Happy Valentine's Day!

Active Wellness LLC is eager to move on from 2020 and into 2021; how about you? With Valentine's Day approaching, this note is full of gratitude, highlights for 2021, and tips for setting up a home office. Our gratitude to those who attended Active Wellness for treatment in 2020, whether for a single evaluation or several sessions of treatment. We are looking forward to helping more Corvallis area residents in 2021. Interested in learning more about Active Wellness, please call our office!

New changes for Active Wellness LLC in 2021 are highlighted below.

• Silver Lining Adjustments now provides billing and bookkeeping service! With years of experience, Tameka will manage insurance payments and patient accounts. Please feel confident to coordinate with her for your account with Active Wellness.

• Telehealth is available for evaluation or treatment sessions, providing a secure resource for Oregon residents. If you are working from home, know that hand therapy is accessible with minimal schedule disruption. Telehealth provides the best access to care while minimizing Covid 19 exposure.

• Silver Ring Splints provide stability to thumb and finger joints. Active Wellness LLC has the tools and experience to fit these special splints. Call the office to learn more.

• Active Wellness LLC has a YouTube channel. Interested in finding out about occupational therapy or hand therapy? See the videos via the links below. Special thanks to pre-OT students for their help and support with these videos!

Active Wellness - YouTube

The tips below are especially for those using a computer station, working or studying from home.

1. Keep your feet flat on the floor. This provides stability, especially in a rolling chair. If needed, use a footrest to support your feet.

2. A chair that positions your knees and hips at a right angle (90 degrees) is best.

3. An adjustable table or computer station may allow for seated or standing position when using the computer.

4. The top of your computer screen should be positioned at eye level. A window near the computer station allows a break from the computer screen, giving your eyes a rest.

5. When videoconferencing, keep a light in front of your face for good visibility.

6. Use of earbuds or head set eases the strain from holding a phone.

Still having trouble, call Active Wellness LLC for a consultation at 541-286-5445.

See more tips and information via SAIF, Oregon worker's compensation insurance at the link below.

Ergonomics for the home office (saif.com)

Think Pink!

October, time for pumpkin spice and watching the leaves change colors. I enjoy walking to work listening to an audiobook in the cooler fresh air. After the September wildfires, it feels like making up for lost time to be outside again.

This month is Breast Cancer awareness month. For women over 40, please make sure to follow up with the mammogram appointment. Early detection is key for managing breast cancer. Be sure to self exam each month too. Contact your doctor if you detect a lump or unusual change in the tissue. Below is a link to the Breast Cancer self-exam webpage.

https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam

Active Wellness is offering a 20 minute screening for shoulder and arm stiffness, numbness and tingling, or swelling. The visit may be scheduled onsite or via telehealth through November 15, 2020. Call our office at 541-286-5445 to schedule.

Be safe and stay healthy!

Peggy

We are open!

So many changes since the last blog post. We now wash hands for 20 seconds, maintain 6 feet for social distance, and use masks to prevent the spread of Sars-CoV-2/covid 19. The lifestyle changes may confine us to home and limit our access to family, friends, groceries, restaurants, and travel. If the stress of these changes is getting the best of you, then know that resources are available to help. At the end of this post are resources for managing stress, particularly for covid 19 relief. Benton county community resources are listed for anyone in need of food, shelter, or other resources.

Many activities are still possible during this virus pandemic. We can keep contact with family and friends via phone, email, text, or video. Visit elders through the window or picnic outside to maintain a safe distance. Wave or wink rather than shaking hands. Baking with sourdough seems to be the baking activity of choice for many people. Other possible pursuits include reading, gardening, cooking, and house projects. Dance to your favorite music. Learn to play the guitar or other instrument. Go for a bicycle ride. Follow along with a workout video. Play cards or board games. Clean house or wash and wax your car.

Active Wellness LLC closed for 2 months from mid-March to mid-May, 2020, then opened with new guidelines to keep everyone safe and healthy. One big change is the option of telehealth for occupational therapy and hand therapy. Telehealth provides access to treatment with a confidential video link from the comfort of your home or office. The video link is accessible from the patient portal by using your smart phone, tablet, or computer. Videoconferencing is possible with physicians, surgeons, and other providers too. Other changes for clinic care include:

1. Please stay home if you are not feeling well, have a fever, cough, or sore throat. A video session may be scheduled, if needed.

2. Hand washing, temperature and oxygen saturation check at the start of each session for both provider and patient.

3. HEPA filter on all day, prior to the first appointment and running until the office closes.

4. Please wear a mask covering face and nose for anyone attending in-clinic sessions.

5. Each visit will have a 30-minute gap between sessions to allow the air to filter and minimize exposure to the virus.

6. As usual, all equipment and points of contact will be cleaned with a hospital-grade disinfectant.

Active Wellness is here to help the Corvallis community get healthy and stay productive, even during this coronavirus pandemic.

Website and community links are listed below for ease of access.

Help Guide maintains a resourceful website and dedicated to managing the stress of covid 19.

https://www.helpguide.org/home-pages/coronavirus-mental-health.htm

Benton county resources:

Coronavirus information https://www.co.benton.or.us/covid19

Housing (English y espaniol) https://www.corvallisoregon.gov/cd/page/housing-covid-19-resources

Local response team for help or to volunteer https://bentoncounty.recovers.org/