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Ebola virus disease is a serious, usually fatal, disease for which there are no licensed vaccines or treatments. The disease was first identified in Africa in the mid 1970s. It is thought that the Ebola virus has been living harmlessly in fruit bats for many years, building up in this population and spreading to other forest animals including chimpanzees and gorillas. It is likely that the virus makes its way into people after they butcher or handle dead animals contaminated with the virus. The current outbreak which was identified in March 2014 is the most serious case so far. There have been 1,000 recorded deaths from the disease in August 2014 in countries such as Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Yesterday, Tuesday 12th August marked the day of awareness for International Youth Day. The theme of International Youth Day 2014 is “Youth and Mental Health”. The day aims to raise awareness on this important topic as well as highlighting the experiences of brave, young individuals who have chosen to speak out about these issues. International Youth Day creates awareness for overcoming stigma and discrimination to ensure that young people with mental health conditions can lead full and healthy life’s free from isolation and unnecessary shame. They want young people to openly seek the services and support they need.

As we are in the height of summer time in the UK, keeping cool is something we are all trying to achieve. One of the main ways to keep cool in the heat is to take cold showers or baths. About one third of the elderly population over the age of 65 fall each year. Falls can be caused by numerous incidents, but one of the main causes is in abathroom environment. Wet slippery floors, high tub walls to step over and confined spaces can make bathrooms dangerous for just about anyone, let alone the elderly and people with limited mobility.

Over the past few weeks the UK has been experiencing a summer heatwave. Whilst many of us like to enjoy the sun, we must make sure we do it safely and remember that certain groups of people are more vulnerable than others to the effects of heat or ultraviolet radiation. Our bodies aren’t used to extreme heat and it can force the body into overdrive as it tries to stay cool through perspiration and evaporation. Elderly people are at a higher risk when the hot weather arrives. Over exposure to the sun is equally as dangerous, with effects ranging from skin cancer to mild sunburn.

This week a new health report was published regarding ways to prevent the Alzheimer’s disease. According to research from the University of Cambridge, one in three cases of Alzheimer’s disease worldwide is preventable. This is a step forward for the healthcare industry as successful treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is still in the research stages.

At Repton Medical we believe in putting Patient Safety first. Our focus is to provide Fall Prevention Solutions and Products to reduce numbers of people who fall & the rate of falls in hospital and community healthcare settings. As the NHS begins to implement their Patient Safety initiative we are there to provide practical and economic solutions to support the campaign.

To find out more about the campaign please visit the Sign up to Safety website.

Falls can happen to anyone at any age and they are more common as we get older. Working out what causes falls and putting them right is the key to making your patients feel safer and more confident.

Repton Medical is a UK supplier of Critical Care Medical Labels. Our range of high quality labels are great value for money and are competitively priced, helping you to SAVE MONEY and provide the BEST in patient safety and care.

Falls among the elderly cost the government almost £990 million per year. Falls occur every day for the elderly in retirement care homes and in the NHS hospitals. In the UK alone, over 700,000 people a year are taken to casualty as a result of a fall, many admitted to hospital with hip fractures costing the NHS £1.7 bn.