Home Health Care Professionals Newsletter - 09302003

With the cost of heating your house soaring 73% more in Colorado this winter season here are a few tips from the Energy Conservation Group about saving on your energy bill.

Pay particular attention to air leaks at doors and windows. Replace weather stripping on windows. Check your insulation.
Have your furnace checked by a professional. A natural gas furnace should have a clear, steady blue flame with little yellow from time to time.
Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.
Regularly clean or replace furnace air filters, follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule, and don't block the registers.

Check your ducts for air leaks. First look for sections that have separated and then look for obvious holes.

Use kitchen and bathroom fans wisely, by turning them off as soon as their job is done.

Close guest rooms vents and close doors.

Setback thermostats: recent studies show that properly using automatic thermostat could cut heating costs from 20 to 75% depending on which part of the country you live in.

Tips for automatic thermostat settings in the winter:
- Program it to lower temperature at night after you’ve gone to bed.
- Have it start the heating system again in the morning, raising the temperature just before you get up.

- Let it shut off the system again during the day if no one is home.
- Set it to start up just before you return home in the evening.

Lower your thermostat from 72°F to 65°F for eight hours a day to save up to 10% on your heating bill. If you can, keep your thermostat no higher than 68ºF.
When purchasing a new furnace or water heater, make sure they have the Energy Star label.

Editor's Note

All Home Health Care Professionals’ staff joins me to wish you a Happy New Year 2004! May you stay healthy or get healthier. In this issue we have gathered few tips on saving on your energy bill this winter. We also continue with our “Are you ready?” section that gives you information on how to get ready for a possible emergency situation. And you’ll never order pizza again after you try our easy pizza recipe!
V.B.

Recipe Corner: Easy Pizza

Ingredients	2/3 cup warm water	1 tablespoon of tarragon
	1 package of dry yeast	1 teaspoon of salt
	1 tablespoon of sugar	1 and ½ cups of tomato sauce
	1 and 2/3 cups of flour	2 cups of shredded mozzarella

Directions
In a small bowl, mix water, sugar and dry yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes. Mix flour and salt in a food processor with a regular metal blade. Blend for 1 minute. While the blade is still turning, pour the yeast mixture down the spout. After a little while, a ball will form; add the oil. Mix for another 30 seconds. Let stand on a floured pizza pan.
Preheat oven to 425Fº.
Stretch the dough on the pizza pan to form the pizza. Cook pizza on each sides for 6 minutes each.
Take the pizza out, and put tomato sauce, tarragon, mozzarella and/or favorite topping on top. Put the pizza back in the oven for until the cheese melts. Let stand outside the oven for a couple of minutes before you cut it. Enjoy!

To make Valentine’s scented cards or invitations, put 2 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers, or fresh rose petals, or 2 tablespoons of your favorite pot pourri into a mesh bag. Close the bag tied. Put your cards and the aroma bag into a large zip lock bag. Let it sit for at least 24 hours.

As part four of our series about “Getting ready for an emergency”, this article is about making your supply checklist.
Emergency supplies should be gathered a time ahead and make up the basics of survival whether you have to leave your house or stay put.
This information comes from the www.ready.gov information web site edited by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; feel free to visit them for more tips.

Basic Supplies

Flashlight and batteries
Battery powered radio and extra batteries
Plastic garbage bags, ties and toilet paper for personal sanitation
First aid kit (See Home Health Care Professionals’ Newsletter—Volume 1, issue 1)
Map of the area for evacuation or for locating shelters
A whistle to signal for help
Moist towelettes

Clothing and Bedding

Have a least one complete change of warm clothing and shoes per person including: a jacket or coat, long pants, a long sleeve shirt, sturdy shoes, a hat and gloves
A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person in the household

Tools

Emergency reference material such as first aid book
Paper cups, plates and plastic utensils
Cash or Traveler’s checks
Non-electric can opener, utility knife
Paper towels
Fire extinguisher: small canister, ABC type
Tube tent
Pliers
Compass
Matches in a waterproof container
Aluminum foil
Plastic storage containers
Signal flare

Paper, pencils, sharpener
Medicine droppers
Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water

Sanitation

Toilet paper, towelettes
Feminine supplies
Personal hygiene items
Plastic garbage bags and ties (for personal use)
Plastic bucket with tight lid
Disinfectant
Household bleach

To use bleach as a disinfectant, dilute 9 parts water to 1 part bleach.
To use bleach to purify water, use 16 drops of regular household bleach per gallon of water.
Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
Use a medicine dropper to make the bleach mixture, and mark that dropper—BLEACH—with a permanent marker, so you DO NOT re-used the dropper for medicine!

A study by the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA) has identified the 10 most common healthcare mistakes Seniors make in caring for their health.

1 - Driving when it is no longer safe - Physicians and health care providers should refer to the American Medical Association and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publication: “Physician’s Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers.” (copy available at our office), or check their web site out: www.ama-assn.org, www.nhtsa.dot.gov
2 - Fighting the aging process and its appearance - Some Seniors refuse to wear a hearing aid, eyeglasses or even dentures! Family and health care providers should point out that today’s technology offers many options, some very discrete, that would help them live a more fulfilling life with little help before more serious problems arise

3 - Reluctance to discuss intimate health problems with the doctor or health care provider - We all say “It’s nothing! It’ll be better tomorrow!”, but when you are a Senior you have to pay particular attention to those little pains - all of them! - and talk to your doctor about them.
4 - Not understanding what the doctor told them about their health problem or medical treatment plan - Family and health care providers should make it clear to Seniors that there are here to help. Home Health Care Professionals has tools that should help you explain and train Seniors about their health; don’t hesitate to use them. If you don’t find what you need, ask us to look something up for you.
5 - Disregarding the serious potential for a fall - This is a major risk factor as you all know. Assessing that risk is very important for all of our patients. We have some tools for that too.

6 - Failure to have a system or a plan for managing medicines - Getting them to use meds planners is the hard part!
7 - Not having a single primary care physician who looks at the overall medical plan of treatment - At Home Health Care Professionals, that’s what we do!
8 - Not seeking medical attention when early possible warning signs occur.
9 - Failure to participate in prevention programs - In Colorado, 9News yearly healthcare campaign is a good place to start.
10 - Not asking loved ones for help.

Home Health Care Professionals, Inc.

Volume 1, Issue 4

December 29, 2003

Home Health Care Professionals' Newsletter

Saving on your energy bill this winter