S is for Smokeout!

Happy 35th Birthday to the Great American Smokeout!  As a 40 something, I have noticed many changes regarding smoking trends, lawsuits, bans, and the like.  It may be just a coincidence, but I just started watching the first season of the AMC series Mad Med, and am really taken aback by the show's cavalier, yet authentic, depiction of cigarette smoking in 1960s.  The contrast between America's attitude towards smoking then and towards smoking now gives me pause.  In the show, I have yet to see a scene with an absence of smoking.  At Sterling Cooper, the Madison Avenue ad agency which is part of the setting the executives in the window offices overlooking the city and the rows of women in the secretarial pool all puff away right at their desks.  I can't even imagine how that could be tolerated in today's workplace.  In the scenes at home, the housewives are rarely shown without cigarette in hand or if their hands are full carrying a child, their cigarette dangles from their lips.  Really?  One of the characters is obviously close to giving birth and she lights up and inhales right along with the non-pregnants.  What?  Maybe it is because the American Cancer Society has done such a great job informing us about the dangers of smoking that seeing this today makes us shake our heads with disgust.   Do you remember a dozen or so years ago the Ad Council ran a campaign showing a growing baby inside a clear amnionic sac?  As the commercial went on to warn pregnant women of the dangers of smoking, the sac began filling with smoke.  What a powerful visual!  Obviously the Ad Council was not yet focusing on the anti-smoking issues in the early '60s.  Going back to Mad Men, in the restaurant scenes, smokers intermingled with non-smokers.  I can recall this being the case when I was a little kid.  In time came the warnings about second hand smoke, which provided the impetus for designated smoking and non smoking sections in most restaurants.  Fast forwarding to today, laws in most states ban smoking in restaurants and bars all together.  Yes, as we continue to learn more about the depth and breadth of the effects smoking has on our bodies and even on our economy, on the healthcare industry, on the politics of DC lobbyists, and the like, we realize that the glorification of smoking has become passe.  Thank goodness we really have come a long way baby!  So today we celebrate the 35th birthday of the Great American Smokeout, and if you smoke or know someone who does, be encouraged by today's birthday celebration.  You may just tack on another birthday for yourself or for that smoker in your life!

For More Info, click this link!

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/respiratory-disorders/articles/2010/11/18/health-buzz-smokers-challenged-with-great-american-smokeout.html

R is for Redux

Watch this great video, which really breaks down the complexities of the Healthcare Reform Law.

http://healthreform.kff.org/the-animation.aspx

R is for Reform; Healthcare Reform that is!

Today we share a concise, quite informative article that should be of interest to employees, employers, and those seeking employment.  After reading the article, you are encouraged to let us know your thoughts on this topic.

Have a happy day!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_health_care_q_a

Q is for Quit It!/Start It!

Why the white space?  To give you pause.  Quit what? Start what?






Did you ever rearrange your kitchen cabinets or move the waste can only to go to reach for something and open the wrong door or go to throw something away and have it end up on the floor where the can used to be? Think about it. We are conditioned by habit. I remember years ago my Father told me that in order for something to become a habit, you had to do it every day for 21 days in a row.  If you miss a day, you have to start all over again until you have done it for 21 straight days.  After that your mind and body will be conditioned and the habit will be formed. Ergo, you will open the right door and go directly to the new location!

With this in mind, let's challenge ourselves.  Today is September 3, 2010.  If we decide on something we'd like to quit or something we'd like to start today, by the end of the month we will have either broken a bad habit or formed a good one.  Hopefully!  In the comments section type the habit you want to break or the one you want to form.  By putting it out there, you may very well be more committed to your goal.  Check in and let us know how you are doing or if you need support or encouragement to succeed!  I was a cheerleader and once a cheerleader, always a cheerleader.  I'll be here motivating and offering moral/morale support!  Ready?  Game On!!!

PS

If you are a Medicare patient, you may find this interesting...

Despite having heard the old saws, bad habits are hard to break and it is said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but this week's news from Washington offers a silver lining to an otherwise dark cloud.  On August 28, 2010 the Associated Press published the news that Medicare is expanding coverage to help smokers quit. The article goes on to say: Older smokers who receive counseling are significantly more likely to quit than those who only get standard medical care. One study of elderly heart attack patients found that those who got counseling to help quit smoking were more likely to be alive five years later.  It's unclear why older people who try to quit have better luck than younger smokers.  Some experts think it's because older smokers are more motivated, perhaps from having seen a loved one die of cancer or heart disease, or by recognizing how the cigarette habit has left its mark in their own bodies, anything from wrinklier skin to shortness of breath.  The article is short and interesting, to read more, go to:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38891447/ns/health/

P is for Practice A Random Act of Kindness

Once you begin to acknowledge random acts of kindness-both the ones you have received and the ones you have given-you can no longer believe that what you do does not matter.
-- Dawna Markova

My friend Lisa's morning had not been going very smoothly.  She had pushed snooze button one too many times and had to rush through her morning routine to get out the door.  Road construction had caused the flow of traffic to trickle.  To make matters worse, she had forgotten to program her coffee maker for her compulsory cup of caffeine.  With the Dunkin' Donuts conveniently located close to the office, it was the logical stop.  She pulled into the drive thru with only one car ahead of her, and as she waited with her windows up, she began voicing her frustrations about the person in front of her. "Come on!  I'm late enough already!  What could you possibly be ordering that it is taking this long?  For the love of goodness gracious let's move already!"  For what seemed to her like an hour's wait, she finally ordered her coffee and rounded the corner to the pick up window.  When she got closer and saw the transaction taking place in front of her she yelled,  "Oh my, you're paying with a credit card? Really?  Can you do anything else to make me later for work than I already am?"  

Thank goodness her windows were up because when she moved ahead and went to pay for her much needed, fully caffeinated coffee, the cashier told her that the guy ahead of her had already paid for it.    

Wow.  OK?   Talk about an attitude adjustment.  All of a sudden the negative angst that had been building inside Lisa all morning had vanished.  That random act of kindness gave her pause.  Her mood elevated.  But then she felt a little pang of guilt for her impatience.  A nanosecond later she decided that one good deed deserves another. Lisa handed the cashier $5.00 and told him to pay for the next customer's coffee then keep the change.

Lisa pulled out of DD with an extraordinary feeling of happiness and came into the office with an infectious exuberance for life.  As she recounted her morning for the office staff, my thoughts spiraled.  I couldn't help but thinking how that one little random act of kindness did so much to change Lisa's horrible morning; how kindness is an abstract something that we just can't keep.  I thought about how great is to do something nice for people.  Then I thought about all of the home bound in our community; how they are not out and about to receive these wonderful kindnesses from strangers.  

My stream of consciousness led to appreciating what we do at Superior Home Health Care, sister company of Superior Health, Inc.  Superior Home Health Care serves the non medical needs of those recently home from the hospital or rehab; those with orthopedic injury and surgery recovery; those who suffered a recent stroke or heart attack; those undergoing chemotherapy; those affected by Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease; and those who need assistance with two or more activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, etc. Superior Home Health Care is staffed by experienced and professional caregivers who arrive at our clients with friendliness, courteousness, and especially kindness.  Our caring homemakers brighten the clients' day by keeping their houses in order, doing laundry, making beds, grocery shopping, preparing delicious, nutritious meals, even tending to grooming and personal hygiene needs.  I thought how our personal care services give our clients a boost much like Lisa got from being the recipient of someone's act of kindness. 

I snapped back to focus on a beaming Lisa who had the rest of us coworkers smiling and commenting on how great it feels to do something for others.  I noticed that as the day progressed, the positive energy maintained momentum; everyone seemed just a little friendlier, a little nicer, and yes a lot kinder.  All because some guy randomly paid for a stranger's coffee.  

It's Friday.  It's a happy day.  Let each of us practice a random act of kindness today.  After all we are not standing on this Earth in a single file line.  We are in a circle and what ever we pass around will eventually come back to us.  Here's to passing around a bit of kindness!

I'll close today's entry with a quote from Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People.  When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside.  It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel.

O is for Opportunity

Ben Franklin once said, "In this world nothing can be certain, except death and taxes."

Here's another certainty, as we age or fall victim to illness or accidents, we will at some time seek medical attention.  Despite the doom and gloom of our nation's economy, there are still opportunities out there for qualified people.  Superior Health, Inc. is currently looking for Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Registered Nurses.  Our patient census is growing almost exponentially and we need quality professionals to cover these new cases.  Whether you are looking for only a few hours a day or just one or two days a week, call us today so we can partner in healing those who are homebound. Dial 610-685-7351 and ask for Lynne.  We are looking forward to hearing from you!

N is for New Website!

According to the latest Facebook post by President Barak Obama, the government has launched its new site, HealthCare.gov, that provides unprecedented transparency into the health care marketplace and gives you more control over your health care as an informed and empowered consumer.  Please follow the link so that you too can better understand today's healthcare climate.  www.HealthCare.gov