Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.42

Mel's Appeal

Thank you to everyone so far who has sent in the "penny per person per week" (in advance) for Mel's wheelchair appeal. An extra thank you to every one who sent money over and above the amount we suggested. The current total stands at over £1,800.00 and the wheelchair, costing approx. £5,500.00 has now been ordered.

Fund raising continues so please keep sending in your donations!

In the office we have raised funds by staff "buying an hour off work" at £3.50 per hour and a Flapjack Friday where all proceeds from the sale of the cakes were added to the total.

We are also organising a Quiz for care agencies and Social Services teams throughout Norfolk.

Smoke Alarms

Smoke alarms cost from as little as £5.00 and can be purchased from DIY stores, supermarkets and many other high street shops.

If you live in rented accommodation your landlords are not legally obliged to fit them. Your safety is your own responsibility.

Your local fire station will give you advice if you are not sure which type is most suitable.

Make sure when buying a fire alarm that you look for the British Standard Kitemark.

You are twice as likely to die in a fire at home if you haven't got a working smoke alarm.

People with hearing problems can buy alarms that have a vibrating pad and a flashing strobe light.

Ideally smoke alarms should be on each floor of a home.

Household Tip

You can buy stain removers for most stains but it is possibly cheaper and quicker to try a safe home remedy first.

If you have a rust stain try rubbing lemon juice and salt into the mark and leave for an hour. After this, wash in the usual way with a biological powder.

Light tomato sauce stains can usually be removed by washing but if the stain is heavy, try mixing up a solution of warm water and glycerine (available from any chemist counter) half water half glycerine and soak the stained area for an hour. Wash in the usual way after soaking.

Gas and Electricity Suppliers

If you are of pensionable age, deaf or have hearing difficulties, blind or have a sight impairment, chronically sick or otherwise disabled then the suppliers must offer special services to you.

To obtain these special services you must first register with the Priority Services Register (PSR) with your supplier and once registered the following are free of charge:

• You will qualify for an annual safety check only if you and any other person you are living with is on the PSR.

• If no one in your house is able to read the meter then your supplier can arrange for your meter to be read so that you do not have to pay estimated bills.

• If you find it difficult to read your meter your supplier should be contacted about moving the meter for you (free of charge.)

• To protect against bogus callers ask for details of the "password" scheme.

• If you have difficulty using appliances, for example turning on and off, your supplier can offer advice and equipment to make the appliance easier to use.

• You can request your bills in large print or on audio tape.

• You can have your bills sent to a relative or friend if you wish a second person to check your bill.

• If you have a disruption in your gas supply and you or anyone else living in the house is on the PSR then a gas transporter will be supplied to enable you to have alternative cooking and heating facilities.

This time of year garden tools are used and sometimes left out in the open. Apart from the fact that they can easily be stolen and sold at the nearby car boot sale, the tools themselves also make breaking into your house easier.

Police advice is to always lock all tools away after use.

Lavender

This is the season for lavender, a flower brought, it is thought, by the Romans to this country.

There are many uses for lavender apart from placing it in a vase and the following are a few we have come across:

• When you are using a tumble dryer for your sheets, blankets, underwear, etc, place a lavender bag, either homemade or bought, in the dryer to add a lovely fragrance. A bag should last for several dryings but just make sure that the bag is secure with no seams loose, etc, before you put it in and before each repeat use.

• Similarly, if you are hand washing put a few drops of lavender oil in the rinsing water. Lavender oil can be purchased from most chemists.

• Place a few drops of lavender essence on the filter when you are vacuuming and this will give a pleasant smell around the home.

• Place a few drops of lavender oil on some cotton wool and place in your drawers and wardrobes to deter moths.

• Finally, if you have some lavender growing in your garden, pick a stalk and place it under your pillow case to help you get a good nights sleep.

Age Concern are taking up a problem that many older drivers have. Quite simply, they have a driving licence but their age bars them from hiring a car. The upper age limit on car hire is based on date of birth not medical or driving history.

It can be an extremely irritating situation when arriving at your holiday destination and deciding to hire a car only to find, because of your date of birth, you cannot.

Age Concern is putting pressure on the Government to review this situation. So if you have had difficulties in hiring a car because of unfair age barriers or unable to obtain access to other services and goods, please contact Miranda Yates by email: miranda.yates@ace.org.uk

The Union Jack

The first Union Flag was flown in 1606 when it was decreed that the ships of the Kingdom of Great Britain should fly a flag which was a combination of the cross of St George of England and the cross of St. Andrew of Scotland. The flag was then known as either the British Flag or the Flag of Britain. It was not until 1707 that the Royal Navy christened the flag "The Union" flag

It is thought that the Union Flag became known as the Union Jack because of the flag being flown on the small pole on the back of a naval ship called the jackstaff.

In 1801 when the Act of Union came into being with Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland, the flag of St Patrick of Ireland was combined with the other two saints flags to create the Union Jack that has flown ever since.

The flag of Wales, the Red Dragon does not appear within the Union Jack because when the first Union Flag was created in 1606, Wales was already united with England and therefore were represented by the flag of St. George.

Mars Bars - Interesting Facts

The first Mars Bar was made in 1920 in the State of Washington by Frank and Ethel Mars.

The first Mars Bar in the UK was made in Slough where they still produce over 3 million bars a day.

The slogan "A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play" was coined by Murray Walker, the motor racing commentator, when he worked as an advertising copywriter in 1959.

Mars bars manufactured in other countries do not taste the same as those made in the UK. Consequently, Mars Bars are shipped around the world to expats by several UK businesses.

Mars sponsored the 1992 Olympics and also the 1994 World Cup.

In 1998 a man was sentenced to five years in prison for stealing eight lorry loads of Mars Bars worth approx. £70,000 each. The stolen sweets weighed over 300 tons.

A Mars Bar contains 230 calories and 12 grams of fat.

During the war, if available, a Mars Bar would be sliced and a piece given to children each day as a rare treat.

TV/Radio Programmes that may be of Interest

• In Touch - Tuesdays 8:40pm, BBC Radio 4. A weekly programme featuring news, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted.

• See Hear - mid-day Saturdays, BBC 2. Information and features for the deaf.

• You and Yours - Weekdays 12:04 pm, BBC Radio 4. A general, consumer program covering a wide range of subjects including disability issues.

Growing lettuces used to mean keeping the plant in the ground until you had a good heart then cut it, wash it and eat it.

In the past few years many lettuces are sold as leaves, literally bags of leaves which are quite expensive.

You can easily grow your own leaves and the information on many packets of seeds tell you that the leaf stage is considered the best time for harvesting.

If you have a large pot, or a piece of garden where you can make a furrow of earth, then you can grow your own leaves.

Soak the soil in the pot (or the ground), sprinkle the lettuce seeds (some packets have different types of lettuce so you get a variety of leaves) and wait, making sure that the soil does not dry out. Four weeks later start to pick your fresh leaves and they will continue to grow.

You save money and get super fresh food!

New Minister for Disabled People

Anne McQuire is the new Minister for disabled people. Her job is to improve the lifestyle opportunities for people with a disability.

If you wish to contact her, you can write to her at The House of Commons.

Kerb too high for your wheelchair?

If you have difficulty with a high kerb that you use frequently it may be worth contacting your local Council Planning Services and making a request to have the kerb lowered.

The address will be in your local telephone book so drop a letter to them outlining your circumstances and ask them to help.

Looking for an NHS Dentist in England?

There has been much publicity about the difficulty in finding registered NHS dentists in England.

If you want to know:

• If there is a practice in your locality, or if not, where the nearest practice is.

• Whether they are taking on NHS patients.

• what specific services are available in individual practices e.g. Hygienist on site, opening times, etc.

Looking for a Holiday?

Holiday Care is an organisation that provides information to enable disabled people to take a holiday.

To contact them please go to their web site: http://www.holidaycare.org.uk or telephone 01293 774535, minicom 01293 776943.

Special Thanks

The family of Mrs Gardner have requested that we give special thanks to her carers Diane, Priscilla and Elize.

A Note to Ponder....

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool.

Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

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