How Are You?
Our lifestyles can be more unhealthy than we think. Start the fight back to a healthier you. Take the One You quiz and see how you score.www.nhs.uk/oneyou/hay
#selfcareforlife
Health
Stay healthy this winter
By being prepared and making the right choices this winter, you will be better placed to stay healthy, keep control of your health and wellbeing and get the right care for you and your family when you need it.
The NHS will feel better too. If more people are able to meet their own needs that will ease the pressure on health services and help to make sure the right care is available when people really need it.
Plan ahead
Talk to your local pharmacist
about stocking up with over-the-counter medicines for everyday ailments like coughs, colds, aches and pains. Your pharmacist can also help you make sure that if you take regular medication you order your repeat prescriptions in good time.
Get your flu vaccine
The flu jab is available free from your GP if you are over 65, pregnant or have a long-term condition such as heart failure, diabetes or respiratory disease. This year the vaccine is also available to children aged two and three as a nasal spray. If you are not in one of these groups you can pay for the vaccine – ask your pharmacist for details
Be prepared for bad weather
Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes and food at home and keep an eye out for your elderly neighbours. If you have to go out in bad weather, think carefully about what you wear – especially on your feet – and how you travel.
First aid
Think about doing a basic first aid course. This will help you better deal with minor injuries like burns, strains and sprains, as well as basic life support. For more information about courses visit: www.redcross.org.uk/firstaid
Talk before you walk
Sickness rates increase over the winter. Most people recover from minor illnesses without needing to see a doctor. A combination of rest, fluids and the right over-the-counter medication will usually get you back on your feet – but there is lots of medical help and advice close at hand if you are worried or are not getting better.
Use your local pharmacist
This is a good place to start when you need health advice. Your pharmacist can provide over-the-counter medication for everyday ailments such as coughs and colds, as well as pain relief for headache, stomach ache and earache.
Call NHS 111
When you need help quickly but it’s not an emergency, call 111 and you will be directed to the best service for your needs. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is free to call from landlines or mobile phones. You can also call NHS 111 for health advice – and health information is available around the clock at www.nhs.uk
Use Health Help Now
Health Help Now also offers reliable health advice and links to other useful websites. It works on smartphones, tablets, and computers.
#selfcareforlife
Know the risks associated with alcohol
Alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including: mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers; high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver; and depression
Alcohol is one of the three biggest lifestyle risk factors for disease and death in the UK, after smoking and obesity
In the UK, in 2014 there were 8,697 alcohol-related deaths
Alcohol Awareness Week
Alcohol Concern www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/
- #AAW2016
- #knowtherisks
Self Care Week
Information from One You www.nhs.uk/oneyou/drinking
- #selfcareforlife
Local support
Turning Point
Out There Everywhere
Transport House, Drum Lane
Ashford
TN23 1LQ
Telephone 01233 655360
Email: info@turning-point.co.uk
http://wellbeing.turning-point.co.uk/eastkent/
Choose the right care
In Self Care Week learn how to Choose the right care
#selfcareforlife
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Eyes on diabetes
415 million adults have diabetes.
There will be 640 million by 2040
In 1 in 2 adults with diabetes it is undiagnosed. Most of these
cases are type 2 diabetes
Symptoms of diabetes include:
- excessive thirst
- weight loss
- frequent urination
- lack of energy
- blurred vision
Many people with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes already have complications: (more…)
Understanding self care for life
Self care means knowing how to keep fit and healthy, how to deal with medicines appropriately, manage self-treatable conditions and when to seek appropriate clinical help.
- Find advice about minor illnesses in the NHS Choices Health A-Z section www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Pages/hub.aspx,
- Find information on how to live healthily from the One You website www.nhs.uk/oneyou
- Download Self Care Forum’s fact sheets from their website www.selfcareforum.org/fact-sheets/.
- Use the Health Help Now app
it works on smartphones, tablets, and computers.
If you have a long-term condition, self care is about understanding that condition and how to live with it.
#selfcareforlife
Do you have caring responsibilities?
Do you have caring responsibilities for a member of your family or a friend?
If so, Healthwatch Kent would like to hear if you have been offered a Care Assessment and what your experiences of the process has been?
If you were not aware that you were entitled to a Care Assessment, please let Healthwatch Kent know
All Carers are entitled to a Care Assessment. That should be an independent assessment of your care and supports needs. This assessment then forms the basis of your care and support plan for you, the carer.
Healthwatch Kent have heard from many carers across Kent about their experiences of Care Assessments. Now they want to hear from more carers so they can help improve the system for more carers in the future.
Please encourage your carers to share their experience with Healthwatch Kent. Or can you share it on their behalf?
You will be helping to improve the system for other carers in the future.
Feedback can be shared in a number of ways:
• Complete the short online survey here
• Email info@healthwatchkent.co.uk and tell them your experiences
• Share your experience on the phone by calling for FREE on 0808 801 0102
• Healthwatch Kent can post you a questionnaire – just call or email us your address
• Healthwatch Kent can come and talk to you at home or visit your group. Ring them on 0808 801 0102 to organise a visit or email them at info@healthwatchkent.co.uk
Everything you tell Healthwatch Kent will be in confidence and your personal details will not be shared with any other organisation and destroyed on completion of the project.
Healthwatch Kent 11 October 2016
http://healthwatchkent.co.uk/news/do-you-have-caring-responsibilities-member-your-family-or-friend
Transformation Plan for Children and Young People
The Kent Transformation Plan for Children, Young People and Young Adults, which was originally published in December 2015, has now been refreshed.
The Kent Transformation Plan was developed with children, young people, professionals and partners who have been working locally and across CCGs to deal with the challenging issues of mental health and wellbeing.
Local and county-wide needs have been examined, as well as provision and good practice, and we have developed and designed a whole-system for Kent which puts children, young people and young adults at the heart of services.
The key areas of Transformation within our plans are to:
- increase the role of Universal services: To challenge stigma and deliver good emotional wellbeing at every opportunity.
- invest in early intervention to ensure that children and young people are able to access the right service at the right time.
- deliver services and support from birth to 25: This will ensure that support no longer changes at age of 18 but responds to the individual needs of a young person as they follow their own unique path to adulthood.
- meet the needs of vulnerable young populations.
- improve access to prevent emotional and mental health problems occurring during childhood and adolescence
Read more about the refreshed Kent Transformation Plan for Children, Young People and Young Adults.
www.ashfordccg.nhs.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=443004
Alternatively, read the summary document.
www.ashfordccg.nhs.uk/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=443005
NHS Ashford Clinical Commissioning Group 9 November 2016
www.ashfordccg.nhs.uk/news/blog/?blogpost=9197
More than medicines
Your local pharmacy is more than just a place to get medicines. It provides a range of NHS services and ensures people can get face-to-face, healthcare professional advice without an appointment.
There are around 14,000 community pharmacies across the UK, so for most of us, there’s one very close by. In fact, 96% of people can get to a pharmacy within 20 minutes by walking or using public transport. Community pharmacists provide rapid access, without appointment, to a healthcare professional and offer a range of clinical and public health services. Most pharmacies now have consultation rooms, where you can talk with your pharmacist without being overheard.
You might be surprised at what pharmacies now offer: personalised medicines advice, help to quit smoking and to maintain good sexual health, treatment for common ailments, advice on preventing disease. And more. It’s a package of care… …not just packets of pills!
What’s more, pharmacies are part of the fabric of local communities. They provide local employment and are a health and social care asset close to where people live, work and shop.
http://supportyourlocalpharmacy.org/about-your-local-pharmacies/
Support your local pharmacy
#lovemypharmacy #MoreThanMedicines
Improving “same day” health services – have your say
NHS Ashford CCG, NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG, NHS South Kent Coast CCG and NHS Thanet CCG
Opens: 02 November 2016
Closes: 05 December 2016
NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in east Kent want to find out your experiences of using urgent or “same day” health services in east Kent.
The CCGs are working to ensure we have the best possible services and support for people that need urgent care or advice. To help inform this they are seeking your views of using local services, via a short online survey.
Urgent or “same day” care is a term that describes the range of services provided for people who require same day health advice, support or treatment. This is different from the emergency care provided by our emergency departments (A&E), which are set up to respond to serious or life threatening emergencies.
“Same day” services include:
- GP out-of-hours services
- Pharmacies or chemists
- Minor injuries units
- NHS 111
- Paramedic/ambulance services
Please note – the CCGs are not currently seeking your experiences of using emergency or life threatening services such as A&E [emergency department].
This survey, which is being run by NHS Ashford CCG, NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG, NHS South Kent Coast CCG and NHS Thanet CCG, will run to Monday 05 December 2016.
Here is the link to the survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/EKSamedayhelp. Feel free to share with your friends, family and on social media.
Any information you provide will remain confidential and health professionals will not receive any information that identifies you personally.
If you have any questions, please email katie.blissett@nhs.net.
NHS Ashford Clinical Commissioning Group 02 November 2016
www.ashfordccg.nhs.uk/news/blog/?blogpost=9173