November is National Family Caregivers Month
If you are caring for a loved one who is elderly, taking multiple medications, seeing more than one doctor, or suffering from multiple illnesses, your loved one may be at risk.
Learn more by participating in a FREE webinar for family caregivers…
Safe & Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps
Caregiver Resources:
Independent Living
Involving Others
Planning for Changing Needs
What You Need To Know About Lung Cancer
Symptoms:
Early lung cancer often does not cause symptoms. But as the cancer grows, common symptoms may include:
- a cough that gets worse or does not go away
- breathing trouble, such as shortness of breath
- constant chest pain
- coughing up blood
- a hoarse voice
- frequent lung infections, such as pneumonia
- feeling very tired all the time
- weight loss with no known cause
Most often these symptoms are not due to cancer. Other health problems can cause some of these symptoms. Anyone with such symptoms should see a doctor to be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Source: National Cancer Institute
Lung Cancer Web Resources:
National Lung Cancer Partnership
Lung Cancer Alliance
Swine Flu Information
Please share this information your friends, family and co-workers.
Web Resources:
WVU Emergency Information: H1N1 Influenza
Center for Disease Control
WVU Environmental Health & Safety
PandemicFlu.gov
Printables:
Swine Flu: Key Facts
Cover Your Cough CDC poster
Cover Your Cough CDC handout
Participate in a Health Screening and you may receive a cash reward!
WVU’s Employee Wellness Program encourages all employees to participate in a PEIA Pathways to Wellness Health Screening. Employees, spouses, dependents and retirees are eligible to participate once per year.
All you have to do is:- Participate in a Pathways health screening
- Score within the green ($50) or yellow ($25) range
The scores are determined by achieving ideally healthy ranges (green) for four measures as follows:
- Your total cholesterol (200mg/dl or less)
- Your Body Mass Index (25 or less)
- Your blood pressure (120/80)
- Your glucose or blood sugar (100mg/dl or less)
Please contact Kimberly Zaph at 293-8405 to learn how to bring this offering to your worksite.
More About the Pathways to Wellness Health Screenings…
The road to good health begins with self responsibility. Take charge of your health today by participating in a health screening through the PEIA Pathways to Wellness program. The confidential, voluntary and free baseline screening will provide employees with information on your total cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, weight, height, etc. Please contact your worksite wellness coordinator to see when the next screening is scheduled, or contact Kimberly Zaph (Kimberly.zaph@mail.wvu.edu) if your worksite does not yet have a designated coordinator.
Please note that individual data is never shared with the Division of Human Resources. Your data (without any of your personal identifying information) is aggregated with all other results and used for measurement to benefit program design. PEIA has contracted with beBetter Networks to administer the Pathways to Wellness health screening. They are required to adhere to the same stringent regulations that your health plan does to keep your information private and secure. These programs are designed to help you live as healthy as possible, but participation is your choice.
FREE smoking cessation classes for WVU employees and their family members
The Translational Tobacco Reduction Research (T2R2) Program is providing free smoking cessation classes for WVU employees and their family members. Classes will be offered at your worksite if a minimum of six people register.
Interested employees should contact Catherine Whitworth at 293-0926 to be added to a class roster. (Building location should be included in the request.)
Details: The Translational Tobacco Reduction Research (T2R2) Program
West Virginia Prescription Drug Abuse Quitline
If you are having a hard time controlling how much prescription medication you use or how long you use and/or continue to use them even though it is having negative consequences to you life, the WV prescription drug abuse hotline can help! The quitline is a 24 hour, 7 day a week free resource for all people experiencing trouble with prescription medications. Phone educators provide educational resources, self-help materials, and referrals to callers. Please call 1-866-WV-Quitt (1-866-987-8488) or visit www.wvrxabuse.org today for help.
Survivors Club, formerly HOPE, meets monthly
The Survivors Club, a community support group for cancer patients, their families and friends, meets from 6-8 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Suncrest United Methodist Church. Dinner is provided. For more information, contact Jennifer Craddock, 304-598-4564 or e-mail CraddockJ@wvuh.com. WVU employees and their family members are welcome.
Employees encouraged to compete in WVU intramurals
Intramural sports as diverse as walleyball and dodgeball and as common as flag football and basketball are open to all employees as well as students. League and tournament formats exist. To check out the intramural offerings as well as the spring, fall and summer activities, go to: WVU Intramural Sports. Participation in intramural sports is a great way to keep physically fit and fine tune those leadership and sportsmanship skills, plus meet new people and have fun, WVU wellness officials say.
Incorporate experiential education, challenge course into your job
The WVU Challenge Course is hosting several training opportunities this spring. To find out more, call 293-9650 or email wvuchallengecourse@mail.wvu.edu. The WVU Challenge Course is part of the Mountaineer Adventure Program which is best known for the Adventure WV freshmen programs.