Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.62NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2008 Christmas Safety Make sure you have had your heating appliances regularly serviced by a qualified engineer. Every year about 50 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Do not buy cheap Christmas Tree lights which don’t carry the official European CE mark. Read all the warnings on the box and do not use outside unless it says they are suitable. Never leave candles unattended, especially those with decorations at their base. Be careful where you place them in the house. Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights and if someone touches a branch they could get electrocuted. Never overload electrical sockets and always switch off Christmas lights and unplug them before going to bed. Bad Weather – some hints that may help... In your Car
Many older people would like to have more information about the internet and how to use it, but they do not know where to start the learning process. Help is at hand! From Age Concern you can purchase the book titled "How to be a Silver Surfer". It is so popular that it is now in its 4th Edition. It will explain what the internet is, how to get started, and much, much more. The cost of the book is £7.99 and you can buy it online by going to: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk or by contacting your local Age Concern office. How True? Love your neighbour, but don't pull down the hedge. Are you Left Handed? Anything Left-handed is the world's oldest and largest specialist left-handed business. Established in 1969 it has a wide range of products from items for the home to the garden including children's products. Interested? Then take a look at their website at: http://www.anythingleft-handed.com Parkinson's Disease The condition has been known about since ancient times and was described in 175AD as "shaking palsy". In 1817 a London Doctor James Parkinson wrote a detailed essay on the subject entitled "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy" and established the disease as a recognised medical condition. Sixty years after this essay was published a French neurologist studied the disease, realised the importance of James Parkinson's work and named the disease after him. In the 1960's the chemical differences in the brains of Parkinson's patients were identified and this lead to the first effective medicinal treatment of the disease. In 1957 The Parkinson's Disease Foundation was established in America. In 1999 in the UK the Parkinson's Disease Nurse Specialist Association was formed of practitioners related to the care of patients with the disease. They offer a support service and have specialist knowledge. In 2000 the actor Michael J Fox had the Michael J Fox Foundation named after him and it has raised in excess of 90million US dollars in its bid to fund further research. Interesting Facts
If you receive a card posted through your letterbox from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting they were unable to deliver a parcel and they would like you to ring them on 0906 6611911, do not call this number. This is a mail scam and you would if you called the number, hear a recorded message and the bill to you would be £15.00. If you get such a card through your door, please contact the Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655. Radio Poplar The charity Radio Poplar was formed in 1985. The aims and objectives were to relieve the suffering of those who were elderly and infirm by providing a local radio service. The original plan was to broadcast to two old persons' homes in West Leeds. This fell through so the charity applied to the local hospital and set up the station there between 1986-2004. With site changes the station moved into the local community and from January 2005 have been working on the internet. The radio station now also broadcasts to a wider range of people including people with mental health and physical disabilities. The station can be found on the internet at: http://www.radiopoplar.co.uk Living on your own and going into hospital? If you live on your own and know you are going to have a hospital stay in the near future, then make a plan to keep your home and contents safe. The following ideas should help:
Telegram from the Queen If you want to ensure that a person receives either a 100th or a 105th birthday telegram from the Queen you can arrange this by contacting: Chief Clerk, PSO Buckingham Palace, London SW1. You can download a form from: http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page4893.asp or telephone: 0207 930 4832. 60th Wedding anniversary telegrams can be arranged in the same way. Success! Many readers may remember that some time back we ran a fundraising project to raise money for disabled athlete Mel Clarke in order to help her purchase a new wheelchair. Many readers contributed to this fund. We are really please to pass on the information that Mel won an archery bronze medal at the Para Olympics and she fired her arrows from the new wheelchair. Odd Size Feet Some people are born with odd sized feet, while others get the problem through illness or disability. If you have the problem it can be difficult to find retailers who can sell you a pair of differing shoe sizes and most people end up buying two pairs of the same shoe. However, there are a few companies that will supply a pair of shoes in different sizes. Three we have recently come across are:
Last month the office held a "bring and buy" cake stall to raise money for the Breast Cancer Campaign. Below are some of the Able staff who participated. 
Locked Your Keys In Your Car? If your car has a remote keyless entry and you have locked your keys in the car and you know the spare one is at home, you may be in luck. If you can call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone and you hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door, get them to press the unlock button on your key whilst holding it near the mobile phone they are using. Your car should then unlock. Home Made Mincemeat Preparation time – 30 mins Ingredients: 1lb, firm cooking apples, peeled and cored Method
Why does Father Christmas enjoy working in the garden? What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? Finally If you have enjoyed this Gazette and would like to receive a free copy bi-monthly, please telephone 01603 7645567 and give your name and address or alternatively email to: Ablemg@aol.com
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