Keeping people safe: Occupational Therapy and the Fire Service

Occupational therapist Lyndsay Beck explains why her team are working with the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, to help older people stay safe and independent.

I am an occupational therapist at Nottinghamshire Healthcare and I work with older adults with mental health needs, such as depression and dementia. An occupational therapist’s role is to help people to carry on with the activities which they need and want to do.

It may seem like an unlikely combination, but my colleagues and I have been working closely with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service. You may be wondering why? It’s because often the older people we work with – who may be isolated and have poor mental and/or physical health - are the types of people who are most likely to be affected by fire. Fires related to heating and cooking appliances are the most common in Nottinghamshire.

Life after Rio

Earlier in the year we heard from paediatric physiotherapist Julie Gray, who was looking forward to being part of the Rio Paralympics. Julie went to Rio as the Head of Classification for the International Canoe Federation (ICF). Now she's settled back in to normal life, we asked her about her experiences.

What was the atmosphere like?

The atmosphere in the athlete’s village and in Rio was joyous. The Brazilian people were so friendly and welcoming, and the Carioca spirit covers every aspect of daily life. They want to share it with all their guests, to help them to feel a little of the sheer joy of living, and to take it away with them to wherever they are going in the world.

Why is the flu vaccine important for your child?

Flu season is upon us again and many parents will be deciding whether their child should have the flu vaccine. We asked the Trust's School Aged Immunisation Team to tell us more about the vaccine and why you should consider it for your child.

Like many Immunisation Team nurses across the country, we will be giving the flu vaccine to primary school children in Years 1, 2 and 3 over the next few months.

  

"Sometimes it feels like the support group might have saved my life": Julia's story

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Self-Harm Team run a support group for parents of children who self harm. One of the mums from the group, Julia, shares her story.

Sometimes it feels like Caroline and Marie’s support group might have saved my life. That might be an exaggeration but it’s certainly gone a long way towards supporting my mental health…and I can only adequately support my children when I’m doing okay myself.

What is mindfulness?

You might have heard people talk about mindfulness as something which can help with mental health and wellbeing. But what exactly is mindfulness?

Nottingham Mental Health Awareness Weeks: "There's a lot that people don't know"

Rachel is a service user and Involvement Volunteer with us at Nottinghamshire Healthcare. She wanted to talk to us about Haven House, which she thinks is a fantastic support to people experiencing a mental health crisis.

Haven House, which is run in partnership with Turning Point, provides 24-hour support for up to seven days to people from Nottingham and south Nottinghamshire.

I came to the crisis house because I was having difficulties with a neighbour, and I needed a quiet place to get some respite. I have bipolar, and I was becoming very stressed and having high moods.

The best thing about Haven House is the calm atmosphere and the camaraderie. A lot of support comes from the other people who are using the service. We’re like a family, and we look after one another. We cook together and help each other out. We’ve recently had a burger night, and we’ve had cream tea together. You get a lot of support from the other clients.

"Our family life was changing beyond recognition": Nicky's story

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Self-Harm Team run a support group for parents of children who self harm. One of the mums from the group, Nicky, shares her story.

It’s hard to express how I felt when I discovered that my daughter was self harming. I lived with constant anxiety, worry and in a state of nervous tension, feeling a mixture of guilt and shame, wondering what I’d done wrong and how I could have supported her better.