Health

Full time carers are twice as likely to be in bad health as non-carers.

When carers faced barriers to maintaining their health

• 51% let a health problem go untreated
• 50% said their mental health got worse
• 31% only got help when it was an emergency

Carers Week 2016 Research Report
www.carersweek.org/media-and-updates/item/443757-building-carer-friendly-communities-research-report-for-carers-week-2016

#carersweek

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges that carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.

The campaign is brought to life by the individuals and organisations who come together to organise activities and events throughout the UK, drawing attention to just how important caring is.

www.carersweek.org/

The NHS across England is changing, including here in Ashford.  So a new drive to get people involved in shaping their local services has been launched today.

Across the NHS Ashford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area, people are being encouraged to join the Health Network so that they can have a say in how hospitals, family doctors, social care workers and community nurses work together to look after the people who need care and keep others healthy and well.

Some of our local services were designed to meet the needs of people in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.  Now they need updating for 2020 and beyond.  Local NHS doctors and leaders are getting together over the coming months to talk about what needs to change and share their current thinking about ways to make that happen.

As well as new evidence about the best way to treat certain conditions and new national standards to meet, there are challenges in funding, an ageing workforce due to retire with not enough specialists to fill vacancies and the need to join up health and social care services more effectively. But new ways of delivering health and care services need to be designed with patients and local people.  Have a voice and get involved.  Now is the time to be heard. (more…)

Dementia Awareness Week #DAW2016

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=200450

This Dementia Awareness Week the Alzheimer’s Society is encouraging anyone who is worried about dementia to confront their concerns and get in touch with them.

Hundreds of thousands of families are touched by dementia every year and many people don’t know where to turn. We know dementia can be scary but you don’t have to face it alone.

If you’re worried that you, or someone close to you, might have dementia, call our National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or email helpline@alzheimers.org.uk for advice and support.