Sláintecare Healthy Communities

In 2021, Sláintecare Healthy Ireland in the Department of Health, working with the HSE and local authorities and community agencies, launched the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme to provide increased health and wellbeing services in 19 community areas across Ireland. An evidenced based process identified local areas in which health and wellbeing risk factors are particularly concentrated and where particular initiatives will be delivered to help promote and improve the overall health and wellbeing of people in those communities. These initiatives will be delivered through partnership working with a range of partners (HSE, local authorities and community groups) working together to provide dedicated services to build lasting improvements in health and wellbeing.

Where are the communities?

The initial focus will be on 19 areas, based across the country which may provide a basis on which to roll out similar approaches in other areas. In Cork the Sláintecare Healthy Communities area is in the north side of the city stretching from Knocknaheeny across to The Glen and Mayfield. Click here to view area map.

What does it mean for the communities?

To ensure the local communities selected have access to the full enhanced health and wellbeing programme, a core group of services will be established in each area to support people’s wellbeing within that community, providing better access to the range of services needed to help improve and promote healthier lifestyle behaviours. These initiatives include:

· Parents Plus Programme – To support the mental health of parents and healthy child development

· Healthy Food Made Easy Programme – To support and inform a healthier diet, the Healthy Food Made Easy (HFME) programme will provide a nutrition and cookery course that helps people to change to a healthy diet, plan meals on a budget and make easy to cook meals.

· Social Prescribing – To improve and support mental health and wellbeing, a Social Prescribing Link Worker will work with individuals who need support, linking them into community activities and services.

· We Can Quit Programme – A free, friendly and supportive 12 week quit smoking programme with free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), a weekly stop smoking group and one to one support.

· Stop Smoking Advisor – To help people quit smoking, a Stop Smoking Advisor will provide 1-1 support to smokers within the community with quit attempts, including the provision of FREE Nicotine Replacement Therapy (Stop Smoking medication). The Stop Smoking Advisor will also support smoke free environments. Contact Miriam O’Shea 086-7871831

· Making Every Contact Count Programme – To encourage and support more people to make healthier choices, the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) programme will work with local health professionals to ensure they have the capability to deliver brief interventions and advice for all patients regarding healthy behaviours (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, mental wellbeing, diet and nutrition).

Cork Kerry Community Healthcare,
HSE,
Eye, Ear, Throat Hospital,
Western Road,
Co. Cork
T12 WP62

Marian O'Reilly, Senior Health Promotion Officer, Healthy Communities Co-Ordinator, Health Promotion and Improvement

Mobile: 087 1880963

Marian.OReilly6@hse.ie

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Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing.

Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing. From small acts of kindness to volunteering, giving can give you a sense of purpose, community and connectedness. Sometimes we think of our wellbeing in terms of what we have; our income, car, home or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think has the biggest impact on mental wellbeing. Positive mental wellbeing means feeling good about yourself and the world around you and being able to get on with your life. Helping and supporting others and working with others towards a shared goal is good for our mental wellbeing. A 2003 study in 373 older adults found that some aspect of wellbeing were higher in those who did volunteer projects compared with those who did not. Scientists have shown that giving to others can stimulate the reward areas in the brain helping to create positive feelings. Helping others also gives a sense of purpose and feelings of self-worth.

Evidence show that good relationships with family, friends, colleagues and the wider community are important for mental wellbeing.

Many of us would like to spend more time with the people who are most important to us but sometimes life just gets in the way of that. We must make time to connect with the people that matter to us. By nurturing these relationships we feel happier and more secure, giving a better sense of purpose. A 2002 study of 222 students in the US found that the happiest amongst the group had stronger social relationships than those who were less happy. Some tips to stay connected:

Make time each day to connect with your family, friends and colleagues. This could include ‘family time’ that is a fixed time to connect each day.
Arrange a day out with friends you may not have connected with recently. Most people connect on social media sites like Facebook but a face to face contact spending your time with your friends is so much more meaningful and beneficial than a “like” or “comment” on Facebook.
Reduce your screen time when you are in company. Put the phone away, close your laptop, turn off the TV and have a chat.
Try connecting with someone new today. Talk to the person beside you on the train or in the shop. This conversation may mean even more to the person you connect with than you realise.
Leave your desk for your lunch and sit with a colleague catching up on non-work matters.
It can be as simple as a smile at a passer-by.

Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new qualification and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen.

Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new qualification and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen. Evidence shows that continuing to learn throughout life can help improve and maintain our mental wellbeing. Mental Wellbeing means feeling good about yourself and the world around you and being able to get on with your life the way you choose. In 2004 a study interviewed 145 adults about learning throughout life and various aspects of their health and wellbeing. It found that people who involved themselves in more learning reported feeling higher self-esteem, a greater ability to cope with stress, and more feelings of self-confidence, hope and purpose. Setting goals and working towards them plays an important part in the way learning influences wellbeing. Many forms of learning involve contact with others which connects us to our communities and peers.

It is easy to rush through daily life without stopping to notice much. Paying attention to the present moment – to our own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you can improve your mental wellbeing.

Taking Notice is also called Mindfulness. It is easy to incorporate mindfulness into your life and can be a very powerful tool if learnt and practiced daily. Mental wellbeing means being feeling good about life and yourself and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want. Many think about wellbeing in terms of what you have; your income, car, house or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think have the biggest impact on wellbeing. To Take Notice is to notice the sights, smells, sounds and tastes you experience as well as your thoughts and feelings that occur from one moment to the next. It’s easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living in our heads. An important part of Taking Notice is to reconnect with our bodies and the sensations they are experiencing. It can be something as simple as the feel of your knife and fork in your hands. Most of us have issues we find hard to let go of and mindfulness can help us deal with them more productively. Awareness of this kind also helps us notice signs of stress or anxiety earlier and helps us deal with them better.

Being active is great for your physical and mental wellbeing. Evidence proves there is a link between being active physically and good mental wellbeing.

Mental wellbeing means feeling good about yourself, about the world around you and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want.
Being active doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon. You need to find physical activity that you enjoy and can fit into your daily/ weekly routine. This may be a daily walk to the shops instead of taking the car, a weekly gardening session, some yoga, swimming or a weekend walk.
Scientists confirm physical activity can help maintain wellbeing and good mental health in a number of ways:
Physical activity helps with mild depression. Evidence shows it can protect people against the onset of depression and anxiety.
Physical activity causes a chemical change in the brain which can help change our mood.
Physical activity brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge – all of which help improve wellbeing.