National Family Caregivers Month

A caregiver—sometimes called an informal caregiver—is an unpaid individual (for example, a spouse, partner, family member, friend, or neighbor) involved in assisting others with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks. Formal caregivers are paid care providers providing care in one’s home or in a care setting (day care, residential facility, long-term care facility).

A caregiver can be your family member, partner, friend or neighbor who helps care for you while you live at home. About 80 percent of care at home is provided by unpaid caregivers and may include an array of emotional, financial, nursing, social, homemaking, and other services. On average, caregivers spend 20 hours a week giving care. More than half (58 percent) have intensive caregiving responsibilities that may include assisting with a personal care activity, such as bathing or feeding.

Information on caregivers show that:

  • About 65.7 million people in the US (one in four adults) were unpaid family caregivers to an adult or child in 2009
  • About two-thirds are women
  • Fourteen percent who care for older adults are themselves age 65 or more
  • Most people can live at home for many years with help from unpaid family and friends, and from other paid community support

Caregiver Tips for Beating Stress

Focusing on the rewarding aspects of caregiving can also help you beat caregiver stress. We’ve compiled a short list of tips for getting in touch with positive emotions and fighting stress, gathered from the Family Caregiver Alliance:

  • Learn to recognize warning signs of stress and frustration.
  • Practice physical and mental relaxation techniques.
  • Rethink a difficult situation objectively.
  • Find your “why” and remind yourself of it.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Family Caregiver Alliance
National Center on Caregiving

(415) 434-3388 | (800) 445-8106
Website: www.caregiver.org
Email: info@caregiver.org
FCA CareNav: https://fca.cacrc.org/login
Services by State: www.caregiver.org/connecting-caregivers/services-by-state/

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The Great American Smokeout – November 18th

The Great American Smokeout event challenges people to quit on that day, or use the day to make a plan to quit.

Did you know?

  • Approximately 40 million American adults still smoke, and that Life expectancy for long-term smokers is approximately 14 years shorter than for nonsmokers.
  • Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the country..

Luckily, your lung health—and your overall health—improves soon after you quit. You will start breathing better and coughing less.

One of the most important actions anyone who smokes can take to improve their health is to quit smoking, regardless of their age or how long they have been smoking. There are proven treatments to help you quit:

  • Whether you want to make your quitting journey at your own pace or with a group ,a counselor can help you make a plan to quit smoking and give you tips and support to increase your chance of success. Counseling is available in person, over the phone, or online—and texting-based support programs or smartphone apps can give extra encouragement.
  • Seven FDA-approved medications are proven to help people quit smoking. These include pills, patches, gums, and lozenges; some are prescribed by your doctor, and others you can get over the counter at a pharmacy.

If you smoke, and are thinking about quitting, make this year’s Great American Smokeout the day you commit to a smoke free future.

Quitting smoking isn’t easy.

It takes time. And a plan. You don’t have to stop smoking in one day. Start with day one.

Let the Great American Smokeout event on the third Thursday in November be your day to start your journey toward a smoke-free life.

You’ll be joining thousands of people who smoke across the country in taking an important step toward a healthier life and reducing your cancer risk.

Plus, the American Cancer Society can help you access the resources and support you need to quit.  

Your Health and Safety Matters!

Contact The Benefits Store today for your health insurance needs!

Earthquake Safety: Being Prepared

Earthquake safety is something all California residents should be familiar with. If you live in Southern California, then odds are you’ve experienced a minor earthquake at some time or another. Usually, it’s not a big deal. You feel a slight shaking for a few seconds and then you move on with your day. However, California has had its share of massive, destructive earthquakes in the past, which is why it’s important to be prepared in the event of a major earthquake. It’s one of the reasons why the Great Shakeout was organized.

The Great Shakeout Earthquake Safety Drill

The Great Shakeout drill is held once a year. This year, it will take place at 10:21 a.m. on October 21st. The idea behind the drill is to pretend like a real earthquake is happening wherever you are. By participating in the drill, you will learn how to act when an actual earthquake occurs. As such, the drill is a great way to spread awareness of earthquake safety. You can register for the Great Shakeout online to receive email updates.

Earthquake Safety Tips

The following are the safety tips that you should follow in the event of an earthquake. Keep in mind that these are the steps that you will practice during the Great Shakeout:

  1. Drop to the ground – As soon as you feel an earthquake, drop to the ground. Major tremors can cause you to lose your balance, fall, and hurt yourself, which is why you should drop to the ground right away.
  2. Protect yourself – Major earthquakes can cause things to fall or collapse, so use your arm to protect your head while you find cover (such as under a desk). If there’s no cover inside, stay away from windows and stay near an interior wall.
  3. Hold on – Either continuously protect your head or hold onto your shelter until the shaking stops.

To prepare for a potential earthquake, you should also put together a list of out-of-town contacts for you and your family. This ensures that everyone knows who to call or text in case of an emergency. 

For more earthquake safety tips or for safety advice in general, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

National Diabetes Awareness Month

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes. This year’s focus is on prediabetes and preventing diabetes.

Prediabetes is a serious health condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults have prediabetes—that’s 88 million people—but the majority of people don’t know they have it.

The good news is that by making small healthy lifestyle changes, it is possible to prevent type 2 diabetes and even reverse your prediabetes.

Here are some tips to help manage prediabetes and prevent diabetes.

  • Take small steps. Making changes to your lifestyle and daily habits can be hard, but you don’t have to change everything at once. It is okay to start small. Remember that setbacks are normal and do not mean you have failed—the key is to get back on track as soon as you can.
  • Move more. Limit time spent sitting and try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity, 5 days a week. Start slowly by breaking it up throughout the day.
  • Choose healthier foods and drinks most of the time. Pick foods that are high in fiber and low in fat and sugar. Build a plate that includes a balance of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates. Drink water instead of sweetened drinks.
  • Lose weight, track it, and keep it off. You may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your starting weight.
  • Seek support. It is possible to reverse prediabetes. Making a plan, tracking your progress, and getting support from your health care professional and loved ones can help you make the necessary lifestyle changes.
  • Stay up to date on vaccinations. The COVID-19 (booster shot, if eligible) and flu vaccines are especially important for people who may be more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 or the flu, such as people with diabetes.

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/communication-programs/ndep/partner-community-organization-information/national-diabetes-month

Your Health and Safety Matters!

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NOVEMBER IS FOR LUNG CANCER AWARENESS

Lung Cancer Awareness

Lung cancer may not cause any symptoms, especially in the early stages of disease.

Therefore, it may first be detected on X-rays, CT scans, or other kinds of tests being done to check on another condition.

The following signs and symptoms of lung cancer may also be caused by many other conditions and are not specific to lung cancer.

Talk to your doctor if you have any of the following:

Coughing symptoms

  • A cough that gets worse or does not go away
  • Coughing up blood

Chest symptoms

  • Breathing trouble, such as shortness of breath
  • New wheezing when you breathe
  • Ache or pain in your chest, upper back, or shoulder that doesn’t go away and may get worse with deep breathing
  • A hoarse voice
  • Frequent respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis

General physical symptoms

  • Feeling unusually tired all the time
  • Weight loss with no known cause and loss of appetite
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Swelling in the face and/or veins in the neck

Lung cancer that spreads may cause other symptoms, like pain in the back or other bones or weakness in the arms or legs. If it spreads to the brain, it may cause headaches, seizures, or vision changes.

Did you know?

  • Over 2.2 million people worldwide will get lung cancer annually
  • Lung cancer kills more people each year than any other cancer
  • Lung cancer screening saves lives
  • More research = more treatments = better outcomes

Cutting-Edge research helps us attack lung cancer head on

NFCR-funded scientists are working around-the-clock on projects that can help us attack lung cancer. For example, in July, the FDA approved the drug Iressa® as front-line treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The approval is extended to only those patients whose tumors contain specific mutations, which were originally identified by NFCR scientist Dr. Daniel Haber.

Also, thanks to NFCR-funded research by Dr. Alice Shaw, a new and better way to treat resistant cancers is emerging. By successfully identifying drug combinations that halted the growth of resistant cells in tumor models, her research will hopefully lead to the development of effective therapeutic strategies for patients with ALK-positive NSCLC (mutations in the ALK gene), which could be clinically tested within one to two years.

Your Health and Safety Matters!

Contact The Benefits Store today for you and your families health insurance needs!