Online Outside Resources

Online links for health educators and clinicians

(If you would like to submit a resource, e-mail the information to jpollara@milner-fenwick.com.)

Smoke-free Homes

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides its Smoke Free Homes Community Action Kit at www.epa.gov/smokefree/publications.

It’s free of charge to help families, educators, and community leaders understand the dangers of second-hand smoke. Outreach and educational tools such as brochures, presentation slides, Smoke-Free Home pledge certificates and posters, and other materials are available in English and Spanish.  The kit also provides tips and guidelines for hosting community-wide Smoke-Free Homes special events.

You can also order Indoor Air Quality publications from the EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP). They provide live customer service representative assistance Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:30pm ET at 800-490-9198. 

Talk About Prescriptions Month

The National Council on Patient Information and Education, http://www.talkaboutrx.org,  is holding its 22nd annual observance of  Talk About Prescriptions Month (TAP Month). They have on-line and downloadable planning materials for October 2007 and beyond. Visitors can use these to resources to plan, organize, and conduct TAP activities in your local community year-round. The link for the kit is www.talkaboutrx.org/ideas2007.

This year's theme, is Talk About Prescriptions — It's A MUST! and has four main goals:

• introduce new NCPIE educational resources
• call attention to the health and economic impact of medication misuse and nonadherence
• encourage every affected person to get involved in promoting safe and appropriate medicine use
• suggest ways that consumers, especially older adults and their caregivers, can improve medicine adherence and better health outcomes.

Senior Health

The AARP, www.aarp.org, offers a variety of online health oriented resources to seniors. These cover Medicare, prescription drugs, physical activity, staying healthy, brain health, and an interactive health message board. Go to www.aarp.org/health/.

The Brain Health section offers tips for a healthy brain, a section on living with a brain illness, and information on the latest research in the field. There is also a free newsletter on exercise, eating right, and personal care that any visitor can sign up for.

Kidney Disease Awareness

The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP), www.nkdep.nih.gov, provides free resources for healthcare professionals and patients at high risk for kidney disease. Their resource page at www.nkdep.nih.gov/resources/ offers print materials including Make the Kidney Connection, Learn the Risks and Caution! Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Can Cause Kidney Disease. Download PDFs or get 50 copies free. You can order additional packages of 50 for only $5.00. There are Spanish language materials as well.

If you’d like to support the NKDEP’s campaign to raise awareness about kidney disease, there are public service announcements, campaign banners, and buttons too.