Pontin's Spring Breaks

Pontins are offering up to 50 FREE for carers classic self-catering apartments Spring Breaks at each of the following locations.

Friday 26th March - Monday 29th March in Brean Sands Holiday Park, Burnham on Sea in Somerset.

Monday 29th March - Friday 2nd April in:-

Brean Sands Holiday Park, Burnham on Sea in Somerset.

Southport Holiday Park, Ainsdale Beach, Merseyside

Prestatyn Sands Holiday Park, Prestatyn Sands, North Wales.

Each apartment contains a bedroom, lounge with TV, bathroom and kitchenette with full sized cooker and fridge. Each sleeps up to four people - 2 in the bedroom and 2 on a bed settee in the lounge. There will be a full entertainment programme with live cabaret and music as well as the fantastic Bluecoat Shows.

How to book.

The free breaks are on a "first come, first served" basis and bookings can be made by ringing 0844 576 5943 and quoting the special code PKCH.

Criteria

Carers must be able to self manage all care and childcare needs as there will be no dedicated support on the holiday.

Children must be supervised by parents at all times.

Suitability of apartments for those needing to use wheelchairs/motorised scooters/walking frames etc will depend on specific requirements. This should be discussed at the time of booking with requests for ground floor accommodation and any other needs identified. Please be aware that bathroom facilities are standard and slip mats/grab rails etc are not provided.

The breaks are self catering so food is not included. There is a convenience store on each locationa dn a choice of restaurants and bars. Carers do not have to buy food onsite and they can bring everything with them if they wish.

Apart from Guide/Hearing dogs no other pets are allowed.

Some apartments are a 5/10 minute walk from the restaurant/leisure facilities.

Carers must provide an emergency contact.

Insurance is not included with this holiday and it is the carers responsibility to source their own insurance for members of their party.

Heads up on forthcoming Information sessions and Workshops

The Office of the Public Guardian will be running information update and overview sessions on the provisions under the Adults with Incapacity Act 2000 - as amended, to organisations and individuals in Fife. Fife Carers Centre is likely to be hosting at least one of these 2 hour sessions, probably on the 18th or 19th March. As soon as we have more details we will let you know! If you would like to register interest in attending a session please give Lesley a call on 01592 642999 or email her on lesley@fifecarers.co.uk with your details.

Residents of Fife are encouraged to love their lungs!

This information was taken from the British Lung Foundation Website which you can find at http://www.lunguk.org/

The British Lung Foundation (BLF) is launching the Love Your Lungs campaign in Fife on Wednesday, 10th February to screen its residents for the early signs and symptoms of a lung condition called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Research by the charity suggests there are an estimated 3.7 million people with COPD in the UK, yet only 900,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease. This means there are 2.8 million people who are currently unaware they have a condition which, if left untreated, could severely restrict their lives and eventually kill them. These are the “missing millions” the BLF wants to find.
Fife residents are being encouraged to come along to these free events after research by the charity showed that people in the area are 25.3% more likely to be admitted to hospital for COPD than the UK national average.
COPD is a term used to describe a number of lung conditions including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which are often caused by smoking. It leads to damaged airways, making it hard for air to get in and out of the lungs. As COPD progresses, people find it difficult to cope with everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs, and can be left literally fighting for breath. Damage to the lungs caused by COPD is irreversible but if diagnosed early, symptoms can be treated to prevent further damage.
Mairi McConnochie, COPD Project Officer at the British Lung Foundation said “With the cold snap sweeping over Scotland, it’s particularly important, now more than ever to maintain good lung health. Only 1.5% of the UK population is diagnosed correctly with COPD so I encourage any resident in Fife who is experiencing breathlessness or a persistent cough to come along to the events and be tested.”
The testing only takes around 10 minutes, doesn’t hurt and simply involves blowing in to a tube. Trained health professionals will be on hand to advise those having the tests. Testing events will take place at the following four locations:

Wed 10th February: Kingdom Shopping Centre, Glenrothes, 10am-4pm
Thurs 11th February: Mercat Shopping Centre, Kirkcaldy, 9am-5pm
Tues 16th February: Gala Bingo, Glenrothes, 10:30am-6:30pm
Wed 17th February: Kingsgate Shopping Centre, Dunfermline, 10am-4pm

Keeping the lines of communication open

It is important in any relationship to be able to communicate. This is especially so when you are caring for someone. It is often hampered by the fact that more than 41% of over 50 year olds have a hearing loss. This means that simple conversations can turn into disagreements when one of you hasn’t heard the other correctly. Learning to lipread and to use basic communication tactics will help. For example:-

Always make sure you are facing the other person and that your mouth is not covered by your hand (or moustache!).

Speak clearly but don’t shout. This just destroys the lip shapes and rhythm of what you are saying making it more difficult to understand.

Try to have the light on the speaker’s face not on the listener’s.

Switch off background noise if you can e.g. television, music, etc and always have a pen and paper handy to sort out misunderstandings.

To learn more why don’t you both enrol in a lipreading class? It’s fun and friendly and is often available for free. For more information please contact Alison on 01383 623708 or email alison@pendlowski.plus.com