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New Look Website Launched www.gatesheadolderpeoplesassembly.co.uk Your voice in Gateshead - Spring 09
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thethethethe voicevoicevoicevoice
Your voice in Gateshead - Spring 09
New Look Website Launched
www.gatesheadolderpeoplesassembly.co.uk
Message from the Chair
It looks like this is going to be another very
busy year, we have already held two events and
have many more planned. We are holding a
‘Healthier You’ event at St Alban’s Church
Hall, Windy Nook on 25th March and a
Community Safety Event at Birtley Fire Station
on 23rd April. Please do attend these events if
you can, they are for your benefit. We are also planning with Age
Concern and other local organisations, an Older People’s Festival to
be held in October, more details to follow in our next edition.
It is our intention to start up our Branch Assemblies very soon and
we will be looking for your support. These Assemblies will enable us
to find out FROM YOU the concerns YOU may have. We can then
take these concerns forward to the appropriate people and ensure
your ‘ Voice’ is heard at the highest level. In the meantime you can
contact us at the office if you need any more information.
Take care of yourselves and best wishes
Esther Ward (Chair) Esther Ward (Chair) Esther Ward (Chair) Esther Ward (Chair)
Meetings Attended ~ On Your BehalfMeetings Attended ~ On Your BehalfMeetings Attended ~ On Your BehalfMeetings Attended ~ On Your Behalf Gateshead Strategic PartnershipGateshead Strategic PartnershipGateshead Strategic PartnershipGateshead Strategic Partnership Involvement ForumInvolvement ForumInvolvement ForumInvolvement Forum Community Care ForumCommunity Care ForumCommunity Care ForumCommunity Care Forum Self Directed Support PartnershipSelf Directed Support PartnershipSelf Directed Support PartnershipSelf Directed Support Partnership Gateshead Community NetworkGateshead Community NetworkGateshead Community NetworkGateshead Community Network Gateshead LINkGateshead LINkGateshead LINkGateshead LINk Health and Social Care PartnershipHealth and Social Care PartnershipHealth and Social Care PartnershipHealth and Social Care Partnership Gateshead Older People ’ s Partnership BoardGateshead Older People ’ s Partnership BoardGateshead Older People ’ s Partnership BoardGateshead Older People ’ s Partnership Board Local Engagement BoardLocal Engagement BoardLocal Engagement BoardLocal Engagement Board North East Transport ForumNorth East Transport ForumNorth East Transport ForumNorth East Transport Forum Gateshead Housing PartnershipGateshead Housing PartnershipGateshead Housing PartnershipGateshead Housing Partnership Gateshead Diversity ForumGateshead Diversity ForumGateshead Diversity ForumGateshead Diversity Forum Gateshead Health Impact Assessment Gateshead Health Impact Assessment Gateshead Health Impact Assessment Gateshead Health Impact Assessment Steering Steering Steering Steering GroupGroupGroupGroup
1
Become a member of
Gateshead Older
People’s Assembly
It’s Free!!
Fill in the
Membership Form
on the back page
Dear MemberDear MemberDear MemberDear Member INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Message from the
Chair
Meet the Committee
Let’s Hear your
‘Voice’
Past and Upcoming
Events
NHS Direct
NHS Foundation
Trust
Access All Areas
Useful Contacts
Members Pages
Assembly News Meet the Committee –Margery Scott
How did you become involved with Gateshead Older People’s
Assembly?
I joined as a member in 2001 at an event, but it wasn’t until 2007 that I
became more actively involved. I volunteered to join the steering group
meeting for ‘The Gateshead Looking Forward Festival’. I slowly
became more involved with the Forum as it was then, and became a
Management Committee Member at the following Annual General
Meeting.
What type of activities do you enjoy?
I enjoy crafts and have tried most of them, but age has now limited me
to card making, recycling used cards. I also love jigsaws and Sudoku puzzles.
What do you enjoy the most?
Cooking and eating, even if it is all by myself, I love eating out but there is no pleasure
dining out alone. Don’t print that in case all those men out there start ringing me!! I
should be so lucky!!
How has it helped you?
The Assembly has brought me out of me shell. I was quite a loner and like many people
my age I would sit in the house day in, day out. I now love attending meetings and
volunteer as much as I can. Thanks to the Assembly I now have a new lease of life.
2
LET’S HEAR YOUR VOICE
Would you like to submit a piece for our next Newsletter?
If so, we would love to hear from you.
Would you like to share your stories about your life, maybe you spent time in the
services or remember a historical event or have a precious memory to share.
It may be a family recipe or old photographs of places or people.
Do you have any tips or advice, poems, jokes, or points
of view to share?
Whatever it may be, please contact:
Kerry Pattison
Gateshead Older People’s Assembly, 65 High Street,
Felling, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE10 9LU
Telephone: 0191 438 1721 Fax: 0191 469 5648
Assembly News
3
Intergenerational Mobile Phone Training Event
The students became the teachers at our Mobile Phone Training Event on 19th February 2009. Members of Gateshead Youth Assembly were on hand to give help and advice to older residents of Gateshead on how to use their mobile phones.
The idea was sparked by Assembly member Mrs Nancy Harrison. ‘ I have a mobile phone and only use it for making and receiving the odd calls. My son insists I have it for emergencies. I’ve never sent a text message and would like to learn and I’m sure there are many other older people our there like me.’ The day was a great success and was even featured in the Evening Chronicle and BBC Look North.
Our thanks to all those who took part especially the members of Gateshead Youth Assembly who
were brilliant.
We look forward to hosting more joint events in the future.
With support from
Then come along on 17th March
11am to 2pm our office at 65 High
Street, Felling, Gateshead.
Free training can be arranged to suit
your needs and ability from complete
beginners to the more advanced.
Would you like to
Discover Computers?
Assembly News
4
‘‘‘‘Healthier You’ EventHealthier You’ EventHealthier You’ EventHealthier You’ Event
25th March 2009
St Albans Church Hall
Garvey Villas, Windy Nook, Gateshead
11.30am to 2.30pm
Members of Gateshead Community Health
Team will be on hand to give advice on health, nutrition and exercise along with
cooking demonstrations provided by Wiltshire Farm Foods. There will be a
chair based exercise taster session provided by Age Concern – Active Age
Instructors, Thai Chi demonstrations, as well as Medicine Management advice
from NHS Community Pharmacists. There will also be affordable fresh fruit
and vegetables available to purchase from The Food Chain North East and
much more.
A small change can make a big difference
Community Safety EventCommunity Safety EventCommunity Safety EventCommunity Safety Event��������
Birtley Fire Station
Durham Road, Birtley, Gateshead
23rd April 11am to 3pm
Come along and meet us at Birtley Fire Station.
There will be a program of events throughout the day to include
demonstrations and advice from Northumbria Police, North East Ambulance
Service, Gateshead Council Neighbourhood Wardens, Road Safety and Trading
Standards officers as well as the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services
Educational Outreach Appliance.
The station will also be open to the public.
Refreshments will be available at both events
Come along and bring a friend or two.
5
Information and Services
NHS Direct, is now in its tenth year of operation, offers health advice and reassurance to people in England, 24 hours a day for 365 days of the year. Our team of experienced nurses and health advisors are on-hand to give the right advice whatever the health concern. When you call us, you’ll be asked to provide some basic information, including details of any medication you may be taking. If you are calling on behalf of someone else, your child for example, you’ll need to provide this information on their behalf. We will assess your problem and advise on the best course of action and depending upon the symptoms or concern, may suggest self-care at home or recommend seeing a pharmacist or another health professional such as your doctor. We do not diagnose nor can we get you an appointment at your GP surgery.
If you’re looking for information on a wide range of health topics such as healthy living, conditions and treatments to medicines and support groups or details of other NHS services like GPs and dentists – we can help. As well as providing the public with an easily accessible health help line we also have a significant role to play in supporting our NHS colleagues in secondary care.
We work closely with our NHS colleagues, such as PCTs, by providing special projects and niche services that benefit both the patient and the NHS provider. For example we run a telephone reminder service for Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust outpatient department which is having a significant impact on missed appointments (Did Not Attend or DNA rates); patients who have undergone surgery and who are due to attend a follow up appointment are called to make sure they are intending to go. In some specialities DNA rates have plummeted so the savings to the Trust, both staffing and financial, can be immense.
Information and Services
6
NHS Direct has been working with ambulance services on taking low priority or non-urgent calls known as Cat C calls. Callers are assessed, swiftly and safely, by our team of nurses and health advisors, and provided with self-care advice or alternative care pathways other than referral to a casualty department, therefore freeing up the ambulance service to deal with calls requiring urgent or primary care. Finally, all NHS Trusts are under a legal obligation to give local people a say and influence how services are planned, developed and delivered – we call it Patient and Public Involvement (PPI). If you would like to get involved or would like one of our regional Patient and Public Involvement Leads to come along to your group or organisation and talk about NHS Direct – please contact Elaine Jackson – 0191 2381184.
———————————————————-
Meeting Room Available to HireMeeting Room Available to HireMeeting Room Available to HireMeeting Room Available to Hire
Newly refurbished , fully accessible meeting room available to hire for organisations and community groups.
Laptop and projector available for Power Point presentations . Flip board and overhead projector also available. Flexible layout
Affordable Full Day , half day or hourly rates available .
Contact : Gateshead Older people’s Assembly On 0191 438 1721 0191 438 1721 0191 438 1721 0191 438 1721 Or E-mail : admin.assembly@btconnect.comadmin.assembly@btconnect.comadmin.assembly@btconnect.comadmin.assembly@btconnect.com
7
National News Alcohol and the Elderly
A recent government health survey found that 1 to 5 per cent of elderly people who drank more than occasionally were ‘problem drinkers’, reporting significant psychological and/or physical dependence on alcohol. Other studies have found higher proportions of elderly problem drinkers, especially in men. One found 5 to 12 per cent of men in their 60’s to have alcohol problems. There is evidence that today’s population of elderly people may be relatively heavier drinkers than previous generations. This could be the result of an effect whereby a generation which has had its formative years at a time of high social availability and acceptability of alcohol may be more likely to retain the habit of drinking. Higher levels of disposable income in retirement could also be a factor. Certainly, drinking surveys suggest that since 1984, in both men and women aged 45 to 65 and over the proportions of those exceeding the ‘sensible limits’ have been rising steadily. In regard to the number of elderly problem drinkers, another factor is simply that due to longer life expectancy and the ageing of the population there are more elderly people. Elderly Drinkers Three ‘types’ of elderly drinkers have been identified: Early-Onset drinkers or ‘Survivors’ are those people who have a continuing problem with alcohol which developed in earlier life. It is thought that two thirds of elderly problem drinkers have had an early onset of alcohol misuse. However, because of the health risks connected to heavy drinking and dependence on alcohol, the chances of reaching old age are reduced, one estimate is that the life span of a problem drinker may be shortened by on average ten to fifteen years. Late-Onset drinkers or ‘Reactors’ begin problematic drinking later in life, often in response to traumatic life events such as the death of a loved one, loneliness, pain, insomnia, retirement etc. Intermittent or Binge drinkers use alcohol occasionally and sometimes drink to excess which may cause them problems. It is thought that both the late-onset drinkers and the intermittent or binge drinkers have a high chance of managing their alcohol problem if they have access to appropriate treatment such as counselling and general support. Reasons For Drinking - How Older People May Use Alcohol Disruption of lifestyle such as retirement and decreased social activity, are thought to be some of the main contributory factors among people who develop a problem with drinking later in life. Isolation and loneliness in old age can lead to increased drinking. Coming to terms with illness and pain which might accompany old age can mean that people use or start to use alcohol as an anaesthetic - this may also be seen as a way of justifying the drinking. People may use alcohol to help them sleep, especially if they are experiencing some sort of physical or emotional distress. However, although alcohol in small quantities may aid sleep, in larger quantities it can itself cause disturbed sleep patterns and wakefulness during the night.
Consequences Of Drinking For The Older Person Tolerance to alcohol is significantly lowered in the elderly so it is possible that the same amount of alcohol can have a more detrimental effect than it would on a younger person.
National News
8
Elderly people are less tolerant to alcohol because of physical changes including: • A fall in ratio of body water to fat - less water for the alcohol to be diluted in Decreased
hepatic blood flow - liver will receive more damage • Inefficiency of liver enzymes - alcohol will not be broken down as efficiently • Altered responsiveness of the brain - alcohol will have a faster effect on the brain It is therefore possible that the same amount of alcohol may produce a higher Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the elderly than younger people. Elderly car drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a motoring accident after consuming even a small amount of alcohol, than they are at a zero level of alcohol. Alcohol depresses the brain function to a greater extent in older people, impairing co-ordination and memory, which can lead to falls and general confusion. It can also heighten emotions leading to moodiness, irritability or even violence. Alcohol in excess affects digestion, making it more difficult to absorb vitamins and minerals. However, a recent study conducted at Indiana University, found no evidence to indicate an association between moderate long-term alcohol intake and lower cognitive scores in ageing individuals. There was a suggestion of a small protective effect on cognitive functioning of past moderate drinking. Interaction With Other Drugs - Prescribed medication taken in conjunction with alcohol can cause adverse side effects and generally, older people are advised not to drink when they are taking other drugs. Problems caused by using alcohol and other drugs concurrently may include a diminished effect of the drugs in an individual who drinks regularly and the increased sensitivity to drugs conferred by malnutrition and severe liver damage, for example cirrhosis. Alcohol in moderate amounts can depress the rate of drug metabolism so that the action of some drugs is exaggerated. Drugs which act on the central nervous system depress the rate of alcohol breakdown so that the effect of alcohol may increased. Alcohol taken in conjunction with antidepressants may actually worsen the depression. Sleep Although alcohol is a brain sedative and promotes sleep, it actually reduces the amount of quality rapid eye movement (REM) sleep which we need to be fully rested and increases slow wave sleep. Its sedative effect lessens as the night progresses, arousal from sleep and continued wakefulness being likely to occur when the blood alcohol concentration approaches zero. Like other people, the elderly may have recourse to alcohol and prescribed drugs to help them cope with stress, anxiety and depression. However, recent research has suggested that for some people alcohol, even in relatively moderate quantities, actually makes things worse, prolonging rather than reducing the problem. Source: Institute of Alcohol Studies 3 April 2007
Alcoholics Anonymous: 0845 76 97 555
NERAF: 0191 565 6688
North East Council on Addictions: 0191 414 6446
9
The Institute for Ageing and Health at Newcastle University have in partnership with years
ahead: the north east regional forum on ageing, established VOICENorth.
VOICENorth, has been set up to involve and engage with a wide range of people and their
communities and to consult with them on key issues around ageing and the issues facing our
ageing population.
It aims to identify public concerns and provides real opportunities for everyone to become
involved to help shape future research and policy-making.
We hope to involve up to 3000 people interested in contributing their ideas and experience.
Anyone is welcome to take part and you can be involved in a range of ways. Your level of
involvement is up to you.
For example:
• At the simplest level, you will be invited from time to time to respond to questionnaires
about research and/or policy-related issues in areas which are of interest to you.
• There will also be opportunity for you to join focus groups and workshops to discuss the
development of research and / or policy proposals.
• Other projects will need people to help recruit more members to assist in research, for
example by interviewing others, or by discussing the usefulness of new ideas and
developments.
• There will also be opportunities for some members to represent the everyday public at
groups concerned with the management, assessment and implementation of projects.
• Members of VOICENorth will receive regular invitations to conferences and other events
relevant to research advances or policy changes which affect their lives.
• All members will receive newsletters about VOICENorth’s activity and other related
opportunities to contribute to the academic and social development of the region.
years ahead: the north east regional forum on ageing
If you would like to become a member or receive more information on how to be involved,
please contact Kerry Pattison at Gateshead Older People’s Assembly on 0191 438 1721.
working with
Local News
Gateshead residents are being urged not to fall
foul of clever scammers out to con people out of
their hard earned cash.
We have joined forces with Gateshead’s
Trading Standards Team and the Office of
Fair Trading to help spread the message that
anyone can be affected by a scam; but older
consumers and the vulnerable can suffer the
most. The warning is that if an offer
through your letterbox or e-mail
inbox looks too good to be true, it
probably is.
John Herron from Gateshead
Trading Standards said: “Scams
can take many forms, ranging from
bogus lotteries, sweepstakes and
competitions through foreign
money offers, miracle health cures and free gift
schemes, to golden investment opportunities.
“The people who run scams are clever and they
know how to persuade us to part with our cash.
Beware of any offer that asks for money or your
bank details upfront, and pushes you into
making an immediate decision, or offers you
������������������������
��������SCAMNESTYSCAMNESTYSCAMNESTYSCAMNESTY���� DON’T LET THEM CON YOU
something for nothing, and don’t be rushed into
sending off money straightaway to someone you
don’t know.” ����
ScamnestyScamnestyScamnestyScamnesty was piloted during Scams
Awareness Month in February 2008. To combat
the scammers in Gateshead, Trading Standards
Officers are urging residents to bin scam mail as
soon as it drops through their letterbox. To
encourage this practice Trading
Standards will be placing
ScamnestyScamnestyScamnestyScamnesty bins inside libraries in
the borough to collect unwanted
mail and to inform the team of the
types of scams operating in the
borough.
John Herron from Trading
Standards pictured with
Maureen Southern MBE, Secretary of Felling
Community Centre demonstrating the
ScamnestyScamnestyScamnestyScamnesty Bin situated in reception,
Gateshead Older People’s Assembly, 65 High
Street, Felling, Gateshead
If you think you have been the victim of a scam, or you suspect a scam, call Gateshead Trading Standards on 0191 433 387 / 3890 / 3930 / 3892 or email
scamnesty@gateshead.gov.uk�scamnesty@gateshead.gov.uk�scamnesty@gateshead.gov.uk�scamnesty@gateshead.gov.uk��
Local News
11
Gardening Service from Anchor Staying Put
Anchor Staying Put has recently launched a new gardening
service available to older homeowners across Gateshead. It employs two full
time gardeners and is also looking for gardening volunteers so that the service will be able to help
more people.
Customers can use the service as much or as little as they need to, from regular maintenance visits
to once a year clean ups. The gardeners can also gravel and pave areas of the garden, and repair
and replace fencing.
The service will be run as a social enterprise which means that customers pay for the work and
the money is invested back into the service to improve it and keep it running. One of our
gardeners will visit each new customer to give them a fixed price for the work. This will depend
on the size of the garden and scale of the work needed.
If you are over 60 (or 50 – 60 with a disability) please call Becky or Liz on 0191 495 6171 for
more information or to request a visit from the gardening team.
Anchor Staying Put also has services which can help with repairs to your
home, this can be anything from fixing a washer on a dripping tap to
rewiring the whole house. You can contact them on 0191 495 6177 to
discuss which service would be best for you.
GATESHEAD COUNCIL NEEDS YOUR VIEWS
Gateshead Council is developing its Climate Change strategy and we want
your views to help us take this forward.
We all have a responsibility to look after the world in which we live - both now and for future generations. The
climate is changing which means that the way we live in the world is changing too. From day to day impacts such
as higher fuel bills and poorer air quality to severe weather events such as high winds, flooding and prolonged hot
dry spells. Whether you believe the causes are down to human action, or natural events, climate change is a reality
and we must act now to stop it from getting worse.
So, from March, we will be making available our discussion document for comments that will then be developed
into our Climate Change Strategy.
To view the discussion document you can go online: www.gateshead.gov.uk or to receive a copy email:
stuarttimmiss@gateshead.gov.uk or request a copy in writing to: Stuart Timmiss, Head of Service Planning
and Environmental Strategy, Gateshead Council, Regent Street, Gateshead NE8 1HH.
Local News
12
Are you Looking to Try Something New?
Leam Lane Community Centre, provide many activities for the over 60’s and are
looking for new people to join in the fun. Groups include:
Monday 10.00 am to 11.30 am Chair Based Aerobics
9.30 am to 11.30 am Line Dancing Beginners Class
7.00 pm to 9.00 pm Ladies Club
Tuesday 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm Bingo
Wednesday 10.00 am to 12.30 pm Third Age Group ( Chat & Crafts)
12.30 pm to 3.30 pm Over Sixties and Bingo
Friday 9.00 am to 3.00 pm Crafts
Saturday 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm Sequence Dance
Sunday 11.00 am to 12.30 pm Tai Chi
7.30 pm to 9.30 pm Line Dancing
For more information contact Gordan Coleman on : 0191 469 8156
Age Concern Gateshead
0191 477 3559
The Pension Service
0191 201 1636 or
0191 201 1638
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Gateshead Warmzone
0191 477 1919
AIRS
0191 433 8450
Sight Service
0191 478 5959
Safety Works
0191 274 3532
Gateshead Care Call
0191 433 2648 or
0191 478 7665
Adult Learning
0191 433 8646
Gateshead Community Health Team
0191 433 2092
Gateshead Health Trainers
0191 433 5793
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
0191 482 0000
Alzheimer’s Society Gateshead
0191 477 7490
Arthritis Care Gateshead
0191 477 8488
Chopwell and Blackhall Mill Live at
Home Scheme
01207 563 825
Gateshead Trading Standards
0191 433 3987, 0191 433 3890 or 0191
433 3930
Gateshead Central Library
0191 433 8400 We can make ‘The Voice’ available in a number of different formats for example large print. Current and past editions of our newsletters are available to view on our both Gateshead Council and our own website www.gatesheadolderpeoplesassembly.co.ukwww.gatesheadolderpeoplesassembly.co.ukwww.gatesheadolderpeoplesassembly.co.ukwww.gatesheadolderpeoplesassembly.co.uk This newsletter was produced with the support of :
Member’s Pages
13
Can you dissect the horseshoe
into 6 pieces using 2 straight
lines.
Divide the image of the apples
above with 3 lines into 7 sections,
each containing 1 apple.
The object of this puzzle is to move 3
matchsticks to make the fish swim in
the opposite direction.
Did You Know !!
Eggs are a symbol of the new life that returns to nature at Easter Time.
The custom of exchanging eggs began long before Easter was celebrated.
It was a custom of the Egyptians and the Persians.
They exchanged eggs decorated in Spring colours.
They believed Earth hatched from an egg which contributed to this custom.
Early Christians used red colour eggs to symbolize the Resurrection.
In England they began writing messages and dates on their eggs and exchanging them
with friends and loved ones.
In the 1800's, candied eggs were made.
They were open on one end and a scene was put inside.
They were used as table centrepieces.
14
Member’s Pages
FOR ALL THOSE BORN BEFORE 1945
We were born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, photocopiers, contact lenses,
Frisbees and the contraceptive pill. We were before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams, and
ball-point pens. Before tights, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners,
drip-dry clothes and before man walked on the moon.
We got married first and then lived together. How quaint can you be? In our time, closets were for
clothes, not for "coming out of". We thought fast food was what you ate during Lent; We were before
house-husbands, gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, and computer marriages.
We were before day-care centres, group therapy and nursing homes. We never heard of FM radio,
tape decks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word-processors, yoghurt, and men wearing
earrings. Hardware meant hardware, and software wasn't even a word! Pizzas, "MacDonald's" and
instant coffee were unheard of. In our day, cigarette smoking was fashionable.
GRASS was mowed, WEED was an unwanted plant, COKE was a cold drink, POT was something
you cooked in and CRACK was a hole in the pavement. And we were the last generation that thought
you needed a husband to have a baby.
NO WONDER THERE IS SUCH A GENERATION GAP TODAY!
Charity Reg No : 1101622
Gateshead Older People’s Assembly
Membership Form
For Monitoring purposes could you please complete the following: Please tick which age band you are in:
50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90+
Would you like to participate in any of the following?
Events Committee Office Focus Groups
Other ( Please State)
Vision Speech Hearing Mobility
Other ( Please State)
How did you hear about us? Many thanks, please return form to :
Gateshead Older People’s Assembly
65 High Street, Felling, Gateshead, NE10 9LU
Telephone : 0191 438 1721 Fax : 0191 469 5648
Do you have any special requirements?
Name: Mr / Mrs / Ms:
Postcode: Telephone:
Address:
What is your Ethnic Origin:
E-mail: Signature:
Address:
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