Healthwatch Oxfordshire – Visiting a loved one in a care home 

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Visiting a loved one in a care home

Last year we heard about the difficulties people had contacting their loved ones in care homes because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Government has relaxed guidelines on visiting people in care homes in England. So, we want to hear from people again to know about your recent experiences of visiting your loved one in a care home.

·         How have things changed?

·         What has the care home done well?

·         What could be improved?

If you have recent experience you would like to share, please tell us!

You can fill in an online survey here. 

This survey is anonymous – you do not have to say who you are and we will not identify you. Everything you tell us is confidential.

Please let us have your views by Friday 15th April.

If you would like the survey in another format or language, or if you would prefer to talk to us about your experiences, please call us on 01865 520520 or email us at hello@healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk

Enable Magazine: Introducing the March/April issue

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Presenting Enable Magazine
March-April issue

The UK’s leading disability and lifestyle title

Introducing the March-April issue of Enable Magazine.
We’re so excited to share this issue with you and your network.

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Inside this issue, artist and now Enable cover star Sophie Morgan gives us a unique insight into the process of writing her new memoir: Driving Forwards. We learn how carers can find out about their rights and discuss Young Carers Action Day. More than three decades since the movement that helped create many of the disabled civil rights we know today, a cast with lived experience of disability are bringing the story to life. We speak to actress Ruth Madeley and writers Jack Thorne and Genevieve Barr.

We also highlight the need for autism acceptance; Cassidy Megan, founder of Purple Day, discusses global epilepsy awareness; and a member of the HoME Coalition gives insight into the need for more accessible housing. Plus, mouth artist Henry Fraser talks about his work so far, we learn about the relationship between sleep and chronic pain, and a project bringing theatre into care homes takes us behind the scenes. This and much more inside.https://issuu.com/dcpublishing/docs/en_ma22

MS Society Campaign: free lateral flow tests for people with MS

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The MS Society is running a campaign highlighting the importance of free lateral flow tests for people with MS and those they have frequent contact with. 

Here is what they say:

‘UK Government figures show 1.3 million people are at highest risk of severe illness from Covid-19, including people with MS. But from 1 April, families, friends and carers run the risk of exposing loved ones to infection. Unless they can pay for tests.

This isn’t right.

Together with Blood Cancer UK and Kidney Care UK and other charities, we’re calling on the UK Government to continue to make free testing available to people who are eligible for Covid-19 treatments, their households and personal contacts.

Read more on the MS Society here: https://mssoc.uk/3vzVYEU 

No one should be put at risk because they cannot afford a test. Protection from Covid-19 should be a right, not a privilege.

Take action now

We won’t stop calling on the government to protect people at highest risk from Covid-19. But to do that, we need your help.

Email your MP now and ask them to join our call, and give our community the protection it needs.’

Click here to be transferred to MS Society online form to generate an email to your MP  

Quiz Night – teams and raffle prizes

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Quiz Night – teams and raffle prizes – If anyone wants to join another MS team let Sue know, or I can make up some more teams,  I know it’s difficult if you would like to take part but there are only maybe 2 of you.
Raffle tickets are available, some great prizes, £5 a strip or £1 a ticket.  Prizes include:

  • Hamper from Tesco Abingdon 
  • £20 voucher from Tesco Didcot, used to buy crisps 
  • Cream tea for 2 at Millets Farm 
  • Sunday roast for 2 at The Barn, Didcot 
  • Meal for 2 at The Plum Pudding, Milton 
  • £10 voucher for Steventon Bakery 
  • Hamper from Hampers.com 
  • Free treatment from therapists 
  • Wine from the Fleur Pub, Hagbourne and Mulberry Didcot 
  • Packs of beer from LoveBeer Brewery, Milton village 
  • 2 tickets to any performance at Oxford Playhouse
  • Lots of other things like chocolate, port, wine, body shop products etc. 

Changing symptoms, online wellbeing sessions with the MS Society – March 2022

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Are your symptoms changing? You’re not alone.The MS Society is running a series of three virtual wellbeing sessions will take place on Tuesday 8, 15, 22 March from 6.30 – 8.00pm. Join them for our wellbeing sessions to connect you with other people across the UK with MS.

During the wellbeing sessions you will connect with other people across the UK with MS. We will also be joined by an MS nurse who will be there to answer your questions about changing symptoms.

We’re delivering virtual wellbeing sessions to people across the UK. These sessions are a chance to chat, reflect on and share experiences. We’ll also look at different ways to support you to live well with MS.

Find out more by clicking here

Want to help us make health and care better in Oxfordshire?

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Healthwatch Oxfordshire is an independent champion for people who use health and social care services throughout the county. We are here to find out what matters to people and help make sure their views shape the services they need. We share these views with those who have the power to make change happen.

If you care about the way health and care services are run, and if you can spare some time to help get the right services to the people who really need them, please think about joining Healthwatch Oxfordshire as a Trustee.

To find out more please click on the following link: https://healthwatchoxfordshire.co.uk/news/becomeatrustee/

MS and Menopause podcast

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Menopause is the hot topic at the moment, with more and more people speaking up about the problems and issues it can bring. But did you know it can also affect your MS?

In this episode, the MS Trust talks to Neurologist Ruth Dobson about how and why menopause and perimenopause can affect Multiple Sclerosis and what options there are to treat it. They also catch up with Hettie, who talks about how menopause affected her and her MS.

Find out more by clicking here 

Would you rather read about the menopause? The MS Trust have an article.

Click here to read about it  

Covid and MS – update February 2022

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Adults with MS can now discuss early Covid-19 treatment after either a positive lateral flow or a PCR test. You’ll need to register a positive lateral flow test online or by calling 119. Paxlovid and Remdesivir were also added to the list of treatment options for people with MS. 

We searched the web to get an understanding of what this new update means and found a clear (and accurate) explanation from the HuffingtonPost:

‘Antiviral treatments are for people who are have not been admitted to the hospital. They’re designed to limit the risk of becoming seriously ill and allow people to deal with their Covid-19 symptoms….Antiviral treatments work by stopping the virus from reproducing in your body once you’ve been infected. Vaccines boost immunity to the virus, but are not 100% fail-safe. These treatments limit how the virus can spread in your body after infection. If taken early, they can stop serious disease from developing. They limit your chance of being taken to the hospital or getting seriously ill.’

Read the full article here

The MS Society along with 17 other charities, have set out the ‘5 key tests’ that the Government’s plan must pass to make sure people at highest risk from COVID-19 are well supported to live with Covid-19 now and into the future. We will share more as the story evolves over the next few weeks but you can find more information here: https://www.mssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/news/what-does-plan-living-covid…

Online Information session: Exercise – the difference between ‘regular’ and ‘functional’ exercise

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In this information session from MS-UK, they will be discussing what ‘functional exercise’ is and how to use this type of exercise to improve mobility. It takes place online on Monday 21 February at 2pm.  

Dr Hawley will be discussing the difference between ‘regular’ and ‘functional’ exercise and how functional exercise can help improve function and mobility for people with MS. 

Dr Hawley says “functional exercises are activity-based whereas ‘regular’ exercises are weakness based. The difference is that exercises that are weakness based will likely increase the strength of that muscle, but the renewed strength often does not result in improved function with daily activities and movements, like walking”. 

Functional exercises break down a specific activity that is challenging and strengthens the body in a specific way that will make that activity easier. For example, if someone has hip weakness which is making it difficult to walk, a ‘regular’ exercise may be a ‘straight leg raise’. However, functional exercise requires the breakdown of that movement. 

Continuing with this example, walking requires knee bending, toe lifting, knee lifting, balance, and weight shifting. Therefore, these five movements should be the exercises that are performed to achieve improved walking. 

Replacing ‘regular exercise’ with ‘functional exercise’ can make a world of a difference for those with Multiple Sclerosis. It’s often the difference between remaining at your current ability level and improving your mobility and energy!”. 

Find out more by clicking here