Caregivers Need Care, Too. SCAN Health Plan Arizona Offers Five Caregiver Tips
(PHOENIX, Ariz. – November 21, 2011) — Since November is National Family Caregivers Month, it’s the perfect time to commend the nation’s caregivers and offer them support. SCAN Health Plan Arizona encourages caregivers to take care of themselves with these five tips:
- Reward yourself. Giving care can be a tiring and difficult job, and caregivers deserve a break. Accept help and give yourself permission to take a break. You and the person you’re caring for will be better off.
- Don’t go it alone. There are many community resources available to help, like the Area Agency on Aging and SCAN Health Plan. Turn to them for information and support.
- Educate yourself. Learn about and tap into organizations that can help you better administer care. Local senior centers, hospitals and senior-focused health plans like SCAN Health Plan can offer disease education, caregiver resources and more.
- Take care of your back. Caring for another adult often means a lot of lifting, pushing and pulling. Take care of your back by bending at the knees and pulling with your arms while keeping your back straight.
- Immunize. To ensure your own health, immunize yourself against some of the most preventable infectious diseases, including influenza, pneumonia and tetanus.
“Family caregivers offer an invaluable gift to their loved ones – the ability to remain in their homes with dignity,” said Elizabeth Russell, chief executive officer of SCAN Health Plan Arizona. “In the course of caring for others, it’s easy for caregivers to neglect their own health. We’d like to encourage them to take some time for themselves and attend to their own needs.”
For more than 30 years, SCAN Health Plan has been focusing on the unique needs of people with Medicare and today is the fourth-largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plan in the United States. SCAN Health Plan Arizona serves approximately 15,000 members in Maricopa and Pima counties. Further information may be obtained at http://www.scanhealthplan.com.
Members of the news media may contact:
Carol Stevenson
818-597-8453, ext. 3
carols@kevinross.net.
