Tips for Dealing with Difficult Coworkers

If you have a job, chances are that you've come across at least one person with whom you've found working with difficult. Infact, most of us over the course of our careers will have encountered many of these difficult coworker types. I sure have! While working with difficult coworkers can be stressful and really take the fun out of our days, it's important to remember that dealing with these challenging personalities is unfortunately part of having a job. That is.. unless you work for yourself but that's a whole different story.

Read on because I am going to identify four types of difficult coworkers and ways you can deal with them.

Are your difficult coworkers making you pull your hair out at work?

1. The Grumpy Coworker

You know the type - they walk into work in the morning, don't say hi, won't even make eye contact with you or crack a smile. While we do not all have to be best friends at work, it is pretty awkward when you can't interact with these people the way you would with a normal person who will at least say hello. What to do:

• Try to find some common ground: There's got to be something - anything - that you have in common with this person and if you're able to find it, you just might be able to crack them. Maybe you and her have the same favorite tv show - you could ask her what she thought of last night's episode! Maybe you both have kids starting school this year - ask how that's working out. The point is to find something to get that person talking so she feels like you're both on the same side. She still might not say hello to you in the morning, but you might get a glimmer or a smile every once in a while that can lighten the tension. 

Read About the Other Three Types Here in the Original Article.

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Red Wine & Red Grapes Help Protect Against Hearing Loss & More

Red wine and red grapes contain resveratrol, a substance which appears to protect against hearing loss and cognitive decline, researchers from the Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, reported in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

In an animal experiment, the scientists found that laboratory rats would suffer less from the long-term effects of noise-induced hearing loss if they consumed resveratrol before listening to extended periods of loud noise.

Study lead author Michael D. Seidman, director of the Division of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, said:

"Our latest study focuses on resveratrol and its effect on bioinflammation, the body's response to injury and something that is believed to be the cause of many health problems including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, aging and hearing loss."

For More and the Original Article.

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Seniors Tracking Health: There's an App for That

Medical tracking using the latest technology is growing stronger every day. We believe that your senior loved ones, while beginning to adopt technology, probably haven’t yet gotten familiar with some great technology apps that can help them track and improve their health and wellness.

Many of our seniors are using smartphones in a variety of platforms whether Android, iOS  or Windows 8. The platform they choose is not as important as making the most of the apps that are currently available, though the choice of platform will dictate the apps from which they can choose.

Research indicates that, even with the abundance of available health monitoring apps at our fingertips, our seniors (and even we ourselves) are still primarily using their heads or paper to track and trend their health data.

It has been estimated that about seven out of ten adults are tracking their health information such as weight, diet, symptoms, physical activity, or vital statistics including blood pressure, blood sugar and oxygenation for themselves or their senior loved ones. Instead of using technology, they are using only their heads.

Health Data You Can Track

• Weight
• Diet and food intake
• Activity programs and time spent exercising
• Blood pressure
• Symptoms such as headaches
• Sleep patterns

For more and link to original blog. 

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Time Management is Self Management

We look to tools and techniques to help us manage time.  And they can, to a certain extent – that being the degree to which we take a disciplined approach to their application.  The effectiveness of any time management tool is squarely in our hands.  To manage your time more effectively, you have to improve the way you manage your self.

If your time is mismanaged or wasted, you’re the one at fault.  In knowing that, you give yourself a chance to own your power to change the situation.  You can begin using your time more consistently to do what best serves your goals and helps you live a better, more satisfying life, now.
Here are two time management strategies that, applied regularly, will help you manage yourself and can have a ripple effect on your behavior as the owner and manager of your time.

Make the meaningful a priority.  Put time in your schedule, at least weekly, perhaps daily, to do something meaningful, in addition to your daily work.  This might include time with loved ones, time to meditate, to read for pleasure, time to exercise, time for volunteer activities.  Determine what adds meaning to your life then make sure you add it to your list of priorities.

Build flex time into your schedule.  By that I mean leave two to three hours each day unscheduled.  Block it off on your calendar as “Flex Time” or whatever you want to call it.  The point is, it’s scheduled time on your calendar.

For More and the Original Article.
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Are Women Aware of the Perils of Heart Disease?

The number of women aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death has nearly doubled in the last 15 years, but that knowledge still lags in minorities and younger women, according to a study.

Researchers comparing women’s views about heart disease in 1997 and today found that in 2012, 56% of women identified heart disease as the leading cause of death, up from 30% in 1997. Back then, women were more likely to cite cancer than heart disease (35% vs. 30%) as the leading killer; in 2012, only 24% cited cancer.

(In 2009, according to the the CDC, heart disease was the cause in 24% of women's deaths, followed by cancer in 22.2% of cases.) In 2012, 36% of black women and 34% of Hispanic women identified heart disease as the top killer. Those awareness levels were the same as white women had in ’97 (33%). Women ages 25 to 34 had the lowest awareness rate of any age group, 44%. The study, scheduled for publication in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal, showed barriers and motivators to engage in a heart healthy lifestyle are different for younger women, who also said their physicians were less likely to talk to them about heart disease.

"This is a missed opportunity," said Lori Mosca, MD, PhD, MPH, the study’s lead author and chair of an American Heart Association committee that produced the report, said in a news release. "Habits established in younger women can have lifelong rewards.

For the Original Article and to Read More.

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We Care Online February Staff Highlight - Bonnie Henningson

This month we get to learn about Bonnie Henningson. 

Bonnie has been in the healthcare field for over 30 years.  Bonnie was attracted to healthcare by working as a volunteer EMT.  Bonnie’s mother was also a nurse.  She originally advised Bonnie not to become a nurse letting Bonnie know that the work was hard and the pay was low. 
 

Bonnie did not heed her mother’s advice and has gone on to possess multiple credentials in the healthcare field!  Bonnie has a Gerontological Nurse Certification through ANCC, and has is still CPHQ certified (Certified Professional of Healthcare Quality).  She has been licensed as a nursing home administrator and has taught CPR and EMT classes.  Bonnie has a master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis on health care administration.  She has been a member of NAHQ (National Association of Healthcare Quality), NGNA (National Gerontological Nurse’s Association) and NNSDO (National Nursing Staff Development Organization).  Bonnie serves on a committee to revise the scope and standards for Gerontological nursing.   She has developed and delivered training for staff development coordinators and charge nurses and has presented training at national and state conventions on topics such as pain management. If there were a piece of advice Bonnie wishes someone had given her when she began her career she wishes they would have told her to get her BSN as soon as possible!

Bonnie is married and the Henningson’s have one son and one granddaughter.  They do not have any pets due to her husband’s allergies. When Bonnie is not working she likes to read, do crossword puzzles, garden, bake, take walks, do yoga, travel to parks and historic sites, play cards and do hospice volunteering.

Everyone at WeCareOnline plays an important role in helping students have the best online learning experience possible. Bonnie teaches Nursing Assistant and Medication Assistant for several states. Over the years Bonnie has witnessed many changes in the healthcare field.  Bonnie states that “Healthcare is a science and we need to be sure to recognize that the current standard of practice WILL change – new studies and research often prove what we once learned to be erroneous and one must do lots of reading to keep up with the changes.”

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.

Now is a great time to learn what it takes to be an Activity Director.
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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.

To Read the Rest of this Blog.

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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.

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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!