Health Wellbeing and the Community in Wirral - Personal Assistant Wirral -
- Jenny Jones
- Apr 20
- 11 min read
Welcome to PODPORA in Wirral! Personal Assistant Service
Personal Assistant Wirral
Health, Well-Being and the Community.
Personal Assistant Wirral
Hello, my name is Jenny and welcome to my blog.
I'm a Personal Assistant and I live and work in Wirral.
I have written this blog as I want to help change the narrative and the labels society give's people, working and living in our communities.
I have called myself a Personal Assistant as I want to remove the stigma and change the perception of what support and help in the community is and who provides this.
Traditionally provided by social services the NHS and care agencies, a one size fits all approach.
We will all need some help and support at some time in our lives, I know I have but we can find it difficult asking others for help. I'm still learning how to do that, I'm a work in progress!
I believe we need to approach supporting people in a holistic way.
I'm a Personal Assistant I help and support all people regardless of their background, status or need. I try and empower that person to live a healthy and fulfilled life, whatever that means to the individual.
My priority is the client and their person-centred individual need and being able to have the time and focus for that person.
The previous roles I have worked in my career have changed over the years and workloads have increased three to four times they had been in the previous years of my career, I have worked in the Healthcare services for over 27 years.
There is now more of an emphasis on paperwork, red tape and ticking boxes for the 'organisation' and meeting KPIs. Large workloads and dealing with hundreds of people This waters down the support you can actually give each person, which was very frustrating for me.
We all understand the functions of these processes in place and to be professional, but I felt it was the sole focus of my work and most of my time was taken up with paperwork.
For me to actually support people I had to go above and beyond go the 'extra mile' they like to call it. Which basically meant I had to work till late doing overtime, to meet a client's needs fully, rightly so my job was to make sure the person I'm supporting is safe and their needs met.
I want my full attention to be on the person and what matters to them and feel this has been lost in the systems I worked in for many years.
I have worked in the health care sector for over 25 years in Wirral and Cheshire.
I have seen many changes in the many different services I worked in and some of the changes are not for the better.
As a student nurse I worked on hospital wards in Arrowe Park Hospital and Countess of Chester, in the community and in GP surgeries.
The changes I have seen over the years have either stagnated or services such as health promotion in the NHS which was ringfenced by the government has slowly been contracted out to private companies in the community.
This has been especially prevalent in the last 12 years. And health promotion and disease prevention has been desperately underfunded and neglected within the framework of the NHS.
I believe in Health promotion, and I bring this to my work. Health Promotion is defined by the WHO as, 'The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behaviour towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions. As a core function of public health, health promotion supports governments, communities and individuals to cope with and address health challenges.
Some of the services and systems in place are no longer serving the people it is meant to serve.
This is not the fault of the people working in those services.
Much respect to those who serve and want to help and support all people.
As they say, blame the system not the people working in it.
They are doing their best in sometimes very difficult situations.
I believe that people living in the community are slowly having to move away from relying on the health service for all their health needs, as this is not viable moving forward and especially in the world we live in today.
Local community organisations and charities have taken more of a role in our community and volunteering services are filing some of the gaps in services. But there is only so much they can do and there are many people needing help in the community and services are struggling to meet that need.
People like me are needed to help in the community and work alongside these services,
I hope that more self-employed people, carers, support workers, HCAs develop and provide more services in the community and build businesses and start-ups over the coming years to help meet the needs of the community.
We are now more self-empowered and more informed than ever before. Due to the internet and the amount of information available at the click of a button.
As long as the resources we read are from informed people and places.
We can now learn for ourselves and those around us that we can do for our health, and well-being which is informed by reliable research and knowledge helping improve our health, longevity and wellbeing. You can now listen to podcasts from leading experts and lived experience which is so insightful to me and helps me understand health and wellbeing like never before.
We can then only need to use services when we are unwell and unable to manage the conditions, we are experiencing which will need medical intervention. The NHS is good at informing us, dealing with serious health issues, emergencies and operations.
But before we get to that place, we can do the best we can, to prevent having to use these services until absolutely necessary.
I believe prevention as much as possible rather then letting things get to crisis point.
Healthy lifestyles, an emphasis on wellbeing, is the way forward. What works for one person may not help another so its finding what works best for you.
Balance is the key we still need to be able to enjoy life but stressful day to day living can be difficult. Especially in today's society with all the pressures on people and meeting day-to-day needs is becoming more and more difficult. And the cost of living crisis happening in our local community.
These living conditions and stressful life events can affect how much we drink, eat and our alcohol intake and other addictions, can help to relieve stress, but can sometimes start to affect our health and wellbeing in the long-term.
I believe in doing the best we can and sometimes we all need a bit of support and not everyone has access or the finances to do some activities but there is always something we can all do.
I say all this from a place of struggle as I find it difficult at times and have health issues.
But do my best to manage my health and wellbeing. I do meditate and practice mindfulness, but probably not enough as I should!
I eat healthy as much as possible I don't enjoy the gym but prefer to walk and I walk in nature at least a few times a week.
Being active (Whatever that means to you personally we all have different levels of mobility and access to health activities).
I try and be active in the week by walking in nature and what I can at weekends but this doesn't always happen!
Like I said I'm doing my best and trying my best and that's good enough for me.
We can only do what we can and that fits in with our lifestyles doing your best is what counts and small steps can have a good impact on our health.
I always think what good can I add to my life and not remove 'bad' things, as this helps lower negative thoughts that can come with feeling restricted and going 'without' something.
We can add more fruit, vegetables and fibre to our meals and drink more water and be active, whatever that means to you.
Live Well NHS suggests being active around 150 minutes a week or around 20 minutes a day, which can help to improve health and wellbeing.
Personal Assistant Wirral
Community Connection
I believe in community support, help and connection and we should try and help and support each other and bring the skills we all have to each situation.
We need to feel a sense of connection a sense of belonging that relieves the effects of loneliness, and isolation especially for older people and young people in our communities.
Maslow Hierarchy of needs shows we need to meet are basic needs food, water, warmth, shelter and safety should be available to all people and I believe it is a human right.
Personal Assistant Wirral
There are also six human needs for emotional and psychological health also:
Certainty
Variety
Significance
Love/Connection
Growth
Contribution
If we can meet each need or find the time and balance in our lives to maintain some of them, most of them cost nothing.
We can improve our health, wellbeing and happiness and for those around us.
The research shows that if we can work on our mental health, wellbeing and meet our psychological needs. Lifestyle choices, health and feeling well will all follow naturally.
As some people including myself use 'junk needs' i.e. sugar, buying stuff, social media, drugs and alcohol etc, to help manage our mental health and our psychological distress and stress.
According to Wirral Intelligence Service GPs prevalence rates scores Hypertension has the highest disease prevalence in Wirral.
Depression is second highest, higher than cancer, diabetes and all other prevalent diseases in Wirral, that shocked me that mental health is the second biggest in prevalence in Wirral.
This show's mental health is now one of the big issues in our community, more services are needed to be able to manage the amount of people it needs to serve.
Mental Health Resources:
T:0151 5122200
**NOTE CWP - NHS
If your mental or emotional state quickly gets worse or deteriorates, this can be called a ‘mental health crisis’. In this situation, it is important to get help quickly.
Please call 0800 145 6485 and our dedicated local staff will support you to access the help you need. The phone line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is open to people of all ages, including children and young people.
Alternatively, the Shout text messaging service is also available if you are unable to call. Text 'BLUE' to 85258 to start a conversation, via text, with a trained volunteer, who will provide free and confidential support.
You should still call 999 or go to A&E if you have an immediate, life-threatening emergency requiring mental or physical health assistance.
Social prescribing is now more prevalent in GP surgeries, at its core, Social Prescribing is a way for local agencies to refer people to a link worker.
Who give people time, focusing on ‘what matters to me’ and taking a holistic approach to people’s health and wellbeing. They connect people to community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support.
It has shown to reduce health and mental health issues and improve wellbeing, prescribing medications alone doesn't always appear to help alone and the holistic approach to support people is part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
As a Personal Assistant I want to be able to reach out to all people living in the community and provide a sense of togetherness, feeling seen and a valued person, included and a part of the community.
There are many deprived areas in Wirral, and I believe we should bring these areas up and not leave them and the people living there behind.
Society needs to be fairer, equal and if we look after the people in our community, our community we look after us.
That means everyone is an individual with individual needs and one size does not fit all.
We need a variety of resources, support and do the things that makes us happier and healthier as an individual.
It's the small steps that over time makes a difference and can help our mental health.
We know the number of people with mental health problems is increasing and the effects of the recent pandemic has had a lasting effect on mental health and a serious issue in society.
And will continue to affect people over the next ten years according to research conducted by the NHS.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-mental-health-and-wellbeing-surveillance-report.
The People's Health Alliance - Is a new initiative and they provide lots of information on their website. They run health hubs in the community its principles are interesting and a new approach to health for the people by the people.
The People's Health Alliance:
Our Principles
We take personal responsibility for our own health;
We work collaboratively, together, as practitioner and patient;
We are all equals regardless of our role;
We believe access to healthcare is a right, not a privilege;
We welcome everyone;
We embrace an integrative approach to health;
We acknowledge the role of nature in healing;
We recognise the importance of preventative care
There are FREE programmes on the website they give practical guides and information this is a short list below of what is on the health programme please visit the website for more in depth information.
Healing Protocol Covers:
Gut Microbiome - Digestion and Diet -Intermittent Fasting
Meditation - Being Present - Mantra -Music
Water - and Herbal Teas
Sunlight - Morning exposure
Connection - Human and Nature
Deep Breathing
Exercise - Muscle/Strength -Weights -Resistance-Stretching
Heat - Cold Exposure
Humming - Singing
Healthy weight
Hobbies
Relaxation -Chill-Taking time for yourself-Aromatherapy
Physical Therapies - Massage-EFT-Yoga
Home - Tidy -Comfortable
There are many free step-by-step guides to empower better health that can be downloaded easily.
The website is very informative and is definitely worth a visit.
There is still stigma and judgement of mental health issues and wellbeing, and the pandemic has shown that mental health can affect anyone, from any background and it does not discriminate in anyway.
Wellbeing to me is trying to get the right balance in our life, this is individual to the person and is also psychological and emotional health. And although we can do many things for ourselves by ourselves.
We should be able to reach out and ask for help, just being in the presence of someone who listens and respects you and who you can trust, is sometimes, is all that is needed to help with healing and improve wellbeing and outlook.
Wellbeing is a state of being comfortable, healthy or happy.
This can sometimes be underneath and subconscious and out of everyday existence and our awareness.
Due to illness, stress, mental health issues and trauma.
It can be found and is available to all of us, it just needs to be activated, felt and seen, recognised and supported.
Taking some time to nurture that part of ourselves that costs nothing, but needs some time out, reflection and self-care, is needed as an individual and as a community.
To revive and heal, felt and is present in all of us, is what makes life feel full, joyful and vibrant and is part of being human!
Lasting Change
I feel my purpose is to engage, support and help all people in our community regardless of the issues that person faces.
The first step is to acknowledge the problem and then ask for help, which is probably the hardest thing to do for most people, including myself. But I've learnt it is an important part of making positive changes and start to happen, in our lives.
I hope to help people on their journey of health recovery, wellbeing and healing whatever that means to each person and always on their own terms and empowered by self and the support of others when needed.
Mission Statement
At Podpora, my vision is to provide support and help to anyone living in Wirral and the surrounding areas.
Promoting health and wellbeing, serving others that will make a positive impact and difference to people living in my community.
Thank you for your time in reading my story!
Jenny
M: 07368 916600
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