Local Care Home Supports World Mental Health Day

Staff and residents at Barchester’s Austen House care home in Lower Earley, Reading have been marking World Mental Health Day by taking part in a range of different activities to promote good mental health.

World Mental Health Day took place on Tuesday 10 October, the idea behind the day is to encourage people around the word to talk about mental health in general and how we all need to look after our mental health by talking about things and sharing our challenges. The theme this year is ‘Mental health is a universal human right’. The World Federation for Mental Health has been working for over 70 years to make sure mental health is treated on a par with physical health. World Mental Health Day is also an opportunity to ask for help if you are struggling.

The staff and residents got into the spirit of the day by taking part in a relaxation session, listening to a local healthcare professional, Tracey Walesh from Wokingham Community Hospital, about mindfulness and the importance of staying positive, hosting an mindfulness session and taking the time to talk about their feelings and sharing their challenges.

Operations Manager, Joleen Leung, said: “Our residents have had a great day, it is so important to talk about our feelings and allow ourselves some time for self-care. Everyone really enjoyed the relaxation session and the mindfulness talk, it was really interesting to learn some new techniques to help us switch off and recharge from time to time.”