Tag Archives: social care

Help older people get out more, say south west residents

October 19, 2012   Carers, Older care

Loneliness is one of the biggest issues facing older people in the south west of Sheffield, according to residents who attended a special meeting on Thursday evening.

  • Members of the Sheffield Irish Association enjoying a tea dance
    Submitted by: Gael Stigant

Support for older people was the topic of debate chosen by locals for the Meet the Cabinet event at the South West Community Assembly meeting in Banner Cross Methodist Church.

During the meeting, local resident Eric Bentley raised concerns that old people are too scared to go out and then get the bus home late in the evening.

He said: “Where I go ballroom dancing, I know a lot of people who have become single after losing their partner and are then too frightened to go out and get the bus at 10pm, so they’re now not going to the dance.”

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Dementia awareness days for people working in telecare

October 19, 2012   Alzheimer’s, Carers, dementia, telecare

Date of article: 19-Oct-12

Article By: Rachel Baker, News Editor

Dementia awareness days are taking place throughout the country to deepen service providers’ understanding of and insight into dementia, with the next one taking place in Bristol on 29 November.

Being held in partnership with the Telecare Services Association (TSA), Clare Price, an occupational therapist at Just Checking, the web-based activity monitoring system enabling family members to manage the on-going care and support of a person with dementia in their own home, has devised and is now delivering the awareness days for those working within telecare.

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How the digital divide is being tackled

October 18, 2012   Carers, internet

Digital exclusion is a social care issue, whether it’s ordering prescriptions, applying for benefits or simply talking to others. So what is being done to help more people get online?

Jessica Fuhl
Guardian Professional, Wednesday 17 October 2012 09.30 BST

 

Carlton Gaskin at one of Age UK’s Itea and biscuits event, aimed at getting more older people using technology.

In 2008, 84-year-old Margaret Rickson had never used a computer before, but within three weeks of picking up a laptop she became the first patient to ask for a repeat prescription online. After enrolling for a computer course at her local library in Cheshire, Rickson has become an active campaigner in the local community, promoting the benefits of online services.

This week is Get online week. Organised by the Online Centres Foundation, which provides a national network of UK online centres, the aim is to get some of the approximately eight million people in the UK who have never used the internet online to “help make their lives bigger and better”. Margaret Rickson is just the type of person whom the Online Centres Foundation would champion as an ambassador for the advantages of accessing digital services.

The benefits of getting online are even greater than ever. In April a new universal credit will be introduced replacing many current benefits – and the government wants 80% of applications for universal credit to be online by 2017. Those not online can lose out financially, by not being able to access goods that can be found cheaper than in shops, and socially, without contact with others though email and social networking sites.

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