We had an absolutely fabulous day at the June Festival organised by the Mid Sussex Older People’s Council in Burgess Hill yesterday. Thank you for inviting us, we hope you enjoyed the WellBalanced taster class.
Risk of falling is an inevitable part of ageing, with muscle weakness and poor balance identified as the two most common modifiable risk factors for falls.
Although NHS rehabilitation services provide strength and balance programmes they are often of limited length so there is a need for effective community-based strength and balance programmes. However, community-based programmes are often underfunded and do not join up to work together.
The Centre for Ageing Better commissioned the University of Manchester’s Healthy Ageing Research Group to bridge the gap between evidence and practice. It looks directly at communities to better understand their local challenges and identify practical examples of doing things differently. Their new report, “Raising the bar on strength and balance” presents the models of delivery, issues, barriers and innovative solutions that support effective community-based programmes.
We are really proud our Wellbalanced Programme is featured in this report, watch the following video or click on the link above to find out more.
Falls Prevention Event – Monday Club
Come along to learn more about preventing falls on Monday 22 October 2018
Arrivals from 1.15pm – 2pm finish, at The Haven Centre Hophurst Lane Crawley Down West Sussex RH10 4LJ
The event is open to residents of Monday Club and Cake and Company, who would like information on staying steady in their homes. Spaces are limited, to book contact Caroline Custard, from The Care Bears on 01342 715181 or Fiona Turner, Coordinator at Age UK outreach@ageukeastgrinstead.org.uk 01342 327046.
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Older people from across Mid Sussex gathered at Chequer Mead, East Grinstead on Friday 20 October to learn more about staying fit and well in later life.
The event was organised by the Mid Sussex Wellbeing Team to help local people find the support they need to live a long and happy life.
Over 50 older people took part in free exercise sessions that were specifically tailored to meet the needs of people in later life. Attendees were given the opportunity to try Tai Chi, strength and balance sessions, Zumba Gold or practice relaxation and breathing techniques that help to improve Mindfulness.
Trained health professionals provided free NHS Health Checks to help people spot potential health problems at an early stage. The checks, which took just 30 minutes, included a blood pressure check, a cholesterol measurement, and a BMI (Body Mass Index) reading that is calculated by measuring height and weight. After the health check there was an opportunity to discuss the results with a trained health advisor, who provided personalised advice on how to lower the risk of future problems and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
In total, 34 people had blood pressure checks, which is an excellent early warning system for some serious health conditions. As a result, four people were referred back to their GP for further checks and one was serious enough for an urgent appointment that day.
More than 20 charities, voluntary groups and local organisations were on hand to offer advice and information about social activities, volunteering opportunities, support services and important issues like keeping warm during winter.
“It was great to see so many older people at this event and we had a tremendous amount of positive feedback from the people who attended,” said Councillor Norman Webster, Cabinet Member for Community.
“We are fortunate to have lots of charities and voluntary organisations in Mid Sussex that are working hard to support people in later life but people don’t always realise how much help is out there. Events like these play such an important role, bringing people together, raising awareness of important issues and making a real difference to the lives of others.”
Jean Guppy, an East Grinstead resident who attended the Wellbeing event said:
“Thank you for such a wonderful event. I spoke with so many different local services and the staff have been so friendly and welcoming. I enjoyed the whole day.”
For more information about Wellbeing Services in Mid Sussex please contact the Mid Sussex Wellbeing team on 01444 477191 or email info@midsussexwelbeing.org.uk.
