health Archives - Page 7 of 8

Fix Your Finances After A Workplace Injury

February 2, 2018 by admin

Workplace injuries are a common emergency situation many people find themselves in, even if you’re living a nomadic remote working lifestyle. It’s estimated that roughly 374 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses occur in the workplace every year. These can result in expensive medical bills, disability, and the inability to work. If you have a family, your priority is to look after them, but this can prove stressful, especially if you’re no longer earning a fixed income.

Luckily, there are many things you can do! Here’s a rundown of some of the most helpful tips so that you don’t have to worry about finances while you’re recovering from your injury.

Apply For Worker’s Compensation

In Australia, you can apply for worker’s compensation if you’re injured at work. According to the Worksafe website, an injury is defined as a personal injury that arises out of, or in the course of, employment if the employment is a significant factor to the injury.

You’ll be covered for things such as lost wages, hospital expenses, and rehabilitation treatments to help you get back on your feet.

What If You Can’t Go Back To Work?

It might happen that you’re not able to return to work, such as if you lost your arm and won’t be able to do your work without it. You could find yourself without a job, and your worker’s compensation will eventually run out. This is a stressful prospect, but it doesn’t have to make you feel helpless. There are still things you can do.

A) Contact Your Insurance Company

Does your insurance policy state that your bills would be covered if you were injured and unable to work, or that your income would be replaced? Check it out! For instance, Income Protection will replace some of your income if you can’t work. According to MoneySmart.gov.au, there are different Income Protection policies that offer benefits, but you’re likely to get cover for up to 75 percent of your gross income for a maximum time period stipulated, such as two or more years.

If you’re disabled after the accident, Total And Permanent Disability (TPD) insurance can cover various costs related to your disability, such as rehabilitation costs as well as debt repayments or the cost of living. Insurance policies can therefore be a huge help after a work-related injury.

B) Consult With An Attorney

According to attorneys Tait and Hall, anyone who’s experienced a personal injury can gain justice for it. An attorney can help you in various ways, such as if your insurance claim is denied or your employer isn’t communicating with you during this stressful time. Sadly, some employers try to get out of taking responsibility for injuries or illnesses that occur to their employees at work, which is why it’s essential to get a professional who can help you navigate this scary and foreign territory.

C) Consult With Your Employer

If you could still do some aspects of your job in spite of your disability or illness, speak to your employer about your employment options. For instance, if your job requires you to write or do accounting work, you could do this anywhere as long as you have a laptop and internet connection. These jobs enable you to work remotely, which is especially beneficial if you can’t drive anymore due to your injury. Working from home would ensure you continue to earn an income in spite of your illness or injury.

When you get injured or ill due to work, it can be devastating and lead to a great deal of financial stress. By gaining control of your finances and achieving some financial support, you can help yourself and your family through this trying time.

Developing a Happy, Healthy Home Life for Parents with Kids

January 26, 2018 by admin

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Creating a happy, healthy environment for your children to grow up in matters enormously for their emotional, mental, and personal development. Kids need to feel secure in their environment and have a greater degree of predictability because most things are new to them. This is why when going on a trip, kids need to know when they’ll arrive and make plans after their arrival to return a sense of control when out of their limited comfort zone.

Here are a few ways to create a home environment that’s conducive to a happy life for children.

Children Need Their Own Autonomy

While they depend very much on their parents for help, support, and advice, they also must learn to think for themselves, solve problems and not require parental assistance at every turn. Just like with using stabilizers on a bicycle, it’s good to help them avoid injury, but sometimes they have to take a few knocks to learn important life lessons you cannot get from reading a book.

It’s always better to learn from the mistakes of others, but that’s not always useful with practical challenges. Parents will do well to note the different types of things that their kids will need to learn and when practical lessons override book smarts.

Rewards for Participation Isn’t Setting Them Up for Long-term Success

One of the issues currently evident with the millennial generation is a lack of desire to win. It’s been found that millennials as children were given awards just for participating in an event or a challenge, regardless of whether they won or not. Doing so creates several new problems long-term.

Firstly, it makes it clear that winning is not necessary; just doing the minimum is good enough, which is a lousy ethic to bring into a competitive workplace environment later.

Secondly, not striving for continual improvement because average performance is rewarded makes it difficult for young adults to keep up with a rapidly-changing marketplace that we’re currently all facing.

For the next generation, it’s important to expect higher performance as children get older. Whilst parents should recognize that each child has their own innate abilities and limitations, doing the best that they can do is the mark to attain. Teaching children to finish what they start and to be heavily goal-oriented are both vital disciplines that lead to better performance throughout life.

Healing Emotional Abuse with Foster Kids

For foster parents, the challenges can often be even greater than for biological parents. Many children that go into foster care were poorly treated, previously suffering one or more kinds of abuse. A sense of betrayal and abandonment leads to a lack of trust in authority figures, which if not handled the right way continues through to adult life, leading to potential difficulties in the workplace and elsewhere.

Taking an emotional abuse test is a good way to confirm whether there are any major difficulties in this area, which can then be addressed in a positive way. Rebuilding trust in authority and learning to accept sensible guidance takes time in children who are preschoolers, tweens, or of school age. But it’s a critically important component of a child’s developmental path.

Creating a safe environment for children allows them to focus on their lives, accelerate learning and leave plenty of time to play. In chaotic homes, it’s been shown time and again that this leads to erratic children who grow up to be detrimental members of society. By doing your part as a parent, your children can grow up to be leaders and inspire others.

4 Ways to Make Your Kids Feel at Home at the Doctor’s

January 19, 2018 by admin

No matter what age your children are, going to the doctor’s office can be a stressful and nervy experience for many youngsters. Even if it’s just a routine check up, the next time you have to take one of your kids to the pediatrician’s could prove to be a tough day on the parenting docket. Fortunately, here are four steps you can take to mitigate against a stress-inducing day out to the doctor’s –– and help both you and your little one relax!

Bring Entertainment

The most excruciating aspect of any visit to the doctor’s isn’t the check up itself, the reflex tests, or even the dreaded shots –– rather, it’s the anticipation that can unsettle even the most fearless child. Plan for having to wait in the lobby for some time while at the pediatrician and make sure to bring along something for your child to play with. A book, iPad, tablet, or small toy are all good suggestions. Anything that holds their attention, without causing too much of a ruckus will serve to relax them, and allow you to fill out paperwork without distraction.

Consistency is Key

The last thing your child needs on an already stressful day are unplanned shocks to the system. So if possible, schedule each trip to the doctor to be as similar as possible. Find a pediatrician you like and trust at a location that’s convenient for you and continue with them. Your child will appreciate the consistency and will learn to trust a doctor the more they see them.

Be Transparent

If your kid is especially freaked out by going to the doctor’s, one way to help calm their nerves is to explain the different processes to them. Tell them what to expect at the doctor’s, why certain exams and shots are necessary, and how long everything is going to take. You can even show them images of different lab equipment like needles, pediatric blood tubes, and stethoscopes to help destigmatize any fears they might harbor. Remember, your child is perceptive; misleading them, or downright lying will cause more trouble than it’s worth.

Reward Good Behavior

Let your little one know up front that after you go to the doctor’s, there will be a treat in store for them. Whether you take them out for a classic like ice cream, or candy, or a trip to the movie theater or zoo is up to you. Just let them know you appreciate their cooperation and reinforce their positive behavior.

Kids and Teens More Vulnerable to Sleep Disruption from Electronics

January 16, 2018 by admin

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One of our primary concerns as parents involves ensuring that our children obtain a good night’s sleep, from the time they are babies. In the U.S., recent reports show that children under the age of nine spend over two hours a day on electronic devices, with around 42% of children this age having their own tablets. In addition to raising concerns about the type of apps they are using/games they are playing, so much screen time has also recently been found to risk their quality of sleep.

Why Are Children and Teens More Vulnerable to the Effects of Screens?

A recent large-scale review of available research, published recently in the journal Pediatrics, found that children are particularly sensitive to the sleep-disrupting effects of electronic devices, because their brains, sleeping patterns, and eyes are still in the process of development. As noted by the report authors, when light hits the retina of the eye, it suppresses the production of melatonin – a hormone which makes us feel sleepy. Light extends the period of time during which we feel awake and alert, and because lenses are more transparent in young people, the effect of electronics on their eyes is significantly higher.

Psychological arousal is also more significant in children and teens: that is, texting friends, watching visually impactful media or networking on social media sites can increase their cognitive arousal.

Why is Sleep so Important?

Sleep is vital for a host of bodily functions; it helps keep anxiety, obesity, and fatigue at bay, to name just a few. Lack of sleep can lead to major health issues that are costly and challenging to treat, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. Although the majority of Americans enjoy coverage for these diseases, some medication or treatments may lie outside their policies, which can pose a great economic and personal burden for families.

How Can Parents Improve Sleep in Children?

Experts recommend specific steps, including:

Ensuring children do not spend time on electronic devices in the hours leading up to bedtime.
Turning off all devices at bedtime and charging them outside the bedroom.
Removing plug-in devices from children’s bedrooms (including computer games, televisions, etc.).

To improve sleep in kids, try to reduce their amount of screen time, especially in the afternoon and night time. Stick to a routine, ensure your child’s bedroom is cosy and dark, and if you do opt to give your children a snack before bed, make it a healthy one such as fruit or veggies, or snacks from a food group your child may have consumed little of during the day.

How to get through a tough day of parenting

November 30, 2017 by admin

Raising a young family is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. There will be some days when it all gets a bit too much. You may feel as though you have too many jobs to get done and too many people to keep happy. In order to avoid these situations, it is best to be prepared. If you are wondering how you can do this, you will need to read on. Below are five tips for getting through a tough day of parenting.

Have a little fun

If you are looking for a quick fix, why not find yourself a joke of the day? This is a fantastic way for you to have a little fun. Whenever you are dealing with a particularly stressful problem, having a laugh could be the best way for you to work through the situation. You could even use your joke as the necessary motivation to get through a long list of tasks.

Take plenty of breaks

Perhaps you could enjoy your joke during one of your many breaks. Instead of running yourself into the ground, it is vital that you divide your day into manageable chunks. This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by all of your responsibilities. It will also help you to manage your stress levels. You could spend your break times reading a short story, watching a YouTube video, or taking a walk around your backyard. You could even try a spot of meditation, as this is a perfect way for you to escape the stresses and strains of daily life.

Relax with a bubble bath

You should also remember to give yourself something to work towards. One way of doing this is by ending every day with a relaxing soak in a bubble bath. If this is the main thing that is getting you through your day, it is important to go all out. Make sure that you invest in luxury bath soaks, put on some soothing music, and light some scented candles. You will also need to find someone else to take on the task of looking after your children, as you don’t want to be disturbed during your time out.

Always make sure to plan ahead

If you are always struggling to manage your time, you will need to plan ahead. This will help you to stay on top of all of your family’s activities. Why not create a rota for you and your brood? This should detail what everyone is doing, where they are doing it, and what preparations need to be made. You should also encourage all of your family to contribute to this plan, as this will ensure that you aren’t faced with any last minute surprises. When you have finished putting together your weekly schedule, why not display it on your fridge, or create an online version that everyone has access to? If your family life is going to run smoothly, you all need to be on the same page.

Keep your energy levels up

Throughout your day, it is vital that you have plenty of snacks to keep you going. Instead of counting calories, you should be thinking of your food as fuel. If you are constantly running around looking after your little ones, you can’t afford a dip in energy. Make sure that you eat plenty of healthy and energy-boosting snacks. You will also need to stagger your snacks throughout the day. Perhaps you could prepare a trail mix for during the school run. Or, maybe you could treat yourself to a healthy smoothie, during your afternoon break. The most important thing is that you have the energy that you need in order to keep going.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Another important step is to ask others for help. When it comes to raising a family, you should never feel as though you are on your own. In order to avoid this, make sure that you have a strong social circle around you. Perhaps you could reach out to other parents who live on your street. This will ensure that you always have someone to turn to on an extremely stressful day. You should also speak to your family members and your partner. It is important that they understand the pressure that you are under and that they do everything in their power to help you out. Another option is to look online. There are plenty of useful parenting forums that are filled with interesting discussion topics and helpful pieces of advice. It is said that a problem shared is a problem halved and this is certainly true when it comes to parenting. Whenever you find yourself in a difficult situation, it is vital that you are not dealing with it alone.

Use technology to your advantage

In this digital age, you should be using technology to your advantage. This is a great way for you to ensure that your family life is running smoothly. There is a wide range of apps that you can download to help you through your day. Say you are breastfeeding your new-born baby, there are actually apps that will help you to monitor your feeds and stick to your schedule. Or, if you are struggling to get your children to go to bed on time, there are apps that will help you to manage your children’s sleeping patterns and to take control of your household. If you are going to run your household successfully, it is important that everything is working in your favor. You could also use technology to keep your children entertained. You could treat them to a fun television show or give them an interactive tablet to play with. If you go down this route, just make sure that you limit their time on these devices. It is fine for technology to be a big part of your family life, but it should never be allowed to take over.