ContentsAbout Us 2Carer Friendly Certificate 2Carers Rights Day 3Carers Christmas Lunch 3Intergenerational Event Review 4 & 5Discounts for Carers 4Threat to Coniston Medical Practice 5Fundraising - How You Can Help 6Life After Stroke 6

A Carer’s View 7Proposals to Improve Care for Older People 7Reducing Stress for Parent Carers 7Your Opinion Matters 8Events Calendar 8

Winter 2013 Newsletter Edition 82

CarersNewssupporting people of any age

with caring responsibilities

2 South Lakeland Carers

We provide a wide range of support and information to both adult and young carers. We have activities for Young Carers and have outreach activities across South Lakeland for all ages.

South Lakeland Carers provide regular social activities and monthly carers groups throughout South Lakeland. We can also provide additional emotional support through our counselling, sitting service and relaxation therapies.

We have many volunteering opportunities including sitting and befriending, counselling, support groups, supporting young carers, admin and becoming a trustee.

For more information about our services or if you would like our support, please get in touch.

Contact us:-

South Lakeland CarersEskdale HouseShap RoadKendalLA9 6NQ

Tel: 01539 815970Email: admin@slcarers.org.ukwww.slcarers.org.uk

About Us

We would really like to thank those GP surgeries who have actively recognised and supported carers within their practice by presenting them with a ‘Carer Friendly Award’ early next year.

We are looking for positive feedback from carers about their GP Practices. This will help us decide to which GP Practices we should present the awards.

If you have felt supported by your GP Practice, please let us know by filling in the comment slip enclosed and either drop it off at our office or post it to us by the Friday 6th December 2013.

‘Carer Friendly Award’

• CompleteandreturntheChristmasLunch slipby22ndNovember2013

• ReturnCarersRightsDayPresentationslipby 22ndNovember2013

• ‘CarerFriendlyAward’-CompletetheGP CommentSheetandreturnby 6thDecember2013

Thingsto do …

Dates for your Diary

CarersChristmasLunch-

6thDecember2013(see page 2)

CarersRightsDay-

29thNovember2013(see page 2)

‘IntroductiontoMindfulness”Workshop-

26thNovember2013(see page 8)

If you would like to participate, please remember to:

3

Judith Wilkinson from the DWP, has kindly offered to give a presentation to carers, about the new Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which started to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to 64 from 8 April 2013. PIP helps with some of the extra costs

caused by long-term ill-health or a disability. How much a person gets is not based on their condition,

but how the condition affects them.

This year Carers Rights Day is taking place on Friday

29th November and the theme is

‘rights, advice and support’.

Carers Christmas Lunch

This year’s Carers Christmas Lunch will be held on:

Friday 6th December 2013arrive 12.30 pm, sit down 1.00 pm

at: Stonecross Manor Hotel Milnthorpe Road Kendal, LA9 5HP

Everyone is WelcomeCost: £16.50

If you would like to attend, please complete and return

the enclosed slip by22nd November 2013.

Date: Friday 29th November 2013

Venue: South Lakeland Carers, Eskdale House, Shap Road, Kendal, LA9 6NQ

Times: 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm PIP presentation 2.30 pm CREAM TEAS 2.45 pm to 3.30 pm discussion and questions

If you would like to attend please complete and return the enclosed slip to South Lakeland Carers or phone us directly on 01539 815970

Please let us know by the 22nd of November, so that we will know how many scones we will need!

4 South Lakeland Carers

On Friday 9th August a number of adult and young carers descended upon the Castle Green Hotel for our Intergenerational Event which focussed on nutrition and activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. We were greeted by friendly and helpful staff and an array of healthy goodies to accompany tea/coffee.

The morning session focussed on nutrition and was presented by Hannah Seymour an NHS Dietician and Public Health Nutritionist. The session included a number of interactive activities which challenged us and

ensured that none of us was just along for the ride! By lunch time we had learned quite a bit about the principles of healthy eating, planning meals for weight reduction or for the smaller appetite, shopping and cooking on a budget. We had also worked up a healthy appetite and were ready for the delicious buffet served to us in the restaurant. The lunch break also provided an opportunity to crack on with a quiz, encouraging us to discover interesting facts about others attending the event.

Staff from Lakes Leisure joined us to facilitate a most enjoyable afternoon session. The longest game ever of Jenga

unfolded on the sunny terrace; several individuals and teams competed fiercely in the curling; younger and older participants

Intergenerational

Lakes Leisure are now offering special discounts to carers. Carers can now access Get Active + Daytime Membership. This allows access Monday to Friday up to 4 pm and all day Saturday and Sunday at discount-ed rates. Carers can now also apply for Corporate Membership at Lakes Leisure.

Discounts

Stonecross Manor Hotel are also offering special discounted rates to carers for both

Pool Membership and Treatment Room.

Research has shown conclusively that caring for others can have a major impact on your health and wellbeing. We are very grateful to both Lakes Leisure and Stonecross Manor Hotel for offering these discounts to carers and hope they will expand your choices in helping to maintain your own well-being.

For more details about the various discounts on offer and how to access them, please contact South Lakeland Carers' office on 01539 815970.

for Carers .....

5

IntergenerationalEventtried for the record number of consecutive skips or hula hoops; two generations battled it out in the volley ball and the giant Connect 4 was also the scene of some tactical competition. Activities were enjoyed by one and all and after a hesitant start by some, every carer and staff member participated.

Gently ‘glowing’ from our exertions we assembled again for the raffle which was supported by kind donations from Lakes Leisure, The Castle Green Hotel, Kendal College Hair and Beauty Salon and Mel Missenden, Complementary Therapist.

South Lakeland Carers is now actively working in partnership with Lakes Leisure to provide reduced rates of membership for carers to: Gym & Swim or Gym, Swim & Classes at the Leisure Centre. Please contact your Support Worker for further information. We can provide a letter confirming your status as carer registered with SLC which should be produced when seeking these special membership rates.

Our wonderful day was made possible by a grant from the Older People’s Grant Programme 2013. It was lovely to have our younger and more mature carers all together.

Perhaps we should make this an annual event?

Coniston Medical Practice is a small rural surgery in the Southern Lake District. Due to

planned funding changes by NHS England as of April 2014, over the course of the next few

years its viability will be under threat. This can only be avoided if the Department of Health adjusts its funding system to support small

rural practices.If the surgery had to close it could have a huge

impact on carers and their families. Currently the surgery works closely with patients requiring care and the people who care for them. This includes professional carers as well as family members or friends doing the caring. If a medical need or crisis arises it can be tackled quickly and efficiently and a major problem can hopefully be averted. This means that the person concerned should be able to stay in their own home being close to the people they know best.

If you would like to support the practice in its fight to stay viable please write to:Tim Farron MP, Acland House, Yard 2, Stricklandgate, Kendal LA9 4ND

Article written by Dr Frey(GP Coniston Medical Practice)

Threat to future viability of Coniston Medical Practice

6 South Lakeland Carers

Life After Stroke There are 152,000 strokes in the UK every year - more than one every five

minutes. Stroke is the number one cause of physical disability in the UK. The Stroke Association has produced a new booklet - Feeling Overwhelmed is a practical guide for stroke survivors and carers, all about coping with the emotional effects. Available online at: stroke.org.uk/involved/feeling-overwhelmed or contact the helpline 0303 3033 100 for a paper copy.

Each year we work with more than 1,000 carers in South Lakeland. Although we are contracted by Cumbria County Council to deliver some of our activities,

this does not pay for all of the services our carers need.

You can make a safe and secure on line donation through www.virginmoneygiving.com. This can be either a one-off donation or a regular donation which helps us plan for the future. All donations,

whether large or small, make a huge difference to us and help us to continue our work with carers, supporting them and allowing them to continue in their caring role.

Whilst doing your Christmas shopping, remember that you could raise money for South Lakeland Carers if you shop through Easyfundraising. The site links to more than 2,000 well known stores, including Argos, Marks and Spencer, Amazon and Toys R Us, and each will donate a percentage of what you spend. It doesn’t cost you anything to use and it doesn’t cost South Lakeland Carers a penny either. All you need to do is visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk, register with them, select

South Lakeland Carers as your chosen good cause and then follow the links to retailers and your purchases earn an automatic donation to us.

C h r i s t m a s S h o p p i n g

Donate Mobile is a new mobile phone provider who donate 10% of each customer’s monthly spend to charity. They’re what’s known as a Virtual Network Operator which means that, like Tesco, they use someone else’s core network to provide the telecoms - in their case it’s Vodafone which has good coverage both nationally and here in the Lake District.

To join Donate Mobile, you need to visit www.donate-mobile.com and choose one of the packages on offer. If you’re a pay-as-you-go customer, you should be able to change provider at any time, but if you pay monthly, you usually have to wait to change until a month before the end of your existing contract. You can keep your existing number and there are a variety of plans available.

Once you’ve selected a package, the website will ask you which charity you want to support and you can choose South Lakeland Carers. If you change your provider to Donate Mobile you could raise £20 per year for South Lakeland Carers.

Fundraising – How you can help!

Make a Donation

7

“People use the Carer’s Grant money for different things and when I was

offered it I decided I would like to learn some new skills to help me in my present situation and to help me earn some extra money.

The first course I did was on furniture painting. It ran over two short days (10 am - 1.30 pm) which was great as

I couldn’t plan to be away from home for too long, cost £110 and was held in

Windermere. Four of us were taught how to use the paints on wood and how to do different

paint effects using colour, special waxes and various decorating techniques. The course was great fun and I left with some new skills that I have so far used on a bedside table and a bookcase at home. I recently bought an old piano for £15 and have now started my next project of painting that.

I also decided to spend a day learning to meditate. All carers will know the feeling of trying to stay calm in very difficult situations and meditation breathing techniques can be practiced anywhere. I went to the Cycle Cafe in Greystoke (near Penrith) for a day to learn how to meditate and it has been an enormous help to me. The course cost £28 and was truly worth every penny. I took my husband, who I care for, and it has helped him as well. I have used the breathing many times since and find it particularly helpful if I can’t get to sleep.

Finally I spent £150 working with a potter for two days to improve my throwing skills. I make pots anyway when I can but wanted some tuition on using the wheel and now have new confidence when I’m potting. At the same time I have had two of the happiest days I could wish for, have made new friends and am making much better pots! I had this tuition when I was on holiday in Cornwall and will go again to do some more when I can.

A huge thank you to Roberta and everyone at South Lakeland Carers from me.”

Right Care

Right TimeRight Place

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, is seeking views on proposals to radically improve care for vulnerable older people. Proposals include:

For details or to comment:betterhealthandcare.readandcomment.com

• Every vulnerable older person has a named clinician responsible for their care• Better access to GP services and out of hours care• Better management of long-term conditions

Support organisation, Contact a Family, has a new website section for

carers, families and friends offering useful ‘stress busting’ tips, including advice and

personal stories from other carers.Visit : cafamily.org

Janet Elleray had access to the

Carer’s Grants which were

available to carers last

year and wanted to

share her views

8 South Lakeland Carers

Kendal Drop InGateway Centre (located together with Captain French Surgery)Gillinggate CentreGillinggateKendalLA9 4JE

Every Wednesday (Please Note: there will be no Kendal Drop In on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day):December - 4th, 11th, 18thJanuary - 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29thFebruary - 5th, 12th 19th, 26thTime: 11.00 am - 1.00 pm

Grange Support GroupHampsfell House HotelHampsfell RoadGrange Over SandsLA11 6BG

Every Fourth Tuesday in the Month (Please Note: December Support Group will be held on the 3rd Tuesday - 17th):December - 17thJanuary - 28thFebruary - 25thTime: 10.30 am - 12.30 pm

Windermere/Ambleside Support GroupLangdale Chase HotelWindermereLA23 1LW

Every First Tuesday in the Month:December - 3rdJanuary - 7thFebruary - 4thTime: 10.30 am - 12.30 pm

Events Calendar

You can get in touch with us if you have a problem and would like our advice. You can also share your experiences, views opinions, recipes and anything else with us. This is your newsletter and we

would love to hear from you.

01539 815970admin@slcarers.org.uk

Getting in Touch

Check out our Website at www.slcarers.org.uk

SouthLakelandCarersisregularlyaskedtoprovideinputintonational

andlocalsurveysaboutcarerissues.Wearealsofrequentlyaskedtosourcecarerswhowouldbewillingtoprovidefeedbackortobeinterviewedonmattersrelatingtotheirexperiences.Wespendconsiderableamountsoftimephoningaroundvariouscarerswhenwereceiveoneoftheserequests.Knowingwhowouldbehappytobecontactedwouldspeedthingsupandwouldalsoavoidtroublingcarerswhowouldprefernottobecontacted.Feedbackaboutyourexperienceswillensurethatpolicymakersandserviceprovidershaveanopportunitytohear‘straightfromthehorse’smouth’whatitisliketobeacarerinSouthLakelandtoday.

If you would be happy to help out in this way please contact Roberta Corbridge on 01539 815970 so that we can add your name to the list of carers willing to be contacted.

Your Opinion Matters!

One of our Counsellors will be presenting an ‘Introduction to Mindfulness’ Workshop (a technique to help relieve stress and anxiety) at Grange’s November Support Group (Tuesday 26th November).