Community Care Magazine No48 for Elderly and Disabled

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JULY-AUGUST 2006

Attendance Allowance

If you are living in a residential care home and self funding*, you are still entitled to the Attendance Allowance (subject to fulfilling certain conditions.)

The Allowance could give you as much as £3000+ per year to help pay for your care home fees.

To obtain an application form contact the Benefits Line on 0800 882201.

* If you have taken out a deferred loan, (in that your property will be sold to pay your care bills eventually) you are still "self funding" and should claim the Allowance.

Gardening Magazines on Tape

For gardeners who are blind or visually impaired there are six gardening magazines, which can be heard on tape.

The following are all available from The Talking Newspaper Association, National Recording Centre, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 8DB (telephone 01435 866102.)

The weekly Amateur Gardening and the monthlies; BBC Gardeners World; Garden Answers; The Garden RHS; Which Gardening and Homes and Gardens.

Any number of magazines can be ordered for an annual subscription of £15.00.

Another magazine, which comes out quarterly can be obtained for an annual subscription of £3.00. "Come Gardening" has seasonal information, hints, tips and details of new products. This is also available in large print and Braille as well as tape.

Contact details: Horticultural Therapy, Goulds Ground, Vallis Way, Frome, Somerset. BA11 3DW. Telephone 01373 464782.

Dislike the Dentist?

Very few people enjoy going to the dentist, but what did people do five hundred or so years ago when their teeth were a problem?

Troublesome teeth were quite literally pulled out and if you were poor you remained with a gap in your mouth for the rest of your life.

If wealthier people, with an otherwise healthy mouth, had one or two teeth removed they would have single, substitute teeth tied into place using silk thread.

During the 18th century dentures were being developed, as were fixatives to keep them in the mouth. It was quite common to take dentures out when a person was eating. Dentures then, were mainly for cosmetic reasons.

Teeth taken from dead people were commonly used to make dentures and the teeth of executed criminals, if they were in good order, were in great demand.

The teeth for making dentures were taken from a number of different sources, e.g. robbing graves, unscrupulous dentists removing "good teeth" from their patients, workers in mortuaries, teeth of dead soldiers*.

* Approximately 50,000 soldiers were killed at the Battle of Waterloo, most were young men and many had healthy teeth.

Artificial teeth began to be manufactured from the 1840's onwards but some human teeth were still coming into Europe from the battlefields of the American Civil War in the 1860's.

The First Zoo

The first zoo created by Henry I was in fact a wild animal sanctuary in Woodstock in Oxfordshire. In the 13th century, this was re-housed at the Tower of London.

For the next six centuries private individuals began to have animal collections but this was for their own private use and enjoyment.

It was not until the 19th century that such collections began to be open to the general public, but this was more on the lines of "come and see the curiosities for your enjoyment and entertainment" and was for profit.

No thought was usually given to the welfare of the animals and many were kept in very poor conditions.

Today, legislation in many countries now ensures that zoos have to show a strong commitment to educational activities and high standards of animal welfare have to be maintained.

War Time Cooking

During World War II the Ministry of Food controlled the distribution of food and due to the shortages, people had to make the best of what they could obtain.

In order to have some variety in meals many cooks used their imaginations to produce food that was not quite what they said it was!

The following recipe comes courtesy of the cookery book "Feeding the Nation" by Marguerite Patten OBE, published by Hamlyn.

Mock Apricot Flan

First the pastry, which was made to make the ration of fat go further:

4oz self-raising flour with a pinch of salt.
Rub in 1 to 2 oz. of fat.
Add 4 oz. of smooth mashed potato.
Use a little water to bind. Roll out on a floured board and use as ordinary, short crust pastry.

Line a 9 inch pie plate with the above pastry and bake without a filling in a hot oven for 20-25 minutes until firm and golden.

Meanwhile grate 1lb of young carrots and put into a saucepan with a few drops of almond essence, 4 tablespoons of plum jam, and only about 4 tablespoons of water.

Cook gently until a thick pulp. Spoon into the cooked pastry and spread a little more plum jam if this can be spared.

Serve and the "note" with the recipe says "The carrots really do taste like apricots."

The book "Feeding the Nation" by Marguerite Patten OBE is £9.99 and further information can be found at www.hamlyn.co.uk

Eggs

When buying eggs in the supermarket are you aware of exactly how the hens were kept when they give details such as: Laying Cage System, Barn System and Free Range System?

Around 72% of eggs produced in the UK come from the Laying Cage System.

Cages (since 2003) have to give 750cm2 per bird along with a nest, perching space and a scratching area. In standard cages, which were already installed prior to 2003, a minimum of 550cm2 is required.

The cages have sloping mesh floors so that the eggs roll forward to await collection. Droppings pass through the mesh floors ready for disposal.

There is an automatic water supply, even temperature, good ventilation, and eggs produced as above must not use the word "farm" on their egg box or show pictures of hens roaming freely.

The Barn System only produces about 5% of the eggs sold in the UK. In this system the hen house has a series of perches and feeders at different levels. There is a maximum stocking density of 9 hens per square metre of useable floor space. Perches have to provide 15 centimetres of perch per hen.

Nest boxes are provided, water and feeding troughs are raised so that food is not scattered about. Natural lighting may be supplemented by electric light.

At the end of each laying period, the hen house is completely disinfected.

The Free Range System accounts for approx. 23% of the eggs sold in the UK.

Free range hens must have continuous daytime access to runs, which are mainly covered by vegetation and with a maximum number of 2,500 hens per hectare.

The hen houses must comply with the regulations for the Barn System. There must also be provision of outdoor shading.

When eggs comply with the above standards they are compliant with The Lion Quality Code of Practice.

The UK has the most stringent safety system in the world for ensuring the highest food safety standards for eggs. The British Egg Industry Council believe that imported eggs into the UK should be banned unless they have been produced to the standards required by the British Lion Scheme.

Since the introduction of the British Lion Quality Scheme, human salmonella cases have reduced by two thirds.

For further information and egg recipes go to: www.britegg.co.uk

Football for Disabled People

"A Level Playing Field" is a campaign designed by the Football Authorities to promote opportunities for disabled people to play and watch football throughout the country.

The F.A. is working with the National Association of Disabled Supporters with the objective being to promote inclusion from grass roots football to country matches.

One example of the initiative in action is that Fulham Football Club have launched their first disabled supporters minibus service to enable disabled fans to travel to away games.

For further information contact the Football Association at www.thefa.com

Disabled Go

Disabled Go is an ambitious internet service founded by wheelchair user Gregory Burke and supported by Marks and Spencer.

It aims to provide free, detailed, access information across the UK for disabled people.

Information on restaurants, hotels, cinemas, solicitors offices, pubs, train stations, shops, services, etc.

It has information on goods and services, which in conjunction with the above, should enable disabled people to be able to make decisions regarding their everyday living activities.

The service is free, every public venue and business listed in the guides has been assessed by Disabled Go researchers.

Gradually the whole of the UK will be covered. To take a look go to: www.disabledgo.info

Message in a Bottle

On your own at home, driving a car, shopping alone, etc. There are countless times when a person is on their own and may become unconscious or confused and cannot give the medical profession information about them that will ensure safer and quicker medical help.

An initiative being run by The Lions Clubs is that of "Message in a Bottle."

A bottle can be obtained from chemists, doctor's surgeries, Neighbourhood Watch groups, Age Concern, council offices and housing associations, police stations, etc.

In the bottle you place details of your medical situation. e.g. medication you take, allergies, health details, whether you are a carer of someone, have to pick someone up each day from school, day centre, etc.

This bottle is then kept in the fridge and a green cross sticker placed on the fridge door and one on the exit door of the home. The paramedics can then see you have a bottle and obtain your details. Bottles and stickers can also be kept in a car or on a wheelchair.

The fridge, however, is the universal storage place.

The Bottles are free and if you have difficulty in getting one, then contact your nearest Lions Club either by going to the web site: www.lions.org.uk or your local library who should be able to give you the details.

Home Grown Gardening Tip

This tip comes from Able Community Care.

When you need to tie your tomatoes or other delicate stemmed plants in your greenhouse, use pipe cleaners rather than twine. Pipe cleaners are easy to use for less agile fingers, are soft and can easily be adjusted as the stalks thicken.

E111 is no more!

In the past, if you were travelling to an EU country and wished to receive either free or reduced cost healthcare, you had to apply for an E111 form. This form has now been abolished.

Its replacement is a European Health Insurance Card. This card, like its predecessor will entitle you to receive treatment under the state scheme of the country you are staying in.

To apply you need to be a UK resident and you will need to be able to give the following information: NHS or NI number, surname/family name, forenames and date of birth.

You can obtain an application form from the Post Office or apply online.

To end with...

Q - What do you call cattle with a sense of humour?

A - Laughing Stock!!

And Finally...

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