Ageing Well

Bexley’s Ageing Well 2020 event

This year’s Ageing Well event went live online in October at www.bexley.gov.uk/ageing-well-virtual-event-2020

It brings together 57 providers in one place, so that older people and their families can easily find out information on support and services on offer in Bexley.

“This is the fourth year for this event which goes from strength to strength. For obvious reasons we’ve had to do things differently in 2020. It’s still a great chance for Bexley residents to make connections with local providers.” Cllr Brad Smith, Cabinet Member for Adult Services

We’ve highlighted a few of the providers at our 2020 Ageing Well online event and some residents who have benefitted from their services. You’ll find much more at www.bexley. gov.uk/ageing-well-virtualevent-2020

Age UK Bexley

A local charity that wants everyone in Bexley to love later life. At www.ageuk.org. uk/bexley you can join their Befriending Cafes, use their day centres, or bring your skills to their Men’s Shed to meet new people. They also offer respite and community-based outreach support and have a specialist dementia pathway.

“It has been great to be part of ‘The Ageing Well Event’ every year. It was with delight that the event took place virtually this year. The opportunity to showcase our day care services at such a time, was great, as so many people told us that they were lonely and isolated. Please keep the event going.”

Anne Bygrave, Care Services Manager and Safeguarding Lead www.ageuk.org.uk/bexley

Walxinbexley staying active

Provides a weekly timetable of online bookable exercise, which includes virtual home circuits and virtual Chair Chi Ball. Sessions cost £3 a person. The exercises are gentle and suitable for everyone, with seated and standing options designed for cardiac rehabilitation. Book now at https://walxinbexley.co.uk/ Emily from Blackfen said: “My mum has suffered from arthritis for many years and this gentle approach to exercise has helped her mobility enormously. We helped mum get online during lockdown and she has been following the routines using an iPad. This has helped her keep in touch socially. I have also joined the classes now and it fits in well with my work-from-home routine.”

Keep warm and well

Here are X keep draughts at bay with draught Winter Fuel Payment some top excluders Most people born before 5 October tips to X wear layered clothing 1954 are entitled to the Winter help older X move around Fuel Payment to help with heating and more vulnerable people stay warm and well. X heat the main room in your home to at least 18C X X X have regular hot drinks and hot food, such as porridge, soups and stews use a hot water bottle or heat bag stock up on medicines for colds and sore throats costs. Call the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 0800 731 0214 or visit www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment Visit www.ageuk.org.uk/winter for more tips and advice.

Bexley’s Ageing Well 2020 event Mind in Bexley

Mind in Bexley run a Wellbeing line. This is Sally’s experience of it in her own words: “I had been feeling really worried about everything. I saw the wellbeing line number on the Mind in Bexley website and I called it. I spoke to a lovely lady on the phone who was kind, she listened to me and I felt supported. We spoke for a while about how I could manage my worry and we thought of going for walks, speaking to friends over the phone and accessing the Recovery College online workshops. This is not something I would have signed up to previously, but she said there was a craft

This is a group of over 800 residents who volunteered and came together in response to COVID-19.

They support the elderly and vulnerable in Bexley, particularly those with no digital footprint, by carrying out tasks such as collecting prescriptions, buying a newspaper or walking a dog. If you need support or if you want to volunteer go to www.isolationbexley.com or call 0333 050 9227. David Paul said: “Isolation Help Bexley were hugely privileged to be part of this year’s Ageing

Well event. COVID-19 has highlighted that far too Carers’ Support workshop, creative writing and courses which help with worry, which I thought would be good for me.”

Laura Burke, fundraiser at Bexley Mind said: “It is fantastic that the Ageing Well 2020 event was still able to continue on an online platform. We are really happy to be a part of such an important event that not only supports our elderly population within Bexley, but supports services in Bexley to promote their vital role in improving a person’s wellbeing.” www.mindinbexley.org.uk

Isolation Help Bexley

Call the Wellbeing line on 0808 196 3896 many of Bexley’s more senior citizens do not always have immediate access to that ‘shoulder to lean on’ when needed most. Ageing Well has provided a valuable platform for us to promote our services and we are incredibly grateful for that. This is particularly important as IHB are a very new group”. www.isolationhelpbexley.com, help@isolationhelpbexley.com,

0333 050 9227

We all need to look after ourselves at the moment. This is particularly important if you are a carer and looking after someone who depends on you because of illness, disability or frailty.

Did you know that carers save the country millions Carers’ Support (Bexley) is a local charity that of pounds every year by caring for their loved ones? provides non-judgemental emotional support for You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. carers, including someone to talk to, professional Caring takes its toll on the carer. counselling, welfare benefits advice and help with

Carers can feel stressed, isolated, and lonely, and making a claim and information about other services. suffer from all kinds of negative emotions like guilt. They can also provide support at home for the person Carers may have financial worries too, especially if they you care for, so that you can have a break. have given up work to care. If any of this sounds like Call Carers’ Support (Bexley) on 020 8302 8011 you there is help available. or email info@carerssupport.org

Caring for our carers

We know that there are thousands of Bexley residents who are caring for loved ones with a wide range of different needs. They include parents caring for children with disabilities, to spouses caring for a partner with dementia, from adults caring for frail parents, to older people caring for grown-up children with learning disabilities.

Whatever the nature of your caring situation, the Council aims to support you in this essential and often very demanding role, with advice and information, often provided by our voluntary sector partners, and with practical help such as respite and access to clubs and groups.

We have seen many wonderful examples of innovative ways to provide support virtually. Local communities have also reached out to vulnerable people, and our voluntary organisations and day services have worked hard on a safe and secure return to normal provision. We recognise however that there are some carers who are feeling isolated and unsupported and, in some cases, exhausted and burnt out.

We are enormously grateful to all our carers and we recognise that these difficult times are even more challenging for people in this role. We are striving to find more and better ways to communicate and provide the advice and support you need.

We appreciate that not everyone is able to access online communications and events and we are working with our NHS and other colleagues to achieve greater ‘digital inclusion’. Our new Virtual Well-being Workshops started in November. Please email june.knowles@bexley.gov.uk for details of when the next workshops will take place. Information and advice for carers is available at https://careservices.bexley.gov.uk and or www.bexley.gov.uk/ageing-well-virtual-event-2020 You can also sign up to our carers enewsletter at www.bexley.gov.uk/newsupdates

Could you help to keep ‘In Touch’

Carers’ Support (Bexley) are regularly looking for volunteers to join “In Touch” their support service offering emotional support and friendship to carers and ex-carers.

If you are interested or would like further information please contact Joanne Flitton on 020 8302 8011 or email:

Dreaming of a green Christmas

Most of us recycle lots before and after Christmas but how do we know what can definitely be recycled?

Cards Most cards and envelopes can be recycled. Please remove any decorations such as ribbons or glitter because they cannot be recycled.

Wrapping paper Before recycling, please remove any sticky tape and decorations such as ribbons and bows.

Wrapping paper can only be recycled if it passes the ‘scrunch test’. Simple paper wrap can be recycled, but foil or glitter-decorated paper cannot and joanne@carerssupport.org

needs to go in your general waste bin.

Remember - scrunch up the wrapping paper. If it doesn’t spring back, it is non-foil and can be recycled. Use the @Home app for more recycling information. Download the free app at App Store or Google Play