Be Healthy Winter 2017

HEALTH HERO

TEACHING KIDS TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES Live life well

The Magazine for the Benenden Community Winter 2017 Issue 41 | www.benenden.co.uk

Inside

A taste

HEAR FROM BENENDEN’S CHAIRMAN

of life ...from the village where life expectancy is 89 and the 102-YEAR-OLD BENENDEN MEMBER

BEING WINTER WELL

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EASY WAYS TO AVOID ‘SAD’ (That’s ‘seasonal affective disorder’)

HE’S NEW IN POST !

Carefree holidays start with insurance you can count on

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Member prize draw For your chance to win 1 of 5 Fitbit Activity Trackers. Get a quote or purchase Benenden Travel Insurance using any of the above promo codes to be entered.

T&Cs apply. Please visit www.benenden.co.uk/fitbitdraw or call for full T&Cs. Closing date is on the 31st January 2018. There are 4 other ways to enter. Please see pages 2, 15, address cover and back pages to find out more.

Get a quote today to enter the prize draw www.benenden.co.uk/travelfit

0800 414 8301 and quote the above codes

*The 15% promotional discount is available to all Benenden members who quote FLYFIT15 when taking out an annual multi-trip policy. The 10% promotional discount is available to all Benenden members who quote FLYFIT10 when taking out a single trip policy. Offer is available to new policies only. Benenden reserves the right to alter, amend or withdraw this offer at any time.

Benenden is a trading name of The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited and its subsidiaries. Benenden Travel Insurance is offered by Benenden Wellbeing Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FS Register No 593286). Benenden Wellbeing Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited. Benenden Wellbeing Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No 8271017).

Registered Office: Holgate Park Drive, York, YO26 4GG. Benenden Travel Insurance is underwritten by MAPFRE Asistencia Compañía Internacional de Seguros y Reaseguros, Sociedad Anonima (MAPFRE Asistencia). MAPFRE Asistencia is authorised by the Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones and is subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (FS Register No. 203041), with a branch registered in England and Wales, with company name MAPFRE Assistance (Company Number FC021974. Branch Number BR008042) and registered office at 5th Floor, Alpha House, 24a Lime Street, London EC3M 7HS. Details about the extent of regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority are available on request. For any Benenden Travel Insurance policy which includes an insured person aged 66 or above, the insurance is arranged and administered by AllClear Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FS Register No 311244). AllClear Insurance Services Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No 4255112). Registered Office: AllClear House, 1 Redwing Court, Ashton Road, Romford, RM3 8QQ. For all other Benenden Travel Insurance policies, insurance is arranged and administered by Insure & Go Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FS Register No 309572). Insure & Go Insurance Services Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No 04056769). Registered Office: One Victoria Street, Bristol Bridge, Bristol, BS1 6AA. Insure & Go Insurance Services Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of MAPFRE Asistencia.

Is soup a super food?

Welcome

ETIENNE GILFILLAN, SHUTTERSTOCK, ROB GREIG, STUART NICOL, ALED LLEWELYN

I hope this edition of Be Healthy finds you well. With the nights drawing in we look at how to avoid the winter blues in the colder months (p30) and take a trip to a village in Italy where life expectancy is considerably longer than in the UK (p16) – so how do they do it?

We span all stages of life in this issue – from new findings on baby weaning in Health Check (p10) to the woman whose simple idea is improving children’s fitness in just 15 minutes each day (p22).

We also examine how golf can help keep us active – even as spectators (p7) – alongside our feature on the world’s first menopause cafe, and meet some of Benenden’s longestserving – and oldest – members on page 28.

Dr Phil Hammond, meanwhile, discusses the topic of assisted dying in his column (p40) and we give practical tips on page 20 on what to do when a loved one dies.

We also examine the ways in which Benenden can help you, whatever stage of life you’re at (p4) – including a focus on how as a member you can access advice on finding care solutions (p14) and support via the psychological wellbeing services (p36).

Thank you to everyone who got in touch following our last issue. It is always interesting to hear from you. Until next time, please wrap up warmly and have a happy winter.

PAGE 13

Inside this issue RICHARD TAYLOR He can trace his OCD back to early childhood and now wants to use his experience to help others FACT OCD Action estimates that one million people in the UK are affected by the mental disorder ELAINE WYLLIE Meet the retired headteacher who is improving children’s health by getting them to run a mile a day FACT More than one in five British children is overweight or obese in their first year of primary school RALPH HURST Aged 102, and probably the society’s longest-serving member, he joined Benenden 88 years ago FACT Ralph likes to take a walk every day to feed geese – but says he’s not a big fan of eating fruit

SIÂN PHILLIPS Editor, Be Healthy

Step into winter

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2

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POPPY RUN From 28 October, run or walk 5k in one of 15 UK parks for The Royal British Legion. www.britishlegion. org.uk/get-involved/ fundraise/running-events/

MOVEMBER The annual month-long focus on men’s health issues such as testicular or prostate cancer. Many men forgo shaving to raise awareness. uk.movember.com/

TINSEL WALK Combine a visit to Santa’s grotto with a 1-3 mile walk for charity on 2 December. christmascharityfestival. com/the-challenges/ tinsel-walk

Get in touch

We’d love to know what you think about this issue. Email us at behealthy@ benenden.co.uk with your thoughts

www.benenden.co.uk 1

and your eyes, your teeth, your ears, your feet

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T&Cs apply. Please visit www.benenden.co.uk/fitbitdraw or call for full T&Cs. There are 4 other ways to enter. Please see page 15, address cover, inside front and back cover pages to find out more.

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0800 414 8076 and quote BNFITBIT

*All dependent children must be detailed on the policy and cover is shared amongst all dependants. †Up to a maximum of 30 nights for hospital-in-patient surgeries and up to 6 days for hospital-day-case surgeries. If an insured person is aged 75 or over at the start date of the policy, the hospital stay benefits are only payable at half of the stated amounts at each level. ††The promotional offer to waive the 13 week qualifying period is available to all Benenden members who quote promotional code BNFITBIT when taking out a Benenden Health Cash Plan policy before the closing date of 10th November 2017. This offer applies from the start date of the policy. Normal qualifying periods apply for the new child/adoption benefit and pre-existing conditions on hospital stay benefits. No alternative to this promotion will be offered. Offer is available to new policies only.

Benenden Health Cash plan is distributed by Benenden Wellbeing Limited, an insurance intermediary, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 593286. Registered Office: Holgate Park Drive, YO26 4GG registered in England and Wales (Company No. 8271017).

Benenden Health Cash plan cover is issued and administered by BHSF Limited. BHSF Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered in England and Wales (company number 35500). Registered office: 2 Darnley Road, Birmingham B16 8TE. No personal recommendations have been given on the suitability of this product, if in doubt you should seek independent advice.

behealthy Published for the Benenden Healthcare Society by Think.

This magazine is also available in Braille, large print and on audio CD. Benenden Holgate Park Drive, York YO26 4GG Telephone 0800 414 8100* benenden.co.uk Editor Siân Phillips behealthy@benenden.co.uk Contributing Editors Matthew Rock, Dawn Harper Group Art Director Matthew Ball Designer John Pender Sub-editors Sam Bartlett, Sian Campbell, Kirsty Fortune Editorial Assistant Jonathan McIntosh Advertising Sales Sonal Mistry sonal.mistry@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 3771 7247 Group Account Director John Innes john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk

s t n e t n o C Stick with Benenden, you never know when you might need it PAGE 28

WINTER 2017

HEALTH CHECK 06 MENOPAUSE CAFE How one woman wants to get people talking openly about ‘the change’ 08 NUTTY FOR ALMONDS The health-giving benefits of almonds and other nuts 12 LIVING WITH OCD Meet a young man who is helping to dispel myths about mental illness 14 HELP TO FIND CARE The benefits of seeking independent advice

LIFE

20 WHAT TO DO WHEN... ...someone dies. Our cutout-and-keep guide 22 GO THE EXTRA MILE Former headteacher Elaine Wyllie is transforming children’s fitness 30 WINTER SURVIVAL Ways to tackle seasonal affective disorder 32 MEET THE CHAIRMAN David Furniss describes how Benenden has got right under his skin

Produced for Benenden by Think 8th Floor, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH 020 3771 7200 thinkpublishing.co.uk © Benenden Healthcare Society.

Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Benenden. All advertising is accepted in good faith and no endorsement should be inferred; neither should the presence of any Benenden business’s logo in a promotion (as part of a commercial arrangement with a selected partner) be construed as an endorsement.

Please check any medical or dietary advice with your own doctor.

YOUR BENENDEN

Circulation 354,471 (July-Dec 2016) ABC

36 FOCUS ON Psychological wellbeing services in the spotlight 39 CONTACT BENENDEN Key numbers and services

*Please note, calls may be recorded for our mutual security and also for training and quality purposes.

COVER:SHUTTERSTOCK; THIS PAGE ALED LLEWELYN, SHUTTERSTOCK

HEALTH HERO

TEACHING KIDS TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES

Live life well

88 eerwekrhw ACopy taste

The Magazine for the Benenden Community Winter 2017 Issue 41 | www.benenden.co.uk

Inside

HEAR FROM BENENDEN’S CHAIRMAN HE’S NEW IN POST !

of life ...from the village where life expectancy is 89 and the 102-YEAR-OLD BENENDEN MEMBER

Find us online www.benenden.co.uk Plus keep up to date with all the latest news on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+

EING WINTER WELLB

8

EASY WAYS TO AVOID ‘SAD’ (That’s ‘seasonal affective disorder’)

COVER STORY PAGE 16 Steal the secrets of healthy living from Pioppi in Italy www.benenden.co.uk 3

Benenden - there for you Health and wellbeing are at the heart of Benenden. Our aim is to provide peace of mind with a range of products, so we can be there for you when you need our help - whether you’re at home or away.

So you can be supported by a brand you trust, wherever you are.

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HELPING YOU LIVE EVERY DAY TO THE FULL SUPPORT THROUGH EARLY DETECTION WITH HEALTH ASSESSMENTS The NHS Health Check is estimated to have prevented 2,500 heart attacks or strokes in its first five years, due to people receiving post-check treatment. However, an NHS health check is 20 to 30 minutes long and only available via invitation to 40 to 74-year-olds.

A comprehensive health assessment is a way of taking proactive action to help identify health risks before they become serious and to flag up any early intervention that might be needed.

Our most popular assessment, ‘Advanced’, includes investigations such as bowel cancer screening, blood tests to check organ function and many other investigations not available in a standard NHS checkup. See page 15 for member offers.

EMPOWERING HEALTHY LIVING THROUGH MEMBER REWARDS We promote healthy living through Be Healthy magazine, our e-newsletters and website. And we offer excellent member rewards – such as up to 51% off days out, 10% off cottages. com and James Villas, 22% off Fitbits, and many more. See page 37 for details.

4 Be Healthy Winter 2017

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CARE AND SUPPORT WHEN SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

HELPING YOU GET BACK TO GOOD HEALTH WITH YOUR PERSONAL HEALTHCARE In 2016, we provided help more than 86,000 times to members through consultations, tests, treatments and information services such as a GP 24/7 advice line – that’s

the reassurance of Benenden Personal Healthcare. Why not extend the peace of mind you enjoy with Benenden by adding your family to your membership, or recommend us to your friends so they can become members too. For more details on how you can also benefit from recommending others, see the back cover.

throughout your life 3

HELPING YOU TO PLAN FOR FUTURE ROUTINE HEALTHCARE

HEALTH CASH PLAN Dental patient charges increased by £25.3 million in 2015-16, according to the NHS. To help manage these costs, and those of other routine health appointments, Benenden’s new health cash plan offers money back on regular trips to the dentist, optician and more.

Exclusions and limits apply.

See page 2 for more.

CREDIT IN 3MM BOX ALIGNED TOP

WHY DO WE OFFER MORE THAN PERSONAL HEALTHCARE?

PROTECTION WITH TRAVEL INSURANCE It’s reported that 22% of people travelling abroad don’t take out travel insurance. But medical bills can be high if you’re not covered. Our members asked us for a travel insurance product that considers all ages and medical conditions, and we have delivered this. Limits and exclusions apply. See the inside front cover for travel insurance details.

PEACE OF MIND WITH HOME INSURANCE The Association of British Insurers reported in 2015 that 46% of UK home insurance claims were caused by weather and escape of water. To help avoid the stress such damage can cause, we’ve teamed up with Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc to offer building and contents cover. Exclusions and limits apply. See your magazine’s address sheet for more details.

Benenden’s aim is to support you and your family with what matters most – your health and wellbeing.

That’s why we continue to invest in improving our services, while bringing out new products such as travel insurance and a health cash plan to support you further in more aspects of your wellbeing. As we have a large community of members, we can negotiate good deals and offers through the products we develop for members.

Because Benenden is a not-forprofit, if members take up these products, members benefit, as surplus funds are invested back into the community, helping us to support more members’ needs.

www.benenden.co.uk 5

health check ]News you can use i

“I think we don’t talk about the menopause because we don’t talk about periods”

How tackling the taboo of the menopause has become one woman’s mission After watching a documentary fronted by BBC’s Kirsty Wark called The Menopause and Me, Rachel Weiss was inspired to get people together to talk about this life change at a pop-up menopause cafe.

A counsellor and psychotherapist at Rowan Consultancy in Perth, Rachel had already set up regular

‘death cafes’, events in which people could come together to discuss dying and death over tea and cake, and decided to recreate the format with the menopause as the focus.

“My aim was to get conversations started,” says Rachel. “Although this is

something that all women go through, very little is spoken about the menopause.”

Rachel mooted the idea of a menopause cafe on Rowan’s Facebook page and says that the post had a huge response. Roll on to last June when she, two other organisers and 25 people (including two men) met up at Blend Coffee Lounge in Perth for the world’s first known menopause cafe.

The people sat at tables of four or five and then, after around 15 minutes, they moved around the room to a different group.

“We suggested that people

explained why they were there as a conversation starter,” says Rachel. “The men were both there because their wives or partners were going through the menopause, while some women had been through it and had a tough time. And, delightfully, there was another woman who said that it was fine and she had experienced no ill effects,” says Rachel, who, at 50, says she was keen to hear from others to be prepared for her own ‘change’.

“Whereas for my mum’s generation it wasn’t discussed, I want it to be normal for my children. I think we don’t talk

ANDREW CAWLEY / DC THOMSON, ANDREW SANWELL

It’s time for change

Menopause: facts and figures l The average age for reaching the menopause is 51. l A natural part of ageing, it occurs as women’s oestrogen levels decline. l One in 100 women experiences the menopause before they reach 40. l Eight out of 10 women will have symptoms before and after their periods stop. l Common symptoms include hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness, low mood and anxiety.

about the menopause because we don’t talk about periods,” she says. “In the workplace when somebody asks you ‘How are you?’ it’s acceptable to say ‘I feel under the weather, I’ve got a cold’, but not ‘It’s the first day of my period and I feel pretty rough’.” Rachel explains that when we can have those conversations out in the open, menopause cafes won’t be needed. For now, though, she has a vision that other people will open menopause cafes of their own – or even meet-ups in their living rooms.

The event was welcomed by Kirsty Wark who said: “I am so thrilled that this group has started a menopause cafe. I hope this event inspires others to do the same.”

A second menopause cafe was held in September and Rachel and the organisers hope that others will be inspired to set up their own pop-up menopause cafes too. Keep up to date at www.menopausecafe.net

How golf can tee up a healthy life Sport benefits players and spectators, new reports find If you’re a golfer and feel the need to justify yet another round at the club, then here’s some good news. A recent study by the Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) at Sheffield Hallam University has established that regular golf participants reduce their risk of dementia by 30%.

Study director Dr Steven Mann carried out research on the potential for golf to help prevent and manage serious health conditions such as dementia by increasing activity levels. He said the sport is a particularly useful intervention due to its broad appeal.

“Our data suggests that golf has the ability to attract key demographics that are notoriously difficult to engage in public health programming, such as men aged 45 to

65,” said Dr Mann.

“We know that being physically active helps reduce the risk of dementia by up to 30% and golf is a great way to achieve recommended exercise levels, as it is a sport that can be enjoyed by all, as well as bringing the associated mental health benefits of being active.”

The research was commissioned by England Golf and the Professional Golfers’ Association, and identified that golfers were 14% more likely to report good health than non-participants.

Another recent study found that golf spectators also reap health rewards. A survey of spectators at last year’s Paul Lawrie Matchplay event at Archerfield Links, East Lothian, found that they averaged about

11,500 steps a day.

Interestingly, male spectators took about 1,800 more steps each day than women, according to pedometer data from the survey. The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. More than 10 million people spectate at golf tournaments each year, according to England Golf.

Researcher Dr Andrew Murray, from the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Walking is one of the best things you can do for your health, adding years to your life, and increasing health and happiness.

“These pilot findings show that golf spectators can gain physical activity that could benefit their health – while watching top-quality sport at close quarters.”

Being active can lower the risk of dementia by 30%

For details of Benenden Hospital’s new menopause service, see www. benendenhospital.org.uk/ monalisatouch www.benenden.co.uk 7

healthcheck

Get some nuts

Just a daily handful of almonds can help cut the risk of cholesterol-associated heart disease

A handful of almonds a day can boost ‘good’ cholesterol and cut ‘bad’ cholesterol, a university study has found.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University compared the levels and function of ‘good’ or HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in people who ate almonds every day to those in people who ate a buttered banana muffin instead.

They found that a daily dose of unsalted almonds improved HDL levels by 19%, as well as boosting the removal of ‘bad’ cholesterol.

The author of the study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Professor Penny Kris-Etherton, said: “A lot of research shows that a diet which includes almonds lowers low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, which is a 8 Be Healthy Winter 2017

major risk factor for heart disease. But not as much was known about how almonds affect HDL cholesterol, which is considered good cholesterol and helps lower your risk of heart disease.”

In the controlled-feeding study, 48 men and women with high levels of LDL cholesterol participated in two six-week diet periods. In both, their diets were identical except for the daily snack. On the almond diet, participants received 43g — about a handful — of almonds a day. During the control period they received a banana muffin instead.

Blood samples were taken to determine the participants’

cholesterol levels at the beginning of the study and after each six-week period. Results revealed that eating a handful of almonds a day significantly improved people’s good cholesterol levels and improved cholesterol function by 6.4 per cent, resulting in more plaque being removed from arteries.

Professor Kris-Etherton said: “HDL is very small when it gets released into circulation.

It’s like a garbage bag that slowly gets bigger and more spherical as it gathers cholesterol from cells and tissues before depositing them in the liver to be broken down.

“We were able to show that there were more larger

If people incorporate almonds into their diet, they should expect multiple benefits

particles in response to consuming the almonds compared to not consuming almonds. That would translate to the smaller particles doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

“They’re going to tissues and pulling out cholesterol, getting bigger, and taking that cholesterol to the liver for removal from the body.”

Almonds can also boost overall health as they are a good source of healthy fats, calcium, vitamin E and fibre.

“If people incorporate almonds into their diet they should expect multiple benefits, including ones that can improve heart health,” said the professor.

“They’re not a cure-all, but when eaten in moderation – and especially when eaten instead of a food of lower nutritional value – they’re a great addition to an already healthy diet.”

New life breathed into old hospital equipment

WHAT NUTS CAN DO FOR YOU ALMONDS A good source of healthy fats, calcium, vitamin E and fibre, they also help to reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Patients in developing countries to benefit from Benenden donation to charity Benenden Hospital has donated an old anaesthetic machine to the charity Safe Anaesthesia Worldwide. The piece of equipment, called a Boyle’s machine, was introduced in 1917 but has subsequently been replaced by more sophisticated equipment. It was in the hospital’s museum, which is currently being transformed into a digital archive.

Boyle’s machines remain extremely reliable and are still widely used in developing countries throughout the world, with the benefit that they can be used without electricity.

Safe Anaesthesia Worldwide, based in Marden, Kent, is to use the Benenden Hospital machine for research purposes. The machine needs a constant supply of oxygen and the charity is developing a solar-powered system that generates and stores oxygen from atmospheric air. If successful, the Solox system, as it is called, will ensure oxygen is always available for treating patients in poor and remote parts of the world.

Chair and founder of the charity Dr Roger Eltringham said: “Oxygen is an essential life-saving form of therapy. It is used to treat pneumonia, one of the biggest causes of death of children worldwide. It is also used in the treatment of many forms of lung and heart disease, severe bleeding, emergency medicine, resuscitation and in the administration of anaesthesia. In well-resourced hospitals oxygen is readily available and piped to the bedside of every patient, but in low-resource countries oxygen supplies are limited and unreliable. As a result, millions of patients who need oxygen do not receive it, often with fatal results.

“Poorly resourced hospitals depend on cylinders of compressed oxygen, but these are

BRAZIL NUTS These contain selenium, which helps our body produce thyroid hormones, supports immunity and helps healing.

Eating three to four nuts a day is plenty.

CASHEWS Rich in magnesium, which may help cognitive ability, these crescent-shaped seeds of the cashew apple include minerals such as iron and zinc, as well as being a good source of protein.

HAZELNUTS A good source of folate, which can help keep down levels of homocysteine, an amino acid which has been associated with heart problems and Parkinson’s disease.

PEANUTS If you avoid the roasted or salted version (and keep the portion modest), then you’ll reap the same benefits as with other tree nuts – lots of vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre.

expensive and difficult to transport over poor roads, so they frequently run out. Oxygen concentrators, that produce oxygen from room air, are a cost-effective alternative; although these require an electrical supply and power cuts are common in low-resource countries.

“Most tropical countries have plenty of sunshine, making solar-powered devices an attractive option. Crucially, Solox would mean that the administration of anaesthesia would be possible in places where electricity supply is unreliable.”

Dr Eltringham (pictured above right with, left, Colin Whittle of the charity and Simon Brooks, Benenden Hospital theatre operating department practitioner) is currently looking for a partner hospital in Zambia or Vietnam. www.safe4all.org.uk/

Member benefits

The 24/7 GP advice line

SHUTTERSTOCK

WALNUTS Rich in omega-3, protein, fibre and vitamin E, walnuts are also high in antioxidants, which help protect the body against disease. Studies have shown that eating walnuts can boost male fertility.

Safe Anaesthesia Worldwide receives the Boyle’s machine

If you can’t get a doctor’s appointment in the UK or even when you’re abroad, don’t worry. Benenden Personal Healthcare members can speak to a registered GP day or night. Have your membership number to hand and choose either a phone consultation or a virtual face-to-face e-consultation (done via a computer or internet-enabled mobile device). Call the Benenden 24/7 GP Advice Line on 0800 414 8247 (or +44 800 414 8247 if abroad) to book a call-back phone or e-consultation appointment.

www.benenden.co.uk 9

healthcheck Health myth

STIs

“A jar of baby food is too big for what a little one needs”

Do sexually transmitted infections (STIs) only affect the young?

A growing number of older people are contracting STIs, finds a report by England’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies BABY BOOMER FOCUS l The report, which focused on the health of the ‘baby boomer’ generation, found that STI diagnoses in people aged between 50 and 70 have risen by more than a third over the last decade.

Babies who feed themselves will end up healthier, finds a new book Spoon-fed babies are more likely to end up obese or overweight than those that feed themselves says a new book, Why Starting Solids Matters.

Its author, Dr Amy Brown of Swansea University, suggests that babies should be allowed to feed themselves finger foods from the age of six months, as this leads to them being a healthier weight and more adventurous in their eating habits.

Although self-feeding can be a bit messy, Dr Brown says this is part of the learning process. She says: “Kids need to learn about 10 Be Healthy Winter 2017

food. They need to find out, ‘What happens if I squash this or drop it on the floor?’”

Obviously certain foods are no-nos with this method, such as large chunks or slices of fruit or vegetables, or grapes and cherry tomatoes, which could cause the baby to choke.

Dr Brown, an associate professor of public health, cites a study of nearly 300 babies in which 8% of the infants who used the ‘baby-led weaning’ method were overweight, compared with 19% in the spoon-fed sample group. If

parents choose to spoon feed, she suggests looking for indications that the baby has had their fill rather than forcing them to finish off a jar or pouch of food.

“Let them eat as little as they want,” she says. “A jar of baby food is too big for what a little baby needs. When you are waving the spoon around and saying ‘Here comes the big aeroplane — let’s finish it’, if they clamp their mouth shut, forget about it. They will not starve.” pinterandmartin.com/whystarting-solids-matters.html

FROM WARTS TO HIV l The most commonly diagnosed STIs in 2014 among those aged 50 to 70 were warts, chlamydia, genital herpes and gonorrhoea. HIV cases have also risen among this age group, accounting for 16% of all new STI cases.

CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS l The report argues that factors including rising divorce rates, meeting new partners later in life and foregoing condoms could be attributed to this rise in STIs, and calls for better communication between GPs, sexual health services and older patients.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Time to step away from the spoon

UP BY NEARLY 40% l In 2010, sexual health clinics recorded 11,366 new infections among this age group, which grew to 15,726 in 2014 – a rise of 38%.

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healthcheck

OCD affects every area of my life My experience

Richard Taylor says he can identify obsessive compulsive disorder from his earliest memories, although it wasn’t diagnosed until he was a teen WORDS JOAN McFADDEN PORTRAITS ROB GREIG

Richard blogs about OCD in the hope it’ll help others

12 Be Healthy Winter 2017

“I felt completely out of place compared to everyone else until my head of year told me that of the 290 kids in my year 70 had challenges of different kinds.

“I saw my GP, who diagnosed OCD immediately, and the school made a plan with me and my dad. It was just before my GCSEs and every tutor had a private meeting with me to work out the best way to help.

I was also given extra time to get to classes. I feel very sad for others in similar situations who don’t get the same support as that has had a big effect on how I’ve come to terms with my condition.”

I felt completely out of place compared to everyone else

Richard believes he will always have OCD and has learned to live with it and manage it, thus far without therapy or medication.

“OCD affects every area of my life,” he says. “It’s restrictive and unpredictable, and makes it hard to plan. Holidays are really difficult as I struggle with taking my shoes off at airport security.

Cinemas are a problem as I don’t know what contamination might be close to me. Once when a fly came into my girlfriend’s bedroom I had to spend five hours stripping and scrubbing the room.”

Richard is now chair of the youth advisory panel at charity OCD Action and studying to be a journalist. He also writes a blog, www.richbiscuit.com For details on Benenden’s Psychological Wellbeing services, see p36

SHUTTERSTOCK

“I liked to take labels off CDs and books,” says Richard, aged 25, from south-east London. “I’d have tantrums if the label didn’t come off perfectly. I remember one green book where the label didn’t come off cleanly and tore away the green paper, so there was a bit of white showing. I had to find a green crayon and colour it in before I could settle to do anything else.

“There’s a stereotypical social perception of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), which I don’t fit,” he adds, explaining that people tend to believe OCD means excessively handwashing or being very tidy, rather than understanding how hugely controlling and debilitating it is.

“I was a happy, well-loved child. By the time I was 15 I was very studious and always at school on time with my homework done. However, my OCD is driven by fear of contamination and really kicked in at that point. I couldn’t touch walls or doors, and I didn’t like things coming into my home from school and possibly bringing contamination.”

Unsurprisingly, his academic performance suffered and his teachers quickly noticed something was wrong. “When a good student changes they take note,” says Richard. “They called in my dad for a chat with my head of year and for the first time I explained everything – my fear of contamination, how I dealt with it and how it was affecting my life. My dad had no idea what OCD was but he was brilliant and totally supportive, and so was the school.

Food for thought

Shop-bought soups

Anxiety about safety can be one manifestation

Ideal for warming up on a cold winter’s day, but is this comfort food always a healthy option?

WHAT IS OCD? l OCD is a clinically recognised disorder affecting 1-2% of the population.

TESCO FINEST SWEET POTATO, COCONUT AND CHILLI SOUP Calories .....................66kcal Sugar ..............................2.7g Salt .................................0.3g Protein ............................1.1g Fat ...................................4.9g A 100g serving has 18% of your recommended daily saturated fat intake, so it’s best as an occasional treat.

NEW COVENT GARDEN SOUP CO CHICKEN AND ROOT VEGETABLE Calories .....................50kcal Sugar ............................. 2.6g Salt ...............................0.38g Protein ........................... 2.2g Fat ................................... 2.4g A fresh source of vegetables and containing 50 calories per 100g, this chicken soup is relatively good for the soul.

BAXTERS VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE WITH WHOLEMEAL PASTA Calories .................... 40kcal Sugar .............................. 2.6g Salt ..................................0.6g Protein ........................... 1.3g Fat ................................... 0.2g Each can gives two of your five a day and the wholemeal pasta provides plenty of fibre. But salt content is high.

BAXTERS LENTIL AND BACON Calories .....................52kcal Sugar ...............................1.1g Salt ..................................0.6g Protein ........................... 3.4g Fat ....................................0.7g Gluten free, low in fat and containing one of your five a day, this soup is a great source of protein – just don’t be tempted to add more salt.

TESCO BROCCOLI AND STILTON Calories .....................52kcal Sugar .............................. 1.2g Salt ..................................0.5g Protein ........................... 2.4g Fat ................................... 3.6g Although low in calories, a 100g serving has 10% and 7.3% of your advised daily saturated fat and salt intake so is best in moderation.

HEINZ CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP Calories ..................... 51kcal Sugar ..............................4.8g Salt ..................................0.5g Protein ...........................0.8g Fat ....................................2.1g This beloved comfort food may be low in fat, calories and salt but, with 4.8g per 100g, this soup has the highest sugar levels in the line-up.

l People with OCD experience intensely negative, repetitive and intrusive thoughts, combined with chronic feelings of doubt or danger – obsessions.

Fear of contamination or anxiety about safety can be obsessions. l To quell thoughts or quieten anxiety they will often repeat an action, again and again – compulsions.

Examples are washing hands or repeatedly checking tasks, such as locking up when leaving the house. l OCD can be hugely debilitating but treatments such as therapy and medication can help.

Therapy can help OCD

ALAN DONALDSON

www.ocdaction.org.uk

Figures stated above are sourced from tesco.com. Statistics relate to the following servings: 100g Tesco Finest Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chilli Soup, 100g New Covent Garden Soup Co Chicken & Root Vegetable, 100g Baxters Vegetarian Minestrone with Wholemeal Pasta, 100g Baxters Lentil & Bacon, 100g Tesco Broccoli and Stilton, and 100g Heinz Tomato Soup

www.benenden.co.uk 13

healthcheck

Find the care you need Your Benenden membership means you can be supported to find care solutions that best suit your requirements, says Aileen Scoular Valerie Sweeney, a Benenden member from Leyland in Lancashire, has a painful bunion and is in need of an operation. However, her disabled husband, James, has dementia and Valerie’s role as a full-time carer means that scheduling the operation is impossible without arranging temporary respite care for James during her recovery period.

Trying to organise that care is equally difficult because almost every hour of Valerie’s day is spent attending to her husband’s wide-ranging healthcare needs. “James is bed-ridden and incontinent, and he only has one leg, so he is totally reliant on me every single day,” explains Valerie.

Initially, Valerie contacted her council-led social services team for information and advice, but after waiting eight months for a response she

It can help to talk to someone with the lowdown on care issues turned to Benenden’s free-ofcharge independent care advice service. This is available to all members from day one of their membership, and is provided by care experts Grace Consulting.

After talking to an adviser called Emily, Valerie received a detailed information pack containing a list of local care agencies and care homes that were happy to accept dementia patients, with Care Quality Commission ratings and details of what she could expect to pay.

Although Valerie has yet to make a final decision, she now has all the information she needs.

“I have only good words to say about the advice service and Grace Consulting,” she says.

“I would certainly recommend it to other people, and I’m not easy to impress.”

Making any care-related decision is difficult, but sometimes simply talking to someone who understands the practical and emotional issues can be a relief, as Benenden member Keith Neaves from Marden in Kent discovered.

“My wife started showing significant signs of memory loss and I was becoming very

At least we’re in the right hands now

concerned,” he says. Although Keith had mentioned it to his GP, he wanted more information about the options available, and what the future might hold.

His wife was eventually referred to the Maidstone Memory Assessment Unit, but speaking to Benenden’s independent care advice service helped Keith understand what support he should request.

“Being able to talk to people who genuinely understand Alzheimer’s and dementia is so valuable,” he says. “It takes you from thinking ‘This is awful’ to at least knowing how to move forward. I don’t know what the next step will be, but at least we’re in the right hands now.”

Member benefits Typically, Benenden members use the care advice service to find the right care support at home or within a nursing home, either following discharge from hospital or because of increasing health and welfare

14 Be Healthy Winter 2017

needs. It can also be a source of advice on respite care for carers.

If you need support, Benenden Member Services department will put you in touch with Grace Consulting. They will book a call with a care expert in order to

discuss your situation and needs.

Although Benenden does not fund the care you or a family member may need, the service can help you to understand the potential costs of care, how the system works, and any

funding your household may be entitled to. l For the Independent Care Advice Service, call 0800 414 8100 (with your membership number to hand). It is available 8am–8pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays).

SHUTTERSTOCK

THE INDEPENDENT CARE ADVICE SERVICE: HOW IT WORKS

Don’t take good health for granted Benenden Health Assessment from only £99

Some medical conditions may not show any symptoms High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two conditions that show no symptoms but can massively affect your quality of life in the future.

Benenden Health Assessments can help identify warning signs of hereditary and hidden illnesses. They can provide more in-depth tests that are not available with a standard NHS check-up.

Prevention is always better than the cure

The Advanced Health Assessment (Level 4) includes: Up to an hour with a doctor which includes consultation and physical examination Kidney/liver/lung function tests Cholesterol profile & diabetes risk Full blood count, vision and hearing tests & more Testicular cancer awareness & examination Breast cancer awareness & examination

All our health assessments come with a personalised report detailing the results of your tests that can help you make dietary and lifestyle choices to help reduce your risk of developing common, but often preventable conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

We offer 5 levels of health assessments to choose from. Members can get the Advanced Health Assessment for £429 (this includes a saving of £92 from the standard price)*.

Exclusive Member prize Member draw Price £429 (a saving £92) Enter our Fitbit Prize Draw for a chance to win 1 of 5 Fitbit Activity Trackers.

Purchase a Benenden Health Assessment and use promo code HEALTHFIT to be entered.

T&Cs apply. Please visit www.benenden.co.uk/fitbitdraw or call for full T&Cs. Closing date is on the 31st January 2018. There are 4 other ways to enter. Please see page 2, address cover, inside front and back pages to find out more.

Find out more today www.benenden.co.uk/healthfit

0800 414 8486 and quote HEALTHFIT

*The prices quoted in any literature, online and on the phone is a reduced rate which is offered exclusively to Benenden, through our partnership with ToHealth and BMI Healthcare.

Please note that the Essential and Advanced Plus health assessments are only available at selected centres. Please call 0800 414 8486 for more details.

Benenden is a trading name of The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited and its subsidiaries. Benenden Health Assessments are offered by Benenden Wellbeing Limited, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited. Benenden Wellbeing Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No 08271017). Registered Office: Benenden Wellbeing Limited, Holgate Park Drive, York, YO26 4GG. Benenden Health Assessments are provided by BMI Healthcare Limited and ToHealth Limited. BMI Healthcare Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No 2164270).

Registered office: 3 Paris Garden, Southwark, London, SE1 8ND. ToHealth Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No 5107064). Registered office: Park House, 116 Park Street, London, W1K 6AF.

secrets to long life?

In the Italian village of Pioppi, average life expectancy is eight years longer than in the UK. Kath Stathers finds out why

16 Be Healthy Winter 2017

CREDIT IN 3MM BOX ALIGNED BOTTOM

WANT TO KNOW THE

NUTRITION

FAT-TASTIC Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day help keep Pioppi’s residents healthy

SHUTTERSTOCK

I

magine a town where people grow old without disease. They live fit and active lives until they enter their 10th decade. No heart disease, no diabetes, no cancer and no dementia. According to cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra, and athlete-turned-documentary maker Donal O’Neill, this town exists. It is Pioppi – a small fishing village on the south-west coast of Italy about 90 miles south of Naples – and it is the inspiration for their book The Pioppi Diet: A 21-day lifestyle plan.

The two authors went to the town, where the average life expectancy is nudging 90, to see what makes the people so healthy.

“It was a phenomenal experience,” says Dr Malhotra.

“We met one 85-year-old guy who was running the local restaurant and the next day we saw him up a ladder fixing his roof. At 85.”

The town is not new to

this interest in its diet. It first came to the public’s attention around 50 years ago, through the American physiologist Ancel Keys. For 30 years, Dr Keys spent six months each year in Pioppi while he worked on his hypothesis that diet and lifestyle were linked to cardiovascular disease. He concluded that around the Mediterranean there was a much lower incidence of heart disease than in the UK and USA and attributed this to the relative levels of saturated fat – typically found in red meat and dairy products – in the diets.

It is thanks to Dr Keys that the term Mediterranean diet (typically one high in fish, vegetables, olive oil, fruit and nuts) came into common usage.

But if there is already a diet linked to this town, why did these two authors return to the spot 50 years later, and how does their Pioppi diet differ from the accepted Mediterranean diet?

“We went there to see if Ancel Keys’ hypothesis stood up to what we now know,” explains Dr Malhotra. “And to see if there was anything else about the people’s lifestyle that has been ignored, but could be important. When people think of diet they tend to think of food. But the word actually comes from the classical Greek word ‘diaita’, which means ‘way of living’.”

www.benenden.co.uk 17

HEALTHY LIVING

iin

Pioppi in Italy is the inspiration for a 21-day eating plan

18 Be Healthy Winter 2017

‘Diet’ is from the classical Greek word ‘diaita’ meaning ‘way of living’ frowned upon in this diet is refined carbohydrates – pasta, bread and rice. Dr Malhotra’s reasoning is that these too can cause a spike in glucose and insulin levels, which over time means the body is not able to respond to insulin release.

In The Pioppi Diet, the authors call type 2 diabetes “carbohydrate-intolerance disease”. Says Dr Malhotra: “I’ve seen patients who have had type 2 diabetes for years who have cut out sugar and refined

The Pioppi diet in a nutshell The 21-day plan claims to regulate your insulin levels and help you lose excess fat.

It also aims to kick-start your healthy lifestyle while lowering your risk of disease DO… Eat plenty of fibrous vegetables and whole fruits Keep eating red meat Eat a handful of tree nuts every day Walk for half an hour a day Fast for 24 hours a week, so eat an evening

meal, then nothing until the next day’s evening meal Eat three meals a day and eat until you feel full Enjoy a glass of red wine Do breathing exercises four times a day Sleep seven hours a night

DON’T… Eat any added sugars, including fruit juice, honey and syrup Use seed oils, such as sunflower and soya bean oil.

Swap these for extra virgin olive oil and have at least two tablespoons a day

Eat refined carbs, in particular anything flour-based such as bread, cakes and biscuits, as well as noodles, pasta and rice Sit still for more than 45 minutes at a time

SHUTTERSTOCK, ALAMY, RII SCHROER/EYEVINE

Dr Malhotra is well known in the medical establishment for championing the view that fat is not the enemy and it is sugar we should all be avoiding.

He explains his viewpoint: “The body doesn’t need sugar. It has no nutritional value and there’s no biological requirement for it. But when in the 1970s government guidelines, largely based on Keys’ study, were to reduce the amount of fat we ate, the processed food industry’s response was, more often than not, to replace fat with sugar. So people seeing products labelled as ‘low fat’ are often eating a diet that’s very high in sugar.”

The Pioppi Diet argues that sugar gets converted by the body into fat which leads to two distinct problems: fat deposits in the liver that interfere with insulin production and can lead to type 2 diabetes, and fat being released into the blood, which has a negative effect on cholesterol and so can lead to heart disease. It also, of course, leads to extra weight and obesity.

The evidence shows that saturated fat is not the problem, says Dr Malhotra. “In fact, saturated fat is an important part of a healthy diet. It’s vital for immune function and for the absorption of vitamins.” The other benefit that Dr Malhotra attributes to fat is that it satisfies your appetite in a way sugar does not. Added sugar is generally at least 50% fructose, and fructose interferes with the hormones that control appetite, leaving people feeling hungry shortly after eating, and so the cycle of overeating is set.

So, following this theory, the Pioppi diet cuts out all added sugar and doesn’t limit the intake of saturated fat. Somewhat controversially, the other food group that is

carbs, and effectively reversed the disease.”

Here, the low-carb diet is starting to gain attention from diabetes groups too.

One NHS surgery in Southport, for example, prescribes a low-carb diet for all type 2 diabetes patients, and reported in the British Medical Journal last year that it now spends £45,000 less a year on diabetes drugs than is average for the area.

The health advice offered in The Pioppi Diet might be compelling, but does it really have any connection to the people of Pioppi? Surely in Italy pasta is eaten all the time? “Of course it is,” says Dr Malhotra.

“But it would only ever be as a first course.

The Italians don’t eat pasta in large quantities.” And as for how low in sugar their diet is, Dr Malhotra claims that in the poverty-stricken post-war years when Dr Keys was in Pioppi, “desserts were only ever a treat on Sundays”. Nowadays, as the town has no supermarket, the local diet still relies on plenty of home cooking of local vegetables, rather than supermarket products laden with added sugar.

Dr Malhotra suggests people follow the diet for 21 days to break their sugar habit and recalibrate their health markers. After that they can reintroduce sugar and carbs, but as treats. “It’s a bit like a prescription,” he says. “The results are very rapid.”

As mentioned earlier, the diet is not just the food, but also the way of life. To reach the grand old ages of the people of Pioppi, where it is customary to take a siesta every day, sleep is essential. Seven hours a night is the book’s recommendation. “A lack of sleep makes you less insulin sensitive,”

NUTRITION

FRESH THINKING

writes Dr Malhotra in the book. “After one night of restricted sleep we may perform poorly and have a greater propensity to make poor ‘pick-me-up’ food choices.”

Avoiding stress delays the ageing process, he adds. And as we can’t all live in sleepy seaside fishing villages, The Pioppi Diet contains daily exercises to help us de-stress and unwind.

In Pioppi “people walk everywhere, and that’s the best exercise,” says Dr Malhotra. The advice is to keep generally active and intersperse this with bursts of high-intensity activity – just as the people of Pioppi labour in the Dr Malhotra: “The body doesn’t need sugar”

Plenty of fruit and veg is key to living longer and staying healthy

fields and occasionally work up without food allow your a sweat with active jobs such as body to rest and regulate but chopping wood. fasting for long periods can The final element of The Pioppi make you feel fatigued.”

Diet is fasting for 24 hours once a week. It However, Ms Peck agrees with Dr claims that doing so gives insulin levels a Malhotra that we should be eating a diet “It’s nice be fit enough to do“Don’t anything you fancy, old you are,” says Sue chance toto regulate themselves. go to with no lowmatter addedhow sugar.

“It’s what I follow bed hungry,” says Dr Malhotra. “Eat an myself,” she says and suggests that rather evening meal, then don’t eat again until than cutting out higher carbohydrate foods the evening meal the next day.” like pasta and rice you could check your Dietitian Katie Peck, who works at portion size and make a swap: “It’s healthier Benenden Hospital and PeckSue has enjoyed to eat wholegrain rice than white rice and competing against Nutrition, is a supporter of the carbohydrates should feature in suitable younger women Mediterranean diet but feels that portions in a nutritionally balanced meal. rather than fasting, it would be more You don’t want people to think so rigidly helpful for people to avoid eating late that they can’t enjoy a bowl of rice or pasta.” at night and to create healthy gaps Dr Malhotra would agree with that – as between meals to stimulate appetite long as it’s only as a treat once they’ve got and digestion. She says: “Gaps that 21-day prescription out of the way.

www.benenden.co.uk 19

BEREAVEMENT

What to do when a loved one dies When you’ve lost someone dear to you, it’s hard to know what you need to do next. Our guide should help you with the practicalities.

2

Get plenty of duplicates of the death certificate as banks and other organisations won’t accept photocopies of the original.

Although there is a cost, the price goes up if you need to return for more copies at a later date.

3

You must register the death within five days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and within eight days in Scotland. [If the death occurs abroad you will have to register the death in that country.]

You will find a list of register

20 Be Healthy Winter 2017

offices online at gov.uk. You can book an appointment online where you will be told what information to bring with you. Along with the death certificate, you will receive a certificate for burial or cremation and a form that needs to be sent to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.

4

Report the death to official organisations.

Ask your registrar about the DWP’s Tell Us Once service, which will report the death for you to all government departments. In Northern Ireland, the Bereavement Service can offer similar support.

5

Make a checklist of everyone else you need to contact. The list will be long.

To make it easier, group them under headings such as family, utilities, financial etc. If your loved one was a member, don’t forget to tell Benenden.

6

Check your eligibility for financial support.

If you are under pensionable age, you may be able to claim bereavement benefit from the DWP. Contact the Bereavement Advice Centre for more info.

7

Find a funeral director.

Make sure the funeral company you choose is a member of a professional association (see contacts).

You don’t have to use a funeral director at all, however. Contact your local Cemeteries and Crematoria department for more details.

8

Choose a funeral that suits.

Some funeral directors will allow you to pay in instalments or offer cheaper options at certain times of the day. If you are on benefits, you may be able to claim from the social fund. Otherwise you could think about a direct cremation. A simple cremation without the funeral can cost less than £2,000.

WORDS: SARAH TOUQUET,; IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

1

The death certificate will be issued to you by the doctor and you’ll need this in order to register the death. It’s free but a cremation certificate has to be signed by two doctors and there will be a charge (currently £152). If there is concern about the manner of death, then the coroner or procurator fiscal will order a postmortem.

Tackling probate If there is a will and you are the executor, you can apply for a grant of representation, which gives you the legal right to administer a person’s estate. You cannot access any of the deceased’s financial affairs or possessions until probate has been completed.

If the will is straightforward you may be able to manage probate yourself – although many people find using a solicitor for this can take away some of the stress.

First, you will need to fill out a probate application form, PA1, and

an inheritance tax form (even if you don’t think you will need to pay). In Scotland you need to complete form C1 to apply for confirmation. The probate and inheritance tax helpline (0300 123 1072) will talk you through any queries.

Contacts Once complete, all documentation needs to be sent to the Probate Registry. You’ll find details of your nearest one on the legal information website Law on the Web. You’ll need to swear an oath at the probate office that the information is true.

Without a will, things are trickier You can apply for a grant of representation to be the administrator of the estate only if you are the person’s legal next of kin. And the law will decide who inherits the estate – you will not automatically be entitled to it.

Other things to think about Redirecting post.

Take a copy of the death certificate to the post office to arrange this.

Also contact the Mailing Preference Service and The Bereavement Register to stop unsolicited post.

HM Land Registry.

If your late partner co-owned your home you need to take his or her name off the land register.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If financial matters are not your strong suit build yourself a financial support team.

This could include an accountant, a solicitor and a trusted family friend.

Your ‘team’ can help you when you feel least able.

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES England and Wales www.gov.uk/browse/births-deathsmarriages/death Northern Ireland www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/what-dowhen-someone-dies-checklist Scotland www.gov.scot/ Resource/0051/00510301.pdf ADVICE AND HELP Bereavement Advice Centre bereavementadvice.org The Bereavement Service (Northern Ireland) www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/ bereavement-service For a list of probate registries www.lawontheweb.co.uk FUNERAL ASSOCIATIONS National Association of Funeral Directors www.nafd.org.uk National Federation of Funeral Directors www.nffd.co.uk The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors www.saif.org.uk Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (Info about burials on private land and funerals without funeral directors) www.iccm-uk.com The Natural Death Centre (Inexpensive funerals that do not need a funeral director) www.naturaldeath.org.uk BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT Cruse Bereavement Care www.cruse.org.uk Benenden Psychological Wellbeing Service 0800 414 8247 See page 36

www.benenden.co.uk 21

+

HEALTH

HERO

Go the extra mile A 15-minute daily dash is transforming the health and a!ainment levels of children in 20 countries, thanks to a brainwave by former headteacher Elaine Wyllie

A

WORDS KATH STATHERS PORTRAITS STUART NICHOL

s she watched a class of 10-year-olds attempting to run around the school playing field on a cold January morning, headteacher Elaine Wyllie was struck by one thought: “It’s worse than I feared.”

She had brought out the class specifically to see how fit they were. Her PE teacher had told her that most of the pupils in the school were exhausted just by the warm-up in PE classes and she’d wanted to see for herself. She watched, horrified, as many of them reached their limit barely halfway round the pitch and realised she had to do something.

“If 10-year-olds can’t run 100 metres, then we – as the adults in charge – are collectively failing these children,” she says. “I had a road to Damascus moment, thinking I don’t know if I can do anything about this, but I’m going to try.”

She sat down with the children, all of whom recognised there was a problem. As

one of them put it: “We couldnae run the length of ourselves.”

St Ninian’s, on the outskirts of Stirling, was not unique in having high levels of unfit pupils. Across Scotland, 24% of two to six-year-olds are at risk of being overweight or obese, a figure that rises to 30% by the time they are 11, according to the 2015 Scottish Health Survey.

Yet 18 months after that epiphany by the playing field St Ninian’s went from having 45% of children recorded as being overweight at the statutory P1 weighing and measuring session to having 0%. “The school nurse came running into my office when she got that result,” says Elaine. “She couldn’t believe it – it was the first time she’d ever seen that.”

So what was it that St Ninian’s did to bring about this incredible change?

Nothing more complicated than introducing 15 minutes of running into the daily curriculum.

It was a strategy devised by Elaine together with the unfit 10-year-olds on that January morning. They decided that

If 10-year-olds can’t run 100 metres, then we – as the adults in charge – are collectively failing these children 22 Be Healthy Winter 2017

Elaine Wyllie, who launched the Daily Mile after being horrified by how unfit her pupils were

www.benenden.co.uk 23

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HEALTH HERO

they should keep on running around the field until they could do it without getting exhausted. They’d give it a month and see if it made any difference.

For the next four weeks, whatever the weather, at some point each day the children would leave their classroom and run around the playing field. They weren’t coached, they weren’t timed, they weren’t in trouble if they walked, but they were encouraged to run as much as they could. Fifteen minutes later they were back at their desks.

“The results were incredible,” says Elaine. “In those four weeks, all of the children got fit. The teachers said they were more focused, with fewer behavioural problems, and their parents said they were sleeping better.”

Parents from other classes started to ask if their children could do it too, and by the end of the summer term the whole school was taking part and the Daily Mile was born.

Its effectiveness lay in its simplicity. Children wouldn’t get changed into PE kit. Everyone would take part. They would do it in almost all

The results were incredible. In four weeks, all of the children got fit weathers. Teachers could choose at what point in the day to do it. It wasn’t a competition. It was free to implement.

Fast forward five years and the initiative has now been adopted by more than 3,000 schools, covering more than 20 countries as far apart as Argentina and the United Arab Emirates, it has been endorsed by the Scottish and Welsh governments and has an international arm in the Netherlands and Belgium, where more than 700 schools run the project.

“I think it’s so popular partly because it’s free and very simple to introduce, but mainly because the children love it,” says Elaine.

As a class teacher and as a head, Elaine – who retired in 2015 – has always thought it’s

important that school is fun and that pupils enjoy going. “Nineteen or 20 years ago I was the first teacher to teach Harry Potter in class,” she says proudly. “We transformed the classroom into the Great Hall of Hogwarts. JK Rowling even came in to visit the school.” And when tennis player Andy Murray won his first grand slam title in 2012, she held a pop-up Andy Murray day.

“I was never one to say no to trying something new,” she says.

Since retirement, Elaine has devoted herself to promoting the benefits of the Daily Mile. “The timing was just right,” she says.

The local authority had become interested in the scheme and other schools in the area were starting to implement it. The University of Stirling was doing a study on it, but it was slow progress. Then two weeks before retirement, Elaine won the Pride of Britain’s Award for Teacher of the Year.

Her appearance at the award show – when 10 of her pupils ran from Buckingham Palace to Grosvenor House to present her with the award – was seen by owner of chemical firm INEOS, Jim Ratcliffe.

“Jim is very committed to children’s fitness,” says Elaine. “He’d already set up a www.benenden.co.uk 25

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HEALTH HERO

YOUR HEALTH HERO

Tell us about the inspiring people making a difference in the world of health. l Send your nominations to behealthy@benenden.co.uk

+

HEALTH

HERO

children’s running charity, Go Run for Fun, and he asked me if I needed any help. His sponsorship has made all the difference.”

Part of this difference is that Elaine now finds herself speaking at healthcare and teacher conferences around the world, accompanied by her husband, John. She also presented the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Awards alongside HRH Prince Philip for the final time before his retirement.

“What an inspiration he is,” she says. “He was 95 and still serving. So if there’s something to give, I think we have to give it.” However, her favourite part is visiting schools that have introduced the Daily Mile.

The schools are in all number of settings, from those in little villages with ample fields to run around to those in inner London, where children run around the school building.

“When you watch the children it doesn’t matter where you are, they are each making it their own,” says Elaine. “Some might walk two trees, run two trees. Some might skip for a while. They are chatting to their friends. They’re aware of the weather and the seasons. And, despite its name, it has never been about completing a certain distance or hitting a target, so everyone

It develops the children’s social skills, self-esteem and general wellbeing succeeds. It develops the children’s social skills, self-esteem and general wellbeing, as much as their physical abilities,” she says.

There has been a growing awareness of the link between pupil wellbeing and pupil attainment, and studies are now starting to show a possible link between the Daily Mile and improved results. Coppermile Primary School in Walthamstow, east London, took its Year 6 pupils out to run every day before their SATs and believes this contributed to

their excellent results: 26% higher than the national average in reading and maths, and 14% higher in writing. “Although it’s just one school and more studies need to be done, there are similar reports from the north of England, where numeracy improved 20% for the children across 12 schools there,” says Elaine.

Links to attainment are useful in persuading heads and teachers to implement the scheme, but for the children Elaine insists it’s about pure enjoyment.

“If you think back to your own childhood and pick out a happy memory, where are you? The chances are you’re outside, with other children and no adults are interfering.

That’s why the children love it,” she says.

“They’re happy.”

CASE STUDY

WOODFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL, WIGAN Every day during term time, the children and staff of Woodfield Primary School in Wigan run their Daily Mile. The school introduced it in June 2016, running around a grass playing field on a track that was built with sponsorship money from a local business.

“We used to have an afternoon play and we decided to use that time for each class to do the Daily Mile instead,” explains Tom Lyons, PE coordinator and Year 5 teacher at Woodfield Primary School.

“The children love it,” says Tom. “They can switch off from lessons, have a chat and just spend 15 minutes being kids.”

Tom has noticed that the children are much fitter now

when it comes to PE classes, and the school is doing better in local athletics and running competitions.

“It’s not something we’re used to as a one-form entry school,” he says.

Running is now a big part of how the school has fun – it started as “The 12Ks of Christmas” with 1km-themed runs before school on each of the last 12 days of the Christmas term.

HI-RES NEEDED

“We also had a holiday theme for the summer term,” adds Tom. It’s not just the staff and pupils who take part. On Wednesday mornings the school opens its gates 15 minutes early so that parents, carers, siblings and

grandparents can join in with a weekly Morning Mile before school starts.

“It’s popular,” says Tom. “One grandparent told me she loves the extra time it gives her to spend with her grandchildren.” www.benenden.co.uk 27

MEMBERSHIP

Benenden’s magnificent seven

We’ve been meeting the people we believe have been with the society for the longest.

So say hello to Ralph Hurst, a Benenden member for an incredible 88 years WORDS SIÂN PHILLIPS AND JONATHAN McINTOSH PORTRAITS ALED LLEWELYN

1

RALPH HURST, 102, JOINED BENENDEN IN 1929

Aged 14, Ralph started work as a messenger boy in the General Post Office in Haywards Heath, Sussex. He soon joined Benenden, and later added his family. “It seemed like a good idea to me,” he says.

At the start of the Second World War, Ralph was advised to wait until he was called up in order to guarantee a job to come home to. In July 1940 he was called up to be a frontliner in the ‘Buffs’ (Royal East Kent Regiment) and went “over the road”, as he puts it, to serve under Field Marshal Montgomery in northern France – who promptly told the men they were

Ralph enjoys feeding the geese

each worth about 20 minutes in battle.

Ralph was at Lüneburg Heath when the Nazis surrendered, and went into Belsen after the war ended. When he returned to Haywards Heath after “six long years”, he met Edith, a post office counter worker who in 1950 would become his wife. The pair had two children, Gillian and Graham, and Ralph became a higher-grade postman.

Edith died in 1993 and four years later Ralph moved, with Gillian and her husband Tony, to Llandysul, west Wales.

He is now great-grandfather to Robin, aged three, and credits his family’s good care with his longevity.

Ralph has called on Benenden for help a couple of times – including cataract surgery. “I was treated extremely well,” he says. “It’s worth sticking with it as you never know when you might need help.”

What does he think about being Benenden’s longestserving member? “That’s just the way it turned out,” he says.

Being Benenden’s longest-serving member is just the way it turned out 28 Be Healthy Winter 2017

Ralph with his “pride and joy” retirement purchase

Six more long serving members NORMAN FEAKINS, 90, JOINED BENENDEN IN 1941

2

“I joined the General Post Office aged 14, at Gravesend, Kent, and was in the navy during the war. My wife, my son and his wife have all been members. I’ve had prostate operations at Benenden Hospital and my wife has had cataract operations there. I’ve enjoyed first-class services from dedicated staff.”

GEORGE HASLAM, 94, JOINED IN 1941

3

“I became a telegraphist at the Central Telegraph Office at 16. I joined Benenden and have continuously remained a member. My wife was also a member from 1948 until she passed away in 2011. Benenden treated me in 1984 and 1990, and the service was excellent. Knowing Benenden is there for my future health needs is a real plus.”

ANTHONY GUMMETT, 90, JOINED IN 1943

4 Ralph married Edith in 1950 and honeymooned in Hastings

“I was a telegraphist in the General Post Office and joined as, until the introduction of the NHS in 1948, civil servants had no health insurance. I have been a member ever since but have never had to call on Benenden’s services, the NHS so far having provided all my health needs.”

DAVID WILTSHIRE, 89, JOINED IN 1944

5

“I have been a member since shortly after starting at the Telephone Service, aged 16. My mother was a dependant member and when she died in 1990 I forgot to tell Benenden so I was pleased to receive a refund on the subscription. I have only used Benenden (the GP advice line) twice in recent years.”

RON MGILL, 86, JOINED IN 1945

6

“I worked at the Hammersmith Post Office and later became an artist. I attribute my good health to golf and porridge with blueberries. Many friends have benefited from Benenden and after damaging my shoulder (2011-2012) I found the service to be extremely efficient.

I’ll always be a loyal member.”

BARBARA MASON, 92, JOINED IN 1945

7

“My husband, Stanley, was introduced to Benenden when he joined the Civil Service in the 1930s. My granddaughter was able to get an MRI scan and rapid local surgery through Benenden when the NHS was unable to help quickly enough.” www.benenden.co.uk 29

LIFESTYLE

Eight ways to beat the

winter blues Many of us feel like hibernating in the darkest months but there are ways to counteract the effect reduced exposure to natural light can have on our mood WORDS DR STUART FARRIMOND

30 Be Healthy Winter 2017

CREDIT IN 3MM BOX ALIGNED BOTTOM

T

he nights are getting longer and soon the golden-brown hues of autumn will make way for sugar-covered winter landscapes, rejuvenating icy air, and the beautiful glitter of morning dew. The changing seasons don’t delight everyone, however.

At least one in 15 Britons suffers wintertime ‘seasonal affective disorder’ (SAD) – a form of depression triggered by lack of sunlight. Also called the ‘winter blues’, South African psychiatrist Dr Norman Rosenthal first described the condition in the 1980s after suffering seasonal sadness following a move to New York. He says the symptoms of SAD are “feeling slow, having less energy, excessive eating and sleeping, struggling to concentrate, withdrawing from family and friends, and feeling sad”.

Haters of cold weather should take heart however, because there are many ways to prevent slipping into a wintery slump.

How to keep you smiling all the way to spring

ILLUMINATE YOUR INTERIOR DECOR

CONSIDER A LIGHT BOX

SPEND TIME WITH OTHERS

KEEP FIT AND STAY ACTIVE

All forms of light and brightness help fight off the winter blues, says Dr Rosenthal, who has treated more than 1,000 SAD patients.

“Bring more lamps into the room,” he adds, “and concentrate light in one room to cut energy bills.”

Go for LED lights, which tend to be brighter than conventional bulbs, give off a more ‘natural’ spectrum of light and use 90% less energy.

White walls and brightly coloured cushions can also deliver subtle mood-boosting effects.

For some people, ‘light therapy’ can cure a winter funk. “The amount of light you need to treat SAD is more than you can get on a winter’s day,” says Dr Rosenthal.

‘Light boxes’, which emit wavelengths of light similar to natural light are widely available, and Dr Rosenthal recommends models that are at least 30 x 60cm and are tried-andtested ‘white light’ therapy boxes rather than newer ‘blue light’ versions.

An inital dose that is typically recommended is half an hour in the morning.

Social interaction is a well-known protector against all forms of depression, lowering blood pressure and levels of stress hormones.

January can be tough – the parties are over, the family has left, and the next bank holiday isn’t until the spring – but making the effort to spend time with others is still well worth doing.

Even better, volunteering or giving your time to help others has proven benefits to overall mental wellbeing, particularly in elderly people.

Exercise can have mood-lifting effects that are as good as taking antidepressant medication.

SAD expert Dr Shanthi Mogali, of Mountainside Treatment Center in Connecticut, USA, says that “feelings of low selfconfidence and unhappiness can arise when people are more sedentary, which can happen during the winter.

“People should find ways to stay active to benefit from the natural endorphins released through physical fitness.”

TAKE CARE WITH CARBS AND SUGAR

GET OUTSIDE

DO SOME EARLY SPRING CLEANING

SEEK HELP

SHUTTERSTOCK

CREDIT IN 3MM BOX ALIGNED TOP

1

The brain is a 5 glucose-hungry organ and people with SAD often find themselves reaching for the biscuit tin.

But eat lots of get-upand-go carbohydrates and a slump soon follows.

“The burst of energy doesn’t last long,” says Dr Rosenthal, “and can lead to weight gain that is hard to lose.”

But do eat lots of oily fish and take extra vitamin D – the ‘sunshine vitamin’.

2

When the mercury 6 drops, going outside to brave the icy air sinks to the bottom of the priority list.

But it’s time to pop on your woollies because few things beat natural light – even on a cloudy day.

“Exposure to natural light is key – get outside during the lunch hour, even if it is just to walk around the block,” says Dr Ryan Tobiasz, of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

3

Light-sensitive cells 7 at the back of the eyes have connections to the body’s internal clock, at the front of the brain.

The body clock may be disrupted in winter, contributing to SAD, so trim the hedges and clean the windows to maximise how much natural light makes it into the home.

Dirty glass will stop 20% of the energising light that would otherwise enter the room.

4

Don’t suffer SAD alone, says Dr Mogali.

“It is important that if you are experiencing serious depression then speak to someone as quickly as possible – particularly a healthcare or psychiatric professional,” she adds.

Antidepressants and ‘talking therapies’, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), can help.

Dr Rosenthal says that come spring, it is often possible to cut back on medication.

8

www.benenden.co.uk 31

INSIDE STORY

‘I believe in evolution not revolution’ David Furniss took the helm of Benenden’s board in the summer. Here, he shares his vision for the society’s future

‘I

WORDS SIÂN PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHS JAMES CLARKE

am a family man who knows the importance of good healthcare at all levels,” says David Furniss, Benenden’s new chairman. “My father is still alive at 87, I am 56, my daughter is 26 and my grandson is coming up to ten months, so I know the importance of both having the NHS there to help and, when it can’t, having Benenden to support you.”

David is a chartered insurer and has been in the mutual financial services sector since 1983. For the last 31 years he has worked specifically in the friendly society or mutual sector. He was general manager at British Medical Association (BMA) Services, overseeing healthcare and financial services for BMA members, and then chief executive of Teachers Assurance, the National Union of Teachers’ financial services company.

In March 2017 David joined Benenden with a short-term role in mind, but he soon found the organisation had got under his skin. “The quality of the members, the staff, the board of directors and the branches made me realise just what a wonderful organisation it is,” he says.

“I realised I wanted to have a long-term relationship with Benenden because I believe my business skills and financial services experience will help it achieve what is Benenden’s right. I am new chairman passionate about mutuality,

about providing good healthcare and about what Benenden can do.”

Following governance changes, which were introduced after detailed consultation with the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and voted in at the Birmingham conference in June, the position of chairman became a role that an independent non-member could take up.

Now in that post, David is the first chairman of the organisation not to have been active in branch membership. This does not mean any loss of the heritage and history of the organisation, he says. “It is rather about strengthening the decisionmaking body that enables us to make better decisions, and make the organisation stronger and fitter for the future.”

David emphasises that his focus remains on the core product – discretionary healthcare, not diversification into unrelated areas. “My role is to be forward looking and to set the strategic agenda for the organisation.” This means having a three to five-year business blueprint with yearly operating plans that will spell out the growth that the organisation is looking for. He adds: “It’s effectively making sure that you have the right marketable core products, effective distribution, strong control over expenses and customerfocused claims management, all underpinned by a caring mutual ethos.

“Commercially, we need to ensure that our finances, including our

David Furniss at Benenden’s outstanding hospital in Kent income and expenditure and balance sheet, remain strong. In other words, to make a small operating surplus, to continue to add value to the services for our members and to grow the financial strength of the organisation to ensure it is resilient now and in the future.”

He says his role is to ensure discretionary healthcare is accessible in a transparent and fair way. He also wants to ensure members’ money is used wisely: “In 2016 member and nominee subscriptions amounted to £89m. We want as much of that as possible to go into providing discretionary healthcare, whether it’s diagnostics or treatment – and being as efficient as possible in terms of running Benenden.”

I am passionate about mutuality and providing good healthcare

My role is to be forward looking and to set the strategic agenda for the organisation

THREE THINGS DAVID LOVES

1 2 3

LIVERPOOL FC His team since he was a boy, born near the city’s Anfield stadium HIS WIFE, MANDY He and his childhood sweetheart have been married for 32 years and have two children together – as well as their grandson, Arlo, who was born in January 2017 WALKING DALMATIANS MACK AND MYLA He often treks the Devon countryside on three or four-hour walks (when he’s not working)

How can he explain the upcoming rise in the monthly contribution? “The increase from £9.10 to £10.25 [as agreed at the conference to take effect from next April] is the expected lifetime cost of the benefits and expenses. In other words, it is actuarially modelled to ensure that the cost of the subscription is in line with the current and expected future level of claims we are paying out. If actual claim levels drop, the subscription levels could then be lowered accordingly,” he says.

“In 2016, we offered our diagnostics, physiotherapy, psychology and counselling services 48,807 times. We ensured that 22,203 members received the treatment, the private treatment, they actually needed.

That is a very significant proportion of our 850,000 membership on an annual basis. So the £10.25 is to make sure there is sustainability of the treatment services we offer.”

So, will anyone notice any difference under David’s chairmanship? “I would hope

not,” he says. “My objective is to leave the organisation in a better state than I found it, but I regard it as evolution not revolution. I found Benenden in an extremely good financial position. It’s got a strong balance sheet and it has a unique core product.”

He admits there has been some “attrition” (loss of members) in recent years, which he says is largely due to the age of the membership.

“To maintain the financial strength, the surplus and all the facilities – and to provide them to a greater number of people – we now need to grow the membership. If we don’t do this, we will actually have less ability to provide the services to members – or we’d have to increase the membership fees significantly.”

He concludes that the growth will take into account what is special about the organisation. “I am excited about taking Benenden forward to the next stage. The history goes back to 1905, but there is a history still to be written to make sure we support people at a time when care is becoming much more scarce due to financial pressures on the NHS and the stretch on its resources. It is why we were here in 1905 and why we’re here today to do exactly that for our members, now and in the future.” www.benenden.co.uk 33

don’t wait to talk about it There’s a peace of mind and a confi dence that comes from having experienced most of what life has to throw at you. But some things are still hard to talk about and the symptoms of the menopause can be one of them.

Benenden Hospital is proud to be one of the fi rst hospitals in the UK to introduce the MonaLisa Touch®, a scientifically proven laser therapy for vaginal health.

Call us on 01580 230 420 benendenhospital.org.uk The Benenden Hospital Trust is a company limited by guarantee Registered in England, number 3454120. Registered charity number 1065995, Registered office, The Benenden Hospital Trust, Goddard’s Green Road, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4AX MonaLisa Touch® is a registered trademark of DEKA M.E.L.A. srl – Calenzano - Italy.

MonaLisa Touch® is a quick, hormone-free procedure that helps women reclaim their quality of life and enjoy personal relationships more fully.

MonaLisa Touch® treatment is not covered

by Benenden membership, however, members can self-fund this treatment and receive a 10% discount.

YourBenenden i ] Get more from your membership

Be part of the action Make your voice heard by getting involved with branch meetings and research At the annual conference in June a number of changes to our rulebook were proposed.

All those related to governance were passed and subsequently approved by our regulators.

As a member, you were represented at the conference by delegates from your branch.

When you joined Benenden you were allocated a branch, which means you are welcome to attend meetings and get to know your fellow members.

It’s a good way to learn more about Benenden and, if you so choose, to share your views and opinions on the society.

Benenden is a membership organisation and we are always interested to hear our members’ views. In addition to attending branch meetings, many members can also have their say when they are invited to get involved in one of Benenden’s research projects.

Did you know that we carry out regular research to gather feedback from members? We are always keen to

learn about members’ experiences of our health and wellbeing services, how well they feel we communicate and how we can help members to improve their own health and wellbeing.

As well as showing where the society is performing well, Benenden’s research programme has led to improvements in our healthcare services and overall member experience. Recent examples include enhancements to the Benenden website, which now allows you to manage your membership online more easily.

We have also used member feedback to simplify information on what our benefits cover and how those benefits can be accessed.

We would like to thank everyone who has participated in this research over the years – your opinions are much valued.

Until next time.

René Fraioli Society secretary thesecretary@benenden.co.uk

Membership

Look out, it’s coming Save the date for upcoming branch events Each year we send information to every member about how you can play a part in Benenden’s democracy.

These letters include the dates of branch meetings, so do look out for yours – the invitations will start arriving

from mid-November. Your invitation may come through your letterbox, into your email inbox* or with the next edition of Be Healthy that will be out early in the New Year.

If you are curious and can’t wait to discover what speakers your branch may

have booked, or want to put the dates in your diary, just log on to My Benenden at my.benenden.co.uk and go to My branch.

As soon as we receive your branch’s programme for 2018 we will upload it for you to read. * If you would like to receive your invitation by email it isn’t too late

Look out for invitations to Benenden events

to register to do so. Log on to My Benenden at my.benenden. co.uk and go to My account to change your permissions and preferences.

www.benenden.co.uk 35

YOUR BENENDEN

In focus: Benenden’s mental health support How to access our Psychological Wellbeing Helpline and Treatment services From day one as a Benenden member, you can access support for mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, bereavement or stress, via our 24-hour psychological wellbeing helpline.

Treatment services are available after six months’ membership and following a GP referral.

HELPLINE SERVICE How can I access this?

Have your Benenden membership number to hand and call 0800 414 8247 (or +44 800 414 8247 from abroad), to speak to a qualified therapist at any time. Benenden works with Insight Healthcare to provide the helpline.

What happens when I call the helpline?

During a call, the therapist will listen to your concerns and offer advice to help you to decide what to do next. That might be providing information about local UK services that can help, signposting you back to

36 Be Healthy Winter 2017

the NHS via your GP or providing mental health support via our treatment services (see below).

TREATMENT SERVICES How do I access mental health treatment via Benenden?

Once you have been a member for six months, you can access treatment such as counselling.

Visit your GP and, if they recommend further support, you will need to seek referral on to the NHS. Find out the waiting time for a therapist appointment as you will be asked about your NHS referral and wait time when applying for assistance through the Benenden service. If your GP referral deems you require further treatment and if you feel the NHS wait is too long

there is a range of interventions available. Some will be shortterm mental health support until an NHS appointment becomes available.

What number should I call for treatment?

To discuss options contact Benenden’s Member Services team on 0800 414 8100, who will then refer you to Insight Healthcare to determine and arrange appropriate support, if this is deemed appropriate.

Anything else I should note?

Treatment is not available to members who have not been referred by a GP and are not on an NHS waiting list. The service is unable to provide support for long-term or severe mental health conditions for which on-going support is required.

Member’s experience: “I’ve found the phoneline invaluable. If I needed any support in the future, the first place I’d ring would be the Benenden helpline”

BENENDEN GRANT FOR FILM ON CYSTIC FIBROSIS TEST A Benenden community grant has paid for a film to inform patients who may need a test for cystic fibrosis so that they and their families know what to expect. The film shows what happens during a sweat test, and was produced by the Edinburgh-based charity What? Why? Children in Hospital.

Watch the film: www.wwcih. org.uk/sweat-test

BOOST FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS The Port Edgar Dragons, a Scottish dragon boat team set up for breast cancer survivors, has received a Benenden community grant to buy equipment.

Repetitive upper body exercise – such as dragon boating – can offer benefits in the treatment of lymphoedema, a debilitating side-effect of breast cancer treatment.

Website: www. portedgardragons.co.uk

In partnership with

Get up to 22% off a Fitbit* NEW exclusive member reward

At Benenden we don’t just help look after you when you’re unwell, we love keeping you in good health too.

That’s why as a big thank you to our members, Fitbit are pleased to offer all Benenden members a saving of up to 22%* on selected activity trackers.

Fitbit devices track every part of your day—including activity, exercise, food, weight and sleep—to help you get fit, stay motivated, and see how small steps make a big impact.

View the Fitbits on offer by logging into your My Benenden account www.benenden.co.uk/fitbit Not yet registered with My Benenden?

Register today at www.benenden.co.uk/mybenenden it’s free and quick to do, all you need is your membership number and personal details to hand. There you will be able to manage your account and view all of our exclusive member rewards and discounts from partners including: Halfords, James Villa Holidays, Alton Towers, Virgin Experience Days, Airport Parking & Hotels and many more. *Offer is an online exclusive and cannot be redeemed in store. Discount is a % of RRP and varies depending on product chosen. Discount is automatically applied and is inclusive of VAT. Postage and packaging not included.

Note that all transactions you make are not with Benenden, but with the individual retailer. Benenden will not be liable to you for any costs, charges or losses sustained or incurred by you which arise either: directly or indirectly from your use of the My Benenden site; or your contractual relationship with your chosen supplier. All offers are subject to promotional availability and are subject to change at any time. All offers are subject to individual partner terms and conditions.

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Lluchmayor

sample hotels

• Miniature Park: (admission included): Cyprus‘ 15 most important highlights in miniature format Northern Cyprus • Artisanal tradition: in a jewellery and leather factory • Kyrenia: a gorgeous coastal town with an old harbour, an impressive fortress (admission included) & historic shipwreck now housing a museum (admission included) Golden Beach

Salamis

Bellapais

Nicosia

Famagusta

Ercan

Your SAVING per person

£800

1

As a reader of BE HEALTHY, you benefit from extremely attractive special rates for optional extras: Gourmet package: This package includes half-board, i.e. sumptuous buffet every evening with international specialties: only £99 per person instead of £1291.

We recommend securing your gourmet package when you arrive. The individual hotels on the tours are located in idyllic natural settings and therefore a little outside the towns.

Single room surcharge: £199 per person (subject to availability)

November '17

November '17

December '17

January '18

February '18

February '18

March '18

March '18

April '18

May '18

(4 – 11.11)

(18 – 25.11)

(2 – 16.12)#

(20 – 27.1)

(3 – 10.2)#

(17 – 24.2)#

(3 – 10.3)

(17 – 31.3)#

(7 – 21.4)#

(5 – 26.5)#

£110

£60

£0

£40

£60

£90

£110

£130

£160

£180

All-in rate! Special rate for you as a reader of BE HEALTHY from only Airports Airport fees p. p.

Departure day

Palma

Mallorca

Birmingham £30 Sat

149

£

London-Gatwick £30 Sat

A visa is not required for entering Northern Cyprus. On arrival at the border, a 90-day visa is automatically issued free of charge. A valid passport or personal ID card is required and must be valid for the entire duration of your stay. You are recommended to ensure that your personal ID card or passport is valid for another 6 months after entry. Additional information available at: http://mfa.gov.ct.tr/consular-info/visa-regulations/ * A deposit of 20% of the tour price is payable upon receipt of written booking confirmation. The remaining amount must be paid 80 days before departure. The price applies from 2 to 16 December 2017 from Manchester. For other travel periods, seasonal price increases apply as listed in the flight schedule. # Holiday price increase p.p.: £49. This tour is exclusively available for individual travellers and is valid only for the booker plus accompanying adults. The travel conditions of RSD Travel Limited apply.

These can be requested from the travel hotline or viewed at www.rsd-travel.co.uk. Subject to misprints and changes. The photos show typical examples of what you can expect from our hotels. This trip requires a minimum number of 15 participants per travel date.

1 Price example was calculated on 6 June 2017 for the travel dates 16 December to 23 December 2017. Flight from Manchester to Ercan and Ercan to Manchester on wwwexpedia.co.uk, transfers airport – hotel – airport on www.holidaytransfers.com, Grecian Bay and Hilton Park Nicosia on www.booking.com, coach tour on www. nbktouristic.com, excursions on www.explorecyprus.com and www.visitnorthcyprus.com. The comparative price for the Culture and Dinner package is based on the standard prices of our Turkish partner (www.nbktouristic.com).

2 RSD Travel Ltd. and RSD Reise Service Deutschland GmbH belong to a European group of tour operators that organises tours for customers from a number of European countries. The survey focused on tourists who travelled with RSD in 2016.

The air holidays shown are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in this brochure are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay, you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ ATOLCertificate. Our ATOL number is 10396. Please see our terms and conditions for more information.

* per person

instead of £949

1

Manchester £0 Sat

Your reservation code! HEALTH8735

0800 323 4891

Call now, absolutely free, to secure your preferred travel dates.

The hotline is open Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tour operator: RSD Travel Ltd., Regent's Place, 338 Euston Road, London, NW1 3BT, United Kingdom, Registered No. 07507940 (England & Wales).

Checked by us for you!

Customer satisfaction

«

Flight Dates

INCLUDING

50 km

Kyrenia

• Nicosia: the last divided capital in Europe with an Ottoman caravanserai (admission included) and the impressive Selimiye Mosque (admission included) • St. Andrew’s Monastery (admission included): one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations on the island • Golden Beach: probably the most beautiful beach in Cyprus • Agios Afksentios Church (admission included): this venerable church was restored by an EU cultural project.

• Ancient Salamis (admission included): excavation site of an ancient Roman town including the historical ruins of the gymnasium and thermal baths • St. Barnabas’ Monastery (admission included): apostle, martyr and Cyprian national saint.

• Craftsmanship: in a traditional carpet-weaving factory.

• Famagusta: picturesque harbour town • St. Nicholas’ Cathedral (admission included): now known as the Lala Mustafa Pascha Mosque, one of the most outstanding Gothic buildings in Cyprus.

• Bellapais‘ Monastery (admission included): a masterpiece of Gothic architecture with its breath-taking location in the Pentadaktylos Mountains affording a fabulous view of Kyrenia.

£149*

0

Karpaz

Including a spectacular range of excursions:

1

Your special rate per person from only

INCLUDING

INCLUDING

Reliability | Hospitality | Expertise Interview with 72,426 people conducted

by RSD Travel Ltd./RSD 2, in 06/2016

Overall score: A-

YOUR BENENDEN

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How to request our diagnostic and treatment services As a valued member we want to make the process of requesting help as convenient as possible. All it takes is five simple steps: STEP 1: CHECK ELIGIBILITY To access our diagnostic and treatment services you must have been a member of Benenden for more than six months.

STEP 2: SEE YOUR GP You must visit your GP who will determine what type of consultant you need to see or what type of diagnostic test or treatment is required.

Your GP should then make an active referral under the NHS for the consultation or treatment you require. Remember also to ask your GP what the referral waiting time is, as this is necessary before you can request treatment via Benenden.

STEP 3: CALL MEMBER SERVICES Next, contact our Member Services department on 0800 414 8100 to discuss your diagnostic or treatment requirements.

For the call, you will need: l your Benenden membership number l details of your condition and the service you require l the NHS wait time for an appointment

STEP 4: AUTHORISATION If your wait on the NHS is more than three weeks for a diagnostic consultation OR five weeks to receive treatment, our adviser will be able to consider authorising your request for services. Consideration is also given to the impact of your symptoms or condition on your quality of life.

STEP 5: APPOINTMENT Where we are able to authorise your request, you will be provided with a letter of authorisation to make your appointment at the appropriate clinic or hospital.

For diagnostic consultation, you can access a wide network of hospitals across the UK. If you live within the area covered by Benenden Hospital, you would normally attend this facility for diagnosis. For treatment, you will be required to visit one of our 22 approved private hospitals – for a full list, visit www.benenden.co.uk/hospitals

NEED MORE INFORMATION? You can view a more detailed version of this step-by-step guide on our website at www.benenden. co.uk/health/cover/ healthcare/requestour-services/

www.benenden.co.uk 39

The beat goes on

We need to continue the complicated debate on assisted dying

W

Backchat Dr Phil Hammond ILLUSTRATION CHRIS MADDEN

40 Be Healthy Winter 2017

e’re all going to die, but sadly not all quickly or with dignity. The provision of good palliative care in the UK is patchy, but even with the best care some deaths are protracted and distressing. My stepfather, Stan, died from pancreatic cancer two years ago. He had a hospital bed at home and great care from my mum, the district nurses, his carers and the GP, palliative care and out-of-hours teams. He had a pump with diamorphine and midazolam, and was not in any distress. Stan had the best death he legally could – but it took eight weeks.

After it became too painful for Stan to eat, he lived for two

months without food, including a fortnight without fluid. He was a tough builder who just went on and on, losing so much weight he became a shell of the man we wanted to remember.

Stan did not want us to see him like that and wanted to die sooner. Had it been legal to do so, I would kindly have assisted his death a few months earlier.

The arguments for assisted dying are very emotive. Why do we prolong the suffering of dying patients of sound mind who wish to die? The high court has repeatedly made it clear that any change in the law would have to come from parliament and there are current ‘right to die’ challenges, both from people who are

terminally ill and those who may have another 10 years to live with a very unpleasant illness. Omid T has multiple system atrophy, which has left him confined to bed with a urinary catheter and needing help with all his personal care.

He wants to die, and has been judged as not depressed and competent to make that choice.

He risks months or years of suffering and an unpleasant, undignified death – the thought of which causes him huge distress. And he gains no joy, value or purpose from his life.

Some people believe doctors should never wilfully assist the end of a life, but we already do so by withdrawing treatment when we believe the outcome to be futile. The question is whether we should be legally allowed to give drugs to end a life – as they do in some other countries – rather than just to relieve suffering. Any such law must also protect those with incurable diseases who wish to fight for every last breath. I know of one extraordinary man with motor neurone disease whose entire day consists of getting dressed and undressed.

Every day is nearly identical, and for many would be a living hell. But not for him. He refuses to give in to his illness.

My worry would be a change in the law might make people who are dying or who have life-limiting illnesses and do not want an assisted death feel more vulnerable, as if they should be opting for the quicker, cheaper option. It’s a complicated debate but I’m glad we keep having it.

You can follow Omid’s case at www.crowdjustice.com/case/ dignified-death

OPINIONS ARE WRITER’S OWN AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF BENENDEN

Why prolong the suffering of dying patients of sound mind who wish to die?

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You love them a lot Show them you care, for only a little Personal Healthcare

You can add anyone to your Benenden Personal Healthcare for only £9.10 per person per month You’ve already done a great thing for your family by joining Benenden Personal Healthcare. It can help reduce stress and anxiety if you become ill by providing reassurance, medical advice and care. Why not go one step further and add your family to your membership too, so they can also enjoy the healthcare benefits of being a Benenden member.

Share your healthcare with your family today! They could also benefit from a variety of advice lines that are available from day one, to diagnosis and treatment that are offered on a discretionary basis and they can request after just six months!

Healthcare for those you love For only an additional £9.10 per person per month No age limit, no medicals, no excess 24/7 GP Advice & 24/7 Psychological Wellbeing Helpline available immediately Diagnosis, treatment and physiotherapy within a network of private hospitals and clinics (exclusions apply)

Your member offers Get an M&S Gift Card for everyone you add† £10 M&S Gift card for adding one person £25 M&S Gift card for adding two £40 M&S Gift card for adding three

Your chance to win 1 of 5 Fitbit activity trackers Add a family member before 31st January 2018, quoting BENOCT17 and you will be automatically entered into our free prize draw!

T&Cs apply. Please visit www.benenden.co.uk/fitbitdraw or call for full T&Cs. Closing date is on the 31st January 2018. There are 4 other ways to enter. Please see pages 2, 15, address cover and inside front page to find out more.

Find out more today www.benenden.co.uk/benoct17

0800 414 8053 and quote BENOCT17

†£10 M&S gift card for the first family member and £15 M&S gift card for each family member thereafter, when added to an existing membership at the same time, quoting BENOCT17 at the point of join. To qualify for the incentive, applications must be received between 2nd October 2017 and 15th December 2017 and all new members must remain with Benenden beyond the 14 day cooling off period. Gift cards will be sent via post within 52 days of the new member joining. You must be a current member at the point gift cards are sent. Gift cards offer applies to people included in this promotional mailing. Offer subject to availability. No alternative to this promotion will be offered.

Please note that your call may be recorded for our mutual security and also for training and quality purposes. Lines are open 8am - 5pm, Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays). Membership is available to anyone over the age of 16 who is normally resident in the UK. Members can add family and friends to their membership regardless of their age.

Benenden is a trading name of The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited and its subsidiaries.

The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited is an incorporated Friendly Society, registered under the Friendly Societies Act 1992, registered number 480F. The Society’s contractual business (the provision of tuberculosis benefit) is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, FRN 205351. Verify our registration at register.fca.org.uk. The remainder of the Society’s business is undertaken on a discretionary basis.

Registered Office: The Benenden Healthcare Society Limited, Holgate Park Drive, York, YO26 4GG. No personal recommendation has been given on the suitability of this product, if in doubt you should seek independent advice.