Making time for your health
Are you feeling tired and stressed? Having headaches or back pain? Como cuidador, resulta muy fácil concentrarse tanto en un ser querido que uno no se da cuenta de lo que le está costando.
While it’s difficult to find time to care for yourself, it’s so important for your own health and for your ability to help your loved one. Here are ways to make protecting your health a little easier.
Go for your annual checkup—and tell your provider that you’re a caregiver.
This annual visit helps your primary care provider (PCP) focus on keeping you well and preventing future health problems. Let your PCP know that you are a caregiver and share any concerns you have about the physical or emotional stress you are experiencing.
When you see a PCP in the BCBSRI network, the annual checkup is covered at no additional cost to you. If you don’t have a PCP, use our Find a Doctor tool or call BCBSRI Customer Service.
Keep up with preventive care.
Muchos tipos de cáncer son “silenciosos”, lo que significa que no tendrá síntomas hasta que la enfermedad haya avanzado y sea más difícil de tratar. Estos exámenes pueden detectar enfermedades en etapas más tempranas y más tratables, y en algunos casos, incluso pueden prevenirlas. Pregúntele a su PCP qué exámenes necesita. Estas son pautas generales según la edad y el sexo.
- Colorectal cancer screening
Everyone ages 45-75
A number of different screening options are available, from a colonoscopy to at-home tests. Pregúntele a su PCP qué recomienda. - Breast cancer screening1
Women ages 50-74
La mejor manera de detectar el cáncer de mama es con una mamografía, que es una radiografía de las mamas. Talk with your provider about whether you should start having screenings in your 40s. Preventive screening is covered starting at age 40. - Cervical cancer screening1
Women ages 21-65
Una prueba de Papanicolaou puede detectar células anormales antes de que se conviertan en cáncer, o bien, puede detectar cáncer en etapas tempranas.
Ask your PCP (at your annual checkup) what screenings and tests you should receive. These screenings are often $0 when you see a provider in-network. Ask your provider if the screening is covered at no cost under your plan.
Be active however (and whenever) you can.
Finding time for exercise is a challenge. But being active, even for a short time, can help you feel better and sleep better. Walk, garden, lift weights, do yoga—even just five or 10 minutes at a time. See if you can schedule short activity breaks in your calendar or do them when your loved one is resting.
If you have time for a fitness class, BCBSRI members can take them for free at a Your Blue StoreSM location in Cranston, East Providence, Lincoln, Narragansett, or Warwick. Sign up for a class at bcbsri.com/events.2
Focus on simple, healthy meals.
As a caregiver, you may be making meals for yourself and your loved one—and possibly other family members. That takes a lot of time and energy. If possible, share the shopping, meal prep, and cooking with other family members. These tips can help you prepare healthy meals in less time:
- Decide on your meals and keep a list. See what ingredients you already have and what you need to get at the store.
- When you’re making a recipe, make extra portions for another day or two of meals or to freeze.
- Prep foods that you can easily add to a meal or grab for a snack, such as washed greens for a salad, hardboiled eggs, a bowl of chopped fruit, and cooked beans. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as healthy as fresh and are easy to have on hand when needed.
If you’d like help creating an eating plan, take advantage of our Care Management program at no additional cost through your BCBSRI health plan.* You can talk with a Care Manager over the phone, via video, or at a Your Blue Store location. Contact us at 1-844-563-0892 or care@bcbsri.org. You can also find member-only deals on meal kits through Blue365.®3
Make sleep a priority.
When there’s so much to do, it’s tempting to cut back on sleep to make more time in the day. But being well rested can help you take care of your loved one—and yourself. Getting a good night’s sleep can help with brain performance and mood, reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke, and give your body time to repair itself—everything from the immune system to blood vessels.
If your plan includes the BCBSRI wellness program, sign up at join.VirginPulse.com or download the Virgin Pulse app from the App Store or Google Play.4 Track your sleep and try a “Sleeping Well" Journey.
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1People who are transgender should ask their PCP whether they should have these screenings. Preventive coverage is provided regardless of the gender of the member.
2Not all exercises are suitable for everyone and any exercise program could result in injury. Consulte siempre a su médico antes de comenzar un programa de ejercicios, especialmente si tiene una afección de salud existente.
3© 2000‐ Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) – All Rights Reserved. The Blue365 program is made available by BCBSRI in conjunction with the BCBSA. The BCBSA is an association of independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. Blue365® offers access to savings on items that members may purchase directly from independent vendors, which are different from items that are covered under the policies with BCBSRI, its contracts with Medicare, or any other applicable federal healthcare program. The products and services described herein are neither offered nor guaranteed under BCBSRI’s contract with the Medicare program. Además, no están sujetos al proceso de apelación de Medicare. Any disputes regarding these products and services may be subject to BCBSRI’s grievance process. BCBSA may receive payments from Blue365 vendors. Neither BCBSA nor BCBSRI recommends, endorses, warrants, or guarantees any specific vendor, product, or service available under or through the Blue365 Program.
4Virgin Pulse® is an independent company, contracted by BCBSRI to provide wellness services. Virgin Pulse is available to BCBSRI subscribers (the primary person on the BCBSRI health plan) and their enrolled spouses. Not all employers offer Virgin Pulse through their plan. Se aplican cargos estándar de la empresa de telefonía móvil y uso de datos. La descarga y el uso de su aplicación móvil Virgin Pulse están sujetos a los términos y condiciones de la aplicación y las tiendas en línea de las que se descarga. Apple y el logotipo de Apple son marcas comerciales de Apple Inc., registradas en los EE. UU. y otros países. App Store es una marca de servicio de Apple Inc. Google Play is a trademark of is a trademark of Google Inc.