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November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness and Family Caregivers Month
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President Ronald Reagan designated November as National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month in 1983. At the time, fewer than 2 million Americans had Alzheimer's; today, the number of people with the disease has soared to nearly 5.4 million.
More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's
disease, the most common form of dementia.
Alzheimer's accounts for 60 to 80 percent of all
dementia cases. That includes 11 percent of those
age 65 and older and one-third of those 85 and
older. The disease also impacts more than 15 million family members, friends and caregivers (Alzheimer's Association, 2016).
According to U.S News and World Report (2014), this census, which is published every five years, shows that during the last 30 years, the average age of U.S. farmers has grown by nearly eight years, from 50.5 years to 58.3 years. Age is one of the leading risk factors of Alzheimer's Dementia, therefore, it is important for clinicians to recognize age related risks for farmers. Due to the degenerative nature of the disease from early to late stages, older farmers who suffer from Alzheimer's are at increased risk when operating machinery or working around livestock. To find out more about the basics of Alzheimer's Disease click here.
November also recognizes National Family Caregiver's Month, former President Clinton signed the first Presidential Proclamation in 1997 and every president since has followed suit by issuing an annual proclamation recognizing and honoring family caregivers each November. Caregivers also have increased challenges during busy times of year such as harvest. For example, someone impacted by Alzheimer's may take risks or do activities they are not capable of completing. Caregivers in this scenario, will have the difficult task of identifying, intervening and still completing the necessary tasks at hand. This adds to the stress of the caregiver who may be part of harvest workforce. Here are 10 Tips for Family Caregivers.
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Upcoming Webinars
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Nov. 17, 2016 -- 11-11:30 am
Promoting Total Farmer Health
Presenters: Natalie Roy, MPH and Charlotte Halverson, RN, COHN-S
AgriSafe Network
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Dec. 7, 2016 -- 12-1pm
Integration of Behavioral Health within Agricultural Healthcare
Presenter: Charlotte Halverson, RN, COHN-S
AgriSafe Network, AgriSafe Occupational Health Nurse
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Dec. 15, 2016 -- 12-1pm
This is Our Brain on Stress
Presenter: John Shutske, PhD
Professor and Extension Specialist,
UW-Madison - College of Ag & Life Sciences, Biological Systems Engineering Department
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Recruitment of Youth Volunteers Ongoing
The
AgriSafe
Network is seeking young volunteers from across the nation to join our Young Advisors Council. Rural leaders ages 16-23 who are interested in representing perspectives of youth in agriculture are welcome to volunteer as a member of the AgriSafe Young Advisors Council (AYAC). The AYAC is a unique opportunity for youth in agriculture to impact the health and safety of their peers.
AYAC is charged with assisting
AgriSafe
to design and launch educational initiatives that can reduce farm related illness, injury and fatalities. AYAC members have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, public health experience and may even represent
AgriSafe
at meetings or forums.
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2016 Ag Health and Safety Team Members. |
Social Media Impact at National FFA Expo and Convention
AgriSafe partnered with several organizations to offer an interactive safety experience for youth during the 2016 National FFA Convention & Expo.
The 2016 Ag Health and Safety members included National AgrAbility Project, SAY Project, CareerSafe Online, The Ohio State University Agricultural Safety Program, and The National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety.
Thanks to all the National FFA Teachers and Students who stopped by and shared our safety messages through social media, such as our
Facebook page. AgriSafe reached approximately 13,000 people during this year's FFA Expo through social media.
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AgriSafe Salutes Veteran Farmers on November 11th
AgriSafe Network would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude for all veterans and their families for their honorable service on this Veteran's Day.
Approximately 45% of the members of our armed services come from rural areas. In response to military veterans returning from their service with the intent to begin or to continue farming, the 2014 Farm Bill recognized veterans as a distinct class of beginning farmers. With increased opportunities to farm, many men and women veterans have returned to the farm or ranch.
Although farming can be a productive and rewarding enterprise, it may compound health conditions brought on by prior military service. The AgriSafe Network, working in collaboration with the CS-CASH NIOSH Ag center, will be developing health resources that meet the unique challenges veteran farmers face. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please contact Natalie Roy at
nroy@agrisafe.org
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Journal of Agromedicine- Mobile Apps Manuscript Published
Mobile applications put a world of agricultural health and safety information at the user's fingertips, but which apps are most useful?
ISASH President Aaron Yoder and colleagues at the National Farm Medicine Center developed and tested an evaluation framework to help judge the overall worth of a mobile app. Their findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of Agromedicine.
doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2016.1211054
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National Farm Medicine Center seeks Director/Scientist
The National Farm Medicine Center has been helping farmers and ranchers, their families, employees and visitors, for 35 years. The Farm Center seeks a Director/Scientist to lead and align these assets. If you have a passion for agricultural safety and health, please
click here.
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Open Enrollment Period- Healthcare Marketplace
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans lives in a rural area. Out of the nearly 60 million Americans living in rural areas, 7.8 million are uninsured. Consumers in rural areas are less likely to have health coverage as compared to consumers in urban areas. Compared to urban populations, a larger
proportion of the rural population will be eligible for subsidized health insurance plans through the Marketplace. Open Enrollment for 2017 runs from
November 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017.
Important dates to note:
November 1, 2016: Open Enrollment started - first day to enroll, re-enroll, or change a 2017 insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Coverage can start as soon as January 1, 2017.
December 15, 2016: Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start January 1, 2017.
January 1, 2017: 2017 coverage starts for those who enroll or change plans by December 15.
January 31, 2017: Last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan.
Outside the Open Enrollment Period, individuals can enroll in a health insurance plan only if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Eligibility is based upon certain life events, like getting married, having a baby, or losing other health coverage.
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Upcoming Events
AgriSafe is a proud sponsor of the 15th Annual Midwest Rural Agricultural Safety and Health (MRASH) Conference, which will be held November 15-16,2016 in Sioux Center, IA. For additional information
click here.
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AgriTourism Resources
Agritourism or Agrotorism is defined as tourism in which tourists take part in farm or village activities, animal and crop care, cooking and cleaning, handicrafts, and entertainments.
As harvest season ends, several farms are springing to life with a new purpose -education and entertainment. Several groups are hosting workshops on Agritourism best practices. Here are a few upcoming events.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will be presenting two free agritourism workshops to explore human and environmental health issues at agritourism events and operations, including apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and working farms that host the public.
Topics will include petting zoo safety, food licensing and handling requirements, and more!
Wednesday, November 16
5:30pm - 8:30pm
Burnsville City Hall
100 Civic Center Parkway
Burnsville, MN 55337
Thursday, November 17
5:30pm - 8:30pm
Shoreview Community Center
4580 Victoria St N.
Shoreview, MN 55126
The agritourism workshops are being presented by the Minnesota Department of Health Epidemiology and Environmental Health Divisions (MDH) and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). Funding is provided by CSTE through sub-awards from CDC cooperative agreement 5U380T000143 and by the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) through a cooperative agreement from NIOSH, 1U54 OH010170.
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PPE for A Purpose
Interested in helping farmers impacted by the severe floods in the south? Donate thru AgriSafe. 100% of donations will go towards supplying 500 Louisiana farmers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to help them stay healthy after the devastating floods.
Donate Today
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Would you like to share your story? Submit your stories or pictures with contact information to
Knesha Rose
at AgriSafe Network. We'd love to hear from you.
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