Health

The ‘Living Well’ bus is calling at Crosby Civic Hall car park on Friday 7th October and at Asda in Bootle on Tuesday 11th October.

Local residents can catch the chance to get their autumn COVID booster jab and any other COVID-19 vaccines they may need. And if time and capacity allows, free health checks will also be on offer to those aged 18 and over.

The bus will be at both locations from 10:30am to 4pm and Sefton residents can come along throughout the day with no appointments needed.

COVID-19 vaccines will be available for anyone aged five and older who has not yet been vaccinated, or who has missed their second jab or first booster dose.

The team will also be offering the seasonal (autumn) booster to those who are currently eligible.

You can find more details about this on the NHS website, here.

Free health checks will also be available for residents aged 18 and over, which include a pulse check and blood pressure check, cholesterol and blood glucose check and a BMI check, which will help to spot early signs of conditions like stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.

Residents who are unable to visit the Living Well bus this time can also access free blood pressure checks at the Strand By Me shop in Bootle Strand shopping centre until March 2023.

Sefton Council’s Technology Enabled Care Solutions (TECS) team is touring the Borough showing off the latest technology and support systems available for residents with extra care needs.

Starting the tour at the Keep Warm, Keep Well event at Bootle Cricket Club on Monday 12th September, the team showcased a range of appliances and software available to those residents, and providing advice on how to access them.

They will also appear at the next Keep Warm, Keep Well event at The Atkinson, Southport on Monday 31st October.

TECS is the name given to devices and services people can use to support themselves to live independently. These can range from using Alexa apps to turn off lights without having to stretch for the switch, to sensors that detect if someone has fallen in their home.

With the current cost of living crisis, technology to help people save on their energy bills is also available. This includes smart meters which help to keep track of the energy used in homes and smart plugs, which can be controlled remotely or linked to a timer.

The TECS team will have a full programme of events, including attending local lunch clubs, memory cafes and Healthwatch Champions meetings, as well as four public events on:

• Wednesday 12th October from 9am to 4pm at the Health Fayre, Ainsdale Methodist Church Hall
• Wednesday 19th October from 9am to 4pm at the Health Fayre, Ainsdale Methodist Church Hall
• Monday 31st October from 10.30am to 3.30pm at The Atkinson Centre, Southport
• Wednesday 2nd November from 11am to 2pm at Bootle Strand By Me

Promoting Technology Enabled Care is one of the aims contained in Sefton’s Technology Enabled Care Solutions Strategy 2021-24. The Strategy supports the Council to support independent living and improve health and well-being within the community.

These new roadshows follow the successful introduction of Sefton’s online self-assessment and guidance tool, Ask SARA, which was launched in February. The tool allows people to browse a range of products and services to suit their needs and help them to live independently.

Cllr Paul Cummins, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care said:
“I’m delighted that the Council is having the opportunity to showcase the fantastic technology available to enabling our residents with additional needs to live independently.

“It is important that people in Sefton can make informed choices about their own health and wellbeing, and technology allows people to do so, while remaining independent.

“Whether people are interested in using these solutions themselves, or want to support a friend or family member, the roadshows are a great way to get more information.”

People can find out more about Sefton’s Technology Enabled Care Solutions and how to support people to live independently by visiting www.sefton.gov.uk/independent-living

Stoptober is back, calling on smokers in Sefton to join more than 2.5 million others who have made a quit attempt with the campaign since it launched a decade ago in 2012. Nearly 6 million adults in England still smoke, and it remains the single biggest behavioural cause of preventable death, with 64,000 deaths a year.

This year’s Stoptober mass quit attempt is as important as ever, with quitting being one of the best things a smoker can do for their health. That’s why this year’s Stoptober campaign is encouraging smokers to join the thousands of others who are giving quitting a go for the month of October – making it to 28 days smoke free means you’re five times as likely to quit for good. Quitting will allow you to start moving better, breathe more easily – and give you more money to spend.

Quitting with others, together with the range of support offered, means that Stoptober can trigger resolve and boost confidence, motivation and readiness, making smokers realise that they are stronger and better prepared than they think and setting them up for long term success.

Margaret Jones, Sefton Council’s Director of Public Health said: “Stoptober presents a great opportunity for people who have been thinking about giving up smoking to take on the challenge and start living a healthier lifestyle. I encourage any smoker to take advantage of the campaign and improve their wellbeing.”

Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools including: the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan tool. It provides information and advice on proven quitting methods – expert support from local Stop Smoking Services and the range of stop smoking aids, including further information on how vaping can help you quit. Just search ‘Stoptober’ for more information or visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/

The ‘Living Well’ bus is returning to Netherton on Tuesday 20 September to offer free holistic health checks and first, second or booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Sefton residents, including the seasonal (autumn) booster for those eligible.

The bus will be parked outside Netherton Activity Centre from 10:30am-4pm and residents can come along throughout the day with no appointments needed.

COVID-19 vaccines will be available for anyone aged five and older who has not yet been vaccinated, or who has missed their second jab or first booster dose. The team will also be offering the seasonal (autumn) booster to those who are currently eligible. You can find more details about this on the NHS website at: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.

Free health checks will also be available for residents aged 18 and over, which include a pulse check and blood pressure check, cholesterol and blood glucose check and a BMI check, which will help to spot early signs of conditions like stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.

Residents who are unable to visit the Living Well bus this time can also access free blood pressure checks at the Strand By Me shop in Bootle Strand shopping centre until March 2023.

Sefton Council hosted a Keep Warm, Keep Well event at Bootle Cricket Club on Monday 12^th September as part of its commitment to helping vulnerable people get through winter. The event was very popular, with upwards of 100 people attending.

Information stands provided advice and contacts for keeping well and managing finances. Organisations present included Living Well Sefton, who provided advice on staying healthy, Sefton O.P.E.R.A, who provided information and complimentary massages, and The Indy Pantry, a food union offering food for the community. Additionally, there was free advice on paying rent and council tax, and how to efficiently use energy to reduce energy bills. There was also blood pressure checks, chair-based exercises, and free goody bags.

Another Keep Warm, Keep Well event is being held at the Atkinson Centre in Southport on Monday, 10^th October. The event was originally planned to take place on Monday, 19^th September, but was rescheduled following the announcement of the day becoming a bank holiday for the Queen’s funeral.

Sefton Council recognises many households will struggle to pay their bills this winter due to the cost-of-living crisis. Autumn’s expected rise in the energy price cap to £3,554 will leave average household bills 80 per cent higher going into the colder months when energy use soars. Many vulnerable people will be hit hard, including older people and those in ill-health, living in energy inefficient homes that are difficult and expensive to heat.

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said:

“With their gas and electricity bills set to rocket and inflation rising to the highest rate in 40 years, households and business across Sefton will be wondering just how they are going to get through the coming winter and beyond.

“While Sefton Council has no magic solutions and like councils across the UK is hit by the same rises in costs to run its operations and services, it is vital we recognise people’s plight and work with our partners to provide what support and advice we can.”

People can find out more information about the events by contacting Sefton Opera on 0151 330 0479 or 07452 867 648 admin@seftonopera.org.uk.

Anyone concerned about keeping warm at home should contact Sefton’s Affordable Warmth Team on 0151 934 2222.

People worried about paying gas and electricity bills or who are struggling due to rising prices in shops can find support and advice by visiting www.sefton.gov.uk/cost-of-living