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Community Care Magazine No25 for Elderly and DisabledPossible help to pay for care Care is becoming more expensive and costs are likely to rise as the prescriptive specifications for care at home and in the residential home sector are implemented. So are there any additional funds that you may be able to access to help you pay your care costs? There is no simple answer but as well as the "well-known" organisations representing disability and the older age group, there are areas that are worth exploring. Voluntary bodies and trusts operate at both a national and local level. The national level is likely to have more demands on its resources than at a local level, so it is a good idea to begin within your own locality. There may be trusts for specific groups of people, e.g. a charity that helps people born or educated within a certain distance of a reference point or who are employed by a company, which operates a welfare scheme. There may be parochial or religious charities related to your place of residence. They will not be able to provide anything but a one off contribution or a small weekly amount in the main but it may enable you to buy an aid or piece of equipment you need. If you or your spouse receive a private pension then you can contact the pensions dep't. of the company and see if they have any available funds. There is a directory titled "A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need" published by the Directory of Social Change which contains the most complete list of charities and organisations that will give grants and funding. You can purchase one by telephoning 020 7209 5151 or ask at your local library who may have a copy. Between 16 & 65 years of age? The Independent Living Fund aims to support long term independent living for severely disabled people by contributing towards the cost of private care. This enables them to remain in their own home rather than moving into residential care. If you:
Then contact the ILF for further details. Tel 0115 942 8191/2 or The UK has a very low recycling rate. Approx. only 11% of waste is recycled, whereas Switzerland has a 50% rate. If you want to know more about what you, as an individual can do to recycle more of your waste, contact Friends of the Earth on 020 7490 1555 or
click here to visit their website.
However the good news is that cholesterol levels can be greatly reduced by focusing on diet and exercise. Here are 10 tips to help you.
Click here for some more free diet tips... Non Slip Floor Mat We recently came across an advertisement for a non slip washable floor mat, which may be of interest. It is advertised as offering a surer footing, and extra stability especially during movements, e.g. transfers. For an information leaflet you can telephone Jane Body, Non-Slip Administrator for Dycem Ltd on 0117 955 9921, email them at uk@dycem.com or
click here to visit the Dycem website
We will all enjoy an "Elizabethan" Christmas once again but what was it like to enjoy a "Victorian" Christmas? The Christmas Tree was brought to Great Britain by Prince Albert and very soon it became the fashion to have one at this time of year. Decorations would be lighted candles, fancy cakes hung by ribbon from the branches, paper chains and lead ornaments fashioned into shapes such as stars and crosses. Around 1870 it became possible to buy decorations crafted in glass or wax. Cotton wool, gold paper, buttons, etc were all used to create individuality. Presents were less bountiful than today. Advice to ladies in "The Ladies World of 1892" advised that if they had money to spend on presents, not to waste it on people richer that yourself but to spend it on giving a present to the poor. Just a piece of music, a Christmas day note or a few flowers would suffice and "show a delicacy of breeding." Men on the other hand could expect to receive presents. Harper’s Bazaar in 1896 advised that leather and silver presents were fashionable gifts. Tobacco boxes, inkstands, seals, stamp boxes, tobacco boxes and paper weights were all deemed to be acceptable. The quantity and variety of Christmas food you ate rather depended on how wealthy you were and how many staff you had to prepare, cook and serve it. The process was labour intensive and therefore many staff were required. Queen Victoria’s Royal House would perhaps have "Raised Pies" whereby a small bird e.g. a woodcock would be boned and put inside a pheasant. This in turn would be put inside a chicken, which in turn was placed in a turkey. The whole lot was then surrounded by stuffing and wrapped in a pastry. When cooked it was served in slices. Poorer people made do with roast beef or rabbit. Crackers had been invented in 1846 by Tom Smith. Originally they just wrapped sweets in coloured paper but this developed quite quickly into the type we know today. Carol singing was popular and the following carols were written during this era:
Even though our winters are not as cold as they used to be, it is still important to keep ourselves warm during the winter months.
If you do not keep warm Hypothermia may occur. This is a dangerous condition and can be fatal. The signs to look for are:
Insurance for Wheelchairs Whether your wheelchair is electric or manual you should make sure that it is covered by insurance. This also applies to any accessories as well. Make sure however, that any insurance covers all you want it to. You should consider accidental damage, fire, theft, the cost of your return home if you are away, the cost if your chair is out of action and you need to hire one, electrical or mechanical faults and any repair bill relating to the faults once out of manufacturers warranty. Third party cover should also be considered in respect of injury to persons or damage to property. Do You Remember? No specific item this month but rather general memories. If you were born before 1960 all will probably be familiar. If you were born after this date then you may think how lucky you were not to experience such facts or regret that you didn’t!
Our thanks this month go to Glen Hallworth, Ikeade Monye, Terry McGill and Jesmine Makayuna. Deaths We are sorry to announce the deaths of Marion Hoar, Miriam Hodson, Len Harvey, Norah Snow, Henry Allum, Sadie Ritchie and Hugh Lawson Johnson. Our thanks to all who helped to care for them Interviews Interviews have taken place in Norwich, Penrith, Inverness, Torquay, Goole, Eastleigh and Chatham. To Raise a Smile this Christmas... "What do you call a letter sent up the chimney on Christmas Eve?... "Why is Santa like a bear on Christmas Eve?... is the online version of Able Community Care's Gazette. Want a printed copy of our current Gazette? Click Here To Request a Printed Gazette... with experienced live-in Carers gives peace of mind and has been our nationwide priority since 1980. Alternatively, we can post you our current brochure. Click Here to Request a Printed Brochure... Click Here to Join us as a Carer... We're always happy to answer your questions Click Here to Ask a Question... Telephone: 01603 764567 (office hours: 9am-4pm GMT) Fax: 01603 761655 Able Community Care The Old Parish Rooms Whitlingham Lane Trowse, Norwich NR14 8TZ United Kingdom Back to Community Care Magazine Index...
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