The health of the nation

YOUR health is your wealth and, as they used to say in the good old days, it shouldn’t be traded for “all the tea in China”.

We all know how precious good health is but far too much is taken for granted in the way we live our lives, with little thought given to the risks of falling into ill-health. Even those who stay fit and active and adhere to a healthy diet do so primarily for their own well-being and the major health benefits are effectively seen as a by-product.
The truth is the average person takes every day as it comes until illness strikes or a routine test uncovers something to be concerned about. Taking personal reponsibility for decisions and actions that can affect our health is, however, a critical element of healthcare, a point hightlighted by Health Minister, Dr James Reilly this week.
Over the years, there have been major campaigns in relation to the risks of smoking, excess alcohol, over-eating and lack of exercise. Each has been quite effective in its own right but still, as a nation, Ireland has a long way to go in terms of getting a clean bill of health.
The new Government has decided an all-encomassing approach is needed to prod the public consciousness. After all, two-thirds of chronic disease could be prevented if we just changed our lifestyle and avoid unnecessary risk factors, Dr James Reilly said this week. He was speaking at the launch of Your Health is Your Wealth: a Policy Framework for a Healthier Ireland 2012–2020.
The priority being given to this initiative can be gleaned from the fact that Dr Reilly was joined by Frances Fitzgerald, the Minister for Children, and Ministers of State Róisín Shortall and Kathleen Lynch at the Dublin launch.
The Government’s aim is to help people live healthier and more fulfilling lives and to create social conditions that ensure good health, on equal terms for the entire population.
“The need for a new, enhanced public health policy is clear,” said Minister Reilly. “It is a sobering thought that approximately two-thirds of chronic disease could be prevented if we just changed our lifestyle and avoided unnecessary risk factors. Consider the enormous suffering that could be avoided if we were to remove those factors. In other words, it’s up to us as individuals to take responsibility for our life choices and it’s also up to us as a society to make our environment safer and the right choice easier to make.”
Minister Frances Fitzgerald singled out the growing problem of childhood obesity as a particular area of interest for her personally, while Minister of State Róisín Shortall said a sustained multi-sectoral approach to the alcohol epidemic, backed by a strong political and societal consensus, is required to reduce alcohol consumption level. Minister of State Kathleen Lynch highlighted the issue of including mental health as part of an overall public health policy.
A keynote speaker at the programe launch, Zsuzsanna Jakab, World Health Organisation regional director for Europe, reminded people of a definition of public health.
“Sir Donald Acheson famously wrote that ‘Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through organised efforts of society’.”
It will be extremely difficult for the Government to walk the tightrope between overseeing cuts across a range of health services and programmes and creating a healthier society. The objective of Your Health is Your Wealth is unquestionably laudable but time will tell if it can be turned into reality.

Carers in failing health
IT’S ironic that in the same week as the Minister for Health launched Your Health is Your Wealth, a new local study has revealed Clare family carers are suffering from failing health.
Dr James Reilly notes two-thirds of chronic disease could be prevented if we just changed our lifestyle and avoided unnecessary risk factors. All very fine but how many of Clare’s 4,500 carers can take a step back from what they are doing and enjoy some quality “me time”.
They have taken lifestyle choices that they know are detrimental to their health but they are prepared to keep going, as funding and services shrink.
In response to a study commissioned by Ennis-based Caring for Carers Ireland, family carers reported, “significant health conditions, compromising their ability to provide long-term care for a dependant”.
The study, which involved 140 carers, found stress and failing health is commonplace among local carers. It warned many carers do not find time to look after their own health on a preventative basis or attend a doctor when feeling unwell.
There are many carers we are aware of in communities all over Clare whose health is barely better than those they are struggling to look after. This is reflected in the information collated for the study.
One-to-one interviews were carried out with 17 family carers, with an average age of 75 years, approximately equal to the average age of the general sample surveyed. Just under half of those interviewed had significant diagnosed health conditions that compromise their capacity to care. Almost a quarter of them reported that they are very stressed or “down”, “depressed” or “demoralised”.
Of the 17 family carers, six cannot leave the person they care for alone at any time and five can only leave them for a maximum of one hour. Half of the group said they either have no friends or just one friend.
Social isolation and loneliness also drags Clare carers down. Focus group participants outlined the time-consuming demands of their caring function, the way it disconnects them from previous social networks and the lack of ongoing respite opportunities.
The study identified that 71% of family carers of older people ranked their social life as either non-existent, very little, or confined to attending Caring for Carers group meetings.
The recent Prime Time Investigates programme gave a disturbing insight into the lives of carers and highlighted how they are saving the State millions of euro on the provision of residential and hospital facilities. For those who qualify for a carer’s allowance, it’s the equivalent of  €1.20 an hour for a 24-7 job. Carers need better support and soon, if not, one after one they will be transferred to the list of those in need of urgent care.