Known as a distinctly Christian city today, Rome has a long history of religious tolerance. One of the most persecuted communities in world history, the Jews, found a home in Rome as early as the second century B.C.

One of the most detailed descriptions of these communities was written by the Jewish philosopher, Philo of Alexandria. He visited Rome in 40 A.D. at the request of the infamous Roman emperor Caligula. Philo wrote voluminously about the life of the Jews in Rome.

Of particular concern to him was whether the rights that had been granted to them decades earlier by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, were being protected. Augustus had been gracious and magnanimous toward the early Jewish communities of Rome. Jews were enabled to either own or rent a home in Rome They did enjoy special rights and privileges. (more...)

As people are living longer than they used to and as families are becoming smaller, there are more demands placed on families when it comes to care for the elderly. With the help of home care services, many elderly people can stay fit and healthy in their own homes for a long time, but there comes a point where they cannot look after themselves and this is where the tough decisions come into play.

A few decades ago, many elderly people who were no longer able to look after themselves were integrated into the family unit and looked after by one of their sons or daughters. This still happens in many countries such as the Middle East, but it is less common now in the UK for several reasons.

It is a fact of life now that most women have to work as well as looking after the home, for economical or other reasons, and it is therefore not practical for an elderly parent to live in the house as they are not there all the time to look after them. (more...)

We have all heard the latest shocking statistics that relate to the average levels of health in our country: obesity is on the rise and set to cost the NHS many billions of pounds each year; and people are leading busier lives nowadays, which means that exercise regimes are going out of the window.

The communities of today are generally the most unhealthy they have ever been since records began. Local Authorities need to take the blame here, for the most part, as they try to find ways of saving money and often cut essential health clubs and facilities.

At the end of the day, you can pursue any type of diet you want: you can drink protein shakes 10 times a week in the hope of a healthier body, but nothing can ever replace the necessity of undertaking regular and effective exercise. This is the only thing that is going to keep us at our best and help us to stay out of those frightening obesity statistics in the future. (more...)