Don’t fall for it: health and safety tips for older people

‘Take Small Steps to Stay on Your Feet’ campaign launched

A new campaign to encourage older people to keep fit and healthy by avoiding falls has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian.

‘Take Small Steps to Stay on your Feet’ gives older people five easy tips to try and prevent falls and also information about what to do if they do suffer one.

Falls are a major problem for older people with more than 30% of over 65’s falling every year, with many more than once.

They can cause physical injuries such as fractures and head injuries and also psychological harm along with longer term problems such as disability, loss of independence and social isolation.

In Scotland the cost of falls by older people living in the community has been estimated to exceed £471m every year.

The new campaign has five top tips for older people:

Get checked out top to toe – have your eyes and hearing tested regularly, wear shoes and slippers that are comfortable and fit properly, and get your GP to regularly review your prescription medications
Calcium keeps bones strong – eat a well balanced diet that contains calcium rich foods like dairy products, green leafy vegetables, bread and fish
Get enough Vitamin D – to help keep your bones strong. Natural sunlight is a good way or take supplements from your GP or pharmacist
Stay active – exercise such as walking, gardening and dancing can strengthen muscles, bones and improve balance
Clear your way at home – make sure there’s nothing that might cause someone to trip or bump into them such as rugs, loose carpets and items lying on the floor
In addition, the campaign advises older people what to do if they have a fall. These include: move to a soft surface, keep warm, call for help and keep moving. There is also information about the best ways to get up after a fall.

Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health and Social Care Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “It’s important people realise that falling is not an inevitable part of getting older as many falls can be prevented. By making a few simple changes, older people can reduce the risk of falling both in and out of the home.

“The consequences of a fall can be devastating but by following these five easy tips we can make a real difference to older people’s lives.”

Lynne Douglas, Corporate Lead for Falls Prevention and Bone Health, NHS Lothian, said: “Preventing falls is vital in helping older people to live well and safely in their communities. This is an excellent initiative which is a result of collaboration between NHS Lothian services and City of Edinburgh Council and we hope that, most importantly, it will make a difference to the lives of older people in Edinburgh.”

Leaflets and posters highlighting the campaign will be issued to surgeries, pharmacists, libraries, care homes and sheltered housing complexes in the coming weeks.

More information about ‘Take Small Steps to Stay on your Feet’ can be found at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/fiveeasysteps or www.nhsinform.co.uk/falls.

Alternatively, phone NHS Inform on 0800 22 44 88

(textphone 18001 0800 22 44 88).

New Organ Donor Register launched

A new, updated version of the NHS Organ Donor Register was officially launched across the UK yesterday, extending the choices a person has about their organ donation wishes.

As well as being able to record a decision to be an organ donor, the new Register will now, for the first time, enable people in Scotland to record their choice not to be an organ donor .

Existing registrations from the old NHS Organ Donor Register have been transferred to the new Register by NHS Blood and Transplant.

Public Health Minister, Maureen Watt, said: “The new NHS Organ Donor Register provides a more modern system which extends the choices people can make.

“Whether you choose to be an organ donor or would like the NHS to know your decision not to be one, I would encourage everyone to take some time to think carefully about the important issue of organ donation and make your wishes known through the new Register.

“However it is also vitally important that people make their wishes known to family and friends so that those wishes can be honoured in the event of a loved one’s death.

“While joining the Register is important, two thirds of people who donated their organs in the last five years weren’t on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Families who are aware of their loved one’s organ donation wishes are twice as likely to say ‘yes’ to donating their organs.

“If you register without telling the people closest to you, it may come as a surprise to them. Knowing organ donation is what you would have wanted could make their decision a lot easier to live with at a time when they are trying to deal with their loss.

“Therefore the new Register provides an ideal opportunity for people across Scotland to make sure their choices are up-to-date and to talk to family and friends about their decision to donate.”

41 per cent of Scots are now on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

To find out more about organ donation and to join the new NHS Organ Donor Register, visit www.organdonationscotland.org

Holiday health advice from NHS24

WITH the start of the school summer break, people in Scotland are being urged to prepare ahead to ensure they have a safe and healthy holiday, whether at home or abroad.

Scotland’s national telehealth and telecare service, NHS 24, is advising people to visit www.nhsinform.co.uk to get helpful tips and advice on summer holiday health issues, from sunburn and stings to travel sickness and heat exhaustion.

The online health resource includes a section dedicated to a ‘Safe Summer in Scotland’ providing information on how to stay safe in the heat and sun, as well as travel tips and advice about the safe preparation of food.

NHS 24 Medical Director Professor George Crooks said: “It is always a good idea to be prepared whether on holiday at home or abroad and the wide range of information available at www.nhsinform.co.uk can help you do just that. Whether it is finding out what vaccinations to have before travelling, what to do when an upset tummy strikes or how to deal with insect bites, the information is readily available.

“If you take regular medication, make sure you have enough to last for your whole trip. Remember to order and pick up your repeat prescription in plenty of time before your departure to prevent any last minute delays or unnecessary panic.

“It is essential to always wear sunscreen when out in the sun, even in the UK. I would urge everyone to use a high factor sunscreen to protect themselves against the sun’s harmful rays. And if you are planning any picnics or barbecues in the coming weeks, it is important to keep food refrigerated until you leave home and use a cool box or bag to transport fresh food, particularly if you are taking meats or dairy products.

“For people planning to holiday in Europe, they should make sure they have a European Health Insurance Card. Information on where to apply is available at NHS inform.

“By taking these simple steps, you can help minimise or even prevent minor health problems from ruining your holiday.”

For more information, visit:

http://www.nhsinform.co.uk/health-in-focus/campaigns/safe-summer-in-scotland/

Follow us at @NHS24 and @NHSinform and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nhs24

Play time at children’s hospitals

Young patients undergoing treatment at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC), the CAHMS Inpatient Unit at the Royal Hospital in Edinburgh and the Children’s Ward at St John’s Hospital in Livingston have received a host of special gifts to help fill the hours spent in hospital.

Get-Well Gamers, a charity dedicated to bringing electronic entertainment to children’s hospitals for the benefit of entertainment and pain relief, has donated a number of gaming consoles and games to the West Lothian ward, including Xbox 360s, PlayStation 3s and Nintendo Wiis.

Originally donated to the charity from Microsoft, the consoles have now been redistributed to children’s hospitals across the UK.

Jordan McDonald, Play Specialist at St John’s, said: “Our brand new Xbox has already been well used. Four boys who were at the ward for theatre used the console to play FIFA together, with one little boy even saying it was the best day of his life! This sort of reaction from children is truly priceless – we can’t thank Get-Well Gamers and the Sick Kids Friends Foundation enough their generosity in making these distractions possible.”

James Stewart, Director of Get-Well Gamers UK, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to donate to St John’s Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Play Specialists do fantastic work and have next to no budget for video games and consoles.

“Having access to electronic entertainment is of great benefit to children in hospital. It helps them with pain management, encourages socialising with other children and alleviates boredom. We’re very grateful to The Sick Kids Foundation for making this donation possible.”

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF), which is responsible for funding the best facilities, equipment, distractions, emotional support, training and research in the RHSC and its surrounding facilities, has worked closely with gamers over the last six years to raise money for these extra comforts.

The charity’s Sick Kids Save Point – now the biggest video gaming marathon in the UK – has raised £72,000 to date and continues to champion gaming as a welcome distraction for sick kids spending hours on hospital wards.

Rachel McKenzie, head of fundraising at the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, said: “Get-Well Gamers’ donations have already made a fantastic difference to the children’s hospital experience.

“We’re always looking for people to help support the work of the Foundation and make life a little easier for our young patients. I would encourage any gaming fanatics keen to do something different for the cause to sign up to our 24 hour Sick Kids Save Point gaming marathon taking place later this year.”

Sick Kids Save Point event takes place from 9 until 11 October, 2015. For more information visit www.sickkidssavepoint.com.

For more information on Get-Well Gamers visit www.getwellgamers.org.uk.

Get it clean, say Greens

Green MSP Alison Johnstone has called for improved hygiene in Lothians’ hospitals following a critical report by public health inspectors. She said trust in our health service is vital and public patience is ‘starting to run out’.

The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI), which is part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland, published its report relating to an unannounced inspection visit to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) in April on Monday.

HEI has been set up to help reduce healthcare associated infection risk to patients through a rigorous inspection framework. The HEI inspection team examined NHS Lothian’s self-assessment information and then inspected the hospital to validate this information, meet patients and staff, and visit wards and departments to assess how clean the hospital was and if it was meeting national standards.

Inspectors made four requirements and one recommendation following the inspection.

Head of Quality & Care Jacqui Macrae said: “Overall this was a good inspection and we found evidence that NHS Lothian is complying with the majority of standards to protect patients, staff and visitors from acquiring an infection. In particular, we saw staff following the majority of standard infection control precautions. We also found hand hygiene practice among staff groups was generally good in most wards we inspected. The exception was the emergency department where we found poor hand hygiene practice from staff. We expect NHS Lothian to address our requirements and recommendations at the earliest opportunity.”

Inspectors found birthing balls and a mattress in a labour ward were contaminated with blood and also found half the cot mattresses were contaminated. Eight of the 29 mattresses checked were contaminated, and in the labour ward three out of six cot mattresses checked were also found to be dirty. Three birthing balls, mattress covers, a mattress and patient bed frames and stirrups were all contaminated with blood and hand cleansing hygiene also came in for criticism in the report.

NHS Lothian has been urged to make sure that ‘all patient equipment is clean and ready for use at all times’.

Responding to the inspectors’ report, Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, said: “Hospital hygiene is a big challenge but it’s incredibly important and public patience is starting to run out. It’s therefore disappointing to hear of contamination during an inspection of the emergency department and the labour ward at ERI. Trust in our health service is vital, and I want to hear from NHS Lothian how they plan to improve procedures for good hygiene in our hospitals.”

Melanie Johnson, nurse director at NHS Lothian, said: “We welcome the report from the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate and we are pleased that some areas were singled out for individual praise, including good infection control management, combined with patient care and the general cleanliness of the hospital.

“A total of 67 of the 70 patients interviewed by the inspection team also said they were pleased with the levels of cleaning in their wards.

“We recognise there are things that can be improved and they have been addressed as a matter of urgency, including the cleaning of patient equipment and ensuring that hand hygiene is improved by all staff in the emergency department.”

The full HEI inspection report is available to view at:

http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/inspecting_and_regulating_care/nhs_hospitals_and_services/nhs_lothian/royal_infirmary_of_edinburgh.aspx

Meningitis B vaccinations from 1 September

Meningitis B jag to be offered to all babies

The meningitis B vaccine will be introduced to the routine childhood vaccination programme in Scotland from 1 September, the Scottish Government has announced.

The vaccination will offer protection against the life-threatening strain of meningitis to all infants. The scheme, which was delayed by cost disputes, is the first national and publicly-funded programme against the deadly infection in the world.

The vaccination will be given in three doses at two, four and 12 months, with all infants in Scotland who are aged two months when the vaccine is introduced being eligible. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has also advised that when the programme starts there should be a one-off, catch-up programme for infants aged three and four months of age who will be attending for their routine vaccinations.

Additionally, in response to an increase in the number of cases of meningitis W, and based on advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation, a MenACWY vaccine will be introduced to replace the MenC vaccine used in the adolescents and freshers vaccination programmes.

From 1 August that vaccine will be offered to students under the age of 25 attending university for the first time this Autumn, along with a catch-up programme for all 14 to 18 year olds.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “These two new vaccination programmes will offer families in Scotland extra peace of mind.

“We’re delighted to be one of the first countries in the world to introduce a nationwide MenB vaccination programme to help tackle the effects of this disease, which can be devastating for children and their families.

“The Scottish Government has been consistent in its support for the introduction of this vaccine and today’s announcement underlines our commitment to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our children.

“Around 1,200 people – mainly babies and children – get meningitis B each year in the UK, and around one in 10 die from the infection.

“I am also very pleased to see the expedited launch of the MenW vaccine prevention programme for teenagers. This vaccine also protects against MenA, MenC and MenY, making sure young people are protected at such an important time in their academic lives.”

Chief Executive of Meningitis Now, Sue Davie said: “We’re delighted to see these vaccination programmes moving forward and offering protection to new babies and young people across Scotland. Today’s announcement is a tribute to the tireless and selfless efforts of our supporters, for many of whom sadly these vaccines come too late. We are ready to support the introductions in any way we can.”

Scotland Manager of Meningitis Research Foundation, Mary Millar said: “On behalf of our Scottish members of Meningitis Research Foundation who have been affected by this deadly disease, we are delighted to welcome the MenB vaccine for babies and MenACWY vaccine for teenagers and students. These two programmes are the culmination of years of research which will spare countless families the trauma of seeing a loved one die or left seriously disabled by meningitis and septicaemia.”

One mum remembers all too well the horror of her baby contracting meningitis, and Gemma Lessells from Inverkeithing has welcomed the announcement of the immunisation programme.

She said: “My son Matthew contracted meningitis B in 2010 when he was 13 months old. He was quiet and had a temperature at 4pm. He started being sick at 6 pm and by 10 pm he was in hospital fighting for his life. He had cannulas everywhere, they were taking his blood pressure every 15 minutes. His heart rate was 210 and his temperature on admission was 40.9.

“We were incredibly lucky – Matthew survived, though has delayed expressive speech and suffered night terrors following his hospital stay. We are also in the process of discussing possible behavioural side effects with his Health Visitor, but other than that we have a gorgeous healthy happy boy with a laugh that lights up a room.

“I would not want any parent or child to go through what we did, and welcome news of the implementation of these two new vaccines in Scotland.”

Organ donation project funding extended

Scottish Government appeal to black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to donate

The Scottish Government is encouraging the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to consider organ donation. Only one per cent of Scots on the NHS Organ Donor Register are from the BME communities, but around 8% of people on the organ donation waiting list are from that group.

Nearly 400 people from black, asian and minority ethnic communities in Scotland have signed the NHS Organ Donor Register over the last year, as part of a drive funded by the Scottish Government.

The initiative, run by Kidney Research UK, was set up last year to address the chronic shortage of organ donors from these communities and the Scottish Government has announced it will commit £22,000 to fund the project for another year.

Kidney Research UK have recruited peer-educators to speak to people about organ donation in locations such as Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) , Mandirs (Hindu temples) and the annual Mela festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

It is also working with the Muslim community through engagement with the Muslim Council of Scotland.

On Sunday, the team was present at the Glasgow Mela in Kelvingrove Park to talk to people about organ donation and encourage them to consider becoming an organ donor.

Over 2 million people in Scotland have joined the NHS Organ Donor Register, but only around 2000 people are from black, asian and minority ethnic communities.

Kidney failure is up to five times more common in people from black, asian and minority ethnic communities, with South Asian people with diabetes ten times more likely to suffer from kidney failure than white people.

Public Health Minister, Maureen Watt, said: “In Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, the shortage of donors from black, asian and minority ethnic communities is a real issue, so it’s vital we continue to engage with people to explore the beliefs that can act as a barrier to donation.

“The peer educator programme has so far been extremely successful, but we want to go further and train up more peer educators to talk to communities about organ donation.

“Just over one per cent of Scots on the NHS Organ Donor Register are from black, asian and minority ethnic communities, but this group account for nearly 8 per cent of people waiting on a transplant. Crucially, there is a much greater success rate when transplants are carried out within the same ethnic group.

“Of course, it’s an individual choice, but we want to ensure people have the right information to make an informed decision and that’s why education and projects like this are vitally important.”

Kidney Research UK’s Peer Educators have been trained to talk to their communities about kidney health and the risk of kidney disease, working closely with individuals, families, community groups and faith groups.

They offer practical help and advice, explaining the reasons for the increased risk and suggesting lifestyle changes that could help to prevent disease.

They also challenge some of the myths surrounding organ donation, and highlight the shortage of compatible donors in their communities.

Neerja Jain, Kidney Research UK’s Health Improvement Project Manager, said: “The passion of our Peer Educators is really helping to move this work forward considerably. Their amazing drive, enthusiasm and physical and mental energy is truly amazing. As volunteers, what they do, is really making a difference.”

Further information on BAME organ donation and transplantation is available at www.organdonationscotland.org

Thank you for saving my life!

Today is World Blood Donor Day

Happy World Blood Donor Day Everyone! World Blood Donor Day 2015 is a global celebration. The theme of this year’s campaign, which is being hosted in China, is: ‘Thank you for saving my life’.

It focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan:

“Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”

The campaign aims to highlight stories from people whose lives have been saved through blood donation, as a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood and people in good health who have never given blood to begin doing so.

Why is World Blood Donor Day celebrated on 14 June each year?

This is because it is Karl Landsteiner’s birthday. He was born in 1868 and first distinguished the main blood groups in 1900. Lansteiner developed the modern system of classification of blood groups from his identification of the presence of agglutinins in the blood, and having identified, with Alexander S. Wiener, the Rhesus factor, in 1937, thus enabling physicians to transfuse blood without endangering the patient′s life. We all owe Lansteiner a huge debt of gratitude.

Blood grouping saves many lives – please know your blood group this ‪#‎WorldBloodDonorDay2015‬

To blood donors around the world –

Happy World Blood Donor Day!

Dementia Awareness week creates a splash!

Edinburgh’s biggest ever Dementia Awareness week was brought back to earth with a bump with a charity abseil down the Forth Bridge yesterday. It was a dramatic end to a week organised to encourage people to talk about dementia in a bid to dispel myths and to help those who are affected.

A wide range of awareness-raising events were held at a range of venues all across the city last week. These included: Currie Rugby Club at Balerno Gala Day, St James Centre, Drumbrae Hub, Royal Infirmary Hospital, Queensferry Library, Morningside Library, Barnton Pharmacy, Liberton Hospital, Ocean Terminal Shopping Centre’s Living Memories Shop Unit, Cameron Toll Shopping Centre Currie Library CommunityRoom, The Mill at St Joseph’s Balerno and Portobello Farmers Market.

On Monday there was a Café and meeting place with information and advice for people with dementia and their carers from dementia advisors at Cramond Kirk Hall and Barnton & Cramond Dementia Friendly community forum held an information meeting on Tuesday.

Social media was also used to raise awareness. A blog, Let’s talk about Dementia (#AHPDementia), hosted different themes each day, with an opportunity for visitors to post questions to a range of experts including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and dieticians.

Dementia Week event organisers were also asked to use #dementia6littlethings on Twitter, and by liking and sharing messages posted on Facebook by the Council.

Reflecting on a busy week, a spoksesperson for Alzheimers Scotland said: “Phew! Seven days of celebration, awareness raising, conversation, fundraising and support. Thanks so much to everyone who has been a part of Dementia Awareness Week!

“Your stories, you kindness and enthusiasm have made for a fantastic week. Your passion has helped make Scotland a better place for people with dementia, their families and carers.”

So all in all it was a very successful week, but the work doesn’t stop there. The number of people who have the illness is set to double over the next 20 years, and there’s an ongoing drive to make Edinburgh a dementia friendly city by a partnership of the city of Edinburgh Council, Alzheimer Scotland and NHS Lothian.

The group launched the “6 little things” campaign in February, which tells people how to cure the stigma of dementia by knowing six simple facts.

Speaking before the lauch of dementia awareness week, Councillor Ricky Henderson, Health, Social Care and Housing Convener, said: “The awareness week is the ideal opportunity for us all to get involved in conversations about the illness. While it’s great that we’re living longer, this is leading to increasing numbers of people experiencing dementia. Let’s get conversations going with loved ones about dementia and together we can beat the stigma and also support those who have it.”

The conversations have started – now let’s keep talking!

You’re Not Alone!

Chromosome disorder charity uses social media to ensure to ensure people get the support they need

Social isolation is a huge problem for many parents of disabled children. Throw in a rare chromosome disorder, often a disorder that has no name, just a long, unfathomable code of letters and numbers, and the problem increases.

The everyday challenges which follow, the never-ending worries about the future, constant battles to make professionals and even your friends and family understand, leave parents feely confused and very alone.

To help raise awareness of these issues, Unique is running a Chromosome Disorder Awareness Week from 7 -13 June.

Unique is an UK charity supporting families affected by rare chromosome disorders. A spokesperson explained: “The aim is to spread the word to ensure nobody affected is left feeling isolated and alone.

“Everyone needs their friends around them for support, no one should have to feel so desperately alone and yet hundreds of parents with children affected by a chromosome disorder are facing the hardest time of their lives on their own, being rejected by those they trusted most.”

One ‘Unique mum’ said: “When my son was first diagnosed, friends suddenly stopped contacting me. I would see pictures appear on Facebook of the things they had got up to, things that before that point I had done with them.”

Unique, The Rare Chromosome Disorder Support Group, has set up a confidential Facebook group ‘Cafe’ which has grown rapidly to over 3,000 members.

It’s a virtual place where parents can ‘pop in for a cuppa’, vent, ask questions, gain support and also celebrate their child’s achievements.

The Unique spokesperson added: “There is nothing like feeling understood and heard by a community of people who have shared similar experiences.

“It has become a lifeline to parents who feel invisible to the rest of the world, giving them a support network of friends who understand, don’t judge and help them make sense of what is happening to them.

“One mum recently told us: ‘I’ve found that I’ve lost a lot of old friends because they just don’t understand or want to understand my situation. I have made lots of valuable friendships since having my daughter and that’s what counts. The Unique Facebook Cafe group became my lifeline, my access to a wealth of knowledge and my greatest source of support. I soon became friends with three of the mums, we quickly realised we had the same sense of humour and shared a common bond… WE LOVE CAKE! These three women are my bestest, most-treasured and trusted friends!’”

For further information, please contact caroline@rarechromo.org or visit