For those of us interested in sport or with children or grandchildren who play sport, you may have spotted in the news that a new medical study is due out, linking the act of heading the ball in sport, or sustaining some other sports-related head injury, with an increased risk of degenerative conditions like Dementia or Alzheimer’s in later life.
Consequently, there are calls for restricting, more strictly controlling or even banning the act of heading the ball in sport altogether in the future.
It is entirely right that we are aware of the potential risks of sport, particularly when it comes to our children and grandchildren, and that sensible precautions are put in place to offer appropriate protection against unnecessary risks.
This does, however, need to be weighed carefully against any unintended consequences of whatever protective measures are put in place. It is also in the news this week that the UK is now officially the most overweight nation in Europe – we need to think carefully about taking any steps that reduces a willingness to participate in sport, which is one of the best ways to counteract obesity problems.
For those of us who have already experienced contact sport in the blissful ignorance of the risks involved, it is too late anyway to implement those protective measures – the damage may already have been done.
There are very simple and cost-effective steps that every adult can take to protect against some of the difficult circumstances encountered by those who are diagnosed with a medical condition affecting their brain function. It is something that we would encourage all adults to consider, whatever their age, background or current state of health before such circumstances present themselves.
At The Family Law Company, we have a particular interest in helping people to prepare and plan for the future to ensure the needs of their family, close friends and relatives are met should they, or anyone they care about, suffer from any condition in the future that affects their mental health and ability to make decisions for themselves.
Whether it is making a Lasting Power of Attorney to ensure you are in control of who makes decisions for you should you need help or support doing so in the future, supporting people with mental health problems to make sure they get access to the services they need, or helping to put in place arrangements for you or your family to get the best help and support available where care is needed, we are here to help. If you would like to discuss any of these issues further with us, please do get in touch on 01392 421777.
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