Community Care Magazine: Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: Issue 70

With the first daffodils and snowdrops pushing their heads through the soil many people will have the urge to "spring clean".

In past times spring cleaning used to be the time when cleaning the home meant a thorough clean from the top of the house to the bottom. Straw mattresses were refilled so that fresh dry hay could be used and curtains could be washed as the warmer winds dried the fabrics.

All furniture was moved to get rid of the dust and the cobwebs, the cast iron beds would be dismantled in order that every nook and cranny could be scrubbed. Carpets and rugs that could go outside would be put on an outside line and beaten with a carpet beater to remove the dust that had accumulated since the year before.

All china would be washed whether it had been used during the year or not, all paintwork as well as the windows would get an annual clean. Many homes had servants to carry out most of the tasks but many did not and the “spring clean” would last for several weeks.

Through the years "Agony Aunts" have been a popular part of many magazines and the following articles show how times have changed.

Question : Is it proper for a strange gentleman to commence a conversation with a lady he does not know in an omnibus?

Answer : No gentleman would take such a liberty with a lady whose conduct showed she respected herself. Contemptuous silence is the best reproof for such impertinence.

Question : My chum and I are always arguing on this matter. Should a girl let any boy with whom she goes out walking kiss her and embrace her as a lover?

Answer : Certainly not, no, my dear girl, don’t let any boy kiss you. I don’t mean that you should be stiff with your boyfriends, but you can be a perfectly good pal without any silly nonsense of that description.

As we continue, through 2010, to celebrate our 30th anniversary ("Pearl Anniversary") we would like to offer a copy of the CD by Elkie Brooks titled Pearls to the first 4 readers who contact us.

When fingers are not so nimble getting dressed and undressed with conventional clothing is frustrating.

To make life easier it is possible to purchase clothing that is fastened by magnets, poppers, hook and eye and Velcro fastenings. A company that provides a full range of clothing from underwear to outer wear, from shoes to blouses and trousers is ADAPTawear clothing. (Website: http://www.adaptawear.com)

We have some brochures in the office so if you would like us to post one to you please give us a ring on 01603 764567.

It can be difficult trying to get travel insurance for children and young people with pre-existing medical conditions. Barnardos have teamed up with travel insurance specialists PJ Hayman and Co to offer "Free Spirit", a travel insurance package. To get a quote you can go online to: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/freespirit

Take a look in your local newsagents or supermarket and you can see that the range of magazines seems to increase every year. With weekly editions costing around a £1 and monthly ones anything up to £4.40, they are not inexpensive. So if you buy them, how can you recycle them for the benefit of people who cannot either actually get out to purchase them or find them a little too expensive for their purse?

Doctors surgeries, dentist surgeries, hospital waiting rooms may all be glad to have a regular supply of current magazines.

Most people live near an older people’s residential home and they may welcome new supplies of reading material. Day centres and playgroups may be able to use the contents of magazines for making cards, gift tags, and decorating boxes, etc.

Every day 26 million people in the UK eat too much salt according to The Foods Standards Agency.

Most of this salt will come from the food we buy not the amount we sprinkle on our food.

Having too much salt is detrimental to our health and eating less will benefit us as it will help to reduce blood pressure, (whether or not your blood pressure is high to start with). This in turn also helps to reduce the possibility of developing heart disease and strokes (regardless of your age).

Why not give it a try for 4 weeks and see whether it has a positive effect on your blood pressure.

Adults should eat no more than 6gm of salt a day. Reducing it to this level could prevent about 17,500 premature deaths a year in the U.K.

Some helpful practical hints to help you reduce your salt intake when eating out or at home:

Whether you buy cage, barn, free range or organic, a code will be printed on your egg.

The first number refers to the farming method; 0 = organic, 1 = free range, 2 = barn, 3 = cage. This is followed by the country of origin and then the farm identification which is a specific code denoting the farm where the eggs were produced.
(Source: Egg Council)

For the first time, it will be possible for an unpaid carer looking after a loved one to build up a full basic State Pension based entirely on National Insurance credits.

The Department for Work and Pensions and Carers UK are calling on the 4.7 million carers across the country to find out if they could benefit.

April 2010 will see the introduction of the new Carer’s Credit that will count towards their basic and second State Pension. People may not recognise the unpaid help they give to a disabled, ill or family member as caring but today they are being encouraged to come forward if they are looking after someone for at least twenty hours a week.

Find out if you qualify by visiting http://www.direct.gov.uk/pensions or by calling 0800 678 1132.

Bariatrics is the science of providing healthcare for the heavier population and it originates from the Greek word “Baros” meaning weight and “iatrics” medical treatment.

As more people are becoming obese in the UK which in turn increases the need for disability equipment, care must be taken that appropriate equipment is obtained.

The Disabled Living Foundation (DLF) has a Fact Sheet titled "Choosing equipment for the heavier person" which gives advice and guidance. To obtain a copy tel. 020 7289 6111, write to 380-384 Harrow Road, London W9 2HU or visit their website at: http://www.dlf.org.uk

Recent aircraft security restrictions mean longer queues when we try to enter or leave many countries and therefore any preparations done in advance to shorten the time is beneficial.

People with diabetes who take insulin with them would be well advised to obtain a letter from their doctor explaining their need to carry syringes/injection devices and insulin.

This can be given to airline staff at the time of your travelling. If you travel frequently, then ask your GP to write a letter in such a way so that it can be used more than once. Some GPs may charge for this letter.

Homemade biscuits are delightful to eat and Easter Biscuits are perfect for this time of year. This recipe will make 20 biscuits.

Ingredients :
4ozs (100gm) of margarine
5ozs (125gm) sugar
2 egg yolks – blended
6ozs (150gm) wholemeal flour
2ozs (50gm) rice flour
2ozs (50gm) currents
1 level teaspoon of mixed spice
Milk to mix
Flour to dredge
Egg white and sugar to glaze.

The recipes from our readers are coming in for the project we have set ourselves, namely writing a cookery book and donating the income from sales to the charities Age Concern and Connect Go (which is a charity that supports young carers).

If you have a recipe that you would like us to put in the book, please send it to us with a reason why you particularly like it. Last date for sending them to us is April 30th 2010.

Lemons are a versatile fruit and can have many useful applications when it comes to household tasks. Two of which you may like to give a try:

Place half a lemon into the cutlery tray in your dishwasher and leave in for a couple of washes. Your dishwasher will smell fresh, the grease will be gone and half a lemon is much cheaper than the branded products that are available.

Similarly lemons can be used to clean your microwave. Place 4 teaspoons of lemon juice in a cup of water. Place in microwaveable bowl and boil for five minutes. The condensation from the boiled mixture will mean that you are able to easily wipe the interior down with a damp cloth.

People with poor sight can borrow large print books from any library or if they require a particular title in large print their local library may be able to get it. But did you know that it is very easy to buy large print books online.

The following companies have thousands of large print books which you can order and receive quite quickly.

http://www.amazon.co.uk is a popular online shop. There is also http://www.largeprintbookshop.co.uk (telephone 01763 252 687) whose current 3 top sellers are:

In the past it was common for electrical goods to be mended when they went wrong.

Today we are more likely to purchase a new item and discard the old one. This has resulted in over 75% of waste electrical goods going into landfill where lead and other toxins contained in them can cause soil and water contamination.

Many electrical goods can be repaired and recycled and if you go to the website http://www.recycle-more.co.uk you can find your nearest centre. (Each year in the UK we create 1.2 million tons of electrical waste. This is the equivalent weight of 150,000 double decker buses).

Many elderly gardeners find themselves no longer able to take an active part in the hobby while many are left with caring for the pot plants that visitors bring.

However, there is an alternative that we have come across. It is The Mobile Therapy Garden System which is a moveable raised vegetable, flower or herb garden.

The System consists of a mobile unit and one or more static units together with a number of transferable planting pods. The mobile unit can be wheeled in for working on and then moved back outside. The Therapy Gardens come with a 15 year guarantee and made in the UK.

For further details write to: instaplanta LLP, 1 The Wicket, Calverley, Leeds LS28 5NG. Tel 0845 644 5499 or visit their website at: http://www.instaplanta.co.uk

Finally:
Q: What do you call ten rabbits marching backwards?
A: A receding hareline.

For our information pack on "Live-in care Schemes in your home, the alternative to moving into a residential care home", call 01603 764567.

service-user-access-form.pdf | litigation services | second hand store

Able Community Care
The Old Parish Rooms, Whitlingham Lane, Trowse,
Norwich, Norfolk NR14 8TZ, United Kingdom

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 4:00pm GMT, Monday to Friday
(excepting UK Bank Holidays)

Tel: +44 (0)1603 764567 | Fax: +44 (0)1603 761655 | Email: ablemg@aol.com

Community Care Magazine for Elderly and Disabled: GAZETTE No.70