Community Care Magazine: Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: Issue 38

There has been a shortage of the flu vaccine this year because there was a doubt about an aspect of the manufacturing process. Consequently there have been some delays in distribution.

In excess of 250 million people throughout the world receive the vaccine yet influenza still kills more than half a million people every year.

If you are unfortunate to catch flu there is little that can help in the way of medication. Flu is a virus and therefore antibiotics are of little use and can make matters worse. Your body has to naturally fight the flu and you need to try to relieve the symptoms.

Your body uses up a great deal of energy fighting the infection so if you can rest for a couple of days this will help.

You can take paracetamol or anti-inflammatory medication if you have a temperature, headaches or muscle aches.

Drink plenty of liquid to replace that lost by your body as it fights your infection.

There are several products available to help relieve your symptoms, and your local chemist will advise you about these.

After a few days you should begin to see an improvement. If this is not the case, or you have other symptoms such as a shortage of breath, coughing up blood or large amounts of phlegm, then contact your doctor.

For 2004 you are entitled to £300.00 an increase of £100.00 over last year. However, some pensioners must apply for this increased amount, so if you or someone you know does not receive this amount contact the Winter Fuel Allowance Helpline on 08459 151515.

In January next year Able Community Care is launching a subscription based information resource service.

It is designed to help people who have elderly relatives living in the UK but because of distance (they may be living and working abroad) are not able to 'be there' if a problem arises.

If you know of anyone who may benefit from this service or would like more information then please call us. The telephone number is 01603 763387.

In The Food Standards Agency Report (published October 2002) it was estimated that there are over a million cases of food related illness in the UK every year with Christmas being the peak time.

The Safe Christmas Book not only gives recipes for some delicious Christmas fare but also provides guidelines on general food safety giving details of points in the cooking or preparation where you have to be especially careful. The book also identifies potential hazards related to the ingredients you may be using.

For example, if you are making a Chocolate Orange Trifle you are advised that the bacteria in the cream and milk could be a hazard (e.g. not fresh). The critical control points to be aware of when you are preparing the trifle are that you should only use pasteurised or UHT refrigerated milk.

Also, once prepared, ensure the trifle is covered and refrigerated below 10( C until served.

The book is priced at £3.50 and is available from Achor, 82 Northgate, Beccles, Suffolk. NR34 9AY. Web: www.achor.co.uk

8 oz self raising flour
4 oz castor sugar
3oz butter or margarine
1 large egg, beaten
3 oz chopped hazelnuts
3 drops vanilla essence
Paper cases or a patty tin

Critical Control Points - Ensure thorough cooking by piercing with a knife, cakes that are in different positions on the tray. When cooked the knife should be clear when withdrawn, without any cake mix sticking to it.

One of our readers, who used the facilities, found the experience relaxing and has recommended this charity to us.

Their largest boat, is a canal boat "Madam Butterfly," moored at Odiham on the Basingstoke Canal. This is a boat, which is 'disability friendly' and can take seven people of whom three must be able bodied. The cost for a week's hire is £550.00.

The charity also has a smaller boat, which is available for hire by the day or by the hour and again is fitted out for disabled people. The smaller boat can accommodate 12 disabled and able bodied people.

You can contact them on their website: http://www.accessibleboating.org.uk

Christmas in the 1950's

With no television, computers, supermarkets and possibly not much money to spend, the preparations for Christmas were different from those we are used to today.

Decorations usually consisted of home made paper chains and it would not be unusual for the tree to have actual candles attached.

Most people did not own a refrigerator and freezers were not in use. Therefore Christmas preparations were not "plan and freeze ahead."

Most homes had a 'copper' or a Burco boiler and many of these were used, about three weeks before, to cook the Christmas puddings. Members of the household would stir and make a wish and silver charms or silver sixpences would be put into each one to be found on Christmas day mixed in with the custard!

Mincemeat was made by hand and the Christmas cake was made early and then covered in marzipan before being iced.

Many people kept chickens in the garden and it was likely that the 'man of the house' would kill and pluck one to eat about two or three days before it needed to be cooked.

At this time, also, queues would form at the butchers to buy fresh sausage meat to make rolls and stuffing. Cooked meat was bought and carried home carefully and placed in the coldest part of the house.

Mothers usually spent the last few frantic days before Christmas carrying the standard brown paper carrier bags (where the string cut into your fingers when they were heavy) or an assortment of shopping baskets. These were usually full of last minute gifts and food items such as artificial cream, evaporated milk, cheese, tinned fruit, bread, fruit, nuts and vegetables (unless they were home-grown.)

Father's job was to buy the alcohol, which would mainly be a bottle of sherry or port.

Christmas Eve was the time for making jellies and trifles. These were stored where it was cold so they could set.

Christmas day needed the fire to be lit, the presents unwrapped (usually taken from a pillowcase) the meal enjoyed and then on to playing games.

Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, Lotto, Consequences and games where everyone had to "pay a forfeit" which usually meant being asked to sing, recite, dance, etc.

If you are a wheelchair user, shopping for Christmas presents in a crowded store is not much fun.

Look in your local paper or call a local charity such as Age Concern, and find out what stores in your area are having a night for people who are elderly or have a disability. Happy shopping!

We have been producing this Gazette for the past 15 years. The objective was and still is, to form a link every few weeks with all our Clients and Carers. Unlike a local agency, where people can pop in, have a cup of coffee and pick up information, providing a nation-wide service makes this impossible.

So we began the Gazette on the basis that it would be a "five minute read" with your cup of coffee and hopefully something you would enjoy and find informative.

Each new edition is posted on our web site (here!) and we thought that you may find it of interest to know how many people, other than yourself read the paper edition or visit the website.

Able Community Care also appears regularly in two newspapers. We answer questions in a "Questions and Answers" column on a variety of issues not just relating to care.

Click here if you wish to take a look at the content of these questions over the last year or so.

If you have any questions please contact us and we will do our best to provide an answer, and who knows it may even be published.

Every day in our newspapers we read about anti social behaviour, with varying reports of what it is and who it affects.

Simply put, anti social behaviour is defined as anything that causes harassment, nuisance, distress, or alarm on an individual's way of life. It can cover drug dealing, racial and other harassment, physical violence, noise, verbal abuse and vandalism.

So who do you contact if you have a problem? One of the following should be able to help:

Our thanks go to Denise Sugden for her extra special contribution which was appreciated.

"Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water"

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Able Community Care
The Old Parish Rooms, Whitlingham Lane, Trowse,
Norwich, Norfolk NR14 8TZ, United Kingdom

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 4:00pm GMT, Monday to Friday
(excepting UK Bank Holidays)

Tel: +44 (0)1603 764567 | Fax: +44 (0)1603 761655 | Email: ablemg@aol.com

Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.38