Being Breast Aware by Samantha Harper

In the UK every year 58,000 people are diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

Sadly this means that every 10 minutes someone is told they have breast cancer (www.breastcancercare.org.uk).

In the first instance the majority of cases are found by the individuals themselves who then seek medical attention, but what happens for those with limited understanding?

Those with brain injuries, learning disabilities and mental health needs often have to be guided on how to maintain their health and this can fall heavily to the care team. So in the best interest of our clients, our staff teams should have training in this area, right? VP Community Care decided to send two of our Care Coordinators on a train the trainer course to support breast cancer awareness for our clients. Danielle North and Paula Ginty received training on how to educate our clients and guide our staff in supporting clients to complete regular checks, look for changes and to recognise the signs of breast cancer.

Together, Danielle and Paula will now use this training to educate our staff, maintain the health of our clients, detect the early signs of breast cancer and enable them receive any treatment without delay.

The Breast Cancer Care Checklist:

• Look at and feel your breasts so you know what’s normal to you
• Do this regularly to check for changes
• Tell your Doctor as soon as possible if you notice anything

For more information about breast cancer visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk »