Health and wellbeing – Page 182 – The NEN

Dyslexia Awareness Week: How to support your child if they have a learning difficulty

This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week (4^th– 10^th October) and an education expert has shared five pieces of advice on how to support children if they have learning disabilities.

Interestingly, research conducted by Oxford Home Schooling revealed that while overseeing their children’s learning during lockdown, many parents spotted potential signs of a learning difficulty.

Nearly half (47%) identified symptoms of dyslexia (difficulty reading, writing and spelling), whilst more than one in four (29%) observed possible indicators of dysgraphia (impaired handwriting or spelling).

To help parents who now think their child may have a learning difficulty, Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, has put together a guide on how best to support your child and what your next steps should be.

1. Get your child diagnosed

If your child’s difficulties are having a significant impact on their learning, it’s a good idea to have them tested for a condition and diagnosed.

A diagnosis can open the door for your child to receive appropriate learning support in school. This includes allowing them extra time in exams and being supported by a teaching assistant, so it’s a good idea to look into this as early as possible.

If you’ve observed signs that your child may have a learning difficulty, you should speak to your GP, who can either make the diagnosis themselves, or refer the child for the appropriate tests.

2. Speak to your GP

Once a child is diagnosed with a learning difficulty, you should consult your GP. They will then be able to recommend and refer you to an appropriate specialist for support¹.

Specialists can include speech and language therapists, educational and clinical psychologists and paediatricians, among others.

3. Make the school aware

Once you have an idea of the areas where your child is struggling, you will need to make their school and teachers aware of the situation.

This will allow the school to put extra support in place should your child require it. They will need time to consider how the condition might affect the child’s learning and work out how best to adapt their teaching.

4. Talk to others

Many parents find it difficult to process the diagnosis of a learning difficulty and it can be a challenge to adapt to your child’s new needs.

Don’t be afraid to seek out the support of other parents who have experienced similar situations. There are many support groups and forums out there for advice, and you and your child can even build new friendships.

5. Support your child

The important thing to remember is that you need to support your child, whether this is with their learning, or any other aspects of life that they struggle with.

Being diagnosed with a learning difficulty is by no means the end of the world and children with such conditions go on to enjoy rich and fulfilling lives.

You will need to be patient, and it may be challenging at times, but with the correct support system in place your child will be fine.

For information on the benefits of homeschooling for children with learning disabilities and special educational needs, head to this page:

https://www.oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk/special-situations/

Holland & Barrett launch new Menopause services as research reveals two-thirds of women suffer in silence

– Two thirds of women do not talk about the menopause, with 61 per cent citing for fear of ‘judgement’ –

– A quarter who have spoken about their experience say they were ‘menosplained’ –

– Holland & Barrett partners with TV presenter, Cherry Healey, to launch the menopause Pause & Listen Pledge for a more supportive society –

– Alongside training 4,000 Holland & Barrett colleagues to advise on the menopause –

New research has revealed that almost two thirds of women (61 per cent) say they do not talk about the menopause, with 61 per cent citing for fear of being ‘judged’ and treated differently as the reason.

Despite 83 per cent of women saying that the menopause is less of a taboo subject now than it has ever been, one in three (33 per cent) said they have had experienced a negative reaction, such as shutting the conversation down, when they had spoken about what they were going through and how they were feeling.

As a result, only half (51 per cent) said they feel comfortable speaking to their family and friends regarding the matter.

In response to the research, Holland & Barrett, the UK’s leading health and wellness retailer, has partnered with TV presenter Cherry Healey to launch the menopause Pause & Listen Pledge where people are being asked to promise to unconditionally listen to and support people experiencing the menopause.

A quarter (24 per cent) said they had even experienced ‘menosplaining’ with people trying to explain their menopause back to them rather than listening. Women said they would feel supported (43%), normal (37%), confident (17%) and less anxious (15%) if they simply had someone listen to their experience without interruptions or judgement.

Holland & Barrett has long supported menopausal women – over 50 years – and this Pledge launches alongside training 4,000 of its colleagues to advise on the menopause. People can sign up to the Pledge in store and via the Holland & Barrett website.

Fiona Sweny, Wellness Futures Science Lead at Holland & Barrett said: “There has been real progress made in recent years to bring the menopause to the forefront of the conversation, thanks to the many high-profile women who have been openly speaking about their experiences in the media.

“However, while awareness has improved, there is still a big job to be done in helping women feel heard. We know everyone’s journey is different and while we won’t pretend to know how an individual’s experience feels, we can promise to be there to listen, support, and offer guidance and invite others to join us in this promise.”

Cherry Healey, TV Presenter said: “Since recently being diagnosed as perimenopausal, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been supported and listened to, yet I sadly know this isn’t the same experience for so many.

“That’s why taking part in Holland & Barrett’s Pause & Listen Pledge is so important to me – we must get more women talking openly about their experience, the good, the bad and the ugly, so they receive the support they need, and the only way we’ll achieve this is if we create an environment where women feel listened to, without judgement.”

The retailer has also opened a number of Menopause Pause & Listen Rooms in city stores across the UK. These dedicated rooms will offer a calming space and cool spots, to speak with a trained menopause adviser. An exclusive partnership with the charity Menopause Mandate will also be announced later this month – another example of the retailer’s focus to encourage women to openly talk about the menopause and to ensure they are being listened to.

The Pause & Listen Pledge

We won’t pretend to know how your menopause feels.

We won’t say millions of people go through it every day.

We won’t tell you to just get on with it.

We won’t say “You’re way too young to go through the menopause”.

We won’t make light of your menopause.

We will give you the chance to offload.

We will help you try to find ways to get through it.

We will understand that your menopause is unlike anyone else’s.

We will show you that you don’t have to do this alone.

And above all we will always listen and support you.

Healthy Tip: Mental Wellbeing for Women

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Mental Wellbeing for Women

In the UK around one in five women have a common mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety. Long-term mental health problems can increase our risk of developing heart disease, which is one of the reasons why it is important that we look after our mental health.

These are a few things you can do to keep your mental wellbeing in check and reduce the risk of developing heart disease:

Reducing stress at work

Evidence suggests that young women with stressful jobs could be at higher risk of heart disease, so why not do a few stretches to get your blood circulating. Getting the heart beating by using the stairs or walking part of the way to and from work will help you stretch your legs and refresh your thoughts. It is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed at work especially when we have lots to do. Try taking 10 minutes at the beginning of your day to plan the tasks you will complete, and focus only on those tasks.

Cut down on alcohol

Alcohol acts as a depressant and can have a negative impact on your mental health as well increasing your risk of heart disease. Try cutting down on alcohol by swapping to drinks with a lower alcohol content or having a 0% alcohol beer or cider. By picking a healthier drink you can still get all the benefits of socialising with friends at the local pub but without the negatives of alcohol.

Get some alone time

Not spending any time alone is one of the main factors affecting women’s mental health and wellbeing. It can be so important for you to find this time so you can let down your guard, relieve any tension and problem solve without any interruptions. Setting up a routine to wake up an hour before the rest of your home is a great idea. If this isn’t possible try going on a daily walk by yourself. You will get exercise and the alone time you need to reflect.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

National Care Service Forum: Putting people at the heart of social care

More than 500 people with a passion for community health and social care will have the chance to make history at the first ever annual National Care Service Forum in Perth.

Attendees will be given the chance to shape the future of the National Care Service in a ground breaking opportunity for social care users, families, carers and staff to share their thoughts about the National Care Service and contribute to its design.

The National Care Service is being created following an Independent Review of Adult Social Care Services in 2021, which recommended reforming social care in Scotland and strengthening national accountability for social care support.

It will be the most significant development in health and social care since the establishment of the NHS. The Forum is part of a commitment to work with the real experts – those with lived experience of working or receiving health and social care services – to ensure we can develop an organisation that is fit for purpose, and that takes into account growing demand.

Minister for Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “From the day I took up the role as Minister for Health and Social Care I have been clear that the loudest voice on the future should come from those with living experience.

“Today’s event marks a monumental step towards a National Care Service, bringing together hundreds of people who are passionate about community health and social care, about continuing to make things better, and about developing an NCS that will be serve the people of Scotland for generations to come.

“Those attending will play their part in ensuring the voices of those who use or deliver community health and social care are heard. We must never lose sight of the fact that we’re undertaking this work for people and families and hundreds of workers. Those who are gathering today will write their names into Scotland’s history books by shaping the biggest shake-up of health services since the NHS.

“This is the biggest reform of public services since the formation of the National Health Service. A change of this scale will take time if we are to get it right. The sooner we start, the sooner we will be able to deliver better support for everyone.”

There’s still time to take part in the Forum online. Participants can join via the link

There are other ways people can get involved. The Lived Experience Experts Panel was recently launched to allow adults in Scotland to take part in the National Care Service co-design process. Applications remain open.

Dementia: A National Conversation

Voices of people with dementia, their families and carers to shape new strategy

People with dementia and their carers will be at the forefront of improving the help and support they receive as a ‘National Conversation’ is launched on the condition.

This will be the first step towards a new dementia strategy. People living with dementia, their families and carers will be given the opportunity to spell out what is important to them, what needs to change, and how to build on the first dementia strategy in 2010.

This National Conversation will include a series of online and in-person discussions to make it as easy as possible to contribute. The responses will feed into a new strategy – driven by the National Dementia Lived Experience Panel – which will provide tangible ways to improve the lives of those living with the condition.

This builds on existing work on dementia. Last year the Scottish Government provided an additional £3.5 million over two years to strengthen the support given people with dementia and their families after a diagnosis. This funding is on top of an estimated £2.2 billion spent on dementia by local delivery partners annually.

Minister for Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “Scotland has a track record in supporting people living with dementia, as shown by our world leading commitment to provide immediate support in the first year after people receive a dementia diagnosis.

“If we are to improve that record further, we need to put people and carers at the vanguard of our policy work – helping us develop a new story together that improves the understanding of dementia and allows more people to live well with it.”

A national conversation to inform a new Dementia Strategy

Discussion paper

Responses will be open until Monday 5 December. The Scottish Government will work with the Lived Experience Panel to develop responses into a fully-formed, outcomes-focused Strategy. This will be published by April 2023.

Families urged to take to their feet this International Walk to School Month

Pupils around the globe will celebrate International Walk to School Month this October.
Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking is urging UK families to join in and enjoy the benefits of safer streets and being active.
Data released by the Department for Transport this week revealed that car usage and road casualties in Great Britain started to increase again in 2021, the year that lockdown ended.
Members of the public are being asked to share their #WalkToSchoolStories to celebrate the benefits that come from walking to school.

Living Streets, the UK charity behind the biggest walk to school campaign is encouraging families to leave the car at home for International Walk to School Month this October.

Pupils around the globe will walk to school to celebrate International Walk to School Month and Living Streets is urging UK families to join them.

The results of the Reported road casualties Great Britain data released by the Department for Transport (29 September 2022) show that we drove more in 2021, the year that lockdown ended, than in 2020. At the same time, road casualties started to increase.

Casualty numbers remained lower than the pre-pandemic levels but are higher compared to 2020 when restrictions were tighter and motor traffic usage lower.

Stephen Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets said: “We all saw the benefits to our health and air quality when we walked more and drove less. Quieter streets are safer, cleaner and healthier streets. Where possible we should avoid a return to the car and instead walk, wheel or cycle our short journeys.

“Making small changes can also help alleviate some of the rising living costs we are all facing, while we reap the health, social and environmental benefits of moving more.”

Living Streets is being supported this year by Dr Ronx, who has joined the charity as the celebrity ambassador for WOW – their walk to school challenge. The children’s television presenter and emergency doctor is joining the charity in encouraging more families to walk to school.

A generation ago, 70 per cent of children in Great Britain walked to school but now it’s dropped to around half.

Dr Ronx said: “October is International Walk to School Month – the perfect opportunity to give walking to school a go. Walking to school is simple, fun and free. More children walking to school means fewer cars around the school gates, better air quality, less congestion and less road danger.

“With notable increases in air pollution, rising childhood inactivity and post-lockdown poor mental health, encouraging children to be more active and ditching school run drives for more sustainable modes of transport is imperative.”

Living Streets is running a prize draw throughout October and encouraging people to share their #WalkToSchoolStories, whether they are walking to school now with children or grandchildren or sharing a childhood memory.

To enter the prize draw and for free walking resources, visit:

livingstreets.org.uk/October.

Holyrood Committee launches call for evidence on female participation in sport and physical activity

An inquiry has been launched into female participation in sport and physical activity by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee.

The Committee is seeking views from individuals and organisations about female participation in sport at both a community and elite level and how female sport is supported, reported, and promoted.

The Committee is keen to understand what barriers limit female participation in sport and physical activity and what can be done to remove these. This will include investigating additional barriers to participation, such as ethnicity and disability.

Launching the inquiry, Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “During our inquiry into the health and wellbeing of children and young people, we heard evidence of a significant decline in participation in sport and physical activity by adolescent girls.

“This has prompted the Committee to launch a dedicated inquiry into barriers to female participation in sport and physical activity and how these might be overcome.

“Statistics show that female participation in sport and physical activity in Scotland is lower than that of males from the age of 11 years old, with typically a 10% gender gap in participation.

“This has clear negative repercussions on the long-term health and wellbeing of women and girls.

“Today, we are launching a call for views to find out more about the barriers women and girls of all ages face in participating in sport and physical activity. We are particularly keen to hear the experiences of those with a disability, from ethnic minority or economically deprived backgrounds or who may face other barriers to participation in sport and physical activity.

“Our aim is to identify actions that should be taken to help increase the numbers of women and girls participating in sport and physical activity, and crucially to make recommendations to ensure they are able to remain active throughout their lives.”

Let the Committee know your views

The inquiry’s call for views closes on 9th December.

Scotland’s new suicide prevention strategy – ‘Creating Hope Together’

New approach to reducing suicide in Scotland

Suicide prevention will be ramped up as the Government and COSLA publish a 10-year strategy to tackle the factors and inequalities that can lead to suicide.

The strategy will draw on levers across national and local government to address the underlying social issues that can cause people to feel suicidal, while making sure the right support is there for people and their families.

This fresh approach will help people at the earliest possible opportunity and aim to reduce the number of suicides – ensuring efforts to tackle issues such as poverty, debt, and addiction include measures to address suicide.

The Scottish Government will fund the Scottish Recovery Network as part of the initial three-year action plan. This will boost community peer-support groups to allow people to discuss their feelings and drive down suicide.

The strategy is supported by record funding through the Programme for Government commitment to double the annual budget to £2.8 million by 2025-2026. It will build on the work of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group and continue delivering the existing ‘Every Life Matters’ action plan.

Launching the ‘Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032’, Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Every death by suicide is a tragedy and, while the number of deaths have fallen in recent years, I want to use every lever at our disposal to drive that down further.

“That’s why we are taking a new approach to suicide prevention – considering all the social issues that can lead people to feel suicidal, while supporting those contemplating suicide and their loved ones.

“Peer support is an effective way to support people in their communities, helping them to feel heard and understood. I’m pleased this strategy will provide funding for the Scottish Recovery Network to continue its vital work for people experiencing – and recovering from – mental health issues.”

Councillor Kelly, the COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This approach to suicide prevention will build on the work taking place across local areas in Scotland.

“It will see the partnerships across communities strengthened and build on the collaboration between local and national work to ensure we share the knowledge and insights to help drive suicide prevention forward.

“This strategy will see work which reaches into new areas beyond the traditional settings of health and social care such as education, justice and physical activity, so we can truly see suicide prevention as Everyone’s Business.”

Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032

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Tackling Scotland’s health inequalities requires immediate joined-up action, warns Holyrood Committee

A Scottish Parliament inquiry has concluded by calling for urgent, coordinated action across all levels of Government in the UK to tackle health inequalities in Scotland.

A wide-ranging report by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee calls for urgent action to address health inequalities, and for tackling poverty to be considered a major public health priority at all levels of Government in order to address this.

Read the report

The Committee heard evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic and the rapidly rising cost of living have further exacerbated Scotland’s health inequalities.

The Committee is calling for action across the UK and the Scottish governments, and by local authorities, which it says is essential if these inequalities are to be tackled effectively. This includes further public service reform and strategic action across multiple policy areas.

Among its recommendations, the Committee is calling for action on education, employment and housing to improve health outcomes and better tackle health inequalities. It says safe, secure and affordable housing must be available for all and highlights the significant impact planning policy can have on health outcomes and, if implemented poorly, in widening inequalities.

In compiling its report, the majority of the Committee agreed with the recommendation by the Glasgow Centre of Population Health that, within budget constraints, the UK Government should take action to align benefits and tax credits with inflation and to reinstate the uplift in Universal Credit introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report also highlights extensive evidence submitted to the inquiry that informal and unpaid caring has a disproportionate impact on health outcomes and that informal carers face significant health inequalities as a result.

To address this issue, the Committee calls on the Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland to provide more targeted support for carers.

Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, said: “The evidence is clear that health inequalities in Scotland continue to grow, while the pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis will only exacerbate these inequalities further.

“A number of witnesses contributing to the inquiry argued that, over the past decade, UK Government policies on austerity have also had a negative impact on health inequalities in Scotland.

“We are particularly concerned that the rising cost of living will have a greater negative impact on those groups already experiencing health inequalities, including those living in poverty and those with a disability.

“Government action to date to tackle health inequalities has not been enough in the face of decades-long, major impacts on household incomes. We are calling for urgent action across all levels of government to reduce these stark inequalities which have real life and death consequences.

“There is currently no overarching national strategy for tackling health inequalities in Scotland. Meanwhile, evidence submitted to our inquiry has revealed multiple instances where the design and delivery of public services may be exacerbating inequalities rather than reducing them. We need to deliver further public service reform to ensure this doesn’t continue to happen.

“The reasons why we have failed to make progress in tackling health inequalities are many and varied. Reducing these will require bold and strategic action across all levels of government and by a range of government departments. Tackling health inequalities must be a major public health priority because lives literally depend on it.”

Other key findings in the report include:

The Committee express concern that certain vulnerable families report being excluded from free childcare provision, including those who care for disabled children and those who do not have a standard Monday-Friday work pattern.
A majority of the Committee is supportive of the concept of a universal basic income and calls on the Scottish Government to work with the relevant UK agencies to consider whether a pilot of the policy could take place in Scotland in order to begin to address health inequalities. A Committee majority would also like to see the implementation of a minimum income guarantee in Scotland.

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Report finds nation’s EYE Q is missing the mark & putting millions at risk of avoidable sight loss

One in three of us will suffer sight loss in our lifetime, yet half of this could be avoided. Routine eye tests, to ensure early detection and treatment of eye conditions, and adopting healthy lifestyles are key to preventing unnecessary sight loss; however, the findings of a new report reveal many of us lack even the most basic ‘know-how’ when it comes to looking after our vision and eye health.

“Many of us lack even the most basic ‘know-how’ when it comes to looking after our vision and eye health”

The Eye Q report, commissioned by Eye Health UK and Thomas Pocklington Trust to mark National Eye Health Week (19–25 September), found just one in four of us rate routine eye tests as important for maintaining good eye health. Worryingly, the report also found more than 17.5million of us haven’t had an eye test in the last two years, as recommended; with men and minority ethnic groups most likely to skip this essential health check.

As well as fears about the cost of eye care, the misnomer that ‘if your eyes are fine you don’t need to have an eye test’ was a common reason not getting eyes checked.

The report also uncovered a shocking lack of awareness of ‘reg flag’ symptoms linked to sight-threatening eye conditions. Despite being symptoms of retinal detachment – a condition requiring urgent treatment to avoid permanent sight loss – only one in five of us (19%) would seek same-day medical attention if we suddenly saw lots of flashes and floaters in our vision, and fewer than half of us (48%) would take urgent action if we saw a shadow, veil or curtain over our vision.

When it comes to understanding how lifestyle can impact risk of sight loss, a meagre eight per cent of us link exercise and eye health despite evidence showing being physically active can slash the risk of visual impairment.

Eighty per cent of us are in the dark about the eye health benefits of eating a nutritionally-balanced diet; just four in 10 (38%) understand exposure to the sun’s UV can impact eye health, and, a paltry 13 per cent link smoking and sight loss, even though smoking is a direct cause of sight loss, including macular degeneration – the UK’s leading cause of blindness.

Awareness that the menopause can affect eye health was also woefully low, with just 13 per cent of peri- & menopausal women making a connection between the two, despite ‘the change’ triggering dry eye and blepharitis, and, increasing the risk of glaucoma and cataracts.

UV protection is vital to prevent poor eye health and future sight loss, however, one in five believe eyes only need protecting on sunny days, when in fact, eyes should be protected whenever the UV index rises to three or more,[5] even if the skies are cloudy, as 90 per cent of UV can transmit through the clouds.[6]

With increasing screen use more and more of us are suffering screen fatigue – headaches, sore or tired eyes and temporary blurring of our vision – because we don’t know how to be screen smart. Just one in seven of us follow the 20-20-20 rule [look away from your screen every 20 minutes and focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds]; only 28 per cent adjust room lighting and four in five don’t consciously blink.

Other misconceptions about factors that can have a negative impact on vision and eye health include:

75% of us think it’s okay to shower in contact lenses. It’s not. Contacts should be removed before showering to prevent water-borne infection.
72% of us are unaware of the dangers of using old mascara. Using mascara that’s been open for more than three or four months is a common cause of eye irritation and infection.
65% of us think reading in dim light could damage our eyes. It won’t. It will simply highlight any existing imperfection.
56% of us are unaware that rubbing our eyes could be harmful. However, excessive rubbing is linked to keratoconus – a condition that distorts your vision.

With little knowledge about how to care for our eyes and factors that can affect them it’s probably no surprise the report found 77 per cent us suffered poor eye health in the last 12 months, whilst more than half of us (52%) say our daily lives have been disrupted by the quality of our vision – affecting our ability to do, or enjoy, daily things like household chores, driving, reading or our hobbies.

The state of our eye health also affected our emotions and mental well-being. Fifty-five per cent of respondents say their vision affected their mental state – leaving them feeling frustrated (24%), anxious (16%) or stressed (13%). The affect of eye health on mental state was particularly prevalent amongst people living with sight loss[7], with 76 per cent saying their vision had affected their mental health.

Commenting on the report David Cartwright, optometrist and chair of Eye Health UK said: “With 60 per cent of us worrying about our long-term vision it’s time for us to wise up and learn how to look after our eyes.

“Making some simple changes to our lifestyle and having regular eye tests could give your eye health a boost and prevent future sight loss.”

Mike Bell, Head of Public Affairs and Campaigns at Thomas Pocklington Trust added: “The Eye Q report has revealed how little knowledge there is about the importance of eye health, including amongst people already living with some form of sight loss.

“Looking after your eyes is just as important as looking after the rest of your body. Regular eye health checks can help prevent or limit the damage done by many eye conditions. They can also help identify the signs of other health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. The message is clear, get regular eye health checks and never ignore changes in your vision.”

Visit the National Eye Health Week website (visionmatters.org.uk) to check your risk of future sight loss using on the online eye health calculator.