Once we reach our fifties and older our lifestyle starts to change. Generally we are freed from the responsibilities of looking after our own small children (although we may still have grandparenting duties on a regular basis) and we start to think more about how to organise our lives to better meet our own needs and wants, rather than other people’s.

For some of us, this re-think may involve looking at the way we spend our time, especially as energy levels start to drop a little and the sheer boredom of doing things over and over again starts to kick in. This certainly can be the case with particular tasks like cleaning, where we may decide that the time has come to pay someone else either to do it, or at least to give us a hand.

If this is the first time you’ve employed a cleaner, or you haven’t done so for a while, it’s worth giving some thought at the outset to exactly what you want, before you go down the route of being persuaded by what other people want to provide.

There are three simple questions that you need to think through:

What for? This relates to exactly what you want cleaning, what you mean by “cleaning” and what you want a cleaner for (i.e. why?).  It could be that you want someone just to clean your windows, or to come in only to clean your kitchen and bathroom/s.  You may be happy to do regular “deep cleaning” e.g. cleaning the oven and shower until they’re showroom bright, yourself and only want someone to come and keep them and the general surroundings up to scratch thereafter.

If your requirement is “to clean the whole house” – what does that actually involve? Write a list, room by room, of what you actually want to see done. If it involves any areas outside the house itself, e.g. doorsteps, driveway, patio, make sure you include them too.

How often? This is closely linked to the first question. Some people would prefer a cleaner to come every day to keep on top of things while others like a more extensive, once a week clean. Others are happy to do the ongoing, light stuff themselves, just getting someone in every few months to do a real spring-clean (even if it’s the middle of winter).

How much? This question relates less to the extent of the job (which you will have already addressed under question one) and more to your total budget. Although the majority of cleaners do provide excellent value for money, cleaning does take time and if you want absolutely everything to be pristine all of the time, it may prove expensive. A better approach is to set a figure that you would be happy to spend and accept that “good enough” is usually good enough.

Finding your ideal

Now you’ve got this far you can go out and get some estimates. Don’t be embarrassed about talking to several different people or companies, and do check out references and insurance details.

Remember this will ideally be a medium- to long-term relationship so you need to feel you will get on with the person/people and that you could trust them in your home.

Ask your neighbours and friends for recommendations if they employ someone good but remember that you may feel awkward about terminating the arrangement should it all go wrong if your neighbour or friend is still happy with them.

Another good way of finding a “treasure” is to put an advertisement on a local noticeboard or jobsite, clearly stating what you are looking for.

Particularly if you are finding a cleaner for an elderly relative, neighbour or friend, it’s important to establish an absolutely clear agreement at the outset about what is and isn’t covered by the work, and additional factors such as access arrangements, extra jobs, and cancellation on either side due to unforseen circumstances.

And don’t rely on a conversation – write it down and make sure all parties sign up to it!

http://www.inmyprime.info  Click here to access more useful information for the over 50s from in my prime.

If you love it, you probably have to stop yourself rearranging the furniture and painting the walls a new shade every week.

However if you’re like many over 50s and you just see it as a bore and a chore, then this article could be for you.

It’s easy to see why many older people dislike decorating. We’ve simply done it too often. When we were young it was exciting to decorate our own place and demonstrate our self-expression and DIY skills. However, over the years as things have needed repainting and maintaining on an all too regular basis, the shine has worn off.

Even if you don’t “do it yourself”, the thought of having to get in the decorators yet again with all the upheaval, mess and expense that it entails can definitely be an off-putting thought.

Keeping up appearances

Now is the time of life when it’s important to keep on top of things. You don’t want tired, dingy surroundings to reflect badly on you, making you appear older than you are. And you don’t want to let things deteriorate to such a degree that what might once have been a freshening up exercise eventually becomes a huge restoration project.

If you own your own home it’s even more important to keep your décor up to scratch because your house is probably your biggest financial asset. Okay, you may not be anticipating moving any time soon but it’s crucial to keep things up to the mark in anticipation of the day you may want to sell.

Top tips for action

If your décor is in distress you could do worse than following these tips to help you get started and boost your motivation:

De-clutter and clean. This will help you see the wood for the trees. Once you’ve cleared out some of those many items that have mysteriously accumulated over the years and have given the room a good clean, you’ll get a whole new perspective on what needs (or perhaps doesn’t need) doing.

Agree a style. I say “agree” because unless you live alone, there will be one or more other people who will want to have a say about what the new décor should look like. Make sure you do this at the outset and spend some time on it. There’s nothing worse than having to do it all over again because one of you didn’t agree with the other’s choice.

Measure and estimate. Once you’ve decided what you want or need, measure up properly – either to get accurate estimates for getting the work done, or to ensure that you buy the right amount of paint, wallpaper, etc. Again, there’s nothing sadder than finding yourself a roll of wallpaper short when there’s no more of that batch left to be had.

 Investigate tools and techniques. Like all else in life, decorating products and techniques constantly evolve and there are undoubtedly many exciting new goods and finishes available now that you may not be aware of. Many of them are designed to go on easier and last longer – so it’s worth doing your research.

Think “safety first”. Don’t think that a rickety old ladder will do or take a chance on working round dodgy electrics. It will be the most expensive mistake you’ve made if it all goes wrong.  So invest in the best equipment you can afford, get in the experts for specialist work – and enjoy the peace of mind.

Vow to keep on top of things in future. Experts recommend doing one or two rooms a year. That way you’re never faced with too much disruption or expense or find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what needs doing.

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The biggest barrier to improving the health of older people isn’t knowledge, money, or skill. It’s the killer phrase “I’m too old to change now”.  When applied to just about anything in life, that isn’t a reason, it’s a pathetic excuse. And when it comes to healthy eating it’s just WRONG.

Medical research abounds on the damage we do to ourselves through poor eating and the often astounding improvements that can be made if we change our habits, treat ourselves as well as we should, and make healthy eating an ongoing priority.

Those two words essentially encapsulate what eating healthily is all about:

1. Ongoing: Eating healthily has to be sustained mission. Perfection is difficult to achieve and even more difficult to sustain, but you have to be prepared to try and eat healthily the majority of the time, all the time from now on.  Most people fail because of a quick-fix mindset. They force themselves to eat things they don’t really like with an attitude that implies short-termism (i.e. “I’ll go back to eating what I really like when I’ve improved my health”).
2. It has to be a priority. Your health really is your most precious asset in later life. Not only for now, but for the future. Again a great deal of research shows that taking care of your body now will help prevent many degenerative and impairing diseases that we tend to regard as inevitable or a matter of chance later on (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, cancer). Prioritising means taking time to plan, shop and eat healthily and to enjoy doing so. It really is that important.

You may have a particular reason why you want to eat healthily (e.g. an illness or disorder) or you may just decide that you need to make some improvements to your current eating habits. Either way, what is sure is that deciding to adopt healthy eating habits will provide you with more energy, fewer minor ailments (e.g colds), and very probably reduced weight and smaller food bills. And that’s all before you start to consider the individual benefits that you would like to achieve.

There’s a lot to be considered if you are thinking about making radical changes to your eating habits at this time of life but this simple six step framework for healthy eating is a good place to start:

1. Research: Find out for yourself the facts about healthy eating: what to eat, what to avoid, how to go about it, and the likely benefit. Speak to your doctor and get their advice about exactly what you should do.
2. Plan: You need to look at your lifestyle: what you eat when, your energy slumps and weak spots, the restrictions of your other daily activities. Eating healthily will invariably mean changing some of your other habits so that you don’t find yourself giving into temptation and going back to your old ways.
3. Set goals: Eating healthily doesn’t necessarily mean losing weight although for many of us that is a good goal. That aside you may want to set goals around feeling less tired, getting rid of a nagging ailment, improving your mood, reducing your blood pressure … whatever will make a real difference for you.
4. Persevere: Things are always easy at the start, but making a major change like altering the eating habits of a lifetime is not going to be easy and you will probably experience intermittent disappointments, failure, and “going off the rails”. Expect this and just vow to get over it and keep on trying.
5. Monitor your progress: Set yourself some milestones and ideally have someone else who will take an interest in how you are getting on. Even the smallest of achievements can make a BIG difference to your ongoing motivation.
6. Be realistic: For all that we wish it might be different, the regrettable fact is that major change takes time. In fact when you’re changing your eating habits you may find that things seem to be worse for a while, for example you might have headaches, bad skin, or just feel depressed or “out of sorts”. Of course, if there’s a major problem you should seek medical advice, but by and large it will just be your body readjusting itself. How long that takes is an individual matter, so just remember to be realistic and don’t expect miracles over night.

One of the wonders of eating healthily over time is how much you suddenly start to appreciate the different subtle tastes and textures of food and drink and how much you really come to value the joy of eating. And oddly enough, many of what once were your “favourite foods” which are high in sugar, fat and empty calories no longer seem very appealing…

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When you’re over 50 you need to give additional thought to how your household’s bathroom usage may have changed from when you were younger, and what you might want from a bathroom in future. And as the bathroom market has undoubtedly changed radically since last you bought one, you need to spend plenty of time at the outset, researching what equipment is now available.

There’s a huge amount to consider and ultimately everything has to fit together – conceptually and practically.  But following these few tips should help ensure that you end up flushed with success rather than watching your dreams going down the pan:

1. Agree a budget: The bathroom is definitely an area where you can spend anything from a reasonable sum to an absolute fortune, so before you start looking set a budget – and resolve that whatever happens you will not exceed it by more than 10%. This is crucial – if you leave this stage until you start looking, you’ll be swept away by all the marvellous items on offer and end up spending far, far more than you ever intended.
2. Discuss your wants and needs: Unless you live alone there will undoubtedly be at least one other person whose views need taking into account in planning your new bathroom. They will have opinions on how much you should spend (see above), what bathroom fittings you should have, how they should be positioned, and the overall style of the bathroom (contemporary, cosy, classic).  It’s essential to reach agreement about all of this at the outset, not part way through.
3. Identify the essentials: Now you’re older, you possibly don’t have to take certain practicalities into account in the same way you did when you had young children or a more frenetic working lifestyle. You may want a bigger bath now to allow for longer soaks, or indeed you may decide that you prefer showers these days and dispense with a bath altogether. Don’t choose anything automatically.
4. Look to the future: If you’re in your fifties or sixties you’re a long way from being old yet, but assuming that you’re planning on staying in your house, it is worth considering possible future changes. These are likely to concern issues relating to mobility and stability, which may have implications regarding bathroom access and safety. Often minor modifications can be made easily to existing equipment to allow for this and it’s worth having this conversation with your bathroom equipment supplier at the outset. Also, if you ever get to the stage of needing assistance you need to make sure you have allowed sufficient room for manoeuvre.
5. Cleaning and maintenance: A luxurious, health-boosting bathroom is a spotless bathroom, and unless you’re in the fortunate position of employing a cleaner, that means that you need to consider how easy your bathroom will be to keep clean. At this age, it’s not so much a matter of your physical ability to clean but the fact that you’ve undoubtedly got a lot more interesting things to do.  So think hard about any bits of equipment that are likely to leak, break or become loose or unstable. Look into easy care walls and flooring and ensure that you install good lighting.
6. Sensible storage:  We all have lots of bathroom “stuff” of one sort or another, and we need to be able to find it easily and keep it tidy. Having good storage in terms of cupboards (and where possible go for something much larger than the normal small bathroom cupboard), and built-in storage bins that can also double as seating, can be invaluable for both stashing your stuff and keeping surfaces clear and easy to clean.
7. Stay calm: Unfortunately choosing and installing a new bathroom always seems to involve a certain amount of stress and disruption.  Reduce the possibility of things going wrong by actively project managing the job and checking and re-checking in advance that everything and everyone will be in place on time.

When it comes to it, take the attitude that this is just a challenge to be got through, make lots of tea (assuming the water is still on) and ensure you’ve arranged with family, friends or neighbours to use their facilities if needs be.  It will be worth it in the end.

http://www.inmyprime.info   Click here for more useful information for the over 50s from in my prime.

Whether you love cooking or loathe it, one thing is for sure: by the time you’re over 50 you will have accumulated a whole ragbag of different kitchen items, some of which will date back many, many years. Be honest now, how much of your kitchen kit was actually given to you as a wedding present, or dates from the days when your children were small?

Although you may be emotionally attached to a few items, most of it will just be “stuff” that takes up room, attracts dirt, and which you don’t particularly like.

Surveys show that like the clothes in our wardrobe we only use a small percentage of all the items we have, the rest is rarely if ever brought out and often can’t be found it you do need it.

This being the case, deciding to chuck out the clutter and equip your kitchen to meet your needs now is a splendid way to feel reinvigorated and to create a wonderful feeling of space.

The starting point is to decide what you actually need to meet the requirements of your lifestyle now.

Creative cook or fast-food fixer?

Now you’re older, depending on your way of life and family situation you may find yourself spending more or less time in the kitchen.

If you love cooking and entertaining you may find that you have a little more time to spend on creating delicious meals and treats for your family and friends. If you have grandchildren, you may be enjoying teaching them how to cook and to love food through learning how to prepare it.

But, on the other hand, perhaps you cook less now. You may be eating out more, away more often, spending more time pursuing your (non-cooking related) hobbies and interests, and relying more on quick snacks, takeaways, tins, and the microwave.

Choice for your lifestyle

So start by keeping a diary for a week of what you eat and more important, which bits of kitchen equipment you use. The results will show that some items like the kettle, toaster, or frying pan are likely to be heavily utilised. So are they due for an overhaul?

Replacement items can be amazingly inexpensive and attractive these days – or if you like designer brands with lots of bells and whistles, you can indulge yourself and really go to town. The point is that the choice is enormous. Shopping online means you’ll probably also get the best price with delivery right to your door.

Outside of these basic items, think adventurously. Research the market for new items and new designs. For example, if you like to bake, silicone baking equipment is a fantastic development.

There are many great websites offering amazing ranges of kitsch, cute or convenient kitchenware in classic and contemporary styles. So why not treat yourself or at least start dropping hints for your next birthday presents?

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Although society tends to classify our  ‘best’ years as our twenties to early forties in fact, as the majority of people over 45 will testify, there’s nothing so good as being ‘in your prime’. These magical few decades before we become truly elderly are a wonderful period in which to create the life we’ve always wanted. But making it happen means setting ourselves some goals and taking action, as this article explains.

Now we’re older we’re ideally placed to reap the benefits of experience at the same time as having the increased freedom to make new choices based on what we want for the rest of our lives, rather than what we ought to do or be.  

With fewer immediate responsibilities in areas such as childcare, more money (in terms of disposable cash, even if we’re not wealthy), a clearer idea of who we are and what we want, and tons of confidence, there should be nothing stopping us from leading brilliant lives.

Do you agree? Yes? Fantastic! If not, it was probably that bit about confidence that got you, wasn’t it?

Okay, so let’s look at why you should be confident, how to increase your confidence if you’re not, and some practical ways to ensure that the next few decades really are ‘the best time of your life’.

First, whatever your situation, now you’re older you need to:

• Start focusing on what’s ahead of you, not what’s gone.
• Realise that you probably have pretty limitless choices – if only you let yourself open up to them.
• Appreciate that although you may have up to 30 to 40 years more life ahead in which to fulfil your ambitions, there’s no time to lose.

At this age, happiness and fulfilment for the rest of our lives comes from identifying and realising our dreams, using our skills and talents to the full, giving generously (not only in monetary terms), and living life to maximum capacity.

Depending on your circumstances, it may involve:

• Finding a new job or career
• Embarking upon new relationships (which may involve ending existing ones)
• Developing new interests and activities
• Travelling, or possibly relocating abroad
• Making some physical changes – losing weight, new hairstyle, improved fitness
• Re-examining your attitudes and behaviour

Whichever of these apply to you – and there may be one or several areas you want to develop – what it will invariably mean is that you will have to step outside your comfort zone and make some changes.

Change is difficult when we look ahead at the person we’d like to be and the life we’d like to lead. It’s difficult to know where to start, so try following these few steps to help you start living up to your potential and creating the future you deserve.

• List what’s currently good in your life and what you don’t want to change.
• Do the same with what you think is wrong with your current situation. 
• Write a description of the life you would like to be leading and write it as if you are experiencing it already (e.g. start with the words, “My life is wonderful because…”) and don’t constrain yourself by things that you don’t think are possible. At this stage everything is possible, you’ve just got to find out how to achieve it!
• Now list the changes you would need to make in order to achieve your dream life.
• Next to each write the practical implications. For example, you may dream of going to live in Spain. So write down ‘Relocate to Spain’ and next to it, you might list things like, ‘’persuading Tom (husband) that this is a good idea’. ‘Leaving children and mother behind in UK’, ‘Finding work in Spain’, ‘Learning language’, etc.

As you can see, you have now translated a formless idea into some specific issues to think about and tackle which means that you’re now in a position to draw up some plans relating to each aspect and put in some focused effort on making your new future a reality.

http://www.inmyprime.info  Click here for more information about personal development for the over 50s from in my prime.

What you should do however, is to review your current security, make sure that you’ve done all you can to reduce the likelihood of opportunistic intruders, and then just make sure that you build a few simple security checks into your day-to-day activities. 

Of course, you may already feel that you have done all you can and are very security aware. Nevertheless, unfortunately burglars are constantly coming up with new tricks and new items they target. This being the case, it might be worthwhile getting in touch with your local Crime Prevention Officer (through your local police force or local council) to get the latest expert advice on overall security and particular local threats.

That aside, follow these tips to make sure you stay safe:

1. Windows and doors: According to Home Office statistics, in 30% of burglaries thieves don’t have to use force. They get in through an open door or window. That being the case, make sure you check that all your doors and windows are locked. It makes sense to keep doors and downstairs windows locked at all times, but they should never be left open at night or when leaving the house – even if only for a few minutes.

2. Keys: This can represent maintaining a delicate balance between being secure and not being able to get in yourself should you lose your keys.  So make sure you leave at least one set of keys with a trustworthy neighbour or hidden somewhere safe – NOT under the doormat or in a flowerpot.   And never leave house or car keys near door or window – not only is glass easily broken, but thieves increasingly steal keys through the letterbox by using a hook or magnet on a stick.

3. Lighting: Older people tend to travel more and be away for longer and empty homes are a natural target. Apparently the majority of burglaries take place at night, so using a light with a time switch to give the impression that someone is at home is a simple deterrent. Think about fitting one to a radio too.

4. Burglar Alarms: – burglar alarms can be complex and expensive but they do tend to make burglars think twice. As ever when making an expensive purchase it is important that you do your research, get quotes from a range of specialist suppliers and don’t necessarily go for the cheapest option. Once you have one installed, let your neighbours know and agree what they should do if it does go off.  (Try asking your neighbours who have alarms what they think of theirs before you buy one).

5. Gardens, garages and sheds:  Older people are more likely to have expensive garden ornaments and tools, which may be left unsecured. If possible ensure that you install good fencing, keep expensive garden items out of general passing view, and fit good locks to garages and tool sheds. Well-placed sensor lights can also be good for alerting you to the presence of external movement and scaring off potential burglars.

6. Bogus callers: Another consequence of being at home more is that you are likely to have to deal with more door-to-door callers. Most will be genuine, but unfortunately a few will be trying to get entry into your home or to find out information to help them target other homes or property. The best approach is to be suspicious of unusual requests, ask for identity (and take time to look at it carefully), and if in any doubt ask the person to return at another time when someone else is at home with you and/or to leave you with a means of independently verifying who they are.

7. Keeping vigilant: Local observation is often the best way of deterring potential burglars but its usefulness is dependent on how much people participate. As retirement becomes a reality you may now be at home more during the day (see bogus callers above), or may be working from home, which may put you in a better position than previously to monitor local comings and goings. So, if you have a local Neighbourhood Watch, become more involved. If not, contact your local Crime Prevention Officer to find out how to go about setting one up.

8. Insurance: Ultimate peace of mind comes from knowing that financially you will not suffer should the worst happen. So don’t stint on your home and contents insurance, it will only be a false economy (and may even invalidate your policy) should you need to claim. Insurance companies may also provide you with initial advice about suitable locks, etc. to improve your security, as well as making the whole repair and replacement procedure simpler in the unlikely event that you do need to claim.

http://www.inmyprime.info Click here for more useful information for the over 50s from in my prime.

Many people over 50 have what they call ‘pipe dreams’, things they really want which to them seem totally unachievable. If you ask them what’s stopping them from realising their dream their answer is nearly always just one thing: ‘money’ – a pretty obvious and realistic answer you might think.

Well, not entirely. Time and time again real life examples of people who have gone all out to get what they wanted – and have succeeded – prove that if you really want something badly enough, lack of money isn’t going to stand in your way.

Many other barriers might cause problems but money is a comparatively simple bridge to cross if you’re passionate about what you want.

Simple rules for success

If you have a dream and you really are prepared to put some effort into achieving it, then following these few simple rules, ruthlessly and single-mindedly, will put you in a good financial position to do so:

1. Set realistic financial goals:  First of all, it’s essential to clarify your goals.  What exactly do you want to do? How much money would it actually take to get your dream off the ground? Often our vague estimates are far in excess of the amount we could make do with if we really wanted and needed to, so it’s important to do some serious, detailed research into precisely what your costs would be.
2. Write down your figures in a notebook (or on a spreadsheet) and keep adding to them or amending them as you find out more. It’s important to have those figures somewhere safe and accessible as you start to work towards achieving them
3. Assess your worth: Now undertake a similarly rigorous and realistic assessment of what you’re actually worth. What savings do you have? What assets do you have – those things like property, a car, or anything else of value that could be sold?  Delve deeper and start thinking about anything else you might have that could earn you money. Perhaps you have at least half a wardrobe full of hardly worn clothes that you could sell? Likewise CDs, tools, books, accessories? These days with eBay and car boot sales there’s very little that someone somewhere doesn’t want to buy, so be totally ruthless when assessing what you could sell – the hardest part will be when you actually have to do it.
4. Be a savvy shopper: Although looking at how you can realize some cash and earn more are both important, the easiest way by far of making more money is simply by cutting back on your spending. Most of us waste huge amounts of money on things that we want and think we have to have, but actually we don’t need at all. Much like dieting, it’s often best to go ‘cold turkey’, set yourself a strict budget, and stop spending immediately on anything which isn’t strictly necessary
5. Be a smart saver: Now – and this is where it starts to get harder – look at how ruthlessly you can cut back. If you cut out all the ‘nice to haves’ whether that’s ready meals, going out, new clothes, gym membership or whatever – and stick to the absolute bare essentials, how much would you save every week or month? Okay, you may need to spend more time on doing things for yourself, you may need to make a lot more effort and work even harder, and you will certainly have to deny yourself a great deal over a long period of time – but how much do you want to achieve your dream? If you really want it, it’s worth it.
6. Look after the pennies: The old saying, ‘Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’ is actually very true. Although it may not seem that saving a few pence here and there makes much difference, over time it does. First of all, it is an expression of an overall mindset that is focused on proper money management. And, equally important, it shows that you value what money means and, like precious drops of water in a drought, that you recognize you can’t afford to waste any of it.
7. Love a Lada – don’t long for a Rolls Royce: Finally, be prepared to set your sights lower than you might ideally like. Often our ultimate dream is the ‘Rolls Royce’ version of what would be really lovely to have, when actually we could just as well start with a less ambitious and less costly version of our dream with a view to building things up in future.

Finally, whatever your dream and whatever your approach, be prepared to persevere. Unfortunately it takes time and not inconsiderable self-sacrifice to accumulate capital and it will be hard. But the joy you will experience both in seeing your savings grow and in ultimately achieving your dream will make it all worthwhile. Stick with it and you will succeed. 

http://www.inmyprime.info  Click here for more information about Finance at Fifty from in my prime.

Did you know that the average age for women in the UK to reach menopause is 52, but a woman could start to experience menopausal symptoms between the ages of 45 and 55? Each person’s experience of it is different but every woman will go through the menopause at some stage.

So, why do so many women experience both physical and emotional symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats and irritability and a lot more besides? Medical experts at NHS Choices explain that it is during the time leading up to the menopause, the hormonal and biological changes that are associated with the menopause begin. It is estimated that 8 out of 10 women in the UK experience symptoms leading up to the menopause. Of these, 45 per cent find their symptoms difficult to deal with.

There are, however, many women who reach the menopause without seeking medical advice and can address the majority of symptoms by a simple change in lifestyle. That said, it is important to know that treatments are available that can ease the more severe or distressing menopausal symptoms. Your GP would be able to provide guidance on all treatments including their benefits and possible side effects, and NHS Choices provides instant access to good information for you and those close to you. Being a topic regularly discussed in the press, there is a lot of misinformation about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which can automatically raise concern. While there are some risks that you need to be aware of, many women find it dramatically helps ease their menopause symptoms but it is vital to source trustworthy information in order to help decide whether it’s right for you.

The menopause will inevitably happen to every woman and there is no need to face it alone. One source of support is NHS Choices and if you go to the website you will find expert medical guidance, but also online advice from those who have, or are currently going through, the change. As with all health conditions being able to source accurate and trustworthy information can give you greater choice and help you deal more effectively with the menopause.

http://www.nhs.uk  Click here to access more useful information

So what is a stroke? A stroke is a serious medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. Like all organs, the brain needs the oxygen and nutrients provided by blood to function properly. If the supply of blood is restricted or stopped, brain cells begin to die which as a result can lead to severe consequences. We know that strokes are a medical emergency and prompt treatment is essential because the sooner a person receives treatment for a stroke, the less damage is likely to happen. The recent ‘Act FAST’ government campaign has already raised awareness and saved lives.

The word FAST, which stands for Face-Arms-Speech-Time, can help you remember the main stroke symptoms:

Face: the face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile or their mouth or eye may have drooped

Arms: the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift one or both arms and keep them there because of arm weakness or numbness

Speech: their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake

Time: it is time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms.

Strokes can be treated using a combination of medicines and, in some cases, surgery. However, many people will require a long period of rehabilitation after a stroke and not all will recover fully. Even though people who are over 65 years of age are most at risk from having strokes, 25 per cent of strokes occur in people who are under 65. The severity of a stroke can range from minimal to severe and having the knowledge to help prevent it, as well as treat it, can and will saves lives.

Learning from the experiences of those who have been affected by stroke can help you manage your lifestyle and ensure you are prepared to help yourself as well as anyone who may suffer as a result of this condition.  NHS Choices has a number of patients who have spoken out about their experience in the hope of providing help and support to others. There is also an online forum where you can ask further questions and gain advice not only from those who have been through similar but from medical experts.

http://www.nhs.uk Click here to access more useful information