Post by Dan Wilson, RRT, CPFT, AEC

School is back in session and parents are making sure their children are getting back into the swing of the school season.  In the rush to get school supplies together and checking the bus schedule, it’s easy to over look the, “Back to School Asthma Checklist”. The American Lung Association recommends the following five steps when it comes to asthma readiness and the school season.

Step 1. Learn About Asthma
Talk to your healthcare provider about how asthma affects the lungs and what can be done to keep asthma from becoming a problem. Visit the American Lung Association website at www.lung.org and search, “Asthma” for many free resources including online asthma educational tools for parents and educational asthma games for kids.

Step 2. Talk to the School Nurse
Visit or call the school nurse or staff member in charge of student health. Ask if there is a form that needs to be completed by your child’s healthcare provider authorizing the school nurse or staff member to give your child breathing medication if an asthma flare up happens at school. Ask about the school’s asthma emergency plan and if PE instructors, coaches and teachers are trained to recognize asthma symptoms and how to respond to an asthma emergency.

Step 3. Schedule an Asthma Check Up
Every school year should begin with a visit to your child’s healthcare provider for an asthma checkup. This checkup assures your child’s asthma is in control and that they are receiving the right amount of medicine for their asthma. It’s is also a good time to be sure your child has enough asthma medication refills for the school season.

Step 4. Develop an Asthma Action Plan
An Asthma Action Plan is a written worksheet created by your healthcare provider that helps you and the school nurse recognize if your childs asthma is OK or if it is becoming a problem. The Asthma Action Plan has written instructions about what “Action” to take if the asthma is becoming a problem. Ask your healthcare provider to give you an Asthma Action Plan during your asthma check up.

Step 5. Get a Flu Shot
The “flu” is a respiratory virus and a common asthma trigger. The best way to protect you and your child from the flu is by getting the flu shot. Also, teach your children the importance of hand washing to prevent respiratory infections.

For more information about HealthNet or to find a location near you, visit www.indyhealthnet.org.

The kids are finally back in school!  Have you noticed that your child/children seem to be more anxious or isolated or irritable since it is back to school time?  If so, take a few minutes to ask them why they feel this way.  Sometimes it is hard for kids to tell their parents how they are feeling, but their behaviors and demeanors can definitely tell you a lot.

Kids could be scared to return to a place where they feel they are being bullied, whether on the bus, in school, at lunch, in the classroom.  So take a few minutes to ask you kids if they are being bullied in school.  This is a huge problem in our society today that gets ignored by so many.   Ask your kids questions related to being bullied/harassed/picked on in school, and don’t limit it to just peers.  It is important to make sure they don’t feel their teachers or other adults are bullying them as well.  Bullying has tremendous effects on kids, their behaviors and emotions.  They could have difficulty paying attention and focusing, decreased self esteem, increased anxiety/fear, lack of motivation, irritability, refusing to do schoolwork, being defiant at school, not doing school work, the list goes on.  If you notice your child begins to exhibit some of the above behaviors, take a few minutes to ask them what is going on.

Do you notice that now your child has started school, he or she has started texting you more frequently and making some excuse or another for you to go pick them up?  Have you noticed they have started giving you more of a fight in the morning prior to going to school?  Do they tell you it is hard for them to breath around all those other kids?  If so, your child may be experiencing some social anxiety related to the crowded hallways and number of people in a small area.  Don’t tell your kids they are making excuses, rather listen to what they have to say.

If your kids are experiencing some of the above mentioned behaviors or others, don’t hesitate to contact your nearest HealthNet center to schedule an appointment with one of our behavioral health therapists.

Yes, it is already that time of year when kids are returning back to school!  Can you believe it, summer is already over?!  Some us of look forward to this time of year, where others are wondering how am I going to manage everything?  

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Your children are looking forward to starting the next school year with all their extra curricular activities, whereas you are worried about meeting scheduling needs.  First of all, take a deep breath, as I’m sure that can be a very overwhelming feeling.  Sometimes we tend to add extra stress onto ourselves and we don’t even know it.  We do this by thinking of all the things that need to be accomplished, which weighs us down and becomes so overwhelming, that it takes a lot more energy and effort.  So instead, try to break the tasks up into smaller time frames – instead of thinking about the whole school year, break it down into months, but even better, into weeks, or days.

If we break tasks up into smaller tasks or smaller time frames, they don’t seem to be that overwhelming.  Remember, you don’t have to be supermom or superdad, ask for help!  Don’t feel like you have to participate in the PTO or volunteer for things at your child/children’s school just because you did last year.

It is important to spend time with your kids and that they know you are supportive of their extra-curricular activities; however it is also important to take care of yourself.

I’m a big believer in taking care of yourself, as that is the only way you can take care of the others around you.  If you are barely able to think or sleep, it is going to take more energy and effort for you to take care of the loved ones around you. So, make sure you take a few minutes to take time out for yourself, even if that means you take a few minutes to read a magazine, get your nails done or catch up on your favorite sports teams scores, etc.

If you have more than one child, and they are actively involved in school activities, make a schedule or calendar for yourself. Sometimes writing things down helps to keep things in perspective, instead of leaving it to memory. For those that are single parents, be realistic about your schedule and don’t expect yourself to be in two places at once.  For those that have both parents involved, break up the activities amongst yourselves and then switch the next time.

It’s that time of year again– back to school!  It’s hard to believe the summer went by so quickly!

I’ve noticed that both kids and adults have a difficult time adjusting routines and getting back to school.  One of the most arduous tasks of the fall is establishing good sleep patterns again!  It seems that during the summertime, parents tend to be more flexible regarding sleep and often don’t have the rules regarding sleep that are imposed during the school year.  This can make for a rude awakening (literally!)  Hopefully, you will find some helpful tips here for getting your kids back into their school routine and sleep routine.

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

First of all, basic sleep hygiene is good to know.  The CDC recommends these four basic tips for good sleep:

1. Go to bed and get up from bed at the same time each night and morning
2. Sleep in a room that is comfortable and relaxing
3. Only use bed for sleep (no reading, movie watching, etc.)
4. Avoid large meals before bedtime.

Sleep is critically important for all of us but especially kids!  It allows them to focus and learn– skills necessary at school.  On average, preschoolers should be getting around 11-13 hours of sleep per night, 5-12 year old children should be getting 10-11 hours of sleep per night, and teenagers should be sleeping between 9-10 hours.

For starting back to school, a bedtime routine is essential.  Kids crave structure and boundaries because they know what is coming and they feel safe.  This is especially important with changes in their lives including starting a new school year.  So, if you haven’t yet, establish a bedtime routine.  If you have the time before the school schedule starts, gradually get back into sleep and wake times appropriate for the school day about two weeks before the first day of school.  And, stick to the routine!

Also, try to get electronics out of the mix about an hour before bedtime.  Too much screen time provides too much stimulus for kids before bed.  Instead, use that hour to engage in relaxing activities and connect with your child.

An additional two quick tips: allow for adequate activity during the day and limit (if not prohibit) caffeine intake!

Lastly, remember there are always little eyes watching, so model what you want your children to see (and be) —including good sleepers!

I hope this year’s back to school season is a success with well-rested, ready-to-learn kids!

Post by Denise Kaspar

Healthy Families America is a nationally recognized evidence-based home visiting program model designed to work with overburdened families who are at-risk for adverse childhood experiences, including child maltreatment. HealthNet’s Healthy Families program has been providing home-based family support services for approximately eighteen years.  Healthy Families America has a strong research base, which includes randomized control trials and well-designed quasi-experimental research.  To date, research and evaluation indicate impressive outcomes. Reviews of more than fifteen evaluation studies in twelve states produced the following outcomes:

• Reduced child maltreatment
• Increased utilization of prenatal care and decreased preterm and low birth weight babies
• Improved parent-child interaction and school readiness
• Increased access to primary care medical services
• Increased immunization rates

The primary goal of prenatal care coordination is early entrance and continued participation in prenatal and postpartum care to reduce low birth weight, preterm labor, and infant mortality.  Prenatal Care Coordinators and Community Health Workers provide home-based support services and referral to human services for pregnant women and their families at risk for poor pregnancy outcomes due to physical, social, psychological, financial, or environmental factors.  HealthNet’s prenatal care coordination program, Better Indy Babies (BIBs), has been providing these services for well over twenty years.

Better Indy Babies’ goal is to decrease the incidence of low birth weight and infant mortality.

Research was completed on a similar program in New York City and it was found that home visiting programs during the prenatal period reduces the incidence of low birth weight.

Additionally, both of HealthNet’s programs increase school readiness – first through assisting mothers to have a healthy birth outcome and then assisting overburdened families to enhance parent/child interaction and improve family functioning.

HealthNet’s home visiting services help promote physical well-being and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development, cognition and general knowledge.  Our services recognize and honor the special role that parents play in shaping the lives of their children and can help create families and communities and children ready to learn.

Click here for more information about Better Indy Babies/Healthy Families.

Together, HealthNet’s Better Indy Babies and Healthy Families programs provided more than 10,955 visits to at-risk homes in Marion County. With your help, we can do even more.

Immunizations are an excellent way to help keep your child healthy.  Children entering kindergarten need to show proof of having received DTaP and MMRV boosters.  These vaccines help protect against whooping cough, measles, and chickenpox.  Likewise, children starting sixth grade need their meningococcal and Tdap vaccines.  The HPV vaccine can also be started at this age; this vaccine protects against cervical cancer.  It’s also a good idea to get a flu shot this fall.  Influenza can be quite serious and keep a child home from school for a week or longer.

Adequate sleep is very important to school success.  Start practicing the school schedule at least a week before school starts.  Generally, this means getting to bed and getting up earlier!  Most school children need nine hours of sleep every night.  And plan on enough time in the mornings for your child to get a good breakfast.  Children who eat breakfast get better grades.

Backpacks can get heavy with school books and cause back pain.  Make sure your child’s backpack fits over fits over both shoulders so the weight is evenly distributed over his back.  Throw in some hand sanitizer and Kleenexes to help ward off those school-time germs.

Most children ride the bus to school.  Find out where and when the bus will be coming.  If possible, greet the bus driver and meet the other children at the bus stop.

Many schools have a dress code.  Make sure your child’s clothes conform to the dress code and that they are comfortable and clean.  Contact the school’s social worker if you need assistance.

Your child’s future depends on a successful school experience.  Is your child is ready for school?  Are his immunizations up-to-date?  Does he have a good sleep schedule?  Are his clothes appropriate?  If your child complains about school or isn’t doing well, talk with his teacher(s) early in the school year.  Yes, school is for learning but it should also be fun and safe!

Well…..it is that time of the year….already! August is here and the kids are heading back to school.

It is hard to believe, because it feels like summer just started. But, as I checked my Facebook page this last week, several of my friends who are teachers are preparing to go back to work, others are posting pictures of their little ones’ first day of kindergarten, and (while I hate to admit it) some of my friends are getting ready to send their oldest off to college!

As I drove into work this morning, I began to reflect upon this time of year and what it means to me. For me, fall and the beginning of a school year, brings back wonderful memories of wearing my new “back-to-school” outfit, reuniting with old friends and the anticipation of making new ones, new teachers, new beginnings, new classes….it always felt like a “fresh start.” This time of year also takes me back to my college days and the feelings of freedom and independence – like the world was in my hands and the hopes and dreams for my future were endless.

I began thinking about HealthNet’s five school-based clinics and what our staff and providers must be thinking this time of year. How are the children we serve feeling? Are they up-to-date on their immunizations? Do they need help with taking their asthma medication? Many of the children that HealthNet’s school-based clinics serve do not have the same luxuries that I did as a child. Many come from broken homes or no home at all and many are suffering from medical and social needs.

Our staff is there to help these children begin the school year healthy….because being healthy is the foundation to learning and every child deserves to have hopes and dreams for their future.

Last year, our school-based clinics helped more than 3,000 students receive health care and health education services. As you prepare to go back to work as a teacher….or send your little one off to kindergarten….or drop your oldest off at college, please take a moment to consider making a donation to HealthNet’s school-based clinics.

A gift of $25 helps provide a change of clothing to a child who gets sick at school, and a $50 gift would provide students with a personal hygiene kit that is filled with items they may not have at home.

We are dedicated to ensuring that health becomes a bridge, not a barrier to learning. Help us build that bridge!

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What hopes and dreams are your kids looking forward to this school year? Share your comments! 

As 2011 draws to a close, we wanted to share a letter from HealthNet President/CEO Booker Thomas that appeared in yesterday’s e-newsletter:

Dear Friends of HealthNet,

Every year, hundreds of individuals make donations that help HealthNet fulfill its mission of caring for the community. We hope you will join them and make a gift to HealthNet this holiday season.

Consider that:

• $50 helps School-based Services provide students with a personal care hygiene kit filled with items they may not have at home.
• $100 provides 2 weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy for a patient without insurance through Health Promotions.
• $200 helps a family struggling with a rent or mortgage payment through Social Services.
• $200 provides breast health education and outreach to inner-city neighborhoods in Indianapolis through Mammogram Assistance.
• $500 helps provide services through the Healthy Families Programthat teach and encourage the skills that make a family work. In an area where poverty heightens the normal stresses of parenting and making ends meet, families need a variety of support just to keep it together.
• $1000 provides tuition for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and certification for someone in the Homeless Initiative Program.

Any gift, large or small, will make a difference in our ability to put our patients’ needs first as we provide the very highest standard of care in a community-based environment. 
Please click here to make a donation online.

 I also invite you to enjoy the online edition of HealthNet’s 2010-2011 Annual Report. In this easy-to-read format, you can learn more about the expansion, innovation and growth HealthNet has experienced in the past year, as well as read some amazing stories from our patients and clients.

 On behalf of the entire HealthNet family, I thank you in advance and wish you the very best for a happy, healthy 2012!

Booker Thomas, MHA

President/CEO

HealthNet, Inc.

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Sign up to stay up-to-date on HealthNet happenings in 2012!

Earlier this year, the ISDH announced that it will no longer allow county health departments to provide low-cost immunizations to children who have insurance.

This new policy is intended to reserve vaccinations for the most needy. However, even families with insurance face out-of-pocket expenses they can not afford because some insurance policies have high deductibles or only cover one shot.

Some Indiana medical practices participate in the Vaccines for Children program. 

The Vaccine for Children (VFC) program is a federal program that provides eligible children all recommended vaccines at little or no cost. However, if your doctor’s office is not a VFC participating provider, community health centers, such as HealthNet, will provide immunization to children at little or no cost.

With the new school year right around the corner, are your children up-to-date on their vaccines?

Now, we want to hear from you, learn about you, and find out more about how we can work together to serve our clients to the best of our ability.

Here are three steps that will help us to do just that:

1.  #GiveACareAbout … yourself!

   We give a care about what you do, where you are located in the great city of Indianapolis, and how you are involved with community happenings and making Indy a better place to live.  You can quickly introduce yourself now by commenting below, or you can wait until later and tweet us, or start following us on Facebook and introduce yourself there.  Whatever way you choose, we want to know more about you and what YOU #giveacareabout.

2. #GiveACareAbout. … those who need it most!

   In our blog series earlier this month, we introduced you to our several of our outreach programs. Our Homeless Initiative Program, Better Indy Babies & Healthy Families program, School-Based Services, and our Health Promotions team all serve those who are most in need in the Indianapolis community.  We will often bring you opportunities to give a care about the program or programs you are interested in.

3. #GiveACareAbout … telling others how they can help!

   Share your #giveacareabout stories with your friends on Facebook!  When you tweet us what you #giveacareabout, you will get retweeted to our network.  Or, if you don’t want to be as vocal about it, then simply sign-up for our monthly e-newsletter and forward it to your friends.  Later this month, we will have a unique way to share what you #giveacareabout, so keep your eyes peeled!

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through 2011, but this second half is looking to be an exciting one!