Hello and welcome to this week’s Wellbeing Wednesday. Over these last two weeks since the election, we have been welcoming our newly elected Councillors and delivering a programme of induction sessions about our services. Well done to our hard working election and Members Services Teams for co-ordinating it all immediately after running the election (you will be needing your wellbeing rest time by the end of this week!) At our Departmental session in Oban on Tuesday, I mentioned Wellbeing Wednesday to members as part of my presentation, so hopefully we have some new readers – welcome!
This week we have information for you on dementia awareness week, a survey to help inform work by the Violence Against Women Partnership and Vegetarian Week.
Dementia Awareness Week is all about talking, listening and finding out about dementia supported by the Alzheimer’s Society. As with all of the issues that we raise in WBW, we know that individually you may be dealing with this yourself, but it may also help to understand how colleagues or friends may be feeling and the challenges they are facing. It supports us all to be compassionate in our working lives.
If you or anyone you know has experienced threats, abuse or violence from a partner or ex- partner, the Violence Against Women partnership would like to hear from you in absolute confidence. Understanding the nature and scale of the issue helps us to tackle it.
And finally Vegetarian week is upon us! As a committed omnivore, I do eat a lot of plant based foods, so I am trying hard to add more veg and reduce meat consumption – although I haven’t managed to go entirely vegetarian this week – I will be trying out the delicious sounding dhal curry!
As for my reading this week – I’m on text books and articles for a course I am doing and enjoying having new books to open and turn those crisp pages.
See you next week!
Jane Fowler – Head of Customer Support Services
Dementia Awareness Week 20th -27th May
Dementia Awareness Week is supported by the Alzheimer’s Society. The Alzheimer’s Society is a UK charity which provides support and research for those affected by dementia.
The aim of the week is to raise awareness of dementia and help improve the lives of people with dementia, their families and carers. This year’s theme is ‘Prevent, Care, Cure’ and over the week there will be a series of events, including podcasts, blogs and webinars.
In the UK, there are about 800,000 people with dementia; it is estimated that around 400,000 people have dementia but do not know it. By raising awareness about this condition, it is hoped that more people will be diagnosed earlier, giving more time for them to come to terms with future symptoms.
Understanding Dementia
Dementia is not a disease. Dementia is a term given to a group of symptoms from certain diseases which affect the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
A diagnosis of dementia is often devastating to the person concerned. Other serious diseases, such as cancers, offer hope, however small, of treatment success. The symptoms of dementia are progressive and on an unknown time scale (which can be hard for people with dementia to accept) and it could be months or many years before the symptoms become advanced. On a positive note, many people with dementia can live full lives with little or no assistance. Living in the present, doing the fun things now which were planned for later in life, is a strategy which helps some people cope with this condition.
Understanding Dementia
Dementia is not a disease. Dementia is a term given to a group of symptoms from certain diseases which affect the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
A diagnosis of dementia is often devastating to the person concerned. Other serious diseases, such as cancers, offer hope, however small, of treatment success. The symptoms of dementia are progressive and on an unknown time scale (which can be hard for people with dementia to accept) and it could be months or many years before the symptoms become advanced. On a positive note, many people with dementia can live full lives with little or no assistance. Living in the present, doing the fun things now which were planned for later in life, is a strategy which helps some people cope with this condition.
Symptoms of Dementia Include:
- Memory Loss– problems with short term memory is often the first sign of dementia.
- Communication Problems– linked to memory loss, communication problems often arise when a person is unable to recall a particular word or phrase in conversation.
- Changes In Mood– dementia symptoms can have a profound effect on a person’s life; this can give rise to mixed emotions (sadness, anxiety, anger).
Dementia symptoms are progressive; they worsen over time. Advanced symptoms usually mean that a person is unable to look themselves without assistance. The Alzheimer’s Society helps provide this support.
5 Key Facts About Alzheimer’s Disease
- Dementia Is Not A Natural Part Of Aging– whilst prevalent in the over 65s, dementia can also affect younger people. In the UK, over 17,000 people under the age of 65 have this condition. It is not uncommon for people in their 50s to have dementia.
- Dementia Is Caused By Diseases Of The Brain– symptoms of dementia are caused by physical disease such as Alzheimer’s which directly affects the brain.
- It’s Not Just About Losing Your Memory– dementia can have a huge impact on a person’s life and on the people around them.
- It’s Possible To Live Well With Dementia– many people with early stage dementia live full lives although adjustments may be taken to cope with symptoms.
- There’s More To A Person Than The Dementia– this is reflected through the recurring ‘Remember The Person’ theme for this event.
Remember the Person
In an advanced stage, a person with dementia may not be able to communicate and express themselves. People are encouraged to ‘remember the person’ behind the dementia; the person is more than the dementia.
Sadly, in some cases where symptoms of dementia have advanced, friends of people with dementia no longer visit them; they want to remember how that person used to be. However, whilst the ‘wall of dementia’ is in front of them, they should be held in the same regard, and treated in the same manner as they were, before they had this condition. Even at an advanced stage, people with dementia can sometimes indicate they are aware of those around them; they are still ‘there’.
If you would like more information please got to:
Dementia Action Week | Alzheimer’s Society (alzheimers.org.uk)
Domestic Abuse Survey
The Argyll and Bute Violence Against Women Partnership (VAWP) work together to ensure that domestic and gender based violence against women and girls, is not tolerated and that the right services are in place to support survivors. Additional funding from the Developing Equally Safe Fund has enabled the development of the Transforming Responses to Violence Against Women and Girls Project.
This will deliver a range of multiagency training over the next two years, including the start of a roll out of the use of the Safe and Together model by local services, such as child and adult protection and the work of key third sector partners. As a part of that activity they will also be conducting a research project that seeks to look at current views on and experiences of local services by lived experience women.
The aim will be to repeat this in 18 months’ time in order to assess how far service delivery has been changed by the delivery of training to staff in areas such as Safe and Together.
“Have you experienced threats, abuse or violence from a partner, boyfriend or ex in the last 3 years? Does/did your partner, boyfriend or ex try to control what you do, where you go, or other choices you want to make in your daily life?
If you live in Argyll and Bute and can answer YES to one or more of these questions, it is possible that you are experiencing domestic abuse. If so, the Argyll and Bute Violence against Women Partnership would like to hear from you. Please be assured that all contact and information received will be in strict confidence.
Find out more about this and how to get involved
For more information on support available visit: Domestic abuse (argyll-bute.gov.uk)
National Vegetarian Week 18th – 22nd May 2022
From the 16th – 22nd May 2022 it’s National Vegetarian Week! National Vegetarian Week highlights the benefits of a vegetarian diet, getting more vegetables into our meals and taking out the meat and most animal products from our dishes. We all know how important vegetables are in our diet so, it’s good to use the week to try being vegetarian or just swapping to a veggie diet a few days a week.
National Vegetarian Week is always centred on the benefits of choosing vegetarian food for health and the environment, and this year the focus is also on the positive impact that we can have on the climate crisis.
Our wildlife is under threat due to climate change, with some of the UK’s most recognisable and well-loved species at risk of extinction.
Choosing vegetarian food is the biggest change an individual can make to reduce their impact on the planet and on animals, whose habitats are adversely affected by climate change.
Why not join in and spread the word, or sign up and take part!
By doing so, you will enjoy a week of wonderful plant-based food which is good for you and for the planet and you also have the chance to receive delicious carbon-calculated recipes, free entry into the Vegetarian Society’s Bella Italia prize draw to win one of five £100 gift vouchers, lots veggie offers and discounts and daily tips: Visit: National Vegetarian Week 2022
To get you started, why not try an easy and tasty veggie curry?
Deliciously Ella’s Easy Red Lentil Dhal
Serves: 4
Ingredients
250g split red lentils
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons medium curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 × 400g tin of coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
2 large handfuls of baby spinach(about 100g)
juice of ½ lemon
salt and pepper
Method
- Put the lentils into a large saucepan, cover with boiling water and place over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes – you want them to have softened and lost their bite. Drain and set aside. Be careful not to overcook or they can become mushy.
- Place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the coconut oil, onion, garlic, chilli and a pinch of salt. Sauté the onion mixture until soft, stirring frequently, then add the spices, stirring them through the onion mix for 1 minute or so.
- Turn the heat down and pour in the coconut milk and coconut sugar, then bring to the boil. Let this cook for another few minutes, stirring well to combine all the flavours.
- Add the spinach and stir until it has wilted, then add the lemon juice and serve.
Recipe from Deliciously Ella Quick & Easy by Ella Mills.
Thanks for reading and, as ever, keep in touch with us at wellbeing@argyll-bute.gov.uk