Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.57JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2008 Passport Refund If you were born before 20th September 1929 you are entitled to a free passport. However, many people of this age, not knowing that they could obtain their passport for free, have submitted their renewal application with payment and received their new passport back. If you know of a person who has needlessly paid for their passport and they do not know how to get a refund then please give them the following advice. There are seven regional Passport Offices in London, Belfast, Durham, Peterborough, Liverpool, Newport and Glasgow and the person concerned needs to write to their nearest office, giving all details/numbers, etc and requesting a refund. There are no appropriate forms for this process so the request has to be by letter. The Passport Office will then arrange for a refund. Consumer Direct If you purchase a product, from a car to a household appliance and find there is a fault, what do you do? You may go back to the dealer or the shop from where it was purchased but what happens if you are not happy with the result of your complaint? Would it be better if you knew beforehand what your rights are with reference to your faulty purchase? Consumer Direct is a phone service which provides clear, practical consumer advice by regionally based advisors which you can then use when you make your complaint. The number to call is 08454 04 05 06. You can also get advice and find out how the law protects you regarding guarantees on products, buying something on credit, returning and cancelling orders and unfair terms in contracts, etc. 1908 Events that happened for the first time...
Occupational Benevolent Funds The OBFA represents approximately 200 charities and organisations aligned to trade organisations such as the Confectioners Benevolent Fund, Dance Teachers Benevolent Fund and the Footwear Benevolent Society to name but three. Many people qualify for help from such organisations but there are many others who do not realise that they can ask for help from such charities. Depending on the charity you may qualify for a one off payment for a much needed holiday or piece of equipment to help you with daily living, or possibly you could qualify for a weekly or quarterly grant to help with a change in circumstance such as an illness or bereavement. Most occupations in the UK from architects to solicitors have a benevolent fund and they exist to support their members in times of need. If you think you have a need and would like to find out if you have a benevolent fund linked to your past occupation contact the OBFA on 01707 651777 and they will give you further details. Common Causes of Fire and how to Prevent Accidents
Household Tips For 2008 Flower vases get dirty and cloudy and can be a nuisance to clean. For a fast, speedy, clean vase try dropping a denture cleaning tablet such as Steradent in and leave overnight. In the morning rinse and you will have a sparkling, clean vase. Burnt pans such as saucepans become another irritating job when it comes to getting them clean. A way to save you elbow grease is to pour in some biological washing powder, add warm water and leave to soak for two to three hours. After this, clean round with a sponge and you should have a pan that looks as good as new. HIPS - What is it? HIPS are a Home Information Pack which provides important information to potential buyers about your property if you are intending to sell. From 14th December it is mandatory for existing homes and it will be mandatory for all new homes and commercial property from April 2008. The HIP will show that the buyer actually has the right to sell the property, information about the energy consumption rated A to G, A being the most efficient, the local authority search on the property and the terms and conditions attached to the sale. Solicitors aim to prepare a HIP within about seven working days. The HIP will last the time the property is on the market but the property has to be on continuously. If you take the property off for any length of time when it goes back to the market you will require a further HIP. DisabledGo DisabledGo is a partnership with inclusive employers who are offering posts to people with a disability. Companies such as BT, Wyevale Garden Centres and The British Nuclear Group are just a few of many employers on the website http://www.disabledgo.info/Jobs/ Taking a look at the site, in the middle of December 2007 there were 395 jobs advertised online. These included jobs in the leisure sector, in a county council and within the accountancy field. Full details are given in respect of applying for any particular post. Mobility Scooters A revised edition of the Highway Code was published last year which contains rules governing the use of mobility scooters for the first time. The rules are numbers 36-46 which are classed as: Rules for users of powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters. (Called Invalid Carriages in law) You can download a copy of the Highway Code from http://www.direct.gov.uk or you can purchase one at stationers such as W.H. Smith. AbilityNet Is a registered national charity which helps people adapt and adjust their information and communications technology. AbilityNet experts ensure that however old you are, whatever health condition you have, disability or situation they will find exactly the right way to make your life easier. The advice they can give is impartial, based on 20 years experience across a wide range of problems and disabilities. AbiltyNet has links with Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett Packard, BT and other major IT companies. There are local centres across the country and you can find the one nearest to you by going to their website at http://www.abilitynet.co.uk or Freephone: 0800 269545 or Fax: 01926 407425. NHS and Community Care Assessment Act 1990 Under this Act it is the duty of the local authority social services department to carry out an assessment for any person who appears to need a community care service or aids and equipment because they are for example elderly, disabled or suffering from a mental or physical illness. Such a situation can easily be the case if an elderly person has broken a hip and is going to be discharged home from hospital. They may need only temporary care and the use of some assisting equipment, but an assessment should be carried out to make sure that they can safely return home and rehabilitate to as independent living as is possible. We have been advised recently of an incident where this has not happened. Social Services had not received a referral from the hospital ward staff and therefore the person was discharged without an assessment being carried out. It took a further fortnight for an assessment to be made after family intervention and thus the persons rehabilitation process was ultimately delayed by this period of time and unnecessary stress and anxiety was caused. Disabled Toilet Locations If you are out and about and you need a disabled toilet, knowing in advance where you might locate one is a plus. A website titled need a loo? is the place to look before you go out. The site http://www.needaloo.org is a simple, straightforward site that allows you to scroll down to the county you are going to be in and then to scroll down to the town you are visiting within that county. A list is given as to where the toilets are and a street map is given for each one that you can print off and take with you. Areas covered are England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Double Gloucester and Farmhouse Cheddar Muffins These light savory muffins make a delicious snack - perfect for breakfast or brunch. They're so easy to make, taking just a few minutes to put together. 50g (2oz) Farmhouse Cheddar cheese, grated
(Source: British Cheese Council) Second Hand Store Want to sell or buy second hand disability equipment? Then visit our Second Hand Store for further information. Finally... Never date a tennis player; to them love means nothing - (Anon). I used to be Snow White... but I drifted - Mae West. An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have: The older she gets, the more interested he is in her - Agatha Christie.
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