West Limerick Resources - "Committed to the Community"

Cancer

Below is an outline of the work relating to cancer awareness between 2011 and 2012

 

Cancer awareness training 2011

In autumn 2011, the team participated in five mornings of training with the National Cancer Screening Service and the HSE Mid-West Traveller Health Unit. This training was organised at a regional level and was thus done with the Primary Health Care Projects in Clare and North Tipperary. The purpose of the training was to learn about cancer (what it is, symptoms, risk factors, prevention) and cancer screening. Two key areas of focus were on how to appropriately communicate information about cancer and on promoting registration for and uptake of national cancer screening programmes (currently there are two such programmes - CervicalCheck and BreastCheck). This training will form the basis of a significant piece of work over 2012 and was the first step in working in partnership with the National Cancer Screening Service.

 

 

Press Release: World Cancer Day on 4^th February 2012

The 4^th February is World Cancer Day - this day is about raising people's awareness of cancer and how to prevent, detect or treat it. For this reason, West Limerick Resources staff in Newcastle West and Abbeyfeale are working with the Marie Keating Foundation to bring the foundation's mobile unit to West Limerick in early February.

A registered nurse is on board who gives cancer information and awareness to the general public. This service is free of charge. The unit has a welcome area where men or women can step on, take a seat and wait to see the nurse. This is not a screening service. In the unit, there are charts and prosthetic teaching aids to educate, show and highlight the importance of being aware of your body. There are take-home information leaflets on bowel, lung, skin, testicular, prostate, cervical, ovarian and breast cancer. The nurse will talk to you one-to-one in the private area about any concerns you have about cancer for yourself or someone you care about.

The unit will be in Abbeyfeale Square on Tuesday 7^th February 11am-3pm and Maeve O'Sullivan is the nurse. Tess Chambers is the nurse who will be in the unit in Rathkeale Square on Wednesday 8^th February 11am-3pm. We are very grateful to the Abbeyfeale Community Employment and Rathkeale Community Council Schemes for helping to make this happen.

Remember there are important things you can do to prevent cancer:

1. Know your own body and talk to your GP about any changes you notice in your body
2. Attend breast cancer screening if you are a woman aged 50-64 years - for more information or if you want to check are you registered, go to BreastCheck  
3. Attend cervical cancer screening if you are a woman aged 25-60 years - for more information or if you want to check are you registered, go to CervicalCheck
4. Eat a healthy diet, stop smoking and do regular physical activity
5. Be SunSmart - protect you and your children from the sun and the damaging effects of sunbeds
6. Talk to your GP, public health nurse or other health professional if you are concerned about cancer

You can also call the Irish Cancer Society's free National Cancer Helpline: 1800 200 700.

If you want to pick up leaflets about cancer, you are welcome to visit the Marie Keating Foundation mobile unit in either Abbeyfeale or Rathkeale or call into any of the following locations where the Primary Healthcare Project has arranged for information to be available during the month of February:

* Rathkeale Community Information Office
* West Limerick Resources Abbeyfeale office
* Community and Family Hub, Newcastle West Community Centre
* Your local pharmacy in Askeaton, Abbeyfeale, Rathkeale, Newcastle West and Patrickswell

West Limerick Primary Healthcare Project can be contacted on 069 61316/phcp@wlr.ie. The following are acknowledged for their invaluable support: the HSE's Health Promotion Unit, participating pharmacies, Limerick County Council, Abbeyfeale Community Employment Scheme and Rathkeale Community Council.

Updated March 2012