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Lancs Health & Care

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

The Benefits of an Active Social Life
We have all heard the saying that ‘laughter is the best medicine’, many of us know that this can be true in many cases. The main reason is because we usually share these funny moments with other people. No matter what our age, maintaining an active social life and making new friends is so important for our overall health. Spending time with people you love and respect affects our happiness and can relieve a massive amount of stress. When paired with other healthy habits such as eating well and staying fit, socialising frequently can help us all keep cognitively active and improve our memory.

Nurturing strong social bonds isn’t just good for our mental health though, it also improves our physical health too. Research shows that reduced stress also reduces the likelihood of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes.
Reasons to Nurture Strong Relationships with Elderly People Cross-generational friendships are enlightening for both sides. From simply making strong social bonds to giving us important life lessons, there are a whole host of reasons to make friends with people from different generations. Older people can teach us life lessons which will impact our resilience, confidence, and empathy. Some more reasons to make friends with elderly people include:

  1. The older generation can pass on their life lessons and experiences
    Older people have generally been through a lot. In other words, they have ‘been there and got the tshirt’. They have had children, gotten married, and they may have experienced living through a war. Their lives have been full of positive and negative experiences and not to mention, they have done some very interesting things that the younger generation simply couldn’t imagine. Learning about these experiences can teach younger generations a lot about resilience, hard work, and confidence. Listening to their stories will also help them reminisce about times gone by.
  2. You and and your elderly companion can both learn a lot
    Both sides will get some interesting cultural lessons that they simply wouldn’t learn from peers in their own age group. Everything from music and art to literature and film, you’ll learn a lot about the kind of culture that shaped their perceptions and you can teach them more about modern culture too.
  3. You and the elderly can share similar interests
    Maybe you like playing a musical instrument or you enjoy being creative and making art? People across different ages can share the same interests and enjoy them together. Not only that, but you can also take it a step further and learn a new hobby or skill from the older generation or you can teach them something new.
  4. You are able to gain a different perspective by listening to the older generation
    As we grow older our opinions and perceptions change a lot. In fact, they are changing all the time and this is a positive thing because it allows us to be open minded and receptive to different ways of doing things. We all have perceptions and stereotypes, so why not challenge them by speaking to people with different ways of thinking?
  5. You might help an older person feel more connected to the world
    Everyone can experience loneliness, but it is particularly prominent in elderly people. Keeping in regular contact with elderly friends can help alleviate any feelings of isolation. The use of technology has contributed to this too, it is always on the rise and people who were around before the rise of technology can sometimes feel quite lost. This is an opportunity for the younger generation to teach the older people in their lives to navigate the digital world, or atleast help them when they need to use technology in their daily lives.
Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

Rochdale Borough Council has put in place a support programme to help thousands of vulnerable residents and families with essentials this winter. As a key part of its support offer, the council is using £2.3 million from the government’s Household Support Fund to provide:-

• Targeted support for low income households, through provision of free school meals for eligible families over the Christmas holiday, February half-term and Easter holiday
• Delivery of a household fund, where people can access shopping and fuel vouchers
• Targeted support for older residents in receipt of council tax support
• A package of housing energy support

The council will also be working with partners across the borough, including the voluntary sector, community groups and charities, to ensure those most in need receive targeted assistance. Older residents who qualify for council tax support have already been contacted by the council and will receive their first payment by Friday 17 December 2021, benefitting over 7,000 households.

Additionally, the borough’s successful community warehouse, which has been in place throughout the pandemic, will continue to provide food parcels, cleaning products, nappies, baby food and other essential supplies for families and older people.

Councillors have ensured food vouchers will continue to be provided for lower income families over Christmas, February half-term and Easter. Families will be contacted directly and it will be targeted at over 12,500 children in the borough eligible for free school meals or identified through children’s services. In addition, the Holiday Activity Fund will be running over Christmas, providing activities and food for children on free school meals.

Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of the council, said: “Throughout the pandemic we have been committed to supporting and protecting our most vulnerable residents. This wide-ranging and targeted assistance builds on our innovative work over the last 20 months. It’s a real partnership effort, utilising our strong community networks, to deliver for those residents who most need our help. I am proud of what we have delivered for our residents, but there is still a lot to do which is reflected in our decision to reach out even further.”

He added: “As a responsible and progressive council, it’s important we help to ensure that no resident should go hungry, is unable to heat their house, or feed their family this winter. Almost 28,000 Universal Credit claimants in our borough have recently lost £20 per week. That is money to put food on the table and heat their homes. This package goes someway to offset the hardship that cut will cause, especially as the cost of food, fuel and other essentials is increasing. We have a proud history in our borough of ensuring the vulnerable households and older residents are protected. I would urge anyone who could benefit from this winter help to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Households who are in particular need are being encouraged to get in touch, to see what assistance could be available for them.

• View available winter support on: www.rochdale.gov.uk/wintersupport
• You can also phone the council’s hotline number on 01706 923685, 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, for help and further information.

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

Every day 123 foster families from across Blackburn with Darwen are giving 246 fostered children and young people a loving, secure and stable home and this commitment has been ongoing throughout the pandemic.
This is why a ‘thank you celebration’ event for children and their carers was held recently. The ‘Let’s Get Back Together’ day was organised by the Foster Carers Association and held at the TIPIS at Riley Green where foster carers were celebrated for all the work that they do.

The children had many activities to enjoy after being unable to take part in group activities for so long.
A foster child who attended said: It was absolutely phenomenal, definitely a day to remember. The Foster carers that attended the event were also very appreciative, Peter, who fosters for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: I would like to thank Children’s Services for funding such a much needed event for all our children of all ages, I spent all afternoon watching all of their smiling faces, even the babies there. A massive thank you to all of the Foster Carers Association for all their time put in to organising this. We even managed to have the weather. Great work to all the carers for making the effort to give all the children a much-needed boost. Thanks again.

Claire another foster carer who attended the event echoed the gratitude: It was a fab day, well organised event, looking forward to future ones. Kiddies big and small loved it. A big well done to the organisers.

Cllr Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: The Foster Carers Association (FCA) arranged the most wonderful event at the Tipis and it was fantastic to see so many of our children and young people having fun, tackling the assault course, face painting, enjoying the circus skills, the climbing wall and the delicious food too. The weather was great, it really was a perfect day for everyone to spend time together, the care, support of our carers is clear for all to see, we know how lucky we are in BwD to have them, and that is why we were keen to support the celebration. My thanks go to everyone who helped to organise the day, the FCA and Children’s Services, Young People’s Services and special thanks too to the Tipis for hosting our party at such a beautiful venue. The ‘Lets Foster’ team have also recently launched a Health and Wellbeing fortnight. The aim was to make sure foster carers in BwD are provided with the right support with a focus on how we look after each other and ourselves.

The fostering service wants to ensure that foster carers are given every opportunity to maintain and flourish with positive health and wellbeing for themselves. In December, the FCA will be hosting a Christmas Party at The Legends Lounge at Blackburn Rovers. This will be open to all Blackburn with Darwen foster carers and families, as well as our fostering staff.

Focus for recruitment over the Christmas Period will be for Emergency Foster Carers. Special carers who could take a child or young person at a moment’s notice. This could be after school for one night or over a weekend until arrangements have been made for a more permanent solution. Emergency foster carers normally have other jobs but are able to help us help a child or young person when they need them most.

Jayne Ivory, Director of Children’s Services added: Foster carers accomplish incredible things every day, even in the face of a global crisis that has affected every one of us and impacted all aspects of our society. Despite the practical and emotional challenges that the pandemic is bringing, foster carers continue to provide day-to-day support, love and stability to children and young people who can’t live with their birth families. They support children and young people’s education, health, and social wellbeing, and help to maintain the children’s relationship with the people who are important to them. Blackburn with Darwen urgently needs more foster carers to make sure fostered children can live with the right foster carer for them. Short break or emergency foster care also allows foster carers to build their experience and confidence so if you’ve ever considered fostering please get in touch.

For more information regarding Fostering visit https://www.letsfoster.co.uk/ or call 0800 328 6919

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

Top health experts commit to new Oldham Tobacco Alliance and making the borough Smoke Free by 2030. On Wednesday 29 September a panel event was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham, the event was based around one question – how can we make smoking history?
Organised by Oldham Council, Oldham Cares and Your Health Oldham and hosted by the BBC’s Kevin Fitzpatrick, audience members heard from an expert panel about what challenges we face in ending smoking and how much progress has been made so far.

The panel was made up of:
• Kevin Fitzpatrick (host) who has worked as a reporter, newsreader and producer for the BBC for 15 years.
He’s reported for Radio 5 Live and Radio 4 and currently works for BBC North West Tonight and the Sunday Politics programme.
• Professor Peter Hajek, Professor Peter Hajek is Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit at the Wolfsen Institute of Preventative Medicine.
• Dr Alex Bobak a GP in Wandsworth, South London. He started running Specialist Stop Smoking Clinics in 2001 and became the first GPSI in smoking cessation in the UK.
• Louise Ross who managed the Leicester City Stop Smoking Service, the first e-cigarette friendly service in the world. She is also a trustee of the New Tobacco Alliance.
• Elizabeth Woodworth, Head of Smoking Cessation Services for ABL Health.
Director of Public Health in Oldham, Katrina Stephens said: “It was great to see so many passionate people coming together to contribute their thoughts and suggestions on how we can make smoking history in Oldham.
“There’s a long way to go but we have made some progress to date: smoking prevalence amongst adults has come down from 24.2% in 2012 to 17.9% in 2019. We have made all council owned properties, vehicles, parks and open spaces smoke free to protect others from the harms of second-hand smoke, discouraged young people from starting to smoke and offered support for people thinking about stopping smoking.”
One of the main issues talked about was the fact that smoking is the biggest preventable cause of health inequalities. Oldham Council Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care Zahid Chauhan had this to say:
“We know that smoking is far more common among routine and manual workers, people with a mental health condition, prisoners, looked-after children and the LGBTQ+ community, and the more disadvantaged someone is, the more likely they are to smoke and suffer from smoking-related disease and premature death.

“We must act now in order to improve health outcomes and tackle the inequality we are seeing. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far but we still have more to do to make smoking history in Oldham and achieve the ambition of being smoke free by 2030.” The Oldham Tobacco Alliance will help realise this ambition and coordinate and contribute to tobacco control work in order to:
• Make smoking less accessible, acceptable and desirable
• Empower successful quitting
• Stop young people from starting to smoke in the first place
• Improve the health and wellbeing of Oldham’s population and reduce the health inequalities experienced by some of our communities due to smoking and tobacco-related harm.
Raz Mohammed, Head of Communities for ABL Health said:
“Quitting is the single most important thing you can do for your health. It’s often not easy to quit, but with the right advice and support, any smoker can do it. If you want help to quit smoking, there is support available to help you.”
For all the details on how to stop smoking:
• Smoking cessation – Specialist stop smoking service from Your Health Oldham for Oldham residents and those registered with an Oldham GP.
• Stop smoking guidance – Oldham Council website for further information and resources.

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

One of the most notorious causes of joint pain is arthritis, the painful condition affects thousands of people in the UK and can occur at any time of life, although most common in the middle aged to elderly population.
As an excruciatingly painful condition, arthritis can make it tough to continue with everyday activities and rob the individual of their range of movement. Physiotherapy can help.

Many people think that exercising with osteoarthritis is difficult, even impossible, because of the pain.
The truth is that an arthritic joint needs to get nutrition, and there is no better way to provide joints their nutrients than the movement itself.

Exercise is actually beneficial for those with osteoarthritis, but there are some things to remember.
• Exercise will help you feel better, reduce pain, and improve your ability to do daily activities if done regularly.
• A common symptom is pain after activity, which may make you reluctant to exercise. However, you can help relieve pain with heat or ice to stay active.
• Ice is a great drug-free pain reliever. It helps decrease joint swelling and pain. If your joint hurts, apply ice for 15 minutes. If you don’t have a cold pack, a bag of frozen vegetables (like peas) will do the trick.
• Exercise should be balanced with rest and joint care. If your joints hurt or you notice redness or swelling, rest your joints, then try a little exercise.
• Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Joints and muscles need to be exercised to prevent stiffness and weakness. Also, exercise will make you feel better and help you maintain a healthy weight. Excess body weight places extra force and pressure on arthritic joints, which helps osteoarthritis progress more rapidly. For more healthcare tips and advice, contact T4 Physio in Bolton for the first step to reduced pain and increased activity.

T4 Physio is a renowned clinic located in Kearsley Bolton.
The techniques used by lead therapist and founder Nash Danga are helping the population of Lancashire make the most of their lives. Contact T4 today on 01204 506 804 or log on at t4physo.com/contact.

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

The efforts of green-fingered staff at a Leyland care home have borne some extra special fruit after they scooped an award in the council’s annual horticulture competition.Broadfield House in Leyland has been named winners in the ‘Business’ category in this year’s South Ribble in Bloom, which is held every year by South Ribble Council. The Lancashire County Council care home pipped second place N&K Harvey Funerals in Leyland and Royal British Legion Middleforth in Penwortham, which finished third.

Together as an alfresco activity with the residents, staff at Broadfield House are growing their own edible in their market garden, including broccoli, sprouts, swiss chard and tomatoes. Staff have also created a sensory garden with a variety of herbs, which stir up old memories with residents. Scrumptious strawberries are being cultivated in raised flower beds, with everybody having the opportunity to water the plants while seated in the great outdoors.

The project is being nurtured by Helen O’Connor, the activity co-ordinator at Broadfield House along with colleagues Jane Van-Grunsven and Vicky Coxhead. Vicky, who has been a carer at Broadfield House for more than two decades, works tirelessly in her spare time to create stunning floral hanging baskets, which “bring great joy” to residents. Helen said: “Vicky, who has been a care assistant at the home for over 20 years, is a keen gardener – and has green fingers.
“This can be seen in the hard work she puts into the amazing hanging baskets. Vicky makes them in her own time and are on display at the front and back of the home. “The different flowers, colours and scents bring great joy to the people living at Broadfield House.”

Lancashire County Councillor Graham Gooch, cabinet member for adult services, has congratulated staff for their accolade. Cllr Gooch said: “Once again, this is another example of staff in our care homes going the extra mile to bring joy to their residents.

“It’s fantastic that Broadfield House and its green-fingered staff have been recognised – and I can’t wait to see what else staff have in store in the future. “Congratulations to everyone who has contributed to this wonderful project.”
Cllr Aniela Bylinski Gelder, cabinet member for communities, social justice and wealth building at South Ribble Borough Council, thanked all of this year’s entrants for helping ” brighten up our borough”. Cllr Gelder said: “Congratulations to Broadfield House and all the other winners of this year’s South Ribble In Bloom competition. “We received so many wonderful entries and I know the judging panel had such a tough time deciding which ones were the best – so to come out on top is a real achievement. Well done!

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

The financial outlook at Lancashire County Council remains broadly positive despite continuing uncertainty about local government funding and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, councillors have been told. A ‘Money Matters’ report considered by the council’s cabinet updated on the authority’s current financial position, as well as a medium term forecast for the next three years. It outlined that the council’s finances remain in a strong position and, based on the current forecast, there are sufficient reserves to support the revenue budget gap through to and including 2024/25, the end of the council’s current Medium Term Financial Strategy. It did however highlight that there were still financial challenges ahead.

This includes carefully monitoring any increase in demand for adults and children’s social care as well as making planned savings of £42.727million, together with identifying further savings by 2024/25.

Members were also told there remains uncertainty about the next multi-year Government Spending Review and potential delays to the implementation of changes to the way local government is funded after the Prime Minister and Chancellor conducted a one year review at the end of 2020 because of the pandemic. County Councillor Alan Vincent, deputy leader of the council, said: “There has been careful management of the council’s finances over recent years which means we are in a good position to meet future challenges.

“Thanks to our healthy reserves the forecasts show that we will be able to balance our books for several years to come. “We cannot rely on reserves forever though, which is why we have a number of planned savings to ensure our strong financial footing continues, and we will also continue to monitor our financial position carefully. “In this way we can continue to invest in important council services for the benefit of people in Lancashire and deliver on our priority to protect the services our most vulnerable residents rely on.”

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

World Suicide Prevention Day 2021 is on Friday (10 Sep), launching a Month of Hope which will run until World Mental Health Day on 10 October. The Month of Hope aims to raise awareness of suicide and encourage people to have open conversations about their mental health, while also sharing positive messages of hope.
The campaign urges residents to join organisations in sharing what gives them hope. Bury residents can do this with friends, family and on social media using the hashtag #MonthofHope. Keep an eye out on our social media for opportunities to join the conversation.
Councillor Andrea Simpson, Bury Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “In Bury we are proud to support such a worthy campaign. With the coronavirus outbreak, life has changed for all of us and it’s natural that as we try to get back to a new normal, this may cause people to feel worried or anxious. It’s important to still connect with people, make sure you talk about your worries and find time to do things you enjoy. “If you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to, there is lots of support available locally. Our Getting Help Line is available six days a week for people from Bury of all ages. If you feel you need some advice, guidance or support, get in touch and the team will help to connect you with the best local services to meet your needs. Whether you are a young person or an adult, support is also available online and by text.”

  • If you need support in Bury, contact Bury’s Getting Help Line for confidential support to all ages. Open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm, you can call 0161 464 3679. More information here: https://theburydirectory.co.uk/wellbeinghub
  • If someone needs help, Samaritan’s volunteers are always there, whatever you are going through, people can call for free on 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year: https://www.samaritans.org/.
  • You can also text Shout on 85258 who are a free 24/7 mental health text support line, more information is on the website https://giveusashout.org/
  • In addition, the Greater Manchester ‘Shining A Light on Suicide’ campaign provides advice and resources for anyone feeling suicidal, support if you are concerned about someone and bereavement support. More information is on the website https://www.shiningalightonsuicide.org.uk/home/
  • If you’re bereaved by suicide, Greater Manchester Bereavement Service is available to support anyone bereaved or affected by suicide. It is a confidential information phone and email service. Visit the website for more information https://greater-manchester-bereavement-service.org.uk/
Chorley & Leyland News, Chorley Health & Care, East Health & Care, East Lancs News, Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care

In May 1989, Mary Lee founded a small company dedicated to providing a personal and person-centred care service in Alcester, enabling its customers to remain in the comfort of their own home while still receiving the support that they needed.

Since then, Helping Hands has opened 97 branches across the UK alongside a dedicated Support Centre in the small Warwickshire town it was founded. With an exceptional level of carer training and a team of dedicated clinical nurses and dementia specialists, Helping Hands is the only homecare provider that has been endorsed as a Centre of Excellence by Skills for Care, as well as being fully licensed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Whether you need a 30-minute drop-in to help you prepare your meal, or more complex and intensive support that involves overnight or live-in care, the Helping Hands team will provide you with a dedicated support plan that is tailored to you and your individual needs. Regardless of your requirements, the carers at Helping Hands are fully trained and experienced in supporting a range of conditions including cerebral palsy, ADHD and neurological conditions such as MS and motor neurone disease.

Helping Hands is also one of the UK’s leading dementia care specialists, offering extensive knowledge in dementia care and fully-trained carers to support you and your loved ones while enabling you to remain comfortable in the familiarities of your own home.

Since it was founded 30 years ago, Helping Hands remains a family-run business that is now managed by Mary’s sons, Tim and Ben. When asked about the progress of Helping Hands in the industry, Mary said: “I started Helping Hands as I believed there was a gap in care for the community that social services could not provide. I had no idea we would grow to such a large caring family.”

Chorley & Leyland News, Chorley Health & Care, East Health & Care, East Lancs News, Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care, Nottingham News, Notts Health & Care

Let’s face it: there is a huge amount of information online about how to shed the pounds and get in shape. Wading into this endless stream of advice can be both confusing and overwhelming. And, when you take into account the new fads that seemingly pop up every day, the situation only becomes more dire. After all, who can keep up with all the raw food plans, prepackaged menus, and liquid cleanses that are constantly promoted in our social feeds?

The main problem with these very restrictive diets is that they only lead to short-term weight loss at best. That’s because most people cannot maintain them consistently and end up giving up after a couple of weeks. Losing 10 pounds a week on a fad diet may seem tempting, but it often results in unhealthy and unsustainable weight loss.

The real secret to healthy and successful weight loss is to adopt a lifestyle that you can maintain for the long run. This involves changing your diet, following a regular workout schedule, and taking the right supplements for your body’s needs. With that in mind, here are 5 other tips to help you achieve your weight and fitness goals:

Eat Better at Breakfast
While all meals are important, breakfast is the most crucial one of all. That’s because it helps you start your days on the right track. A hearty, healthy breakfast will fill you up and give you optimal satisfaction for longer periods of time. Your goal should be to eat between 400 to 500 calories at breakfast. Build a meal that includes lean proteins (nuts or eggs), fibers (fruits or vegetables), and whole grains.

Say Goodbye to Added Sugar
The main reason for most lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease is added sugars – especially from sugary beverages and soft drinks. Processed foods in general contain a lot of added sugars and do not provide any of the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Instead, jump on Nutribullet bandwagon and replace sugary drinks with healthier, green smoothie options. For most people, the fastest way to lose excess weight is simply by cutting out foods that are high in added sugars from their diet.
Keep in mind that many “organic” or “healthy” foods can also have very high sugar content, so reading labels should be a regular part of your shopping process.

Start Lifting Weights
While changing your diet can help you lose a lot of weight fast, nothing beats keeping your body fit with regular exercise. Your best option is to visit the gym at least three or four times a week, doing some warm up, and lifting some weights. This form of exercise is ideal because it helps you burn off a lot of calories. It also keeps your metabolism from slowing down – a typical side effect of weight loss. You can also speed this process up with a fat burning supplement such as the range available at www.myelite health.co.uk. If lifting weights isn’t your cup of tea, then look for workout plans such as the massively popular Joe Wicks workout to get you moving in the comfort of your own home.

Cook More
Did you know that research shows that cooking more meals at home can promote healthy eating and weight loss? Eating out is fun, but it should not be your daily go-to. Instead, save the restaurants for special occasions and start eating more home-cooked meals. This is a great way of sticking to your healthy diet plan and keeping your weight in check.