Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.66JULY-AUGUST 2009 Warning – Heated Wheat Bags We have received warning details about heated wheat bags from one of the local authorities we work with and we felt that we should pass it on. Wheat bags can be purchased and heated in a microwave to bring comfort and relief. However, like all products involving heat there is a danger of fire and a risk of injury. It is best to purchase a manufactured commercial product where the moisture content of the wheat is known. This means that proper recommended heating times can be given. If you follow the recommended heating time the bag should not overheat or cause a fire. Some homemade wheat bags may not have the moisture content of the wheat in them and may therefore increase the risk of fire. Adding oil to a wheat bag, over time will saturate the cloth cover and create an added fire risk. Continual heating and drying of a wheat bag may overheat it to ignition point. Therefore place a cup of water in with the bag when heating in a microwave to help reduce the risk. Always buy wheat bags with clear instructions on their use and always follow the manufacturer's instructions. If a wheat bag smells as though it is cooking, emits a burning smell, smokes or chars do not use. Always leave to cool in a safe area and on a non combustible surface. Do not use as a bed warmer, overheat (most manufacturers recommended time is 3 minutes), re-heat unless the bag is completely cold, leave the microwave unattended when heating a bag and never store until cold. Over 60: Talk to Boots If you are aged over 60 Boots have introduced a free Health Club for you if you have an Advantage Card of theirs. (If not it is free and easily applied for at any Boots branch). Becoming a Member of the Health Club will offer you benefits such as 10% off all Boots branded products, 30% off at Boots Opticians, a free hearing health check and regular mailings, mini magazines, leaflets and offers. For further details you can visit their website www.boots.com, pick up an application form in any Boots store or telephone 0845 124 45 45. It is Holiday Time! "Tourism for All UK" is an organisation which provides information to people with disabilities and older people in relation to accessible accommodation and other tourism services and needs. Its telephone enquiry service provides holiday and travel information and advice on issues including funding for holidays, accessible hotels and holiday accommodation and respite care. It also produces publications on a range of holidays in the UK and abroad for people with specific care needs. For further information tel. 0845 124 9971 or visit their website at: http://www.tourismforall.org.uk Older and Needing to Move? Reducing the stress for elderly people who wish to move home or go into care is a service being provided in East Anglia by a company, Anglia Care Co-ordinators. The company takes responsibility for everything from putting the property on the market, planning the move, negotiating with professional services providers such as estate agents, removal companies, solicitors, independent financial advisors, auctioneers, etc to finding the most appropriate home, care home or sheltered accommodation. Funding issues, liaising with Social Services and the NHS is also part of the company remit. Their telephone number is 01263 826999 or you can visit their website: http://www.angliacarecoordinators.co.uk Drying your hair in 1900 Around the turn of the 20th century the vacuum cleaner had been in use for a few years and women dried their hair by using the hose connected to the exhaust of the vacuum cleaner. These models sucked air in at the front and blew out air at the back and the hose could be attached to either end. The first actual hair dryer came on the market around 1920 but was large and cumbersome and had poor heat control. It was not until after World War 2 that work began to make the hair dryer more useable and commercial. Canadian White Fruit Cake Ingredients: 100gm (4ozs) soft margarine Method:
One in four people will suffer at some time in their life with mental health problems which can take the form of anxiety, depression, self harming and possible thoughts of suicide. People with mental health issues need to get help and sometimes local voluntary groups with links to mental health services are a good starting point. One such organisation is The Bufferzone. Based in Cornwall it provides information, independent advocacy, guidance and a listening ear. Their telephone number is 07929 867264. Other counties will have similar organisations and by contacting "Mind" on 0845 766 0163 they will be able to give you details of similar services to Bufferzone in your local area. Sky TV – Be Careful This story has been given to us by one of our readers. A telephone call is received and the caller advises that they are from Sky television and are calling you about the subscription that is in place. Questions are then asked regarding your bank or credit/debit card details so that "you can receive a discount on your subscription." (In this case, to qualify for a discount the reader had to pay £60 on their debit card.) The caller is professional and does usually have some details of your current Sky contract although they are completely unrelated to Sky Television. Never give any details of your bank account or credit debit card to organisations, companies or individuals that you are not 100% sure about. If you are approached by someone purporting to be from Sky, come off the phone and call the official Sky number in your phone book. There have also been incidents in Devon of callers, with "appropriate" Sky ID cards gaining entry to homes with the intention of stealing. Again, if you have not called for a Sky engineer or have, but wish to check them out, call the Sky number in your phone book. Healthy Feet Your feet take the whole weight of your body and so they need to be looked after. If you have a foot problem this can lead to discomfort which in turn affects the way you walk and then lead to problems with your knees, hips and back. The NHS gives the following tips to help keep your feet healthy:
Stay safe in the sun The incidences of skin cancer are increasing. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion are also associated with severe heat conditions. A few simple steps can ensure that you reduce the risks. Dehydration can lead to Heatstroke and heat exhaustion the symptoms of which are:
If you can, take a lukewarm shower or sponge yourself down with cold water this will help. The above symptoms plus an intense thirst, sleepiness, hot, red and dry skin, confusion, aggression, convulsions and a loss of consciousness denote the possibility of Heatstroke. Ideas to keep safe in the heat include:
Did You Know? The date you see on a bottle of wine is the date the fruit was picked not the date the wine was bottled. Who Are We? Able Community Care publishes this Gazette six times a year but many of our readers may not know what else the company does! Able Community Care provides long term, live-in care schemes for people who wish to stay in their own homes rather than move into a residential care home. We provide services to people from the North of Scotland down to the Channel Islands and many of our clients have been in receipt of a continuous service from us for in excess of ten years. If you would like our information pack for someone you know, please give us a call on 01603 764567 or email to Ablemg@aol.com Our Freebies! If you would like any of the following please let us know:
Finally... Our lives are not in the laps of gods but in the laps of our cooks.
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