Men’s Health Week 2020

Running from 15th-21st June this week is Men’s Health Week 2020, and the theme is ‘Take Action on Covid-19’.

Sadly, statistics show that men are twice as likely to die from Covid-19, which is why it’s essential that we keep an eye on our male family and friends.

The Men’s Health Forum, a charity that was set up to improve the health and wellbeing of men and boys, have offered some useful advice as to how we can all prevent the virus from doing more damage. Just some simple things such as the following really can help:

For Men

• take action to avoid spreading the virus
• take action to get the best out of lockdown and the ‘new normal’
• take action to beat ‘underlying conditions’

For any employers it’s essential that they

• take action to understand the virus
• take action on social distancing
• take action to make workplaces safe

For the government to 

• take action to protect everyone by recognising, analysing, researching (and publishing) how the virus affects different groups of people in different ways
• take action to track, trace, isolate and support – with a targeted support for different needs
• take action to support organisations working with men

However, we can all play our part in ensuring that the men in our lives look after themselves as much as possible- The Men’s Health Forum has held Men’s Health Week since 2014, focusing on a different campaign each year. You will find information at the link below:

https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/mhw

The topics that previous campaigns have covered are also relevant to ensuring safety and wellbeing during Covid-19. One vital way to ensure male wellbeing is to make sure that men communicate and focus on their mental health. The link below contains a number of recent articles and real life stories- talking really does help:

https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/male-health

We care about men’s health, which is why we have put essential measures in place to ensure the safety of our clients and carers, including the use of PPE, but we are also always on hand to listen to our male carers and clients to address any fears or concerns they may have about any aspect of their health and wellbeing.

Keep an eye on all the men in your life, we need to make sure that they feel supported, listened to and that their mental wellbeing is being maintained at all times.