It’s often been said that it takes a village to raise a child, meaning that aside from one’s parents, the entire community — including other family members, friends, neighbors, etc., — contribute to raising a happy, healthy, child. This same community approach can be applied to one’s health. After all, it’s easier to stay on track in terms of health and fitness when you have the support and understanding of others.
Family health clinics and neighborhood health clinics are an excellent way to unite entire communities under one goal: getting and staying healthy. When an entire community — let alone an entire family — come together in order to stay healthy, it helps to facilitate a sense of unity, which in turn, help each individual accomplish their personal health goals.
Family health care is often overlooked as the emphasis is typically placed on the health of each individual family member, however, just as it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a family as well as community support to keep everyone healthy and in tip top shape.
While healthcare costs can certainly add up, many family health clinics allow patients to pay on a sliding scale which is based on their household income. Also, family health care plans often cover the cost of many healthcare services and procedures. In addition, there are several low cost health clinics and free walk in clinics that offer medical services at greatly reduced rates or at no charge whatsoever.
At home, families can come together and participate in a variety of activities to stay healthy, such as outdoor games and exercise. Cooking as a family is also an excellent way to bond and spend time together as a family. It’s a great way to instill healthy eating habits in children and teens, and prepares them for the future.
