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Carers Support Waverley

Newsletter–March 2013

Brightwells Gostrey Centre, Brightwells

Road,Farnham, GU9 7SB

Tel: 01252 718166 Email: carerssupportwaverley@btconnect.com

Welcome to our Spring Newsletter – As you will have seen in our last newsletter, Marian Weatherley left the project after 14 years. We started 2013 therefore with a brand new team and would like to take this opportunity to welcome Lucy Hammond (full time) and Sarah Davis (part time) to Carers Support Waverley. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Lucy Hammond and I joined Carers Support Waverley in January 2013. I have previously worked in residential & nursing homes as a Care Assistant, I've been an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Farnham Hospital, a Community Support Worker for a CMHT and I spent 11 Years working for a Supported Housing Scheme in Surrey prior to my travels. In October 2011 I set off for a round the world adventure! I travelled on the Trans-Siberian express from Russia to China, then backpacked across South East Asia and South America. After my return from my travels (and having to re-join the real world!) I joined the Carers Support Team in Waverley. I am enjoying my new role covering Cranleigh, Godalming, Bramley and the surrounding areas.

Hi my name is Sarah Davis. My background is one of nursing. A qualified Nurse, Midwife, and Health Visitor. I have always enjoyed working with people in a caring and advisory role. I have a degree in Social Sciences and have always been interested in how to help people get the most from their local community. In more recent years I worked as a Triage Nurse at Surrey University and ran support groups for people with addictions in Surrey. I enjoy voluntary work and currently help to run a parent carers support group in Guildford and sit on the committee of the Surrey branch of the National Autistic Society. I have been a carer in the past, having cared for my father with terminal cancer and I am currently a parent carer for my son with special needs. I feel privileged to be part of this team of carer advisers and I am very much looking forward to meeting and working with carers.

Sally continues to work with Carers in Milford, Haslemere and surrounding areas. Heather provides invaluable administrative and secretarial support.

Now you know who we all are……give us a call with any queries or to arrange a visit.

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Carers Week – Monday 10th to Sunday 16th June

This year the theme for Carers Week is….Prepared to Care? This annual UK wide awareness raising campaign aims to improve the lives of carers and the people they

care for. It also provides an opportunity to :

Raise the profile of caring and help the public identify themselves as carers and access

support, advice and information.

Celebrate and recognize the contribution the UK’s 6.4 milllion carers make to people

they care for and their communities.

Highlight the challenges of caring and campaign for sustainable funding for services and

support for carers and the people they care for.

As always we will be arranging an outing during carers week. We thought a seaside outing would be nice following the success of our trip to Southsea a few years ago. So, we have decided that Worthing would be a nice place to visit as it has historic buildings to visit, an old tea room and even some crazy golf if you fancy it. We are yet to confirm a date, but we will be organizing a minibus. If you are interested in hearing more about it then please call to put your name down – we can then contact you with confirmed details when we have them.

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Useful Services: Orchard Club – Supported Bathing Service - Hasleway Community Centre in Haslemere provide

experienced, qualified staff to assist with baths or showers in their fully equipped bathroom. The charge for this service is £8 and for more information or to book in please contact Amanda Snelgrove, Care Co-ordinator at The Orchard Club, Hasleway Centre, Lion Green, Haslemere. Tel: 01428 658190

Contact the Elderly - A service has been set up in the Farnham, Godalming and Cranleigh areas to

help bring together older people who may not have a lot of social contact. It’s a chance for them to get out and about and meet new people locally. The group meets and chats over a small tea of sandwiches and cake.

For more information on this service please visit their website www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk or call them on 0800 716543.

Crossroads Saturday Social Club - To give carers a break with somewhere to look after your loved

ones. 1st Saturday of the month, 10am – 3pm at Park Barn Day Centre, Park Barn Drive, Guildford GU2 8EN. Lunch and refreshments provided. £16 per person per session For further information and to book a place, please contact: Lyn or Co-ordinators on 01483 564815.

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Changes from DLA & PIP

As many of you will already know, from 8th April 2013, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be replaced by Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for people of working age (18-64) even if you have an indefinite or

lifetime award. DLA remains in place for:

Children up to the age of 16 (the DWP will be in contact when the child approaches 16 to explain what happens next) so no action needs to be taken

People over 65 (as of 8th April) Like DLA, PIP is:

Not means tested

Not taxed

Can be paid to those in or out of work.

There are 2 components (Daily Living & Mobility)

Is awarded at 2 rates (standard or enhanced) PIP will include an assessment of the individual’s needs by a health professional and most people will have a face to face consultation as part of their claim. All awards will be reviewed and this will depend on the claimant’s condition or impairment and how likely it is to change. When will PIP be introduced? Feb 2013 - DWP will write to all recipients of DLA with general information about PIP. April 2013 – New claims will automatically be for PIP, not DLA in some areas of the UK (Not Surrey) June 2013 – New claims will be for PIP, not DLA (inc. SURREY). (There will therefore be no new claims from this point for DLA for people between 16-64). October 2013 – Reassessment to PIP starts for existing DLA claimants. The DWP will write to remaining DLA claimants before Spring 2016 – letters will explain the change over and what happens next.

You can find further information and frequently asked questions at either www.direct.gov.uk/pip and/or www.dwp.gov.uk/pip or telephone the Citizens Advice Bureau on 0844 848 7969.

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Attention!!! Carers in Cranleigh…….Wendy Cocks is a carer and is now the ‘Representative

for Cranleigh Carers’ within the local surgery – she attends the monthly Patient Participation Group and she wants to take any queries, concerns or general feedback to the meeting on behalf of carers registered at that practice. Wendy has advised us that there are lots of professionals who attend the meetings including: A GP Rep (Dr Donovan), a Nurse Rep, a Parish Council Rep, Cranleigh Drivers (voluntary scheme) and more. If you have anything you wish Wendy to take forward to the meetings then please contact her directly, she will discuss these queries/concerns with the group and feedback to you. Contact Wendy on Tel: 01483 277004 or email her at wendycocks@yahoo.co.uk

NHS Dental services: dental treatment for people with special needs.

Most dentists will see people with special needs in their surgery, however some people may not be able to get to their surgery because of a disability or medical condition. In this case, the dentist should refer the patient to a more specialised, Community Dental Service. These are

available in a variety of places to ensure everyone can have access to dental health, eg. hospitals, specialist health centres and mobile clinics as well as home visits or visits in nursing and care homes. Some hospitals or health centres also help people who need specialist care and may be able to offer treatment under sedation or general anaesthetic. For more information about this and those who qualify for these services please speak to your dentist.

Difficulty in tying your shoelaces?

Elastic shoelaces can turn a shoe with laces into a loafer style shoe. Elastic

laces are suitable for most shoes; tie them once and then just slip the shoes on

and off your feet like a slip on shoe…no more bending!!

You can find these in chemists or for those of you online and receiving this newsletter by

email the link is: (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elastic-Shoe-Laces-Pair-

Pack/dp/B00667RFK4/ref=sr_1_4?s=shoes&ie=UTF8&qid=1362479483&sr=1-4)

Being well Yoga 12:45 – 1:30 Restorative Yoga: Resting postures to profoundly refresh body and mind. Drop in £10 11:00-12:30 One-to-one Yoga: to address specific emotional or physical issues.

30mins £20/ 1hr £35 For more details contact Sarah Scott on 07812 154148, email sascott@onetel.com or visit her website www.beingwellyoga.co.uk

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PARENT CARERS

Information….

Change is Coming! Are you ready? If you have a child or young person under 25 with special needs or

disabilities, change is on the way. Find out the latest about what, when and how…..

Tuesday 26th March 9:30am – 2:45pm

Leatherhead Leisure Centre Speakers include: Stephen Kingdom, DFE; Susie Campbell, Surrey Pathfinder Manager; Barry Huggett, Headmaster, More House School; Diane McCormack, NHS Surrey. Subjects covered will be: SEN Reform update, Health Changes, School Funding Changes, Continuing Health Care, CAMHS, Local Offer & Transition. For more information or to register please contact: surreypathfinder@surreycc.gov.uk

NAS Surrey hold regular branch meetings that they welcome members and non members to. The

meetings start at 7:45pm with coffee and although there is no charge, donations are welcome on the door. For more information please email emma@mugsy.org PLEASE NOTE: NAS Surrey are a very good source of information and organise many talks, information sessions, groups etc so to receive their newsletter to keep up to date then contact them on Tel: 0808 800 1050

Farnham and District Sports Association for the Disabled:

provide swimming at Farnham Sports Centre for disabled people and their families on Saturday mornings from 9am -10am Minimum age 8 years Hoist available, graduated steps, disabled changing room with toilet and showers £5 annual individual subscription, £8 family membership or 40p per session. For more information contact June Bonner on 01252 793135

STOP PRESS!!!! Merlin Annual Pass Lottery!! Surrey Short Breaks is running a monthly lottery to win annual passes for a disabled child and their carer for Thorpe Park, Legoland or Chessington World of Adventures. You must live in Surrey, your child must be under 18 and you must be able to show at least

one of the following forms of ID:

Blue Badge

Signed Letter from GP

Disability Living Allowance To apply you can download an application for from the website at www.surreycc.gov.uk and put ‘short breaks’ into the search box.

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Dates for your diary: Below are the information days organised by us & Carers Support Guildford. If

you are interested please contact us so we can reserve you a place and forward

more detail when we have confirmation. The topics are as follows:

June 2013

Anger Management

Wednesday 30th October 2013

Dementia

February 2014

Stress Management (Part 1)

March 2013

Stress Management (Part 2)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other dates for your diary……

Carers Support Waverley AGM : Godalming Baptist Church on Friday 4th October 2013 from 1:15pm for Lunch for a 2pm start. We have had confirmation that Jeremy Hunt, MP will be our speaker this year. He will be available to answer questions and may even join us for a light lunch beforehand. Jeremy is a member of the Conservative Party and is the Secretary of State for Health, and the Member of Parliament for South West Surrey. An official invite will be enclosed in our next newsletter but if you wish to attend please contact the office in the meantime so we can get an idea of numbers. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ladywell Stress Busting Days: For those of you who have attended one of our Ladywell days you will know that they are definitely a day to look forward to. You are given a choice of treatments (chosen prior to the day) hot lunch & refreshments and the chance to meet other carers. The places fill up quickly so if you would like to put your name down and a place isn’t available you will be put on the

reserve list and offered the next available date.

Unfortunately due to a number of people not responding to correspondence or not notifying us that they aren’t able to come we have had to change the way we organise these days. It is therefore with regret that from April we will be asking for a £10 deposit which will be returned on the day. The remaining dates for this year are as follows: Thursday 18th July Tuesday 17th September Wednesday 27th November ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------