Health and Wellness Rooms Help Reduce Work Comp Costs

Educating your employee about their injury is a good idea. What benefits do you get when your employee understands safety awareness and proper lifting? Is there a program that can help your injured employees understand their injury, help rehabilitate and return to full duty?

Health and Wellness Rooms are your answer! You can benefit greatly when using the Early Return to Work Program. Our post-accident prevention program can help minimize workers’ compensation costs and reduce overall losses for your company or business. The program works closely with the injured employee’s doctor to develop a plan to return the worker back to full duty. Our Health and Wellness Room can help with those that need a temporary shift in responsibilities through our light-duty program.

In this program we will educate the injured employee. We don’t just rely on the doctor to help the injured worker return to work. They are encouraged – within their restrictions – to walk, stretch and complete the therapy given to them by their doctor to aid in their recovery. They will have the opportunity to read and learn about their injury and ways of prevention. In a classroom environment they will have an open forum to ask and learn about their injuries. All of this will be done with the goal of returning the injured worker back to work quickly, safely, with more awareness of their injury, and with the knowledge of how to prevent future accidents from occuring. This way the injured employee continues to work while earning wages throughout recovery.

Learning can be very infectious and these employees can bring back a positive attitude and knowledge that can be shared with other employees. Let us help you:

Your company can undoubtedly save money with a program like this that has a proven method.

Maintaining Your Youth – “Use it or Lose it”

To many people, growing older means that life will slowly go downhill -but it doesn’t have to be that way.  The misconception most have of aging as “a time of gradual loss of function” isn’t necessarily accurate.  While aging is inevitable, loss of function isn’t. Much of the decline in our ability to function at the level of your youth (i.e. walk, run, climb stairs, or even work a physically demanding job) is due to inactivity – not aging – and can be prevented. When it comes to strength, energy, and fitness, the old saying still applies: “use it or lose it.”

The benefits of regular activity have been studied and well documented. Exercise strengthens muscles and maintains joint flexibility. It can lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and the risk of osteoarthritis, and help maintain healthy blood glucose levels. In addition, exercise can also help you lose weight, reduce stress, and improve sleep, digestion, circulation, energy levels and self-esteem. Finally, regular exercise can help you to function better – at home and at the job – and remain independent (as you age) in spite of health problems.

The good news is that it is never too late to start exercising. Everyone can benefit from regular physical activity. But it is older people who have more at stake as they struggle to manage chronic health issues and maintain independence. The people most successful at aging are those who are physically active.  Even a little physical activity can have great benefits for health and well-being.

By “physically active,” the Surgeon General recommends 1-hour of moderate activity (like brisk walking) on five or more days of the week. The 1-hour can be accomplished in one stretch or in a few short bursts. Muscle strengthening and flexibility exercises are also important to a complete activity program. 

As always, it is imperative that you talk with your physician before starting any exercise program. There may be some activities or exercises that you should avoid, and you should know about them ahead of time. On-the-job-injuries also become more common as employees age. For preventative measures, keeping your muscles flexible helps your joints maintain the range of motion (ROM) needed to complete daily activities, while on the job. 

There are many resources out there should you have any questions or concerns about your exercise program. A physical therapist, exercise physiologist or an occupational therapist can help you get started on an exercise program designed specifically for you. Theses professionals have special training in creating exercise routines and can teach you how to do you program correctly and safely.

Lastly, conditioning builds your endurance so that you feel fatigue less quickly and are better able to tolerate prolonged activity -if working a physically demanding job. Conditioning assures that you have enough energy to complete your everyday tasks and those activities that bring you joy to your life, such as golf, a game of basketball and playing with the grandchildren.

Remember, while accidents do happen, being educated on the fundamentals of reducing workplace injuries and having strength, energy and fitness will ultimately prevent further accidents from happening – especially those repeat occurrences.

If you are interested in finding out more about Proof:Positive Consulting and the services we provide, please contact us.

Keep Your Back Injury Free and Stay on the Job

Many occupations require routine lifting.  But, lifting the wrong way can lead to serious back injuries (and time off from work). However, there are some important tips to remember and use when you are lifting, regardless of the object’s size or weight. Keep your back pain-free by following these simple steps:

  • Plan your lift prior to lifting
  • You should stretch prior to any lifting to warm up your muscles
  • Use dollies or other lift assist devices to help you when available
  • Only lift or carry what you can safely handle
  • Always lift with your legs and not your back
  • Never lift with a twisting motion
  • Always carry the load close to your body
  • Lower the load slowly and bend the knees
  • Use a co-worker if available to share the load

Our backs are a vital part of our body and health.  You should always remember to take care of your back on and off the job.   Do not take unnecessary risks when it comes to lifting.  As an employer make sure each employee is properly trained and protected from injury. It is good practice to have a safety program in place and proper training to avoid costly workers compensation claims.

Back Safety – On or Off the Job!

It is estimated that 8 out of 10 Americans will have a back problem at some time in their lives. And no wonder – we have a knack for neglecting our backs! You might be a weekend athlete who might strain an underused muscle, someone with bad posture, and someone who lifts incorrectly or who is overweight, under stress, or out of shape and are setting the stage for a back injury.

Then there is the average American worker who sometimes is required to do manual labor at their jobsite. It is a good practice for employers to help educate these employees on proper lifting and safety awareness. Most people are active outside of work. An injury off the job or on the job is still an injury, and impacts productivity. So it is important to try and educate your employees on not only work back safety but back safety all the time. As an employer, showing concern for your employees on or off the job can only benefit you. Help yourselves avoid workers compensation claims, retraining, overtime paid to cover shifts missed due to injury, and help boost employee morale.

Safety should be taught to avoid accidents not in response to one. Proof:Positive can help your company evaluate your safety programs and help design a program to fit your company needs. Your employees can not only learn about injury rehabilitation but also learn on how to care for themselves outside of work as well.

Osteoarthritis, the Result of “Wear and Tear” on the Body?

Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis (OA): The notion is widespread that exercise or intensive physical labor can cause osteoarthritis in the knees and other joints of the body, especially in older people, and yes even those professional athletes who succumb to the constant wear and tear on their bodies season after season. In the wake of the NBA playoff series now underway, several athletes are not battling one another up and down the hardwood, but rather battling something of a different opponent. To date, the NBA injury report reads…

  • 5 knee surgery’s, out for season
  • 5 knee soreness, out 4-6 weeks
  • 3 torn knee ligament’s, out 6-8 weeks
  • 3 knee sprains
  • 1 torn meniscus, out for season
  • 1 torn cartilage

The prevailing idea is that too much pounding can bring about the cartilage loss, and the subsequent pain, that is the combatant OA.  However, a recent study published in the February 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research finds that, contrary to popular belief, exercise and a physical demanding job has no effect on the risk of developing OA. More…

Opportunity Knocks After Workplace Injuries

The opportunity for you to obtain some knowledge after a workplace injury depends on you. Why sit waiting while injuried to heal without learning about your injury? Information can be provided by your Doctor and Therapist that might be clinical and hard to understand. Finding a place where you can be educated about your injury during recovery can be difficult, but can pay dividends if you take advantage. Take the opportunity when it knocks to learn about your injury and how to recover, and even prevent future injuries…all while staying off disability.

The Proof:Positive Health and Wellness Room present the opportunities to obtain information about your injury. A Health and Wellness Room provides a place to study your injury and learn more than what your Doctor might say about your injury. You can also learn how to prevent further injury, save yourself from future pain and suffering, get back to being productive, and stay that way. Another benefit of a Health and Wellness Room is that you can remain on your regular payroll and not have to go out on disablitiy.

Of course you would have to eligible for the Health and Wellness Room, and eligibility is determined by your Doctor and what work restrictions s/he writes for you. Most restrictions can be accomodated in a Health and Wellness Room, however, and recovery from work injuries is increased dramatically when an injured employee attends a Health and Wellness Room.

So, carpe diem, and help speed your recovery and your return to work. Take the opportunity to learn and heal at the same time. Increase your knowledge and awareness about work place injuries, and stay on payroll. Opportunities don’t always come along with horns blowing and flags flying – you have to answer the knock of opportunity after your injury. Ask your employer about the Health and Wellness Room option. Above all, you are the one who will benefit from time spent in the Health and Wellness Room.

Mental Attitude Can Have a Positive Affect on Physical Health

Studies show that your mental health can influence your physical health. And certain personality traits – such as optimism or pessimism – can influence how well you live and even how long you live. It is important to create a positive atmosphere for your employees. It also very important to create that same environment for your injured employees. Having a positive mental outlook can also help promote healing. It is easy to forget about the physiological and psychological affects that an injury has on an employee.

Researchers evaluated results from a personality test taken by participants more than 30 years ago and compared them to the sudsequent mortality rates. They found that people who scored high on optimism had a 50 percent lower risk of premature death than those who scored more pessimistic. Besides a lowered risk of early death, researchers found other health benefits related to positive attitude. In the study, optimist reported:

  • Fewer problems with work or other daily activities because of physical or emotional health
  • Less pain and fewer limitations due to pain
  • Less interference from physical or emotional problems when engaging in social activities
  • Increased energy
  • Feeling more peaceful, happier and calmer

Source: FemHealth.com

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