Well is good: getting started on a cost-effective wellness program at your company.Generally speaking, comprehensive wellness programs have three major components: health screenings, health and wellness education and fitness programs. Of the three, screenings are the most important, since they have the potential to uncover potential health risks before they become problems. One way to detect such risks is by holding regular on-site health fairs. Optimally, such fairs should screen for the eight controllable lifestyle risk factors identified by the Michigan Department of Community Health that contribute to the development of cardiovascular disuse, including smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol Cholesterol, High Definition Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in animal tissue and is an important component to the human body. It is manufactured in the liver and carried throughout the body in the bloodstream. , obesity, lack of physical activity, alcohol and drug abuse, poor nutrition and diabetes. After checking key health indicators like weight, blood pressure, body mass index and cholesterol levels, health fair organizers then can provide sage advice about lifestyle changes that can help employees reduce or eliminate their risk. Health fairs are usually conducted by nurses or other trained medical personnel. If your company is too small to have its own occupational nurse, you can contact an organization like the Visiting Nurse vis·it·ing nurse n. A registered nurse employed by a public health agency or hospital to promote community health and especially to visit and administer treatment to sick people in their homes. Association of Southeast Michigan for assistance. Providing wellness information on a regular basis also should be an important part of a wellness program. Many local hospitals offer wellness materials on topics like smoking cessation smoking cessation Public health Temporary or permanent halting of habitual cigarette smoking; withdrawal therapies–eg, hypnosis, psychotherapy, group counseling, exposing smokers to Pts with terminal lung CA and nicotine chewing gum are often ineffective. , proper nutrition proper nutrition, n in Tibetan medicine, a therapeutic concept that begins with a digestive formulation because it is believed that a medical condition is primarily the result of a nutritional dysfunction or disturbance in the process of delivering nutrients. and exercise that can be used to keep employees informed about health issues. Posting health and fitness articles culled from the Internet or fitness magazines on the company bulletin board also can help motivate employees to make better health choices. Providing opportunities Finally, providing fitness activities and opportunities is important for any successful wellness program. Many companies have on-site exercise facilities that may be used by employees at no charge during off hours. Alternately, some companies pay for low-cost memberships at the local YMCA YMCA in full Young Men's Christian Association Nonsectarian, nonpolitical Christian lay movement that aims to develop high standards of Christian character among its members. or a gym for employees who are motivated to join. Your own health insurance provider is another viable source for wellness programs and information. Depending on the level of coverage you've selected, you'll have access to a comprehensive slate of wellness benefits, including periodic physical exams, flu shots, allergy testing allergy testing See Patch testing, RAST, Skin testing. and healthy pregnancy visits. Health Alliance Plan (HAP HAP. An old word which signifies to catch; as, "to hap the rent," to hap the deed poll." Techn. Dict. h.t. ) members, for example, are eligible for smoking cessation counseling and nicotine replacement therapy Nicotine replacement therapy A method of weaning a smoker away from both nicotine and the oral fixation that accompanies a smoking habit by giving the smoker smaller and smaller doses of nicotine in the form of a patch or gum. when recommended by a HAP physician. Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Shield A US not-for-profit health care insurer that is a reimbursement intermediary for physicians. Cf Blue Cross. of Michigan subscribers have access to information on how to reduce injuries by calling its BlueSafe for Michigan health line, as well as health-care education and advice from its Blue HealthLine. 4 basic questions Before your company or organization starts the design process of a worksite wellness program, you should prepare by answering these questions: 1. How ready are you to develop a health promotion program? 2. Are you setting realistic goals for the program? 3. How participative a process do you want to follow in designing the program? 4. How extensive a design process do you wish to follow? Eileen Figure Sandlin is a freelance writer. |
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