Home Health Services eNewsletter March 2016

3 March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month The CMH Home Care staff would like to remind you that March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. More importantly, we encourage you to speak with your provider about scheduling your screening today. Should the outcome of your screening require additional testing or surgery, the highly trained physicians and staff at CMH will be right by your side every step of the way. After surgery, physicians may make a Home Health referral. This is to continue your care once you are in your own home. Our skilled nursing staff can perform nursing care, wound care, ostomy care and provide education pertaining to your specific diagnosis. While on Home Health, your physician will monitor your care through communication with our nursing staff and scheduled appointments. We have put together a few tips to help you navigate through the screening.     Lack of regular physical activity  Poor nutrition Being overweight  Use of alcohol and tobacco What are healthy lifestyle tips that can help reduce the risk of getting colorectal cancer?      A nutrient dense diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains Limiting alcohol consumption No smoking Maintaining a healthy body weight Exercise regularly When should I visit my physician? The CDC recommends screenings start for men and women at age 50 with the additional recommendations of having: Colonoscopy once every 10 years; High-sensitivity (FOBT) fecal occult blood (stool) test once a year; and Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years with fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every 3 years. What is Colorectal Cancer? Colorectal cancer starts in the large  Changes in bowel habits, diarrhea, constipation or intestine (the colon) and or the last narrowing of the stool, that several inches of the colon (the lasts for more than a few days rectum). What are the risk factors for Colorectal Cancer? According to the CDC age is the biggest risk factor, 90 percent of cases are people who are 50 years or older. Aside from age, other risk factors include having:   Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis A personal or family history of colorectal caner or polyps     Felling that you need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so Rectal bleeding Bloody or dark stools Abdominal pain Weakness and fatigue Unexplained weight loss What to ask your physician? Here are some suggested questions one can use when visiting with their physician.  Do I need to have a colorectal screening?  What screening do you recommend for me?  How do I prepare? Do I need to change my diet or my usual medication schedule?  What are the risks involved?  When will I get my results?  How will the screening be performed?  Will I need a driver? For more information about colorectal cancer or about receiving a screening, contact your primary care physician. •••

Home Health Services eNewsletter March 2016 | Page 3