...Action Plan for Optimal health and Wellness Josue Ramirez SCI/163 May 23, 2013 Dr. Sara Love Action Plan for Optimal Health and Wellness To achieve optimal health and wellness we must be able to incorporate and balance the six dimensions and/or elements of health; Physical, spiritual, social, intellectual, emotional and environmental. We must change our attitudes, beliefs and our unhealthy behaviors. Change is never easy, in fact the majority it is quire difficult, taking at least five tries before succeeding in changing the unhealthy behavior (Donatelle, p. 17, 2011). Increasing society’s awareness about the effects of these elements puts us on a path to optimal health and wellness. Top Three Elements Three elements we would increase in society are physical, spiritual and environmental. Although we agreed social wellness was is important we believed that taking care of our environment would impact both our physical and spiritual elements, especially if we committed ourselves to actively cleaning up our neighborhoods and communities. As we should be exercising at five days a week for at least twenty minutes a day and eating well balanced meals, learning more about taking care of our environment would produce the knowledge of creating a healthier environment to live in. Like taking on the physical aspect of walking through our neighborhoods picking up trash or going door to door letting our neighbors know of the benefits...
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...Action Plan for Optimal Health and Wellness Rodney Spear Sophia Wells Taneka Johnson SCI/163- Elements of Health and Wellness February 23, 2013 Over the course of five weeks, we have studied the components for living a healthy life. Within the components we learned were six dimensions of health, which include: physical, social, emotional, environmental, intellectual, and spiritual. Utilizing technology, the six dimensions of health were presented weekly via “Game Scape” episodes. This was an informative, engaging, and hands on program that emphasized each of the six dimensions of health through weekly challenges like a common game show of today. After viewing all five episodes in Games cape, the three elements of health and wellness we would want to increase in society are: rewards of physical fitness, nutrition and health management; preventing and treating chronic diseases; and infectious diseases and environmental effects on health. Nutrition and fitness play an intricate part in our overall health management. It is wise to develop and incorporate some type of physical activity in our daily routine for at least 30 minutes. Physical activity can include a light jog, walk, or a gym regiment that fits the needs of the goals a person has set. However, prior to beginning a workout routine you must look into the physical demands and not start to extreme if you had never worked out before. Begin at a slow to moderate pace and work yourself up to more...
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...increased costs and reduced affordability of private insurance. (Kongstvedt) Past cost control efforts have focused on changes from the payer and supplier side of healthcare, whereas current efforts place increased focus on patient preference and wellness. The most recent changes in the healthcare system have resulted from quality care measures and the guidelines within the Affordable Care Act. On a national level, increased focus on prevention and wellness has the ability to both improve overall health, but also control the rising costs of healthcare. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, chronic diseases – such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes – are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75% of the nation’s health spending. Often due to economic, social, and physical factors, too many Americans engage in behaviors – such as tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol abuse—that lead to poor health. The ACA creates a National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, composed of senior officials across the government, to elevate and coordinate prevention activities and design a focused strategy across Departments to promote the nation’s health. In addition, the Affordable Care Act...
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...Wellness Programs Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Wellness Program The research conducted by Aon Hewitt on the best employers in Canada helped identify the best 50. The research was done by surveying employees and measuring their opinions the company’s leadership and management, career development, and recognition as well as productivity. Another research conducted by McLean Company proceed to interview the 50 listed companies top management to establish what they think made their employees gave the companies higher marks. The outcome of the research indicated that best perks, initiatives and other opportunities on offer such as wellness programs were considered important by employees. Two companies that owe part of their ratings to their wellness programs include the Co-operators insurance company and the ATB Financial services. This essay aims at looking at their wellness programs (macleans.ca, 2014, n.d) Wellness programs help both the employees and employers to be more productive and in turn increase the company’s human resource potential. Well and fit employees are known to establish a good rapport with their employers and thus enjoy their job which in turn means that their work morale is always at the peak. The program further helps reduce the costs of health care and tax benefits. The wellness programs can be offered on the employer's places or off-the-site. However, some companies are now offering both on-site and off-site wellness programs. These programs...
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...With the rising cost of health benefits and compensations many, companies are turning to a more feasible way to take care of health and wellness issues. It is becoming more practical and cost efficient to incorporate a health and wellness program into the company practice. The extent of how much a program is applied depends greatly on how much a company can and is willing to spend, and how committed they are to help the individual employee have a healthy lifestyle. With a program properly put into practice, both the employee and the employer will see immense benefits. Implementing a Health and Wellness program can be simple for employers who are wishing to reduce health care costs and decrease absenteeism. This can be done by encouraging everyone one involved to show support and commitment to the new services being offered. The best way for companies to introduce such programs is to offer options such as workshops for employees to experience specific ways to live healthier quick meetings during office or lunch hours to learn new tactics and be reminded of previous ones special staff to assist in everyday office lifestyle The different ways to efficiently introduce the advantages of healthy living will have to be determined by each company depending on the cost of implementing it. Putting a health and wellness program will benefit any company by Lowering insurance costs with a simple plan introduction Providing feedback to employees about all aspects...
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...Affordable Care Act & Workplace Wellness Programs 2014 Melanie L. Milner Texas A&M Corpus Christi The Affordable Care Act & Workplace Wellness Programs 2014 The Affordable Care Act was passed into law by the United States Congress and President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The overarching purpose of the Act was to allow individuals, families, and small business owners the ability to be in control of their own health care (PPACA, 2010). The Act permitted the establishment of the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council, with a focus on prevention and wellness within the public health spectrum (PPACA, 2010). The Council developed a health promotion strategy that prevented group health plans from discriminating on premiums and eligibility, and defined specific criteria, including financial incentives and wellness programs, which must be met in the effort to embrace wellness and improve employee health (Moran, 2013). The rules and strategies set forth by the Affordable Care Act that apply to wellness programs were revisited and reorganized, and became effective for insurance and benefit plans beginning on or after January 1, 2014 (Moran, 2013). The current regulations specify wellness programs into categories, require nondiscriminatory rules that offer alternative programs and waivers annually for those with health conditions, and increase the amount of monetary rewards permissible to those who meet a health related standard (Livingston &...
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...INTRODUCTION Health and wellness in the workplace is crucial to business success. Increasingly, it is recognized that the workplace itself has a powerful affect on people’s health. When people are satisfied with their job, they are more productive and tend to be healthier. When employees feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed. Stress has a large impact on employee mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity. Companies that promote healthy lifestyle habits for employees to improve their health, often take the success of the company to heart and are likely to be absent less often for health related reasons. Employers are now offering a wide range of wellness initiatives; such as health risk screenings and assessments, healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines; weigh management programs on-site at employers' expense, subsidized or discounted off-site fitness courses, smoking cessation programs, on-site massage therapy and health fairs. This research paper will focus on the physical impact that unhealthy or healthy workplaces have on employees and the different programs to promote long-term wellness. There can be several benefits received as a result of a wellness program. A workplace wellness initiative can help a company to: • attract and keep employees; • reduce the costs of disability, drugs, and absenteeism; • reduce the effects of a stressful workplace; • reduce health costs or keep them contained; and •...
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...Wellness Programs Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Wellness Program The research conducted by Aon Hewitt on the best employers in Canada helped identify the best 50. The research was done by surveying employees and measuring their opinions the company’s leadership and management, career development, and recognition as well as productivity. Another research conducted by McLean Company proceed to interview the 50 listed companies top management to establish what they think made their employees gave the companies higher marks. The outcome of the research indicated that best perks, initiatives and other opportunities on offer such as wellness programs were considered important by employees. Two companies that owe part of their ratings to their wellness programs include the Co-operators insurance company and the ATB Financial services. This essay aims at looking at their wellness programs (macleans.ca, 2014, n.d) Wellness programs help both the employees and employers to be more productive and in turn increase the company’s human resource potential. Well and fit employees are known to establish a good rapport with their employers and thus enjoy their job which in turn means that their work morale is always at the peak. The program further helps reduce the costs of health care and tax benefits. The wellness programs can be offered on the employer's places or off-the-site. However, some companies are now offering both on-site and off-site wellness programs. These programs...
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...| Wellness in the Workplace | 11-24-2013 | Table of Contents Executive Summary 4 DEFINING WELLNESS 5 Employee wellness 5 WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE 6 How wellness impacts employees and employers 6 Organizations with wellness plans 7 Implementation of a wellness plan 8 Recommendations for a Marketing Agency 8 CONCLUSION 10 Works Cited 11 Executive Summary In this report you will learn about wellness in the workplace. The Government of Canada says that Canadians are becoming less well each year, this has resulted in more missed time at work and more money being spent by employers. This report will inform employers on the current wellness programs within other organizations, and how to implement their own wellness plan using some beginner strategies. If implemented correctly, these changes could impact the lives of their employees greatly. The health of Canadians is deteriorating at an alarming rate. 52.5% of Canadians are considered overweight or obese, only 53.9% of Canadians consider themselves physically active. Nova Scotia is the only province that reports a higher percentage of residents with diabetes than the national average, at 8.6% (The Government of Canada, 2013). Health related diseases are on the rise, as are insurance rates to compensate. It’s not just the physical health of Canadians that is deteriorating, it’s also our mental health. The number of Canadians suffering from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder...
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...At Cornerstone Chiropractic & Wellness Center we believe in the value of providing total health and wellness care for you and your family. We have created a pricing structure that is flexible enough to allow you to get the wellness care you need, no matter what your budget. While our office participates in most insurance carrier plans, but please call us if you have any questions about whether your insurance plan will pay for your wellness care. Insurance We accept most major insurance plans, including personal injury, workers compensation, auto accident, and Medicare. Because chiropractic care varies widely with so many insurance plans, please call us to find out if your plan covers care in our office. Our staff will be happy to verify and explain your benefits before treatment. No Insurance...
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...Over All Wellness Program An Over View Steps to create wellness plan 1. ------------------------------------------------- 2. 3. 4. 5 ------------------------------------------------- Assess your wellness - The many dimensions of personal wellness overlap and work together to create an integrated system of well being. Think about the aspects of personal wellness and how they relate to you, then valuate the amount of wellness, or fulfillment, you feel you have in each area: * Emotional wellness. This pertains to how well you are aware of, accepting of and able to deal with your feelings. Relationships, stress, self-esteem and life outlook are all factors that play into emotional wellness. * Social wellness. This aspect of personal wellness has to do with how you see your place in the world and in society, and how well you adjust to your personal role in society. * Intellectual wellness. This dimension refers to the amount of information and knowledge you take in, and the amount of creative, analytical thinking you put out. Learning, problem solving and mental productivity are important aspects of intellectual wellness. * Spiritual wellness. Wellness plans include spiritual wellness not as a reference to religion, but rather as an indication of what you perceive to be the meaning of life and how you fit into it. Beliefs and value systems are a part of spiritual wellness. * Mental wellness. This pertains to your mental health, and encompasses...
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...Developing an Organizational Employee Wellness Plan Sample Outline This outline is intended to be a starting point to guide state agencies in developing their own agency-specific wellness plan. The provided outline addresses specific points to consider in developing the agency plan, but each agency will need to add additional content to define adequately what and how each activity will be implemented in the agency. While the outline is presented in this format for ease of reading and brevity, a more narrative format is recommended to serve as the actual agency wellness plan. Additionally in some sections, such as Program Objectives and Program Content, the outline provides suggested objectives or program content for agencies to consider. In these sections, agency wellness planners may need to delete or add language to reflect agency-specific objectives and content. If you have any questions about the outline or developing your wellness plan, please contact: I. Program Purpose This voluntary program of formal and informal activities is designed to improve the health and well-being of all employees and reduce or eliminate health issues affecting employee health and work productivity. II. Program Objectives A. Primary Goal 1. The Employee Wellness Program will strive to increase the well-being and productivity of all employees by enhancing all aspects of health. The program seeks to increase awareness of positive health behaviors, to motivate employees to...
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...Workplace wellness programs have gained an increasing spotlight in recent years with the introduction and eventual rollout of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare. These types of programs are organized, managed or sponsored by employers with a focus on enriching the lives and wellbeing of employees by improving their physical, mental, emotional and occupational health through education and awareness. The design of these incentive-based programs encourage and reward health conscious behavior such as healthy dietary habits, physical activity, stress management and smoking cessation as well as other disease prevention measures by providing financial incentive or other type of rewards for changing health-related behavior or improving measurable outcomes. Providing or endorsing these types of programs and absorbing the costs associated with the products and services, there must be an incentive for the company as well. It has been touted that these programs have long-term, positive implications for companies such as reducing healthcare costs associated with workplace injuries and occupational complications, increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism, improving employee morale and enhancing the general culture and environment within the workplace. The American Heart Association has reported that by 2030, 40% of Americans will have a diagnosed cardiovascular disease and direct medical costs to society will rise from $278 billion to...
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...Employee Wellness Definition & Purpose of Wellness Employee wellness refers to any workplace sponsored programs that aim to help employees, boost morale, improve health and fitness and also improve productivity in the workplace. Advantages of Employee Wellness Program * Decreased Health Care Costs Many wellness programs have been proven effective in reducing company health care costs. This is because a healthy employee means no need to claim medical cost, thus minimizing healthcare expenses for the company. * Improve Workplace Morale When employees are healthy, therefore on the whole a lot happier, this would result in the employee giving better performance in his/her work. They also understand that the company is taking measures to ensure their health and wellbeing, this breeds loyalty and responsibility in the employee. * Reduced Absenteeism It has been showed that healthier employees spend lesser days away from work due to illness; this helps the company save money on down time and temporary employment. * Reduced Overall Costs With a reduction in sick leave, absenteeism and lower health costs, these will help contribute to a high amount of reduction in overall company cost. * Enhancement of Company Image as a Caring Company When an employer implements a wellness program, it demonstrates a commitment to its employees and shows a concern for their health and fitness. This is a sought-after benefit, and it may help an organization recruit and...
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...The challenges and strategies for improving the national health as a whole will be to , increase the quality of individual life by making awareness and motivation to acquire knowledge over health .reduce and eliminate the disparities in the people that includes race , gender , ethnicity ,income and disability. The changes and policy strategies are designed to target whole national’s health rather than individuals by modifying physical and organizational strctures.example of such modification includes enhancing opportunities to engage in physical activity by providing onsite facilities for exercises. The educational and informational strategies attempt to build the knowledge to inform the necessity of optimal health practice. Information and learning experiences voluntary adaptations towards conductive behavior of health. This can be done by providing information in internet, posters, pamphlets, health and nutrition software’s and providing information regarding healthy diet and exercise. Behavioral and social strategies will influence the behaviors indirectly by targeting individual’s awareness, self – efficacy, perceived support and interntions.this can include social environment to provide support for the people to maintain weight changes. Such interventions can involve group behavioral counseling. The Vision of healthy people 2020: “A society in which all people live long , Healthy lives “, So the barriers to health service includes lack of availability, Increased cost, lack...
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