When we think about important members of the care team that ensure we are healthy and well, we are quick to point out our physician, nurses, physical therapists and other health care professionals. But the most important part of that team is often left off.
That team member? You.
By thoughtfully gathering pertinent information about your health, keeping it in an organized manual, and securing a primary care provider you can call on regularly for well checks and when needs arise, you can greatly improve the quality of care you receive.
The process is called “medical self-care” and is the first key step to improving the efficiency and quality of the health care you receive.
Medical self-care programs aim to help and support individuals in making informed choices concerning the prevention, detection, treatment, and follow-up of minor medical conditions like an ankle strain, a sore throat, or skin rash. Medical self-care programs also empower individuals to not only manage their own health and health care but to become better and more responsible consumers of health care.
And that’s what the Take Charge wellness incentive challengecan help you accomplish. This 4-week program challenges employees to take the first step in the medical self-care process – compiling important personal health information and securing a primary care provider. Along the way, participants have opportunities learn more about medical self-care and win great prizes!
Participants are challenged each week to gather specific information and assemble it into their very own personal health record — a record that’s confidential and to be kept in a safe place. Take Charge provides an organized structure to assist individuals in identifying and collecting the most essential health information that is important for every person to have in their own hands. In the end, the Take Charge Manual will contain vital personal health information that will help you and your health care provider as you create a partnership for better health and health care.
“The greatest wealth is health.”
- Virgil
“If I’d known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”
- Leon EldredYour goal this week is to compile a list of important health contact information like primary care provider name and phone number, and health insurance provider information. Once you have completed this task, you can mark it done on your Take Charge checklist. You have just begun the journey to Take Charge of your health!
It's in the Numbers
Next time you pass by an automated blood pressure station at a local pharmacy, stop, roll up your sleeve, and have your blood pressure taken. It is an important health number to monitor. Pima County has several
health kiosks located at various worksites.
High blood pressure is often referred to as the silent killer because individuals with elevated blood pressure often do not experience any symptoms. In fact, many do not even know they have high blood pressure until it is too late.
High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for stroke. Very high pressure can cause a break in a weakened blood vessel, which then bleeds in the brain. This can cause a stroke. If a blood clot blocks one of the narrowed arteries, it can also cause a stroke.
Experts recommend having your blood pressure checked at least once every two years. Those with high blood pressure should be checked more often and consult with their health care provider to determine a schedule.
“Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well.”
- Marcus Valerius Martial
“The groundwork of all happiness is good health.”
- Leigh HuntSpeaking of Medications...
Once you have your list of medications completed, consider cleaning out your medication cabinet. In fact, make it a semi-annual habit to sort through the over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications on hand and discard expired drugs. It is also a good time to restock your supply of staple OTC meds like pain relievers that you like to keep on hand for minor injuries and illnesses. Nobody likes heading out in the middle of the night or when you feel lousy to purchase these types of items. It is all part of being prepared for medical self-care.
Walk the Talk of Health
Science tells us we often inherit a predisposition to certain chronic diseases like heart disease and high blood pressure from our family members. But we also “inherit” learned health behaviors like unhealthy eating habits, cigarette smoking, and sedentary living from the family members we spend time with as a young person.
And it is often these learned behaviors that contribute to the development of chronic disease. For instance, children who are raised with parents who do not regularly exercise are less likely to be physically active as adults when compared to children brought up in a family that participates in regular exercise and recreational activities.
That said, adults should aim to be healthy role models for the young people in their lives. Encourage family walks, healthy snacking, good sleep habits, and an overall healthy lifestyle and you will help place young people on a path to lifelong good health and well being.
“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.”
- Spanish proverb
“So many people spend their health gaining wealth and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.”
- A.J. Reb MateriHave the Conversation Before the Crisis
There is never a “good” time to talk about death, dying, and disability. It’s a tough topic to bring up in conversation.
Yet as difficult as it can be, advance care planning is a necessity. It helps you plan for unknown medical dilemmas ahead and provides an opportunity for you to prepare loved ones and care providers to make health care decisions on your behalf.
Try a few of the following tips to ease into a conversation that will help you communicate how you want to be cared for in the event of a medical emergency or at the end-of-life:
- Focus on the recent illness or death of a relative, friend, or famous person and discuss the aspects of their care that you would and would not want for yourself in a similar situation. Paint a picture of what you want for yourself.
- Share information from an article, brochure, or radio/television special segment on the topic of advance care planning.
- Play the “What If” game. For example, what if you had a stroke and could no longer care for yourself? Where would you prefer to live to receive the care you needed? Find out what others would want and then share what you would want
Planning Your Best Physician Office Visit Yet
How many times have you left the doctor’s office and then remembered all of the questions that you wanted to ask?
Write down the topics that you would like to discuss, questions that you have, and any other information that you would like to share and/or discuss a few days prior to your visit. This provides you with time to add to your list, as well as, to thoroughly prepare to make the most of your appointment. With the average physician office visit lasting only 19.7 minutes, the conversation with your health care provider needs to get smart fast.
Preparation is the key!
“He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything.”
– Arabian proverb.
“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.”
- William LondenNot Just Another Book for the Shelf
Now that your Take Charge manual is almost complete, the next step is identifying a good place to keep it! Shelving it with your collection of family photo albums and paperback books isn’t a good idea. It is not worth taking a chance that it might be overlooked by the very people who need it.
Find a spot where it is readily accessible to you, as well as, family and friends. More important than finding the right location is to make sure that you let others know where they can locate it if you are unable to communicate with them.
Consider storing it with other important documents in your office or in a desk drawer. Or designate a kitchen or bedroom drawer for your Take Charge Manual, as well as, your medical self-care book. Let others know and be sure to update your manual on a regular basis so that loved ones and care providers will have the most up-to-date information to guide their health care decision making process for you.
Take Better Care of You
If you have not completed all of the items on the checklist, take some time now to do so. Then, submit the completed checklist to Employee Wellness to receive credit and earn your incentive.
Don’t stop there, however. Use the information in your Take Charge Manual to monitor your health status over time and to empower you to take an active role in your ongoing health and health care decisions. It’s your health – Take Charge today!