West Limerick Resources - "Committed to the Community"

Cancer Awareness Unit to Visit West Limerick

February 4^th 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.

The unit will be in Abbeyfeale Square on Tuesday February 7^th from 11am-3pm with nurse Maeve O'Sullivan and in Rathkeale Square on Wednesday February  8^th  from 11am-3pm with nurse Tess Chambers and will be available to provide cancer information and raise awareness among the general public. This service is free of charge however please note this is not a screening service.

The unit has a welcome area where men or women can step on, take a seat and wait to see the nurse. 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.

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 www.breastcheck.ie
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 www.cervicalcheck.ie
4. Eat a healthy diet, stop smoking and do regular physical activity
5.  Be sun smart - protect you and your children from the sun and the damaging effects of sunbeds

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.

The West Limerick Primary Healthcare Project (call 069 61316 or email phcp@wlr.ie) has also arranged for information to be available at the following locations 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 wish to acknowledge the valuable support of the HSE's Health Promotion Unit, participating pharmacies, Limerick County Council and Rathkeale Community Council in supporting the promotion of cancer awareness across West Limerick. They are also very grateful to the Abbeyfeale Community Employment and Rathkeale Community Council Schemes for helping to make this happen.

 

Posted on 24/01/2012 by Mo Foley, PHCP Coordinator