Keeping Your Heart Healthy - Finding a Routine That Works

The hardest part of an exercise routine is getting started. 

Once you've established a regular pattern of exercise, you'll find yourself following it. So, how do you get started? Well, first of all, consult your doctor. Your doctor can recommend the specific kinds of exercise for your own individual needs. Generally, however, these guidelines should get you going.
First of all, exercise will only become a habit if it's fun! Pick something you will enjoy doing. If you like being with a group of people, try a team sport like basketball or soccer.

You don't have to be a super athlete. Anyone can exercise. Social activities like dancing and mall-walking are also good. If you're more of a loner, try bicycling or swimming.

Don't kid yourself. Be honest about what you realistically think you can do. If you have always hated to climb stairs, step aerobics probably isn't for you. Maybe a walk around the neighborhood would be more pleasant. Many people today are walking toward fitness.

Consider your current state of physical fitness. If you haven't exercised in years, you'll definitely want to start with some modest activities. As you get adjusted, you can increase your activity.
Consider your schedule. Are you a morning person? Then plan to exercise in the morning. If you're addicted to your snooze button, plan to exercise in the evening. Start with just a small block of time, maybe fifteen minutes.

For More Tips and the Original Article.

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Spotting Eating Disorders in the ED

Eating Disorders can take months, even years, to treat effectively. But ED nurses who can identify patients with such a disorder can help get them on the right track to healing. A big challenge, however, is that patients with eating disorders often go to great lengths to conceal the problem.

Recognizing eating disorders in the ED, helping patients understand they are ill and steering them to ongoing mental and physical care requires preparation far in advance of the patient encounter, experts say. “For most eating disorders, recovery is a very long-term process,” said Bobbi O'Brien, RN, PhD, clinical psychologist at Eating Disorders Associates in Torrance, Calif. “You can get through the acute part, the medical part, pretty quick. But the rest — psychiatric issues, body image, self-esteem, co-occurring depression or anxiety disorders, family dynamics — that can take 10 years or more.”

Psychiatry’s diagnostic manual, the DSM-IV-TR, recognizes three main categories of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorders-not otherwise specified. Patients with anorexia have an obsessive fear of gaining weight, and so dangerously limit food intake. They might alternately “purge” nutrients by using laxatives or diuretics, or by inducing vomiting. Patients with bulimia, meanwhile, will eat in binges, followed by behaviors such as purging or fasting to compensate for the overeating.

 For more and link to original article.

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Why We Need Age Friendly Communities

AARP is on the move, and they want age-friendly communities. This Huff/Post50 interview with Amy Levner (AARP’s manager of education on livable communities) may be from last spring, but the message is just as timely as ever — and Levner’s campaign is ongoing.
Fact: the population is aging rapidly.

Even those who aren’t savvy as a result of professional or personal senior care experiences are aware of this fact. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) and AARP’s nationwide Network of Age-Friendly Communities program have joined forces to “support communities with information on best practices gathered both nationally and globally.”

The following are the eight areas that WHO believes are essential to the “quality of life for older people:”

• outdoor space
• housing
• transportation
• health services
• community engagement
• social participation
• respect and social inclusion
• civic participation
• employment

Sounds like a livable community that truly would appeal to people of all ages, right?

To Read More and the Original Article.

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Does Forgetting Words Signify the Beginning of Alzheimer's Disease?

Has your memory failed you today, such as struggling to recall a word that's "on the tip of your tongue?" If so, you're not alone.

Recent University of Michigan research indicates that "tip-of-the-tongue" errors happen often to adults ages 65 - 92. In a study of 105 healthy, highly educated older adults, 61 percent reported this memory memory mishap.

The study's participants completed a checklist of the memory errors they had experienced in the last 24 hours, as well as several other tests. About half of them reported making other errors that may be related to absent-mindedness, such as having to re-read a sentence because they forgot what it said, or forgetting where they placed an item.

The findings, which appeared in the journal Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, may help brain-training programs target the memory problems people experience in daily life.

"Right now, many training programs focus on the age differences in memory and thinking that we see in laboratory studies," said Cindy Lustig, University of Michigan psychology professor and the study's senior author. "However, those may not translate to the performance failures that are most common in everyday life."

According to Lustig, when people are tested in the lab and have nothing to rely on but their own memories, young adults typically do better than older adults. "When we looked at how people performed on standard laboratory tests, we found the usual age differences," she said. "People in their 80s and 90s performed worse than those in their 60s and early 70s." 

However, when these studies are conducted in real-world settings, older adults might even outperform young adults at things like remembering appointments, because seniors are likely to use memory supports such as calendars, lists and alarms. The researchers found no increase in the "real-world" memory errors, based on age.
This research may help brain-training developers better target the errors that people make even if they are using memory supports. Said Lustig, “We wanted to identify which errors still occur despite changes people might be making in their environment and routine.”

To Read More and the Original Article. 

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6 Tips for the Perfect Nursing Shoe

Sometimes I (Marijke Durning) get asked advice from new nurses who want to learn something they might not have been taught in nursing school.  One of the first things I always say is: Don’t buy cheap shoes! I know from experience the damage that cheap shoes can do to your feet.

Nursing is hard on many parts of the body, most of all our back and feet. The back is the obvious body part to care for but the feet often get neglected. And, because the body is so connected, bad shoes don’t only affect your feet but they end up affecting your hips and your back as well.

So, how do you go about buying good shoes? The first thing we have to realize is that a good pair of nursing shoes for me is not necessarily a good pair for you. How many times have you heard someone rave about how wonderful a brand of shoes is and when you try them you hate them?

Here are some tips on how to make sure your shoes fit you properly:

• Measure your feet. We think we know what size we are, but even as adults, our feet can change in size. The change may be slight, but can make a big difference in shoe size and comfort.
   
• Measure both feet. Everyone has slight size differences in their feet. Make sure you shop for the larger foot.
   
• Measure your feet while standing and towards the end of the day. This way, if there is any swelling, this has been taking into account in your sizing. 

For More Tips and the Original Article. 

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Elders Need More than Social Security to Live in the Community

How much do elders need to live in the community?  How many people can afford to live independently without the help of government supports? In what parts of the country do large numbers of elders need help?

These are some of the questions researchers at UMass Boston wanted to know the answers to. So six years ago, in collaboration with Wider Opportunities for Women, they started calculating, on a geographically specific basis, the costs of housing, food, health care, and transportation which elders experience. The calculations were first done for individual states but last year a national Elder Index was calculated covering the whole country. Click here to view the report.

Nationally, single individuals need between $19,104 to $28,860/year depending on whether they rent or own their own home and if their health status is poor or excellent. Couples need between $29,448 and $39,204/year. The assumptions built into the calculation are that the individual is living modestly, has Medicare, has a supplemental health plan, and has no long-term care expenses. However, the report also found that costs vary dramatically around the country. For example, state-wide housing costs for an elder homeowner without a mortgage in West Virginia was $260/m compared to an elder homeowner with a mortgage in New Jersey with a state-wide cost of $1,871/m. When these costs are compared to average Social Security benefits in the same geographic area, we can see that some areas have high costs and higher average Social Security benefits while other areas have high costs but lower average benefits. The maps in the report show us where the discrepancy between income and costs are the greatest and therefore where elders will need the most help.

For the Original Article and to Read More.

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Aging Brain Makes it Difficult to Spot Scams

Do you remember a time when you had a gut feeling that someone was a bit shady? Two new studies suggest that as we age, our internal warning system seems to diminish, which could explain why older people are more often the victims of scams.

According to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, age-related brain changes may make us less able to recognize shifty, suspicious-looking facial expressions. The two studies, published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are the first to find that the aging brain sends out fewer warning signs about untrustworthy people than the brains of younger adults.

"There are cues [in facial expressions] associated with actual deceitful behavior," says study author Shelly Taylor, a professor of health psychology at UCLA. The studies she and her colleagues conducted found "quite a significant difference" in the abilities of older and younger adults to recognize devious expressions like an insincere smile or not making eye contact.

The Read the Original and the Rest of This Article at  AARP's Website.

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How to Be Assertive - 5 Tips for Confidence

The topic on "how to be assertive" is searched for by thousands every month online. Self-help books fly off the shelves of bookstores. They’re the most common books on request at libraries. From business people to housewives, people are looking for ways to improve their lives, and the most sought after self-help books are those on how to be assertive and confident.

During job interviews, potential employers look for essential qualities in prospective employees. Assertiveness and confidence are high on the list. People we admire in the business world are often seen as confident and assertive.To achieve goals in life, these are two valuable character traits. While some people seem to be born assertive and confident, the rest of us can learn how to be assertive and confident. To help you learn how to be assertive, here are 5 ways to become assertive and confident:

#1. Overcome shyness. Shyness can range from healthy to overwhelming and debilitating. Shyness is not the same as having low self-esteem. Many shy people have a very positive image of themselves, but they lack assertiveness and confidence.

Read More and The Original Article Here: http://successsculpting.com/349/how-to-be-assertive/

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January We Care Online Staff Highlight - Cindy Cline-Gray

This month we learn about Cindy Cline-Gray. 

Cindy lives in Tucson, Arizona. She has been married to a handsome hunk of a guy, Mike, for over 20 years now. Mike works at a church and also has a business as a social marketing consultant. The Gray’s have two children. Their daughter, Danny, is away at college studying music and their son, Kacey, is a wrestler in high school. The Gray family also has two dogs, Chopper and Sassy.

When Cindy is not working, she volunteers at her church, reads, decorates and teaches her dogs to do crazy tricks like walking on the treadmill.  Cindy explains her logic: “It's too hot to take them for a walk in the desert!”

Cindy has worked in the healthcare field for 12 years. She has spent most of her professional life working in sales, management, and consulting. Her specialties include organization, planning, and leading.  Her concern in leading others towards success is evident in her attitude:  “I think I just like to make things work in a way that everyone has a good time doing their job.”
 

Since WeCareOnline is an online company, Cindy knows that people don’t get to see her face to face or to see her workspace. Cindy has created a wonderful spot to work and states:  “I love my office. My desk sits in front of a huge picture window. I can look outside and see the birds eating the food I put out, baby lizards running up and down the trees and the occasional javelina rooting around my flowers. My dogs are always underfoot. They always have to be in the same room as me. I have 2 giant computer monitors that my husband insisted I need (and I have to admit they really do help me get more work done). The monitors almost always have a picture of my children when they were 3-5 years old. They were so cute! Now they are still cute, but they are all grown up.”

Everyone at WeCareOnline plays an important role in helping students have the best online learning experience possible. Cindy oversees all operations in the company; accounting, human resources, database operations, website development, course creation and much more. Cindy is very grateful and states:  “I'm very fortunate to have an awesome team of employees to help me keep WeCareOnline up and running!”

Loneliness: How Older Adults Cope

Whether at home or in institutions, loneliness can be both difficult and dangerous for the overall health of older adults. Too many of them endure the negative impact of loneliness daily and have trouble coping. Because information on this topic is so limited, the Department of Sociology at VU University in Amsterdam did research on how older adults cope and help their lonely peers in coping.

This research on older adult loneliness was done with 1,187 respondents aged 62-100 viewing four vignettes about lonely people and later being asked about coping skills that would help. Older adults emphasized two ways of coping:

1)   Active Coping (improving relationships)

2) Regulative Coping (lowering expectations about relationships)

Results:

Older adults suggested using both ways to cope with loneliness, but active coping was suggested less often to people who are older, in poor health, or lonely and by older adults who were employed in midlife and have high self-esteem. Regulative coping with lower relationship expectations was suggested more often to people who are older and by older adults with a low educational level and with low mastery. Unfortunately, active coping through improving relationships is less often seen as an option for and by the people who could benefit most from it.

These results further emphasize the need for improving relationships in the lives of lonely older adults.

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How To Have Good Posture at Work

There are many reasons you should want to avoid having bad posture—especially if, like the medical and self employed professionals, your eating habits are probably far below ideal. Bad posture puts a lot of pressure on your internal organs which can keep them from functioning properly. Bad posture can contribute to or even cause chronic back pain chronic back pain or other related problems.

The easiest way to ensure that you practice proper posture is to invest in ergonomic chairs and other equipment.


Ergonomic chairs, stools, shoes, etc force you to sit properly. They can be expensive but the money this equipment will save you in future medical bills makes the current investment worth it.
If you can’t afford to buy name brand and medically endorsed ergonomic equipment, there are other things that you can do to make sure that your posture is correct:

First, re-teach yourself how to sit and stand up straight. Sit straight up. Rotate your shoulders back and down (pretend there is a clock facing outward on your shoulder and put your shoulders at the 7:30 position). Tilt your chin down just a tiny bit.  If you are standing rock forward so that your weight is distributed on your feet in a 60/40 split: 60% on the balls of your feet, 40% on your heels.

For the Rest of the Blog and More Tips. 

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Old Device May Offer New Hope for Alzheimer's Care

It’s a device that has been around for years and has helped those with Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, cardiac issues, and other illnesses. Now, the pacemaker is being tested for a new role: slowing down the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

This recent news article from The Baltimore Sun highlights the work of a new Johns Hopkins University study. Per the piece, “Doctors at Hopkins and four other medical institutions will spend the next year implanting pacemakers in the brains of 40 patients with early-onset Alzheimer’s as part of a clinical trial looking at whether deep electric stimulation of the brain can slow down or reverse memory and cognitive declines.” Dr. Paul B. Rosenberg, who is directing the research efforts, says the goal of implanting these pacemakers is to “drive the memory circuit and make it work better and more efficiently.”

To Read More.

Interested in working with those who have Alzheimer's? Why not learn more about what it takes to be a Mental Health Aide?

Growing Field: Pharmacy Technicians

Becoming a pharmacy technician usually requires earning a high school diploma or the equivalent. Other requirements vary by state, with some states requiring passing an exam or completing a formal training program.

Education and Training

Many pharmacy technicians learn how to perform their duties through on-the-job training. Others attend post-secondary education programs in pharmacy technology at vocational schools or community colleges, which award certificates. These programs typically last 1 year or less and cover a variety of subjects, such as arithmetic used in pharmacies, recordkeeping, ways of dispensing medications, and pharmacy law and ethics. Technicians also learn the names, actions, uses, and doses of medications. Many training programs include internships, in which students get hands-on experience in a pharmacy.

Licenses and Certification

Most states regulate pharmacy technicians in some way. Consult your state’s Board of Pharmacy for its particular regulations. Requirements for pharmacy technicians typically include some or all of the following:

• High school diploma or GED 
• Criminal background check
• Formal training program
• Exam
• Fees
• Continuing education

Some states and employers require pharmacy technicians to have certification. Even where it is not required, certification may make it easier to get a job. Many employers will pay for their pharmacy technicians to take the certification exam.

For more on this Article at the Department of Labor.

Thinking about a career as a Pharmacy Technician? Get started today! We Care Online offers competitive pricing and the convenience of a completely online class. Click Here

Healthcare Hiring High: Some Jobs May Surprise You

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare added an average of 26,000 jobs per month this year. Just this past month, hospitals gained +8,000 jobs and nursing care facilities gained +5,000 jobs.

As Registered Nurses, Physical Therapists, and Occupational Therapists continue to top the list of the most in-demand job titles throughout the US, we took a look at which other job titles are most commonly advertised in hospitals and nursing homes and included them below.

1. Registered Nurse Supervisor
2. Cook
3. Certified Nursing Assistant
4. Speech Language Pathologist
5. LPN
6. Nurse
7. Pharmacist
8. Registered Nurse Medical Surgeon
9. Registered Nurse LCU

With Registered Nurse being one of the most in-demand job titles, it's not surprising to see other specific Registered Nurse titles appear on this list. However, it is surprising to see Cook among the most commonly advertised job titles. This isn't usually a job title associated with healthcare positions, yet Cooks are required to prepare meals for patients, as well as in the cafeteria for employees and visitors.

To Read More of this Article.

Why not start the new year with a new career? Check out what we have at We Care Online!

Cabin Fever Anyone?

Holidays can always be such a fun time of year, especially if you have school-age kids.

But let's be honest somewhere around the middle of the vacation it seems like the symptoms of cabin fever start to set in. Usually a little exercise, fresh air, and creativity are all the doctor would order.  Here's some ways to follow "doctor's orders":

1. Google: "Things to do in (fill in your city)" and see what you find.
You may be surprised at what there is to do right in your own back yard.

2. Go to the zoo.
Most areas have a zoo or aquarium or some kind of wildlife rescue area. (Ever wonder where they take celebrity tigers when they've gotten too old?)

3. Use where you live to your advantage.
If there is snow on the ground, get out in it! Bundle up and have an old-fashion snow ball fight with the forts and all! Or if your weather is mild, find a local park and organize a flag football game or a neighborhood Capture the Flag competition.

Whatever you choose to do, getting the energy out goes a long way to cure cabin fever.

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How To Show Support to a Sick Loved One

Tragedy can strike a family at any time. Whether expected or unexpected, families have a difficult time when a loved one gets admitted to the hospital. The uncertainty creates a lot of stress and can become very toiling on a family. However, even in the midst of all this, they must remain focused on the person that is suffering with the sickness.

Finding ways to show support aren’t always easy. But the more a family supports the loved one–and one another–during this difficult time, the easier it may seem. One of the best things you can do for your loved one is be there for them as much as possible. If you aren’t able to stay at the hospital around the clock, come as often as you can. They need you to help comfort and encourage them during this difficult time. While your loved one will understand that you have responsibilities and things to do, she will greatly appreciate all the effort that you give to making sure you’re there as much as possible

For the Rest of the Article.

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Come Check Out WCO's Forum!

Have you heard the news?

We Care Online's Forum  is available to all students and facilities.  It only takes a moment to register.

The forum is the perfect place to find current listings from companies and individuals who are seeking employees and jobs.

If you or your facility know of any job openings in the Long Term Care, Assisted Living or Pharmacy fields, this is the place to announce it. If you're looking or a job or want to find the next step in your career, be sure to check out the forum.

You can also check for the latest news about classes and events, and talk with your fellow students about your coursework, your job, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

 Let's talk!

Check out the forum

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We Care Online Staff Highlight - Melanie Fischer

This month we meet Melanie Fischer.

Melanie Fischer has worked in healthcare for the past 19 years.  She originally needed a summer job when she was in high school and applied for a housekeeping position at Ellis Good Sam.  Melanie enjoyed the position, but wanted to do more to help the residents she served. Her love for helping others is what attracted her to healthcare and made the healthcare field a perfect fit.  Melanie is now an RN.

Melanie and her husband have been married for 14 years and have a farm in the Ellis area where they have cattle running about. Melanie and her husband have 4 beautiful children.  They have three sons; Lane 11; Coby 10; and Jacy 9; and a 4 year old daughter, Kennedi.

When she is not working, Melanie likes spending time with her children.  Her boys are in 4-H and the entire family is very involved in the club. 4-H is the Fischer family’s biggest activity and involves all family members in raising and caring for the animals they show at the fair. The family has raised and shown different types of livestock.  They have raised and shown bucket calves, and are now currently raising show pigs and flocks of show chickens and ducks.

Melanie’s advice to anyone seeking to enter healthcare is to have patience with those you work with, including residents and workers. Melanie’s mantra is to always put first those you are serving, and to put your own wants and needs last. Melanie believes in working as a team player no matter what personal conflicts you may have with another co-worker, and to always show respect for those you work with and to be professional when you are working.

Everyone at WeCareOnline plays an important role in helping students have the best online learning experience possible. Melanie answers phone calls that come into her office for all CNA and CMA questions. She also assists in the set up process for classes; helping the clinical instructors in the set up process.  She helps students to enroll in classes, and provides support and assistance to advertise upcoming classes. While Melanie supports WCO mission in numerous ways, she views her most important role at WCO is the work she does educating the students in the classroom, monitoring grades, and answering emails from students/instructors or individuals interested in the WCO program.

6 Ways to Love Your Job . . . Even if You Hate It

Hate your job? You're not alone. 

But with the job market the way it is, finding a new one might be a lot easier said than done. In the meantime, there are things you can do to learn to love your job. Even while you're on the hunt for a better gig, finding ways to love, or at least like, the job you have will help make the day go by faster.
Here are a few things you can do to love your job even if you really do hate it.

Make friends— You have to spend a lot of time at work. In fact, it's probably more time than you spend with your family. Nothing makes the day go faster than having a good laugh or sharing a cute story about your kids with your work friends. While you may not have a lot in common with all of your co-workers, odds are you can find something  to talk about with at least some of them.

Make it homey— Even the most generic cubicle could benefit from a little makeover. Whether it's photos of your kids or a little memento from your last vacation, personalizing your work space can really make being there a lot more tolerable.

For More Tips and the Rest of the Article.

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IPads and Memory Care Residents

iPads are not only hip; they’re also helpful in memory care. That’s right—iPads have actually proven to help with cognitive skills, mobility and communication for those who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

We all knew Steve Jobs was a brilliant man of his time, but we’re not sure that even he knew how smart the iPad technology was for the elderly population. But the easy to use iPad has enhanced many a seniors lives—and especially those suffering from dementia.

According to Health Central Park Nursing Home’s director, Judy Skilton, “It came to us as a happy accident. What started out as one resident’s curiosity turned into something that is helping them spell, track items, make choices and read words. It’s amazing.”

Residents in assisted living and memory care communities love iPads because they’re easy to use with the touch-pad technology and swipe of a finger. They don’t require a mouse or control device which can sometimes be difficult for some elders. They’re also easy to navigate.

But how, exactly, is the iPad benefiting those in memory care? Here are 9 reasons why iPad’s enhance the lives of many seniors:

1. They’re lightweight and carry like a book.
2. They interact with residents, provide excitement and open-up a new means of communication to those who can’t express themselves in the way they desire.
3. They can monitor an elderly person’s movements, habits, temperature in their home and remind them when to take their pills.

For the Rest of the Blog.

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