How to stay healthy

Helping your young person understand how to stay healthy is complicated. It is not just about doing one thing. It is a combination of lifestyle choices that will help them stay healthy. 

You may need to give your young person the information you keep about their medical history. This information should be easy for them to use and understand. There are resources available that can help with this.

Things that your young person may need to consider

Healthy eating

What is the difference between good food, bad food, eating too much or too little?

The Local Offer for children and young people has resources that can help you explain this to your young person.

Exercise

This can be a great way to improve your young person's physical health, mental health and increase their social opportunities.

Use the Norfolk Community Directory to find groups that provide exercise services.

Smoking

Easy read guides are available to help your young person give up smoking and understand the dangers of smoking:

• Your guide to stopping smoking for good or Stopping Smoking
• Easyhealth.org.uk easy read leaflets

Drinking

Having the occasional drink can be part of a social gathering or part of a meal. But what are the safe limits for your young person, especially if they are on medication? And don't forget about the calories! 

For information on suggested alcohol limits, what is a 'unit' and calories in alcohol, visit the NHS alcohol support webpage.

Easyhealth.org.uk easy read leaflets, explain about alcohol and its effects.

Further information if you think your young person might have an alcohol problem.

Sexual health

You can find resources on how to help your young person understand their body, relationships and sexual health on our making friends page.

Stress, anxiety and mental health

As your young person gets older they might be taking on more responsibility and growing in their independence.  This could be an exciting time for them, but they could also be feeling stressed or anxious about these changes. 

The Local Offer for children and young people has resources on managing stress and anxiety.

Other mental health resources.

Find organisations that support people with mental health concerns on the Norfolk Community Directory. 

Getting good sleep and a good sleep pattern

You can find resources on 'what is a good night's sleep?' and insomnia from:

• MindEd, interactive website. Includes 'I cannot sleep' an easy read guide 
• Sleep East, who also run workshops
• How to get to sleep on the NHS website (opens new window)

Medication and drugs

You should explain to your young person the difference between drugs and the medication they may need to take. 

• National Institute on Drug Abuse easy to read website has videos and spoken information 
• Easy read guides to common medication
• Easyhealth.org.uk has easy read leaflets on medication, and templates to help your young person manage their medication

Regular health checks

It is important that your young person has an annual health check and knows how to make medical appointments.

Health professionals who can help your young person

There are universal services that your young person should know how to find, and possibly register with.

• Find a doctor or General Practitioner (GP) practice. Easy read guide about going to the doctors
• Find a dentist. Easy read guide on going to the dentist. If your young person needs specialist dental services because of their disability or medical condition, contact NHS England on 0300 311 2233 to find out what's available in your area
• Find an optician. Easy read guide 'my eyes and eyesight'
• Find a chemist or pharmacy (opens new window). Read Easyhealth.org.uk easy read guide 'getting to know your pharmacist'
• Find sexual health services

There are also videos in the Local Offer for children and young people, that explain more about these professionals.

Specialist health services will need to be referred to. These include speech and language services, mental health services and the continence service.