What is short-term disability? Employees may quickly “use up” their paid sick days if they suffer a debilitating illness or injury. Short-term disability plans are intended to replace a percentage of your salary when you have used up your paid sick time, but cannot return to work. Some employers and government agencies fund these plans… Read more »
Communication Skills
Communicating with your employer about your absence from work
What Is Family Medical Leave Act? The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires covered employers to provide eligible employees with up to 12 work weeks per year of job protected leave, , with continuation of group health insurance coverage, under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. You can… Read more »
When chronic pain gets between you and your intimate partner
People living with chronic pain often turn to their intimate partners for emotional and physical support. Partners may also be deeply affected by the chronic pain. Providing support, every day, to someone with chronic pain can add a great deal of stress to a relationship. What happens between intimate partners when one is living with… Read more »
When caregivers need care: Supporting the people that you rely on
If you’re living with chronic pain, you might need someone to help you take care of your everyday needs – a caregiver. Caregiving can include anything from shopping, cooking, doing household chores, and driving to appointments, to being a companion and providing emotional support. It’s tough knowing that your health problems might affect the people… Read more »
Knowing when to find a new healthcare provider
Your primary care provider (PCP) is the person you see for yearly physicals and when you’re sick. Your PCP also sends you to see specialists and other care providers. The relationship that you have with your primary care provider is important. You want someone who understands you and the health issues you’re facing. In a… Read more »
Making your Windows computer easier to use: type sizes, sound, and security
How do you feel about computers? Or is that a loaded question? Maybe some of these problems sound familiar to you: The type on the screen is too small to read. You’re not sure how to turn the sound up (or down). Your computer is acting strangely. Don’t worry – there’s hope! Everybody who uses… Read more »
Describing your pain
Receiving good pain treatment can depend in part on how well you can describe your pain to your health care providers. Pain has a language all its own and sometimes people may find it a challenge to clearly describe their pain. One reason that pain can be difficult to describe is because everyone reacts so… Read more »
Don’t be afraid to discuss money with your health care provider
Money is not a topic that health care providers and patients often discuss. But health care providers need to know as much as possible about you to plan for your best medical care. How able you are to afford health care related expenses, without causing a major impact on your life, is important for your… Read more »
It’s okay to disagree: When you and your doctor don’t see eye-to-eye
It’s not always easy to disagree with – or challenge – a person who’s in charge. In fact, some people are scared to stand up for themselves at all, even if it means that their own needs won’t be met. When the person in charge is also a doctor or other health care professional, it… Read more »
Communication: Improve your game
Would you like to improve your communication skills? Effective communication involves both talking and listening. It can be compared to a game of catch in which the words are the ball. This article will try to give you a different way to think about your “communication game.” The pitcher and the catcher If communication is the game… Read more »
