!!! April News !!! see our newsletter for ..
Silverline - the new helpline for older people
The Silver Line Helpline (0800 328 8888)provides three functions to support older people:
- a sign-posting service to link them into the many, varied services that exist around the country;
- a befriending service to combat loneliness;
- and a means of empowering those who may be suffering abuse and neglect, if appropriate to transfer them to specialist services to protect them from harm.
There are 10 million older people (over the age of 65) living in Britain today. Many of them (51 per cent of people over 75) are living alone. Those working in the statutory and the voluntary sector are deeply concerned about the impact of isolation and loneliness on older people, because it has been shown to shorten life, creating depression, hastening the onset of dementia, and causing physical effects such as malnutrition.
And yet there are many services around the country which could counteract these effects, if older people were linked into them. 40% of older people, according to a 2011 survey do not know where to turn for help.
More information is available on their website: http://www.thesilverline.org.uk/ or by phoning the helpline number 0800 328 8888
Choose Well Campaign - Helping patients make the right choice
Senior doctors and nurses across Manchester are concerned that cold and wintery conditions we are experiencing could bring real health problems for local people living with illnesses such as heart disease, lung disease, cancer, asthma and other underlying health problems. Their biggest concern is that city’s GP surgeries and Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments could be inundated with people suffering from common illnesses like coughs and colds that usually clear up by themselves in a few days and don’t need to be treated by a doctor.
Jonathan Smith, Matron for Emergency Services in Central Manchester said, “People should attend A&E with serious illnesses and injuries. People who have fallen from a height, people who are experiencing central chest pain. Patients should not attend if they have
something that could be seen by another service, if someone has a sore throat, they should see a pharmacist for advice. Toothache? This is not the place for toothache.”
“Most common aches, pains and winter illnesses will clear up by themselves within a few days with a little rest and some over-the-counter treatments. If you need advice your high-street pharmacy is your expert and our Choose Well Manchester campaign includes really clear self-care advice.”
“Our local Choose Well campaign gives patients lots of clear information on which conditions can safely be looked after at home, which symptoms need to be seen by NHS services in your area and what signs to look out for that mean it’s time to call 999 and head to A&E. The information is available in 64 languages and includes downloadable leaflets as well as 17 short animations covering everything from sprains and strains, to what you should have in your medicine cabinet. "
More information: www.choosewellmanchester.org.uk
Update - pregnant ladies and whooping cough
In October 2012, we contacted all our pregnant ladies who were between 28 - 38 weeks to offer the immunisation against whooping cough as recommended by the Dept of Health recently.
The programme aims to boost the short-term immunity passed on by pregnant women to protect their newborn babies – who normally cannot be vaccinated until they are two months old.
The Government have continued this programme for 2013, so if you are pregnant and in the final few few months of pregnancy, the Practice will be phoning you and/or sending you a reminder leaflet to ask if you would like this vaccination. However, even if you haven't yet received the reminder, if you are between 28-38 weeks pregnant and would like vaccination, please make an appointment with a GP or practice nurse.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, can be a serious illness, especially in the very young. The main symptoms are severe coughing fits which, in babies and children, are accompanied by the characteristic "whoop" sound as the child gasps for breath after coughing. Very young children have the highest risk of severe complications and death