Healthwatch Ealing Newsletter (Text Only Edition), March 2018
Contents
Page 2
Healthwatch Ealing Update
Page 3
Older People Consultative Forum for the Over 60s
Access and Inclusion Project for Young Disabled People
Page 4
Dementia Information and Updates
Page 5
Introducing advicelocal.uk
Independent Health Complaints Advocacy
Page 6
Ealing Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)
Health Champion Training
Page 7
PlusBus for Health
Update from Neighbourly Care
Page 8
Tips for Staying Healthy this Winter
Page 2
New Story:Volunteering with Healthwatch
At Healthwatch Ealing we value our volunteers, and
provide a range of roles, training and personal development opportunities.
This month we have an introduction from volunteer Bernadette Nambi.
Bernadette says “The reason I’ve chosen to be a Healthwatch volunteer is because I do care about Health and I want to make a difference representing myself and the public’s voice.
As a ‘Patient Experience’ volunteer I’ve been learning new skills like how to gather information and how to work with people.”
Volunteer with Healthwatch!
Volunteering with Healthwatch is rewarding and worthwhile, and as part of our volunteer team you will play a role at both local and national level, to make sure that people’s experiences of health and social care services are taken into account.
More information about volunteering roles can be found on the website. More
You can also contact the office on 020 3886 0830 or . Story End.
New Story: Focus Group on Community Health Services
Healthwatch Ealing held a focus group discussion on 25thJanuary, to present the findings from the Community Health Services project.
This research project began in November 2017 and concluded in January 2018. The focus group included members of the public and professionals from various organisations within Ealing.
A brief overview of Healthwatch was presented, followed by the overall findings from the research project. Group discussions were held to develop recommendations for community health services based on the findings of the research project.
The recommendations developed will be presented in Healthwatch Ealing’s upcoming project report. Story End.
New Story: Enter & View
Healthwatch Ealing continues to develop its Enter View programme. We have conducted visits to nine services since starting in September 2017.
Three of our completed reports have been published and can be accessed on our website. More
Our Enter & View visits are only made possible with the support of trained volunteers called Authorised Representatives. Get in touch today to learn more about this volunteer role, or visit the Healthwatch website.More. Story End.
Page 3
New Story: Over 60s Older People Consultative Forum
Are you interested in having your say about making Ealing a safe, healthy and enjoyable place to live?Do you want to share your knowledge & experience, evaluate services and practices, help to identify gaps or unmet needs in services and offer ideas to improve and create new services?
Do you also want to find out about the needs, concerns and aspirations of your peers & improving your family and friends later life?
Why not join the Over 60sOlder People Consultative Forum?The network is made up of the Forum and the Reference Group.
The Forum – is a group of people over 60 and carers of people over 60, who meet on a regular basis to give feedback to Ealing Council & partner agencies. Members of this group are representatives on strategic groups such as the Long Term Conditions/Older People’s Partnership Board and the Health & Wellbeing Board.
The Reference Group – offers individuals who are not able to attend the Forum, the opportunity to contribute their views via questionnaires, telephone interviews, letters or email.
To find out more phone 020 8825 7231 or email . Story End.
New Story: Access & Inclusion for Young Disabled People
Ealing Centre for Independent Living (ECIL) is the only pan-disability organisation in Ealing. They are launching a project for young people in Ealing with disability.
The feedback received is that young people with a disability want to be able to do the things that other young people do. Based on this they have decided to launch the Access & Inclusion Project.
ECIL is collaborating with the organisation Leonard Cheshire to reach out to young disabled people across Ealing, who would like to volunteer and take part. All expenses will be paid and any transport requirements will be arranged.
Who should apply?
They are looking for young people between the ages of 16-36 with any type of a disability to take part, this includes Physical disability; Sensory (deaf, blind etc); Learning disability (including dyslexia), Autism or Long term health conditions.
The project will develop and undertake a number of accessibility audits in Ealing.
Young people will take part in an initial workshop to discuss the content of the audit questionnaire and to determine the businesses/services that they will audit. Some have suggested trips to audit popular places for young people like restaurants Nandos and Creams, for example.
Over the spring, the young people will undertake the audit, write the reports and determine Ealing’s most “disability friendly” organisations.The results will be announced at a disability awareness event in July.More. Story End.
Page 4
New Story: Dementia Information and Updates
Lots of work is going on across Ealing to create more awareness of dementia in the borough and encourage local people and businesses to become dementia friendly places.
10 Ways to Make Your Home Dementia Friendly
If you have dementia, living at home can help you to stay independent and enjoy the environment you're used to. But you may need to make a few adjustments. Alzheimer’s Society has produced a guide containing practical tips and tricks.More
How can you help?
Ealing Dementia Action Alliance encourages and supports communities and organisations across Ealing to take practical actions to enable people to live well with dementia, and reduce the risk of costly crisis intervention. Get in touch on to find out more about joining.More
Become a Dementia Friend
It just takes an hour of your time to learn a little bit more about dementia.
Find your nearest session by visiting the Dementia Friends website. It's fun and interactive - learn more about what it is like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action.More
‘Champions’ run Information Sessions in their community and inspire others to help those living with dementia live well.
Find out more about running a session:
General Information and Support
Find information and support locally on the Ealing Council Adult Health and Social Care pages on their website. More
Dementia-Friendly Technology
Alzheimer’s Society recently launched a series of information sheets on dementia-friendly technology, aimed at a range of different audiences.
Technology can offer huge potential benefits for people living with dementia, their families and care providers.
Whilst not a solution for everyone, technology, such as telecare or apps, can work in a variety of ways to empower and support independence, manage risks, improve health and aid loved ones.
The information sheets cover the challenges faced by people living with dementia; how does technology help people; what organisations need to do next and examples of how technology can help.
You can access the information online.More. Story End.
Page 5
New Story: Introducing advicelocal.uk
Introducing advicelocal.uk, a national advice service centred around your postcode.
Thanks to core funding from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and additional support from the Access to Justice Foundation, advicelocal has been developed to help people with social welfare law problems find out more about their rights and entitlements; feel more confident about getting help with the questions they have; and find local sources of advice and support.
Advicelocal is a new postcode tool that can help with questions relating to seven areas of law - welfare benefits and tax credits; council tax; debt and money advice; housing and homelessness; employment and work issues; disability and social care; asylum and immigration.
It is easy to use. You just need to enter a postcode and choose an advice topic to find tailored information for your area, including key local authority resources and details of local independent advice organisations.
The project has been developed in consultation with frontline advice organisations across the UK – it’s hopedthat those of you who are 'problem noticers' and 'sign-posters' - for example those working in education or health settings - will also find the site valuable in supporting people you're in contact with.Find out more online.More. Story End.
New Story: Independent Health Complaints Advocacy
If something goes wrong with NHS care or treatment, you have the right to free, confidential and independent support from an Advocate to make a complaint.
Shirley needed support with an ongoing complaint about her GP surgery. She was very unwell when she called POhWER. She has anxiety which is heightened by her not being able to breathe properly.
Shirley had been accessing NHS 111 services and the Ambulance service because her doctor has not prescribed the nebuliser she needs for her lung problems. Her Advocate called the GP to discuss issues and how it was affecting NHS services.
As a result the GP agreed to refer Shirley to the hospital respiratory team, and to advise that a nebuliser is prescribed to avoid continued use of other NHS services.
Shirley is very happy with this and pleased it has been resolved quickly. The GP was also grateful for the Advocate’s help.
To ask for an Advocate contact POhWER on 0203 553 5960 or . You can also find out more online.More. Story End.
Page 6
New Story: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies
Ealing Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is an NHS service providing free online, group and one-to-one talking therapy to adults, registered with a GP in Ealing.
People they see can attend one of their courses or groups, or receive guided self-help online or face-to-face. The main therapy provided is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
CBT can help you manage your problems by exploring the way you think and behave and how this may be impacting your mood.
They also offer a range of other evidence-based treatments for common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
They usually see people whose difficulties have started fairly recently, or which affect some but not all aspects of their life, as they are more able to benefit from brief talking therapy.
All therapies follow guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), who recommend CBT as the treatment of choice for treating a variety of mental health difficulties.
To refer yourself or for more information, please contact the office on 020 3313 5660, or visit the website.More. Story End.
New Story: Health Champion Training
Train to be a ‘Help Your Health Ealing’ Community Health Champion!
You are invited to attend this two day training programme if you live, work or volunteer in Ealing, or are involved with a community organisation and want to know how to improve health standards within your community:
20th and 21st March, 10am - 3pm at Southall Town Hall, 1 High Street, UB1 3HA
People who interact with the public in their daily roles are ideally located to promote better health.
Many people do this naturally, but a co-ordinated local programme of Health Champions offers better support and training, a recognised accredited qualification and opportunities to network and share experiences with others in the voluntary or public sectors with a remit for improving health.
This workshop will help you to understand how communication can support health messages; know how to promote improvements in health and well-being and understand the impact of change on improving an individual’s health and well being.
To receive the qualification (Royal Society of Public Health Level 2 Award in Understanding Health Improvement) you will have the opportunity to sit an exam at the end of the 2nd day which consists of 30 multiple choice questions over 45 minutes.
With this training you could help promote health messages to local people as a volunteer Health Champion. Reserve a place online. More. Story End.
Page 7
New Story: PlusBus for Health
Ealing Clinical Commissioning Group (ECCG) would like to announce ‘PlusBus for Health’.
The service, operated by Ealing Community Transport (ECT), provides community transport services, enabling older and disabled residents who would not otherwise be able to come to the GP surgery to attend their health appointments.
Initially a pilot, the PlusBus for Health service now operates throughout Ealing for all GP practices. The service is funded by ECCG, and is free for GPs and patients to use.
Through work in the community, ECT identified that access to transport is one of the biggest barriers to regular engagement with healthcare for lonely and isolated individuals.
The service aims to reduce the number of GP house calls and missed appointments, while improving the wellbeing of patients by offering them an opportunity to leave their homes and meet new people.
PlusBus can help patients if either they cannot safely get to the GP practice on their own, and have limited access to support from friends and family to help them attend; or the patient needs transport for clinical reasons due to disability, lack of mobility, or other health problems.
If you know anyone who could benefit from PlusBus for Health, you can refer them to their GP surgery. Surgeries can get in touch to find out more on 020 8813 3214 or . Story End.
New Story: Update from Neighbourly Care
Neighbourly Care brings together older people from all backgrounds to share and celebrate their experiences, cultures and lives.
Their main centre is open 5 days a week and they currently have 15 hubs operating across the borough of Ealing, all offering a wide range of services and activities to older people aimed at prolonging independent living, and bringing people together.
Their many services and achievements includes creation and development of new community groups – including Ealing Young Carers, NewVision Disabilities Group, Neighbourly Care Womens Network, Northolt ex- GurkhasAssociation.
An open air “green” hub, opened at Horsenden Farm. Showcased last summer in Neighbourly Care’sBig Day Out at the Farm – involving 200+ older people and displaying whole areas of landcultivated and planted by them together with an open air exercise class with nearly 100participants. Further open air hubs are planned across the borough.
Weekly exercise classes provided in each of 20 hubs - include chair exercise classes for thosewho are less mobile plus fitness classes for women only. All exercise classes are run byqualified instructors – and the exercise classes are supplemented by regular weekly yogaclasses.
Find out more on the website.More. Story End.
Page 8
New Story: Tips for Staying Healthy this Winter
Healthwatch Ealing has produced a ‘Cold Weather Information Card’ containing useful tips on staying healthy in winter. These include:
Look in on Vulnerable Relatives and Neighbours
Check up on older neighbours and relatives, and those with heart orrespiratory (breathing) problems, to make sure they're safe and well, are warm, especially at night, have stocks of food and medicines so they don't needto go out during very cold weather.
If you're worried about a relative/elderly neighbour,contact your local council or call Ealing Age UK on 020 8567 8017 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri).
Common Cold
You can often treat a cold without seeing your GP.
Cold symptoms come on gradually and can include
blocked or runny nose, sore throat, headaches,
coughs, sneezing, a high temperature (more than 38C in adults,37.5C in children). Symptoms may last longer in children.
To help you get better more quickly you can rest and sleep, keep warm, drink plenty of fluid to avoid dehydration and gargle with salt water to soothe a sore throat. A pharmacist can give advice.
Flu
To help you get better more quickly, rest and sleep,
keep warm, take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower temperature and treat achesand pains, drink plenty of fluid to avoid dehydration (your pee should be lightyellow or clear).
Call 999 or go to A&E if you develop sudden chest pain, have difficulty breathing, start coughing up blood, or your child is confused, has high persistent fever anddrowsiness.