Early Counseling Averts Workplace and Family Crisis
February 1, 2006
With her elderly mother’s needs diverting her attention, Ms. R found it
difficult to focus on her work. And it was just a matter of time before her
employer would identify a productivity issue. Recognizing the immediate need to
prevent a personal and professional crisis, Ms. R turned to her EAP.
‘It is to everyone’s advantage when workers seek counseling services as early as possible,” says Lavinia Cohen-Hopkins, LCSW, manager of clinical services, Inova EAP. “Employees and their families get the help they need while employers retain productive workers.”
In Ms. R’s case, her mother’s failing health made it increasingly difficult for her to continue caring for herself. Yet Ms. R’s siblings couldn’t agree on a solution. And because Ms. R was the only adult child living in the area she assumed primary caregiver responsibilities-including visiting several times a week to do housecleaning, laundry, food shopping and meal preparation--in addition to working full-time and tending to the needs of her own household.
The EAP provided short-term supportive counseling and a work life referral for elder care services. Over the course of four weekly sessions, Ms. R learned to deal with the emotional aspects of the caretaker role and to set boundariesincluding not talking to her siblings during the work dayto prevent her family situation from spilling over into the workplace.
Within days, Ms. R had a list of carefully-screened, local assisted living communities that would meet her mother’s specific needs. She also gained valuable insight into involving her siblings in the decision making process and helping Mom adjust to her new environment. Best of all, Ms. R reverted to optimal productivity with minimal impact.
The majority of EAP cases are self and informal referrals. Employers can take simple steps to keep workers aware of their EAP:
- schedule periodic new employee orientations
- place posters in common areas
- send reminders through intranet or pay envelope inserts
Workers covered by Inova EAP automatically receive Healthy Exchange, a quarterly electronic newsletter that offers wellness tips and reminders of the benefits of counseling and work life referrals.
Inova EAP offers work life services that help employees balance the demands of job and home. For information, contact Jeffrey Carr at 703-321-2555 or jeffrey.carr@inova.org.
Inova Executive Health Center Keeps Decision Makers in Top
Form
Key employees get to the top by maximizing their time. Taking care of their
health is often made difficult due to multiple visits, inconvenient appointments
and undue delays.
The Inova Executive Health Center understands how to keep decision makers in top form and respect busy agendas. By offering an unparalleled blend of exceptionally trained medical professionals and advanced technology, the program helps detect illness in its earliest, most treatable stage and prevent chronic conditions from escalating. This finely-tuned process is designed for maximum efficiency.
The Inova Executive Health Center - is located at the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute at Inova Fairfax Hospital. This central location is convenient to I-495, I-66 and major secondary roadways, making it very accessible to offices in Northern Virginia, the District and Maryland. With just a single phone call, the Inova registered nurse medical concierge coordinates every detail of the half-day appointment. (Optional screenings may require an additional visit.)
In a relaxed atmosphere of focused, personalized attention, the Inova Executive Health Center provides customized assessments that encompass all body systems as well as the health education that executives need to optimize their well-being:
- medical and social history review
- cardiac health risk and assessment profile
- treadmill stress testing by a board-certified cardiologist
- comprehensive laboratory testing
- chest X-ray
- fitness evaluation
- pulmonary function testing
- vision and hearing
- nutritional assessment
- colonoscopy (optional)
- CT scan (optional)
Following the comprehensive examination, program physicians provide full documentation and interpretation of the results. And should the need arise, executives also gain complete access to top-rated physicians in every specialty who practice with Inova Health System.
The Inova Executive Health Center is affiliated with Inova Fairfax Hospital, a recognized leader in health care.
US News & World Report consistently ranks Inova Fairfax Hospital among the country’s top 50 hospitals. In October 2005, Washingtonian cited Inova Fairfax Hospital as having the area’s best emergency department, intensive care unit and medical equipment.
The Inova Executive Health Center is under the direction of Craig Cheifetz, MD, FACP, and Madeline Erario, MD.
For more information about the Inova Executive Health Center, we invite you to contact Jeffrey Carr at 703-321-2555 or Jeffrey.carr@inova.org, or visit "Workplace Health."
Inova complies with all HIPAA guidelines ensuring patient confidentiality. Confidentiality of all tests, assessments, results, and participant files will be maintained in accordance with established and recognized standards of care.
Articles are written by professional journalists, who strive to present reliable health information. They are not intended to be a substitute for medical care and advice.
