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Community Care Magazine No43 for Elderly and DisabledCelebrating Our Silver Jubilee There are over 6 million family/informal carers providing care services for loved ones throughout the UK. As part of our Jubilee celebrations we are holding a competition for these carers. The winners (two from Scotland, two from England and two from Wales) will win a three night Spring Break in a hotel (DBB) with a friend or relative whilst we provide the care for their loved ones. The prizes will be taken in Spring 2006 and the closing date for the competition is October 31st. Humphrey Hawksley, BBC Foreign Correspondent and author and Dea Birkett Columnist for the Guardian Newspaper will be the final judges. At the time of going to press we have already received several entry forms from around the U.K. So if you are aware of any family/informal carers who may like to enter this competition please ask them to telephone 01603 766462. Alternatively, they may enter the competition online from the following link: We are pleased to advise all our readers that the target of £5500 needed to purchase a wheelchair for Mel has been reached. A magnificent effort by all those individuals and organisations who worked hard and contributed generously to raise the amount in such a short time. The "penny per person per week" which we asked our carers and clients to contribute raised over £500.00. Fund raising is continuing to help pay for Mel to attend training and archery competitions including the World Championships in Italy in September 2005. Thank you to every one who contributed. Nights are Getting Colder When the nights get colder thoughts turn to electric blankets and thousands are taken out of cupboards where they have been stored for the summer. A thought to bear in mind is that electric blankets account for more than 5000 fires each year in Great Britain. 99% of these fires are caused by blankets that are over 10 years old. If you have one that old then consider changing it. Other warning signs to look out for are:
Two out of three people die without making a will. So what happens when you die if you have not made a will:
The opinions of 1094 people who filled in a survey for the BBC Good Food Magazine included what they perceived as the worst things about supermarket shopping. These were:
Disability Rights Commission The DRC is an independent body established in April 2000 by an Act of Parliament. Its aim is to stop discrimination and promote equal opportunity for disabled people. There are approx. 9.8 million disabled people in Britain and their disabilities cover all age groups. Disability also includes people with heart disease, diabetes, depression, epilepsy, dyslexia, and other types of impairment. Since 2000 the DRC has received more than half a million enquiries. The DRC gives advice and information to service providers, individuals and employers as well as supporting disabled people's rights under the Disability Discrimination Act. They also publish a wide variety of information documents. To contact the Helpline: Telephone 08457 622 633 Textphone 08457 622 644 Fax 08457 778 878 Post DRC Helpline, FREEPOST MID 02164, Stratford upon Avon. CV37 9BR Did You Play Snakes and Ladders? Most of our readers will have played the board game Snakes and Ladders. The game originated in India and the various squares represented various types of good, e.g. faith, reliability, etc and the various forms of evil e.g. vanity, theft, etc. The game was a teaching tool for children to encourage them to ascend higher in the league of life (ultimately to heaven) rather than reduce your self through evil ways and the resulting consequences. The morality of the game would have appealed to the Victorians and their moral attitudes and it was first published as a game in England in 1892. The vices and virtues of the Hindu game were changed but basically if you climbed a ladder you were elevated to squares such as grace, success, etc and if you landed on a square labelled indolence or disobedience you slid down to poverty and disgrace squares. As time went on, these moral aspects of the game largely disappeared and the ladders became the manner in which you could reach square number 100 quicker and win the game whilst the snakes took you further away from your objective of winning. Five Portions a Day We are being told to make sure that we eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. But what is a portion, do you know? The Co-operative Society has produced the following information: Fruits such as an apple, a banana and half a grapefruit are easy to align to the thought of a portion but a handful of grapes, 2 canned pineapple rings, a heaped tablespoon of sultanas, two 2 inch mango slices, 3 heaped tablespoons of fruit salad, 2 canned peach halves, 2 fresh plums, 150ml of fruit juice, one tomato and seven fresh strawberries are also one portion each. Vegetables are possibly more difficult to measure but 3 heaped tablespoons of frozen peas, 6 baby sweet corn, 4 frozen broccoli florets, 3 sticks of celery, 8 cauliflower florets, 14 button mushrooms, 5 fresh asparagus spears and three heaped teaspoonfuls of carrots all are one portion. The above is not a comprehensive list but should be helpful. Do You Write Poetry? The Once Orange Badge Poetry Supplement is a publication that is for "everyone whose life has been touched by disability or illness in some way or at some time." The publication is seeking new poems from people for its next two issues. There is no restriction or preference towards style or length and poems may be on any subject. If you would like to submit a poem please send it to: Dean-Martyn Heath, PO Box 184, South Ockenden, Essex. RM15 5WT or email to:
onceorangebadge@poetry.fsworld.co.uk Heat packs or patches, that can be bought from a variety of sources, for the relief of back or muscular pain can be dangerous in that there have been several incidents of burns. The temperature of the pack or patch may not, in the first instance be uncomfortable, but extended use can cause problems. The devices differ in the temperature reached and therefore have different instructions for use e.g. whether to apply directly to the skin or over clothing. Ensure therefore that the manufacturer's instructions are followed and people with a sensory impairment or delicate skin should take special care. (MHRA - Department of Health Alert) Using a Mobility Scooter - Did You Know? There are two main classes of Mobility Scooter, Class 2 and Class 3. Class 2 scooters can only be driven on the pavement and have a maximum speed of 4 mph. Class 3 scooters can travel on the road and have a maximum speed of 8 mph. To drive a Class 3 scooter on the pavement you must have a restrictor switch, which will limit your speed to 4 mph. To use your scooter on the road you need to check that your front and rear lights are working, that you have reflectors and directional indicators and a horn in good working order. You cannot use a Class 3 vehicle in cycle lanes, on a motorway or in bus lanes when they are operational. You must also abide by the road signs in the Highway Code. When parking your scooter normal parking restrictions apply. So if you are entitled to a Blue Badge this must be displayed appropriately. There is no legal requirement for Mobility Scooters to have a road fund licence or insurance. However, in 2004 there were 8 fatalities and 1000 accidents involving powered scooters so it is advisable to take out adequate insurance. Insurance policies, cost in the region of £40.00 per annum, and cover loss, damage, theft and third party claims. Some policies also incorporate breakdown cover for approx. £100.00 per year. Contact your local insurance broker for details. Chip and Signature "Chip and Signature" is different from the "Chip and Pin" system, which we are using more and more in supermarkets, shops, etc. People who are blind or have poor sight cannot easily use the "Chip and Pin" system. So to overcome the problem Banks and Credit Card companies have devised the "Chip and Signature" process. The "Chip and Signature" card will be entered into the supermarket's machine and will alert the cashier that the owner of the card will provide verification of who they are by signing rather than by using a pin number. To obtain a "Chip and Signature" card contact your bank or credit card company directly. Bought something on the Internet? Buying goods on the Internet is the same as if you were buying goods from a high street shop. You still have the same rights regarding faulty or poorly advertised products. You also have an entitlement to a seven day "cooling off" period. Your transaction falls under the "distance selling" regulations (financial services cooling off periods may be different.) So, if you have a problem with your purchase then contact the seller. But remember to get hold of a contact name, land-line number, and postal address. Never rely on just an e mail address. Special Thanks Special thanks this edition go to Jennifer Fouracres for helping out beyond the call of duty, it was much appreciated by all. Congratulations Congratulations to Felister Mkwaila who has been awarded her Diploma in Social Care and expects to receive her Degree in October. Felista completed the five year course in just three years. Joke - Submitted by a Reader Question -What is black white, black white, black white? Answer - A penguin falling downstairs
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
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