Why is Care Management Important for Mental Illness Patients?

Last Updated on Wednesday, 12 October 2011 01:21 Written by Natural Health Team Wednesday, 12 October 2011 01:21

Health Information about Why is Care Management Important for Mental Illness Patients?

Patients with severe mental illnesses are dying prematurely, compared with the rest of the population, mostly due to co-occurring health conditions that go untreated. Person-centered mental health homes aim to provide better care management, so that mental illness patients have access to the simple treatment that can prevent existing physical health conditions from becoming fatal.

At the core of the patient-centered medical home clinical approach is team based care that provides care management and supports individuals in their self management goals. A mental health report found that care management was identified as being among the few policy options that hold promise not only of containing costs but also of improving health outcomes for high-risk populations.

Care management is the coordination of care in order to reduce fragmentation and unnecessary use of services, prevent avoidable conditions, and promote independence and self-care. Alternatively called advanced care management, targeted case management, high-cost or high-risk case management, care coordination, disease management, and other terms, care management programs manifest themselves in a wide variety of ways. In some cases, care management encompasses personalized nurse counseling, pharmacy review, utilization management, case management and depression management programs.

This emphasis on self-care resonates with the behavioral health system’s movement towards a recovery and resilience orientation, utilizing approaches such as the newly revised Wellness Management and Recovery program or the Wellness Recovery Action Plan. With these models, the behavioral health field has developed structured approaches that strengthen the individual’s capacity to set goals for improved self management of specific conditions and to problem solve barriers using the resources of the community and personal support systems in addition to formal services. These approaches are critical to meeting the needs of people living with serious mental illness as well as chronic health conditions.

The five clinical functions of the care manager, as identified in the Health Disparities Collaborative, are:

> Develop and maintain rapport with patient and provider
> Educate the patient and the family
> Monitor symptoms and communicate findings to provider
> Develop and maintain a self-care action plan
> Maximize adherence to the treatment plan through negotiation of solutions to treatment-emergent problems

Unlike disease management models with arms-length, telephonic care management, in the Chronic Care Model and patient-centered medical home the care manager is embedded in the clinical team.

The <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/2364399']);” href=”http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/cs/_overview”>community mental health centers</a> participating in the Health Disparities Collaborative have also identified the importance of enabling services in helping engage and support individuals with chronic health conditions. These are non-medical services that facilitate access to timely and appropriate medical care, including transportation, language assistance, case management, and community outreach and education. This set of activities is ancillary to the focused care management task of monitoring health status and calibrating care for an individual and is generally not performed by the care manager. However, the team’s success in managing chronic health conditions depends on the provision of these enabling services alongside the clinical services.

Care management is the key to transforming a healthcare system geared towards acute problems into one focused on addressing health needs from a longitudinal perspective (i.e., managing chronic illness and facilitating preventative self-care). Longitudinal monitoring and timely response to the course of illness is how care management transforms treatment as usual. This focus on ongoing accountability and responsibility for individuals being cared for should be distinguished from old ideas about “gatekeeping” access to care – a distinction confounded by the varying ways in which the terms care manager and case manager have been used in the last twenty years.

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Breast Cancer – Find Out What is Important

Last Updated on Saturday, 8 October 2011 01:27 Written by Natural Health Team Saturday, 8 October 2011 01:27

Health Information about Breast Cancer – Find Out What is Important

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Even though it is not as common in men, men should still be aware of it because they can get this disease as well.  Early diagnosis is very important because breast cancer is the second most lethal cancer in women after lung cancer. To help you with an early diagnosis and hopefully a speedy recovery, you should learn more about this disease including its condition, its characteristics, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

The breast consists of milk producing glands that are connected to the opening of the skin in the nipple by ducts. Fat and fibrous breast tissue connect the gland and duct structure. In this area  are blood vessels, lymph nodes and nerves like all the other parts of the human body.

One of the common areas for breast cancer to occur are in the milk ducts and milk glands. Cancer occurs when cells in this area become abnormal and start to grow rapidly. These cells will form a tumor. Most commonly breast cancer occurs in the milk ducts and in the milk glands. The tumors in the ducts are called ductal carcinomas, while the ones in the glands are called lobular carcinomas.

Breast cancer is normally defined by different stages. Normally it starts as a small lump, a tumor or  calcium deposits. If not treated early, the cancer will start to spread to other areas of the breast. If the cancer reaches the lymph nodes, the cancer will then spread to other parts of the body through the blood stream. Some of the likely areas that cancer will show up in regards to the breast  are the lungs, liver or bones.

It is not exactly known what causes breast cancer. However research has found some factors that seem to increase a woman’s chances of getting it. First women that have had benign tumors are more likely to get cancerous tumors in the future. Also immediate family members that have had the disease will increase your risk.  For example if your mom or sister has had the disease, then you are at higher risk of getting breast cancer. If you have the following genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2, will also increase the risk. If you have been exposed to high levels of estrogen,  then your risk level is higher. The following factors will also increase your risk: smoking, alcohol consumption, weight gain and obesity and lack of exercise.

In most cases your doctor will diagnose breast cancer with a mammography. A mammography is an       x-ray that is designed to identify any changes in the breast tissue and abnormal growths, in particular. In most cases, your doctor will examine the breast to decide if a mammography is necessary or not.

The most common type of treatment is surgery and is either a mastectomy or lumpectomy. The doctor will remove the tumor, surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. After surgery, the doctor will likely use radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy to remove any abnormal cells. The doctor may also prescribe hormonal therapy and biological therapy.

The best thing that you can do to prevent breast cancer is screening on a regular basis. You should conduct a self exam as often as recommended by your doctor. Also you should get clinical exams and mammograms as often as recommended by your doctor. You also should consider ensuring that you eat a balanced low fat diet that is primarily plant based, reduce your consumption of alcohol, stop smoking and get plenty of exercise.

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How Important Is It To Having A Sound Mental Health Golf Swing?

Last Updated on Tuesday, 4 October 2011 01:21 Written by Natural Health Team Tuesday, 4 October 2011 01:21

Health Information about How Important Is It To Having A Sound Mental Health Golf Swing?

Golf is a great game made up of rules and standards. It’s more than that however! Golf is a mindset and self-confidence game. It’s made for those golfers who want to take on challenges away from the everyday grind and problems that we must endure in our lives.

That is why for an average golf round of 4+ hours we can forget about everything else in our lives and just focus on one’s own self interest in improving our own golf swing or scores. You can call it arrogance and self-absorption but, the original inventor of this game did come from royalty.

If you are confident enough in your own ability to swing a golf club, then you will have no fear of sending that golf ball where ever you want it to go. Confidence is simply knowing that the golf ball will fly towards its intended target.

The opposite of confidence is fear. Lack of self- confidence in golf is knowing before hitting the golf ball what the consequences of the end result is going to be. When you are afraid of hitting your golf ball into trouble, you are no longer in the present moment. You are now thinking about all of the negatives of hitting the golf ball and what the final consequences is going to be. Loss of pride, loss of strokes, loss of match, loss of money and tournament.

Most professional golfers have one shot that they hit more or less religiously, whether it be a fade, draw, straight, whatever. While some work the ball on most shots, very few try and work the ball in a different direction for each shot, and this includes the best golfers in the world.

So what is the biggest difference between an amateur and a professional? The golf swing is built on belief, self-confidence and trust. They own their shots and feel most comfortable when they stay consistent with their grooved golf swing. It becomes instinctive, second nature and they feel most comfortable with it.They don’t ever veer from their money maker golf swing.

They don’t cut into the quality of their practices by trying to maintain three different ball flights. They don’t try and hit a golf shot that they haven’t practiced for thousands of hours. They stick with one and that gets all their attention and focus. They know they can count on it because their game was built around that one shot, rather than hitting shots they are less comfortable with in order to fit a particular hole. Why reinvent the wheel, when your golf swing has held up under pressure.

Many of the greats, from Ben Hogan to Jack Nicklaus have had one ball flight that they preferred to hit over any other and they have stuck with it. Always being the majority of their golf shots, and not trying to hit something on a consistent basis that was against their behavioral instincts.

Focus in golf is critical to successfully executing a golf shot to the best of your ability. The mind works best when a golfer narrows his focus to the smallest point possible. Often times amateurs will freeze up and get tense when trying to narrow their focus to such a specific point and say “they can’t do it!” Immediately, they realize that they’re simply trying way too hard to concentrate and must simply allow the mind to wander away from its intended target.

For a weekend golfer it’s very difficult to put your everyday life on hold while playing and only think about golfing. During play many thoughts do run across your mind and it only results in bad swing flaws. This can creep into your mind at any point on the golf course, and the end results normally is bad scores. For trained elite golfers they will often focus on only the small tasks at hand. Their focal point is that every golf shot counts and one bad mishit can cost them thousands of dollars.

A positive mental attitude creates emotional stability. Golf is one of the very few sports where you can go from pure joy to absolute devastation with one golf swing. A golfer with a positive mental attitude living in the very moment takes the great shots with the bad, knowing that full well everyone hits horrible and great shots everyday. P.G.A. Tour pros will only hit 12 or 13 greens per round on the average. So cut yourself some slack.

A golfer must stay in the present moment at all times. He must never deviate and get way ahead of himself, adding up his score or thinking about the next shot. How many times have you seen a golfer add up his score after 9 holes and say well, “I shot 39 on the front so I’m looking to shoot a 78?” The score you shot on the front has absolutely nothing to do with what you can or will shoot on the back side. Staying in the present moment keeps the golfer from fearing the consequences of this shot or the next, or remembering the last time he double bogeyed a particular hole.

He is only concerned with what he can control in this very moment, freeing up his mind from doubts and fears. Being tense is the perfect way to ruin a great golf swing. Tension in the muscles removes their coordination, suppleness and flexibility. Tension is most often caused by fear, doubts, poor golf swing mechanics, or all of the above. The greatest issue with tension is that it is controlled by the conscious mind, whom happens to be a horrible golfer.

Your conscious mind is amazingly capable of handling the demands of such things as the mechanics of your golf swing. On average the golf swing is said to be completed in less than 2 seconds. During that time, how many thoughts do you really think you can process and communicate to your body what to do next? Your mind must filter on average about two seconds of the full mechanics of your golf swing. This is simply an impossible task to ask of your mind and body. You’re not wired that way, no one is. Swinging the golf club is not about getting the club and body into certain positions, it’s about swinging the golf club. That’s it!

One of the most important processes in a golf shot is visualizing the golf shot. For many, this seems difficult or they don’t believe they can do it. Visualization is like programming a computer to perform a task. In this case, the computer is your subconscious mind and the most efficient programming language for this computer is imagery.

Visualizing goals gives us direction, motivates us and creates an internal drive that gives the momentum to achieve some thing big. Visualize what it will be like when you break 70 or 80 for the first time. Whatever your goals are they must be something that drives you to achieve.

Many people say that the reasons the pros can visualize their shots is because they have such great physical control over their golf ball. The truth is they have such great physical control is because they visualize their golf shots. If you don’t have an image of what you want the golf ball to do, then what do you expect the ball to do?

You must know where you want to go and the path of how to get there. In golf, the where is the target and the path is the flight of the ball. You know where you want to end up and there are many ways to get there. You need to consider the best way possible for you to get to your destination given your abilities and the elements. The journey is just as important as the destination.

Trust is something that must be built and nurtured through both mental and physical practice in golf. Trusting in your golf swing and your ability is one of the most important principles in golf. Without trust, there can be no confidence and fear is the first thing to replace trust. Trust is believing in your ability to hit the perfect shot. Trusting in yourself requires that you block out the past negative thoughts of golf swings that had poor results and believe in yourself now, in this very moment.

If you’ve ever hit one good shot with the golf club in your hands, then you are capable of hitting a thousand more like it. A bad attitude sees a bad shot and says that I am a horrible golfer, “I can never get off this tee”, and “I can’t hit this club.” Speaking positively about oneself is a method to creating your own reality. It is the self-fulfilling prophecy that we have all seen fulfilled in life and on the golf course. A positive mental attitude will allow you to enjoy the game and have fun at the same time.

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Important Factors You Need to Consider While Choosing Natural Food Nutrition Distributors

Last Updated on Monday, 3 October 2011 09:10 Written by Natural Health Team Monday, 3 October 2011 09:10

Health Information about Important Factors You Need to Consider While Choosing Natural Food Nutrition Distributors

Natural health supplements are undoubtedly most needed today more than ever. I take them, you take them, and everyone else is taking them. We all deserve to be informed on how to make the right choice when it comes to health food supplements and what exactly should we look for while searching for an authentic .

I can bet that choosing a is a decision you take for granted. All you do is walk into a health store or even a grocery and pick up a bottle that says “multivitamin.” After taking it for a couple of days, you expect yourself in better health.

Unfortunately, if you want real results, you should stop taking this health food supplement for granted. Choosing a good natural health supplement should be an informed and wise decision.

Firstly, it is it is very important to that the FDA does not regulate the multi-vitamin industry. Yes, it is indeed a shocking revelation to know that there are no specific FDA regulations for controlling the vitamin industry.

This basically means that anyone can sell you Natural Health Supplements including or and label them as they wish. This can be done regardless of serving size, kind and amount of nutrients, and so on.

How do health food supplements work -

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Before considering to buy a natural health supplement from some food nutrition distributor, one must know exactly how such health food supplements really work.

When you swallow a multivitamin most specifically a tablet, the active ingredients are released to your stomach and then pass through the small intestine where they are absorbed into the bloodstream.

Most supplements fail during the breakdown of the nutrients in the body. Nutrients from poor quality tablets sold mostly in the forms of Resveratrol Supplements or Sports Nutrition Supplements . There is virtually no absorption taking place.

So if you choose the wrong natural health supplement from some food nutrition distributor you hardly know about, you most likely will end up with nothing. Don’t ever let this happen to you!

Choosing the right health food supplement

With all the health food supplements out in the market, how do you recognize a good one from a false one? How do you select an authentic food nutrition distributor for that natural health supplement which will give you the best health that you want? Ask yourself the following questions:

Questions you need to ask before choosing your health food supplement

What information is contained in the label specially about the food nutrition distributor or manufacturer ?

The label on the bottle is a good tool for evaluating a good natural health supplement brand. The label should tell you the names of the nutrients contained and the amount contained, the form of the ingredient used, and the number of tablets.

The label should also provide you basic information about the health company (address, contact information), recommended dosage, and manufacturing dates, among others.

How credible is the health food supplement brand or health company?

Here are several factors you need to check with your supplement manufacturer. This includes compliance, pharmaceutical grade production, as well as quality control measures.

The supplements should be tested and analyzed independently for its effectiveness, purity and potency. You will know all these information when you contact their food nutrition distributor. If they are accessible and accommodating with your inquiries, you might have found yourself a good natural health supplement brand as well as an authentic food nutrition distributor.

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Three Important Ways to Stop High School Dropouts: An Independent Mental Health Consultant’s View

Last Updated on Thursday, 29 September 2011 10:21 Written by Natural Health Team Thursday, 29 September 2011 10:21

Health Information about Three Important Ways to Stop High School Dropouts: An Independent Mental Health Consultant’s View

Recent reports indicate that on the average every 26 seconds another teenager drops out of high school. This translates to more than 3,000 students per school day. Or taking a longer range view, it is estimated that approximately 12 million students will drop out over the next decade or so. Specifically, nearly 1/3 of public high school students end up quitting school. Nearly half of all African-American and Latino students dropout. And, in some cities, it is even worse. Actually fewer than half of kids in 17 of the nation’s 50 largest cities graduate. In Cleveland, only 34% of students graduated with their class, in Chicago only 39% graduated, and Indianapolis, only 30% graduated. And, in Detroit, according to 2003-2004 data analyzed by America’s Promise Alliance, only 25% graduated.

The impact of this situation on our nation is dire. Research has shown that dropouts are half as likely to vote as well as more likely to experience reduced job and income opportunities, chronic unemployment, and incarceration. On the other hand, it is estimated that the government would reap billion in extra tax revenue along with reduced cost in public health, crime, and welfare payments if the number of 20-year-old dropouts in United States were cut in half. It is within this context that the need to reduce the high school dropout rate becomes significant.

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There are various dropout prevention programs functioning across the United States with varying degrees of success. From my perspective as a mental health consultant, there are three important ways (which all high school students across the United States are entitled to) if implemented would significantly reduce the dropout rate.

Let’s look at the three ways:

1. The school program must be perceived by the students as leading to higher status roles in the future and to future economic realities. In other words, the school programs must have a connection between their school and work either with a future career or at least with a decent paying job with the possibility of advancement after graduation.

2. The school program must be personalized, challenging, and have a sense of community established whereby the relationship between teacher and student are supportive and trusting rather than unhelpful and distrustful. Every high school must be either small enough or divided into small enough units to allow teachers and staff to know the students as individuals and to respond to both their specific learning needs and learning styles.

3. The school program must provide the student with some choice about the nature of their academic program and what they are interested in learning. As part of their classroom work, students must have an opportunity to design independent projects, work on group projects, conduct experiments, solve open-ended problems, get involved in activities that connect school and work, and have opportunities to encounter some real psychological and practical success in their endeavors.

In reflecting on my experience as a former high school dropout, if I was in a high school that connected school and work or at least connected school work with a career I was interested in, treated me as an individual, and, allowed me some choice in my academic program, I never would have dropped out. It is the impersonal and alienating nature of high school conditions, specifically in the largest cities, that needs to be changed.

If you were a former dropout, work with dropouts, or interested in this topic leave your questions and comments.

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