Carer Support Service - News for Carers

Issue No. 99

December 2010/February 2011

All the members of the team here at West Lodge would like to wish you a happy and peaceful Christmas time and send you our best wishes for the coming year.

Carers’ Rights Day

Carers’ Rights Day is being held on Friday 3rd December at the Fire Station Community Centre, access is in Parkgate at the rear of the main building and has limited free parking. Doors open at 1.00pm and close at 3.30pm. This years theme is “Know your Rights.” There will be information stands from various agencies and two speakers from DAD, who will be talking about the New Equality Act 2010. The event is free and we hope you will be able to attend.

Carers’ Health and Well-being Day

We are looking to hold a Health and Well-being day in January. This will involve various talks and demonstrations by complementary therapists. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided throughout the day and a two course lunch will be served. This will be held at a local hotel and transport can be provided if needed.
As this is on a first come first serve basis please phone to book your place and find out more information.

Christmas Quiz - just for fun.
1. What kind of Christmas is Bing Crosby dreaming of?
2. What reindeer's name begins with a V?
3. All I want for Christmas is my...?
4. What should you do under a mistletoe?
5. How do you say Merry Christmas in Spanish?
6. How many candles should go on an Advent wreath?
7. How many reindeer pull Santa's sleigh?
8. Which reindeer doesn't belong?
9. This is a popular drink that's only available around Christmas?
10. What is Santa's real name?

Advocacy Together

Advocacy Together is a free, independent and confidential service run by a team of advocates in Darlington. They are experienced in working with people who have a physical or learning disability, mental health needs or difficulties due to age. They also provide a service for carers.
An advocate can help you access information, accompany you to meetings or interviews, write letters on your behalf, speak for you in situations you might find difficult, they can help you to try to get the service you need. They do not tell you what to do or say, their job is to make sure your voice is heard.
Contact them, Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 4.30pm on 01325 465337/01325 468741, by email: darlington@together-uk.org or through your health/social worker, carer or the Patient Experience Team (PALS) on 0800 7835774. Or visit: www.together-uk.org

Did you know????

We run a number of groups which are aimed at giving carers support, information and the opportunity to share experiences with others who have similar caring responsibilities. We also run therapeutic sessions where carers can relax and unwind from some of the daily stresses of carrying out their caring role.
However, we do need more people to join these groups in order to make them a success and so that everyone can get maximum benefit from attending them.
Details of our current groups are given below. If you would like any more information about any of them please do get in touch with us. If you are a little anxious about attending and would like one of us to help you the first time you come along then we would be pleased to help you. All groups meet at Evolution which is in Church Row, between Crombies Café and The Boot and Shoe. Dates of forthcoming meetings can be found on the Diary Page of this newsletter.

Relaxation Group – (simple yoga, deep breathing etc). This group meets on the second Thursday of the month.
Those who attend such sessions have reported back an increase in energy levels, a calmer outlook and inner confidence that relaxation brings, in turn helping them with the day to day demands of being a carer. Comments from people have included “at the start of the session I thought I couldn’t relax but I did.”

Circle of Friends - The “Circle of Friends” meets up on the third Thursday of the month. This is an informal group, where Carers meet up to have a chat, coffee or to just make new friends. The group is run by the Carers themselves and they decide what they want to do. This may be arranging a day out somewhere, going for a look around the shops or just meeting up with other carers for a cuppa and a catch up.

Mental Health Carers Group - The Mental Health Carers’ Support Group meets on the last Thursday of every month. This group is specifically for people who are caring for someone with mental health needs. We regularly have speakers on a range of issues from the role of a Community Psychiatric Nurse to fun things like gardening and jewellery making.

Dementia Carers Group - Darlington Dementia Carers Support Group is held on the first Thursday of the month. A guest speaker attends the group each month, and the Carers have a chance to meet up for a coffee and chat. This mutual support is very beneficial and helps carers realise they are not alone.

DAD Carers’ Support Service Christmas Lunch

We are looking to organise a Christmas Lunch for all carers on Wednesday 15th December at Darlington Football Club, the cost is £11.95 per person. We need a £5 deposit to reserve your place as numbers are limited. Please contact Sona, here at the office, to book your place and for more information.

We are looking for Male Carers

Are you, or do you know, a male carer aged 18+ who looks after a friend or relative due to age, long term illness or disability? If so we would like to hear from you.
More and more men are having to take on a caring role because of changes in society, children living further away from parents, more women are working etc. The traditional support network is ebbing away.
Many men can feel uncomfortable taking on this role. Comments in the past have included “I feel outnumbered,” “I feel uncomfortable in this role,” “I feel a social outcast amongst my own gender” and “I don’t feel recognised as a male carer.”
We are looking at how we can best support men who are facing up to the caring role, and are considering the introduction of a male carers support group. Here you would be able to meet other men in a similar situation and be able to share experiences, ideas etc, as well as taking the opportunity to take a break from your caring responsibilities in a fairly informal and relaxed setting.
The group will decide their own schedule of events and speakers etc. Ideas which have come up in such groups elsewhere have included such things as looking after your own health, benefits, basic cookery classes, digital photography. In addition it may be possible to consider a range of social events such as a day at the races or darts and dominoes in the pub.
If you would be interested in joining and helping to “shape” such a group, which could meet monthly - or as often as the group feel would be beneficial - then we would love to hear from you.
You can call us on 01325 357533 or send us an e-mail with your views to geoff@darlingtondisability.org

Free Mobile Calls To DWP 0800 Lines

The six largest mobile phone companies have signed to agreements with Department of Works and Pensions to provide their customers with free mobile phone calls from their networks to the Department’s 0800 claims lines.
Vodaphone, T-Mobile, O2, Orange, Virgin Media and Tesco will make calls to around 70 DWP 0800 numbers free of charge to their customers.
These lines are used to make initial claims for State Pension, Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseekers Allowance and to apply for crisis loans.
This information was sourced from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Potato and Thyme Soup

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
Olive oil for frying and drizzling
600g potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
3-4 sprigs thyme, leaves only
1.2 litres chicken stock

1. In a large saucepan, fry the onion in the butter and olive oil until softened but not browned.
2. Add the potatoes and most of the thyme and cook until the potatoes turn translucent. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Cover with the chicken stock and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
4. Let the soup cool slightly before pureeing with a hand-blender.
5. Reheat if necessary then serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and remaining thyme leaves.

Tips On Staying Healthy

Lose the extra pounds- It’s always a good time to lose those extra pounds. Switch to a well-balanced diet that is low in fat and high in fruit and vegetables, combined with plenty of physical activity.

Grab five - Up your intake of fruit and vegetables and help get your 5-a-day. Try adding some dried fruit to your cereal in the morning or adding extra vegetables to pasta, sauces, curries and casseroles.

Check out the food label - Get in the habit of checking the label on food packets when out shopping. The information will help you understand what is in the food you are buying and make healthier food choices.

Cut back on empty calories - Alcohol is packed with calories with a unit of alcohol containing around 100 calories!

Give the salt the shake off - Stop using salt at the table and try adding less to your cooking, or even better cut it out completely from your cooking. It may take a little getting used to, but try it for a month your taste buds will adapt and your blood pressure will lower.

Cut the saturated fat - Make small changes to your diet, like switching from full fat milk to skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, choosing leaner cuts of meat or steaming or grilling foods rather then frying in lots of oil.

Walk off stress - If things are getting too much go for a walk to reduce stress levels and help reach your 30 minutes a day at the same time.

Increase the oily fish - Eat oily fish regularly, such as mackerel, sardines, fresh tuna and salmon. Oily fish is an excellent source of omega 3 fats, which can help protect against heart disease.

Questionnaire Feedback

We had a very good response to the questionnaire we sent out to you with the last newsletter. This asked for your views on how often we should send you a newsletter and whether you found the diary dates information useful.
In total we received 122 responses, and the overwhelming majority of you – 101 – favoured a move towards receiving the newsletter every 3 months. 111 people found the diary dates useful.
In addition a number of people took the opportunity to add some additional comments which we will be looking at and giving some consideration to. The majority of comments were very complimentary and we thank you for this. However there were some comments suggesting ways in which we could improve the newsletter. Some of these were around greater clarity over group meetings – were they free, clear information about the venue and parking etc. Some people were unable to attend during the day and asked for alternative days or times. Some people asked if we could give information on training events including any “online” training.
It was also suggested that we could “liven up” the newsletter with some quizzes, recipes and jokes. True life stories, perhaps submitted by carers themselves were also suggested.
All of these comments will be considered and we thank everyone for taking the time to send them to us.

Christmas Quiz Answers:

Question 1:White.
Question 2: Vixen.
Question 3: Two Front Teeth.
Question 4: Give a Kiss.
Question 5: Feliz Navidad.
Question 6: 4.
Question 7: 8.
Question 8: Rufus.
Question 9: Egg Nog.
Question 10: Kris Kringle.

Diary Dates

Groups meet in the Redworth room of Evolution, which is located in Church Row, between Crombies Café and the Boot and Shoe. All groups are free to attend.

Thursday 2nd December: Dementia Carers’ Support Group, 1.30- 3.00pm

Friday 3rd December: Carers’ Rights Day. See top of page for details.

Thursday 9th December: Relaxation, 1.30 - 3.00pm

Thursday 9th December: D.A.D’s Xmas meal. Contact Margaret Grange on 01325 489999 for details and to book your place.

Wednesday 15th December: Christmas lunch at Darlington Football Group for all carers.

Thursday 16th December: Circle of Friends group, 10.30 - 12 noon

Please note: Thursday 30th December, Mental Health Carers Group, is cancelled.

2011

Thursday 6th January: Dementia Carers’ Support Group, 1.30 - 3.00pm

Thursday 13th January: Relaxation, 1.30 - 3.00pm

Thursday 20th January: Circle of Friends group, 10.30 - 12 noon

Thursday 27th January: Mental Health Carers Group, 1.30 - 3.00pm

Thursday 3rd February: Dementia Carers’ Support Group, 1.30 - 3.00pm

Thursday 10th February: Relaxation, 1.30 - 3.00pm

Thursday 17th February: Circle of Friends group, 10.30 - 12noon

Thursday 24th February: Mental Health Carers Group, 1.30 - 3.00pm

Thursday 3rd March: Dementia Carers’ Support Group, 1.30 - 3.00pm.

Carers Darlington:

Tuesdays & Fridays Carers Drop-in at Age concern, Tuesdays 10.00 am -12.00 noon, Fridays 12.00 noon - 2.00 pm.

Please note: Our Service is closed 25th December until 4th January and Carers Drop-in is closed from 23rd December re-opening Tuesday 4th January.

Social Services will be closed on 25th, 27th and 28th December and 3rd January: the Emergency Duty Team can be contacted on 08702 402 994 (minicom 01642 602346).