As you get older it takes longer to warm up, which is bad for your health. Keep your main living room around 70째F (21째C), and the rest of your home heated to at least 64째F (18째C). Check your thermostat or use a room thermometer to monitor temperature but if you feel cold, turn the heat up regardless of what the thermometer reads. www.spreadthewarmth.org.uk
Welcome to the December - January edition of the Calderdale Voice. Judging by the dip in temperature, winter is definitely settling in! In this issue, we have included some local services and projects who can help vulnerable people over Winter. You can find out more from page 7. We all know that the festive season can often be the party season too, especially around the New Year. Our Engagement Officer Alan has written a piece about the dangers of drink driving at this time of year. The article can be found on page 12. Best wishes from all at Healthwatch Calderdale and we will be back in the New Year! All the best, Emma Worsley, The Calderdale Voice Editor
Naturally occurring ice (e.g iceberg) is considered a mineral
Healthwatch is the Consumer Champion, or Watchdog, for Health and Social Care. The aim of local Healthwatch will be to give citizens and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided locally. Healthwatch Calderdale is an independent body that will raise your views and opinions on Health & Social Care in Calderdale and to help make your voices heard. What we aim to:
Enable local voices to influence the delivery and design of local Health and Social Care services Use local volunteers to gather views and information from local people and communities Involve and engage local people, putting you at the heart of Health and Social Care service decision making Enable local people to make informed choices about their own and family’s Health and Social Care needs Influence the way services are designed and delivered Have a strong relationship with Health and Social Care providers as a critical friend using community views to influence and improve planning and delivery of services Provide information, advice and support about local Health and Social Care services Refer people to make a complaint via the Advocacy Service
Ten inches of snow melts down to one inch of water.
Through our engagement work, we retrieved information from residents of Calderdale, which informed us of the trends in Health & Social Care services in Calderdale.
Healthwatch Calderdale is a membership organisation. We make sure that all our members are kept up to date with everything related to Health and Social Care at both a local and national level. Becoming a member is free of charge and is open to anyone who lives in Calderdale and/or receives substantial health and social care services from any provider within Calderdale. It is also open to voluntary and community groups who supports users of health and social care services. To become a member, please email info@healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk
These trends help initiate our Enter & View visits. Our newest report has now been published on our website. Alan Walsh, our Development Officer said “Enter & View is an integral part of our operation(s) because it highlights, and brings to the fore, the views and experiences of Calderdale residents. It is vitally important that we have open, transparent dialogue between us, Calderdale residents and Health & Social Care services to ensure patients needs are met and a high level of excellent care/treatment is provided.� Please visit our website for more information www.healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk
Around 12% of the Earth’s land surface is covered in snow and ice
Healthwatch Calderdale have recently been supporting the local Support & Independence Team (SIT) in gathering feedback about their Reablement service.
We want to hear about your experiences of local health & social care services from the last 12 months. With the help of your feedback, we can let providers and funders know where services are working or where improvements are necessary . Please get in touch by calling 01422 431099 or you can email us on info@healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk
This service is for adults in Calderdale and helps people to regain their independence by providing support after an accident, illness or injury or to stop admissions into hospital. The team support and help individuals to live an independent life and, where necessary, will help to identify longer term solutions, or ways of dealing with a difficult situation. Healthwatch and SIT are inviting people who have used the Reablement Service to take part in a survey about the care they received. The team may have supported you to regain your independence and this may have included help with personal care, preparing of meals or help with medication. To take part in the survey, please visit www.healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk and follow the link on the first page.
The largest snowflake recorded was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick.
The Healthwatch Calderdale website offers a number of different services:
Send us your feedback using the ‘Talk to Us’ page Sign up to be a member of Healthwatch Calderdale Find out about our volunteering opportunities - recruiting now! Search for local Health & Social Care services Keep up to date with news from Healthwatch Find out where your nearest Healthwatch drop in session is Watch videos from Healthwatch England See our Healthwatch Calderdale Twitter feed Read the Healthwatch Calderdale Pledge Find out about Healthwatch Calderdale local meetings
www.healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk Twitter Facebook
@hwcalderdale Healthwatch Calderdale
The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour
Christians Together Calderdale’s winter shelter is open from the 4th Jan 2016 to the 19th March 2016. The shelter is available to those who are temporary homeless; people sleeping rough; economic migrants; recently released prisoners; destitute asylum seekers & refugees; hidden homeless living in squats,hostels etc. All referrals are to be made through Second Chances based at The Gathering Place. It will run 7 days a week from 6pm through until 9am. Evening meal and breakfast will be provided. To find out more or to make a referral, please call 01422 647390 or email secondchances@christianstogther.org
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression or low mood that has a seasonal pattern. Episodes of depression or low mood occur at the same time each year, usually during the winter months and this is why it is sometimes known as ‘winter depression’. It's thought that SAD is as a result of reduced exposure to sunlight during the winter months. CBT based guided self help, CBT, Positive You group and our Reading for Wellbeing group can all be helpful in managing the symptoms of SAD. Calderdale Talking Therapies is part of Insight Healthcare, a not for profit organisation and an experienced provider of talking therapy services on behalf of the NHS. They are able to help those who live in Calderdale and are aged 18 and over. This service provides help to people experiencing common difficulties such as: low mood, depression, anxiety, stress, phobias, trauma, bereavement, loss, relationship difficulties and family problems. For more information, please ring 0300 555 0191 or visit the website www.insighthealthcare.org
Winter can be really hard for people with caring responsibilities, and equally as hard for the ‘cared for’. Dark nights and low temperatures keep people at home and the risks of isolation, loneliness and depression are higher at this time. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is running a Winter safety campaign called Cherished, aimed at keeping older people safe. Top tips are available on fire safety but also hazard prevention and general Winter wellness. For a FREE home fire safety check call the number below, visit the website or pop into your nearest fire station. During a visit they can give advice on fire safety, install smoke alarms where required and put measures in place to prevent fires breaking out in the first place. For more information, pop into your local fire station, call 0800 5874536 or visit the website www.westyorksfire.gov.uk
Weekend Care is a cheerful day care service that provides lunch and social activities on Saturdays and Sundays, to enhance quality of life for Calderdale residents over the age of 50, and respite for their carers (who are welcome with OR without the people they care for). Weekend Care are the only voluntary group at present in Calderdale that offers such a service. The aim of the service is for people to meet, make friends, and have a nice day out. Weekend Care try to achieve this in various ways like day trips, shopping trips, entertainment, movie sessions, events and regular activities. For more information about Weekend Care, please ring 07548 249813 or email melanie.rumble@cvac.org.uk
Kidney Research UK have launched a brand new appeal that’s bringing the ‘fun’ into fundraising, helping to raise vital funds for kidney research in the process.
Cancer Research UK has begun encouraging people to take part in its annual January fundraising campaign Dryathlon®. Once again, participants, or ‘Dryathletes™’, are urged to go dry for 31 January by avoiding alcohol, and to raise sponsorship as they do so.
Throughout the whole of December they are inviting people to join them in ‘pimping up’ a whole host of things purple, from offices and parties, through to cars and people. Anyone can get involved – from Pimpin’ It Purple at work or school, to Pimpin’ It Purple with your friends and family.
Since 2013, 170,000 Dryathletes have raised over £17 million for Cancer Research UK’s work.
To help you Pimp It Purple, Kidney Research UK have produced a fantastic pack full of great fundraising ideas and fun things to get you started. The pack contains balloons, posters, stickers, a collection box, and a Pimp It Purple guide packed full of great fundraising ideas. The money raised from all the amazing fundraising efforts of ‘Pimp it Purple’ will help to fund vital research to fight kidney disease.
To find out more, or to register as a Dryathlete™, please visit the website www.cancerresearchuk.org/dryathlon
To find out more about Pimp It Purple, please visit the Kidney Research UK website www.kidneyresearchuk.org
Dryathlon will run from 1-31 January 2016, and registration is now open. Participants can take part on their own or as part of a team.
National STI Awareness Day is held every January 14th – two weeks after New Year. This is because two weeks is the time after which common STIs such as Chlamydia can be detected with a simple STI test kit.
While the nation writes their Christmas lists and wait with anticipation at what Santa might bring, there are many people who can’t wait. Their must-have gift is something far more vital than the latest gadget or toy – it’s blood. The NHS Blood Service is calling for people to step forward and donate so patients whose lives depend on blood or platelet transfusions get what they need over the festive period. From now until the New Year is typically a challenging time for blood stocks. Hospitals will need up to half a million units of blood to see them through the period. However, the festive season means taking the time to donate can slip off people’s to-do list, putting pressure on blood stocks. If you’re 17 and over and in general good health, visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 to find a session in England or North Wales near you to go and give blood.
The awareness day was launched to encourage people to think about their sexual health – it’s a day to ask questions about sexual health, and maybe to question your own sexual health. Nobody likes to think that they could have a sexually transmitted infection, yet anyone who has ever had unprotected sexual contact (including oral sex) could be at risk. Although many people don’t think they’ve got an STI, around 1-in-12 of those who get tested find that they are infected with one! There is only one way to be sure if you’ve become infected and that is to get an STI test. To find out more about STI day or about getting tested, please visit www.stiday.uk
It’s that time of year again, the time for festive activities. If you’re out over the festive period – for your own safety and for the safety of others - please DO NOT drink if you are driving. The legal limit for driving is 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, but, it is very difficult to judge when you have reached that limit because alcohol affects each person differently. Many factors will influence the level of alcohol in your blood, such as age, weight, the type of drink, the speed of drinking and the amount that you've eaten. Alcohol can make you feel overconfident and also alter the perception you have of your surroundings. This could make you more likely to take risks when driving, thereby creating dangerous situations for yourself and other people on the road. Approximately half a million breath tests are carried out every year - if you drink before you drive you could still get caught - even if you don’t cause an accident. One way of being safe is to take turns with your friends or family members at being the ‘Designated Driver’ for the evening. Some pubs even offer free soft drinks to the person who is the Designated Driver. Otherwise, you could take a taxi or agree in advance to stay at a friend’s house for the night – however, make sure you are safe and only stay with someone you know and trust. Be safe and help keep others safe! Alan Walsh, Healthwatch Calderdale
Drink Driving carries a maximum penalty of 6 months' imprisonment, a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum 12 months driving ban.
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