InfoNOW news feature issues 23 September 2019

News

Help for carers – Your Equipment Newcastle
EU Settlement Scheme – spread the word
Know your human rights

Features

Ageing with Style
National eye health awareness week
Stoptober

InformationNOW

Updated and new organisations
Updated articles

Advice on gas and electricity

NEWS

Help for Carers – Your Equipment Newcastle

Is someone you know having problems carrying out day to day tasks?  Is it difficult to get to the toilet, move around the home or go into the garden?  Are you worried about them slipping in the shower or managing the food on their plate?

The Council are piloting monthly drop in sessions for carers to:
• get information and advice on Occupational Therapy services in Newcastle
• get an overview and help with navigating the website and online resource Your Equipment Newcastle
• Ask questions about support services for carers
Drop-in to Newcastle Carers, 135-139 Shields Road, Byker on the last Tuesday of every month, 2.00pm – 4.00pm (beginning Tuesday 24 September). Meet an Occupational Therapist Team in a relaxed, friendly and welcoming environment — no need to book, just turn up.
There are four steps to helpful information on Your Equipment Newcastle:

1.  Choose a topic
2.  Answer some questions
3.  Get a personal report on products that might help you
4. Buy products where suitable

EU Settlement Scheme Applications – does your organisation work with anyone from the EU?

Any EU citizen living in the UK who wants Settled Status in order to stay in the UK after we leave the EU, must apply through the Settlement Scheme. If you need help to do this there are two organisations that can guide you on how to complete an application.

• The Children’s Society has the following drop in sessions:
  • Newcastle – Every Monday (except Bank Holidays) between 1-4pm at Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place NE1 7BJ.
  • Gateshead – Every Thursday between 1-4pm at The Family Church, The Hub, Swan Street, Gateshead NE8 1BQ
  • Sunderland – Every Tuesday between 1-4pm at Sunderland Bangladesh International Centre, 30 Tatham St, Sunderland SR1 2QD

Contact the Children’s Society EUSS team if you have further questions on 0191 349 9481 or by email

• Riverside Community Health Project will help those living in Newcastle and Gateshead who want to make an application for Settled Status. They are running information and support sessions throughout the year, and will have interpreters available. For more information or to make an appointment, call 0191 226 0754 or email 

Check with one of these two organisations before you spend money on using digital identification services.  Complex cases may be referred on.

Know your human rights

The British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR), a national charity, has released an online resource. This online tool aims to give you information about how human rights can help you have more control over your own life and be treated with dignity and respect.
‘Know your human rights’ is:

• relevant for people with mental health or mental capacity issues, and those who advocate on their behalf, including formal advocates, families and carers
• a resource which will help identify whether an issue you have with your care or treatment is a human rights issue
• focused on issues such as receiving health and care services, such as at your GP, in hospital, community care and care homes

InformationNOW covers relevant topics, such as, Disability Rights and Where to get legal advice.

FEATURES

Ageing with Style

October is the month during which older people worldwide stand proud and celebrate their achievements and the contributions they make to society.

Many organisations and groups do something special during October to celebrate older people in all their diversity, to demonstrate the very varied ways in which individuals, groups and society approach the challenges and opportunities of ageing.  In Newcastle, instigated by the Elders Council, we have collated all the partner events under the strapline “Ageing with Style”.  Search for Ageing with Style on the events section and then save the events or activities you want to put into your own personal calendar.  To do this, you need to register on the website and then just “add” to favourites on each item.

There are a number of partners working together on Ageing with Style.  These include the Arts Development, Communities and Carers Leads for the Council as well as:

• Active Newcastle offer a range of activities with partners
• Age UK Gateshead run ActivAge NEWCASTLE fitness and fun sessions
• Dance City
• Elders Council influence policy and awareness of ageing
• Equal Arts – movement and creative activity; includes dementia activities
• Newcastle Eagles Community Foundation – run active ageing sessions.
• Independent Age, a national charity that has a regional team for Newcastle and the North East
• Search, based in the West End of the City. They are holding their Age Happy conference on 30 September.
• Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums –  run Slow Museums and special events

If you are planning an event in Newcastle, please contact us by email  to add your event to our listing which we will continue to update.

Search older people for our year long calendar of events and activities.

National eye health awareness week, 23 – 29 September 2019

Did you know that 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss, that is severe enough to have a significant impact on their daily lives. Half of this sight loss is avoidable.  There are several things you can do to keep your eyes healthy:

• a sight test can detect early signs of conditions like glaucoma, which can be treated if found soon enough
• during a sight test, other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure may be detected
• eat well, don’t smoke and wear eye protection in bright sunlight.

InformationNOW has an article on eye conditions and dealing with sight loss. and opticians. There is also an article with information on support groups in the area and concessionary travel. Please contact us if you want to add something to the support groups or regular events pages.

Resources are available to raise awareness of eye health.
The council has a sensory support service.
The International Glaucoma Association runs a series of support groups.

Stoptober

Public Health England (PHE) will be launching their Stop Smoking campaign for 28 days in October. Smoking rates began to drop dramatically in the North East from 2005 when the campaign for a Smoke free North East began. Between 2005 and 2017 we achieved the best drop rates in England.  However, there is still work to be done, with 1:10 children exposed to smoke at home and the whole family becoming exposed to harmful toxins, such as, carbon monoxide, benzene and cyanide.  The City’s target is to  see no more than 5% of adults smoke by 2030 in Newcastle.

To get help and support read our Information NOW article and contact the Newcastle Stop Smoking Service.

The Public Health England initiative is linked to One You, a campaign that helps adults across the country make small changes to their lifestyles that can have a big impact on their future health. In addition to encouraging people to stop smoking, One You also tackles other everyday habits and behaviours, such as, eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more than is recommended and not being active enough.

Read InformationNOW healthy eating and drinking.

INFORMATION NOW

Updated and new organisations

Northern Print
RVI hospital social work department
Your Voice Counts

Updated articles

Leaving hospital and choosing a care home
Sexual health
Sex in later life

Advice on gas and electricity

It is always a good idea to shop around for energy deals.  There are organisations that can help you and recently Citizens Advice Newcastle has been funded to help people switch, ask for grants and deal with heating problems by Northern Powergrid.

You can contact them for advice on their specialist helpline telephone number 0370 145 1450 or email. You can also ask for an appointment with one of their energy advisors.

InformationNOW has information on gas and electricity, energy saving tips and help with heating problems.

You can also contact Energy Services at Newcastle City Council.

Last updated: September 24, 2019

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