Get the latest news from healthcare professionals at Memorial Medical Center.

The Spring edition of Parent University features

• 3 tips to reduce your child’s stress and anxiety – talk to them, help them clear their mind, get them involved in an activity
• Read to a dog – build children’s confidence as they read to certified therapy dogs
• Accidental poisoning – dangers of medications, coins, batteries, chemicals, etc. and what to do if you suspect poisoning
• List of local agencies servings moms and their children with phone numbers of websites

Visit the newsletter archive at Memorial Medical Center’s website to read this and previous editions of Parent University. You can also subscribe to receive this quarterly publication directly to your inbox.

Proposed tax credit helps caregivers receive up to $3,000 in annual tax savings.

On March 3rd, the Credit for Caring Act of 2016 was introduced in the US House of Representatives. The bill would allow workers who earn at least $7,500 annually and are caregiver to a person with a disability to claim a tax credit. The credit is designed to offset out-of-pocket expenses such transportation, home modification, and assistive technology.

For more information, read the Disability Scoop article Tax Credit Proposed for Disability Caregivers.

Special needs screenings of family-friendly movies

These are family-friendly movies for children with special needs and their siblings. Lights are turned up and volume is lowered to create a more sensory friendly experience. Children are welcome to move around and talk, even dance in the aisles.  Studio Movie Grill is located in Wheaton and coming soon to Chicago.

For more information about movies and show times, visit the Studio Movie Grill website special needs screening page.

A step-by-step approach to identifying communication options available.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a number of resources for parents and professionals to improve care for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH).  Among the resources available is a Decision Guide to Communication Choices which leads parents through the difficult process of identifying the communication choice, or choices, that might be best for their child and family.

This resource takes parents through a step-by-step approach to identifying the various communication options available, and ensuring they not only have the necessary information about each option, but also the support they need to make an appropriate decision.  This resource can also be available for pediatric clinicians to use in their practice to ensure that parents of children who are D/HH have tools necessary to assist them in making an informed decision.

Tools for comparing and selecting health insurance plans.

The Health Insurance Marketplace helps uninsured people enroll in coverage.  Information about available plans — including cost estimates and which physicians, medications, and hospitals each plan covers — can be found on the Marketplace website.

The open enrollment period for 2016 health insurance coverage through the Marketplace begins on November 1, 2015 and runs through January 31, 2016.  During open enrollment, you can re-enroll in your current health plan or select a new health plan.

Another resource offering assistance is the Enroll America website.  You can schedule appointments online for in-person assistance, get monthly premium cost estimates, obtain a personalized estimate of health care costs for the year, and sign up for reminders via text and e-mail.

What’s the latest with the flu?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) addresses the topic in its policy, “Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2015-16.”  The policy offers updated recommendations for routine use of the seasonal flu vaccine and antiviral medications for the prevention and treatment of influenza in children.

More information is available in this memo from the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP).

A series of conference calls, spoken in Spanish, offer information about hearing loss.

Mark your calendar to dial-in and listen to guest speaker, Audiologist Alejandra Ullauri, discuss

• New diagnosis: hearing loss and what is a hearing test battery (September 22, 2015 at 8:30pm)
• New audiology terms and their meaning to help you better understand results and recommendations (October 13, 2015 at 8:30pm)
• Follow-up appointments: a lifetime commitment (November 10, 2015 at 8:30pm)

For more information, view the flyer in [English].

To join, dial (888) 494-4032 and use access code 4231446909.

Llamadas en Español sobre la Pérdida de Audición

24 DE SEPTIEMBRE, 2015

Una serie de conferencias telefónicas, dadas en español, ofrecerán información sobre la pérdida de audición.

Marque en su calendario para marcar y escuchar al orador invitado, la audióloga Alejandra Ullauri, quien discutirá

• Nuevo diagnóstico: pérdida de la audición y lo que es una batería de pruebas de audición (el 22 de Septiembre del 2015 a las 8:30 pm)
• Nuevos términos de audiología y su significado para ayudar a entender mejor los resultados y recomendaciones (el 13 de Octubre del 2015 a las 8:30 pm)
• Seguimiento de las citas: un compromiso de por vida (el 10 de Noviembre del 2015 a las 8:30 pm)

Para más información, ver el folleto en [Español].

Para participar, marque el (888) 494-4032 y utilizar el código de acceso 4231446909.

The Marionjoy Continuing Care Program announces its schedule for Fall classes.

The classes are taught by pediatric therapists who use fun activities to help children work on

• oral motor skills
• fine motor skills
• arm and hand coordination
• language and social interaction

For more information, view Marionjoy’s Fall 2015 Class Schedule.

If you have an insurance plan through the marketplace and you receive Social Security, you may want to have your eligibility reviewed.

An error was discovered in the way Social Security was counted towards income (does not include Supplemental Social Security). If you applied for a plan on the marketplace before April 17, 2015, you may receive a notice to apply for a new determination.

A new determination will ensure your tax credits and cost-sharing reductions are calculated correctly.

Read the full article at Health Reform: Beyond the Basics.

A new research-based book teaches parents how to prepare their children for success.

Author, Dr. Dana Suskind, founder of the Thirty Million Words initiative at the University of Chicago, reveals socioeconomic status and parent education are not the key components to a child’s learning ability. Dr. Suskind says its actually much simpler – parents should start having conversations with their child the day they are born.

The book is based on a 1995 study that found children who heard more words were better prepared to enter school. They had bigger vocabularies, were stronger readers, and got higher test scores.

In Thirty Million Words, Dr. Suskind gives parents a strategy to prepare children for success by tuning in, talking more, and taking turns.

Read the full press release and consider pre-ordering a copy for half price ($14).