Month: November 2025

2025-11-21T10:17:00

(BPT) – Long-term care (LTC) isn’t just about nursing homes or medical treatment, it’s about maintaining your independence and quality of life as you age. Many Americans will need some form of long-term care, which can include help with daily activities, in-home medical support, meal preparation, housework, pet care, and money management. Because most people receiving care live at home or in their community, not in facilities, understanding what LTC covers and planning early can reduce future costs, preserve your independence, and give your family peace of mind.

2025-11-20T12:01:00

(BPT) – By Steffen Schreier, SVP Product and Portfolio, at Telesign, a Proximus Global company

The holiday season is a crucial time for brands. It’s also the busy season for scammers.

This year, consumers will face an unprecedented surge in fraud attempts — from phishing scams to stolen identities, to fake bank calls, deepfake voices, account takeovers and more. Thanks to scammers leveraging AI to supercharge their schemes, fraud attempts have become more prevalent and sophisticated, leaving consumers overwhelmed, afraid and unsure how to protect themselves.

While no brand can eliminate the threat of fraud entirely, yours can take steps to prevent fraud and protect the customer experience this holiday. By doing so, you can build and safeguard trust in your organization’s digital experiences, which has become a critical element of competitive advantage in today’s digital economy.

Why your brand should invest in consumer fraud protection

Trust is the cornerstone of the modern customer experience. Our 2024 Telesign Trust Index report found that consumers, uncertain about how to protect themselves, are increasingly holding brands responsible for ensuring greater protection against fraud. In fact, nine out of 10 people now hold brands responsible for protecting their digital lives, and four out of 10 will abandon brands after security breaches.

This isn’t surprising given the financial repercussions. In fact, our report found that 30% of consumers surveyed were victims of fraud in the past three years. Of those fraud victims, 61% reported financial losses and one-third of victims reported losses of more than $1,000. Because of the prevalence of fraud, 64% of consumers reduced their use of payment services and 56% decreased their e-commerce activities.

To stay competitive, you need to be proactive, not reactive, when it comes to holiday scams. Here are three essential strategies every brand needs to consider to protect consumers this holiday season and build brand trust for the future.

1. Educate consumers on fraud

Knowledge is power. Awareness is the first defense.

A direct and practical step your brand can take to protect consumers is to educate them on fraud when it matters most — like during checkout, when there is an opportunity to place a bulletin alerting consumers of prevalent fraud schemes. Not only does this help users distinguish authentic interactions from potential scams, but it also builds trust in a brand’s overall digital experience.

Leading up to the holiday season, make it a point to communicate to your customers the very real threat of fraud and common schemes to avoid. For example, some of the most common holiday scams include:

• Package delivery scams
• Gift card fraud
• Online shopping scams
• Social media scams
• Charity scams
• Fake accounts
• Payment fraud
• Identity thefts
• Deepfakes
• AI bots
• Impersonation fraud

It’s not only important to educate consumers on the common types and channels for fraud but also to provide insights on the advanced social engineering tactics fraudsters are employing to exploit personal information, like bank impersonations, SIM-swap fraud, synthetic identities and even deepfake ploys.

Communicating these holiday scams requires a multipronged approach. In addition to traditional digital channels, like email newsletters and social media posts, in-app and push notifications provide a trusted source to communicate the dangers of fraud.

It’s also important to cultivate two-way communications, and consumers benefit from easy mechanisms to report suspicious or fraudulent behavior.

It’s important, too, not to underestimate the importance of ongoing education. Vanguard organizations are increasingly communicating security-consciousness into their communications so that when a scam does occur, it is so outside the brand’s promise and experience, the fraud becomes easier to spot.

For those brands starting out on this journey, consider, for instance, educating consumers about fraud prevention during their initial interactions, such as when they create an account or during high-volume events, like the holidays. This reinforces a commitment to ensuring trust as core to its brand promise from day one of a customer’s journey with the brand.

2. Improve the user verification process without frustration

Identity verification is another indispensable tool in protecting your consumers and your company from fraud. The challenge of user verification is establishing protective steps without causing undue friction for consumers.

Friction in and of itself isn’t bad. In fact, our research shows that where once enhanced security measures were seen as a nuisance, now eight in 10 people welcome them and the friction necessary to safeguard their digital assets.

You likely already have safeguards like multifactor authentication (MFA) in place, including biometrics, silent verification and push notifications. While this may seem like a basic user verification tool, it can be an incredibly powerful deterrent. According to data from Microsoft, MFA was inactive in 99% of successful digital intrusions.

The real challenge becomes how to prompt consumers to use MFA when interacting with your brand’s accounts. Because MFA is often an option, not a requirement, many consumers leave themselves vulnerable to attacks. Consider making MFA a default option for consumer-verified accounts. This simple change makes it easier for consumers to engage in protecting their own identity and build a narrative of trust in your brand.

Improving the user verification process without compromising their experience is just the first step. Because fraud is evolving, your brand’s processes should evolve, too, and that includes implementing AI.

3. Fight AI with AI

As mentioned above, fraud has been supercharged by the advent of and proliferation of generative AI. Deepfake scams, in particular, have been on the rise, with 1 in 3 people and 1 in 3 businesses reporting encountering deepfake scams or attacks in the past year, according to the 2024 Telesign Trust Index survey.

Brands can directly address AI-enabled fraud by leveraging AI. While traditional cybersecurity focused on reacting to threats, AI enables a proactive approach. It works to anticipate, detect and disrupt attacks before they cause harm. Experience-wise, it also helps to limit the friction people experience. The end result is a better and safer experience and a more confident consumer, free to engage with the platforms they love without fear or disruption.

Leveraging AI, too, doesn’t require a complete overhaul. Instead, you can build a stronger defense for your consumers by combining basic security measures like MFA with cutting-edge AI and machine learning systems that can spot and stop attacks more effectively.

Investment in AI-driven security measures can have a significant impact on a brand’s image. Our data shows that 34% of U.S. respondents are more likely to trust a company that uses AI to protect them from fraud attacks. Globally, 43% are more likely.

Trust matters

There isn’t one answer to how to protect your current and potential consumers from fraud. However, these three strategies, individually and together, are great examples of where to start.

To learn more about how your business can protect your customers this holiday season, visit Telesign.com.

2025-11-20T08:01:00

(BPT) – You use your eyes every day, but when was your last comprehensive eye exam? More than 16 million Americans are living with undiagnosed or untreated vision problems that could be detected and treated with a simple visit to a local optometrist. As our population ages, experts predict that rates of vision loss and blindness could double by 2050. The good news? You can protect your sight and catch potential problems early with annual, comprehensive eye exams from a doctor of optometry.

A comprehensive eye exam does a lot more than check how clearly you can see. Beyond detecting vision and eye conditions that benefit from early treatment, optometrists can spot initial signs of more than 270 serious health issues — including diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, and even certain cancers. It’s one of the simplest ways to get a deeper look at your overall health.

As the year winds down, Americans are busy with holiday travel plans and end-of-year to-dos — from scheduling flu shots to squeezing in final doctor visits. But there’s one important appointment that often gets overlooked: the annual in-person eye exam. Taking that one simple step could make a big difference in protecting your vision and overall health.

Here are facts about eye health that doctors of optometry nationwide want people to know:

Your eyes may say ‘bah, humbug’ during the holidays

Winter might bring holiday celebrations and cozy vibes, but it can be tough on your eyes. Dry, heated indoor air and the season’s low humidity can make moisture in your eyes evaporate quicker, aggravating dry eye symptoms. Combine that with cold winds and the intense glare of UV rays reflecting off snow, and you’ve got the perfect storm for irritated, uncomfortable eyes.

Regular, in-person eye exams can help patients address their eye health concerns, including dry eyes and early signs of eye damage from UV rays. You can also take proactive steps like adding a humidifier to your home and wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes outdoors.

Tech can take a toll on your vision

It’s no secret that we’re all spending more time in front of screens — and it’s taking a toll on our eyes. This year, tech gifts like gaming devices, TVs, and smartwatches are topping wish lists everywhere. But as technology use continues to rise at home and at work, our eye health can pay the price.

A report from Deloitte in partnership with the AOA found that 31.8 million people — about 31% of those surveyed who are exposed to excessive screen time — did not see an optometrist in the last year. Over half of that group (55%) reported the presence of vision-related symptoms that may be improved or resolved from regular visits to an optometrist.

Getting a comprehensive eye exam annually is key, but there are also simple steps you can take every day to protect your eyes. Try looking away from your screen periodically — get up for a drink of water, stretch, or step outside for a quick break. The American Optometric Association (AOA) advises the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

Don’t wait until symptoms appear

Blurry vision, eye pain, or irritation are all signs it’s time to see your optometrist, but you don’t have to wait until you’re uncomfortable to take care of your eyes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 93 million U.S. adults are at high risk for serious vision loss, yet only half visited an optometrist in the past 12 months. Many serious eye and vision conditions have no obvious signs or symptoms, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, but when detected early, vision loss can often be prevented or significantly delayed.

In fact, nearly 5 million Americans live with diabetic eye complications, yet 90% of diabetes-related blindness is preventable with early detection and timely treatment. In 2019 alone, doctors of optometry identified signs of diabetic retinopathy in over 431,000 patients who had no history of diabetes.

For many conditions, early detection can make the difference when it comes to protecting eye health and vision.

Not wearing corrective lenses? You still need eye exams

Even if you don’t currently need glasses or contacts to correct your vision, your eye health can change over time and can be impacted by a number of health conditions.

Remember: A quick vision screening, such as those offered at schools, pediatrician offices, or even online, can detect some vision problems, but it often misses more than it finds. A comprehensive eye exam, on the other hand, includes a full range of tests that thoroughly evaluate the health of your eyes and provide valuable insights into your overall well-being.

This holiday season, give yourself the gift of healthy vision by scheduling an in-person eye exam with an optometrist. To find an AOA doctor near you, visit AOA.org.

2025-11-20T09:01:00

(BPT) – Do you want to recycle more but are afraid of getting it wrong? You’re not alone. According to the 2024 WM Recycling Report, many Americans want to recycle and want to find more ways to do so, but 45% don’t because they’re not confident about what can and can’t be recycled.

This isn’t entirely surprising given that there’s a lack of education around recycling. Many items that weren’t recyclable 10 years ago can now be collected and turned into other products. If you want to increase your recycling and recycle correctly, here’s what you need to know.

Plastic. You may be familiar with plastic resin codes — the chasing arrows triangle with a number inside a shape. However, this code is to help recyclers sort plastics, not a sign that an item can be recycled. If you’re not sure that a plastic item can be recycled, take a moment to look for recycling instructions on the item and check your recycling hauler’s website.

Cartons. If you were taught that food and beverage cartons aren’t recyclable, it’s time to update your knowledge. Indeed, these items weren’t always widely recyclable, but thanks to the work of the Carton Council of North America that’s all changed. Since its formation in 2009, the council has helped increase household carton recycling access by 240%.

Today, cartons like those from Tetra Pak are accepted in the majority of household recycling programs in the U.S. and are recycled into paper products and even green building materials. All you have to do is empty the carton, keep the cap on or push the straw in, then drop the carton in your recycling bin.

Not sure if your community can recycle cartons? You can enter your address into this handy recycling locator tool to find out. And, new communities are adding carton recycling to their household collection programs. For example, just this year, Austin, Texas, began accepting food and beverage cartons in the curbside program for most residents. Want to know more about how cartons are recycled? Visit Tetra Pak’s carton recycling page to learn more.

Organic waste. Organic waste like food scraps from your plate, spoiled veggies, peels, rinds, egg shells and more can be composted, keeping food out of landfills. While your area may not have previously offered organic waste recycling, the trend is growing in the U.S., with many cities offering curbside composting bins. Check with your local municipality to see if organic waste recycling is available where you live.

Single-stream versus dual-stream. Dual-stream recycling used to be the norm, but many communities are transitioning to single-stream recycling. Now, you can toss plastic, glass, paper, cartons, cardboard and other recyclables into the same bin and sorting technologies at waste centers will separate them by category.

That said, single-stream recycling does increase the risk of contamination. You can do your part to make single-stream recycling work and reduce contamination by quickly rinsing your non-paper recyclables before placing them in the bin.

Electronics. In the digital age, recycling electronics is critical to conserving valuable materials and resources like metals, plastics and glass. It may have been difficult to recycle electronics like phones, televisions and computers in the past, but thanks to sorting technologies and new laws, recycling electronics has never been easier. Check in your area or visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s electronics donation and recycling page for more information on what to do with your old electronics.

Recycling has changed and will continue to in the years to come. By staying up to date on recycling programs and laws in your area, you can keep recyclables out of landfills and make a huge difference.

2025-11-20T09:15:00

(BPT) – Hosting a holiday meal for friends and family is one of the most meaningful parts of the season — a chance to share good food and memories around the table. Yet all the cooking, serving and clean-up can easily pull the host away from the holiday gathering, leaving little time to relax and connect with guests.

With a little planning, you can spend less time preparing a holiday meal and more time around the table savoring the taste of the season. These tips and recipes can help to simplify your holiday meal prep without sacrificing flavor.

Take an inventory of your pantry

Creating a spread of classic and creative holiday meals requires a full pantry of ingredients. Before you go shopping, and especially before you start cooking, take stock of what you already have on hand, what’s expired and what you’ll need to pull off a memorable holiday meal.

Not only will this streamline your grocery shopping and food prep but knowing what you do and don’t have can help you avoid a harried, last-minute trip to the store during one of the busiest seasons.

Ditch the porcelain for disposable cutlery and plates

Ceramic dinnerware can be beautiful and add a touch of luxury to holiday gatherings, but it often requires handwashing. To simplify cleanup without sacrificing style, consider using disposable cutlery, plates and bowls — many come in festive designs that are a perfect fit for the season. Keep a trash can nearby so guests can tidy up after themselves, and you’ll be free to enjoy the after-dinner drinks and conversation, too.

Pick easy-to-prepare holiday dishes

Cooking a tasty holiday spread doesn’t mean you have to spend hours in the kitchen. Bob Evans dinner sides allow you to serve everyone’s favorite comfort foods without the stress. Choose ready-to-heat favorites like Macaroni & Cheese, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Sliced Glazed Apples. They’re ready in minutes and help keep your holiday meal comforting, delicious and full of flavor. Serve them as-is or incorporate them into seasonal recipes like the three below.

Creamy Comfort with a Twist

Classic macaroni & cheese gets elevated with tart cranberries and the rich, creamy flavor of brie, creating a comforting and flavorful dish.

Cranberry and Brie Macaroni and Cheese

Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Servings: 6

Ingredients

12 ounces Bob Evans Macaroni & Cheese

1 cup cubed brie

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Combine macaroni and cheese, cubed brie and thyme in a bowl.
3. Spoon half of mixture into a lightly greased 1 and 1/2-quart baking dish.
4. Add half of cranberry sauce. Repeat layers.
5. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
6. Optional: Garnish with fresh thyme, if on hand.

Warm, Wholesome and Sweet

Sweet potatoes and apples combined with a crunchy pecan streusel for a dish that’s as comforting as it is festive.

Mashed Sweet Potato and Apple Bake

Prep time: 25 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes; Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

3 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

20 ounces Bob Evans Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add apples, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until apples are tender.
5. Spread both packages of sweet potatoes in bottom of an 11×7-inch baking dish.
6. Top with apple mixture.
7. Stir together remaining brown sugar, flour and 1/4 cup melted butter in a bowl. Stir in pecans.
8. Sprinkle streusel over apple mixture.
9. Bake 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
10. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Sweet and Savory Lunch

Tangy and sweet apples paired with classic sandwich flavors on a butter croissant make for a delicious and easy bite.

Turkey and Glazed Apple Croissant

Prep time: 15 minutes; Servings: 6

Ingredients

6 slices white cheddar cheese

6 croissants, split

2 cups baby arugula

1 pound sliced smoked deli turkey

14 ounces Bob Evans Sliced Glazed Apples

Instructions

1. Layer cheese slices over bottom halves of croissants.
2. Top with arugula, turkey and glazed apples.
3. Cover with croissant tops to make sandwiches.

Find these Bob Evans products to stock your holiday kitchen plus more recipe inspiration at BobEvansGrocery.com.

2025-11-20T09:01:00

(BPT) – Many parents worry about food allergies, with peanut products high on the list. The good news is that introducing these foods early is an approach that is already making a difference, dramatically reducing the occurrence of peanut allergy in children over the past several years.

A 2025 study out of the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) published in Pediatrics found that rates of peanut allergy in children under age 3 have declined 43% over the last several years. This decline corresponds with the implementation of an early introduction method assessed in the 2015 Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study, which resulted in 2017 Guidelines from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. These guidelines encouraged allergists and pediatricians to use a new approach: Advising parents on the careful introduction of a small amount of peanut product early in infancy to help prevent potentially severe allergic reactions later.

The CHOP study analyzed electronic health records from more than 120,000 children, confirming that introducing a small amount of a potential allergen like peanut products early helps an infant’s immune system learn to tolerate the substance rather than overreacting to it.

While it often takes time for research results to make a positive impact for real families in their everyday lives, these early but positive results are a welcome sign that common medical concerns like food allergies can be successfully addressed through the combined efforts of researchers, allergists, pediatricians and parents.

What this means for all food allergies

The CHOP study also found that adopting the early introduction approach corresponded to a 36% reduction in all new cases of food allergies, including other common food allergies in children such as milk, egg and tree nuts, suggesting that the new guidelines are translating to real-world prevention.

“These study results are very promising. They show that as more parents adopt these early introduction practices, it’s less likely their children will develop serious food allergies later in childhood,” explained allergist Cherie Zachary, M.D., president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “The early food introduction approach can also help parents address other potential food allergies including eggs, which have now become the most common food allergy among children since the decline of peanut allergy.”

The importance of early introduction for children at high risk

If your infant has severe atopic dermatitis (commonly known as eczema), or already has an allergy to eggs, your child is considered to be at high risk for peanut allergy. In that case, introduction of a peanut product, like a small amount of peanut butter (combined with formula or breast milk), under the supervision of an allergist, is recommended to help prevent peanut allergy from developing.

The Addendum Guidelines advise a specific method for introducing peanut-containing foods as early as 4-6 months of age for high-risk infants who have already started solid foods, after determining that it is safe to do so. The first step is to consult an allergy specialist who can perform peanut allergy testing, followed by trying a peanut product for the first time at the doctor’s office.

“If your child is at high risk for allergy, trying the peanut product at the specialist’s office first is the safest way to introduce the potential allergen to your infant, rather than trying it at home,” explained Zachary.

Introducing peanut products to moderate- and low-risk children

Moderate-risk infants are those with mild to moderate eczema who have already started eating solid foods. These children do not need an evaluation by an allergist, and they can have peanut-containing foods introduced at home by their parents starting around six months old. Contact your child’s pediatrician for any questions about how to proceed.

Children considered low risk for peanut allergies do not have any eczema or egg allergy. They can be introduced to peanut-containing foods according to the family’s preference, also at around six months, but only when a child is healthy. Do not do the first feeding of any peanut product if your child has a cold, vomiting, diarrhea or other illness. It’s also recommended to introduce age-appropriate peanut-containing foods only after infants have started eating other solid foods first. In other words, peanut-containing foods should not be the first solid food that your infant tries.

You can watch this video, “Peanuts and your baby: How to introduce the two” for specific instructions on how to introduce peanut products to your child at home.

Remember: Whole nuts should never be given to infants or toddlers, as they are a choking hazard.

“The CHOP study makes it clear that these changes in food allergy prevention over the past several years are already making a huge difference for children and their families,” said Zachary. “Parents can now feel even more confident that early introduction is an effective way to reduce the risk of developing peanut allergy later in childhood.”

Learn more about peanut allergies at ACAAI.org. If you believe your infant or child has had a reaction to a food in the past, a food allergy test may be recommended. Allergists are the best trained medical professionals to treat allergies and asthma. To locate an allergist in your area, visit AllergyandAsthmaRelief.org.