Looking after your health and wellbeing over winter

Winter can be a wonderful time, and our beautiful county still has lots to offer both indoors and outdoors during the colder months. It’s also a season that can pose some added challenges to our health and wellbeing as the temperatures drop – from extra bugs doing the rounds, to more slip and fall risks, difficulty staying warm at home, and impacts to our mood. Over winter it’s especially important we look after ourselves and those around us to help stay as well as we can. It’s also important to know what help and support is out there when we do need it, as there’s lots of places you can turn to.

With that in mind, here are some top tips to help you keep as well as possible in mind, body, and spirit over the winter, and where you can get extra support for your health and wellbeing.

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‘Find your little big thing’ to improve your mental health

The NHS Every Mind Matters campaign is encouraging everyone to ‘find your little big thing’ for your mental health.

These are the little things that you can do every day that make a big difference to your mental health, like a walk, talking to someone you trust, getting close to nature, reducing screen time, or managing your thoughts and feelings with the help of CBT

The Every Mind Matters website has lots of NHS-approved tips and advice to help you ‘find your little big thing’. You can also get a free, personalised Mind Plan – a mental health action plan that provides practical tips to help you deal with anxiety and stress, boost your mood, sleep better, and feel more in control. Why not get yours today:

Visit Every Mind Matters.

Get connected to volunteering roles with the Tribe app

Are you interested in volunteering but not sure where to start? A new app to help you find volunteering roles has been launched by East Sussex County Council.

You can use the new Tribe app to connect to volunteering roles with local organisations and their volunteering opportunities. Voluntary organisations will be able to use Tribe to manage and schedule volunteer tasks, and to find new local volunteers.

There are lots of volunteer opportunities already up on the app, including roles with the arts, gardening, supporting refugees and with charities helping people experiencing food poverty. The roles are regularly updated, and you can choose to work in a way that suits your lifestyle, location and skill.

Find out more and get the app.

Getting to know your healthcare professionals at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has recently been raising awareness of two important, but perhaps lesser known, healthcare roles within their organisation. To celebrate Pharmacy Technicians Day and Physician Associates Week, you can hear from the Trust about both fascinating and vital roles, and from staff working in the roles themselves.

Pharmacy Technicians are key members of the pharmacy team and play a crucial role in helping people understand their medicines. Read all about them here.

Physician Associates work alongside doctors and nurses to provide medical care as an integral part of a multidisciplinary team, under the supervision of a consultant. Read all about them here.

‘Find your little big thing’ for your mental health

Every Mind Matters has launched a new campaign that encourages and helps us to ‘find your little big thing’ – these are the little things we can do, which can make a big difference to our mental health

Making time for your mental wellbeing is important – and embedding these little things as part of your routine can help you feel better and more in control.

These little things can include:

    • Getting physically active – like taking a walk
    • Managing your thoughts and feelings with the help of CBT
    • Talking to someone you trust
    • Getting the most from your sleep – like avoiding screen-time an hour before bed or getting out of bed and doing something simple until you feel tired again
    • Getting closer to nature
    • Planning something nice to look forward to.

The Every Mind Matters website has lots of NHS-approved tips and advice to help you ‘find your little big thing’. You can also get a free, personalised Mind Plan – a mental health action plan that provides practical tips to help you deal with anxiety and stress, boost your mood, sleep better, and feel more in control:

Every Mind Matters – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

New Sussex Cancer Centre – share your thoughts 

Plans for a new £155m Sussex Cancer Centre in Brighton are being showcased this month. 

A public exhibition is taking place at Royal Sussex County Hospital main entrance until 5 November, and you can ask questions during an online presentation on 23 October, 6-8pm. 

To support a planning application, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust wishes to engage with patients and public, as well as colleagues and organisations involved in the provision of cancer care and related services. 

To share your thoughts or find out more, please visit www.bdp.com/sussexcancercentre. The closing date for the consultation questionnaire is Sunday 5 November.  

 

Have your say on East Sussex County Council’s ‘Support with Confidence’ scheme

East Sussex County Council would like to know what people think about the plans to close the current Support with Confidence scheme and provide support in another way.

Support with Confidence accredits personal assistants and other care and support providers across East Sussex. The scheme is used by the public, adult social care teams and support organisations to find accredited support providers and services for clients.

If you’d like to take part, you can do so online: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/swcfuture

You can also get in touch with the Support with Confidence team if you have a question about the consultation or to share your feedback:

Please also contact the Support with Confidence team if you’d like a paper copy or easy read version of the survey.

The closing date for the consultation is 5 December 2023

Background to the consultation:

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Help is on hand to navigate community health and social care

Health and Social Care Connect (HSCC) is the front door to adult community health and social care services in East Sussex. With a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, the service can help connect people to local health and social care information and community support. It’s also a central point for local health and care professionals to make referrals to community health and social care services.

As of September, it’s been seven years since Health and Social Care Connect became a fully integrated service. To mark the anniversary, we’re bringing you an update on how the team continues to help thousands of people in the county every month, and to hear from staff working for the service.

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Prioritise your eye health this World Sight Day

To mark this year’s World Sight Day, the Sensory Impairment and Reablement Team is going to be out and about in the county talking about the importance of good eye care, and how the team can support people who are diagnosed with sight loss.

World Sight Day aims to highlight the importance of eye care and eye health across the globe, and this year’s theme is eye health in the workplace.

Looking after our eyes is really important, and sight problems can often be treated, or the progression slowed, if they’re diagnosed early.

To hear from the Sensory Team about eye care, and to find out how they can support those diagnosed with sight loss, why not pay them a visit:

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Book your winter jabs without delay

If you’re invited to get your free flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, please come forward to book as soon as possible to make sure you get maximum protection over the winter months.

Vulnerable adults are being offered the opportunity to get their annual vaccinations earlier than first expected, as the start date of this year’s winter vaccination programme has been brought forward from October.

The NHS has started to invite people in priority order of risk to book an appointment at a local vaccination service. Across Sussex there will be clinics held in GP practices, community venues, and in pop up venues. Once you’re invited, you can also now book your COVID booster jabs directly through the NHS website, the NHS App or by calling 119.

NHS Sussex clinical lead, Dr Selma Stafford, said: “We are urging over 65s and other vulnerable adults to look out for their invitation to book their winter vaccinations. We’re asking people to wait till they get invited. Their invitation will come from their GP, and it will be in the form of a letter or a text, that will include instructions on how to book their winter vaccinations.

“Strengthening your immunity is crucial to staying healthy this winter. The vaccinations provide vital protection to the most vulnerable and their families, helping to also keep people out of hospitals during the winter months. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to protect yourself and your loved ones.”