WestminsterPLUStransact.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/Westminst… · to recover, resume full activity and reduce their risk of falling again was most impressive,

PLUSWestminsterEssential information for Westminster’s older residents Issue number 4 Summer edition

INSIDECash for properties

Support for carers

Staying steady

PLUSWhat’s on

Bridging the generation gap

� Westminster Plus, Issue number 4, Summer �008

I’m delighted to tell you that we recently completed the HOPE project, an initiative that involved

older residents talking about interests, issues and priorities that included reduced social isolation, and greater access to information and services.

We will use these findings to develop and support our Every Older Person Matters pledge. Our first response will be to produce a directory of services for older residents later this year.

Also, our Senior Passport line (0�0 7641 1444) is our dedicated number to provide you with information about assistance and activities in the Westminster area. Do make

the most of it from 9am until 5pm on Mondays to Fridays.

Happy reading!

Councillor Christabel FlightWestminster Older People’s Champion

Cabinet Support, 19th Floor, City Hall64 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QP

email: cllrflight�[email protected]

Walking is a great pleasure to many of us as well as a great way to keep fit and healthy. However,

some of us are unsteady on our feet which can lead to falls. This can undermine confidence and blight someone’s life if they are injured. I went to an event organised by Westminster Primary Care Trust (PCT) on

National Falls Awareness Day.

The forty local residents who attended the event had participated in the PCT’s Falls Prevention Programme after an initial fall. Their determination to recover, resume full activity and reduce their risk of falling again was most impressive, so I am really pleased that some of their stories are reported on page 6.

I hope they inspire more people to take up the help available to prevent falls.

Enjoy the summer and carry on walking!

Sheila D’Souza

Non Executive Director and Older People’s Champion

Westminster PCT 15 Marylebone Road, NW1 5JD

Hello and welcome to this summer edition of Westminster Plus, the quarterly magazine for Westminster’s older residents.

EDITOR’S message

Westminster Plus, Issue number 4, Summer �008 �

News in BRIEFTime for new tricks? If you have ever wanted to learn a new skill, here is your chance. Exclusively available to Westminster residents over the age of 50, Reaching U classes can help you learn a different language, become a computer whizz or even try tai chi.

To learn more about Reaching U classes, contact Age Concern Westminster (ACW) on 020 7724 6930.

Lonesome tonight? Our Adult Services team is working to reduce the challenges faced by Westminster residents over the age of 60 who live alone. If you fall into this group, we’d love to hear from you, particularly if you live in the Westbourne or Bayswater area.

To get involved, call Emanuel at Participle on 020 7089 6956.

Living with a long term illness?The Expert Patients Programme is a free, six week course giving you the confidence, skills and knowledge to better manage your condition and reduce its impact on your daily life. Courses are led by tutors living with long term conditions themselves.

To find out more please contact Erica Chibale at Westminster PCT on 020 7150 8124.

Music Hall At the time of going to print, we were busy preparing to host our Music Hall event at the London Coliseum.

As part of our Every Older Person Matters pledge, this variety performance was hosted free of charge for nearly �,500 older Westminster residents. We plan to bring you all the news and pictures from the day in our autumn edition.

New Parking Card Westminster has introduced the Parking Card as a simple option to complement its successful Pay by Phone service. The cards have scratch off panels that display your intended parking duration and can be used in pay and display, pay by phone, meter and shared bays. The Parking Card will be available from your local library in July. Parking Cards are available in £� and £4 denominations, either individually, or in £�0 booklets.

EDITOR’S message

4 Westminster Plus, Issue number 4, Summer �008

If you live in a large house or flat and no longer need so much space, we can help you move to a smaller home.

You can choose to stay in your existing community, or move closer to friends and family in other areas of the city. Whatever your priority, Westminster City Council’s cash incentive scheme will give you £�,000 per bedroom, help to cover the cost of moving home and ensure you have priority when bidding for a new home.

You can receive £�,000 for each bedroom that becomes vacant as a result of your move, plus an extra £5,000

for those moving from council properties with four or more bedrooms. You are also entitled to £500 towards removal costs and a decorating grant of £1,000.

Am I eligible? The cash incentive scheme is open to Westminster

tenants whose household has got smaller and who are looking to downsize from a large property to something smaller, or to tenants who wish to move out of council accommodation altogether.

Westminster resident, Helen Subhan, 74, moved from a three-bedroom flat in St

CASH incentive scheme

Westminster Plus, Issue number 4, Summer �008 5

CASH incentive scheme

John’s Wood, which she shared with her daughter, to a one-bedroom flat in July �007. She received £�,000 through the cash incentive scheme, which also enabled her daughter to get her own flat in the same street so that she remains close by.

The move was an ideal opportunity to get rid of a lot of junk that was stored in the unused third bedroom. Helen says: “It’s now so much easier. I got rid of a lot of stuff that I didn’t need.

Not wanting to move to a

different area, Helen stayed in the same building through the cash incentive scheme. She says: “My new flat’s nearer to the bus stop and on the ground floor, which makes it easier to access.”

Helen has also found that living in a smaller property means cheaper heating bills. By offering tenants choice and financial support in this way, the council increases the variety of accommodation available for the choice based lettings scheme, through which the housing

applicants – including Westminster tenants – can bid for properties to meet their current needs.

Westminster City Council can help match you with a new home to meet your requirements. Contact the council if you are interested in receiving cash payments for moving to a smaller property or know someone who might be interested.

Phone Steve Payne, Cash Incentive Officer at the Housing Options Service on 020 7641 1000.

Westminster resident Helen Subhan outside her new home


Many people think that falls are an inevitable part of getting older, but they don’t have to be. By improving strength and balance and taking simple precautions, you can radically reduce the risk of falls and maintain your confidence and independence.

Sally Miller, team manager of the Westminster Falls Prevention Service explains, “The Falls Prevention Service aims to not only keep people on their feet, but also to encourage participants to continue to live active, healthy and independent lives.”

Gwendolyn Knight is just one of the many Westminster

residents who have benefited from using the Falls Prevention Service. After experiencing a number of falls, Gwen underwent some tests and discovered she had a problem with her ankle. Her GP referred her to the falls prevention exercise classes.

“I think the classes have really benefited my posture and my balance.” Gwen Knight

“Doing the exercises in a group also helps,” she said. “You can speak with the therapists and other people about how to avoid falls, and it increases your confidence. I now look before I walk, making sure

the pavements are level. The classic line to remember is ‘look before you leap’.

“The staff at the service are really tremendous and they suggested that I try line dancing. I’m completely independent, but they still came with me to my first class to check everything was ok. I’m now doing line dancing, yoga breathing classes and jazz dancing.”

Cyril Purkis is another resident who has benefited from the Falls Prevention Service. A few years ago Cyril began to notice he was losing his balance. He had accepted it as a consequence of getting older, but at a local Open Age event he was introduced to the Falls Prevention Service. He signed himself up for a home

FALLS prevention day


FALLS prevention day

assessment with a therapist, who recommended he go to the falls prevention exercise group. Cyril says, “When I first started going to the exercise classes I did find it difficult, but I gradually got into it. While I was still doing the classes one of the therapists came to my home to show me a series of exercises I could do at home. I still do these exercises five times a week - and guess what? My balance has come back! My wife says she now has a younger husband!

“I’m very grateful to the whole team. Once I finished classes they told me I could still call them if I needed to – but I

haven’t had to. I’m quite happy with my balance and my walking.”

“I love to walk in Regent’s Park and watch the seasons change, it’s a real pleasure for me.” Cyril Purkis

The Falls Prevention Service encourages anybody who has a history of falls, a fear of falling, or lacks confidence with his or her balance to get in touch to find out how their everyday lives can be improved. Your GP, health professional or carer can refer you to the service.

You can also refer yourself by calling 0�0 7641 4001.

For more information contact the Falls Prevention Service on 0�0 7641 �960.

To help prevent trips and falls, if there are any problems with loose paving stones or lighting in your area please call Westminster City Council’s Environmental Action Line on 020 7641 2000.

Gwen Knight

Cyril Purkis doing his exercises


There are now close to six million carers in the UK, of whom almost one million are looking after somebody for more than 50 hours per week.

Carers Week informs carers, often isolated and not in touch with professionals and support organisations, about the huge amount of practical help that is available.

As part of Carers Week �008, Carers Network Westminster ensured there were plenty of activities in the local area for Westminster based carers.

A Thames River cruise was held on Monday 9th June attended by 160 carers.

“It was wonderful to be able to welcome so many carers on board the Mercia. As a carer myself I know how welcome a little treat like this is.” Peggy Murphy, Chair of Trustees for Carers Network Westminster

CARERS Week 2008Carers Week is now in its 14th year and took place on 9th-15th June to celebrate and recognise the important job that carers do.

From left to right: Tareq Shahajahn, Carers Information Worker; Cllr Christabel Flight (Older People’s Champion); Cllr. Carolyn Keen, Peggy Murphy (Chair of Trustees), Cllr. Frances Blois, Zena Deayton (Asst. Director Adult Social Care) Tessa Lindfield (Asst. Director Health and Well-being) and Sarah Rushton (Joint Commissioning Manager, Mental Health)


Food safety week

Food Safety Week asked people to ‘Germ Watch’ this year as it launched its annual spotlight on the importance of food hygiene and safety. From the 9th to the 1�th of June, the UK-wide campaign advised people to focus on the ‘4Cs’ of cleaning, cooking, chilling and avoiding cross-contamination.

In addition to the basics of washing hands before handling food and preparing it on clean surfaces, ‘Germ Watch’ suggested:

• keeping your refrigerator between 0°C and 5°C

• changing washing up sponges and cloths regularly

• using an anti-bacterial kitchen spray for cleaning.

For more information, visit www.eatwell.gov.uk. This useful site is run by the Food Standards Agency and contains tips on food safety as well as details on healthy eating.

On 11th June a Carers Conference took place and the week culminated in the Mental Health Carers Fair. All events were free to Westminster Carers. Westminster’s approximately 1�,500 carers make up 7% of Westminster’s total population. It is believed that the real figure is much higher as people fail to identify themselves as carers - which means many

are missing out on vital support that could make a crucial difference to their quality of life. Westminster City Council is urging these carers to come forward and contact the council funded support group for advice and information. Phone Westminster Carers Network on 020 8960 3033 or visit www.carers.org.

Dhanaxmi and Harshad Kotedia


Many people don’t realise that abuse can take many forms and can happen to anyone, anywhere. The �rd Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day took place on 15th June. Its purpose was to raise public awareness of the shocking fact that every year half a million older people in England and Wales experience abuse.

Abuse may not necessarily come from strangers. Sadly, many vulnerable older people are harmed or neglected by someone they know, who should be taking care of them. The abuse can take the form of theft of a person’s money or property, neglect of a person’s needs, or physical, sexual or emotional harm. It can be deliberate, or the result of ignorance, the stress of caring, lack of understanding or training.

Safeguarding adults is a responsibility we all share.

The good news is that Westminster is working hard to safeguard adults in the city. Last year, we helped 100 older people to be safer in their own homes. However, there may be other people who are still being abused, and we’d like your support to help make them safe.

If you or someone you know is being abused, we would like to hear from you.

You can phone us confidentially on 0�0 7641 1444 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Outside of these hours, call 0�0 7641 6000 and ask for the duty social worker. If you prefer, you can also contact the Action on Elder Abuse Hotline on 0808 808 8141, every weekday between 9am and 5pm.

Joseph’s* storyJoseph is 8� and has difficulty with his memory. Neighbours with whom he has a good relationship pop in to see him on a regular basis. Lately a new neighbour from close by has also begun visiting. When some of his things went missing, he put it down to his poor memory.

Soon, Joseph’s bank rang to say they had stopped a cheque for £1,000 and he realised that his new “friendly” neighbour had taken a cheque from his cheque book and used it for himself.

Now the Westminster team is helping Joseph to protect his money and property and continuing to ensure he receives the care he needs. They are working with the bank and the police to stop the thief from abusing someone else.

*Names have been changed

UNITING against abuseWhen you hear the word ‘abuse’, what do you think of?


REDUCE Think safe, medicine waste

Nationally it is estimated that unused or wasted medications cost the NHS over £100 million every year. This could pay for an additional 20,000 hip replacements, 3,000 community nurses or 14,000 heart bypass operations.

In an effort to cut medicine waste, Westminster PCT is launching a campaign to encourage patients to only order the medication they need.

Mandeep Butt, Head of Medicine Management explains, “In Westminster we estimate unused medicine costs the NHS more than £500,000 a year. To avoid medicine waste we’re encouraging people to think carefully and only order what they need.”

Community pharmacist, Prakash Mahtani adds, “If anyone has any unused or unwanted medicine at home we are asking them to return them to the pharmacy for safe disposal. At the same time they should have a chat with their pharmacist about their medication and how to use it more effectively.”

For further information please contact Westminster PCT’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 587 8818.

Stay cool this summerMost of us enjoy the sunny weather, especially as it is so rare in England! However, exposure to extreme heat can damage your health. Some tips to help you beat the heat include:

• try to stay in the shade between 11am and �pm – the hottest part of the day

• wear a hat and loose-fitting clothes

• carry a bottle of water with you, especially if you are taking public transport

• drink lots of water and fruit juice, even if you don’t feel thirsty but avoid tea, coffee and alcohol

• splash your face and the back of your neck with cold water several times a day.

Further advice on dealing with the heat can be obtained from NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or online at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk. Contact your doctor if you’re worried about your health during a heatwave.

1� Westminster Plus, Issue number 4, Summer �008

BRIDGING the generation gap

Westminster City Council and environmental regeneration charity, Groundwork, have joined forces to help bridge the gap between young and old in two areas of Westminster.

These areas are Amberley estate, W9, and Churchill Gardens estate, SW1. The project brings together groups of younger and older people to work on community based heritage projects.

Whilst the Churchill Gardens project is due to start in September, work is already underway in Amberley. Residents are creating a giant ceramic and clay mural which will be displayed on the side of the Amadeus Centre in Shirland Road and will back onto the estate’s

community garden.

The mural is being created by young people aged 9-1� together with residents aged 65 plus, and is based on the

heritage of the local area. The project provides a chance for older residents to share their memories, and for young and old alike to find out more about their community history.

Amberley residents on a visit to the Museum of ChildhoodLeft to right: Clover Campbell, Assia Galea, Kathleen Gray, Anne Heavey and Ron Hardman.

Westminster Plus, Issue number 4, Summer �008 1�

Weekly activities, such as a canal boat trip, a visit to the London Metropolitan archives, and photography lessons provided inspiration for the mural whilst unlocking the area’s past. Local amenities feature strongly, with residents taking photos of their favourite areas such as the youth centre, playground and football pitch to recreate on the mural.

The younger participants have also been imagining how their older counterparts may have looked when they were young and are transferring these images onto clay.

The project aims to promote cohesion and understanding between youth and older adults from their grandparents’ generation.

“By taking part in the project, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with young people, who I wouldn’t normally have contact with.” Amberley estate resident, Anne Heavey, 85

Rebecca Patchett, who runs the project, continues: “Some of the older residents have lived in the area for their entire lives, and have interesting memories to share with the young people. The younger participants also teach the older residents a thing or two as well.” Activity taking place on the two estates is part of a three-year project called Up to No Good, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Rank Foundation. The finished mural will be unveiled at a community event in August.

Please contact Rebecca Patchett at Groundwork on 020 7239 1385 to register your interest in the Churchill Gardens project or for further information on the Amberley estate mural.


DIRECT debit for home care charges What is Home Care?

Home Care is a great service to help you remain independent in your own home. Home carers can help you with domestic tasks such as shopping, cleaning or preparing meals. They are provided by social services who work with other agencies to provide carers.

The Home Care service operates seven days a week, every day of the year, and carers will work with you to help you stay as independent as possible.

If you think you may need help from a home carer, contact the council to request a needs assessment on 0�0 7641 4444. There may be a charge for this service depending on your income and savings. This charge can now be paid by Direct Debit and if you sign up to this method before the end

of August you will receive a £10 gift voucher of your choice!

Why should I switch to Direct Debit?

There are a number of ways that paying your Home Care charges through Direct Debit can benefit you:

• time and convenience - there is no need to send cheques through the post or wait to pay over the counter

• peace of mind - full protection from errors and advance notice of changes to Direct Debit payment amounts and dates

• control – ability to cancel your Direct Debit at any time by writing to your bank or building society

• security – monitoring of efficiency and security of

Direct Debits by your bank or building society through the Direct Debit Guarantee.

How do I switch to Direct Debit and claim my voucher?

Please contact the Home Care Charging team on 0�0 7641 ��77. The team will then send you a form which you can forward to your bank.

Once your Direct Debit is correctly set up, and we have collected three payments, we will then send you a voucher of your choice from a list of options.

For further information on paying any of your other Westminster City Council bills by Direct Debit please contact the Home Care Charging team on 020 7641 3377.

Pay your Home Care bills by Direct Debit and receive a £10 voucher!!


You can either phone the Senior Passport line on 020 7641 1444 or search for listings on Weldis, the online database at

www.westminster.gov.uk/weldis

Open Age 1 Thorpe Close, London, W10 5XL Tel: 020 8964 1900

Open Monday – Friday 9am–5pm

Offers classes such as yoga, tai chi, chair exercises and walking groups to people aged 50 plus. Membership is £7 per year.

Westminster Senior Citizens ForumThe Reception Room, Westminster Council House, �7-11� Marylebone Road, NW1 5PT Tel: 020 7636 4175

Run by older people, for older people in Westminster. Come along to the next meetings on:

Wednesday 17th September and Wednesday 1�th November �pm-4pm

Black History MonthThis October Westminster celebrates the history, heritage and positive contributions of Black and Minority Ethnic communities.

Look out for promotional material due out in September.

What’s ONWant to find out what’s happening in Westminster? Senior Passport holds a bank of online information about organisations, clubs and classes for Westminster’s older residents.

Get reading online

�0 years ago, 99% of our reading was on the page and information was delivered through print. Now many people get their information from websites. But if you’ve never learned to use a computer, that’s a bit of a problem.

Seniors Online is a project to help the over 65s get comfortable with new technology and using the internet and email. For more information phone

020 7641 1300.

Be involved in your magazine!

If you would like to write for Westminster Plus contact the Senior Passport line on 020 7641 1444.

16 Westminster Plus, Issue number �, April �008

Senior Passport020 7641 1444

Call us for information on everything from parking and

recycling to leisure classes and libraries. We can put you in touch

with the right people to get the services you want.

Your one number for council information and advice

WestminsterPLUStransact.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/Westminst… · to recover, resume full activity and reduce their risk of falling again was most impressive,

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