An Easy-to-Keep Resolution for Better Health

Researchers tell us that some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions deal with living a healthier lifestyle. Many of us resolve to quit smoking, lose weight, eat a healthier diet, or exercise more. I have made all of those resolutions and kept at least one of them. They are hard to keep on a long-term basis.

There is one health-related resolution that is a little easier and can be just as important in helping achieve better health. It is to put together a personal health record that includes all the medication you take, all the doctors you see and all the tests you have had. This important document can help you get better treatment when you seek health care in routine and emergency situations.

While you are going through last year’s receipts for preparing your tax documents, make copies of medical information for a folder that can serve as the basis of your personal health record. A good resource for determining what documents and information to include in you record is www.MyPHR.com. Be sure to check out my guest blog when you are there.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Personal Medical Information

October is “Organize Your Medical Information Month”. This is the month folks are encouraged to gather their medical histories and pertinent medical information into one comprehensive record that provides a basis for decision making for themselves, their family and the medical professionals who deliver care to them.

Years ago, the family doctor knew your medical history and the medicine you were taking because he (or she) had often treated your family members and certainly was aware of your care through his own practice or his careful coordination with specialists to whom he referred his patients.

Things have changed. A variety of medications are available over the counter, many people take dietary supplements and access specialty and preventive care without referral. Screenings offered in the community, flu shots offered at pharmacies and grocery stores sometimes do not make it to central medical files. Care gets further fragmented if hospital care or rehabilitation is required.

So, in October, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) suggests you pull all that information together. This non-profit group has a website at http://www.myphr.com/ that has a listing of common information and reports contained in a health record and step-by-step instructions for organizing your health information.

Having your information organized allows you to make better decisions about your continuing healthcare, avoid duplicate tests and get faster, more effective care in an emergency.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Avoid Paper Clutter

Avoid Paper Clutter

According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, paper is the number one clutter problem in American households. When you really think about it, that covers a lot of territory. There is mail, receipts, documents that record marriages, births, deaths, legal transactions and agreements. There are newspapers and periodicals and even reminder lists and post-it notes. We haven’t even considered the mounds of paper generated doing homework, creating white papers and documenting our thoughts for current readers and future generations. There are warrantees and receipts to keep track of. There are insurance policies and tax records to maintain. There is not one system that works for every one but here are a few hints to help keep things under control.

1. Minimize the paper you receive by contacting the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry to opt out of receiving pre-screened credit card and insurance offers from lists provided by Equifax, Experian, Innovis and Transunion (http://www.optoutprescreen.com)/. You can also contact Direct Marketing Association (http://www.dmaconsumers.org/) to discontinue receiving direct advertising from companies affiliated with DMA.
   
2. Sort mail as you receive it and retain only the documents you need to maintain your records.
   
3. Do not save newspapers and periodicals for an article you need for future use. Clip the needed material only and recycle the rest of the paper.
   
4. Keep warranty information clipped to appliance instructions and the purchase receipt in a file or three ring binder for handy reference.
   
5. Find a home for the paper you keep and them keep the volume under control by setting limits that meet your personal needs. Examples include:

• No more magazines than the magazine rack can hold
• No receipts over a year old other than those for tax and warranty purposes.
• Only insurance policies that remain in force

If you are currently overwhelmed by the paper in your life, start with one area and work on it until you get it organized. It may be culling the magazines or managing the mail. Just pick a place and start. Then keep your solutions simple and make sure they fit the way YOU live.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net