I'm noticing that I'm needing to be aware of where toilets are as I go about my life. I'd not really thought about it until now, but I suppose I'm just clocking their locations in my head and estimating how long it would take me to get there and the best route should I have a need to go.
I happened to spot this website on twitter the other day, and that was the genesis of this post.
http://greatbritishpublictoiletmap.rca.ac.uk/
This site indicates that it is predominantly focussed on London (given that there are more local authorities there that are making their toilet data available for this kind of thing), but even so many of the toilets near my part of Bristol are also shown, so it suggests it is an evolving site, and I think this should be encouraged - you can comment on this by e-mailing them http://greatbritishpublictoiletmap.rca.ac.uk/#page-about
Of course, there are several different attempts to do the same thing on the internet, so looking at UK ones I also quickly found: http://www.toiletfinder.org/about and http://www.elbatrop.com/toilets There are others, but this gives a flavour.
I know that there is also the Radar key for disabled toilets, and this has a website too:
http://nks.directenquiries.com/nks/page.aspx?pageid=10&tab=National+Key+Scheme&level=2
Naturally, some of this information is available as an app, so you can search for these on your phone/tablet.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bto.toilet
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andromo.dev58318.app63800
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elbatrop.toilets
And, the Radar one:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/radar-national-key-scheme-app/id490642425?mt=8
And herein opens up the door to find apps which have toilets shown for other parts of the world (and an interesting collection of toilet related games.....)
Friday, 28 March 2014
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Stress and depression tests.
After my recent trip to the doctor I was referred to my local psychology unit. I called them and arranged to go in for a chat. Their approach is based on a Stepped-Care LIFT (Least Intervention First Time) model. This means that they offer services in a tiered approach where the most commonly helpful support is tried first.
Part of this visit involved tests for anxiety/stress and depression. I've found these tests on-line so that any readers wishing to assess themselves can do so.
The Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) is described as an easy to use self-administered patient questionnaire is used as a screening tool and severity measure for Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Scores of 5, 10, and 15 are taken as the cut off points for mild, moderate, and severe anxiety, respectively. When this is used as a screening tool, further evaluation is recommended when the score is 10 or greater.
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is described as an easy to self-administered version of the PRIME-MD diagnostic instrument for common mental disorders. It is noted that it is *not* a screening tool for depression but is used to monitor the severity of depression and response to treatment. However, it can be used to make a tentative diagnosis of depression in at-risk populations. People can draw their own conclusions about if long term health conditions are "at risk". The scores give an indication of depression severity as follows: 0-4 none, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-19 moderately severe, 20-27 severe.
http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9
I scored "moderate" on the anxiety and "mild" on the depression. My next step is to go on a "stress and mood management" course. Which I'll report back on after.
Part of this visit involved tests for anxiety/stress and depression. I've found these tests on-line so that any readers wishing to assess themselves can do so.
The Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) is described as an easy to use self-administered patient questionnaire is used as a screening tool and severity measure for Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Scores of 5, 10, and 15 are taken as the cut off points for mild, moderate, and severe anxiety, respectively. When this is used as a screening tool, further evaluation is recommended when the score is 10 or greater.
The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is described as an easy to self-administered version of the PRIME-MD diagnostic instrument for common mental disorders. It is noted that it is *not* a screening tool for depression but is used to monitor the severity of depression and response to treatment. However, it can be used to make a tentative diagnosis of depression in at-risk populations. People can draw their own conclusions about if long term health conditions are "at risk". The scores give an indication of depression severity as follows: 0-4 none, 5-9 mild, 10-14 moderate, 15-19 moderately severe, 20-27 severe.
http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9
I scored "moderate" on the anxiety and "mild" on the depression. My next step is to go on a "stress and mood management" course. Which I'll report back on after.
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