12 September 2023
 Friendly faces: Kate Sergeant from The Alzheimer's Society presents Hounslow Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Transformation, Councillor Samia Chaudhary with the recently secured dementia-friendly certificate.
The London Borough of Hounslow has been recognised for its achievements in supporting people who are living with dementia through a major national accolade.
The borough has been awarded Dementia Friendly Community status by The Alzheimer’s Society.
A Dementia Friendly Community is a place that creates an environment where people living with dementia will be confident that they can contribute to community life. Hounslow joins 433 communities across the country who have earned the Dementia Friendly title.
Some of the initiatives that are being pioneered in Hounslow include regular memory cafes for people living with dementia and their carers to enjoy group activities and speak to people on a similar journey. There are Singing for the Brain sessions and regular outdoor-themed events such as dementia-friendly walks.
Find out more about the support available for people living with dementia by clicking the link below.
 During the colder months, flu and Covid-19 spread more easily as we spend more time indoors. These viruses can have a serious impact on people’s health, which can lead to time in hospital and even death. If you’re eligible, getting your vaccine will help protect you and those around you over the winter months.
From this month onwards, the NHS will be contacting people who are eligible for these vaccinations to come forward for them.
Those most at risk, including adult care home residents, will be the first priority. Other groups eligible for both flu and Covid-19 vaccines include those aged 65+, people with lower immunity, and those in their household.
People who are pregnant are also strongly encouraged to book their flu jab. This will help protect you and your baby and can be done at any stage of pregnancy.
Children aged 2 – 17 will be offered the flu nasal spray or vaccine, and those in school will have the option to have it during their school day.
If you are contacted by the NHS to have your Covid-19 and flu vaccination, please come forward to have them. For more details, FAQs and eligibility information click below.
 To help create awareness around asthma, the national #AskAboutAsthma campaign is keen to bust myths surrounding this respiratory disease and how it impacts children and young people.
As some people wrongly believe they only need their blue inhaler.
The truth is people with asthma need to carry their blue inhaler for emergencies only. But daily preventer inhalers will help to keep symptoms at bay, learn more here
Secondly, another misconception is, ‘Asthma Is not a serious disease". "It’s only asthma...”.
Many people wrongly think asthma is not a serious disease, this is not the case. Many children and young people have badly managed asthma, with over 20,000 admitted to hospital every year in England. Over four per cent of these patients have such a severe episode that they have to be admitted to intensive care.
Help to support your child by learning more about asthma today.
 HOT Team is here: pictured outside the new Health Outreach Team shop are Kudi Sahle, Susan Colwell, Mayor of Hounslow Councillor Afzaal Kiani, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Transformation Councillor Samia Chaudhary, Jaz Gill, Andrea Gale and Norma Stewart.
A trip to the shops could now work wonders for your health and wellbeing thanks to Hounslow’s Health Outreach Team (HOT).
The Council-backed team was formed during the coronavirus pandemic to support residents in staying safe and getting their vaccinations.
Since then the work of the team has grown to include all kinds of health and wellbeing support and guidance to help everyone in Hounslow feel better.
The team is regularly out and about at venues across the borough thanks to its very own roving outreach bus.
It provides services such as blood pressure checks, information about services like stop smoking support and collaborates with a variety of services such as sexual health, social prescribing, and Healthy Hounslow.
And you don’t have to wait for the HOT to come to you because you can visit the team at their dedicated shop premises within Hounslow’s Treaty Centre.
You can find the Health Outreach Team shop at Unit 18 in The Treaty Centre, on Hounslow High Street.
The Health Outreach Team shop is open Tuesday to Friday - 10am to 6pm and Saturday - 9am to 5pm.
 Hounslow Council has awarded over £300,000 to 15 voluntary groups as part of its Thriving Communities Funding.
Among the beneficiaries are six disability centred projects, who have been given nearly £147,000. These include two dedicated to autism, a swimming club for people with dementia*, buddying for those isolated through disability and two that alleviate practical issues associated with disability, including the support of carers who may be overwhelmed with related paperwork.
Four projects around young people and families worth nearly £70,000 have also been awarded, including an initiative focused on ending violence against women and girls and an innovative partnership with RollaDome org, (pictured) that seeks to increase the employability of young people not in education or employment.
Funding for the Thriving Communities Fund is provided through the Local Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the Community Partnerships Unit (CPU) and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). Over £600,000 has been awarded so far this calendar year.
 Falls at home can have serious consequences for older people including hip fractures and other injuries.
Hounslow Council wants to support people in our borough who are aged 65 and over to lead safer, confident and independent lives by helping them to reduce the risk of falls at home.
The Council works in partnership with Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare (HRCH) to provide the borough’s Falls Prevention and Bone Health Service.
This free service helps people understand the risk of falling in their homes and provides them with information and guidance on how to reduce these risks.
Anyone who is over 65 and has fallen or is concerned about falling can self-refer to the service. That means you can speak to your GP about it or give the team a call and they will take it from there.
If you are concerned about falling at home or are worried about a friend or family member, you can speak to your GP or call the Hounslow Falls Prevention Service directly on 020 8614 5490 or email: hrch.hounslowfallsservice@nhs.net
 Hounslow’s Addiction Recovery Community (ARC) is hosting a special open day on Wednesday, 20 September to celebrate International Recovery Month.
It will be a chance for members of the public and other interested parties to visit the service, meet with staff and experience some of the interventions on offer first-hand.
You can find out more about people’s journeys through ARC by reading their testimonials and check your liver health with a free scan.
The event also offers the chance for people to meet and talk with a range of professionals, including Hounslow’s Alcohol Care Team, the Criminal Justice Team and the Young People’s Service. Refreshments will be provided.
The event is open for anyone to attend and will run from 1pm until 4pm on Wednesday, 20 September at the ARC, Montague Hall, Montague Road, Hounslow, TW3, 1LD.
If you would like to attend, please email stefani.nagpal1@nhs.net before Sunday, 17 September to confirm your place.
 The NHS is asking for your help to shape how breast cancer screening services are delivered in Hounslow.
We want to understand your experiences of using breast cancer screening services, as well as what you think we need to do to improve these services in the future.
Anyone registered with a GP as female will be invited for NHS breast screening every three years between the ages of 50 and 70. When going for a breast cancer screening, the screening service will use a test called a mammogram, which takes x-rays of the breasts. This screening can help to detect breast cancers early, when they may be too small to feel or see.
The current evidence suggests that breast screening saves the lives of about 1,300 people every year in the UK.
That’s why it’s so important women feel comfortable attending breast cancer screening, and that we do all we can to make sure that these services are delivered in a way that makes it as easy as possible for people to attend.
Please tell us your thoughts by completing the survey - click here.
All information provided will be anonymous.
This survey will close on 1 October 2023.
 Heart and circulatory disease, also known as cardiovascular disease, causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK.
Heart attack symptoms and signs can vary from person to person. The most common symptoms are squeezing across the chest of a feeling of unease.
But symptoms don’t always feel severe – lesser-known symptoms include a feeling of pressure or heaviness across your chest, shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain without any chest pain.
That’s why the NHS is encouraging people to recognise the potential signs of a heart attack, so if you or somebody you’re with experience any symptoms, you can access help as quickly as possible.
Despite heart attacks more frequently affecting men, around 30,000 women are admitted to hospital following a heart attack each year in the UK.
Women’s risk of heart attack increases after menopause, so it’s really important to take these symptoms seriously.
It’s never too early to call 999 and describe your symptoms. If you think you or somebody you’re with is having a heart attack, don’t be tempted to wait to see what happens. The faster you seek medical assistance, the better your chances.
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