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October - December 2004

YOU'RE INVITED!

The Illinois Safety Council and CIS Onsite present:

Early Intervention Programs: Strategies for minimizing OSHA Recordables and Workers' Compensation costs.

To learn more about EIPs and if one is right for your organization, join us at the ILSC SAFETY BREAK fast meeting.

Date: November 16, 2004
Place: Oak Brook Marriot, 1401 West 22nd Street, Oak Brook, IL
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Cost (includes breakfast): $40 for ILSC members, $55 for non-members

For additional information, contact the Illinois Safety Council at 312-372-9756 or visit them on the web at www.ilsafetycouncil.org .

CIS Onsite is now an affiliate member of the Voluntary Protection Program Participants Association (VPPPA).

As a recognized vendor of the VPPPA, CIS Onsite is able to provide essential services and products to companies and organizations for the enhancement of safety and health in their respective industries.

For more information, visit www.cisonsite.com or www.vpppa.org .

CLICK to view past issues and articles in the NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE . . .

October - November - December 2004

Americans are living longer lives, and this brings its own set of joys and challenges to the children of aging parents. There are steps you can take to help your elderly family members maintain the best quality of life for the longest time possible. Specifically, encourage your parents to participate in regular physical examinations and health screenings. In addition, encourage your parents to eat a nutritious diet and to participate in a physical activity program recommended by his or her physician. These efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle can go a long way in promoting health and happiness for your parents.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities, proved 24-hour a day services and supervision to people who need assistance due to physical or mental conditions. If you determine that it is necessary to put one or both of your parents in a nursing home, consider the following suggestions from the American Medical Association.

Make sure the facilities you are considering are licensed by the state. The facility administrators should be licensed as well.
Call the homes you are interested in and ask questions about the number of residents, cost, and participation in Medicare and Medicaid. Also inquire about meals, housekeeping, transportation, and any special needs of your parent.
Visit any facility that you are considering and try to speak with residents and their family members, as well as members of the staff. Check that the building is well-lighted, clean and safe.
Look for a home near your parent's physician and a hospital that you and your parent trust. Make sure that regular medical attention is ensured and that emergency and routine medications are available.
Try to choose a facility that is close to friends and family of your parent. Inquire about how often and when visitors are permitted as well as how often and when the residents are allowed to leave the facility.
Look into the social programs, exercise and activities offered by the home and decide if they would be enjoyable to the potential resident. Ask what types of individual and group activities are available.

Hospice

It is important to be aware of hospice in the event that your parent is diagnosed with a terminal illness and you need additional help to care for him or her. Hospice is an organization designed to help Americans cope with the advanced stages of illness. The unique program offers palliative care to all terminally ill patients and their families regardless of factors such as age, creed, or diagnosis. Although approximately 80% of hospice care takes place in the home, it may also be provided in hospitals that have hospice units or in free-standing hospice buildings. Because hospice is a family-centered concept of care, it focuses on the emotional needs of the entire family rather than just the physical needs of the patient.

If you are faced with confusing issues concerning your aging parents, consult a physician for guidance.

Why CIS Onsite Therapy?

Comprehensive Industrial Services, Inc. (CIS Onsite) is a group of licensed professionals specializing the area of onsite therapy services. We offer two approaches to assist employers in addressing their workplace injuries, onsite therapy and early intervention.

CIS Onsite provides onsite therapy services for the injured worker. We provide most of the same services that a freestanding clinic does (i.e. outpatient orthopedic therapy center or hospital) but with several advantages, and all without compromising employee's care. In fact, by being onsite and having access to the real work environment and activities, we can expedite an employee's recovery process.

By physically being onsite, CIS Onsite therapists have the opportunity to:

Observe the employee's workstation and job activities.
Design an individual treatment plan specifically based on the employee's working environment and physical demands of the job.
Educate the employee on risk factors and risk prevention measures
Perform job position evaluations in which a licensed professional assesses an individual's job site and offers recommendations to maximize production while minimizing injuries
Perform ergonomic evaluations with recommendations and education
Implement stretching programs for at risk workers
Educate employees on proper body mechanics, work techniques and postures to minimize injuries
Increase production time by the employee, by eliminating the employee commuting to and from an offsite clinic
Educate / inform supervisors about risk factors that may be inherent with particular job settings and employee populations
Implement job specific activities as part of the employee's individual treatment plan
Transition employees back to work by working with them at their actual job site, using job specific equipment.

Our treatment plan is designed around the employee and his/her interaction with their working environment. Since we know first hand what the employee's work demands and risks are, we can fine tune a rehabilitation plan designed specifically to each individual for maximum rehabilitation while preventing further injuries in the future.

Injury prevention and treatment approaches are changing. The most proactive companies are finding ways to prevent injuries before they become a problem (i.e. OSHA recordables). It is a well-known fact in the rehabilitation world that the quicker a client reports signs and symptoms of an acute injury, the easier it is for that individual to recover. In other words, if an employee complains of a problems associated with work and the problem is addressed early enough, the chances of exacerbating the injury through repetitive work is greatly reduced.

CIS Onsite can offer a proactive program designed specifically for these employees.

Ø Early intervention program (EIP) - an experienced licensed therapist assesses employees experiencing early signs and symptoms of cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) or other mild strains and sprains. The therapist may recommend specialized stretches and modifications to the job or worker's technique in order to offset the signs and symptoms of a CTD before it results in lost time injury.

This program can be utilized by companies on an individual one-on-one basis or can be presented for entire departments, especially high-risk departments. Does an EIP visit constitute as an OSHA recordable? As long as the therapist provides only superficial heat, cold, massage, exercise and/or general education and consultation, the therapy visit constitutes a "first aid" visit according to OSHA and is NOT a recordable. The company cuts Workers' Compensation costs by avoiding costly physician visits, medical tests as well as costs associated with opening a worker's compensation file. Our EIP visits have saved companies 40-80% in the costs associated with similar worker's compensation claims.

By having an onsite proactive approach to preventing and treating the injured worker, employers can significantly reduce worker's compensation costs, improve productivity and promote a healthier workforce.

For more information how CIS Onsite can work for your company visit our website or call us toll-free at (866) 298-1312.

Think Safe! - Healthy Kids...7 Steps to Cancer Prevention

Good habits that start in the first year of life can last a lifetime, and could mean a decreased risk for a number of diseases, including cancer. Help your children adopt a healthy lifestyle and reduce their cancer risk by following these simple tips.

1. Eat Healthy From The Start

A child needs calories to grow, but even young children should learn to make the most of the foods they eat. Follow these rules for healthy eating:

Reduce fat - fat should not represent more than one third of total calories eaten daily for children over two years old. Children less than 2 years old need fat to grow. At age two, switch from whole to low-fat milk.
Make their diet plant based. Introduce fruits and vegetables to your children's diet. Children should eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Encourage them to eat whole grains from cereals and breads, as well as nuts, seeds and beans.
Add calcium to your children's diet. Bones and teeth become strong during childhood and teen years. Be sure children drink and eat enough calcium during those important years. Young children ages 4 to 8 years should get 800 mg of calcium each day. Adolescents and young adults, ages 9 to 18, need around 1300 mg every day. Just one cup of skim milk provides 300 mg of calcium.

2. Make Exercise A Family Affair

While very young children get all the exercise they need from play, school-aged children may become less active. Get your child involved in physical activity by starting a family exercise program. Walk, bike, hike, swim, rollerblade together at least twice a week.

3. Protect Your Child's Skin

Most sun damage that leads to skin cancer occurs during childhood and adolescence. Always protect your child's skin with a water-proof sunscreen at least SPF 15, even on hazy days, no matter their skin color. Everyone should stay out of the sun during the hottest time of the day.

4. Say No To Tobacco

Let your child know that using tobacco of any kind is harmfula nd can lead to cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, and esophagus. Understand the dangers posed by "second-hand" smoke. Exposure increases a person's risk of lung cancer and other respiratory problems. Protect your children by making your home a smoke-free zone. Get your child involved in making your community smoke-free.

5. Say No To Alcohol And Drugs

Alcohol has been linked to some cancers. Alcohol, tobacco and abuse of drugs can be a deadly combination. Let your child know that abuse of alcohol and drugs is not part of a healthy life.

6. Visit The Pediatrician Regularly

Teach your child the habit of regular health check-ups. Later in life he will continue to take charge of his health with routine cancer screenings and other exams.

7. Practice What You Preach

Children learn health habits from their parents. Be a role model by eating a healthy diet and exercising. Don't smoke or abuse alcohol or drugs. Protect your skin from the sun and visit your doctor regularly for routine cancer screenings.

Source: Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation (www.preventcancer.org)

Our programs assist employers in reducing their OSHA recordables and Worker’s Compensation claims, cost and injuries. We offer a variety of customized programs to fit each employer’s unique needs.

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Our mobile therapists come directly to your facility, by treating the worker onsite. the therapist can directly observe the physical demands of the worker’s job and design a treatment program that specifically addresses these demands.

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Our case managers work with employers and insurance companies to proactively manage the care of an injured worker through the entire case management process from injury to return to gainful employment.

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