Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.22

MAY-JUNE 2002

Social Care - What do these words mean?

Social Care involves helping people in and out of bed, enabling them to get dressed, bathed, to go to the toilet, to possibly have help to eat, to live in a clean environment, to have help with their laundry and increasingly to have help with issues such as changing catheters and managing medication. Carers usually carry out these tasks, and most of us would agree that these are not a luxury but a necessity especially if you are unable to be independent in these activities.

The SPAIN Report (Social Policy Ageing and Information Network) compiled by organisations such as Help the Aged, Centre for Policy on Ageing, Arthritis Care, Age Concern, Alzheimer's Society etc., identifies three areas where Social Care for elderly people is being rationed.

1. Home Care - the number of older people receiving home care is declining despite an increase of people over the age of 85. However, thousands of people are declined care because funding levels have not increased, so Social Services have to ration the care they can supply.

2. Residential Care - last year over 35,000 beds were lost in the sector due to home closures. Insufficient local authority fee levels, high staff vacancy and turnover rates are mainly to blame.

3. Hospital Discharge - Due to the lack of community and residential care services over 700,000 older people experienced problems and delay in leaving hospital.

As we are an ageing population and the majority of people would prefer to remain in their own home, it is important that funding for Social Care tasks is recognised as an urgent need. Enabling a person to have Social Care means that independence in their own home is maintained for much longer and could result in them not having to leave their own home and environment to move into residential accommodation. Result a happier person.

We all need "good air"

The quality of air in your home can affect your health. This is especially true if you suffer from asthma or have other breathing problems. The Energy Efficiency Organisation advises that condensation is a major cause of breathing problems. Condensation causes mould which produces tiny spores or seeds and these can irritate the lungs.

To stop this happening there are several practical, easy things you can do:

• Use as little water as possible when you cook and keep the lid on the saucepan.

• Avoid bottle gas heaters as they give off water vapour when they burn.

• Draught proofing will reduce 10-15% of your heat loss but unless there is adequate ventilation draught proofing can reduce the flow of fresh air into your home.

• If you have too much ventilation it can reduce the temperature of your home which in turn could increase condensation. Using extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom may help to achieve the correct balance.

In some areas there are long waiting lists for various treatments and if you do not wish to wait the length of time given, you may be able to speed up your appointment.

You can do this by contacting The College of Health who run a Waiting List Helpline which may help you find a shorter list and therefore access treatment earlier.

To make use of this facility you need to carry out the following:

• Check that your GP would refer you elsewhere if a shorter waiting list is found.

• Either you or your GP can telephone the Helpline on 0208 983 1133 and get the necessary information.

• Contact the hospital to see if they will accept you as a referral.

• Make sure that your GP is happy that the Local Health Authority will fund your treatment at the new hospital.

• Finally if you do access treatment at another hospital, make sure you cancel your appointment at the first hospital.

Following on from our Ginger Beer recipe last time this is a Victorian Recipe obtained from a web site (using modern technology!)

Lemon Curd
You need: 3 large lemons, 5 eggs, 1 cup of granulated sugar and 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Grate the lemons and leave. Squeeze the juice and put into a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients (not the grated lemon rind) and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into a heavy saucepan and stir in the lemon rind. Cook over a low heat for about ten minutes. Stir the mixture from time to time, if it looks lumpy stir with a whisk. After ten minutes pour the mixture into a dish and it will thicken up as it cools.

Use as a spread on crumpets, muffins, toast, etc.

Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982

This Act concerns, among other things, your rights when using contractors, e.g. for home improvements. Under this Act you are entitled to expect work to be carried out with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost.

• Any materials supplied by the contractor must be as described by the contractor, be of satisfactory quality and fit for the purpose for which they are intended.

• Enforcing your rights is not always easy so to ensure that you are satisfied with the completed work it is a good idea to draw up a written agreement of what is expected before work commences.

• Beware of tradesmen who offer you a "special deal" if you sign up for the work today or "have it done today". These tradesmen are probably best avoided.

• Don’t pick the first electrician or plumber you see advertised or hear of.

• If you have friends who have used a tradesman and were satisfied with the standard of work, it might be better to use them rather than an unknown, even if they are more expensive.

• Ask if the tradesman is a member of a trade association. If he/she says yes you can ring the trade association to check this is so. Also using a trade association member gives you an extra bit of security should a dispute occur.

• You could also ask a trade Association if they have a member in your area when you first begin your search.

• Find out if the contractor has premises you can visit. Beware of telephone only businesses.

• Ask if the contractor has insurance in the event of damage to yours or your neighbour's property. Also make sure that either the contractors or your own insurance covers death and personal injury i.e. if the tradesman falls off your roof with fatal consequences.

• Try and get three quotes for the work you want carried out.

The address we have given you previously to send your old stamps to has ceased accepting them. Therefore you may wish to donate your used stamps to the following charity: The Elizabeth Svendsen Trust, Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU.

This is a charity, which enables disabled children to ride donkeys. If you would like further information, write to the Trust at this address.

How the Victorians treated a cold

Footbaths were common in Queen Victoria's reign and were brought into use if any member of the family had a cold. Two tablespoons of mustard were dissolved in hot water and the patient with either a cold or flu was made to breathe in the steam to help their cough and soak their feet in it to combat the other symptoms.

A poultice was also made from mustard and this was applied to the body where the aches and pains of lumbago and sciatica were prevalent.

Government Legislation

From October 2002 the minimum wage rate will increase to £4.20 per hour.

Remember School Milk?

In 1906 The Education Act empowered Local Education Authorities to provide free school meals and this was extended in 1921 to the supply of free milk. But it did not mean that every school complied with the Regulation.

However, in 1946 The School Milk Act stated that every pupil under the age of eighteen years should be entitled to a third of a pint of milk per day. Later legislation rescinded this.

However, now Local Authorities can offer subsidised school milk to children in nursery and primary schools via the EC School Milk Subsidy Scheme. This is free to pupils whose parents receive Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance or payments under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

This allows children to purchase 250ml of milk daily at a reduced price. However, many Local Authorities do not offer school milk (Currently only 20% of primary school children in the UK have access to this subsidised milk). The National Dairy Council (NDC) is campaigning for all school pupils to have availability to either free or subsidised milk.

For local details telephone the Education Dept at your County Council.

Gardening for all

Everyone can enjoy a garden but some gardens do need to have some adjustment made so that wheelchair users and visually impaired people can also enjoy the benefits.

You may be designing a new garden or considering whether to change the layout of an existing one and the following information may enable anyone to enjoy your garden.

Raised beds give access to wheelchair gardeners allowing easy planting, easy weeding and the chance to be nearer to the flower's scent. Beds should not be more than 4 feet wide if you want the bed to be accessible from both sides. Make sure that any shrubs planted do not overhang to impede access.

Any path should be wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. Instead of steps in a garden, build slopes. Do not forget a tree to provide shade.

There are several tips to help people with impaired vision orientate themselves around the garden. Site wind chimes in specific places, a safe water feature for sound, vivid colours for reference points such as a post or a flag set in the flower bed and choose colourful plants.

Window boxes and hanging baskets sited correctly can all be made accessible.

If you suffer from stiff joints then warm them up before you start and change positions frequently.

Deaths

It is with regret that we have to announce the death of the following clients. Mr Hayward, Mrs Erskine, Mr Vintner, Mrs Wakefield, Mrs Reitzma and Mr Brand.

Thank you to all the carers who worked with them.

Interviews

Since the last Gazette interviews have taken place in: Norwich, Goole, Kent, York Blackburn, Annan and the West Country.

Did You Know?

• Devon is the only county in Britain to have two coastlines.

• Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

• It is forbidden for aircraft to fly over the Taj Mahal.

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