In India, Hospitals Are Turning Relatives into Expert Caregivers

Priti Salian

August 17, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: India

Noora Health’s Care Companion Program (CCP) trains nurses to deliver actionable health information to the families of hospital patients on how to care for them once discharged. The trainings are in local languages and are engaging and accessible, using formats like videos, animations, and pictures. With government collaboration, the CCP was able to scale up and is now used in 156 hospitals in India and four in Bangladesh. Noora’s staff continues to support families using WhatsApp and CCP interventions have shown to substantially increase proper care adherence and reduce post-discharge complications.

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Why LGBTQ2S+ endometriosis support groups are key to better care

Ren Bangert

August 11, 2021 |

Xtra |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada

endoQueer is an online support network that provides a safe space for queer, trans, and non-binary people with endometriosis to build community, get support, and find resources. The site offers rigorously-researched resources, advocacy tips, and mutual aid. LGBTQ2S+ people can also find specific examples of how to advocate for inclusive care. endoQueer was consulted by Canada’s only endometriosis charity to help them create a blog highlighting the experiences of queer, trans, and non-binary people. The site also serves as a resource for health care providers looking to provide supportive and inclusive care.

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Inside North Carolina's 'little Dare County,' most vaccinated county in the rural South

Andrew Yawn

August 05, 2021 |

USA Today |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Dare County, North Carolina

Dare County, a relatively isolated and rural coastal county in North Carolina, has the highest vaccination rate in the southern U.S. The successful vaccination campaign is due in part to an existing communication infrastructure that local governments and healthcare systems use to coordinate during hurricane emergencies. Existing communication channels and relationships made it easier to publicize mass vaccination sites and get people to register online. Officials also went to great lengths to get more vaccines, petitioning the state for extra doses and even driving to other counties to pick up surpluses.

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Menstrual hygiene solutions: Kaduna girls take action

Ismail Abdulaziz Magdalene Offiong Ukuedojor Yusuf Ummul Idris Attah

August 01, 2021 |

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Kaduna

Over 200 teenage girls in northwestern Nigeria have been trained to produce reusable sanitary napkins and tampons, which they can use for personal use and sell to make extra money. In fact, they have sold over 15,000 packs of reusable menstrual hygiene products worth 3.5 million naira, both improving the lives of users and becoming a viable livelihood for communities. The kits contain three cotton-based reusable products, each of which last three to six months. The project was supported as part of the United Nations’ COVID-19 response in Nigeria.

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More Mini-Parks Mean Better Mental Health

Nora Macaluso

July 29, 2021 |

Next Avenue |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PHS LandCare, with support from the city, develops small vacant lots into mini-parks that bring people out of their homes and engage with their community. A 2018 study found that people living near LandCare lots reported a decrease in feelings of depression and a reduction in feelings of poor mental health. The city's role is important to the program’s success, especially in providing money to hire contractors to maintain the green spaces, especially local residents and formerly incarcerated people. Sites must be in low-income neighborhoods and near business areas, schools, and recreation centers.

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What 'gentle parenting' can teach us about care, relationships, and communication

Julia Hotz

July 28, 2021 |

Popular Science |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Triple P is a public health intervention led by schools, clinics, and governments to make the key principles of “gentle parenting” accessible to parents around the world. Parents receive support and coaching to create a safe and engaging environment for their children, promote positive learning environments, maintain reasonable expectations, shift from coercive strategies to helping children understand appropriate behavior, and practice self-care. There are low cost and online versions of the program to increase accessibility and parents who have taken the course report positive outcomes.

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Hey Siri, Learn to Speak Kinyarwanda

Tolu Olasoji

July 13, 2021 |

Reasons to be Cheerful |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Rwanda

Common Voice is an open-source initiative to capture more languages for voice-recognition software. Users “donate” their voices by recording themselves reading text out loud. They can also validate the accuracy of already donated voices. The platform has over 9,000 hours of voice data for 90 languages contributed by more than 166,000 people. The group runs creative campaigns to encourage native speakers to contribute, like “Digital Umuganda” in Rwanda, which is a play on a national holiday when people engage in community service. The campaign gathered over 1,700 hours of Kinyarwanda language from 840 people.

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Financially Challenged But Fierce, Griffin Hospital Innovates Its Way Through Pandemic

Carol Leonetti Dannhauser

July 12, 2021 |

Connecticut Health Investigative Team |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Derby, Connecticut

Griffin hospital used innovative strategies to test, vaccinate, and care for patients during the coronavirus pandemic. The hospital stocked up early, including with donated ventilators, and repurposed unused spaces and object to help care for COVID-19 patients. They offered large-scale testing, at the height administering 35,000 weekly tests at five drive-through locations. They also provided testing at 124 nursing homes to stem high infection rates. Once vaccinations were ready, Griffin set up clinics where people were, vaccinating thousands in nursing homes, local shops, schools, parks, and at churches.

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Kathy Friedman and InkWell Workshops offer struggling writers a chance to turn the page

Ziya Jones

July 11, 2021 |

Toronto Star |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto, Ontario

InkWell Workshops offers a safe space for writers who have experienced mental health and addiction issues. In addition to mentorships and other professional development guidance, the group offers free weekly drop-in workshops led by professional writers, all of whom have lived with mental illness. The weekly schedule provides routine, while the drop-in structure allows needed flexibility for those managing the ups and downs of their mental health. The group has made a point of reflecting participant diversity in their instructors. Participants have published work created in Inkwell’s workshops.

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When two is a lonely number: Group aims to connect spousal caregivers, ease isolation

Racquel Stephen

July 09, 2021 |

WXXI |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Well Spouse Association helps spouses manage the mental and physical challenges of caregiving. The nonprofit offers support groups, respite weekends that give caregivers time to take care of themselves and other responsibilities, and other resources. The relationships members build with each other help combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. With just 20 chapters nationwide, many members travel long distances to access the support and services, though moving meetings online due to the coronavirus pandemic had the effect of expanding membership and several members have also started local chapters.

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