Right at Home South Cheshire launces menopause campaign

October is the World Health Organisation and the International Menopause Society’s Menopause Awareness Month. The month aims to break/challenge/change the stigma surrounding menopause, encourage people to talk openly/have open conversations about menopause and educate people on/raise awareness of the topic. As a network/At Right at Home Mid Cheshire, a large number of our workforce will experience menopausal symptoms at some time in their lives. To create an open environment where our team members feel comfortable sharing the challenges and changes they face/opening up/talking about their experiences, we have launched our #MenopauseMakesADifference campaign to shed light on the effects of menopause and offer a strong/robust/powerful support system in the workplace.

Why do people experience menopause?

• Medically, menopause is the day someone hasn’t had a period for 12 months in a row because their ovaries have stopped making eggs
• Most people use the term “menopause” to refer to the time when periods become irregular and/or stop
• The term perimenopause is used to describe the time in the lead-up to menopause when periods become irregular and sometimes heavier
• Levels of the hormone oestrogen decline, resulting in changes in the body, often causing a range of symptoms for the person
• Menopause can affect anyone who experiences periods, including trans men and people who are non-binary: this makes up around 51% of the population
• It typically happens between the ages of 45-55 but can happen much earlier or even later for some
• Symptoms can last anywhere from three months up to 10 years

 What symptoms are associated with menopause?

• There are a wide range/lots of/ a large variety of symptoms someone experiencing menopause may encounter
• Everyone’s journey will be different/unique, from duration, type of symptoms, severity of symptoms and age at onset. Some may experience multiple symptoms while others only experience a few
• Below are some of the most common/typical/widely experienced symptoms. If you are concerned about any changes you are experiencing, you should book an appointment to speak to your GP.
• Mood changes/anxiety
• Menopause may cause a person to have mood swings or increased anxiety levels
• Heart palpitations
• Oestrogen protects the arteries of the heart, as hormone levels change it can cause the heart to beat faster than usual
• This can sometimes happen during hot flushes
• They are generally nothing to worry about but can be frustrating
• Sleep issues
• Hot flushes and increased anxiety can lead to a person experiencing menopause having difficulty sleeping
• It can be harder to drift off to sleep and lead to waking up frequently in the night
• Tiredness
• As someone experiencing menopause, it may be harder to sleep at night
• You might also feel more fatigued and drained throughout the day
• Difficulty concentrating
• Menopause may cause a person to have difficulting concentrating or mean they can’t focus for extended periods of time
• Hot flushes
• Changes in hormone levels can cause the body’s temperature to fluctuate dramatically and suddenly increase to uncomfortable levels
• Hot flushes can happen at any time of the day and there is not always an obvious cause
• Needing the toilet more
• Menopause can cause the pelvic muscles to weaken meaning people may need to go to the toilet more frequently
• Poor memory/brain fog
• Sometimes people going through menopause can become more forgetful or have “silly moments” 
• People who have experienced menopause often describe moments where their brain feels like cotton wool
• Loss of confidence
• The symptoms of menopause coupled with a drop in oestrogen levels can lead to lower confidence and self-esteem
• This can happen at any time of menopause
• Headaches
• The changes in people’s bodies can cause headaches during menopause
• Sometimes dubbed “menstrual migraines” or “hormone headaches”, they can be quite severe and debilitating

One of our staff members said “Menopause hit me like a ton of bricks. I experienced fatigue, anxiety and in the early days my memory was shocking as well. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, you can’t avoid the symptoms, but we’re lucky to be living in a time when there is so much more help available - so make sure to make use of the support out there and find the best solution for you.”

Don’t be afraid to speak up about menopause

Menopause can be emotionally and physically challenging. There is a stigma around it which makes people think they should be ashamed of going through it. Part of the problem is people could feel uncomfortable or embarrassed talking about it, but it is a natural part of aging for women, transgender and non-binary people. The more we talk about it, the more the stigma will be reduced. It’s important for everyone to talk about it not just people who experience it first-hand, your family, friends and colleagues will appreciate the support you can give as you educate yourself around the topic

Menopause support from Right at Home South Cheshire

• There are lots of things that can support you during menopause
• In Mid Cheshire there are a variety of experts and activities designed to get you talking about menopause and help you find people experiencing similar things/going through the same thing
• Local menopause experts 
• Menopause cafes
• Menopause support groups
• Menopause yoga sessions

As a sector widely made up of women, social care can offer you a supportive working environment during menopause. Why not browse our flexible opportunities today? You can call Rachel from our recruitment team on 01270 257347 or view our current vacancies on www.rightathome.co.uk/southcheshire