Month: March 2019

2019-02-01T15:29:00

(BPT) – According to AARP, more than 40 million people in the United States are providing care for an older or aging loved one — and 7 million of us are Latinos. That doesn’t come as any surprise to members of our community. It’s simply what we do for family. For many, caregiving starts with simple errands and to-do items, like scheduling a doctor’s appointment or helping out with grocery shopping, and then expands to more responsibilities over time. It’s a beautiful thing to do what we can for the people we love, but there are also moments when we can feel worn out or stretched too thin.

When you look at the numbers, it’s clear how hard we’re working. Nearly 7 in 10 Latino caregivers work outside the home. One in three provide more than 40 hours of care to loved ones each week. You do the math. It doesn’t add up to much time for the “life” side of a caregiver’s work-life balance.

That’s why AARP and the Ad Council started a Caregiver Assistance campaign to offer information and free online resources for caregivers. On AARP’s Family Caregiving site, there are wellness tips, planning resources, financial guidance and Care Guides tailored to specific topics and challenges, such as caring for a loved one with dementia. It also includes self-care tips and advice for caregivers.

Throughout my own caregiving experience, here are some helpful tips I’ve learned along the way:

Care for yourself. You cannot care for your loved ones unless you care for yourself. It’s important, not only to your mental well-being, but your physical well-being, too. Caregivers have a higher-than-normal rate of getting sick, and are oftentimes so depleted that they can’t care for either their loved one or themselves. Look after your own health by eating well-balanced meals, exercising, getting enough sleep and taking time off.

Stay organized with handy tools. You’re probably already an expert at organizing documents and medical cards, insurance papers and everything else. Make your life a little easier by leaning on free resources that can help you keep everything together! There are a ton available for your needs on AARP’s Family Caregiving site.

Remember to laugh. Caring for someone with significant impairments or illness can be difficult emotionally, but laughter and lightness can exist there, too. Joke with your loved one — he or she is still the same person inside — and try to be amused by the little things.

Make future plans. When a loved one you’ve been caring for passes away, it can come as a shock. You might feel like your purpose is gone and this can exacerbate the grieving process. Planning for the future will help relieve that shock for you, even if the plans aren’t concrete. Dream about the exciting roads ahead, and keep in mind all the incredible ways you’ve learned and grown through caregiving.

Accept help. Whether it’s from other family members or outside sources, help is critical to caregivers. Start with the free resources that AARP can offer you at aarp.org/cuidar (Spanish) and aarp.org/caregiving (English) or feel free to call the hotline: 1-888-971-2013 (Spanish) or 1-877-333-5885 (English).

Elluz Peraza is the community specialist and radio show host and producer for CV Global. She provides care for her 100-year-old mother, who lives with her. Peraza is a former actress and was Miss Venezuela 1976.

2019-03-05T16:33:01

(BPT) – Setting New Year’s resolutions is a great way to make positive changes in life, but sticking with them all year can be tough. In fact, more than half (54%) of people say they drop their New Year’s resolutions after 3-4 months. And, often times people are left with expensive commitments – like a gym membership – they wish they hadn’t made.

2019-03-05T12:01:00

(BPT) – –

2019-03-05T13:55:00

(BPT) – Without thoughtful communication, relationships between board members, residents and property managers of community associations — aka, HOAs — can go from smooth to contentious in a hurry. From single-family communities to high-rise condos, everyone has their own ideas about what’s best for the neighborhood. But despite what most headlines will have you believe, the reality is that homeowner satisfaction in managed communities is reported to be at an all-time high, and embracing the right communication style to connect with their community is a key reason why.

Savvy HOA boards accept that resident age and lifestyle require them to customize their communications and work with property management companies to deliver them through new channels that reflect what their residents prefer, marking a new era in resident-management relations. By identifying trends within communities, HOA boards in conjunction with property managers are employing more effective tactics to convey important information, make decisions and even defuse tension.

Sharing in bits and bytes: Millennial messaging

For example, younger generations are more receptive to messages delivered through digital media, online property management platforms and mobile apps. In high-rise communities where millennials are prevalent, association boards are using these channels to connect with their tech-savvy residents. Apart from distributing important building information, board members are also able to get better buy-in and feedback on community initiatives. The use of digital media lives up to its name, as previously hard-to-reach residents are now being brought into the fold to create richer living experiences and more representative communities.

“Community relations, like technology, should evolve with the user,” said Alan Missen, CIO of FirstService Residential, the country’s leading property management company. “People’s widespread use of digital platforms as primary conduits for daily information and interaction must be reflected in a managed community’s communication network to create more touchpoints of engagement among residents, boards and staff.”

Offering on-demand communication tools to capture working families

Single-family or master-planned communities are where more established residents, mainly working professionals and families, call home. They tend to prefer email or texting over in-person meetings, with the added option to source information themselves. The community management industry is responding with innovative tools that allow these self-directed individuals to engage on their own terms.

One of the biggest markers of progress in the industry is the increasing adoption of online resident portals. FirstService Residential CONNECT is an online property management platform that allows residents and boards to communicate directly with one another and with the community manager without being disruptive to any party.

Residents can check account balances, reserve amenities, manage visitor access and track package deliveries. Online property management platforms also enhance board members’ ability to spot and respond to operational needs and make improvements while reducing costs and delivering added value to their community, which ultimately leads to increased resident satisfaction and support.

Keeping a hold on traditional communication

There is no denying that growing numbers of mature residents are “plugged in” and finding their voice in the digital age. Nevertheless, more traditional forms of communication, including emails, physical mail and in-person consultations, are still preferred by this generation.

While face-to-face conversations are welcome, the pitfall is they can open the door to confrontations just as easily. Understanding this, community board members, with the assistance of property managers, are increasingly employing personalized communications techniques to navigate difficult personalities in the face of such interactions.

For instance, summarizing a complaint in writing after a resident airs their grievances can help them feel heard. Laying out the logic behind a decision can help residents feel more comfortable with the process, even if they don’t like the decision itself. These small changes are much more effective in managing relationships than simply saying, “Thanks for your comment.”

As HOA boards focus more on these kinds of interpersonal tactics, they’ve seen fewer disgruntled residents and more small issues remain small issues. The key is to communicate directly, plainly and sincerely.

Becoming an interpreter

Forward-thinking HOA board members and community managers say effective communication is all about speaking the same language as their residents. That means delivering messages in a way they’ll respond to and be comfortable with. By mirroring preferred communication channels, association boards and residential managers are changing the game to give everyone a voice and create stronger communities. For more insight about HOA communications, visit fsresidential.com/corporate/hoacommunications.

2019-03-05T09:31:00

(BPT) – Having a baby is a wonderful experience, but for many women, health issues can cause them to second-guess their ability to become a mom. Women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may feel as though pregnancy is out of the question. This isn’t necessarily true. In the U.S., 1.6 million people have IBD — a group of disorders that include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Of those, roughly half are women who will consider getting pregnant one day. When it comes to IBD and planning for a family, it’s natural to have questions and concerns.

“The IBD Parenthood Project provides guidance to women with IBD on the continuum of care and best practices for managing their IBD throughout all phases of family planning: trying to conceive, pregnancy and postpartum,” says Rajeev Jain, MD, AGAF, FACP, IBD Parenthood Project Co-Chair and Gastroenterologist at Texas Digestive Disease Consultants. Led by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) with support from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the patient support network Girls With Guts, this program aims to empower women with IBD, their loved ones and health care providers to have open conversations about preconception, pregnancy and post-delivery care.

Dr. Jain offers answers to the most common questions he receives from women about IBD and family planning:

In your experience, what are the top concerns women with IBD have when planning for a family? What are the key steps you would urge her to take before she gets pregnant?

Answer: Many women with IBD are concerned that they won’t be able to achieve a healthy pregnancy and worry about factors such as IBD medication being harmful to their baby. Studies show that women who have their Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis under control, and who have never had surgery, can get pregnant at the same rate as other women in the general public. For women to have a successful pregnancy, their IBD should be under control; avoiding a flare is the most critical aspect to achieving a healthy pregnancy.

What types of health care providers should a woman see to ensure she has a healthy pregnancy?

Answer: Pregnant women with IBD should work with a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) subspecialist who will coordinate care with her delivery provider and gastroenterologist (GI). A pregnant patient with IBD should be monitored by both a GI, who has a clear expertise in IBD, and an obstetric provider, ideally an MFM subspecialist, with further assistance from other care providers. An obstetrician (OB) or MFM subspecialist should lead pregnancy-related care, and the GI should lead IBD care, with excellent communication among all providers consulted during pregnancy.

What is an MFM subspecialist?

Answer: An MFM subspecialist is an OB with an additional three years of formal education who is board-certified in maternal-fetal medicine, making them highly qualified experts and leaders in the care of complicated pregnancies. An MFM subspecialist is distinct and different from a “high-risk OB.”

Are IBD drugs harmful to take while trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy?

Answer: Most women who are in remission when they get pregnant stay in remission throughout pregnancy. Stopping medication can cause a flare, which is a risk to a healthy pregnancy. Treating IBD with the appropriate medication may help reduce a woman’s risk of a flare and can help lead to a healthier pregnancy.

Will my children have IBD?

Answer: Up to 3 percent of children with one parent who has IBD will develop the disease (this means about 97 percent will not get IBD).

Are women able to breastfeed while on IBD medication?

Answer: Yes, in many cases, mothers with IBD who breastfeed can simply follow standard nutritional recommendations, which may include increasing the amount of food in her diet or adding omega-3 fatty acids.

To download the patient toolkit and learn more about pregnancy and IBD, visit www.IBDParenthoodProject.org.

AGA’s IBD Parenthood Project is funded through support from UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company.

2019-03-04T14:01:00

(BPT) – Email phishing scams and attempts to steal your information are on the rise as the April 15 tax filing deadline nears, so how can you avoid falling victim to one of these schemes? Phishing attempts have become much more sophisticated in recent years, so it’s even more important to be vigilant in order to protect your personal financial information. In the month of February, Microsoft security experts saw an average of 300,000 phishing encounter attempts across its browser platforms — every single day. These attempted scams will only increase as tax day approaches.

Here are a few simple tips to avoid falling prey to phishing scams.

1. Watch for suspicious emails. Be suspicious of any unexpected emails, and avoid clicking on links or attachments, especially when the email seems “off” to you, or unexpected, like an email from a tax preparation service, your credit card company or a financial institution. Although the email may appear to be genuine on the surface, if it is not part of your regular interactions with the company, it’s worth further scrutiny. You’re always safer using the direct URL of the company and accessing your account from there to process any transactions or to check your account, not by accessing from a link inside an email. Also, any emails claiming to be from the I.R.S. are most likely bogus, as the Internal Revenue Service does not initiate interactions via email, phone, social media or text, and uses the U.S. Postal Service for nearly all communications with taxpayers.

2. Carefully inspect URLs. You can simply hover over links within the suspicious email with your cursor (without clicking it) to view the URL. See if it actually goes to the website where it claims to direct you. URL shorteners provide convenience, but they can sometimes make the inspection difficult. When in doubt, use your search engine to find the correct company URL and go from there. You can also hover over the email sender’s email address to see if it matches the sender you’re expecting.

3. Be wary of all attachments. If you haven’t just made a purchase for tax processing software or used a tax preparation service, don’t be fooled by getting an email containing an invoice from a tax preparation service or software company. Sending fake invoices for services or products is one of the top methods that attackers use to trick people into opening a malicious attachment that could automatically execute malware on your computer. Malicious attachments could also contain links that download and execute malicious programs if you click on them. PDF attachments that contain innocuous-looking links can lead to users accidentally downloading malicious software designed to steal their credentials.

4. Don’t rely on passwords alone. Whenever possible, opt to use multi-factor authentication like the Microsoft Authenticator app for managing your “manage service account” logins and Windows Hello for easy and secure sign-in to your Windows 10 device. They enable biometric authentications such as your face or your fingerprint to quickly and safely log in across devices, apps and browsers without you having to remember passwords. With a Microsoft account, you can also securely and automatically sign in to other cloud-based applications including Bing, MSN, Cortana, Outlook.com and Xbox Live (PC only).

5. Keep your software current. Run a modern, up-to-date operating system, such as Windows 10, and make sure to stay current with the latest security and feature updates, in conjunction with using built-in anti-virus protection like Windows Defender Antivirus.

Don’t fall victim to sophisticated phishing attempts via email. Protect your personal information by informing yourself about the latest scams. With just a little extra care and vigilance, you should be able to steer clear of “phishy” emails and other scamming attempts this tax season.