STAGE IV—Taking Action. I’m Doing It!
Personal Wellness Profile (PWP)
Medical research has identified specific health practices associated with health and longevity of life. The PWP asks a series of questions and compares your current health practices with this medical research to give you an educational report designed to help you evaluate your current lifestyle, identified health risks, and decide where and how to make improvements. You will also receive a one-page report to share with your doctor and a counselors report should you want one for other health professionals working with you. This profile is not a diagnosis of medical problems. If you have specific medical problems, needs or concerns please see a doctor and follow their guidance/recommendations. This profile will be a valuable tool in supporting your efforts to leading a healthier lifestyle.
Names will not be reported with any information provided to us. Somerset Heart Health will receive your name solely for the purpose of returning results. Everyone involved in this Wellness Profile work is committed to protecting the confidentiality of the information you provide and has signed a Confidentiality Pledge with Redington-Fairview General Hospital.
Assistance with program development
Monthly Newsletter (Wellnotes®)
WellNotes® is a health intervention newsletter that provides brief articles on current health topics, recommendations to help people stay healthy, and links to even more information. Somerset Heart Health sends this monthly Newsletter electronically as a PDF handout. Click here to see a sample newsletter.
Assistance with policy development in compliance with Maine State Law
There are a number of policies designed to protect your company and it’s employees. You can find sample policies for tobacco, seat belts and substance abuse in the Appendix* of this document.
The State of Maine requires that every worksite have a tobacco policy. Supporting Documents contains two tobacco policies that comply with Maine State Law. The first is a basic “No Smoking” within the facilities (buildings and vehicles) owned by the company. The second is a more comprehensive policy denoting smoking areas or no smoking within a specified distance of buildings. A substance use/abuse policy can also be found in Supporting Documents.
Signage for Policy Enforcement
There is a variety of signage around Tobacco, Physical Activity and Nutrition that can be provided from Somerset Heart Health.
Action Steps
Somerset Heart Health has adapted suggestions made in the Healthy Maine Works website to fit the work that is being done with marco businesses with assistance from MeHAF. Below, you will find suggestions around Physical Activity, Nutrition, Substance Abuse and Tobacco. A more comprehensive table of topics and suggested action steps can be found by following this link. Each recommendation has been assigned a level of difficulty (Low, Moderate or Harder) to correspond with the time and or cost commitment of the activity. These activities can be used to formulate a workplan individualized for your company. What individual businesses are capable of doing will depend on available resources at the worksite and the needs of the employees. Regardless of size, available time and money, employers can have a positive influence on the lifestyles of their employees.
Category/Topic |
Recommendation |
Difficulty |
Resource |
Nutrition |
Promote general information on nutrition to employees, including events, programs, and resources. |
Low |
Fruits and Vegetables More Matters (formerly called 5 A Day) Weight to Go |
Create an honor system healthy snack program with convenient, low-priced fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk, yogurt, nuts and other health snacks |
Moderate |
Good Work resource kit - Nutrition Honor System Examples
|
|
Require the snack vendor to fill the machine with a set percentage of healthy items. |
Harder |
|
|
Physical Activity |
Disseminate information and materials to employees to support and encourage daily physical activity (e.g., fact sheets, local physical activity programs, walking groups, public places for physical activity) |
Low |
Healthy Maine Walks |
Promote and/or organize the Move More physical activity program at your worksite(s). |
Moderate |
Move More Click here to open the registration form with Somerset Heart Health or call 207-474-7473 ext 204 for more information |
|
Develop a policy that allows employees to participate in physical activity during the workday. |
Harder |
Good Work resource kit - Physical Activity Policies |
|
Tobacco |
Develop a written tobacco use policy that meets or exceeds the requirements of the Workplace Smoking Act of 1985. This Act applies to all enclosed places where work is performed including private offices and all vehicles used in the course of work, as well as to common areas, such as lunch and break rooms. |
Low |
Good Work - Creating a Smoke-Free Workplace
|
Promote Quit & Win the free Maine Tobacco Helpline. The HelpLine is for people who are thinking about quitting or who are ready to quit smoking, or for people who want to help a friend or family member quit |
Low |
Maine Tobacco Free Helpline Somerset Heart Health http://www.somersethearthealth.org/Q&W_Reg.htm
|
|
Utilize appropriate signage to create awareness of specific policies and practices. |
Moderate |
Contact Somerset Heart Health 207-474-7473 ext 202 |
|
Substance Abuse |
Include information and education on alcohol and drug abuse prevention with the wellness program. Use lunch and learns, parenting skills classes, and implement a Substance Abuse Prevention Model Program for the workplace. Provide links to websites; provide information on local resources, (AA, Al-Anon, Ala-Teen, NA), and list local prevention and/or treatment providers. |
Low |
Maine OSA Prevention for Workplaces: Workplace Prevention Training Resources
|
Provide alcohol and drug abuse prevention information to employees. Include information on parenting skills, EAP services, resources, and support systems, such as AA, Al-Anon, Al-Ateen, and NA. Provide information in mailings, newsletters, and/or pay checks. Integrate this effort with the wellness program. |
Low |
Maine Office of Substance Abuse, Prevention For Workplaces: Training Resources
|
|
Develop and include a written policy as the foundation of your Drug Free Workplace Program (DFWP). Include employees in developing the policy. |
Moderate |
Good Work resource kit - Drug Free Workplaces: Creating a Drug Free Workplace |
Incentivize
Rewarding for efforts is an important piece to motivation. These incentives do not have to be expensive or extravagant. There may be community programs that you can refer employees to that already offer small incentives move more and quit and win.