Self-Care

A visit to the dentist may not be as high on your wish list as a visit to a day spa, but it’s important. And it does mean taking a break to do something for yourself, which makes it a kind of respite. 

• Get health and dental checks
  Prevention is better than cure. So make time to keep on top of your health needs.
  Visit your doctor each year or two for a Warrant of Fitness – and get your blood pressure, cholesterol and other wellbeing measures checked. Line up for the annual flu vaccination – it’s free for many people (check out the ‘Fight Flu’ website). And look after your teeth. Better to get a regular checkup than to wait until something major (and painful and expensive) crops up.
• Quit smoking
  The number one thing you can do to improve your health if you smoke is to quit. You’re five times more likely to quit successfully if you get help from a service like Quitline. Visit the website to find out about phone, online and text support. They also offer heavily subsidised smoking cessation aids, including nicotine patches, gum or lozenges.
• Care safely
  Caring can be hard physically and it’s easy to injure yourself, especially if you’re supporting someone who has reduced mobility and needs help to move around or adjust their body position. Make sure you keep yourself safe when lifting or moving the person you support. Remember, it’s about technique not brute strength. Give yourself a refresher by reading our article about how to lift and transfer safely .
• Check your home for safety hazards
  ‘Safe as houses’, or so the saying goes – especially if you take steps to prevent injuries at home. ACC has good information about ways to stay safe at home at its website.