Welcome to the Christmas/New Year edition of the HealthInsite e-newsletter, and a special welcome to any new subscribers! The newsletter will again be published monthly starting in February 2009.
In this edition, we'll focus on issues that have particular relevance at this time of the year: backyard pool safety, choosing lifestyle options that help you manage your blood pressure, and taking care of your mental health during this festive period.
We also welcome two more new HealthInsite Information Partners, highlight some upcoming events in 2009, and provide you with the perennially popular holiday health tips.
On behalf of my hardworking colleagues here at the HealthInsite Team, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy 2009!
According to the Royal Life Saving Society Australia, an average of 35 Australian children under the age of five drown each year and half of these kids drown in a backyard pool. So this summer, the Society is asking everyone with a backyard pool to follow a simple checklist to help avoid a tragedy.
The Society's site has information on the home pool safety campaign, as well as specific fact sheets on water safety topics including supervision, fencing, water familiarisation, and resuscitation.
HealthInsite has topic pages on Water Safety and Child Safety.
For thousands of Australians who have high blood pressure or some form of heart disease, staying healthy over the Christmas season can be difficult. People are more likely to drink more alcohol than they should, and to eat foods that are high in salt, fat, or sugar, while exercise programs often fall by the wayside.
The December 2008 edition of Australian Prescriber has an interesting article on healthy lifestyle changes for sufferers of hypertension in relation to smoking, nutrition, alcohol, and physical activity based on recently updated guidelines from the Heart Foundation.
HealthInsite has topic pages on High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), Alcohol, and Exercise.
Take care of your mental health over the holiday season
Christmas holidays are usually thought of as the time of year to relax and forget about the pressures of the year. For many Australians, the festive season can also be a time of increased stress, overwhelming pressure, disappointment, or loneliness.
One of HealthInsite's Information Partners, beyondblue, has issued a timely media release encouraging everyone to take care of themselves, their friends, and their family this holiday season. The beyondblue info line - 1300 22 4636 - will operate 24/7 over the holiday period for anyone needing information on depression, anxiety, and related drug and alcohol problems. beyondblue has also just released a new booklet, Taking care of yourself after retrenchment or financial loss, to help people look after themselves during these tough economic times.
HealthInsite has topic pages on Christmas - tips to reduce the stress, Holidays and anxiety - Q&A, The family and Christmas, and Managing grief at Christmas.
Health Calendar - December 2008
Lifeline Australia is giving music fans around Australia the chance to win a very rare commodity - tickets to the 2009 Big Day Out! As a part of Lifeline's Upbeat initiative, people can win tickets to the Big Day Out by sending an SMS to 19 19 18 describing in ten words or less what makes them happy, or what helps them stay Upbeat. For all the details and terms and conditions visit www.lifeline.org.au/upbeat.
Health Facilities Design and Development 2009, a conference about planning and designing innovative health infrastructure to surpass current and future patient needs, is to be held in Brisbane from 17 - 20 February, 2009.
Chronic Disease Management , the second annual conference and showcase where global leaders in chronic disease management meet with Australasia's health leaders to learn, network and form relationships will be held in Sydney from 6 - 8 April 2009.
And the inaugural Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) National Conference, The Right Stuff, will be held in Melbourne from 30 April - 2 May 2009.
