A support group can consist of a group of friends, family, and medical professionals to help keep you accountable and closer to your health goals.

Take a moment to think of the people in your life. Try to identify those who are positive, who have similar health goals, who enjoy or long for healthy lifestyles, or who may specialize in healthy activities you don’t. If any strong candidates come to mind, ask them to join you in your fitness journey. Ask them to occasionally check in on you, share knowledge, or walk alongside you. Also take time to add to your virtual support group.  For this you can follow inspiring social media accounts and YouTube channels. These accounts should help spread positivity in your daily feed.

One of the main benefits of support groups is accountability. You may need someone to remind you of your goals or to intervene if you slip back into old habits. You may also benefit from a workout buddy to help you commit to workout routines. If a friend waits for you at the gym, it may motivate you to keep your word and meet them.  In addition, the Society of Behavioral Medicine conducted a study and found that when people worked out with someone else or in a team setting, their workout time doubled in comparison to people who worked out alone. [1] Keep in mind that you can also save money. Many fitness centers offer referral programs where you get money back in your pocket. Many fitness studios also have discounted rates for semi-private sessions in activities like swimming or Pilates.

Once you develop your support group, try creating a group text or Facebook page. Report progress and celebrate achievements. Get creative and find activities that get you excited to try with your group. This could include fitness classes, dance lessons, or going to a nearby track or basketball court. On the nutritional side, you can take field trips to the grocery store, or evenings to swap and try healthy recipes. As a bonus you can even check out our Nutrition and Diet program right here at HealthNet, and schedule a free appointment!

Overall, this should be a fun and rewarding process. The support we give another can make a huge the difference in our emotional, physical and mental wellbeing.

[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-you-should-work-out-crowd-ncna798936

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern

Level 1: Be aware of popular apps. According to Pew Research Center, the most popular apps among teens in 2018 were: YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit. [1] We know this! However, different apps become popular all the time. Those apps would include: TikTok, Monkey, Houseparty, Discord, WeChat, and even dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, Hily, etc).

 Level 2: Be aware of popular app features. Some today are:

• The ability to make parts of the profile hidden or filtering who sees what
• The ability to have location visible to friends 24/7 and
• The ability to video chat with strangers or friends

Level 3: Be vocal about what is acceptable in your household.  Discuss topics like:

• the display of personal information
• account profiles being public or private
• the boundaries of picture taking and
• location sharing.

Level 4: Be aware of how information can be hidden. This could include:

• Manually hiding apps in the settings of iPhones and Androids. With a quick google search, there are many videos that will show you how it’s done.
• Making apps less noticeable by creating app folders
• Downloading fake apps to be a disguise for photos or different apps

Level 5: Be aware of ways you monitor activity. To accomplish this you can:

• Simply ask to look at your teen’s social media profiles
• Ask what app’s they have accounts with
• Use apps to monitor activity like SecureTeen, Net Nanny, and TeenSafe [2]
• Use the same iCloud or phone account to see previous purchases, subscriptions, and downloads

[1] https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/01/17/generation-z-looks-a-lot-like-millennials-on-key-social-and-political-issues/

[2] https://www.today.com/parents/these-3-apps-can-help-you-monitor-your-teens-activities-t105483

Posted by: Akiliah Walker, Marketing and Communications Intern

I began to mentally compare my family’s location in a more affluent neighborhood in relation to what I was seeing in this neighborhood.  I came to the realization that even though this store had some choices that my family could purchase at our location, I was not able to make those same choices for those that my organization serves.  I began to wonder if this location would be considered a food desert, where most food choices are found at convenience stores and gas stations.

When I returned with my lackluster purchases that frankly, I was embarrassed to offer my hard working clients, I could not help but look up the definition of the “Food Desert.” The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) Working Group considers a food desert as a low-income census tract where a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store.

So how can you make healthier choices if those choices are not available? Some health care systems and restaurants are working on this problem by creating rooftop gardens. As an organization that serves those experiencing homelessness, this may very well be the next track to help provide healthier options to the families who haven’t had these options in the past. These ideas can help families to have a brighter future and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

To learn more about HealthNet’s Homeless Initiative Program or to make a donation,  please visit www.indyhealthnet.org/HIP.

For more information on food deserts please click here.

Post by Matt Holland

Healthy Families is a family support and strengthening program that provides child development information, parent child interaction activities, referrals and linkage to community resources, and other assistance to meet the individual needs of families.  Approximately 500 families a month participate in this voluntary home-visiting program.

A great time was had by all!  There were 493 family members in attendance.  Families were able to enjoy a tasty hot dog lunch with chips, cookies, and applesauce.  Families and children could participate in fun games and visit 18 community agencies including HealthNet Health Promotions, Social Work Department and Outreach & Enrollment program. Other agencies represented included Safe Families, Indianapolis Public Library, Indy Parks Department, Boy and Girl Scouts and many others.

Children played fun games and were able to win prizes. The games included ring toss, duck pond, bean bag toss, cake walk and other fun games. A craft table was set up for children to make colored rainbows, paper bag vests and headbands. Children were also able to get their face painted by HealthNet’s talented face painters.

Throughout the event, door prizes were raffled off. Music was provided by a disc jockey.  As is our tradition, the children danced the hokey pokey and the chicken dance to close the event.

Thank you to all area businesses and to the HealthNet departments who donated door prizes. Over 40 door prizes were given out to families during the picnic.

To learn more about HealthNet’s Healthy Families Program, please visit us online at www.indyhealthnet.org.

HealthNet’s Healthy Families Program is part of a national program, Healthy Families America, and we must show adherence to HFA Best Practice Standards in order to earn our national accreditation.  Healthy Families America (HFA) is rooted in the belief that early, nurturing relationships are the foundation for life-long, healthy development. Healthy Families delivers home visits to overburdened families, to help parents forge a strong bond with their child despite challenges such as single parenthood, low income, depression that put child at risk for adverse childhood experiences, including abuse and neglect.

HFA reports rigorous evidence from 12 publications of multiple randomized control trials with impact in the following six domains.

• Family economic self-sufficiency:  The program helps parents find the motivation and resources to further their education.
• Maternal and newborn health:   Rigorous studies of HFA sites report numerous health benefits for both mothers and babies.  More parents reduced their alcohol use, children have better access to health care, and more completed well child visits.
• Prevention of child injuries, including maltreatment:  HFA studies show 17 significant benefits in this area, including reduced child maltreatment, physical punishment, yelling and improved use of non-violent discipline based on parents’ self-reports.
• School readiness:   Rigorous studies report improvements in children’s cognitive development at one and two years.
• Reduction in crime or domestic violence:  Reducing domestic violence is particularly challenging but crucial due to its close link to child maltreatment and other negative outcomes for children and families.
• Linkages and referrals:  Many of the families typically exhibit more needs than a single program can address.  The programs use key strategies to strengthen their connection and collaborate with many community services to link families to needed services.

HealthNet’s Healthy Families Program serves approximately 1,400 families annually.  Families start the program receiving weekly home visits and they can participate in the program until the child reaches three years of age.  Our dedicated staff of home visitors completed 12,593 home visits last year and made 3,570 referrals to community services.

Healthy Families America’s new tagline is “Great Childhoods Begin at Home”.   My personal favorite is a quote from the recently retired President of Prevent Child Abuse America, and it is “great childhoods for everyone”.  We think that it sends a wonderful message to patients that HealthNet really cares about their health and well-being, so much that they send someone to visit them in the privacy of their own home to assist them with any needs and to provide parenting and child development information for FREE.

For more information about HealthNet’s Healthy Families Program, please click here.

Post by Denise Kaspar

One of the best ways a mother can protect the health of her baby is to breastfeed.  Babies who are fed nothing but breastmilk from birth through the first 6 months of life are less likely to get ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory illnesses, and childhood obesity.  There are benefits for mom too.  Short term benefits are faster recovery from childbirth and weight loss after pregnancy.  Long term benefits decrease the chance of getting breast cancer; ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  Breastmilk is a safe and secure source of food for your baby, always ready, and all for free.

HealthNet staff can help support you and educate you and your family about the normal process of breastfeeding throughout your pregnancy and birth. We promote breastfeeding as the best form of nutrition for your newborn.

HealthNet provides Breastfeeding Classes that help families learn how to breastfeed and address some common concerns.  These classes are held once a month at rotating HealthNet locations.  Visit indyhealthnet.org to view the schedule.

Kathy McCoy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, has a free Downtown Breastfeeding Drop-in Center.  This is a great place to get breastfeeding support and supplies once you start breastfeeding.  The group is located at the Catholic Center, 1400 N. Meridian Street  (free parking is available behind the building).  You can drop in Wednesdays between 4:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  For more information, contact Kathy McCoy at 317-902-9105 or kathyRNIBCLC@hotmail.com.

Post by Jane Meyer, Health Education Manager

What is Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression is a form of depression that affects women and can occur anytime up to one year after having a baby.  Women with postpartum depression have such strong feelings of sadness, despair, and anxiety. These feelings are so powerful that they make it difficult for the mother to perform normal daily activities such as taking care of themselves or their baby.  Postpartum depression affects about 1 in 10 women after giving birth to their baby.  Some reasons women get postpartum depression can be related to changes in your hormones following childbirth, if you have had depression in the past, fatigue, stressful life events, or other emotional factors.

Signs and symptoms of postpartum depression may include:

• loss of appetite
• insomnia
• irritability or anger
• overwhelming fatigue
• lack of joy in life
• feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy
• severe mood swings
• difficulty bonding with your baby
• withdrawal from family and friends
• thoughts of harming yourself or your baby

What are the baby blues?

The postpartum or baby blues begin about 2-3 days after the birth of a newborn and can last up to one to two weeks.  Women with the baby blues can feel depressed, anxious, and upset or angry with their partners, the baby, or other family members.  Some mothers have said, “I was watching a commercial on television and I started crying. What’s wrong with me?”  This is a very normal and typically goes away in a few days.

The signs of the baby blues may include:

• crying for no apparent reason
• anxiety
• mood swings
• sadness
• irritability
• crying
• decreased concentration
•  trouble sleeping

Where can I get help?

At HealthNet, we encourage and schedule all moms who have delivered to follow-up with their certified nurse midwife, women’s health nurse practitioner, or physician around 3-6 weeks following the birth of their baby for a postpartum visit. At this visit we will ask you questions to screen for postpartum depression. Treatment for postpartum depression is available and may include talking with a counselor or use of antidepressant medications (medications that balance the chemicals in the brain and control moods), or both.  HealthNet offers behavioral health counseling and psychiatric care services. For more information, call a HealthNet location near you.

Another excellent resource is Birdie Meyer, who is the Coordinator of the Perinatal Mood Disorders Program at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, Indiana.  She is an RN with a Master’s Degree in Psychology/Counseling, who offers support groups for women with postpartum depression. She can be reached at 317-962-8191 or by email at bmeyer2@iuhealth.org.

If you are having intense feelings as describe above or any thoughts of harming yourself or anyone else call your provider immediately or go to the emergency room.  I want you to know you are not alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, we are here for you and ready to help.

Postpartum Depression Resources:

www.postpartum.net
www.postpartumstress.com
www.ppdsupportpage.com
www.postpartumdads.org

Post by Carrie F. Bonsack, CNM, MS

On my desk I have a sticky note that says the following:           

Note to self:

                        RELAX. You are enough. You have enough. You do enough.

It’s my visual affirmation that sometimes makes the difference between a good day and a difficult one. I find that seeing, saying, and attempting to consciously embody positive, self-empowering messages can be a critical factor in my day to day life. I am no shining example of this practice whatsoever, but I am a genuine attempt in the making.

So my challenge to everyone in HealthNet this month is short and sweet: Whether you clip a small smiley face or quick quote to your badge, frame your favorite joke and put it on your desk, dangle a funny picture from your rear-view mirror, or some other small memento strategically placed, give yourself the gift of a note to yourself.

If you’re struggling with an idea, I’ll give you a freebie. My favorite quote from any movie is from “The Help”.         

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”