Engage - Spring 2016

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age uk magazine Spring 2016

Thank you Diana and Colin - Recipients of the Volunteer Service Award in recognition of their services to Age UK Buckinghamshire. Find out more inside.

AGE UK BUCKS SHOP NEWS + SPOTLIGHT ON... + FUNDRAISING EVENTS + MUCH MORE INSIDE

The Independent Living Consultants Making life a little easier

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To advertise in the next issue of this publication please contact

Tammie

Tel:

01536 526667 Email:

tammie@ lancepublishing.co.uk

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Foreword from the CEO

09

Meet the team…

Editor

Margaret Willis Tel: 01296 431911 Email: age@ageukbucks.org.uk

Welcome to the Spring 2016 edition of Engage

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16

Contents List Spring 2016 Foreword from our CEO.............................. 5

21

Age UK Buckinghamshire Shop News................... 7 Meet Our Team!............. 8 Spotlight on telephone befriending The rewards of being a Befriending Volunteer..................... 9 Memory Advice Service......................... 10 Goodbye to the service Fundraising Events........12 Support our marathon walkers!

What’s going on at your local library.......................15 Info on staying healthy and having fun!

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In your Area......................16 Enjoy local clubs and activities Thank you to our sponsors......................18 Bucks Healthy Minds, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.........................19 Support for carers of people with dementia

Nationally, the network of Age UK charities across the country benefitted from the link with the John Lewis Christmas advertisement, which was coupled to the No One Should Have No One campaign.

Raising public awareness regarding the problem of loneliness has attracted additional volunteers to our Befriending Scheme, for which we are very grateful. Most of these new volunteers have now been trained and are being matched with clients. The value of Befriending is illustrated by the case study of Dorothea and Mary and Walter Brind’s poem, on page 4.

We were sad to say

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age uk magazine Spring 2016

Bucks Adult Learning....20 Spring/Summer classes now enrolling!

Volunteers..........................21 Come and join us and have fun helping your community!

Ask Angie....................22 Advice on bereavement

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

age uk BuCkS SHOP neWS + SPOTLigHT On... + FunDRaiSing eVenTS + muCH mORe inSiDe

Front Cover In February Diana and Colin Bond hosted their fifth Tea Party Fundraiser.

Their tea parties have been fantastic social

suppor ting older people since 1945

goodbye to Yolande Smith and Angela Thornton when the Carers’ Befriending project came to an end recently. It was an excellent service and the feedback received from clients was very positive.

Luckily we have been able to maintain the relationships that have been developed between the clients and volunteers by transferring them to the general Befriending Service.

Sadly, we are also saying goodbye to the Memory Advice Service team. This service will now fulfil a broader remit as Memory Support, provided by the Alzheimer’s Society

events, including a raffle, tea and an array of delicious home-made cakes! Over the years, they have raised £3,000 for our Befriending Plus service - Diana began as a volunteer which inspired her to fundraise for us.

“Diana and Colin are brilliant. They help Age UK Buckinghamshire more than they know!

Their events really bring people from the local community together as well as raising muchneeded funds. If more

Age UK Buckinghamshire

145 Meadowcroft Aylesbury Buckinghamshire HP19 9HH Tel: 01296 431911 Fax: 01296 330783 Email: age@ageukbucks.org.uk www.ageukbucks.org.uk

from April. We are very proud to have provided the Memory Advice Service for the past three years. It has received praise and plaudits from professionals as well as clients and I can only thank and marvel at the dedication of the staff and volunteers who worked on it.

We all wish you a very Happy Easter.

Giulia Johnson Chief Executive

Giulia Giulia Johnson Chief Executive

of these social events were held in small communities, fewer older people would face loneliness.” - Age UK Buckinghamshire Fundraising Coordinator.

Older people deserve to be able to live independently in their own homes in safety and with dignity. Our services help as many people as possible achieve this goal and it is only possible through the generosity of our supporters. Thank you Diana and Colin!

Advertising

Tammie Ridler Tel: 01536 526 667 Email: tammie@ lancepublishing.co.uk

Publisher

Lance Publishing Ltd 1st Floor Tailby House Bath Road Kettering NN16 8NL Tel: 01536 512624 Fax: 01536 515481 Email: mike@ lancepublishing.co.uk www.lancepublishing.co.uk

Printer

Lance Print Ltd Tel: 01733 390564

This magazine is produced on behalf of Age UK Buckinghamshire

by Lance Publishing Ltd. All rights are reserved by the charity and no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the charity. Age UK Buckinghamshire will accept no responsibility for, or necessarily agree with, any claims made or views expressed in this publication, nor does the mention of any product, service or advertisement imply a recommendation by Age UK Buckinghamshire.

Reg. Charity No. 1078539

We need local people to fundraise/host community events, eg a coffee morning in your village hall, a pub quiz, or a film screening at the library.

Please help us reduce loneliness, call: 01296 431911 or email: knorwell@ ageukbucks.org.uk

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Think Print

...Shop News!

Lance Print is an established printers based in Peterborough. At Lance we combine skill, experience & knowledge to provide a complete professional service.

36 High Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 1SF

Now in our 3rd year!

We aim to fill our clients with confidence in the knowledge that any work undertaken by us, will be completed to the highest possible standard.

We have just celebrated the 2nd anniversary of our shop opening in Aylesbury and are delighted to report that things continue to go from strength to strength!

Call Today:

(01733) 390564 www.lanceprint.co.uk

Thank you to everyone for your generous donations and ongoing support which helps us fund our services for the elderly in our community.

Also, a huge ‘Thank You’ to the hundreds of people who have used the Gift Aid scheme, adding 25% more to items sold; please ask for details on your next visit to the shop.

Are you an ‘eBay-er’?

Do you enjoy looking for bargains?

We desperately need a volunteer to run our eBay service.

Most wanted items: • small electrical items (they do not have to be brand new).

Current hot bargains: • new ladies clothing sizes 18-24 • ladies shoes sizes 6.5-8.00 going fast, don’t miss out!

For more information, please call Mandy on 01296 489032 or simply pop into the shop.

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www.ageukbucks.org.uk

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Meet Our Team

Spotlight on Phone a Friend and In Touch Plus

Julie and Judy More than half of over 75 year olds in the county live alone and may have little or no contact with family or friends.

Age UK Buckinghamshire runs Befriending services to help alleviate these feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Although a weekly home visit is available, there are times when

this may not be possible, for example, if there are no volunteers in the client’s area. This is when our Phone a Friend (self, family or friends referral) or In Touch Plus (referrals from Social Services) steps in and fills the gap, giving a weekly friendly and cheerful phone call to provide much needed contact for that person.

The Phone a Friend service telephones over 55 people each week.

Despite being a phone call, a rapport builds between the caller and client over a period of time and a friendship develops. We enjoy spending time listening to clients and sharing their ups-and-downs.

Our friendly chats cover a wide range of things, from current affairs to favourite TV programmes. The calls prove very rewarding and enjoyable for both us and the client – we really look

Often the best way to find out how well a service works is to speak to the people who receive it.

forward to chatting to each other every week.

In addition, we can provide information and advice about any issues they may be a cause of concern for the client and can help them access other services which may be appropriate for them.

For example, there may be local activities which they can enjoy such as a local lunch club. Welfare benefits advice (if they are eligible to claim) is also available.

For more information on all our services, please contact Age UK Buckinghamshire on 01296 431911 or email: age@ageukbucks.org.uk

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The rewards of being a Befriending Volunteer

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

The following is the experience of an Age UK Buckinghamshire client, Dorothea, and our Befriending Plus volunteer, Mary.

Dorothea is 91 years old living in the county and is a former town mayor. She has been visited by Befriender Mary every Wednesday since July 2015. Over that time the two ladies have become firm friends.

Dorothea has always been an independent lady but sadly arthritis prevents her from playing bridge, which was her most favourite hobby. Many of her friends and relatives had passed away and, whilst she was lucky to have close contact with her children, seeing them on a regular basis, she still found life was very lonely.

Meanwhile, Mary found

a huge gap in her life after her husband passed away, so volunteered as a befriender to carers where she was then living in Greenwich.

When she moved into a retirement complex, she became a volunteer for Age UK Bucks’ Befriending Plus service.

Dorothea is very independent and was initially sceptical about inviting a stranger into her house, but once she met Mary, it didn’t take long for the two ladies to realise they had lots in common and it became very much a two-way relationship. Dorothea says: “Mary has filled a gap in my life where my friends used to be and I get a lot of pleasure out of seeing her. We’re like two peas in a pod and can talk for England!”

Dorothea helped Mary overcome her own loneliness after losing her husband. “I was very lonely on my own and was living like a recluse in a house with a big

garden. Volunteering for Age UK Bucks and meeting Dorothea has changed my life”.

“I also visit another lady who says I’m

like a sister to her. It’s very heart-warming to receive comments like that and makes me want to continue to volunteer”, says Mary.

On your Own

by Walter Brind

(befriended by Sarah over a year ago) It can be hard when you’re on your own Just sitting and doing things all alone When you have company around you It’s such a help and comfort too Doing things together loneliness ends And as time passes you become good friends As the days and years you see pass by You can understand better why Everyone should have company It’s how a person’s life should be Being together in harmony In kindness and in happiness This surely for us all is best.

For more information about Befriending see our website: www.ageukbucks.org.uk or tel: 01296 431911 or email: age@ageukbucks.org.uk

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After three years it’s goodbye from the Memory Advice Service The Memory Advice Service started taking referrals in March 2013 and since that time we have supported many clients and their families concerning memory loss or who are coming to terms with a diagnosis of dementia.

We aimed to increase awareness of the issues surrounding dementia and successfully linked many people to other appropriate services in the community. It is now time to build on our initial work and hand over to the Alzheimers Society who will be providing the new Memory Support Service from April 2016.

The contract for the new service has been awarded by Buckinghamshire County Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS) who gave the following tribute on their website in January 2016: “The current Memory Advice Service, provided

by Age UK Bucks, has been running for the last three years. It has proved to be a valuable service for people living

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with dementia, and their carers, in the county and our thanks go to Age UK Bucks for the excellent work they have done and will continue to do over the next few months. The new service (ie the Memory Support Service) builds on this service and will enhance the different types of support available”.

We are very proud of our many achievements over the last three years and feel privileged to have been able to support and share with clients, for example: •M rs A was provided with prompt sheets reminding her of where items should be stored and giving instructions of how to use her cooker.

The advisor also talked through different coping methods, resulting in Mrs A’s increased confidence in managing her symptoms.

• Mrs C had been diagnosed with dementia two years previously but was not aware of this.

Mr C was struggling with the diagnosis and sometimes got frustrated with his wife’s behaviour and

memory loss. The advisor met with them at home and discussed practical issues and how to access local support. She helped Mr C talk with his wife about her diagnosis and how he felt about it.

They were introduced to local activities and support groups giving Mr C a break from the caring role. Our active involvement resulted in the couple being more open with each other, able to plan for the future and calming the atmosphere at home.

Over the past three years, there has been a marked change in attitude towards dementia; although much still needs to be done. Although the current Memory Advice Service is coming to an end, some of our team will be transferring to the Alzheimers Society, as part of the new service, and the Age UK Buckinghamshire’s Information and Advice Team will still be able to answer queries by telephone and signpost people to relevant services.

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

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Fundraising Events!

Help us end loneliness

By helping us support older people in our community

managed my first race on December 27th - 10 miles. My personal goal, which I set last year, was to complete a half marathon before my 50th

What we need:

 Volunteers

So what’s the problem?

In the UK, over one million older people go for over a month without talking to anyone.

birthday on April 2nd!

Please help me support these 2 worthwhile charities and pray I don’t lose anymore toenails along the way!”

Buckinghamshire as I have worked within the care industry for a number of years and feel passionately that older people deserve to be able to live independently in their own homes in safety and with dignity.”

How to help solve it:

Hosting a community fundraising event, for people of all ages, can help us eradicate

loneliness at its source by creating new friendships in your own neighbourhood. Our Befriending Plus service is there for people when they really need us. If enough of us start to reach out to other people in our communities, eventually, less people will be left lonely in later life.

Buckinghamshire is a vastly rural county, and we need to take action in the villages as well as the towns.

If you have some free time and enthusiasm for a great cause, we need you!

You could host a cinema night in your local village hall, a coffee morning at

your local library or a quiz night at your local pub. You could find that you have a friend just down the road that you never knew existed.

All money raised goes towards our Befriending Plus service which has been running for more than 20 years and is used by over 400 older people in the county - the number is growing all the time. Trained volunteers are matched with isolated older people with similar interests.

The volunteers provide weekly visits, companionship and advice, and can prove to be a lifeline for older people who are housebound without anyone else to turn to.

Join us now!

For more information see: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/ buckinghamshire/our-services/befriending/

Coming up in 2016 ... open garden fundraiser – keep an eye out on our website for details!

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 Communities

What we’ll do:

Please support Natalie and her sister, see: https://www.justgiving.com/Natalie-Paget1 They are very generously doing the Thames Path Challenge for us.

“On 10 September 2016 my sister and I will be taking part in the Thames Path Challenge, which is a 100k walk from Putney Bridge to Henley. I have chosen to raise money for Age UK

 Enthusiasm

 Reduce social isolation and loneliness for older people in Buckinghamshire  Raise money for Age UK Buckinghamshire’s Befriending Plus Service  Create new friendships and build stronger communities

Please support Jean Garrett who is running in the Vitality North London Half Marathon on 20 March 2016. See website: https://www.justgiving.com/Jean-Garrett2 Jean: “I am jointly raising money for Age UK Buckinghamshire and Cancer Research.

I only started running properly last summer and

We need Community Fundraising Volunteers to help us reduce social isolation across Buckinghamshire and fundraise for our Befriending Plus service

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

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Buckinghamshire Libraries Face of the council  Heart of the community Buckinghamshire Libraries are warm friendly places where you find help getting information you need, make new friends and much more.

Connect with other people Meet new people and have fun with our regular events.

• Coffee Mornings • Knit and Natter • Quizzes • And monthly talks More at: www.bucksccgov.uk/events/

Take notice of the world

Be active, find an activity New Walks at these libraries: Wing - every Wednesday morning Hazlemere - every Friday morning There are lots of groups like Simply Walk who meet regularly in libraries. www.buckscc.gov.uk/simplywalk/ A good brisk walk is a great way to warm up, blow away the cobwebs and stay healthy.

Beaconsfield Library every Thursday

Listen to music for free with Naxos Music Library Be curious. Build your family tree using Ancestry in the library.

More at: www.buckscc.gov.uk/lis Or simply discover a new book!

Did you know… we stock LARGE PRINT books too!

Give a smile, a hug, some time Home library service a free monthly service delivered to your home at a suitable time for you by volunteers.

Interested in volunteering?

We are always looking for volunteers who can give a couple of hours each month. More at: www.buckscc.gov.uk/home-library-service

Keep Learning, try something new Get started online with our friendly staff and volunteers. We’ll help you build your confidence using computers and the internet.

Extra sessions! Book into three 1 hour sessions at Chesham Library or Aylesbury Library More at: www.buckscc.gov.uk/ get-started-online

For more information visit www.buckscc.gov.uk/libraries Tel: 01296 382415

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Enjoy a chat, activities and interests, keep fit and more ...

In your Area...

Silver Singers also at: Soundstudio The Roundhouse St Mary’s Street High Wycombe HP11 2HE Tuesday 11.00 am-12.00 noon £3.50 per week.

Here men of all ages can come along and participate in activities similar to what they would do at home or in their own garden shed but in the good company of other likeminded men. Members can develop new skills or hone existing ones whilst enjoying being part of a social group. All men are welcome to come along and choose their activities!

Tuesday and Thursdays: 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

Unit 4, Station Road Industrial Estate Winslow (next to the Car Wash).

See: http://www. meninshedswinslow. org.uk/ Tel: 01296 715226.

Email: winslowshedders@ gmail.com

 Woodworking  Photography  Metal working

Healthy Living Centre Unit 1 Walton Court Shopping Centre Hannon Road Aylesbury HP21 8TJ

 Electronics  Computing  Weaving

Other sheds at: High Wycombe: Thursdays 1.00-3.00 pm St Peters, 245 Micklefield Road, HP13 7HU (next to the library).

Wednesday 2.00 - 4.00 pm £3.50 per week.

Aylesbury: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 10.00 am-4.00 pm 27/28 Rabans Close, HP19 8RS (near the household waste centre).

Contact details as for Chesham – see poster to left.

Buckingham: Fridays 12.00-2.00 pm The Cote, next to the Woolpack, 57 Well Street, MK18 1EP

Are you over 55? Like to Feel Fit, socialise and make new friends?

Contact Samantha Hardy, Community Impact Bucks: 01844 348831 / 07990 756742 or email: samantha@communityimpactbucks.org.uk

 Activity or Talks

 Exercise

 Lunch

Groups held at: Burnham, Stoke Poges, Gerrards Cross, Chesham, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Farnham Common / Iver.

For more information or to pre-book your first visit, contact Clintel Rose on 07775 406 148 or email: CRose2@buckscc.gov.uk

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A Huge Thank You From Thanks to

Thanks to East Claydon School – Mufti Day Jim and his son attended the school again. The children really enjoyed a day off from wearing their school uniforms and £60 was raised.

High Wycombe, as part of our Christmas partnership, for supporting us with our collection in December which raised £130 plus £1,020 from John Lewis community

Thanks to Sue and Peter for organising and running the Quiz & Curry Night in Wendover. It was a very lively and jolly evening, so thank you everyone who came along and helped us raise £1,000 for our Befriending Plus service!

Thanks to Age Concern Buckingham for raising £3,825 for our befriending plus service.

Thanks

to Prevention Matters who kindly awarded us a £15,000 grant for our Befriending Plus service.

matters, and a further £270 from their staff!

Thanks to Asda, Stoke Mandeville and their customers for helping us raise £90 for our community services. This will pay for 18 befriending visits!

Thanks to Waitrose, Buckingham and their customers who kindly donated £490 from their Community Matters project.

A huge thank you to mother and daughter knitting duo, Lily and Hilary, and friends, Martina and Hannah, who together knitted 300 hats for us! In total, the Big Knit in Buckinghamshire produced 1,800 hats which will pay for 110 befriending

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Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for carers of people with dementia Many carers of people with dementia experience feelings of burden and stress from time to time. CBT (‘cognitive behavioural therapy’) is an approach used to help people understand how their thoughts, feelings and behaviour are linked. It can help reduce feelings of stress and depression.

The CBT group is for carers of any age who are: • caring for someone with a diagnosis of dementia • feeling stressed or depressed and/or looking for ways of managing stress • seeking ideas to care more effectively for their relative or friend.

The group covers: • coping with difficult thoughts and emotions • understanding dementia and your reaction to it • ideas to help you care for your relative effectively, for as long as possible • effective ways of interacting with your relative to reduce stress, distress or depression.

visits. All money raised goes to our local Befriending Plus service, which alleviates social isolation amongst older people across Buckinghamshire.

Last year The Big Knit raised over £215,000 nationally.

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

suppor ting older people since 1945

You will also meet other carers and be able to share ideas and experiences of caring for someone with dementia.

Run by experienced clinicians, the groups consist of 12 weekly sessions of 1½ hours, tea and coffee are provided. The groups run in the Aylesbury and Amersham areas.

Healthy Minds is a service for any person experiencing anxiety, depression or stress and who is registered with an NHS Buckinghamshire GP. For more information and/or to find out more about the ‘CBT for carers’ group, please contact Healthy Minds at:

Floor 2, Prospect House, Floor 2 Crendon Street Prospect House High Wycombe, Crendon Street High Wycombe HP13 HP136LA 6LA Tel: 01865Tel: 901600†* 01865 901600 †* Fax: 01865 262333 Fax: 01865 262333 Email: healthy.minds@

oxfordhealth.nhs.uk† Email: Web: healthy.minds@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk www.healthymindsbucks.nhs.uk †

Web: www.healthymindsbucks.nhs.uk

† Please mention that you are getting in touch about the ‘CBT for carers’ group. *The cost of a call from a BT landline will be charged at local landline rates, calls from mobiles/ other providers may be charged at a different rate.

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Come and Volunteer with us!

We need volunteers for our services - call: 01296 431 911 or email age@ageukbucks.org.uk BEFRIENDING PLUS matches volunteers with older people for weekly visits in their homes. This social visit offers friendship and support providing a vital service in combating the isolation many older people experience. Just an hour per week of your time can make a huge difference to an older person, enhancing their quality of life and alleviating loneliness.

Love Learning in your Golden Years!

Learning will: • keep your mind sharp & body active • increase your self-confidence • improve your memory and • at any age, be great for your social life!

Buckinghamshire Adult Learning offers a large range of courses for people of all ages. Our oldest learner is 104 years old and participates in Gentle Chair Based Exercise at her residential care home.

Why not take up a new hobby that you have always wanted to try? Our popular courses include:

WELFARE BENEFITS: This is a home visiting role to advise older people of benefit entitlement and complete application forms on their behalf. Full training will be given and support is ongoing.

• Drawing & Painting • Foreign Languages • Patchwork & Quilting • Pottery • Tai Chi • Stained Glass • Yoga and many more!

Our new Spring & Summer 2016 brochure is available from 7 March and will be packed with new courses starting from April onwards. Visit www.adultlearningbcc.ac.uk to download your copy or tel: 01296 382403.

“I hope that perhaps in the future, somebody who knows me might get the encouragement to start learning, whatever it may be, even at a rather advanced age. The pleasure and satisfaction derived from it is immense”. Learner, aged 80.

Call: 01296 431 911 or email age@ ageukbucks.org.uk

VOLUNTEER EVENT ORGANISER: Would you like to help organise fundraising events to raise funds for charity?

Then we need you! Come along and join the fun,

*Pension credit is available for those that may be eligible, phone: 01296 382403 for more information.

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Join our team of Befriending volunteers, call Melita on 01296 431911 / email msmith@ ageukbucks.org.uk

www.ageukbucks.org.uk

suppor ting older people since 1945

use your skills and help make a difference to the lives of older people.

Call Kitty Norwell: 01296 431911 or email age@ ageukbucks.org.uk

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You could be in the Algarve,

relaxing in the sun...

A spacious 1 bedroom apartment with shared swimming pool. The apartment is situated on the top floor of a 3 storey block. Sleeps 4.

Quiet location, but only 5 mins walk to the marina and another 5 mins to the town centre.

Nov - Mar £190 Apr & Oct £255 May & Sept £290 June £330 July & Aug £410

Self Catering Holiday Apartment

• Twin bedroom.

• Open plan kitchen & lounge.

• Family sized bathroom.

• The lounge has a sofa (which converts into two single beds) and a table to seat four.

• A TV, DVD and CD player are also available.

• Patio doors open onto the balcony, offering views over the pool and across Lagos.

• Parking spaces in front of the building.

Phone Judith on 01536 711884

www.algarveestatemanagement.co.uk apt meia

To place an advert in a future issue, or if you would like to make an enquiry regarding our design and print services,

Call us on 01536 521126

or email studio@lancepublishing.co.uk

Digital Design Sales and Marketing

Contract Publishing

Branding Solutions

PRODUCTION Lance Publishing Ltd 1st Floor, Tailby House, Bath Rd, Kettering, NN16 8NL

Ask Angie a taste of life in the Information & Advice team!

Q. I recently lost my wife and I am struggling emotionally. I am not sleeping or functioning well. I have been to see my GP who has given me sleeping pills but they are not helping.

I cared for my wife for over 20 years so I am feeling isolated and worthless. I don’t have any family locally.

A. I am sorry for your recent loss. Grief can affect you in many ways, both emotionally and physically leaving you feeling confused and drained.

It may be worth seeing your GP again and ask to be referred for some counselling support.

Healthy Minds Buckinghamshire (01865 901600) is a NHS service which offers talking therapies and practical support as well as counselling for people with depression, anxiety and stress. www. healthymindsbucks. nhs.uk.

Aylesbury 01296 425757 High Wycombe 01494 511117 Amersham 01494 766455.

Age UK has a useful Information Guide (IG32) on Bereavement which covers all the emotions you may be feeling. This can be downloaded from the Age UK website, www. ageuk.org.uk/publications.

Some local churches offer bereavement support.

In the future you may feel like joining a local social club or taking up a new hobby where you will meet people in a similar situation to yourself or you may wish to consider some volunteering.

Age UK Bucks offer a Befriending service for lonely, isolated older people, tel: 01296 431911 or see our website: www.ageukbucks.org.uk

If you think a care home is inevitable...

Think again Dr Jim Morrisroe With an increasingly ageing population, you’d be forgiven for thinking that spending your twilight years in a residential care home is inevitable. Stick a pin in a map of South Bucks/ Chilterns and the chances are you’ll find one of the 50 plus residential care homes in the area. It’s the one thing that we’re not short of.

But what happens if you’ve reached that stage in life where you need care, but the only home you want to live in is your own? What happens of you enjoy your independence and home comforts, but need a little help around the house, or with the shopping? And what happens if you have a child or young adult with a disability and need a break now and again? Well, the good news is that you now have a choice.

A More Caring Approach...

Eden Care at Home, based in Gerrards Cross offer quality care at home for you, or your loved one, whether a child, young adult or an elderly person. Eden care’s management team have more than 50 years in the care sector and was established by Dr Jim Morrisroe.

Unique care Plan

Eden Care is committed to making a difference, helping their clients achieve optimum levels of independence, health and well-being. Together with their clients and their clients’ families they create a unique, tailored care-package focusing on each client’s individual needs and aspirations.

CRUSE Buckinghamshire Counselling service offers free emotional support following a bereavement. www.crusebucks. org.uk Their contact numbers are:

Live-in care or respite breaks At Eden Care they believe that getting old should not automatically mean moving into a care home. Most elderly people prefer to retain their independence, home comforts, social network and dignity by remaining in their own homes.

However, there are times when we all need a little extra help.

Eden Care offer a range of support from personal care, to help within the home and can also assist with attending appointments, running errands or offering companionship.

Whether you are looking for 24 hour support or a respite break from 30 minutes to a hour, up to 24 hours a day Eden Care can be there for you.

Tel: 01536 521126 studio@lancepublishing.co.uk www.lancepublishing.co.uk www.ageukbucks.org.uk