Ruth Mairs is a Play Specialist based in A2 children’s ward at Antrim Area Hospital.

She uses therapeutic play to support children, young people and their families during their stay in hospital.

To mark Play in Healthcare Week, Ruth gives us an insight into her role and what it involves.

What made you decide to become a Health Play Specialist?

I began my career working as a classroom assistant and nursery assistant. After some years I wanted a change and I found the ‘Specialised Play for Sick Children and Young People’ course.  This was the first time I had ever heard of the title Health Play Specialist. As part of the course I worked one day per week on placement in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children which I loved and I knew from then this was what I wanted to do.

When I qualified there were no Health Play Specialist job vacancies. I worked in the community children’s nursing team for a few years as a School Health and Learning Assistant until the post came up in A2 in 2017 and I have been here ever since!

Tell us a bit about your role.

My role is to support the emotional wellbeing of children when they are in hospital as it can be an anxious time for a child who may be very unwell and require a lot of treatment.

I prepare children for various procedures through play, for example, using a teddy and theatre mask to demonstrate having an anaesthetic or syringe play with paint for children who are refusing medicine.

I use play to help the child understand their illness or injury, treatment they will receive and to answer any questions they have. Distraction is also an important part of what we do to help minimise anxiety and stress around procedures.

The Health Play Specialist can also create Developmental Play Programmes for longer term patients on the ward by working along with other members of the Multi – Disciplinary Team such as Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapists.  This helps aid recovery or continue developmental progress when children are hospitalised for longer periods.

What is the best bit about your role and what are you most proud of to date?

The best part about being a Health Play Specialist is the reward of helping children feel happier and less anxious in what can sometimes be a traumatic experience for them and their families. I also feel privileged to work as part of a great paediatric team who value the Health Play Specialist role.

The most fun thing about my role are the various titles children give me such as the ‘bubble nurse’ or the ‘yellow toy nurse’.

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is marking Baby Loss Awareness Week (October 9 -15) with a number of special events and initiatives.

The annual campaign provides an opportunity to remember much-loved and missed babies.

In Antrim Area Hospital, a dedicated space is now available for bereaved families who have lost a baby. The Willow Suite provides a sanctuary where mums, dads and family members can spend precious time together with their baby.

During Baby Loss Awareness Week, there’ll be an opportunity to view the room, which has been made possible by the very generous support of a number of local families who have sadly experienced baby loss.

Explaining more, Northern Trust Bereavement Midwife Lesley-Ann Kennedy said: “We’re very grateful to all those who have helped us to create this comfortable and private space, which will make a huge difference to families at the most difficult of times.

“We know the development of the Willow Suite means a lot to many people and we want to use Baby Loss Awareness Week to shine a light on this very special space within our hospital.”

Viewings can be arranged on Wednesday 9 October from 11am-1pm and 6pm – 8.30pm. Please note, this might not be possible if the suite is in use so we would ask people to check in advance on the day by ringing 07585999665 or 07833231815.

During these times, a butterfly remembrance wall will be located outside the Day Assessment Unit where you can place a butterfly to remember a little one who has passed away.

At Causeway Hospital, the butterfly wall will be set up on the ground floor beside Café Causeway on Thursday 10 October from 11am-1pm and 6pm – 8.30pm.

On Friday 11 October a Wave of Light Memory Walk will bring people together at the Garden of Remembrance at Antrim Area Hospital. Please meet at Bush House car park at 6:45pm with the walk beginning at 7pm. Small LED candles will be provided to all those taking part.

A Service of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 13 October at 3pm in Killowen Parish Church, Coleraine. This event is open to all those who have experienced a loss in pregnancy, or the death of a baby or child.

If you would like your baby’s name read out during the event (whether you are in attendance or not), please email Bereavement.SupportMidwife@northerntrust.hscni.net.before 5pm on Thursday 10 October or get in touch if you have any questions.

Lesley-Ann added: “Baby Loss Awareness Week encourages us to openly recognise baby loss, and acknowledge its impact on so many families.

“We hope our events will bring some comfort to all those who have been bereaved, by offering opportunities to remember and reflect.

“In my role I work with women and families who have experienced the loss of a baby at any stage. We want to make people aware that support is available and you are not alone. You can refer yourself to our service or alternatively, ask your midwife, nurse, community midwife, health visitor or GP.”

Falls Awareness Week (September 16 – 22) is a nationwide effort to raise awareness about preventing and reducing the risk of falls.

Our Health and Wellbeing officers and our Falls Team work with our local communities to share important information and guidance about falls prevention.

We run strength and balance programmes with groups in each of the four localities of the Trust, including Armoy Over 55s, the Carefully Yours project in Magherafelt, and Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership.

These are focused on educating participants about reducing their risk of falls during everyday life, using simple tips and reminders along with physical strength and balance work.

There’s also a focus on reducing social isolation for participants, fostering relationships and linking to other services.

Our Falls Prevention team is here to help anyone aged over 65 who has experienced a fall, or are at risk of falling.

It aims to enable older people to live healthy, safer lives, with increased independence, offering:

• Assessment of you and your home
• Falls prevention advice
• Referral to strength and balance exercise classes
• Referral to other services and professionals

If you would like to make a self-referral to the Falls Prevention team please contact 028 9442 4644 or email falls.prevention@northerntrust.hscni.net

For further information go to www.northerntrust.hscni.net/services/falls-prevention-service/

If you or a family member have benefited from this service before please let us know through Care Opinion.

Top tips for Falls Prevention

Bone Health

• Keep bones strong and healthy by ensuring you eat a healthy diet, rich in calcium, including milk, cheese, sardines, yoghurts etc.
• Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium. The most important source of Vitamin D is sunlight. Vitamin D can also be found in smaller amounts in fortified breakfast cereals, margarines, eggs, meat, oily fish and cod liver oil.

Everyone should consider taking a Vitamin D supplement in the winter when there is less sunlight. If you don’t get outside much or have darker skin you should consider taking a Vitamin D supplement all year round. Ask your GP or pharmacist for advice.

• Increase your level of physical activity- if in doubt, ask for advice.
• Smoking has a damaging effect on your bones, go to www.stopsmokingni.info to get help to stop or speak to your local pharmacist.
• Too much alcohol has a damaging effect on your bones. If you are concerned about the amount of alcohol you are drinking visit www.drugandalcoholni.info or speak to your GP.

Eyecare

• If you wear glasses, clean them regularly and put them on if you get up during the night.
• Go for regular eye tests. If you notice any changes in your vision, don’t wait for your next eye test – go and see your optician as soon as you can.
• Check when your next eye health check is due.
• Make sure your glasses prescription is correct and consider the impact different types of glasses have on your vision.
• Do not miss eye appointments and arrange a home visit if you feel you can’t attend.
• Ensure any medication for eye health is taken and don’t stop taking without consulting with your GP.
• Be aware that if you have dementia it may affect your vision, and judging the height and depth of stairs, steps and kerbs may be difficult.

Eat well and keep hydrated

It is important to keep an eye on your appetite and try and make sure you’re eating well. It’s always better to eat something, even if it’s small snacks throughout the day instead of three main meals. Getting enough energy is important in keeping up strength and preventing falls.

As well as eating well, you should make sure you’re drinking plenty. If you don’t drink enough it’s likely that you’ll start to feel light-headed which will increase your risk of a fall. Try to drink about six to eight glasses of fluid a day.

Information and resources about falls prevention and other health and wellbeing issues are available from the Health and Wellbeing team based at Spruce House, Cushendall Road, Ballymena.

Call 028 2563 5575 or email healthandwellbeingteam@northerntrust.hscni.net for further information.

There are a range of activities that will be on offer in the Northern Trust area during World Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

If these dates do not suit you, you can avail of our Breastfeeding Support Groups that would frequently across the trust area Breastfeeding Support Services – Northern Health and Social Care Trust (hscni.net)

Thursday 1 August

• Glengormley Breastfeeding Group – 11.30am – 12.30pm
  • Meet at the library
• Coleraine SureStart Partnershio – 11am – 12.30pm
  • New Row Church Hall
• Magherafelt – 10.30am – 11.30am
  • Pole Patrick Park
• Ballymena and Little Steps breastfeeding group – 10am – 11.30am
  • St. Joseph’s EY Centre

Monday 5 August

• Bushmills – 10am – 12pm
  • Creative Gardens
• Kilrea Breastfeeding Group – 10am -12pm
  • Kilrea Health Centre

Wednesday 7 August

• North Coast Breastfeeding group – 1.30pm – 3.30pm
  • Causeway Hospital Antenatal Booking Area
• Carrickfergus Breastfeeding Group – 11am – 12pm
  • Glasshouse, Carrickfergus

Thursday 8 August

• Larne Breastfeeding Group – 10.30am – 12.30pm
  • Larne Health Centre
• Ballymena Breastfeeding Group – 11am
  • Ecos Centre

Monday 12 August

• Antrim Little Steps Breastfeeding Group – 10am – 11.30am
  • Farranshane House

Could you make a difference as a bereavement comfort call volunteer?

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is now looking for empathic individuals with good listening skills to join the dedicated team behind this new and innovative service.

Volunteers will make timely calls to the next of kin of those who die in hospital.

During a comfort call, you will offer condolences, a listening ear and signposting, particularly to those who are not aware of support available or those who require additional support.

Explaining more, Volunteering Programme Delivery Manager Louise Harper said: “The complex circumstances associated with dying, death and bereavement has led to an increased demand for bereavement support.

“We recognised this within the Trust, and established the bereavement comfort call service to provide this much-needed emotional and practical support when a loved one passes away.

“This is a very rewarding role, and we hope that people will come forward to help ensure we can continue to offer these calls which we know can make a huge difference to people at what can be a very difficult time.”

There are many benefits to becoming a comfort call volunteer, including:

• giving time to others
• great satisfaction from helping others, creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
• helping you connect with other people and build a sense of belonging
• meeting new people and trying something new
• accessing online training and developing your skills
• obtaining insight into caring roles

Essential criteria: Access to a laptop or PC and mobile phone along with confidence when using IT.

For an application pack please email volunteer.service@northerntrust.hscni.net

The closing date is August 15 2024 at 12 noon.

Suitability conversations are planned for August 19 and 20.

 Successful applicants will need to attend online training on August 27 from 7pm-8:30pm.

Access NI ID verification checks and service specific training will take place w/c September 2024.