Did you know it's National Family and Caregiver month?

Below are some tips to help you manage long-distance caregiving. Visit WhatIsSolutionsForCaregivers.com for more information. Or check out the Caregiver Videos atMedicaremadeclear.com. Get Informed. Learn what you can about the condition of the person you're helping, including medical, physical, financial, social, emotional and safety needs. This information can help you anticipate potential issues and prevent a crisis. Contacts and Resources. Create a notebook or folder with vital information about health care, social services, contact numbers, financial accounts and other important information. Ask about written permission to receive medical and financial information. Find Trusted "Eyes and Ears." Seek help from people in the immediate community: a next door neighbor, a doctor or perhaps a case manager. Ask them to check in on the person you're caring for and to be your eyes and ears. Encourage them to call if they see anything that concerns them. Make a Medication List. Include all prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements. Get doses and schedules. Update the list regularly and keep a copy with you. Review Health Care Coverage. If you're helping a loved one on Medicare, now's the time to review their health coverage and find the Medicare plan that best meets their needs. The Open Enrollment Period (OEP) to enroll or change Medicare plans is from October 15th through December 7th. Get in Touch and Stay in Touch. Schedule regular calls with doctors and other caregivers to get up-to-date information about the condition of the person you're caring for. Consider conference calls, so other relatives can participate in a single conversation. Consider Contacting a Program That Can Help. The Solutions for Caregivers program provided by UnitedHealthcare can help when you are separated from the person for whom you are caring. Their nurses provide an objective assessment of the situation, develop a care plan and discuss recommendations with the whole family. Solutions for Caregivers has nurses assess a family's caregiving situation and needs, develop a care plan and discuss recommendations with the whole family. Solutions for Caregivers is available through some employee assistance programs and is also available directly to consumers. You can learn more at www.WhatIsSolutionsForCaregivers.com or by calling (877) 765-4473. Click here to view webpage.

Guest post: How HR has failed, and how to fix it

In the beginning, there was the Personnel Department. Its job was to handle the mechanics of hiring and firing – basically, a clerical operation. Then came Human Resources, which was supposed to transform the department’s role into a dynamic player in finding, developing and keeping top talent. So why hasn’t that transformation taken place? Consultant Scott K. Edinger has some answers.

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In the early 1990s I was a Human Resources Associate in the firm of Coopers & Lybrand (now pricewaterhousecoopers.) I got into HR because I was interested in the elements of improving human performance.

Some veteran HR pros will remember this as a time when we bristled at being referred to as the “personnel people.” Human resource management was supposed to be something quite different.

The problem: It wasn’t. And still isn’t.

Click here to continue reading.

Diabetes and the Eyes

Did you know that diabetes can lead to eye complications? 

The statistics are alarming. Diabetes affects more than 8.3% of the U.S. population.¹ Diabetes can lead to many eye complications, from dry eyes to blindness. The major cause of blindness in people with diabetes is diabetic retinopathy.² 

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. The blood vessels weaken and begin to leak fluid. This causes two major problems:

• Diabetic macular edema, or retinal swelling of the area that allows us to see fine details clearly
• Retinal neovascularization, or the growth of new abnormal blood vessels. These vessels are very fragile, tend to hemorrhage and don't supply the retina with normal blood flow. These fragile new vessels may bleed into the vitreous, the clear jellylike substance that fills the center of the eye

Click here to learn the conditions.

Tip Tuesday! Top 2 Ways to Lose Weight Fast

By Dr.Axe
Here are my top two ways to lose weight and to lose it fast! So many people are jumping into the latest diets and pills but still aren’t seeing the results they should be seeing.
By applying these two tips you can lose up to 3 or even 9 times as much body fat, compared to traditional cardio. You can even lose up to ten times more weight compared to other types of exercise.
Click here to view video and the two tips.

Tread carefully when considering termination of employee with emotional issues

Reminder to managers: Unless you’re a certified professional, don’t act as an employee’s psychiatrist — even if you’re worried the employee’s actions could put her co-workers in jeopardy.

That’s the message in a recent case out of Erie, PA, where a city firefighter alleged she’d been fired in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The woman, Mary Wolski, worked as a firefighter for several years, eventually becoming a fire truck driver. She apparently performed her duties satisfactorily.

But then her mother fell ill, and died within a year. The death of her mother caused Wolski significant grief and resulted in her taking extended leave for depression and anxiety issues.

To continue reading the whole story, click here.

4 more years! And 5 big areas of change for HR

By Tim Gould

What’s a second term for the Obama administration going to mean for HR pros? Here’s a sampling of what the experts are saying.

Immigration

Ilyse Schuman and Michael Lotito, writing on the Littler Mendelson blog:

President Obama’s reelection boosted the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform. … While the chances of passing a comprehensive immigration bill are greater during the president’s second term, these efforts will likely continue to face stiff opposition in Congress. …

Click Here to continue reading.

Strength training: Live stronger, stay younger

By William Weese, M.D.
Do you want in on an anti-aging secret? It doesn't come in a jar or a pill. It's not a magic potion or a special offer.

In fact, it's really not a secret at all.

It's strength training — a tried-and-true way to turn back your body's clock by giving you firm muscles.

Use it — don't lose it
Over time, adults can lose muscle. This decline typically begins in your 30s or 40s — and doubles in rate once you turn 50. That's if you don't fight back. Strength training can preserve — and enhance — your muscles. It also slows bone loss — and can reduce your body fat.
Click here to continue reading.

Tip Tuesday! 4 Ways to Naturally Reduce Joint Pain

Do you struggle with arthritis, fibromyalgia or other joint pain? Or are you a runner/triathlete that often feels joint pain during long runs? If so, then you need to know the 4 ways to naturally reduce the inflammation causing the pain.

1. Proteolytic Enzymes naturally reduce inflammation. In a recent study, athletes suffering ACL injuries were able to reduce recovery time by 50% by taking proteolytic enzyme supplements. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme found in the core of pinapples. In supplement form, I recommend Wobenzym N from Garden of Life.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Herbs like turmeric, ginger and boswellia are great for reducing inflammation throughout the body. You can take them as supplements or use them in cooking.

3. Essential Fatty Acids like Omega-3 fats help your body fight inflammation. Wild caught salmon, grassfed beef and dairy are high in Omega-3s as well as flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.

4. Electrolytes like Potassium and Sodiumhelp your body fight inflammation in two ways. Sodium helps bring water and nutrients into your body’s cells. Potassium aids in flushing waste and other toxins out of your body’s cells. Low levels of potassium can cause joint pain and swelling. The average American consumes 1/10th the amount of potassium necessary. Cultured whey and coconut water are foods that have a good balance of electrolytes to speed the healing process.

Click here to view full page and video.

Food and mood: Are you an emotional eater?

By Arleen Fitzgerald, L.I.C.S.W.

Polishing off a pint of ice cream after a hard day. Mindlessly munching a bag of chips when you're feeling bored. It's emotional eating — and most of us have been there.

For some, though, it can become a hard-to-break habit that may lead to overeating and weight gain. To take back control, it's important to learn how to recognize false hunger — and find healthier ways to manage your emotions.
Click here to continue reading.

When knees ache: Easing osteoarthritis

By Tanise Edwards, M.D.

A twinge here. An ache there. A snap-crackle-pop on the way down the stairs. When knees are stiff, sore or swollen, it can mean arthritis — or more precisely in many cases: osteoarthritis.

With this joint condition, the cartilage in your knees — or other joints — begins to break down and wear away. Cartilage is a rubbery tissue that helps cushion bones. When it's lost, bones can rub against each other, leading to stiffness, pain, joint damage and loss of movement.

Add all this up — and even the simplest of daily activities can become difficult.

If you're having knee problems, it's important to see your doctor. The right treatment plan can help you stay active, control pain and protect your joints from further injury.

To read the full article,click here.

Missed your flu vaccine? It’s not too late

By Karis Gabrielson, R.N.

Get a flu vaccine. It was on your to-do list — weeks ago. But, it never got done. And, now that it's November, you might be wondering if it's still worth doing.

The simple answer is, Absolutely! Even well into flu season, this yearly vaccine may help keep you healthy.

More on the why, who, when and where.
Look at the questions and answers, click here.

Tip Tuesday! Sniff, sniff, cough, cough: Ways to soothe a child’s cold

By Karis Gabrielson, R.N.


Time is often the best remedy for a cold. That's because colds are caused by viruses, which usually just have to run their course.

But, explaining that to a stuffy, sniffling little one isn't likely to help him or her feel better. So, what's a parent to do?

Your first instinct may be to head to the medicine cabinet. But, wait. There's something you should know.

Over-the-counter cold and cough medicines have risks — especially for young children.

Click here to view all the guidelines.

3 interview questions to ditch – and 3 to use instead

Thanks to the Internet, applicants are better prepared than ever for interviews — which means HR pros need to work harder to find questions that candidates haven’t already memorized the answers to.

Here are three interview questions you need to get rid of, and three you can start using instead, courtesy of The Resumator.

1. Tell me about yourself. The most innocuous question is also the most boring — applicants won’t tell you anything you didn’t already know from their resume or cover letter. Why waste your time and theirs?
   Instead, use: What’s the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to you?
   If you keep things interesting, you’ll get some interesting answers. The applicant’s response needn’t be related to work either — if a candidate says the birth of his son was the most exciting thing to happen to him, that’s a great indication that he’s loyal and committed.
2. What’s your five-year plan? Here’s a questions that’s supposed to get at what an applicant’s ambitions are, but in reality has no good answer.
   Instead, use: When you retire, what do you want your job title to be?
   Ditching the time frame allows candidate to open up and talk about what pushes them to succeed — which is what you really want to know.
3. Talk about a time you overcame an obstacle. While behavioral questions have become more and more common in recent years, they still aren’t good at one thing: Figuring out how an applicant would react in the specific job you’re looking to fill.
   Instead, use: I’m going to describe a problem you might have to handle as an employee here. How would you solve it?
   Using a real-life example helps put the candidate’s response in a context you can relate to, as well as give you insights into the applicant’s abilities and skills.

To view the full web page, click here.

Important Dates to Remember

The following checklist provides insurance agents/brokers, employers and benefits and payroll professionals key upcoming dates and deadlines related to health benefits. This reminder list does not constitute all of the deadlines applicable to employers and some deadlines may be different based on variations in plan year or plan design.

To see the full calendar, click here.

Open Enrollment Season is Here

The fall season is a time of change, especially for HR and benefit professionals.

Fall brings more than just daylight savings time change or the colors of the trees, it brings open enrollment. Each year HR and benefit professionals must provide employees with options for the next plan year. The list of activities for this season should include the following:

Summary of Benefits & Coverage (SBC). A new requirement for this year is the SBC, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). You must provide an SBC to all applicants and enrollees for all group health plans, except for those that are excepted benefits under HIPAA (e.g., stand-alone dental, vision, most Health FSAs). This requirement is effective for open enrollment periods that start on or after September 23, 2012.

Click Here to continue reading.

Managers’ report card: A’s in ethics, but just C’s in motivation

There’s good news and bad in a recent survey on how employees view their supervisors. Managers excel at acting ethically, but they’re not so hot at motivating their charges when things aren’t going well.

Nine out of ten employees see their bosses as both ethical and professional, but far fewer said their superiors were good at motivating their staff in times of adversity.

That’s according to new research from consulting firm Healthy Companies International.

Healthy Companies International surveyed 2,700 employees throughout North America to explore the behaviors of immediate supervisors.

The survey posed the question, “How do you rate your boss’s performance? The person to whom I report… ” and then listed various managerial behaviors.

Click here to continue reading.

IRS sets 2013 plan contribution limits

The IRS has released its new plan contribution limits for next year. Here’s what you’ll need to know for 2013.

These benefits-related updates are culled from the much-longer IRS news relase:

• Contributions toward 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans. Employees can contribute up $17,500 come next year, a $500 increase over 2012.
• Catch-up contributions. Workers 50 years and older can still only contribute $5,500.
• Maximum contribution. There is a $1,000 increase in what what can be added to a defined contribution plan, from $50,000 to $51,000.
• Maximum pension benefits. Similarly, there’s a $5,000 increase in the annual benefit limit for defined benefit plans, from $200,000 to $205,000.
• Benefits calculation. The amount of employee compensation that can be considered in calculating contributions to defined contribution plans will increase from $250,000 to $255,000.
• Highly compensated employee definition. The earning threshold used to define a highly compensated employee will increase from $110,000 to $115,000.

Click here to go to webpage.