Guides: Health and Care

Select from the following quick links:

New Horizons Un-Limited Publications
Guide: Using Nostalgia Therapy to Cope with Isolation
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

New Horizons Un-Limited has written a short article and guide on how to use Nostalgia Therapy to cope with anxiety, depression and lonliness due to prolonged isolation. Nostalgia Therapy is not only fun, it has been proven effective in boosting mood as well as the immune system. Be sure to visit some of the websites included in this guide to get you going on a "nostalgia journey."

Guide: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: How to Prepare, Prevent Getting Ill and Find Resources for Financial and other Assistance for People with Disabilities
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

View our New Horizons Un-Limited Guide for People with Disabilities concerning the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, covers various national and state resources for Wisconsin concerning preparation, prevention, what to do if you get ill, financial resiliency and social and mental health.

Guide for Hiring Personal Care Assistants (PCA's)
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

A New Horizons Un-Limited staff member has written a guide to provide information on how to hire a personal care assistant. This guide is intended for those who want to find and hire their own personal care assistants. There is a great benefit in being in control of who assists you with your personal carer, and selecting someone that compliments your lifestyle.

Wisconsin's BadgerCare Plus Program for Uninsured Families
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

New Horizons Un-Limited has written a guide to provide information on the Wisconsin BadgerCare Plus Program for Uninsured Families. Most children with disabilities are considered to have pre-existing conditions, and private insurance companies will usually not cover them. This program allows those families an affordable alternative and provides quality care for those enrolled.

Guide for Caregivers of People with Disabilities
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

New Horizons Un-Limited has written this guide to provide information on how to be a caregiver of a person with a disability. Becoming a caregiver may be something that just happened to you as a parent, grandparent, sister, brother, uncle, aunt or other relative or perhaps it started as a helpful neighbor or friend. It is important however, to consider and investigate how to be a good caregiver and how to take care of yourself as caregiver before you assume the role as caregiver of a person with special needs or disabilities. Being informed may assist you in avoiding stress and burnout, both common hazards of caregiving. When you take care of yourself, you insure your caregiving for the person in need. The guide offers many resources on training, caregiver tips, how to find someone for respite care and financial resources for caregiving.

Understanding Health Care Reform
©Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

New Horizons Un-Limited has written this guide to provide a clearer picture on how health care reform will impact individuals with disbilities. This guide is intended to clear away the confusion and provide the facts as they are supplied by the legislative committees themselves. You will be provided with a clear picture on what is and is not included in the reform bills as well as an overview of how the bills can benefit those with disabilities.

Alzheimer's from a Caregiver's Perspective: 10 Tips for Caregivers
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

A new guide for caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimer's Disease submitted to New Horizons Un-Limited from a caregiver whose wife has been experiencing Alzheimer's Disease for several years.

Guide to Searching for and Selecting a Home Health Aide
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

This guide was prepared by our NHU staff to assist individuals in searching for a home health aide. It gives general information on home health aides, how to locate aides, determining your needs and resources, and more.

Guide to Searching for and Selecting a Nursing Home
© Copyright New Horizons Un-Limited Inc

One usually does not begin to look for something until one is at need. It is important however, to consider and investigate your options for any type of long term care before you need this type of care. Have you considered all the options for long term care that may be available to you or better meet your needs? Our NHU staff has prepared this guide to assist you in your search.

Links to Publications by Others

New Sign Care Resource Guide is by InHomeCare.com. It is clear caregivers play a much needed part in the daily lives of the elderly. So, what exactly are the job qualifications for a caregiver? How much do caregivers of the elderly get paid? And, are there any caregiver opportunities available in my area? Here are some of the best resources available for those who are seeking information related to caregiving.

Choosing a Caregiver: A Guide for Individuals and Families with Special Needs

This guide, published by the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs offers hiring tips for consumers and families, an interview checklist, safety tips, information on developing an emergency plan, as well as a number of helpful checklists and worksheets.

To check out other helpful publications, visit the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs: Publications

Coping with the Cost of Care: Often-Overlooked Tax Deductions and Tips for Seniors and Their Families by TaxAct. There are many options available to help you manage the cost of care and ensure you claim the right deductions. Take advantage of the programs mentioned in this article to ensure you or your loved ones receive proper care as long as it is necessary. What qualifies as a medical expense? Find help paying for medical costs. Medicaid planning tips.

Fall Prevention Facts & Tips for Preventing Falls includes Fall Injury Statistics, Risk Factors, Fear of Falling, How to Prevent Falls, and What To Do If You Fall. It includes information about prevention tips, environmental dangers, and additional fall prevention resources. It also has an infographic and a fall prevention exercises video.

First Aid and Health Safety for Disasters Natural disasters have far-reaching, devastating consequences. This guide is intended to give you the tools you need to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Remember, after a disaster, emergency professionals are stretched thin. They may not be able to address your particular need quickly as they tend to those who are severely injured or trapped. By learning what to do, you can improve your chances of surviving the next disaster in your area. Whether you are in an area that is prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, blizzards, tsunamis or wildfires, you can have a plan for these events. You can even be prepared.

New Sign Guide on Handling Coughs and Colds in the Elderly

This guide comes from Covinia of the United Kingdowm and contains plenty of helpful information such as:

  • Timely and important information about colds and flu, why elderly people are at a higher risk of infection, and how influenza and the common cold can lead to more serious health complications in older adults.
  • Key information on how to spot the signs and symptoms of flu, the different types of infections, and the importance of identifying and treating symptoms early.
  • seful tips and advice on preventive measures to help keep the elderly from catching colds and flu.
  • Helpful online resources and tools for caregivers and families to help elderly loved ones stay safe and healthy against coughs and colds.

New Sign Is There A Link Between Insomnia and Depression? from Terry Cralle.com Yes, there is! Keep a regular schedule of sleep. Insomnia and Depression could feed on each other. Insomnia and depression can lead to other health problems and will not assist your immune system. The article includes discussion on treating Insomnia and Depression.

New Sign New Mouth: How Your General Health & Lifestyle Impacts Your Oral Health was created to keep the public educated about current dental care practices, oral health basics, and how to find the best treatment possible. Their team of medical writers and dentists provide the most up-to-date dental information in every vertical, including general, pediatric, restorative, cosmetic, and orthodontics. Find out how to protect your oral health if you have developmental disabilities, types of physical disability or diabetes. Learn about nutrition and oral health, medications and oral health and drug addiction and oral health.

Personal Care Assistants: How to Find, Hire and Keep is written by Craig Hospital, redefining possible for people with spinal cord and brain injuries. Over 40% of all people with spinal cord injury (SCI) use some form of assistance, and the percentage increases with age. For first time personal care attendant (PCA) employers, here are some tips for maintaining freedom, flexibility and control, and saving money.

Medicaid Legal Information Letters

Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. wrote these information letters. They cover just about anything you need to know about Medicaid eligibility. They also provide a very good summary of the Medicaid program in general. However, the information contained in this web site is written for Erie County, New York. The information on this web site is not legal advice. Legal advice is dependent upon the specific circumstances of each situation. Also, the law may vary from State to State, so that some information in this web site may not be correct for your jurisdiction. Finally, the information contained in this web site is not guaranteed to be up to date. Therefore, the information contained in this web site cannot replace the advice of competent legal counsel licensed in your state.

Helping Older Americans Cope with Medical Debt

National Consumer Law Center Inc. has written a guide outlining strategies for dealing with medical bills before consumers are sued. While the guide was written with Seniors in mind, the advice applies to people of all ages.

An overview on how obesity is particularly present in the special needs community

This is a 50-page paper talking about how to deal with the problem of obesity in children with special needs. The report has four goals:
1. To initiate a conversation about the problem of unhealthy weight among special needs children.
2. To inform families about the extent of the obesity problem, its causes, and the risks it posesto children’s health and well being.
3. To empower parents and caregivers with tools, resources, and solutions so they can help their children be fit and healthy.
4. To inform policy makers, school administrators and medical professionals about the importanceof including children with special needs in their efforts to combat obesity.

Practical Oral Care for People with Developmental Disabilities

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research National Institutes of Health offers Practical Oral Care for People with Developmental Disabilities for health care professionals and caregivers and also offers several very practical and comprehensive guides on oral care for people with specific disabilities within the developmental definition such as Autism and Cerebral Palsy who may require special needs for oral care.

Six Tips for Helping Parents Advocate for Their Child's Care

from the Pacer Center by Wendy Ringer, Julie Holmquist, and Carolyn Anderson. When parents learn their child has a disability or special health care need, they may not realize that they have stepped into a new role as their child’s most important advocate in the health care system. By improving their advocacy skills, parents can learn to speak on their child’s behalf more effectively and will be better able to secure needed services. Because pediatricians or primary care physicians are often the first people to discuss a child’s disability with parents, they are in a unique position to offer advice that will help parents understand this new role. This guide offers advice for both the physician and parents.

Top 18 Techniques to Defeat Stress

This is a nice,comprehensive infographic about self-help for relieving stress at custom-writing.org. Coping strategies are always helpful for those with disabilities facing health issues and their families and caregivers. Take care of YOU!

Top 10 Tips for Caregivers

This guide is on the American Heart Association website from the National Family Caregivers Association and written with the health of the caregiver in mind.

Transition Healthcare Checklist: Preparing for Life as an Adult

This guide, published by The Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin, serves as a reference for anyone interested in helping young people with special health care needs and their parents prepare for transition to adult health care.

The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities

While issued in 2005, this call to action is still very relevant today. The Call to Action calls on health care service providers, community leaders, advocates, and the public to work together to address the challenges facing people with disabilities in accessing health care and wellness services so that all people live long, healthy, productive lives. To read the Call to Action report in its entirety, visit the above link.

Wisconsin Consumer Guide to Healthcare

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has published this guide which covers such issues as obtaining proper health care, how to find a doctor, dentist or hospital, paying for care, insurance options, dealing with problems with your health care, who to contact if you have a complaint, getting the most out of your health care, self-care help and tips on talking to doctors, learning and coping, finding information, and getting help and support for your situation.

Your Guide to Finding Credible Medical Information and Advice This is a very helpful guide on vetting online health resources and how to prepare for a doctor's appointment.

To help ensure that you use available online health information to remain educated and informed about health risks and healthy lifestyle behaviors, Spring Arbor University has created this guide to include:

  • Tips and best practices for vetting online health resources to ensure you know how to determine if a source is credible, or one you should disregard.
  • A short, curated list of reliable online sources, and tips for finding reliable health insurance information.
  • Tips for how to prepare for your next doctor�s appointment and what you should bring with you to ensure a proactive discussion.
  • Information on the critical role that nurses play in our health care delivery system, and how to make nurses your allies in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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