National Association of Federal Retirees - Ottawa Branch Joins the BestLifeRewarded Health Behaviour Change Project
TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2018 /CNW/ - Along with several Canadian Federal Government Departments and Agencies, including Canadian Forces Housing Agency, CanmetENERGY-Ottawa, Correctional Services Canada, and the Union of Health and Environment Workers – local 20729 (Environment Canada), BestLifeRewarded is pleased to announce that the National Association of Federal Retirees, Ottawa Branch will join the research project which began in September of 2017. Ottawa Branch will offer the BestLifeRewarded® platform to its 34,500 members who are retirees from the Public Service, the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP, and retired federal judges, or federal retirees all living in the City of Ottawa.
The National Association of Federal Retirees is the largest national advocacy group, representing active and retired federal employees and promoting the interests and protecting the benefits of retired federal employees, now and in the future. The Association is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 176,000 members who belong to one of 79 branches located across Canada.
"We previewed the BestLifeRewarded® platform with attendees at our May 2018 Annual General Meeting", says Robert Giroux, Ottawa Branch President. "Based on the positive feedback we received", he stated, "our Board decided to engage in a two-year pilot project to offer the platform electronically to all our members. Enjoying good health in retirement is of keen interest to our members and we think they will appreciate having the opportunity to explore healthier living through what we are calling 'small steps and computer clicks'".
The objective of the research initiative is to demonstrate that 'small steps' health behaviour changes will make a significant difference in the well-being of people using the platform and help reduce the economic burden of unhealthy lifestyles. We know that Canadians spend about $69.4 billion annually on costs related to five key modifiable risk factors – physical inactivity, smoking, excess weight, use of alcohol and low vegetable/fruit consumption.
"Recently we reported that the BestLifeRewarded platform helped to significantly improve these lifestyle risk factors among employed Canadians, with significant increases in exercise, eating more than 5 fruits & vegetables daily, getting more sleep, quitting smoking, stress reduction, and reducing the prevalence of overweight/obesity," said Susanne Cookson, Co-Founder of BestLifeRewarded. "The senior population is growing in Canada and we want to demonstrate that an intervention such as the BestLifeRewarded® platform can prove to be a key tool in reducing the economic burden related to unhealthy lifestyles in our senior population," continued Cookson.
The BestLifeRewarded® national platform brings the benefits of multiple health behaviour change models together to create the best conditions for sustainable health action for members participating in the program. The system, through a guided health risk assessment (HRA) questionnaire, uses a complex segmentation algorithm to tailor the BestLifeRewarded® program's experience to each member's health profile, stage of health behaviour change and propensity to adhere to lifestyle/medications. Members earn points for engaging in each "small steps" activity. Additional questionnaires in the "MyBLR" dashboard page, e.g. conviction/confidence levels, have been designed to help the system provide members with the most meaningful tips for that individual. The system asks members to repeat some of the questionnaires to continue to provide the most targeted/effective user experience and to capture member progress over time vs. baseline data.
"We are excited to work with Ottawa Branch of the National Association of Federal Retirees to demonstrate that our proven solution will have a major impact on the overall health of seniors and significantly reduce the economic burden associated with key modifiable risk factors."
The senior phase of this study is 2 years in length, where Ottawa Branch members of the National Association of Federal Retirees will be given access to the BestLifeRewarded® program and the opportunity to measure the impact that the program has on their lifestyle risk factors. At specific intervals, BestLifeRewarded will report on the overall results of the research. Based on key learnings, BestLifeRewarded Innovations will make enhancements to the program as part of their continuous improvement model.
About BestLifeRewarded Innovations
www.bestliferewardedinnovations.com
BestLifeRewarded Innovations is passionate about getting Canada healthy. BestLifeRewarded is a proven and innovative platform that combines behaviour modification strategies, including exciting incentives, to drive action. Our customizable integration offers a range of flexible tools—from turnkey solutions to specialized components that can blend seamlessly with employers' existing wellness programs.
Visit Healthy-Economics.com for more information on the economic burden of health in Canada.
SOURCE BestLifeRewarded Innovations Inc.
Susanne Cookson, President, 905.336.1000 x 103, [email protected]
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