HealthyLife Articles

Tag: readiness

Home Safe Home

Home Safety

Protect your family from accidents, injuries, and intruders.

You should feel safe, protected, and comfortable in your home, even when things go wrong. Make sure you’re doing everything possible to protect yourself and your family. Lock the doors, even when you are home. Install and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Plan an escape route in case of a disaster.

Safety Tips:

* Use a peephole at the front door.

* If you live alone, arrange for daily contact with a neighbor or relative.

* Post emergency numbers and teach children how to call 9-1-1.

* Stock first-aid supplies.

* Keep chemicals out of your children’s reach.

* Lock guns in one place and bullets in another.

* Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

* Use grab bars and safety mats or nonskid tape in your tub and shower.

* Keep stair areas well-lit. Keep all walkways clear of clutter.

* Make sure there is a clear path for walking from room to room.

* Never leave young children alone in the bathtub or on a bed or table.

Ways to get through a disaster faster:

Write down a plan. Rehearse it and hope you never need it!

* Create separate plans for different disasters, such as a house fire, flood, tornado, etc. Practice drills for each plan with the family.

* Take a first-aid course.

* Choose a check-in person who is unlikely to be involved in the same event.

* Plan two places to meet. Choose one at or near your home. Choose another one at a location farther away, in case you can’t get home.

* If you have kids in school, find out about the school’s crisis plan. Make sure the school has current phone numbers for you and other caregivers. Sign forms that allow the release of your kids to family members or friends.

* If you have pets, plan for their safety.

Action Step

Set up plans to be ready for weather disasters. Contact your cell phone carrier to see if you can get free Wireless Emergency Alerts.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Stages Of Change 2

Healthylife® QuitWell™

Part 1

This program does not assume you are ready to change. Or, you may be ready to make certain changes but not others. Other changes you may not have even thought of yet! The tools and strategies in this guide are designed to help you move forward through the stages of change.

Using the diagram below, consider which stage you are at. What best describes where you are at today?

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Stages Of Change

Healthylife® Weigh

Part 1

This guide does not assume you are ready to change. Or, you may be ready to make certain changes but not others. Other changes you may not have even thought of yet! The tools and strategies in this guide are designed to help you move forward through the stages of change. Using the diagram below, consider which stage you are at.

1. Not Ready

* Unaware or in denial about behavior – “No, not me!”

* Unsure about changing

2. Maybe

* Aware of problem

* Not quite ready

* Weighing pros and cons of change

3. Yes, Let’s Go!

* Forming a plan

* Addressing strengths and barriers

* Set to take action

4. Go! Doing It

* Putting the plan into action

* Bringing champions on board

5. Keep it Going

* Change becomes part of habits

* Reflecting on change

* Facing challenges to new habit

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Backpacks. Crayons. Glue Sticks. Epipen?

FAMILY LIFE

For more and more school-age children the Epipen is becoming a necessity for completing the back-to-school supply list. In fact, allergic conditions are one of the most common medical conditions affecting children in the U.S.

“Accidental exposure to allergens at school is a major concern for kids with severe allergies since any exposure could be fatal,” said Dr. Joyce Rabbat, pediatric allergist at Loyola University Health System.

Food allergies are the most concerning for school-age children since allergens can be hidden in food or utensils and pots and pans could be contaminated without the child’s knowledge. Dr. Rabbat said that parents of children with food allergies should ensure an Allergy Action Plan is in place for the child at his or her school.

This really could mean life or death to the child,” she said in suggesting that parents should make sure the school reviews the child’s health records that they provide from the doctor. She also suggests asking what the school does to prevent accidental exposure and that staff are trained to deal with an emergency situation.

If the child is older and knows how to self-administer medications, Dr. Rabbat suggests talking to the school about allowing the child to carry the medication with them. If that is not allowed at the school, make sure the following medications are available:

* Epinephrine autoinjectors

* Antihistamines

* Albuterol rescue inhalers

Also make sure a staff member, who is available at all times, is properly trained on to how to administer these medications and that your child is familiar with this person.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
National Preparedness

WELL-BEING

Floods, tornadoes and hurricanes are common stories in the news. Would you and your family be ready for these weather disasters and other unexpected events, such as a house fire or a terrorist attack?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the US Department of Homeland Security wants you to learn what you need to do to be prepared for a variety of disasters. Its website,www.ready.gov, takes you through the following steps to make preparation easier:

* Be informed

* Make a plan

* Build a kit

* Get involved

Each of these areas covers what to do when you are at home, as well as other locations. These include workplaces, schools, and college campuses. You will also find out ways to address caring for pets, aiding family members with access and functional needs and safely shutting off utilities.

Pre-financial disaster planning is also important. Disasters leave many people without access to finances or with expensive damages. Learn what documents, such as your house deed and insurance policies to keep in a safety deposit box or other safe place away from your home. Make copies of important documents and keep them in your emergency kit or an emergency financial first aid kit (EFFAK). Get a complete list of what to put in the EFFAK fromwww.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/29791.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has many resources and tools to help you be prepared for disasters. Access these fromwww.cdc.gov/features/beready.

Some disasters strike without warning, so get started today to be prepared.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026