Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.55SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2007 Travelling By Train Rail companies are able to help disabled passengers in several ways, some of which you may not be aware of.
If you do not have a Disabled Persons Railcard contact your local railway centre. 2012 Paralympics The British Paralympics Association is looking to find potential athletes for the 2012 Games and other Games beyond. They have recently launched a website, http://www.parasport.org.uk, which gives advice and help with applications for funding. It will also provide information about sports facilities in your local area. Useful New Product Elastoplast Spray Plaster has won the 2007 Product of the Year award for first aid. The spray on plaster provides a protective covering by delivering a breathable, transparent film that seals a wound blocking out dirt, germs and water. The plaster dries quickly, does not impede movement and will stay on the skin for two days or more disappearing as the wound heals. The plaster is waterproof so bathing and showering are not a problem. The Spray Plaster can be purchased from many outlets for around £5.99 and the spray tin is estimated to hold up to 50 applications. The Floods The recent flooding provided some problems for our carers and clients. However, continuity of care was provided to all our clients and we would like to thank all carers who coped admirably in very unusual and difficult circumstances. Specialist Nurses In our health centres and local hospitals many nurses have become specialist nurses. Specialist in that they are trained to help people with particular health problems and as such can give a better service to their patients. The following list identifies some of the specialist nurses who may be based in your surgery or to whom you can ask to be referred if they are based further away:
Sapphire Nurses aim to promote good practice and to act as a specialist resource in the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with epilepsy. Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialists play a vitally important role in providing quality care to people with Parkinson's disease. There are currently 230 Parkinson's disease nurse specialists in the UK. The Chest Pain Specialist Nurse provides information and support in assessing patients with cardiac chest pain. The type of chest pain seen by the Chest Pain Specialist Nurse includes acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), stable and unstable angina and new onset chest pain. MS Nurses are specialist professionals who give support, information and advice on symptom management. They can make referrals to agencies that can help with claiming benefits and also point you to appropriate health & social care professionals. Currently there are more than 200 MS specialist nurses in the UK. Community Matrons are highly experienced, senior nurses who work closely with patients (mainly those with a serious long term condition or complex range of conditions) in a community setting to directly provide, plan and organise their care. As well as providing nursing care, community matrons act as 'case manager' - a single point of contact for care, support or advice, typically for a caseload of around 50 very high intensity users in their area. On 26th July a European Law came into force that should make air travel for disabled and older people better. Under the new rules airlines and holiday companies will no longer be able to refuse to fly people because of their age or disability. In 2008 further measures will be introduced which should allow blind people to have their guide dogs in the cabin with them. Bread We make it or buy it and every day millions of people eat it. The variety of bread today is endless and forms a part of our staple diet. The history of bread can be traced back thousands of years and the following may be of interest:
Best of British A member of the Able staff recently visited the Sandringham Flower Show where one of the exhibitors was the company which publishes "Best of British", a monthly magazine. The magazine is of special interest to our older readers as it is packed with stories and pictures guaranteed to bring memories flooding back. The articles cover every aspect of life from the 1930's through to today. The range of topics is entertaining and you can buy the magazine from all good newsagents. It would make an excellent gift for an older person. A year's subscription is £36.00. For further details go to their website at http://www.bestofbritishmag.co.uk or give them a call on 01778 342814. Sheet Magnifier We tend to think of magnifying glasses as a circle of magnifying glass on a handle which we then raise or lower in order to increase the size of an object. However, it is possible to get a magnifying sheet, sample size of 10 inches by 7 inches, that you can lay flat on a newspaper, etc. It is flexible and lightweight enough to take with you if you go out and costs between £3.00 and £5.00. We have come across one that is being sold for £3.45 plus pp. by a company called Clearwell Mobility and you can view their website at http://www.clearwellmobility.co.uk or ring them on 0845 2211 222 for advice or to order. Don't Get Your Car Or Its Contents Stolen Many cars and contents are stolen as a result of criminals seeing an opportunity and taking it. Here are several simple steps you can take to make sure it is not you that gives them the opportunity.
Take these simple steps and you reduce your chances of being a victim of crime. Apples are in Season During WWII, when rationing was in force, cakes were a luxury. After harvest time when the apple trees were providing natural sweetness, cakes could be made using the fruit and the minimum amounts of rationed sugar and margarine. The following recipe is an example of the kind of cake that was made. Apple Cake 8oz of peeled and chopped apples, any sweet variety Sieve the salt, flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the margarine. Add the sugar, egg and apple. If the consistency looks dry, add a little milk. Grease and flour a 7inch tin and put in the mix. Bake at 400F (220C or Gas 6) for one hour. Dust with a little sugar and serve hot or cold. A member of the Able staff made this cake and it was eaten within twenty four hours! Food Myths Margarine contains less fat than butter. This is false. Butter and margarine contain different types of fat but both contain a similar amount. Dried fruit is not as healthy as fresh fruit. This is false. Within the five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables we are meant to eat each day a portion of dried fruit is one heaped tablespoon. This is less than a portion of fresh fruit because it's based on the equivalent weight of fresh fruit.(Source: Food Standards Agency) Thanks We have been asked to thank carers who, quoting a relative of one of our clients, "...were fantastic, beyond the call of duty." The carers concerned were Leslie Mayhew, Margaret Woods and Jeanne Dunn. We in turn, would like to publicly thank them. Final Quotes "The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what income." George Foreman. "When a man retires, his wife gets twice the husband but only half the income." Chi Chi Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican Golfer. "I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make-up box." Bette Davis. Brochure - if you would like to know about our live-in care services, please phone 01603 764567 for a brochure. If you would like to sign up to our Thursday Newsflash, you can do so on this page.
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