Month: September 2023

2023-09-05T23:01:01

(BPT) – Many people today are focused on wellness, and there are lots of apps to track it. Since wellness encompasses physical, mental and financial health, wouldn’t you want an app that covers it all? Enter Life Enhanced^® — an app designed to help State Farm^® life insurance customers move more and learn about physical, mental and financial health.

The app combines State Farm life insurance with technology designed to guide and motivate you in simple ways. Set goals, learn about all areas of well-being, and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle — all at your fingertips.

From physical and mental health to financial wellness, here are three key elements to achieving your goals.

1. Physical and mental health come first

How many steps did you take today? How much sleep did you get last night? Health trackers are everywhere. You can set goals and track all of this on Life Enhanced. Connect your fitness tracker to the app and make it easy to earn rewards. The app also offers access to wellness and financial information, including tips and education resources to help you build your wellness habits.

2. Invest in life insurance

Creating long-term financial stability is also critical to your well-being. A simple, effective way to ensure your and your family’s financial stability is to purchase life insurance.

If you’re a millennial, life insurance should be on your radar. According to the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association (LIMRA), many millennials are married, own homes, have dependent children and have more than $100,000 in household income. However, despite having people to provide for and assets to protect, more than half of millennials have no life insurance.

Knowing what type of life insurance you need and how much to buy are factors in protecting those you love. Life Enhanced tools can help you learn about and estimate your needs around life insurance prior to speaking with an agent.

3. Plan your estate

Estate planning is another piece in your overall wellness as it can help you feel good about what you leave behind.

You should create a living will — a legal document outlining your health care preferences in case you can’t communicate them — and a last will and testament describing how you want your property and assets distributed after your death.

Other important aspects of estate planning include advanced health care directives and financial power of attorney, so your wants are properly taken care of when you can’t do so.

It can be scary to think about leaving your loved ones, yet there are plenty of professionals and resources to help. With Life Enhanced, you’ll have access to FreeWill, the largest digital estate planning tool in the U.S., and Lantern, which helps you document, store and share your end-of-life wishes with those you love.

Get physically, mentally and financially fit

Wellness in all areas of your life doesn’t happen by accident. By creating and sticking to your goals, purchasing life insurance and planning your estate, you’re on your way.

The best part is that you don’t have to do it alone. With Life Enhanced, everything is there. To learn more about life insurance and Life Enhanced, talk to a State Farm agent and visit StateFarm.com.

2023-09-05T23:01:01

(BPT) – When it comes to language development in young children, there is no substitute for genuine human interaction. Whether it occurs within the nurturing confines of home or at preschool, talking and engaging with children in conversation from infancy through school age plays a vital role in their linguistic growth and is an integral part in the curriculum at Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care.

Here are some easy yet effective ways Kiddie Academy recommends that parents can engage their child in conversation at any age:

Conversational Approach — Talking to infants and young children as if engaging in a conversation can have a profound impact on their language development. By pausing and allowing them time to respond, we encourage their active participation. For instance, noticing signs of fatigue, we might say, “I see you starting to yawn, are you tired? It looks like it might be time for you to take your nap.” This conversational style not only helps children understand the rhythm and patterns of communication but also instills confidence in their ability to express themselves.

Descriptive Language — Taking the time to describe the world around children can greatly enhance their vocabulary and understanding. By pointing out specific details and using descriptive language, we expand their knowledge and help them foster a deeper connection with their environment. For example, we might say, “I notice you have your blue shoes with you today. Let’s put them on before we go outside. Let’s start with your right foot, then we will move to your left foot. These shoes are great for running.” Such interactions promote language comprehension and allow children to associate words with concrete objects and experiences.

The Power of Reading — Regularly reading to children is an effective method for building vocabulary and improving language skills. By exposing young minds to a variety of words, sentence structures and storytelling techniques, we stimulate their imagination and expand their linguistic repertoire. Engaging children in discussions about the story or asking open-ended questions can further enhance their comprehension and critical-thinking abilities. Making reading a cherished activity from an early age sets the stage for a lifelong love of books and learning.

Discouraging Baby Talk — As children progress into preschool age, it is crucial to discourage baby talk and instead encourage the use of their “big kid voice.” By consistently modeling proper language usage and reinforcing your children’s efforts to communicate effectively, we empower them to express themselves clearly and confidently. Praising their attempts to use more advanced language skills helps them understand the value of articulation and encourages further linguistic growth.

Embracing Multilingualism — Exposing children to more than one language from birth to 3 years old can provide numerous cognitive benefits. Contrary to popular belief, young children have an incredible capacity to learn multiple languages simultaneously. By immersing them in a bilingual or multilingual environment, we not only broaden their cultural horizons but also enhance their cognitive flexibility, problem-solving skills and overall linguistic competence.

Remember, every interaction is a chance to enhance a child’s linguistic abilities and lay the foundation for a lifetime of effective communication.

For more information and advice, check out the article, Here’s How to Master Parentese and Leave Baby Talk Behind at msn.com.

2023-09-05T14:01:00

(BPT) – The fall and winter holidays are known as the cooking holidays when friends and family gather to share a meal and celebrate the season. If you’re planning to host this year, you know there’s a long list of tasks that can make the day beautiful and memorable for guests. With so many responsibilities, the last thing you want to add to the day is dealing with a clogged pipe that grinds the festivities to a halt.

Fortunately, clogged pipes can be easy to avoid: The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) wants to save you the time and frustration of an avoidable plumbing emergency by properly disposing of cleaning wipes along with fats, oils and grease (FOG). Isn’t your holiday feast complete without an expensive emergency visit from the plumber?

Don’t let FOG create a clog

Many a tasty holiday recipe also creates FOG as a byproduct. While they help enhance the taste of a dish, they can cause a backup in the pipes if poured down your kitchen sink.

As an experienced cook and host, you likely already know that FOG should never drain down the sink. However, your kitchen helpers — especially the youngest junior chefs — may not know about the havoc FOG can cause in your plumbing.

FOG can create a nasty film inside your pipes that builds up over time, preventing water from flowing cleanly through your pipes. Eventually, this can constrict flow and cause a clog, flooding your kitchen and possibly other parts of your home, too.

Make sure to set a meal prep huddle with enthusiastic holiday helpers before they join you in the kitchen about why FOG should never go down the drain and teach them how to properly dispose of leftover liquids in a FOG can. For younger helpers, you can make this into a fun activity! Before dinner, have them make their own FOG can and decorate it for the holidays. Need an activity sheet with instructions on how to make a fun FOG can? We’ve got you covered.

No “Do Not Flush” wipes in pipes

Whether you are cleaning up the kitchen after a meal or tidying up the bathroom, non-flushable wipes such as hard surface wet wipes and baby wipes can be an enormous holiday timesaver. They’re made of long, durable polymer fibers (plastic) so they can do the hard work of cleaning up spills, leftover food and liquids, and bathroom surfaces. However, this same durability can cause clogs to develop if flushed down your toilet. Always look for the “Do Not Flush” symbol on wipes packaging for proper disposal instructions.

Remember, even if a wipe says it is compostable, biodegradable, all natural, or made from plant-based fibers, it does not necessarily mean it is flushable. More than 90% of wipes sold are non-flushable, which makes it very important to always look for proper disposal instructions.

And even if you don’t see a clog in your household pipes, FOG and non-flushable wipes can cause havoc in our sewers. When cleaning wipes and baby wipes are inappropriately flushed down the toilet and combine with FOG, they can create fatbergs. These giant, cement-like masses can clog entire wastewater systems. According to the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), non-flushable wipes that are improperly disposed of cost an estimated $441 million a year in additional operating costs for collection systems and U.S. clean water utilities.

If your guests offer to help you with the post-dinner cleanup, remind them that wipes should always go into the trash and cannot be put down the kitchen sink or toilet. Have a large, visible trash can or bag in the kitchen, especially near cooking areas, so everyone knows exactly where wipes and other trash should land.

Celebrate without worry

Many hands make light work — and by educating yourself and others on how to avoid clogged pipes, you can celebrate the season and encourage new holiday helpers worry-free. To learn more about how you can flush smart during the holidays and year-round, visit FlushSmart.org.

2023-09-05T07:01:01

(BPT) – The occasional fall or wobble happens. As we age, though, we can face new physical changes that make falling a more frequent — and dangerous — event. According to the National Institute on Aging, more than one in four people 65 years or older fall each year. Stiff joints and muscles, slower reaction time, reduced peripheral awareness and other changes can increase the risk of falls. Aside from being painful or embarrassing, falls that occur later in life can also impact our long-term health. Those stiff muscles are more likely to be sprained and strained, and with osteoporosis — a disease that makes bone weak that also coincides with aging — falls may even result in a broken bone.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do that can both help prevent falls and build the resilience to render them a mere stumble. September is Fall Prevention Awareness Month, and now is a great time to look into ways to prevent and minimize the impact of falls. Taking advantage of savings and benefits with your memberships such as AARP member benefits can help make it even easier.

1. Build Balance and Strength

When it comes to fall prevention, physical activity can build muscle strength and keep joints, tendons and ligaments flexible. This is especially important to prevent age-related loss of muscle mass (known as sarcopenia) and problems with balance and gait, which are all risks for falling (NIH).

Balance and strength-training exercises such as yoga, Pilates and tai chi are great options, or you can also try lifting weights or using resistance bands to build strength. Mild weight-bearing activities such as walking or climbing stairs offer additional benefits such as slowing bone loss from osteoporosis.

Physical therapy is another great way to build strength and stability, as a therapist can evaluate areas of weakness and guide you through a combination of mobility, strengthening, flexibility and balancing exercises to correct them. You can even do so without ever leaving home. AARP^® Physical Therapy at Home™ by Luna provides access to highly experienced physical therapists who come directly to you. Luna employs physical therapists who specialize in preventing falls and treating balance disorders as well as a multitude of other conditions.

AARP members and non-members alike can receive at-home physical therapy from Luna. Most insurances and Medicare are accepted by Luna. A prescription may not be needed to start.

2. Check Your Eyes

Poor vision is one of the more obvious risks for falls (e.g., missing a step, not seeing an obstacle) but even small changes in sight are linked to an increased risk of falling. Getting your eyes checked regularly can ensure that your prescription is up to date and your eyes are monitored for more serious conditions. Learn about vision care options that are available to you through your AARP member benefits, as they are designed to make it easier to get regular eye exams as well as glasses.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that prescription glasses or contacts are up to date. AARP^® Vision Discounts provided by EyeMed help make it even easier. Members and their families receive exclusive discounts at participating retailers and independent provider locations nationwide, as well as online. You save 50% on prescription lenses with the purchase of a frame at LensCrafters, 30% on a complete pair of glasses (frames and lenses) at Glasses.com, and an additional $10 on a complete pair at Target Optical.

3. Check Your Ears

Hearing plays a significant role in our ability to balance. The inner ear is where our hearing system and balance organs both reside. Sometimes, when something is wrong with one, it can affect the other. Because of this, some physicians recommend a hearing test for those who are having dizziness and balance issues.

More broadly, the inability to hear something or someone out of your line of vision can make you more likely to trip and fall. A hearing aid can help. With AARP^® Hearing Solutions™ provided by UnitedHealthcare^® Hearing, members can save up to 20% on hearing aids and 15% on accessories, plus receive a no-cost hearing test and personalized support through a large nationwide network of hearing providers to make sure you’re hearing loud and clear.

4. Track Your Medications

Dizziness and balance issues may be symptoms or side effects of certain health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, thyroid issues, nerve problems and more. If you’re taking physician-prescribed medications to treat these conditions, missing a dose or accidentally taking too much may increase dizziness and balance issues.

Hero Health is an all-in-one medication management platform designed to help make managing medications easier and more convenient for any health condition. You can set your medication schedule in Hero’s mobile app, load up to a 90-day supply of 10 different medications, and receive alerts from Hero’s smart dispenser. AARP members receive an 8% discount and no initiation fee when they register for a Hero subscription.

5. Make Your Space Safer

Eliminating fall risks, such as rickety steps or weak support bars, around your home is an invaluable exercise. While these steps can help you avoid injury, making the updates yourself could put you at risk of one. Hire a professional or find an experienced friend who can do it for you, safely and affordably.

At the End of the Day, Be Prepared

These suggestions are just a few simple ways to reduce the risk of falls. Of course, even the most well-prepared can still trip and tumble, so if you do fall, stay calm, get up slowly and if you need assistance, ask.

In-home caregivers are a great way to ensure someone is always there to help you get up safely. Caregivers can provide an extra level of support and assist with routine activities that can be a fall risk including running errands, exercise, bathing or using transportation.

And with Carelinx, AARP members have access to pre-screened, professional caregivers and receive a 3% discount on in-home caregiving services. Whether it’s for a few hours or every day, this network of caregivers can provide personalized care to help with your daily life.

For additional reassurance, Lifeline offers medical alert systems with automatic fall detection.

At home or on the go, users wear a device that can sense if a fall has occurred and connect them to help. AARP members save 15% on medical alert service and get free shipping and activation. You can choose the service option that fits your lifestyle and get fast, 24/7/365 access to help when you need it.

To find more resources on how AARP member benefits can help you reduce your fall risk, visit aarp.org/benefits.

AARP member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details.

2023-09-04T23:01:00

(BPT) – Sponsored by Alkermes, Inc.

By Shari Hampton, Alcohol-free Since 2015 and Certified Life and Recovery Coach

I can still remember the date. It was February 15, 2015. That was the day I decided I had enough: enough waking up with no recollection of what I did the night before, enough destroyed relationships, enough self-inflicted damage done to my body. February 15, 2015, was the day I decided to commit to a recovery journey from alcohol dependence.

I had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol for 35 years. I thought drinking made all my experiences better, and that I was living my best life … until I wasn’t. The consequences of my drinking started to pile up and included multiple run-ins with the law and being hospitalized due to alcohol-related health problems. But I found it hard to stop. I craved more to drink, which negatively impacted my health and, worst of all, my relationships with loved ones.

In 2015, I was diagnosed with alcohol dependence by a healthcare provider. It took years to find the right treatment plan for me. I tried 12-step recovery programs, three intensive outpatient programs, and other treatment approaches. Everyone’s journey is unique but, for me, a combination of nutritional supplements, dietary changes, psychoanalysis, and holistic modalities really helped.

I also had a lot of support along the way. Despite my struggles with alcohol dependence and the negative impact it had on my family, they kept showering me with unconditional love. Putting all that love right back on them is a gift. Then there’s my love, my partner, my heartbeat — she teaches me daily to believe in love. She is my gift for all the hard work I’ve put into myself, and I cannot thank her enough for encouraging me to stay strong every day.

Today, I’m focused on my role as a certified life and recovery coach, and my work is my passion. I partner with professional women who are ready to commit to a recovery path from substance abuse, emotional trauma, and grief. It feels good to give back. Helping others early in their recovery journey to embrace hope is like no other feeling in the world.

September is National Recovery Month. This month, I want to help others by sharing my story and the many different treatment options available for those living with alcohol dependence. One resource I recommend is MyRelationshipWithAlcohol.com, where anyone can learn more about alcohol dependence, watch personal stories, or fill out a questionnaire to take stock of drinking patterns. There are also resources to learn more about how to talk to a healthcare provider.

I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share my story and encourage others to think about how we can help friends and family who want to reassess their relationship with drinking.

Celebrating life and the people in it is what is important to me.

I’m currently eight years into my recovery journey and looking forward to many more.

This article is sponsored by Alkermes^®. Shari Hampton has been compensated. Her story is personal and does not represent all people living with alcohol dependence. This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always talk to your healthcare provider.

ALKERMES^® is a registered trademark of Alkermes, Inc. ©2023 Alkermes, Inc. All rights reserved. UNB-003574

2023-09-01T14:53:00

(BPT) – By Manish Joneja, SVP, Walmart Marketplace and Walmart Fulfillment Services, Walmart U.S.

Transformation is part of who we are at Walmart.

You see, as customer preferences shift and change, so do we. We’re not just keeping up, we’re leading the way in meeting customers right where they are. It’s about providing new avenues for customers to get what they need, whenever and wherever they need it.

We recently brought together a group of third-party sellers for our first-ever summit dedicated to Walmart Marketplace, our endless aisle where sellers of all sizes can offer customers the items they need and love.

Growing together

At the summit I shared my belief that the evolution of Walmart Marketplace is among the greatest opportunities in retail. Beyond the sizeable business opportunity, it’s a chance to create the marketplace model of the future. We’re building alongside sellers, listening to their needs to create a platform that’s easy to use and the first choice for customers and sellers alike.

By design, our marketplace is a level playing field, providing customers access to what they want regardless of whether Walmart or a third-party seller owns the inventory. Put simply, we believe in growing together.

New opportunities

Walmart has a built-in base of hundreds of millions of loyal customers, our eCommerce business is thriving and we’re just getting started with Marketplace. We’re creating new opportunities to reach more customers through Walmart Business, a channel for B2B sellers; and Walmart Restored, a program to help sellers seize the emerging popularity of refurbished goods.

And we’re giving access to reach more customers around the world. Adding to our existing markets of Canada, Mexico and the U.S., early next year we’re opening up our marketplace in Chile to eligible cross-border sellers. If you’re a small business, international seller or a major brand who wants to turbocharge growth, you should be on Walmart Marketplace.

Your products, our online presence

We’re also making it easier than ever to ensure products can stand out.

We’re continuing to roll out Brand Shops, dedicated digital storefronts that allow brands to create their own curated pages with ease, build Brand Shelves to feature curated assortments, or try a seasonal collection. Both can boost discoverability and enhance customer experience. The creativity is yours. The reach is Walmart’s.

Earlier this year we reimagined Walmart.com to further enable item discovery through rich personal content, seasonal relevance and regional merchandising. We’re bridging digital and physical retail to make Walmart the destination across categories.

For example, our new Virtual Garage online and in the Walmart app allows customers to store details about multiple vehicles. This connects with scheduling service appointments at our thousands of Auto Care Centers. As customers use these features, they can easily shop our full range of auto items.

Fulfilling the future

Fulfillment can often be one of the biggest challenges for any retailer. Our advanced supply chain is helping sellers reduce cost while providing customers convenience.

Walmart blazed a trail in pickup and delivery, perfecting the systems and technology needed to provide a great customer experience. Now we’re bringing this expertise to sellers by standing up local pickup and delivery for sellers who have physical stores. Customers can pick up their items directly or have same-day delivery through our last-mile delivery network. This will lower sellers’ fulfillment costs, create new ways to convert sales and delight customers along the way.

We’re also providing more fulfillment options to make it more convenient for sellers who list big and bulky items such as canoes or trampolines by offering access to Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), our low-cost end-to-end fulfillment solution. Sellers can now use WFS to ship multi-box items like patio sets. These new services mean more items can carry the Fulfilled by Walmart tag that helps drive conversion. And we know sellers see on average 50% growth in gross merchandise value (GMV) when shifting items to WFS.

All this progress means something special for our customers, too: even more choice. That means they’re all turning toward Walmart to find the items they love — items just like the ones Walmart sellers offer.

The summit was a big milestone for us and our seller community. Walmart Marketplace can take you to new places, whether that’s a new market on the map, an emerging area like refurbished products or a spot on a shelf in one of our thousands of stores. If you want to become a Walmart seller, click here. If you’re already on this journey, thank you. The only way to go is up.

2023-09-01T05:01:00

(BPT) – Each September, we observe National Recovery Month to bring attention to the possibilities and pathways available to “Every Person. Every Family. Every Community.” CDC’s campaigns to Stop Overdose provide critical information about addiction and recovery, including the dangers associated with illegal fentanyl, the risks and consequences of mixing drugs, the lifesaving effects of naloxone, and how stigma is an ongoing challenge for those seeking help in recovery. With 300 Americans dying every day from drug use, we must use every opportunity to engage in open conversations about how to promote healing, prevent overdose and raise awareness of this public health crisis across communities. This is why National Recovery Month is so important.

Support communities to address stigma

About one in seven Americans reports having a substance use disorder. There may not be a family in this country that hasn’t been touched by the realities of addiction: the individual cost, community impact, lost time and resources, personal connections and, most importantly, the lives.

Addiction (or substance use disorder) is a treatable medical condition. But treatment can only start when someone recognizes that their addiction is a problem and knows that help is available, and recovery is possible. Recognizing one’s addiction and asking for help is a true act of courage, and those of us who work every day to prevent death and injury related to addiction have a responsibility to help eliminate the stigma associated with it.

Despite addiction impacting so many in this country, stigma toward these individuals remains extremely problematic. People experience feelings of stigma when another person mistreats them or thinks badly about them because of a behavior, characteristic or trait. Stigma, whether caused by bias, purposeful exclusion or a lack of understanding about the causes for a personal struggle, is harmful. There are certain groups who are more affected by addiction than others, and recovery for them can be even more complicated due to stigma since they may be afraid to ask for help. However, everyone deserves to get the support they need to recover from addiction free of stigma or judgment.

We can decrease stigma and increase compassion for those experiencing addiction when we put forth the effort to understand that drug use can be a result of many different experiences or factors beyond an individual’s control, including stress, trauma, or physical illness and injury. When we make assumptions about someone’s addiction, we fail to create a safe, welcoming space for them to seek help. But there’s reason for optimism: support can begin with you. Meaningful recovery can start with safe spaces created by open, accepting, loving, kind and caring families, friends, co-workers, congregation leaders and members, teammates and peers. When you understand the realities of addiction and the various kinds of treatment available, you can save a life.

Treatment leads to recovery

Medication, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient counseling and long-term support group participation are all different kinds of treatments for substance use disorders. Importantly, FDA-approved medications exist for opioid use disorder (MOUD), including methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. Someone beginning addiction treatment may be prescribed one of these medications while also receiving in-person counseling or therapy. MOUD have been found effective in helping people overcome addiction, stay in recovery longer and prevent reoccurrence of use.

It’s important to realize that a person in recovery — even years into their recovery — may experience a reoccurrence of drug use. Because of this, you can support someone you know or love throughout their life and at all points during their treatment and recovery.

Recovery starts in the community

Recovery Month brings together people from all over to better understand and reduce the harms caused by substance use disorders (SUD) in the United States. If you’re interested in learning more about SUDs, how they function as a medical disease, and treatment and recovery options, visit CDC’s Stop Overdose website.