thrive, with unhealthy employees will do the opposite. The following contributed post is entitled, What Meaningful Things Can Businesses Do To Safeguard Their Employees’ Health?

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Your vision, strategy, experience and insight may be the framework for what makes your business. But it’s the everyday interactions, efforts and endeavors of your employees that add flesh to its bones and help your business to live up to the brand’s promise. Every time an employee renders outstanding customer service, every time they go the extra mile and every time they grow in operational proficiency they’re helping to embody your brand.

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They are the driving force behind your success and worthy of your respect… and with that in mind, the very least you can do for them is to make sure that they’re healthy, happy and comfortable at work. With that in mind, here are some meaningful ways in which SMBs just like yours can help to safeguard the health and wellbeing of your employees.

It starts with the right insurance

No matter what you do to keep your employees healthy at work, it’s highly likely that somebody in your team will get sick to the point of needing medical attention. That means finding the right Group Health insurance Quote is of paramount importance. You need to have a policy in place that gives them the cover they need to give them peace of mind at a price that’s equitable and affordable. Put in enough research to be able to walk this line and you’ll be able to give your employees the peace of mind that comes with good healthcare when they need it.

Make healthy eating easy

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, however, and when it comes to protecting our bodies, absolutely nothing is as important as a healthy diet. Even exercise pales in comparison to what we use to fuel our bodies. But employees often struggle to eat healthily because they lack the time to prepare healthy meals at home. By providing a wealth of healthy options in your lunchroom and vending machines you can take the effort out of healthy eating.

Encourage cycling to work

Cardiovascular exercise doesn’t just help keep the body healthy, it also helps to sharpen the mind so that employees arrive at their desks energized and refreshed with good mental acuity. And because cycling is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise out there, encouraging your employees to cycle to work can go a long way towards safeguarding their health.

Just make sure you also have shower facilities.

Reach out to local gyms

Of course, not all employees will be able or willing to cycle to work, so it’s a good idea to give them affordable access to other forms of exercise, too. Try reaching out to local gyms to see if you can get special rates by referring your employees. It may give them just the push they need to get more active.

Give them a culture of social acceptance and peer recognition

Finally, we mustn’t overlook the importance of mental health in employee wellbeing. Employees are happier at work when they feel that they are in a safe, supportive and socially accepting environment that values peer recognition and celebrates achievement and endeavor in ways other than simply paying bonuses for hitting targets.

When your workplace culture is conducive to social cohesion, you know that you’re onto a winner.

Technology Is Changing the Patient Experience

Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Technology. As with all sectors of life, technology is changing the patient experience. While technology is literally changing patient, it’s also impacting the ancillary aspects of the patient experience as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Technology Is Changing the Patient Experience.

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Image from Pixabay – Pixabay License

Healthcare is one of the most important services that anyone will ever use and that any organization can provide. Healthy people are essential for a healthy society, so people need to be able to receive the healthcare that they require. For medical and healthcare providers, meeting their patients’ expectations and providing them with satisfaction is vital. The patient experience needs to be continually improving so that patients are happy with the care they receive and choose to remain with their healthcare providers for any future needs. Technology can help to improve the patient experience in a number of excellent ways, and is still developing to become even more useful.

Apps for Keeping Patients Updated and Engaged

Communicating well with patients is essential for any healthcare provider. Patients need to feel that they understand what is happening, and why things are happening too. Their family and friends also want to remain updated on their progress. At the same time, they need to know that any of their patient information is kept private and won’t get into the wrong hands. Apps like Ease are helping healthcare providers to improve Press Ganey scores with better communication. They can allow for messaging between doctors and patients, as well as their families, keeping them updated.

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Reducing Medical Errors

Medical error could be responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year in the US. One reason serious medical errors could occur is if the doctor or other healthcare providers don’t have the necessary or correct information about the patient, medication or other important factors. Technology is helping to change this, with digital tools that make it easier to record and keep track of this vital information. For example, platforms for managing electronic prescribing and medical alerts can help to reduce errors and improve patient safety.

Make Care Easier to Access

Healthcare can also be made easier to access using technology today. One solution is telemedicine, which allows the use of apps, video calls and other tools to provide some types of healthcare to people online. Convenience is a huge factor in people’s interaction with any type of service, and that includes healthcare. If healthcare providers are far away or don’t have convenient appointment times, patients may be reluctant to engage with them. However, technology can offer a more accessible and convenient solution. Tech solutions can provide communication using several different channels to suit the patient.

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Monitoring Health

Some healthcare providers are also using technology to help their patients monitor their health. For example, it’s possible for doctors to ask patients to wear a fitness tracker such as a Fitbit during the day. The patient can then share the data from their fitness tracker to show their doctor important information, such as their heart rate, oxygen levels, activity levels and other metrics that might be tracked. Some healthcare providers have their own apps to help their patients track various health measurements.

Technology continues to develop and could provide many more useful solutions in the future, with artificial intelligence especially offering some interesting possibilities.

10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Health and Fitness

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Health/Wellness. No matter what your purpose or mission is in life, one of the most key components in your life will be your health and fitness. If you’re healthy, you can accomplish most things. The following contributed post is entitled, 10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Health and Fitness.

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When it comes to improving our health and fitness levels, we usually think that we have to do things that are beyond boring: it’s all about eating salads, and spending your evenings in the gym, or whatever. In fact, this is not true. We can push ourselves to an improved state just by making subtle changes to our lifestyle. Below, we outline some of the most influential changes that you can make. Adopt them all (or as many as you can), and you’ll find that you’re on the path towards living a healthier, fitter life.

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Review Your Lifestyle

Before you can figure out how you’re going to reach the top of the mountain, you need to figure out where you are. In health terms, this means taking a look at your lifestyle and figuring out your positive and negative health points. We’re pretty busy these days, and that means that we rarely get time to sit down and review our lifestyles. It is worthwhile, however. You might find that you’re making a few fundamental errors which, if amended, would lead to much improved fitness levels. So ask yourself: are you living a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle?

Get Walking

It’s not something that is often discussed, but the way we live is a bit unusual. At least in terms of how all the other humans on earth have lived, that is. There has never been a point in human history when people have sat down as much as they do now. Some people spend the vast majority of their day off their feet. They’re in the car, or sitting behind a desk, or watching television on the couch. Make no mistake: this type of sedentary life will have a hugely detrimental impact on your health in the long run. Fortunately, it’s one of those things that can be remedied relatively easily. Get moving! You can incorporate more activity by making subtle changes to your life. For example, could you cycle to work, or park further away from the office so that you can walk a little? Can you take the stairs rather than the elevator? These things might seem inconsequential, but all tallied up, they can make a big difference.

Working Up a Sweat

Of course, while building more activity into your lifestyle will be a good start, it might not dramatically improve your health and fitness levels. It’ll just put you on the right path. There is no substitute for working up a sweat — it will do wonders for your physical and mental health. And the beautiful part of this stage is that there are various ways that you can go about it. You can work out in the gym if you’re drawn that way, but you can also look at running, cycling, playing team sports, hiking in the outdoors. Whatever you’ll find the most enjoyable, essentially (this will ensure that you stick to your activity).

How to Eat Well

What we feed into our body is super important when it comes to our health and fitness. It is the foundation for our health, the building blocks. You can’t (or shouldn’t) expect to reach your peak state if you’re forever eating unhealthy foods, no matter how much exercise you’re doing. People tend to think that eating healthy meals is a time-consuming or laborious task. Not so! Indeed, there are plenty of easy to prepare, twenty minute meals that’ll put you on the path towards healthy eating. At a minimum, you should avoid those obviously unhealthy foods. That fast food burger might task good, but it’s a disaster for your body.

Cutting Down on Vices

We all like to have fun, but sometimes, the ways in which we have fun can have a negative impact on our health. Take, for example, how we socialize. We can end up drinking too many alcoholic drinks and smoking too many cigarettes. While these things are sometimes presented as normal, the truth is that they can both have a hugely negative impact on our health. So it’s worthwhile looking at cutting down, or stopping them altogether. Easier said than done, right? There are things you can do to make it easier. If you want to stop smoking, take a look at mtbakervapor.com, and transition to vaping instead. To moderate your alcohol intake, you can look at social activities that don’t involve alcohol. If you do have to spend time in a bar, then consider alternating your drinks from alcoholic to non-alcoholic options. You’ll barely notice that anything’s different at the time, but will feel the effect when it comes to your bank balance and how good you feel the next morning.

Into the Outdoors

We tend to think of ourselves as somehow apart from nature. It’s something that happens away from us, in other places. We’re civilized! As much as we want to deny the animal side of our existence, the fact is that it’s there, and always will be. We’ve come to understand in recent decades just how important it is to have nature time in our lives. Studies have shown that it can have a significant impact on our physical and mental health. If you can’t recall the last time you were surrounded by nothing but the great outdoors, look at making it part of your lifestyle. No matter where you live, there will surely be a beautiful spot near you that you can visit.

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Taking Care of the Mind

For too long, we’ve thought of our health only in terms of the physical. Our body is what’s important. You can see the thinking behind this idea, but there’s little wonder that it has been shown to be too limiting. There’s been an explosion in mental health conditions in recent years, and indeed, the problem is only projected to get worse. As such, it’s important that we’re taking the time to ensure we’re in a good mental space. You can do this by limiting the amount of stress in your life, and taking breaks when you feel overwhelmed. Meditation can also do wonders for your mental wellness, too.

Sleeping Well

It’s much harder to be at our healthy best if we’re tired. It might not feel like it, but you’ll be less likely to work out and prepare a healthy meal if you haven’t slept well. Long-term sleeping problems have also been associated with more serious health problems too. So if you’re not sleeping all that well, look at making some changes to your routine. If you improve your pre-sleeping routine to include less screen time and more relaxing activities such as reading and meditating, you’ll find that it’s much easier to reach the land of Nod.

Trips to the Doctor

It’s worth remembering that while you can influence your health in many ways, there are some areas in which you’ll need help. Take what’s happening under the hood, for instance. If you have an illness or genetic condition, then it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to manage your health and fitness all on your own. Take the time to find a doctor who knows what they’re talking about and that you trust, and work with them to find lifestyle adjustments that’ll push you in the right direction.

Setting Goals

Finally, look at setting goals for your health and fitness. It’s all too easy to get blown off course when life gets busy. Having a target will help to keep you on the right path, and will also cultivate discipline over time.