There is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ marketing spiel. Since AI and Data Analytics have arrived it has completely changed how the world of how digital health marketing works.

There is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ marketing spiel. Since AI and Data Analytics have arrived it has completely changed how the world of how digital health marketing works. Companies do not have excuses to use the same marketing strategies because customer data is available. The accessibility of data demands companies to mould their marketing strategies and tailor them according to customers. 

This is where personalization comes into the picture. It refers to catering to the needs of your customers by leveraging their data. In a digital marketing context, it’s like watching a painter craft a masterpiece to increase engagement. 

In this article, we will discuss the importance of personalization in digital health marketing and what impact it has on our healthcare industry. 

Digital Health Marketing And Personalisation Dynamics

The goal of personalization in healthcare marketing is only one which is personalizing patient experiences. Starting from diagnosis to treatment, personalization aims to cater to the individual needs of patients and make them feel at home. Let’s discuss some of the factors that highlight the importance of personalization in health marketing.

1. You Can Develop A  Strong Connection With Them

Sure, throwing someone’s name in an email or suggesting treatments based on their medical history is a form of personalization, but it’s like dipping your toes in the shallow end. True personalization is about building a bridge of understanding with the people you’re trying to reach. Here’s why: Healthcare isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. People come from different backgrounds, have different lifestyles, and face different challenges. A young, busy parent might need quick and actionable tips for managing a chronic condition, while a retired individual might be more interested in in-depth information about preventative care.

By going beyond just medical history, we can leverage data to understand these wider demographics. This includes things like age, location, and even personality traits. 

2. Makes Engagement Easier

One of the most important roles of personalized digital healthcare is to improve the quality of engagement with customers. This can be done by delivering messages based on the target demographics and medical history to attract them. For eg: you can customize their website experience by considering their medical history or a recent interaction. You can also use chatbots for personalized queries. These types of personalization techniques can help build meaningful relationships with patients and also help to build trust. When patients feel that they are understood, they become more disciplined in following their routine checkups and follow treatment plans. 

3. Improves Your Results

In healthcare marketing, personalizing information can help patients and make things a lot easier. When caretakers send them information that is relevant to them, it makes it easier for patients to understand their health and make good decisions. Like, if you’ve got a long-term health issue, getting messages about how to deal with it or how to live healthier can make a big difference in how you manage your health. For eg: sending personalized diet charts to patients will help them decide what to eat and what not to eat. 

Moreover, customizing care for each patient helps catch and handle health risks successfully. This means that if any healthcare issue arises it will be detected early. Whether it’s suggesting lifestyle changes, diet changes making sure follow-up appointments are set on time, or recommending specific treatments. Personalized messages can help patients a lot because each and everyone is not able to monitor their health regularly. This simple approach not only lowers the chances of going to the hospital for your patients but also reduces the risk of complications and makes sure that we stay healthy. 

Some Tips To Personalise Digital Health Marketing

Here are some of the personalization tips that you can use in healthcare marketing to enhance your customer’s health journey.

1. Research the patient demographics and target messages accordingly to grab their attention. For eg: launching apps for younger demographics who look for technology-based solutions to their health issues.
2. Collect and analyze data from various sources including website interactions, email open rates, and social media engagement. Use this data to personalize messages for the audience. for eg: Designing apps that cater to their fitness goals and provide them with recommendations and plans according to them.
3. Use algorithms and machine learning to track user behavior and provide relevant recommendations or content based on their actions and preferences. For eg: You can add a website to track your visitors and analyze their preferences.
4. Provide personalized recommendations for health products, services, or resources based on the audience’s needs and interests. For eg: send email recommendations to your customers based on their recent purchases. You can also educate them about new products in the market.
5. Try asking for some feedback from your patients to check your progress and see what goes into their minds. For eg: You can give them questionnaires to gauge their feedback and also ask for follow-up. 

What is the most beautiful think we possess? It’s life… that needs extra care and love. But, we usually fail to take maximum care of it. Rather emphasize on having an unhealthy lifestyle which naturally leads to complicated health problems. Though, it is a desire of every individual to have a fit body and mind, but we take things for granted. Having a positive mindset along with a healthy lifestyle can surely increase your life span.

We have grown up listening to “health is wealth” but most of us are now running after the materialistic world while ignoring their health. It’s a fact that having a healthy lifestyle would definitely demand a lot of restrictions in life, but isn’t it worth doing?

A well-balanced living

You must have seen the change in yourself when you encounter different emotions. Staying happy can bring a positive attitude in life and can make you capable of handling tasks conveniently. Having stress in your life can restrict from enjoying every moment of life and also have a negative impact on health.

Take out some time for yourself and maintain a healthy schedule. Get indulged into some creative work which can help to reduce stress:

• Every week allot a time for yourself to de-stress and every day spend some time to relax
• Why don’t you devote some time to your hobby? Learn something new that excites you
• Laugh… laugh… and laugh as much as you can! This can definitely help to de-stress, boost up your mind and improve mood
• Wake up early morning and have a cup of coffee. Now spend some time in a quite environment

A few tips to follow

“The groundwork for all happiness is good health” and having an active life is essential to make sure that you live your life to the fullest. But, the question is how can you have an active living? Though there are many people around who might think of having a healthy life, but lack of guidance restrict them from having one. So, here are a few tips which can help you in achieving the target:

• Have a change in routine: Following the same line of exercise can be monotonous, so it’s important that you have a variation in it. Why don’t you try swimming or a bike riding… as this would not only help you in maintaining health, but will also motivate in workout.
• Involve in an activity you enjoy: If you don’t like jogging, just drop the idea of doing so! Take a brisk walk instead or if you are a dance lover definitely give a try to zumba session. You just need to enjoy the workout and nothing else!
• Revive the metabolism: An aerobic session of 30 minutes three times a week will revive your metabolism. Having lack of time can give you option to break up the activity and make it a daily routine.

Maintain a balance in life. Have patience to reach the goal and then you will no longer be a part of unhealthy lifestyle.

Dietary guidelines for a healthy life

A healthy diet can certainly uplift your health and a good health improves mental status. Everything seems to be related and so staying updated with necessary dietary measures can allow having an active and improved life.

• Use salt in moderate amount though it is usually advice to stop the intake of salt and sugar
• Enjoy variety of foods for a balanced diet
• Include lots of vegetables and fruits in your diet plan and these food should be safe and clean
• Do exercise daily so that an ideal body weight is maintained
• Include low-fat and high protein food in diet such as low-fat milk, fish, pulses and lean meat
• Do not overeat as this can lead to obesity

Make sure that you adopt the right cooking style. Make minimum use of oil and avoid having fried food. For elderly people, micronutrient rich foods are the best to keep them fit and active. Say “No” to processed food and animal foods such as butter, ghee etc.

Have you ever noticed a famous actor, known for their good looks, maybe Brad Pitt, standing stooped over? Of course not! Part of the appeal is their tall, proud posture, whether you consciously notice or not. Perhaps that’s why no childhood is complete without an occasional reminder to “Sit up straight!” Your mom was training you to become a Hollywood star.

While the desire for your own good posture could be due to the effect that poor posture has on your visual appearance, it may surprise you that posture has much more to do with whether you look proper or sloppy. Let’s look at another type of celebrity – a singer such as Adele, and try a little experiment on yourself. Sing your favourite song, or the national anthem with your shoulders rounded forward and head stooped down. Your whole chest caves in and prohibits your lungs from expanding and your voice from belting out those big musical notes. It’s much harder to sing properly without good posture. Remember Usain Bolt, the fastest human? Do you think he’d run as fast and place as well if he kept his head down?

If you’re concerned with your health you should know that the way you carry your body physically can have a major impact on your physical performance and mental sense of well-being. Studies are now showing the connection between poor posture and health problems ranging from weight gain, insomnia, and even depression and mental decline. Chiropractors are well aware of the significance of this connection between posture and health, which makes them a reliable authority on this and how it relies on good spinal health.

There are many causes of poor posture. In some people, unfortunately postural issues are due to other conditions or diseases that involve bone deformity or bone loss, however, in the vast majority of cases, posture is directly related to a person’s habits and daily activities. Here are some of the most common causes of poor posture:

• Looking down a lot during activities such as using a cellphone or playing video games
• Working at a desk or computer for long periods of time (even at a desk with good ergonomics)
• Poor ergonomics at work (chairs, desks, keyboards)
• Improper sleep support (mattress, pillows)
• Obesity
• Muscles weakness
• Poor self-esteem (people with low self-esteem tend to have a flexed/inward posture as a way to avoid being noticed)

As noted, there can be other health conditions and diseases that can contribute to poor posture, but as you can see, most contributors to poor posture are also things that are within your control.

Chiropractors and other health experts have found that people who have a tendency to slouch while standing, sitting, and even walking also tend to experience many kinds of health conditions, which can be mild or even severe. Many health problems such as headaches, muscle stiffness, shortness of breath, susceptibility to infectious illnesses, may actually be indirectly impacted by your posture and the positioning of your spinal column.

Your spine is important because it keeps your entire body in alignment and balance. It also houses and is meant to protect your central nervous system (spinal cord and brain). Your nervous system is responsible for the communication between your body and brain. The better your spinal alignment, the easier it is for your brain and body to share information and maintain good posture. Slouching, and being in poor posture makes it harder for this to happen – signals don’t transmit as well and muscles have to work harder to try to keep you upright. This extra, more difficult work can degrade the health of the spine and nervous system over time. When your brain and body need to work harder on your posture, they work less on keeping your other systems and functions working optimally. As this happens to the nervous system, other functions of the body may begin to have trouble working correctly, leading to inflammation, digestive issues, and more.

How To Keep Good Posture All Day Every Day

If you want to avoid these health problems, you’ll want to focus on maintaining proper posture as often as you can. It may be as simple as reminding yourself throughout the day to keep your shoulders pulled back, your head held high atop your neck and torso, and your spine in a neutral position as much it can.

If you find it difficult to maintain these positions of proper posture, it is a sign you need the professional help of a chiropractor. Your poor posture can be due to a combination of factors that include poor spinal alignment, poor nervous system signal flow, and muscle weakness. In most cases, these problems can all be corrected with a properly designed and executed plan that addresses all three of these issues as needed.

Do You Have Poor Posture?

Here is a simple test than can be an indicator of poor posture:

1. Have someone take a picture of you standing without shoes on a flat surface, looking ahead of you. Think of a side profile of a police mug shot, for your whole body, top to bottom. The person will likely have to stand 10-15 feet away.
2. Draw a straight vertical line from the inside of your ear down to the floor. If the line doesn’t pass through the middle of your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle, it’s likely you have poor posture.

So far, we have got to know about the positive applications of these therapies, which are transplanted into the body with living cells to treat, or eliminate the disease from the patient’s body. The most common type of cell therapy is the hematopoietic therapy. Harvested from the donor’s body for the host to develop bone marrow, it is a well-known cell based therapy, with its self-renewal and differentiation capabilities into many cell types.

Stem cell based therapies have the potential to treat numerous disorders, especially blood and immune related disorders. A wide range of these therapies including allogenic cell therapies, autologous therapies, and mesenchymal these therapies has shown a major breakthrough for curing many medical conditions such as sclerosis, spinal cord injury, diabetes and strokes in the clinical trials. More recently, we have the boon of induced pluripotent stem cells, having the same characteristic as adult embryonic stem cells that can be cultured to produce embryonic stem cells. These cells are important for another key reason- tissue engineering.

Over the last few decades, cell therapies have received medical and commercial successes for emerging as a novel therapeutic option for many cellular dysfunctional diseases. If data are to be believed, the global market of stem cell therapy had touched an average of $410 million revenues by 2009, and the market was expected to grow double and reached a total of 100 million people in the US.

And due to its numerous medical benefits, medical companies and research institutes want to bring its clinical applications from bench to bedside.

Although open to many controversies and debate, we have enough evidence to prove that therapy is indeed an effective therapeutic application to address a range of diseases, including cosmetic procedures like hair regrowth, skin redefining and etc.

In addition to this, the growing number of cell based clinical trails hold true to the potential for stem cell efficacies and its applications. A recent study as of June 2010 highlighted the capabilities of cell therapies through 2000 (approx.) clinical studies on biomedical research.

While the manipulation of embryonic cells is limited and controversial, a greater chance to develop engineered tissues from iPSC is viable for the medical interventions in serious conditions. And this is the underlying reason, why public and society demand for more clinical trials of stem cell based therapies and their applications in the medical fields.

Hence, it is important to commercialize the use of stem cells for rapid development of biomedical research, and improve public health through awareness. Some important aspects of the commercialization of stem cell therapy are as follows as below.

1. Commercialization aids the development of novel technologies and intellectual property for certain stem cell research, augmenting their value in the therapeutic market.
2. It aims at stimulating economic growth as well as improving the public health.
3. It advocates for grants or funds to be used in the clinical research to generate more commercially viable services and products in the market.
4. It is indeed important for the translation of public knowledge.

Despite these growth factors of commercialization of stem cell therapies, it faces many challenges from specific governing bodies, which hinders its positive endeavors from creating effective and curative treatments for many incurable diseases.

In order to take advantage of scientific, economic and medical potential of these cell research; commercialization is indeed a basic requirement, and of course in a compliance with regulators of certain authorities. And when this happens, we would expect to get sustainable and constructive medical benefits through commercialization in the field of this therapy, while respecting the public trusts.

1. The number one way to get the cold or flu is through direct contact. If you know some one who is sick it is wise to avoid direct contact them such as touching or kissing them.

2. Cover you your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw it in the trash immediately. If you don’t have a tissue handy cough or sneeze into the inside of your elbow and whatever you do – do not sneeze or cough into your hands. The germs cling to your hands like a magnet.

3. Wash your hand often and regularly for at least 15 seconds with mild soap and water. Don’t touch your mucous membranes such as your eyes, nose, and mouth after touching people or objects that many others have contact with. According to the CDC washing your hands if the best way to prevent sickness and spreading disease.

4. Avoid stress as much as possible because it wears our body down and negatively affects our immune system. When our immune system is weaken it opens up our body to be attacked by germs, viruses and disease. Try getting a massage to help lower your stress, listen to music, try meditation and deep breathing, yoga, or have yourself a good laugh with some friends. Laughter is a wonderful way to reduce stress.

5. Exercise regularly because this helps release endorphins into our body that naturally help our immune system stay strong and healthy.

6. Get plenty of sleep and rest. Sleep is also a major factor to having a strong and healthy immune system. According to experts 7-9 hours of sleep is required for the average person. To help you get enough sleep – try having a regular routine of going to bed and getting about the same time every day. Avoid caffeinated drinks, unhealthy snacks and spicy foods near bedtime in fact avoid unhealthy and processed at any time or meal. Stay off of electronic devices at least an hour before bed and that also means your smartphones or checking your e-mails. It will be there tomorrow.

7. Drink at least 8 glasses of water and fluids every day. you need to flush out the toxins in your body and water is great for cleansing your whole body. Organic fruit juices are a good choice to supply your body with extra vitamins and minerals. Try some peppermint water of peppermint tea. It works wonders on clearing congestion and helps you breathe. Try taking a little dab of peppermint essential oil and put it on your temples of under your nose.

8. Make sure you are eating a healthy balanced diet free from processed foods, sugary, fatty, high-calorie, or junk food. Eat plenty of lean protein and organic or local harvest fruits and vegetables to make sure you are getting the proper nutrition for a healthy and strong immune system. Make sure you are eating plenty of citrus fruits that are high in vitamin C.

Try so homemade bone broth. It is loaded with so many essential vitamins and minerals – it is one of the healthiest foods you can consume.

Eat fish that is high in Omega-3 and plenty of leafy greens. Garlic and onions are known to fight off bacteria and viruses that can help prevent the common cold and flu. They also make many foods taste wonderfully delicious – so add all the garlic and onions you can..

Studies have shown that eating real organic or homemade yogurt with live probiotics can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25 percent. The beneficial bacteria can help the immune system fight off disease.

9. Make sure you get plenty of antioxidants,vitamins and minerals. Taking a supplements of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E can be very helpful and let’s not forget about that mighty mineral zinc, It is so important in keeping the cold and flu at bay because it is so good at fighting infections. If you do get sick it can shorten the duration of your illness and because It helps destroy the virus at the back of the throat, therefore you recovery time is greatly shorten.

With these 9 plus tips you can stop the cold and flu and keep yourself and your family healthy by living a healthy lifestyle and make it through the cold and flu season without worrying and feeling miserable.

Gaining weight is an easy task, but losing weight can show you stars in the morning. It’s not a cup of tea for everyone. You have to go the gym, exercise regularly, control your food which is the worst. You workout and after that, you get a food craving, but you can only eat selected things. Here are a few dishes that you can eat while dieting that will fill you up and suppress your cravings.

Whole Eggs – Eggs are very fulfilling without much eating, are high in protein and nutrients, and contains healthy fats. It also helps in building muscles. Hunger can be satiated by whole eggs and it does not increase weight as well. If you have eggs for breakfast you will not feel the need for a snack before lunch. There is a myth about eggs that they raise the number of calories but it is wrong. On the contrary Whole eggs burn more calories and reduce food cravings. You can consume up to 2 eggs a day while on a diet.

Apples – “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Plus apples have the potential to keep fat away as well. Apples do have calories, but it is also filled with water and fiber which makes you feel full and is also efficient in reducing hunger pangs. The amount of pectin is high in apples which combined with water restricts your cells to absorb only a certain level of fat. Many doctors will suggest you include apple in your diet if you are in the process of losing weight. If you consume apple an hour and so before mealtime, you will find yourself cutting out on our intake.

Avocado – Avocado is an all-rounder. You can have them any time with anything, be it salads or main course. They are rich in nutrients and healthy fats. They also help in reducing fats, improves vision, benefits your heart. It also has the capacity to reduce food cravings. It is found out in researches that Avocado lowers cholesterol, reduces belly fat. It is the perfect food to consume during weight reduction. You should maintain an average of 1 Avocado per day. Avocado includes Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Potassium, Folate, Vitamin C, Copper, Magnesium, and antioxidants.

Bananas – Bananas are the home of potassium and starch that helps in weight loss. After your workout session if you consume bananas then it will fill all the nutrition needs at that time. Apart from diet benefits bananas can solve your digestion issues. They maintain your blood pressure, eliminating the risks of it shooting up or down. And studies have proven it also prevent strokes in women above 30.

Brown Rice – Brown rice resistant starch, which is a healthy carbohydrate that burn body fat. Brown rice looks after your heart health also. It’s low in calories and makes you feel filled after consuming. It is also considered much healthier than white rice as it has provided more benefits to your body than white rice.

There are the obvious ways in which you can stay healthy and “live a long happy life,” but I want to talk about some of my favorite tips to being healthy. I know what it takes to be a healthy person, but it’s even hard for me sometimes. I read other peoples’ blogs sometimes to give myself motivation. Sometimes your mind isn’t enough. Sometimes you need other people to give you that push that you need to keep going. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: food and fitness are not the only aspects of health. I like to help people be healthy, but it’s going to take more than my words and my tips for you to follow through with your goals. One of my favorite tips is to cook meals that you know will fill you up. Also, make sure that it is something that you will enjoy eating, and that it will satisfy your cravings. The worst feeling ever is filling up on a bunch of food and realizing that you are still “hungry,” because you have a craving for something more. Listen to your body when it tells you it needs something sweet. There are healthy things that are sweet. Eat an orange! Another tip what I have for my viewers is to be honest with yourself. If you’re lying to yourself, how do you expect someone else to be truthful with you?! I’m talking honesty in all aspects. For example, for one, be honest with yourself if you need a cheat meal. It’s okay to have a cheat meal to get through the week. Your week is going to be just horrible if you are constantly drowning yourself in lettuce. That’s the physical aspect about being honest with yourself. The mental part about being honest is that you need to just be an honest person overall. You attract what you give. You don’t want to get caught up with what you think you want and what you really need. Also, do not put too much on your body (or mind) that it cannot handle. Only you know what is too much, what is just enough, and what isn’t enough. You have to push yourself in all aspects of life but not to the point of no survival.

Relationships are another huge aspect to living an overall healthy life. You accept the love you think you deserve. That is why it’s so important to not only have a healthy body, and a health mind, but also a love for yourself. You have to love yourself enough to know what you deserve. If someone isn’t making any positive contributions to your life, then in all reality, they have no point in being there. Also, if there are more negative aspects to a relationship rather than positives, it’s time to let go. Negativity in your relationships effects you more than you realize. It effects your confidence and your overall well being. Unfortunately, you are setting the standard for all of the following people to enter your life. They have to know how they need to treat you in order to stay in your life. If you allow people to walk all over you, they’re going to.

Another thing that I want to touch on is family. Some people in your life will come and go. Friends will most likely come and go. Boyfriends/girlfriends will come and go but family is blood and family is forever. You can’t get rid of them. You were put with them for a reason and they are there to get you through the times when you feel as if you have no one. Yes, you may fight with your family. In fact, I fight more with my family than I do with my friends. But, I also forgive them much faster than anyone else. I know that they know me better than anyone else. They’ve known me longer than anyone else in my life and so has your family. While sometimes you may feel as though they don’t know what you want… they know what you need and that’s more important.

Another huge part of living a healthy life is sleep. I’m sure you know that you’re supposed to get enough sleep every night, but did you know that too much sleep is horrible for you? Did you know that there is a significant correlation between too much sleep and weight gain. I don’t know the entire reason for that, but I do know that skipping breakfast is bad for your metabolism so I’m sure that that has something to do with it. For me, if I know that I have a long day ahead of me, I make sure that I get to bed very really. Ever since I got a Fitbit, I noticed how horrible my sleeping patterns are. Sometimes I’ll go to bed around 10 and wake up at 8 and I’ll still be exhausted. So, I check my Fitbit and I see that I only got 5 hours of sleep. I am obsessed with my Fitbit because it is so accurate. My dad wears one too and his says he gets good sleep, so it is different for everyone but I am so glad that I got one, because now I know why I have been so tired throughout the day after thinking I got 8+ hours of sleep.

So, with all of that being said, I want everyone to be the best person they can be. Follow all aspects of health and don’t just focus on the physical features. A healthy mind can mean a healthy life, too. I think everyone needs to focus more on the different parts of health. In fact, I would argue that weight is just a number. Muscle weighs more fat. People need to stop seeing the numbers on a scale as a representation of health. I learned to be happy with my weight, because I know that my body contains a lot of muscle. Once again, thank you for tuning in.

Aloe vera is a perennial plant, which is mainly cultivated worldwide for its medicinal and agricultural benefits. The aloe gel is extracted from the fleshy leaves of the plants. This plant has been widely studied for its therapeutic uses, some of which are described below.

Useful in:

Digestion | Boosts Immune system | Cancer | Skin | Hair | Arthritis | Bone and Muscles | Heals wounds | Women health | Nausea | Diabetes II | Acid Reflux | Anti-aging |

How this helps:

Antioxidant and anti-microbial properties:

Aloe gel consists of many phytochemicals with a probable antioxidant property like anthraquinone C-glycosides, other anthraquinones like emodin, lectins, acetylated mannans, anthrones, etc. Furthermore, salicylic acid is also present in the gel, which has shown antibacterial properties.

Skin:

Aloe vera has been used since ancient times for topical application and treatment of burns, cuts, stings, rash and any other skin infection. The vitamin E present in the plant helps in diminishing the harmful effects of UV rays like sunburns, pimples, and blisters. In several cases, it has been noted that applying the gel on even third-degree burns, helps in faster healing of the wounds and restores the skin faster. Furthermore, the gel also helps in removing tan and stretch marks.

Bones, Joints, and Muscles:

The anti-inflammatory property of Aloe vera helps in reducing many inflammatory conditions like arthritis and even decreases the joint and muscular pain. A topical application of the aloe gel reduces swelling and redness around the affected area and eases the pain.

Cancer:

Some researchers also stated that Aloe vera contained many compounds which arrested the growth of cancerous cells and prevent tumor formation. The polysaccharides present in the aloe plant consist of effective macrophages that release huge amounts of nitric oxide, which has anti-cancer properties. Aloe gel also helps in soothing the burns and wounds that arise due to radiotherapy treatments.

Aging:

With progressing age, the skin loses its natural elasticity and becomes dry, which increases the occurrence of wrinkles or fine lines. Aloe gel helps in removing the dead skin cells and moisturizes the skin. Some researchers have also stated that aloe gel improves the skin elasticity and delays the onset of ageing.

Hair fall:

The pH of the scalp is acidic, i.e., 5.5. The commercial shampoos and hair products are alkaline in nature and can change the scalp pH. Any change in the scalp pH can cause hair-related problems, like hair fall, dandruff, oily hair, etc. Aloe vera removes the dead cells from the scalp, maintains scalp pH, reduces infections and soothes the scalp.

I watched a documentary the other day about superbugs and their relationship to antibiotics. Having needed antibiotic treatment myself a few months ago, I was very interested in what I saw.
On a personal note, I was prescribed, among other medications, roughly 4 months’ supply of an antibiotic, only to develop a very annoying side effect after less than a month into the treatment. I did some research on the medications I had been prescribed and discovered that this particular side effect was quite common. Naturally enough, I stopped taking it immediately and the unpleasant symptoms disappeared. I did give the medication another try after about another month, once the side effects had disappeared. Unfortunately, they reappeared immediately so my decision then was, in my mind, a no brainer.
After watching this documentary, I started researching (naturally, being me), ways to achieve beneficial results without using antibiotics. Or, more attractive for me, finding foods anyone can source that will actually work on our systems to help us avoid the need for antibiotics, a way that will actually keep me and my gut healthy on a daily basis.
During my research I came across several companies and institutions investigating similar options. One of the most recent I read was a huge report from “Medical News Today 2018” listing foods, from garlic to oregano that are being shown to have very beneficial effects.
It is speculated by such prestigious organisations as Medical News Today and National Academy of Medicine, to name just two, that our excessive use of antibiotics is opening the door to more and more so-called “superbugs” and that this could easily result in antibiotics losing their ability to heal.
Research into this matter by the large medical organisations across the world is ongoing, but takes time and money and we don’t know how much of that we have.
One thing that stands out clearly, from all of this, is that the use of antibiotics ONLY when expressly needed, and ONLY using the most appropriate dose for the disease being treated is of major importance. This is difficult, but not impossible to achieve. But is VITAL if we want to reduce the incidence of “superbugs” that are negating our antibiotics today.
Another thing that could help in this endeavour is by making sure that the conditions being treated actually NEED antibiotics, as researchers have found that ‘Antibiotics won’t treat viral infections because they can’t kill viruses’. And yet, sometimes antibiotics are still prescribed.
Is this in hope that they may succeed?
The use of effective antibiotic alternatives, which will promote good health and give our bodies the armour to resist disease, could be one major way to decrease the NEED for antibiotics and therefore lower the risk of the emergence of even more, stronger superbugs.
As many medical researchers say, solutions to the antibiotic resistance problem are multifaceted and include reducing the use of antibiotics via the use of alternative products. Although no one alternative will replace all uses of antibiotics (Allen, 2017).
So it could mean we should include ingredients such as Garlic, known as a healing herb for centuries, Honey, in use in some parts of the world since Roman times, Ginger, Turmeric, which has been found to be useful as a healing agent for at least 5,000 years, to name but a few, all of which can be found in most kitchens, in our food. Then, we can at least begin to protect ourselves from the NEED for antibiotics and so the RISK of contracting these “superbugs” to attack our bodies when they are weakened by disease.
We can also build resistance by taking more exercise, but that is a subject for another day.

When you become the owner, manager or administrator of a home health agency people look up to you for leadership, to clarify, and guide them in the right direction, even if they don’t ask for it they do want it. When I was thrust into a leadership position a few years back, I kept looking for someone who could guide me and show me “the ropes.” I started reading as many leadership books that I could get my hands on. However, what helped me the most was watching leaders and mentors such as Oprah, Tony Robbins, Les Brown, and a bunch of unknown leaders in various professions in action. YouTube is great for having easy access to top leaders in the world.

I found that it was hard to find a person in a leadership position who would take the time to show me the ropes. Huh! I had to learn the hard way through many trials and errors. I finally understood that in some industries there is no emphasis on the concept of mentoring and coaching the” newbies”. You are on your own, especially if you need help in the home health industry.

So many home health agencies are in need of having an experienced director of clinical services on board, that they are now hiring nurses with no experience in home health that can jeopardize the success of the agency. Having the right person and processes in place is crucial to meet the state and federal requirements. Thus, having someone with great leadership skills, experience and knowledge is becoming ever more important in the home health industry.

What about Homecare (Personal care) Agencies?

While homecare agencies are not required to have a Director of Clinical Services, the Manager still need have specific qualifications required by the state regulations.

As a first-time Administrator, Manager, Owner, or Director of Clinical Services, here are a few strategies that any leader can use to be successful.

1. Be a first-class Listener

To be a good listener you must be present. This means to be physically or mentally focused on what is being said and not being distracted by everything that is happening around you. Being a good listener will make you more appreciative of what the other person has to say. You will be more effective in problem solving. Listening to your staff may take a lot of practice, consistency, and effort on your behalf, especially if you don’t agree with what that person has to say. We must remind ourselves of the benefits to listening more than talking. We must not judge the employee who is speaking, and look at the situation from their point of view.

2. Be a Better Communicator

Being a leader who can successfully communicate will be key to your success. Great communication skills should be a required for all agency owners, managers, or administrators. This is one skill that will vastly improve over time with practice.

3. Have a Vision For Your Agency

A great leader should have a clear and exciting vision for the future of their agency. This vision should be clear to everyone working for your agency, your clients, and business associates. What are your goals for the agency? Share those goals with people who matter and can help your goals manifest.

4. Find a Great Leader to Emulate

As I mentioned before, when I first started out on my journey as a leader, I was looking for someone who would serve as a role model and good leader. Of course, there wasn’t anyone in the home health or healthcare industry for me to emulate. Who do you know that is a successful leader as a home health administrator, owner, or manager? Good question huh! Since our choices are very limited, we have to emulate people from other industries to guide us to success and prosperity.

A leader that can demonstrate their commitment to being persistent, honest, take risks, and discover ways to develop creative solutions will be successful in growing a very profitable business.