How you can help

Want to improve your long-term health and help our NHS? A new campaign launched is aiming to do just that and the good news is that anyone can do it

As well as rehoming, Jane also aims to educate consumers, believing that changing what people put in their shopping trolleys will eventually influence the industry to change to more free-range production. “I recommend everyone buys the best eggs they can afford, opting for organic eggs or ethical ranges such as the happy egg co. or Sainsbury’s Woodland Eggs which have tight standards of animal welfare,” she says.

She also suggests checking the ingredients’ list of products that may contain eggs such as ready-meals, quiches, pasta and mayonnaise. “If the ingredients don’t specify free-range eggs on the label, these likely come from caged hens, possibly outside the UK where there may be lower animal welfare rules.”

■ To find out more about the British Hen Welfare Trust, visit www.bhwt.org.uk If you’d like to donate, please send a cheque payable to ‘BHWT’ to:

Hope Chapel, Rose Ash, South Moulton, Devon EX36 4RF or you can give online.

He even proposed an event with a 14K race and a written essay which, not surprisingly, didn’t take off, although prizes for architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture did. These medals were abandoned in 1949 because then, Olympian participants had to be amateurs and many entering the arts categories were professionals.

e all want to know that our W loved ones are keeping safe and well, especially during these unprecedented times when we cannot see them as we would like. Chats on the phone or calls over video are a great source of comfort but of course what would be even better is to know that there’s always someone there to help them should something happen, especially if your loved one is living alone.

Alternatively, if you’re the person living on your own, you might want to find a way of letting concerned family and friends know that there’s no need to worry and that you’re safe and sound.

Handily, Eldercare offer a range of tailormade services that support your loved ones, meaning you’ve one less thing to worry about.

Eldercare’s personal alarm service offers immediate peace of mind by giving you or your loved ones an easy-to-use pendant alarm that can be worn like a necklace, on your wrist or clipped to your waistband. If you’re feeling unwell, anxious or need help in some way, there’s no numbers to remember or dial. Simply press a button and you’ll be connected to helpful, friendly staff, any time, day or night.

This means you can get the help you need immediately, and it could avoid undue upset or a hospital admission – something that’s more important than ever in the current situation.

Uniquely, expert care advice comes as complementary to Eldercare personal alarm users and their families. This service covers all aspects of care and is providing up to the minute information on care during the current crisis.

In fact, during the coronavirus pandemic, Eldercare have been there acting as the first point of contact between service users and services such as NHS 111 and the emergency services. With that in mind and the fact we’ve all been having to get used to staying away from many family and friends, there’s perhaps never been a better time to think about putting Eldercare services in place.

Take the story of Anne, 84, from Manchester. When her husband suddenly had a fall, she knew he wasn’t hurt, but also that she wouldn’t be able to pick him up on her own. “The lovely people from Eldercare were here in minutes,” she says. “They checked that he was okay, then got him back on his feet...they even made us a cup of tea. We were so glad that they were there, as without them I would have had to call an ambulance.”

In a free, no-obligation telecare assessment over the phone, Eldercare can discuss the kind of package that works best for you or your loved ones. All the services are easy-to-use and affordable, e.g. the Eldercare Personal Alarm service costs just £1.80 (exc VAT) per week

– a small price to pay, even less than household or pet insurance, but for great peace of mind in protecting your wellbeing. Many services also work automatically, so there’s no need for complicated instructions and often they can be set up the next day after ordering.

■ To find out more about Eldercare’s services, or to ask for your FREE Yours guide to helping loved ones live independently, please call

0345 603 4576 or visit eldercare.co.uk

Agreat new fitness campaign has been launched called Stand Up for the NHS. It’s free to join, only takes 30 seconds to do and can save our treasured health service millions of pounds. Move It Or Lose It founder Julie Robinson who launched the campaign explains how it works...

“The aim is to get everyone to do the sit-to-stand challenge,” says Julie. “You simply get up and down from a chair for 30 seconds and see how many you can do, then try to improve your score.

“Research has shown that by doing this simple exercise regularly and improving your score, you can drop a decade in terms of strength and mobility.”

Gaby Law (73) gave it a try and now leaves a chair out in the dining room so each time she walks past it reminds her to have another go.

“My legs feel much stronger now and hopefully when it’s time to get up to get off the bus again I will be able jump up without having to hold on. It’s such a simple exercise anyone can do at any time.”

Keeping active is more important than ever, says Julie. Many people have been confined to their homes for months, which can result in significant reductions in health and in particular loss of muscle mass and strength, which is called sarcopenia. This not only affects health and wellbeing, but costs the NHS more than £2.5 billion each year.

These costs – both to the individuals and the health service – are expected to rise significantly following months of selfisolation. Professor Sir Muir Gray, director of the Optimal Ageing Programme says: “Lockdown will lead to a deconditioning pandemic unless we do something now.

Move it or Lose It are overcoming this with their important work.”

Julie launched the campaign having seen what a huge difference sitto-stand exercises make to those who normally attend community classes. “It’s such a simple way to stay strong and boost your immune system, even though it only takes 30 seconds a day,” she says. “Having taught this exercise to thousands of people I know what a massive impact it can have on their lives. A 25 per cent improvement

in your fitness can turn back the clock by ten years. Helping people to stay strong and independent will really help to take the strain off the NHS in the future.”

Often, even those who consider themelves active, can end up spending a lot of time sitting down, whether at a computer or on the sofa.

“Even if we go out for a walk, sitting for hours at a time can undo the good,” says Julie. “New research shows we should be getting up and moving around every 30 minutes.”