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Welcome to this week's Independent Living newsletter
08.06.16 Contents:
It's Carers Week – so what?
The importance of accessible transport
Care Act: that would be a fail
Look after your feet!
Derek's View – CareFlex HydroTilt chair
Latest – 30,000 automatic toilets; New carers strategy
1. It's Carers Week – so what?

As promised last week, we have the latest Carer's Voice article published to coincide with Carers Week. Read it to get a flavour of what life is like for one carer, Laura Graham, who is unique, of course, but also typical in many ways. This is how she will be marking Carers Week:

"I will be caring for my wonderful Mum, ensuring she has all she needs, in our safe, loving home as usual. No bunting, balloons, or the other nonsense that others think tick a box for Carers Week.

Until we as Carers are treated with the respect we deserve, have the finance we need, and the supportive professionals we should expect, I will not participate in the façade of celebrating “us” when there is so much that needs to improve. Show me the week of shaming those who let carers down, and I’ll be there in a shot!" 

Carers Week – so what's new?

 

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2. The importance of accessible transport

Last week's travel-related news focused on improving access for people with hidden disabilities at Gatwick airport, and today, I have an interesting guest blog for you written by Terry Reynolds, who has been at the forefront of providing wheelchair accessible transport since the 1970s.

An entrepreneur, he has always worked on the premise that accessibility makes good business sense. He has proved the truth of that belief, but there are still too many organisations that haven't taken it on board...

You can read his article here

 

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3. Care Act: that would be a fail

Carers Week is perhaps the best opportunity we have all year to highlight the situation on the ground for family carers, and one of the greatest disappointments must be the failure of the Care Act to deliver on its promise of support for both disabled people and carers.

An FoI (Freedom of Information) request by Revitalise shows that more than half of local authorities have spent less on adult social care services in the year since the Act came into force last April, than in the preceding 12 months; and a similar proportion carried out over 20% fewer needs assessments... You can read more details here

And if you have an interest in making sure that legal obligations under the Care Act are met, a seminar on the subject in Manchester may be for you. Details here

 

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4. Look after your feet!

They say that the state of your feet shows in your face, and there is no arguing with the fact that painful feet make you feel pretty miserable.

I think much of the support shown for Nicola Thorp, the receptionist who was sent home without pay last month when she refused to wear high heels at work, probably came from women wincing in sympathy at the thought of hours spent standing in uncomfortable footwear!

June is Feet for Life Month: this fact may well have passed you by, but I hope you will find time to check out our top tips to keep your feet happy.

If you have special footwear requirements, and require bespoke orthopaedic shoes or orthotics, you need the services of one of the dwindling numbers of shoemakers who work in this specialised discipline, such as The Cordwainer

 

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5. Derek's View – CareFlex HydroTilt chair

The HydroTilt chair from CareFlex has been described as the workhorse of specialist seating, combining posture, pressure and comfort management in equal measure for 20 years.

It has now been redesigned to offer features that customers have been requesting; notably a unique flip-up angle adjustable footplate and a legrest with a 25° negative angle, which makes standing up easier.

There are more details here.

CareFlex are trying to find the oldest HydroTilt still out there doing its job. If you know of one that is more than 10 years old, please get in touch!

If you provide high quality products and services, and you would like to reach our site visitors and newsletter readers, please email derek@independentliving.co.uk

 

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6. Latest - 30,000 automatic toilets; New carers strategy

30,000 – that is the number of Clos-o-Mat Palma Vita automatic wash and dry toilets which have now been manufactured. The company made a similar number of the previous model, the Samoa, before its replacement almost a decade ago. Many of these are still in daily use, more than 30 years after installation. And the company is still owned by the Willan family; descendants of Robert Willan, who first introduced the Clos-o-Mat in the 1950s, to help his elderly parents maintain their independence.

Carers Week is perhaps as good a time as any to flag up a consultation exercise which I have just come across – the Department of Health has a survey asking how they can improve things for carers. I'm sure you have some ideas! You can access it here

As always, there are various ways you can get in touch with Independent Living: email me; visit our Facebook page and leave a message there; or if it's short and sweet, Tweet!

Previous newsletters are archived here.

If you are reading a copy of the Independent Living newsletter that has been passed on to you by a colleague or friend, why not sign up for your own free subscription – it's quick and easy, and won't lead to your inbox being bombarded with other stuff!

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Until next time, all good wishes,

Frances

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Frances Leckie
Editor

e: editor @ independentliving.co.uk
t: +44 (0) 208 133 0628
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