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Worldwide pregnant women experience mental health during pregnancy or after birth. On average WHO reports that 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, mainly depression. The mother may experience perinatal mental illnesses and may experience a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-partum, psychosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder. NHS outlines that around 20% of mothers in the UK experience perinatal mental illnesses. If the illnesses are not treated, it can affect other members of the family, including children and the father. Around 25 – 50% of fathers will experience perinatal depression. Generally, this is a stressful time for the family who are likely to be under pressure during this time.

Having a child can be a stressful event, as you are unable to undertake activities and have a regular routine which you are used to. Individuals may struggle to adapt to a new way of living. Parents are likely to argue during this stressful time and there is likely to be sleep disturbance throughout the night. The father and mother are likely to spend less time together which impacts their relationship, and it is likely to lead to depression and anxiety.

Initially, most women will experience tearfulness and low mood, as soon the baby has been born, however, if this continues you may be suffering from postnatal depression and perinatal mental illness. Symptoms are different for every mom.

Symptoms of maternal mental health
– Often feeling sad and tearful.
– Anxiety, afraid to be on your own with your baby.
– Struggling to adjust to parenthood and bonding with your baby.
– Feeling stressed and unmotivated.
– Generally feeling more tired than usual but struggling to go to sleep.
– You may feel less interested in eating.
– You may get angry and annoyed more easily.
– Difficulties with clear thinking and making decisions.

maternal mental health
maternal mental health

What to do if you are suffering from maternal mental health
If you are suffering from postnatal depression and perinatal mental health issues, then it is good to initially speak to your loved ones and seek professional help if required. At Secure healthcare Solutions, we want women and families to know that support is available during this difficult time.

The NHS gives some great advice about Mental health experienced during pregnancy. Click here to find out more.

Our healthcare professionals are here to support you, particularly our support workers. They look after the well-being of people in their daily lives. Individuals can be supported with carrying out daily tasks to care for themselves, providing emotional support, and teaching new skills which will help you.

Speak to us today to see how we can support individuals with maternal mental health problems. Email us at homecare@securesolutions.co.uk or call us on 01902 302 017 to discuss how we can support you or your loved ones to provide the best possible care and support.

Nobody can deny that Nursing is an easy career. Nurses work extremely hard and sacrifice a lot throughout the world every day. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Nurses have been amazing throughout the world to ensure the best quality and support and care has been provided, by working tirelessly. Although there are some negative aspects associated with a nursing career, there is a lot of positive aspects of a nursing career, which can be ignored and this motivates Nurses to continue to do what they love.
Below here at Secure Healthcare we highlight the top 7 benefits of being a Nurse.

Flexible Shifts
With the majority of the jobs in the UK being 9-5, Monday to Friday, a nurse role gives you the benefits of working 3-4 days of the week, with 8-12hr shifts, a nurse a role is beneficial for individuals, as it allows you to arrange shifts to suit your individual needs. This allows you to spend time with your loved ones and allows you to do the things that you enjoy on your days off. Working a long shift can be tiring and difficult, but worth the sacrifice to get time off. Here at Secure Healthcare Solutions, we offer flexibility for our nurses in the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

Opportunity for overtime
With a Nurse role, there are opportunities to get overtime with shifts, which allows you to boost your pay, generally, nurses are required to work around the clock within hospitals, care homes, and for homecare, which gives you the opportunity to pick up extra shifts. At Secure, we always have shifts available for Nurses within the West Midlands and Staffordshire.

Advancement
Working as a nurse is an occupation that allows you to progress your career much easier compared to other occupations. You are able to start your journey as a registered general nurse to then become a specialist nurse, which allows you to work in an area in which you have a high interest. With advancement, your pay will also increase. The government also provides at least £5000 year grants for nursing students. To find out more click here

Join our team of valued nurses
Join our team of valued nurses

Job Security
Without Nurses, the healthcare sector would not be able to function, if anything Covid 19 has reminded us of the importance of Nurses and we should be grateful for what we have. There is a nurse shortage across the UK and there is an aging population, with nurses retiring each year, and as a healthcare job provider, we are always hiring to fill this gap.

People
Nurses interact with a large number of people on a daily basis, which includes patients and colleagues. Nurses generally are satisfied by the human element of interaction and healthcare workers share the same goal of improving the lives of others and making a difference.

Pay
Although there has been a lot of criticism regarding nurse pay, we offer great salaries and benefits for our healthcare staff. At Secure if you work 4x 12hrs shifts a week paying £18ph, you can earn over £41,000p.a. When you specialize to become an RMN and RNLD, there will be an increase in pay.

Activity
Nursing care is a great job for those that do not want to sit in front of a computer all day, and a great way to burn calories, as is a very active job, which relies you to be on your feet a lot and you have to be physically and mentally prepared. Nurses will have to walk from room to room, discuss patient matters with doctors and move patients and equipment when required.

As a healthcare staffing agency, we hire registered nurses within the West Midlands and Staffordshire for the NHS, hospitals, care homes, and for homecare. Join our team of valued nurses, where we offer great rewarding salaries and great benefits.

Find out more about our Nursing jobs in West Midlands and Staffordshire, using our job search tool, or contact us on 0121 285 9449 to secure a role with us today.

If you have always been a caring and considerate person, then you might have thought about becoming a nurse. A nurse is currently the UK’s most employable type of degree. 94% of students get a job within six months of their course finishing. Becoming a nurse is hard work, but is also one of the most rewarding careers that you could ever do. You can go home every day knowing that you have made a profound difference in someone’s life, simply by doing your job and being you. If you are interested in a nursing job and wondering “how do I get into nursing?” There are a few things you need to think about.

Consider the field of nursing you want to go into
There are many different branches within the nursing career field. These include adult nursing, children’s nursing, mental health nursing and learning disability nursing. You could choose to specialize in one or do a degree that allows you to study in two of them. Do your research before you decide which you want to do. While they are all nursing jobs, they are all very different in what they entail.

The route you will take to become a nurse
Once you have decided to become a nurse, you will need to consider how you will do this. You will also need to think of how you can fit it around your everyday life. There are a few ways that you can become a nurse:

– Studying at university –
This is probably the most common and well-known route to become a nurse. Each university in the UK has its own criteria for entry. You will need to do your research and find which one is best for you. It’s like you will need at least two or three A-levels as well as supporting GCSE’s. You can also find some online degrees if you cannot go out to university. This might be the case for example, you have children at home that you need to look after.

– By doing a nursing degree apprenticeship –
Nursing degree apprenticeships are a bit of a newer offering and more and more NHS organizations are offering this now. You will still need to study in order to become a nurse. The difference is you will be at university part-time and do various placements. In order to begin a nursing apprenticeship, you will typically need a level 3 qualification. Your apprenticeship should take about four years.

Nursing
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

– By becoming a nursing associate –
A nursing associate is a great one if you want to head straight into work. While not the same as being a registered nurse, you can do further training to top-up your training and climb the ranks. In this role, you will work alongside fully qualified nurses and nursing care support workers. You will learn on the job and undertaking training. You will have a range of opportunities in a diverse range of settings. These are great to broaden your experience and teach you on the job.

Think about if a nursing job is for you
There are many attributes that make up a great nurse and it can help if you have these qualities. The first of these is adaptability. Each day working as a nurse can be completely different. You will need to be prepared to adapt and switch up what you are doing at a moment’s notice. You will need to be ready to work under pressure and expect the unexpected each and every day.

Another attribute you will also need is to have patience. You may have a difficult patient that doesn’t want to eat or take medication, or their family may try to intervene. It is important that you take deep breaths and try to keep calm and patient at all times. This will make it easier for everyone involved.

You will need to be prepared to commit. Nursing isn’t a job you can put in minimal effort and put down at the end of the day. It is a commitment to caring for your patients and going above and beyond on a daily basis. You may get home and find that you are impacted by the day’s events and sometimes have to work overtime.

Another quality you will need to have is empathy. Being a nurse is a full-on and emotional job and you will be dealing with people suffering the worst challenges of their lives. Try to empathize with how they might be feeling and how you can make this better.

These are just some of the top tips to get into a nursing job. A nursing career is a very rewarding one, but one that you will dedicate your life to. Think about the above and decide carefully if it is for you. If you have enjoyed our article on “how do I get into nursing” why not get in touch? You can see the nursing jobs we have available on our site. Find out more about our nursing jobs and vacancies here.

Staying in touch with your loved ones during the pandemic is an important aspect that will not only help your own mental health but also theirs. With many people being told to stay at home, face-to-face communication is currently paused meaning other ways to stay in touch are more important than ever. Luckily, from video calls to countless messenger apps, or letters and emails, there are a whole plethora of avenues that you can go down to stay in touch with your loved ones. Below are several ways to stay in touch with your family during the pandemic.

Communicate Through Email
Email is an efficient and effective way to stay in touch with your loved ones during a pandemic. Most people have email addresses, and if they don’t it’s easy to create one using one of the major suppliers. When sending an email, you can create an email chain and send it to multiple people at the same time. A positive thing about email is that you don’t have to reply instantly. You can let it sit in your inbox and reply when you are ready and have thought of something interesting to send back. There is also not a character limit meaning it is easier to send something longer than through a text and it’s free to have.

Video Calls
Throughout the pandemic, video calls are becoming one of the most popular ways to communicate with one another. There are many providers out there that make it easy to do so, such as Zoom, Skype, or Facebook. You’ll also find that most mobile devices or laptops have cameras built into them meaning you don’t need to purchase anything additional so have a video call. Video calls typically go on for longer as you can actually see each other, you can have multiple people on the call at the same time, and if you are feeling creative you can always play some games over the camera, like a family quiz or an online escape room.

Staying in touch with your loved ones
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

Messenger
Online messenger platforms like Facebook messenger or Whatsapp are perfect for sharing images, staying in touch with your loved ones a quick message, or having a longer conversation. With messenger, they are free to use and the messages you send are instantly delivered. As with other ways of communicating, you can create a group and message multiple people at the same time. The main benefit of the messenger is that it’s quick and easy to use, if you are out and about and have a sudden thought you want to share to show you are thinking of someone, you can quickly send it to them within a minute. Messenger apps can be used on your laptop or mobile device.

Letters
Letters aren’t as popular as they used to be but are still a nice way to communicate with your loved ones. Letters tend to be unexpected, giving your friends or family members a nice delivery when they are least expecting it. They show that you have gone the extra mile to get in touch with them and allow you to be more personal than through an email or messenger post. Writing a letter is also great fun when you think about it, when was the last time you sat down with an a4 piece of paper and wrote a nice message on it? With technology taking over, probably a long time ago, if ever.

Blog Posts
Have you thought about starting up a blog? A blog is a great way to let multiple people know how you are doing, no matter who they are. With a blog, you can be personal and write about your day-to-day life, or you write about a subject matter that you are interested in. People can read your posts whenever they have some time free without having to get in direct contact with you. Plus, if your blog is really interesting you may find people who you don’t know coming to your site to read what you write. This could lead to you writing more meaningful posts that can affect others in a positive way as well.

Overall, there are many ways in which we can communicate through this dreaded pandemic. Choose the ones that work best for you and the people you want to stay in touch with. An elderly person may be better over a letter or email than a zoom call or your blog posts. Whereas your parents may prefer video calls or to read your blog posts.

How do you stay in touch with your loved ones? How often do you message each other? Is there something that we are missing? Let us know in the comment box below, we would love to hear from you.

At Secure Healthcare Solutions a case management system is important for us to ensure that we provide quality care, case managers work with adults and children that have ongoing needs, to provide quality care, so our patients can maximize their quality of life. We work with individuals cared for and communicate with families and local authorities to ensure the best possible support is given.

Initially, we will conduct a face-to-face assessment with our patient and if required with the family to determine the level of care required. We will then write these findings in a detailed report and outline all the recommended interventions.Our patients will have a tailored care management plan, created around individual needs. Patients may require short-term or long-term case management and we will ensure that we have a plan in place to effectively deal with the needs.

What case managers can expect from Secure Healthcare Solutions

Round-the-clock support – The team operates a 24-hour service, with a dedicated out-of-hours team, so we can be contacted at any time to support you.

Arranging staff rapidly to assign to a package – We work with over 1000 healthcare professionals, we are able to deploy a specialist team and also train them if required to suit the needs requires for each package of care.

Nurse-led packages – Our nurses are highly trained and supported by a clinical lead nurse. We can provide experienced registered nurses and specialist nurses, including RMN and RNLD if required.

Flexibility to accommodate individual needs –Patient’s needs can change over time, therefore we are flexible and can cater to these needs by providing more or less care.

Sourcing specialist equipment – We understand that individuals may need support with purchasing specialist equipment such as a wheelchair stairlift, toilet aids, etc to assist with everyday needs.

24-hour care
Case Management Services

Advice on housing – Providing support on appropriate housing is important for us, as individuals cared for need an environment that they are comfortable with to suit their individual needs.

Education and activities – Advising individuals with education and activities that they can undertake aligned to their interests and new areas that want to be explored.

Simple financial payments – Our support team ensure initial costings and ongoing fees are processed efficiently.

Feedback is welcome – We appreciate feedback at all times, so we can adapt and improve our service to meet expectations.

Robbie Steeles managing director of Secure Healthcare Solutions states that “It is imperative that our patients with individual needs have the option to receive support from a case manager to ensure quality care and support is provided. We have a flexible approach and we can adapt to the changing needs to support and care for the clients the best that we can. We are always here for those that require support and care”.

Click here to find out more about our case management services.

Speak to our trained case management specialists today to see how we can support individuals with ongoing needs, Email us at homecare@securesolutions.co.uk or call us on 01902 302 017 to discuss how we can support you to provide the best possible care and support.

Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that affects the nervous system, leading to shaking, stiffness, difficulty walking, balance, and coordination.

Men and women can both have Parkinson’s disease, although it impacts men 50 percent more than women.

Generally, Parkinson’s first develops around the age of 60, and only about 5 to 10 percent would have Parkinson’s before the age of 50.

Parkinson develops when cells in the brain stop working effectively and the cells are lost over time. The brain cells produce a chemical called dopamine. When the brain can not produce enough dopamine, you will start to notice symptoms, particularly to control movement properly.

There are three main symptoms of Parkinson’s, which are tremor, stiffness, and slowness of movement, however, you may also experience other symptoms, including problems with your sleep, memory, and mental health issues.

Generally, individuals with Parkinson’s initially do not realize that they have this disease, and symptoms gradually worsen over time, as the disease progresses. Currently, there are around 145,000 people in the UK that live with Parkinson’s and it is known to be the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world.

Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, and scientists are working hard to find a breakthrough for a cure. There are treatments available to help reduce the main symptoms and maintain quality of life for as long as possible.

During the early stages of Parkinson’s, symptoms are generally mild, and you may not need any treatment, however, it is advised to have regular appointments with a specialist to monitor your condition.

Some research highlights that regular exercise may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, also there is some research that shows that individuals that consume drinks with caffeine are less likely to get Parkinson’s disease than those who do not drink it.

Eating a well-balanced diet containing fruits and vegetables can improve overall health and help with non-movement symptoms.

There is no guarantee that this protects you, however, it is recommended to live a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and good nutrition and hydration.

Treatments
There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, however, treatment and domiciliary care and support can help ease the symptoms experienced. Medicines can be prescribed to increase the levels of dopamine in the brain. You may also want physiotherapy to help with movements and speech therapy to help with slurred speech.

Parkinson's care
Senior Woman Suffering With Parkinson’s Disease

At Secure Healthcare Solutions we want to provide you the right amount of care and support required through your condition, which may deteriorate over time. It is important that we listen to your needs and what goals you want to achieve, to then create a tailored care plan to support your individual’s needs and preferences. We are able to provide this support within care homes and at the comfort of your home. Support may include:

– Ensuring you have the medicines you need and support with administering medicines.
– Providing support with social activities that you enjoy.
– Stimulating the brain by reading or walking.
– Supportive treatments such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Speak to us today to see how we can support patients with Parkinson’s. Email us at homecare@securesolutions.co.uk or call us on 01902 302 017 to discuss how we can support you or your loved ones to provide the best possible care and support.

As a healthcare provider, where our healthcare staff has experienced stressful situations during this pandemic providing personal care, we understand that stress is a normal part of life, during your lifetime everybody will experience stressful situations. Stress is the feeling of being affected mentally or emotionally pressured. It can be very difficult to get rid of stress, as there could be reoccurring thoughts and situations which you experience or have experienced. Stress can be overwhelming when you are exposed to it for a long period of time.
Everyday life experiences can cause stress, such as work, relationships, and money problems, when feeling stressed it can be difficult to sort out these issues and it can affect everything that you do.
Stress can cause mental health problems. For example, if you struggle to deal with feelings of stress, it could lead to mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression.
Mental health problems can cause stress. It may be difficult to deal with your mental health problem, and also managing medication, health care appointments, or treatments that can cause further stress.

What are the signs of stress?
You are likely to experience stress differently in various situations. It can be difficult to tell straight away if you are experiencing stress, and you may just carry on with everyday life. Stress can impact you emotionally and physically, which is likely to impact your behavior.

There are various symptoms that you can experience:
Cognitive symptoms
Memory problems
Difficulties concentrating
Poor judgment
Negative thoughts
Anxious thoughts
Constant worrying

Emotional symptoms
Depression
Feeling unhappy
Anxiety and feeling agitated
Moody, irritability, or anger
Feeling lonely and isolated.

Physical symptoms
Muscle aches and pains
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea & Dizziness
Chest pain and a rapid heart rate
Frequent colds or flu

Behavioral symptoms
Eating more food or loss of appetite
Sleeping a lot or not enough
Avoiding others and finding it difficult to communicate
Procrastinating
Nervous habits (shaking leg, nail-biting, chewing pen)
Drinking or smoking

stress awareness month

Secure healthcare suggestions on how to deal with stress

Exercise
Regular working out is a great way to relax your body and mind. This can improve your mood. Getting outdoors is a great way to boost your mood. Whether it a short period of exercises such as a 10–30-minute run, daily walk, or bike ride. A gym workout at home or at the gym can also be important to keep you occupied and clear your mind. Lack of exercise can increase the risk of anxiety and depression. Exercise is critical to clear your mind and negative thoughts to boost your mood.

Eating well
We recommend you eating a well-balanced diet to help you feel better in general, this will help you control your moods. It is essential to have a diet that consists of protein, high level of vitamins, eating vegetables and fruit is imperative to ensure you are having your five a day, also it is important that you are hydrated by drinking water.

Sleep
Ensure you get seven to eight hours of sleep, keep yourself occupied during the day, and also meditation and relaxing sleep music can help you get to sleep.

Hobby
Undertaking a hobby such as reading, hiking, writing, cooking, learning to play a musical instrument, baking, and playing board games with your family and friends can take your mind off things and keep you occupied.

Meditation, stress reduction, or yoga
It is beneficial to meditate and practice relaxation techniques to help you deal with stress. There is a lot of content on YouTube which you can watch to help you with this.
The NHS provides a lot of information about stress and how to deal with it. Click here to find out more.

At Secure Healthcare Solutions a case management system is important for us to ensure that we provide quality care, case managers work with adults and children that have ongoing needs, to provide quality care, so our patients can maximize their quality of life. We work with individuals cared for and communicate with families and local authorities to ensure the best possible support is given.
Initially, we will conduct a face-to-face assessment with our patient and if required with the family to determine the level of care required. We will then write these findings in a detailed report and outline all the recommended interventions.
Our patients will have a tailored care management plan, created around individual needs. Patients may require short-term or long-term case management and we will ensure that we have a plan in place to effectively deal with the needs.
What case managers can expect from Secure Healthcare Solutions

Round the clock support – The team operates a 24-hour service, with a dedicated out-of-hours team, so we can be contacted at any time to support you.

Arranging staff rapidly to assign to a package – We work with over 1000 healthcare professionals, we are able to deploy a specialist team and also train them if required to suit the needs required for each package of care.

Nurse-led packages – Our nurses are highly trained and supported by a clinical lead nurse. We can provide experienced registered nurses and specialist nurses, including RMN and RNLD if required.

Flexibility to accommodate individual needs –Patient’s needs can change over time, therefore we are flexible and can cater to these needs by providing more or less care.

Sourcing specialist equipment – We understand that individuals may need support with purchasing specialist equipment such as a wheelchair stairlift, toilet aids, etc to assist with everyday needs.

Advice on housing – Providing support on appropriate housing is important for us, as individuals cared for need an environment that they are comfortable with to suit their individual needs.

Education and activities – Advising individuals with education and activities that they can undertake aligned to their interests and new areas that want to be explored.

Simple financial payments – Our support team ensure initial costings and on-going fees are processed efficiently.

Feedback is welcome – We appreciate feedback at all times, so we can adapt and improve our service to meet expectations.

Robbie Steeles managing director of Secure Healthcare Solutions states that “It is imperative that our patients with individual needs have the option to receive support from a case manager to ensure quality care and support is provided. We have a flexible approach and we can adapt to the changing needs to support and care for the clients the best that we can. We are always here for those that require support and care”.

Click here to find out more about our case management services.

Speak to our trained case management specialists today to see how we can support individuals with on-going needs, Email us on homecare@securesolutions.co.uk or call us on 01902 302 017 to discuss how we can support you to provide the best possible care and support.

We are celebrating nutrition and hydration week to highlight the importance of nutrition and hydration within the healthcare sector.

Nutrition and hydration are very important, particularly for the older generation. Not consuming enough food and not being hydrated can cause fragile skin and bones, dizziness, headaches and feel weak, increased risk of infections, falls, kidney problems, and many other problems.

It essential that we provide our patients a nutritious well-balanced diet and ensure our patients are hydrated on a consistent basis, our healthcare staff ensures our patients healthy and energized.

Secure healthcare work closely with chefs at care/nursing homes and home care patients to assist and support to ensure individuals receive nutritious tasty meals and make sure our patients are hydrated.

It is important to have a well-balanced diet that is nutritious and that you remain hydrated, as your long term health is likely to be impacted if you are not doing this, whether that is if you are not eating enough or if you are eating fatty foods such as pizza, cheese, fast food meals, etc. Having a well-balanced nutritious diet and staying hydrated will ensure you are energized throughout the day and you will be much healthier.

The British Nutrition Foundation highlights that one-third of our diet should be made up of fruit and vegetables. A portion of fruit and vegetables is 80grams and it is important to have 5 portions to contribute towards your 5-a-day.

Fruit and vegetables are important to contribute towards your vitamins and minerals, to ensure a healthy well-balanced diet, and reduce nutritional deficiencies. Fruit can be a good way to start your day, eating a banana full of, high in sugar and fiber will give you great morning energy, also it vital to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day to ensure you have a nutritious diet.

High fiber fruit and vegetables are good for the digestive system, to remove waste more efficiently. Eating a diet with fiber can reduce blood cholesterol levels, prevent heart disease, bowel cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Click here to find out more about different fruit and vegetables nutritious information

Nutrition and Hydration Week Awareness

Protein

Is it essential that you have a diet that has your daily protein intake to fuel your energy and to help you repair your body cells and make new ones? For adults it is recommended to take an average of 0.8g of protein per kilogram body weight per day, for example, if you weigh 75kg, you would need 60grams of protein per day. If you work out having 20-30grams of extra protein after workout out is important, to repair your muscles.

Some high protein foods per (100g) include: Chicken breast (28g), Salmon (20g), Cheese (25g), Red lentils (7.6g), Chickpeas (8.4g), Oatmeal (11.2g), Almonds (21.1g)

Hydrate your body

Ensure that your drink enough water throughout the day to make sure you are hydrated. Hot drinks often tend to cause dehydration, therefore it is important that you drink water throughout the day. In the UK it is recommended that adults have 1600ml of fluid (women) and 2000ml of fluid (men), approximately 6-8 glasses a day. For those that do not drink enough, you will feel dehydrated, you will become thirsty, urine will become darker in colour, and will notice a stronger smell, you may also experience headaches, feeling dizzy and tired, and finding it difficult to concentrate.

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins required throughout the year for the human body to feel energized throughout the year. This vitamin relies on a large amount of exposure to sunlight and is known as the sunshine vitamin. The limited sunshine in the UK results in a lot of the UK being deficient in vitamin D, particularly during the winter months, also the BAME community is at increased risk of lower levels of vitamin D, as darker skin absorbs far less vitamin D than lighter skin.

The main factors likely to increase being affected by Vitamin D deficiency include:

Living in a country where there is a limited amount of sun exposure all year round
Having darker skin, less likely to absorb vitamin D
Spending a lot of time indoors
Lacking a diet rich in vitamin D foods
Being Obese
Elderly

Approximately 1 in 5 people have low vitamin D in the UK. There have been several studies reported that those who lack vitamin D are more likely to experience more severe Covid 19 symptoms. Studies carried out indicate that individuals lacking vitamin D are more likely to die with Covid 19. It is particularly important for individuals low in Vitamin D to take vitamin supplements and eat foods rich in vitamin D.

Symptoms of low Vitamin D

Bone and muscle pain
Fatigue and tiredness
Hair Loss
Reoccurring bacterial and viral infections
Feeling depressed and mood changes

Vitamin D
Vitamin D

What to do if you feel you have Vitamin D deficiency?

If you are experiencing the symptoms mentioned above and you feel you have a vitamin D deficiency, we strongly encourage you to speak with your doctor to arrange a blood test to check your vitamin D levels.

The NHS recommends adults take a vitamin supplement throughout the year. The recommended dosage is 400 IU (10ug per day), as it not possible to achieve sufficient levels of vitamin D through a diet alone. If your vitamin D level is very low, your doctor is likely to write you a stronger dose of vitamin D.

Fair-skinned people should spend 15-20 minutes per day in the sun, particularly in the spring and summer, to avoid vitamin D deficiency all year, during the winter period vitamin D will from coming from your diet and vitamin D supplements.

Darker-skinned people’s exposure to sunlight should be 20-40 minutes due to being unable to absorb sunlight as effectively as lighter skin colors.
Food which contains vitamin D includes:

Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout

Red meat
Cod liver oil
Orange Juice
Egg Yolks
Fortified cereals, dairy, and milk
Mushrooms

vitamin D
vitamin D

Secure Healthcare Solutions recommends to find out more about vitamin D deficiency, visit the NHS using the link below.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/