It's Mental Health Awareness Week 

21 September – 27 September.  
Mental Health Awareness Week is run each year by the Mental Health Foundation and it's more timely than ever. This year's theme is Reimagine Wellbeing Together – He Tirohanga Anamata.  It’s time to reflect on how we can all improve our mental health.

The five ways to wellbeing guide

Five Ways to Wellbeing is a set of five simple, evidence-based actions which can improve wellbeing in everyday life. 

Background
​
The Five Ways to Wellbeing was introduced to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2009 as part of Mental Health Awareness Week, building on work done by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) for the UK Government. 
​
This paper aims to develop confidence in organisations and workers that their communication of the messages is supported by best practice, built upon good understanding of the evidence and reflects a consistent national approach. The Mental Health Foundation has commissioned a review of how the Five Ways to Wellbeing has been implemented in Aotearoa since 2009. Further information and practical tips on how to use the Five Ways is available on the website. ​

Prevent the spread of cold and flu with regular hand washing
 
In the mid 19th Century Ignaz Semmelweis and Florence Nightingale pioneered hand washing as prevention against the spread of infection.  This simple practice revolutionised health care and public health.  It is  still as important today as it was then.
 
Hand washing is the most effective means of preventing the spread of infection, including winter colds, and flu.  
 
Hand washing needs to be done before:

• eating or preparing food

 
and after:

• sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose or a child’s.
• gardening or playing outside
• contact with animals
• going to the toilet or changing nappies
• looking after sick people

 
Hand washing is not just putting a little soap on your hands and running them under the tap.  It requires soap that froths, cleaning all the surfaces of the hands for at least 20 seconds.
 
The following 7 steps for good hand washing are: 

Step 1:           Turn on taps; adjust water temperature to desired heat.
Step 2:            Wet hands under running water.
Step 3:            Apply soap to palm of hand (use a soap that froths up well)
Step 4:            Ensure contact of soap with all surfaces for at least 20 seconds, refer to the
                        following:

​                           a)  Palm to palm                 b) Right palm over left back                 c) Palm to palm fingers
                                                                                   of hand and vice versa                           interlaced.                                        

                               d) Backs of fingers to        e)  Rotational rubbing of            f) Rotational rubbing, backwards and
                                         opposing palms with          right thumb clasped                   forwards with clasped fingers of right
                                         fingers interlocked.             in left palm and vice                   hand in left palm and vice versa.  
                                                                                        versa.

Step 5:           Rinse hands thoroughly for about 20 seconds, as long as it takes to sing Happy
                        Birthday through twice.
Step 6:           Dry hands thoroughly with clean towel or paper towel.
Step 7:           Where possible turn taps off with elbows or paper towel (avoid hand contact with
                        taps and door handles).
 
NB      Any broken skin areas should be covered with a dressing.            
 
 
Hand washing technique
(Aycliffe et al, 1978, Lawrence 1985)

“The Origins of You: how childhood shapes later life”

New book examines how childhood shapes later life.

Jim Mora’s interview of Richie Poulson, one of the researchers of the longitudinal Dunedin study on human development and author of: The origins of you: How childhood shapes later life.

To listen to interview click here

It is very interesting and we recommend you listen to it

Are you losing your mobility?

As we age most of us want to keep our independence, this requires us to be mobile. The ability to get up and about with ease is essential for everyday life.
 
How might you know if you are in danger of losing your mobility?  To help, here are some early signs of immobility.  They include:

• being unsteady on your feet
• difficulty getting up and down stairs
• avoiding stairs
• avoiding doing any exercise
• reluctant to go out
• a decline in housekeeping
• a drop in personal grooming and hygiene
• difficulty getting out of a chair
• falls

 
There are many reasons why immobility may happen as we age, some common ones are:

• an underlying health condition or disability causing an abrupt or gradual decline eg Arthritis, Stroke, Parkinsons Disease, dementia

 

• being less active over time and losing our strength and balance

 

• being bedridden after a short illness or operation 

 

• a fear of falling

 

• low armchairs and seats which are hard to get out of

 

• uncomfortable or unsupportive footwear

 

• long toenails, corns, ingrown toenails and other foot problems

 

• loneliness, depression and anxiety

 

• alcohol consumption

 

• being overweight or malnourished

The good news is in most cases we can improve our mobility by dealing with the underlying problem and doing regular strength and balance exercises. The sooner we start the better off we will be.
 
Regardless of our age, regular exercise keeps us fit and makes us feel better. Being physically active strengthens the heart and lungs while supplying increased oxygen to the body.  This nourishes and strengthens muscles and joints making them work more efficiently. The spin-off is you have greater mobility, feel more energetic, look better and possibly have more fun.
 
If you or someone you know is showing signs of immobility our friendly Physiotherapists can help just contact us at Therapy Professionals.
 
Ph:                              03 377 5280
Email:                        [email protected]