With Flu Vaccine Shortage, Employers Must Focus on “The Basics” To Keep Employees Healthy

LifeCare^®, Inc. Offers Free “Coping With the Flu” Tip Sheet

WESTPORT, Conn., October 19, 2004 – Given the nation's short supply of flu vaccine this year, organizations across the country could see employees taking sick leave in record numbers. To help minimize the potential impact on businesses and employee productivity, LifeCare^®, Inc., the exclusive provider of Life Event Management^® Services, is encouraging employers to start educating workers immediately on basic steps they can take to safeguard themselves and their loved ones from flu. In fact, the company is now offering employers nationwide a free tip sheet entitled, “Coping With the Flu.”

To receive a free copy of the sheet, employers should send their request via e-mail to pr1@lifecare.com. The tip sheet will be sent by e-mail in PDF format; employers can share the document with employees in any way they wish.

“The tip sheet was created specifically as an early warning signal that employers can send to their people or post throughout their work locations,” says LifeCare's vice president of client relations, Matthew Sydney, who also heads the company's health and wellness initiatives. “We want to give organizations a jump on preparing for the challenges this flu season is going to bring. Our tip sheet can do just that. It provides some very basic safeguards-but the basics can make all the difference with flu shots in short supply.” According to an American Medical Association estimation, the flu costs America's employers $1 billion a year in missed workdays and resulting healthcare costs.

The number one tip that will help minimize the impact of the flu on businesses this year, notes Sydney, is this: employees should stay home when they are sick.

“It almost sounds absurd to point that out but so many people work sick these days that it bears repeating,” he says. “When most people show up at work sick, their productivity will be significantly reduced, they're going to prolong their illness, and they put everyone around them at risk. That can be disastrous when a contagious condition such as the flu is circulating.”

Employers Facing A Triple Threat
Sydney states that the flu poses a triple threat to businesses: 1) the number of sick employees could rise significantly, affecting absenteeism and productivity levels; 2) the number of medical claims filed due to the illness could soar; and 3) the “Family Factor” could increase exponentially—meaning employees will take sick days due to their children and older loved ones becoming ill. “Clearly, minimizing the risk of flu and the impact to the workplace should be a key concern for organizations this fall and winter.”

Basic tips for avoiding the flu, gathered from leading health experts such as Centers for Disease Control, Healthwise and others, include:

		Wash your hands frequently but be aware that this will not kill all germs. Therefore, avoid touching your face—especially your eyes, nose and mouth.
		Research suggests that moderate exercise strengthens your immune system. So start or maintain a reasonable exercise program.
		Eat a varied, nutritious diet high in vitamins B and C.
		Get plenty of sleep.
		Stress can lower your resistance to disease and illness, so take steps to avoid/reduce stress (e.g., exercise, meditate, learn a few deep-breathing exercises, get a massage, etc.).
		Avoid overheating your living or working area.

LifeCare offers its clients a host of health and wellness resources to help them protect the health of their employees, including:

		Healthy Living Programs (interactive, six-week programs to help employees improve their health in specific areas) and a Health Risk Assessment tool (to help employees assess their risks for certain diseases and conditions), both available 24/7 via LifeCare's private web site;
		articles from respected sources such as Healthwise and Yale New Haven Hospital;
		an online Symptom Checker that enables employees to look up hundreds of symptoms, possible diagnoses, treatments, and general prevention tips; as well as a database of drug descriptions;
		a library of over 150 Blausen medical animations that illustrate human anatomy and medical conditions.

Notes to Editors

Matthew Sydney is available for interview.

LifeCare^®, Inc. is one of the largest privately owned employee benefits organizations in the U.S. and the exclusive provider of Life Event Management^® Services. With over 20 years of experience in delivering highly personalized counseling, education and referral services, LifeCare helps employees manage the day-to-day challenges of their lives. In turn, LifeCare helps employers improve employee commitment, recruitment, retention and workplace productivity. LifeCare currently serves nearly 1,500 client companies with more than 4.5 million individuals within health plans, governmental agencies, unions and corporations—nearly 10 million covered lives. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.

Media contact: Jim Derivan
LifeCare, Inc.
pr1@lifecare.com
203-291-4196