SCAN Health Plan Reminds Partygoers to "Mind Their Elders" this Holiday Season

(LONG BEACH, Calif. – December 12, 2011) — The holidays can be a difficult time for seniors, particularly for the one in four older adults suffering from hearing loss. However, according to the senior sensitivity experts at SCAN Health Plan, there are things party hosts and their guests can do to ensure that seniors with impaired hearing have an opportunity to enjoy and participate in some holiday cheer.

“Loud, festive holiday gatherings can be a big problem for people with hearing loss,” said Lena Perelman, director of community outreach at SCAN Health Plan. Perelman oversees SCAN’s Trading Ages senior sensitivity program, an interactive workshop that lets participants experience some of the physical challenges that come with aging, including hearing loss. “In our workshops participants are often very surprised at how isolating hearing impairment can be.”

According to Perelman, SCAN recommends the following tips for a senior-sensitive holiday:

Be mindful. Simply being aware that older adults are more likely to experience hearing loss is a good start. Some seniors may not know that they’re having difficulty hearing. Make older children and other family members aware of the things they can do to help (including the tips below).

Reduce background noise. Background music can create a festive ambiance; but for people with hearing loss, loud music creates a barrier to communication and social interaction. Keep the volume to a minimum. If it isn’t your party, ask that the background music be lowered so everyone can hear each other.

Speak slowly. People with hearing loss often become skilled in reading lips and facial expressions. With that in mind, talk slowly and look directly at the older adult to whom you are speaking.

Find a quiet space. If the party gets too loud, consider stepping aside from the festivities for a quiet visit with an older family member. The one-on-one time could turn into a cherished memory. After all, spending quality time with family is what the holidays are all about.

The physical and psycho-social effect of sensory loss on seniors is something SCAN has been focusing on for many years through its Trading Ages senior sensitivity program. The training helps participants understand how age-related conditions – such as hearing loss, vision changes and loss of dexterity – can affect everyday activities, behaviors and actions.

“As a health plan focused exclusively on the needs of seniors, SCAN is in a unique position to help people understand more about the aging process,” said Perelman.

SCAN Health Plan is the country’s fourth largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage Plan. Further information may be obtained at scanhealthplan.com.

Members of the news media may contact:
Michelle Hokr
818-597-8453 x5
michelle@kevinross.net

Support Ponderosa High School’s “Healthy Living, Healthy Breakfast” Program

Ponderosa High School is an accommodation school offering unique opportunities for students to complete their high school diploma.  Through creative programs and credit recovery, our goal is to rekindle a love for learning while supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally.
We are seeking financial support from parents, local community organizations, individuals, and families to support our “Healthy Living, Healthy Breakfast” education program. You can show support by issuing your tax credit of $200 for individuals and $400 for married couples directly to Ponderosa High School.
A major goal of the school is to create a character development program that would promote healthy food education for all students in the school. As part of this approach, we are working closely with Local Alternative Catering to provide a healthy breakfast for all students in our school starting January, 2012.

We anticipate the cost of breakfast for all students to be around $13,000 (or $3.00 per student per day).  A key component to the breakfast program will be student participation. Students will participate in the operation of the program by working in the greenhouse, prepping the area and cleaning the facility after meals, assisting in food preparation, organizing resources, assisting in paper work requirements, and writing curriculum that promotes the effects of healthy foods, healthy choices, and healthy living.  The program will be designed to develop character traits such as: responsibility, compassion, diligence, sincerity, respect, virtue, fairness, caring, citizenship, and integrity.

Thanks for your support!

Donations can be mailed to:

Ponderosa High School
Brenda Gebler, Business Manager
2384 N. Steves Blvd.
Flagstaff, AZ 86004

Download the flyer here.

Dec 15th: Online Day of Action!

In two days, advocates from across the country will be calling on Congress to make a specific New Years Resolution for 2012: Protect the Prevention Fund!

Can you book 2-3 minutes on your calendar for Thursday, December 15th, to join our online day of action?

Click below to add a reminder to your calendar of choice:

Google Calendar
http://action.tobaccofreekids.org/site/R?i=so5KGhYJn2b2N0QIOcypcg

Outlook 2007
http://action.tobaccofreekids.org/site/R?i=vD31qBuzq0BIVlGkKI8odQ

Funding prevention now means lower medical costs later. It means healthier friends and family, healthier communities and a healthier nation.

On December 15th, I will be sending you and other advocates across the country one way you can help get our message across. Some will be asked to email or call, while others will be asked to post to Facebook or Twitter.

Members of Congress and their staff must hear the "Protect the Prevention Fund" message loud and clear, and we're counting on you to make that happen!

Please set a reminder and book some time to help next Thursday!

Brian Hutchinson, Grassroots Director
http://action.tobaccofreekids.org/

Arizona Rural and Public Health Policy Forum

The annual Arizona Rural & Public Health Policy Forum focuses on key health policy issues and their impact on Arizona’s rural and tribal communities and seeks strategies to strengthen public health systems and increase access to care for rural and tribal residents.

Thursday January 19th, 2012

Arizona State Capitol, 1700 W. Washington, 2nd Floor, Phoenix, AZ

Check in 7:30am

Adjourn 4:15pm

The Forum is designed to:

o Examine key health policy issues and their impact on Arizona’s rural and tribal communities.
o Identify strategies to strengthen rural communities and public health systems.
o Update from policy makers’ and key state agencies on their legislative priorities for the upcoming year
o Provide tips on how to make a difference in the legislative process.
o Present ways on how to use the media to communicate your message.

Who should attend:

o Arizona Legislators
o State Agencies’ Representatives
o Clinic Administrators and Hospital CEOs
o Behavioral Health Representatives
o Tribal Liaisons and Policy Leaders
o Advocates for Women and Children
o And any other interested individuals.

For more information: http://crh.arizona.edu/events/policy-forum/2012
To Register:  http://apps.publichealth.arizona.edu/ConferenceRegistration/
To ask about carpooling, please contact Marty Eckrem @ meckrem@coconino.az.gov

Discover your free & low-cost health coverage options

The mission of The Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE) is to provide simplified public and private health insurance eligibility information in order to help more people access coverage. They aim to find the uninsured and centralize the distribution of information and eligibility requirements, encouraging more people to enroll, thereby lowering the ranks of the uninsured.

http://www.coverageforall.org/

Free Wellness Seminar

You are invited to attend a

FREE WELLNESS SEMINAR 

Take Charge of Your Health

  Discover tips on managing stress, anxiety and coping with chronic disease.

Featuring

Ken Youngberg, LCSW, MSW 

Wellness Counselor

on

Thursday, December 15^th

5:00 PM (60 minute presentation)
In the Mountain Heart Conference Room
2000 S. Thompson St., Flagstaff

Please RSVP to ande.burke@mountainheartcares.com or call: 928.814.3380

NACA Suicide Prevention Program FREE Training

The Native Americans for Community Action (NACA) Suicide Prevention Program will be doing a 2-day  training that serves as an intervention for people at risk of suicide. Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is a two-day practical workshop developing skills through observation and supervised simulation in large and small groups. ASIST is intended as 'suicide first-aid' training. ASIST helps caregiver’s to become more willing, ready and able to recognize and intervene effectively to help persons at risk of suicide. With over one million people trained in suicide intervention skills, ASIST is by far the most widely used suicide intervention skills training in the world.

The goal of ASIST is to enhance a caregiver’s abilities to assist a person at risk to avoid suicide. By completing the workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize that caregivers and persons at risk are affected by personal and societal attitudes about suicide;
2. Discuss suicide with a person at risk in a direct manner;
3. Identify risk alerts and develop a safe plan related to them;
4. Demonstrate the skills required to intervene with a person at risk of suicide;
5. List the types of resources available to a person at risk of suicide, including themselves;
6. Make a commitment to improving community resources and networking; and,
7. Recognize that suicide prevention is broader than suicide intervention and, includes life promotion and self-care for persons at risk and for caregivers.

We would like to invite you to attend this FREE 2-day training on January 9^th & 10^th, 2012 at the Flagstaff Aquaplex. Click here for the flyer & registration form for further details.