As the country moves into Phase 2 of the Roadmap to reopen the country the #InThisTogether Wellbeing campaign
from the Department of Health and the HSE will continue to be on the airwaves in June.
The website is www.gov.ie/together and the radio adverts can be found here and include new ads which are being aired on national and local radio relating to:
1. Social distancing and disability – keeping in mind people with disabilities, including the visually impaired
2. Sleep – advice for people experiencing disturbed sleep at this time
3. ‘Small Walk’ – advice for people who are worried about getting back out and about or may be feeling unsteady on their feet
Family Carers Ireland – offering family carers free counselling sessions
As a carer, there are times when mental health and emotional well-being may be challenged due to a combination of the demands of a caring role, and the additional worries of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family Carers Ireland offer help to family carers, as they believe no one should have to care alone. They have developed a free, short-term online and phone counselling service for family carers, and will connect carers with a qualified counsellor from a panel of approved professionals.
The service can be accessed through the website or through the National Freephone Careline on 1800 24 07 24.
Online Mental Health Supports – As part of their on-going collaboration with HSE Mental Health, Silvercloud Health has made four of their online mental health and wellbeing programs free to access for all health sector staff and volunteers. The four programs cover:
Stress; Sleep; Resilience; and Challenging Times, and were developed in response to COVID-19. These programs, which are self directed, feature evidence based content in a series of modules that draw on well-established interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy. The HSE and Silvercloud want to ensure that the wider health sector can avail of the programs. To find out more and to access the content, please visit the dedicated landing page and please remember to use the access code HSE2020. Further information on minding your mental health during Covid-19 can be found here.
COVID-19 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communications Resources
For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, communicating in a health setting such as a busy clinic or ward situation can be difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity for many healthcare staff to wear face masks have made communication even more difficult, especially for people who may rely on lip-reading.
The Irish Deaf Society and Chime, in partnership with the HSE, have prepared resources for use by Healthcare workers and people who are deaf or hard of hearing. These can be found here and include guidelines for staff, communication supports and videos in Irish Sign Language.
Institute of Public Health survey – The Institute of Public Health is inviting people to take part in an online anonymous international survey to help understand how people are coping during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey has been developed by the International Loneliness and Social Isolation Research Network (I-LINK) that includes the Institute of Public Health along with Ulster University, Trinity College Dublin and Maynooth University as well as colleagues from the UK, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. The intent is that the
information will help understand how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted individuals, families, communities, policies and services at both a country and global level.
See survey – https://bit.ly/36PxDg1
Public Health Information: As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/
