DeCare Dental recently hosted a very successful Wellness that Works breakfast seminar at the Clayton Hotel in Galway, which was attended by a wide range of experts including business and HR managers, wellness advocates and employee leaders.
DeCare Dental’s CEO, Maureen Walsh, opened proceedings with a presentation and video to demonstrate how positivity and happiness can be spread with something so very simple as a smile. She encouraged the audience to use their smile to help their health and provided some research which focused on the life elongating benefits of the smile. Walsh also discussed how DeCare’s oral health expertise became a dominant stepping stone to developing Wellness programs in the workplace hub.
David Casey, DeCare Dental’s Wellness and Health Promotions Manager, outlined the World Health Organisation's definition of health during a very engaging presentation. With over nine years clinical experience in healthcare and six years spent designing, building and implementing wellness and education programs for over 500 companies across Ireland and the UK, Casey was able to employ audience participation to show how a healthy lifestyle is different for everyone. He further explained how workplaces could benefit greatly by focusing more on the determinants of health rather than downstream poor health outcomes when considering Wellness initiatives.
During a continuing exploration on the benefits of having a healthy workforce and workplace, Dr Maria Neira of the World Health Organisation delivered the poignant message that: “The wealth of business depends on the health of workers.”
Munster Rugby Legend and Mental Health Advocate, Alan Quinlan, also took to the stage to share his personal experiences of dealing with mental health issues, anxiety and depression. He spoke about the key role a healthy lifestyle can play in dealing with stress levels and how concrete support, both in the home and in the workplace can have a massive impact on recovery.
He further explained how mental health was a “hush-hush subject” when he was growing up as people were cast aside or viewed as different if they had a mental health issue. Encouragingly, stigma associated with mental health issues is gradually being broken down and there is now far more compassion and empathy around trying to help people, he added, saying that he believes that creating an openness about your feelings and vulnerability is a proactive way of dealing with mental health issues. Quinlan added that it is very important to continue to educate people, and most importantly, to educate children about the importance of resilience and the importance of being open.
Helen Quinn, HR and Employment Law adviser, who is very passionate about bringing meditation into the workplace and bringing more awareness into day to day working lives, treated the room to a relaxing meditation session, while Dermot Goode, MD of totalhealthcover.ie and a leading expert on Healthcare Benefits in Ireland, outlined emerging trends in employee wellness, stating that wellness is not just a quick fix, but something that takes commitment over time to achieve the very best results.
The refreshing and educational breakfast seminar ended with a comprehensive panel discussion hosted by Maureen Walsh, DeCare CEO and comprised of Criona O’Daly (People Experience Manager – Jet.com ), Geraldine Lavin (Network Manager – SFA Skillnet ) and Adrian Yeates (Managing Director – Lizado Services ).
With research showing that keeping employees healthy can improve quality of life and even impact a business' bottom line with reduced healthcare costs, improved productivity and boosting morale, DeCare Dental, experts in dental benefit solutions and employee wellness programmes, highlighted how important a healthy, happy workforce can be. Its Health and Wellbeing Training Program includes material for managers, team leaders and wellness champions to set up and manage a workplace wellness program.
With the success of events in Galway, Dublin and Cork, DeCare’s next wellness event will be announced very soon. For further information see wellness.decare.ie website www.wellnessthatworks.ie or email [email protected]
