Health & Wellbeing

Talks to attend and reports to read and research involvement opportunities on Health and Wellbeing themes of interest to u3a members.

Various
Various
Times Vary
Coordinator:  Julia Bate - 01744 883086 and wellbeing@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk

We are delighted to learn that that the ‘Ageing better with an active mind’ project has been nominated and shortlisted for the Educate North Awards 2024. See https://educatenorth.co.uk/2024-shortlist/

Dorothy Tse and her colleagues from Edge Hill University would like to say thanks to you all – great team work, and that she is so glad that we are continuing this project and exploring different themes in health and wellbeing.

An April Date for your Diary!

Click to view full size

Our next Health & Wellbeing meeting – linked to our cooperation with the Edge Hill Ageing Better project –  is going to be on Friday 26th April 2024 starting  11am at St Michaels Church Hall, Church Lane, Aughton.

 

Our speaker will be Dr Claire Blennerhassett, a Senior Lecturer at Edge Hill University. Claire’s talk will be ‘Sustainable Diets for a healthy community and planet’.  We do hope you will join us for what should prove to be a very interesting session.

 

Our Guest at Horizons on 18th April will be Dr Dorothy Tse, who will be advertising the next workshop (Nutrition) on 26th April.

 

 

And now another great opportunity to be involved in a Research Project!

Edge Hill University Department of Psychology Ageing Brain Research Group are also excited to announce the launch of their latest memory project at the Tse Memory Lab!

Here are the details of our study:

Discover How Your Past Experiences Shape Your Learning Journey! Join Our Spatial Navigation Study!

Have you ever thought about how easily you learn your way around a new place, or why some routes stick in your mind more than others? If these questions intrigue you, we’ve got just the opportunity! Dive into our fascinating study and uncover the secrets of your brain’s navigation system.

Aim: Our study is all about understanding how the knowledge and experiences you’ve gathered over time play a role in how you learn and remember new locations and directions.

Why Join Us?

Tap or click for full-size poster.

  • Be a part of cutting-edge research that’s easy to understand and fun to participate in.
  • Gain interesting insights into how your mind works when it comes to finding your way around.
  • Help us solve the puzzle of how past experiences influence learning new places.

Looking for Participants Who Are:

  • Curious about how their brain works in everyday situations.
  • Interested in contributing to science in a simple yet impactful way.
  • Ready to embark on this exploration of your mind’s map-making skills?

Sign up now and take the first step in a journey of self-discovery and scientific contribution!

Reach out to us at:

“XIANA FOWLES” <24665533@edgehill.ac.uk> or 07842 554068

and

“CRISTINA VARELA CHACON” <25847902@edgehill.ac.uk>

………… for more details and to become a part of this exciting study!

Do take a few minutes to check the Group Posts below this Group Page to view Julia’s comprehensive Health and Wellbeing Reports from meetings with the Patient Safety and the Patient and Public Involvement Groups attached to the North West Coast NHS Innovation Agency. They are interesting and informative and often very relevant to our u3a membership.

 

Last Updated on March 25, 2024

Ageing Better December Workshop

Following the success of  Ageing Better with an Active Mind, run through the Wellbeing Group in conjunction with Edge Hill University last winter,  the project continued this year at the beginning of November.

The first session (Workshop 4) was on Friday 3rd November at 11 am in St Michael’s Church Hall, with a talk on the topic of  ‘The Sense of Touch’.

Even if you missed this one, you can still come along to Workshop 5  on 1st December at the same venue,  where we will have ‘Dance Contact Improvisation’ delivered by a dance lecturer.

If you are interested in attending, please contact the Coordinator of the Health & Wellbeing Group, Julia, via:

wellbeing@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk or 01744 883086

For further info, click or tap on the Edge Hill poster below.

 

 

Last Updated on December 5, 2023

Health & Wellbeing Reports

Member, Julia Bate is Coordinator for the Health & Wellbeing Group which provides occasional talks on relevant topics for members to attend.

Additionally, Julia herself attends and reports back on regular meetings with the Patient Safety and the Patient and Public Involvement Groups attached to the North West Coast NHS Innovation Agency.  Interesting and comprehensive reports from these meetings are listed below. These meetings continue to be either face-to-face or via video-conferencing.

For further information, email Julia on: wellbeing@aughton-ormskirk-u3a.co.uk

Reports

2024

Fingerprick blood tests, a mental health app and pulmonary rehabilitation

Happy Hearts website, patient opioid awareness campaign and a mobile phone app          for health monitoring

2023

Renaming of the Innovation Agency, review of Patient Medication Review Literature         and review of new Happy Hearts website

  • September meeting
    Developing a questionnaire relating to an App into which details of home-monitoring of blood pressure etc are entered and submitted to the GP practice, a new means of befriending, and more about polypharmacy reviews.
  • July meeting
    Telehealth (a home monitoring service for long-term health conditions), more information on the system for recording the improvement in response to physiotherapy following knee surgery, and the link between deprivation and health inequalities.
  • June meeting
    A dementia-friendly photography group, a mobile phone app for accessing GP records, a portable ecg monitor worn for 14 days, and a system for monitoring response to physiotherapy
  • May meeting
    A digital physical activity hub, a system for recording clinical consultations, enabling patients to revisit a consultation as many times as they wish, and an update on a website for people with lung conditions.
  • April meeting
    A website providing fiction and creative writing as therapy
  • March meeting
    Reducing ‘addiction’ to mobile phones, update on medication reviews and reducing opioid prescribing.
  • February meeting
    Musculoskeletal pain relief via an App, an agency providing independent home carers, and a flu test and treat pilot project.

    2022

  • December meeting  Ability consulting, an App that demonstrates how life is for disabled people.
  • November meetings Triage for lung cancer patients, new website for patients with respiratory conditions, initial management of mental health conditions.
  • October Meetings Asthma reviews, blister prevention pads an update on socks for people with diabetes, and another follow-up on Endoscopy alternative.
  • July meetings – A tool for detecting deterioration in patients in care homes, follow up on Endoscopy Alternative, COPD questionnaire and training for Heart Heroes on blood pressure monitoring
  • June meetings – Music therapy, Genomic medicine, Endoscopy alternative, Medication review and Self-monitoring of blood pressure
  • May Meeting – self-referral to consultants using an App; spotting patients with severe asthma
  • April Meeting – Update on alcohol withdrawal project; Cardiac Network and Websites helping with management and prevention of heart disease; Blood pressure testing in barbers’ shops
  • March meeting – Update on Back Pain Management App; Chatbot with Mental Health Advice; Patient Safety (Opioid withdrawal and Medication review)
  • February meeting – Pillow with a hole; Back pain management App; Menopause Consultancy
  • January meeting – Influenza; Mental Health safety; Lipid management

2021

2020

Last Updated on April 23, 2024

Healthy Brain Showcase – Edge Hill University press release

Family friendly workshop highlights healthy ageing to combat dementia

Edge Hill University researchers and Aughton & Ormskirk u3a welcomed more than 170 visitors to a workshop to highlight healthy ageing and combat dementia.

The Healthy Brain Showcase featured talks and discussion on healthy ageing and memory, in addition to dance performances and crafting.

The event was part of the Ageing Better with an Active Mind research project which aims to encourage healthy ageing in Lancashire and Merseyside, where the elderly population with dementia is higher than the national average.

Dr Dorothy Tse, senior lecturer in psychology and principal investigator, said: “This event was a great opportunity to engage with the whole community, to improve people’s understanding of healthy ageing, promote a better understanding of brain health and raise awareness of key actions to reduce the risk of dementia.”

The co-principal investigator Dr Nicola van Rijsbergen added: “Ultimately we want to inspire behaviour change within communities across Lancashire and Merseyside and show people how they can take positive steps to improve their brain health.”

At the workshop the team presented and discussed the findings of a consultation with members of u3a which explored themes of memory and dementia, how physical activity benefits the brain, neuroscience, brain health and the active mind.

Alan Buckley, a u3a member who took part in the previous workshops, said: “Dementia affects so many people but it is so complex, so to have better awareness of the disease and how it can affect you is really useful in understanding how we can reduce its effects. We have to do something about it at an early stage instead of letting it progress.”

Fellow member Sue Buckley added: “It was interesting to focus on something which is already close to our hearts, I was absolutely amazed to find the link between physical activity and mental activity.”

Attendees described the Healthy Brain showcase as “a fabulous day”, “interesting and entertaining”, “an excellent event for the local community”, “well organised and presented” and said “the speakers were all excellent”.

Speakers included Dr Jitka Vseteckova, senior lecturer in health and social care from The Open University, Dr Jade Thai, programme manager of neuroscience and mental health at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and Carol Rogers MBE, Director of House of Memories at National Museums Liverpool.

Organisations and charities also attended with stalls hosted by The Brain Charity, the Liverpool-based Women’s Health Information and Support Centre (WHISC), Age UK Lancashire and the National Museums Liverpool initiative House of Memories.

There were dance performances by u3a members, Edge Hill’s James Hewison with the Hard-Wired project, 50 Moves, Men Dancing and Base Dance Performing Arts, and the University’s Confucius Institute led crafts such as calligraphy and Chinese paper cutting.

The research project showcase is funded by Edge Hill’s Institute for Social Responsibility and the Department of Psychology.

Photo gallery

Introduction
Healthy brain research
Carol Rogers – House of Memories
Chinese Calligraphy
50 Moves
Men! Dancing!
u3a Line Dancing + audience

Last Updated on May 22, 2023

‘Ageing Better’ Showcase at Edge Hill

Following on from the successful collaboration with Edge Hill University on the Ageing Better Project, there was a free Showcase Event on Saturday 11th February in the Arts Centre at Edge Hill University, starting with Reception and coffee at 10am.

Programme

10:00 -10:30 – Reception & Coffee
10:30 – Opening ceremony
10:45 – Talks from guest speakers on health and wellbeing

  • Dr Jikta Vseteckova, Senior Lecturer in Health and Social Care, The Open University
  • Carol Rogers MBE, Director of House of Memories, National Museums Liverpool
  • Dr Jade Thai, Programme Manager of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

12:00 – Lunch and poster session
13:30 – Dance performances

  • Base Dance Performing Arts Academy
  • 50 Moves – Jennifer Hale
  • Men! Dancing! – Jennifer Hale
  • u3a Line Dancing – Lorraine Dyke
  • u3a Tap Dancing – Irene Arkinstall
  • Hard-Wired project – James Hewitson

15:00 Closing ceremony – Dr Dortothy Tse

Coffee

 

Last Updated on May 22, 2023