CHEAP AND CHEERFUL
Although there are many aids available to help people with a disability, some everyday items can provide great help at little or no cost. Here are a couple of examples – do you know of any more that be of interest?
If holding a pen proves tricky, ask your postman for some rubber bands, (he will always have an abundant supply!!) which you can use to create a ‘made to measure’ pen by winding as many of them round it as required to achieve the width and grip desired.
If you are a card player and have difficulty holding your ‘hand’ then an upturned scrubbing brush will do the job very efficiently.
NOT SO CHEERFUL COULD RESULT IN NOT SO CHEAP!!
We have recently been going through much more oxygen than normal and this is down to people over-adjusting their masks resulting in a free-flow situation. This does not accomplish more oxygen for the person to breathe, it merely means that oxygen is pumped into the chamber and wasted. To avoid the oxygen costs rising unnecessarily, please refrain from doing this and if you see/hear anyone else on free-flow, please point this out to them and recommend they readjust their masks to prevent this.
CHAMBER ‘POTTY’ !!
Despite all the information, posters and notices provided to ensure everyone’s safety and comfort when in the chamber, some people are still ignoring these and taking banned items, including food, into the chamber. This is really unacceptable and downright dangerous. If anyone chokes, there may be no-one in the chamber capable of helping them, which would prove extremely distressing for everyone, and as you all know it takes 10 minutes or so to de-compress for access by the Operator, who is our First-Aider. Please can everyone be sensible, adhere to all the chamber rules/regulations, abide by what the Operator requests and have consideration for other people.
What did the brassiere say to the top hat?
You go on ahead I'll give these two a lift!
SAFE-TEA FIRST REQUIREMENTS
An incident involving an electric wheelchair user whose controls were jammed by the handle of a carrier bag resulted in the main table being knocked over and sending a standing volunteer into a sitting member and a full teapot flying – thankfully in the opposite direction. Learning from this, the teapot will no longer sit on the table and a new more stable height adjustable table is to be purchased. It is also now mandatory for all electric wheelchair users to turn off the power when still and ensure nothing can interfere with the controls!
THANK YOU!!
We are indebted to all those people who routinely provide their time and expertise, make donations, provide goods to sell/raffle, make jam and save in and collect and deliver collection cans and amass ‘pennies’ in Smarties tubes. Last year these amounted to: Donations £12630.24; Collection Cans £2468.70; Donated Goods £1082.58; Jam £375; Smarties Tubes £500.26. We also regularly benefit from people undertaking all manner of sponsored events e.g. Skydiving, Micro-lite Flights, Walks, Marathons, Fun-Runs, Slims and arranging Rummage Sales, Quiz Nights etc etc etc. Without all this fantastic support – we would struggle!!
NINEWELLS HOSPITAL – CHARGING FOR DISABLED PARKING
There has been quite some controversy about charging for the disable parking at Ninewells Hospital Dundee, £1.60p for four hours, (don't be late back or you will be fined). So when I was invited on the 18th of September 2007 by Vinci for the launch of the wheelchair or scooter programme, I accepted. The Hospital Mobility Scheme for disabled outpatients was unveiled by former Tayside Police Chief Constable, Bill Spence How it works, if you have an appointment to go to Ninewells hospital, and you need the use of a wheelchair or scooter to get around, after all it is a rather large hospital, you would phone up Vinci and book yourself one, and this would enable you to get around the hospital far more easily. They also have a minibus, which comes and goes from the various different car parks down to the main entrance. The service is free of charge, which is a bonus. I think it's based on the Shopmobility idea Tel:- 01382-645-030, (article taken from local paper).
SUPPORTERS CLUB - FUNDRAISING THAT ALL MEMBERS CAN DO!!
We all know how valuable the Therapy Centre is to us, but do we all appreciate it costs around £100,000 p.a. to provide the therapies/services and that the Centre receives NO funding from the government or the NHS? Income from donations, fees and fund-raising efforts is what is used to subsidise costs and make therapies/services as affordable as possible.
The Supporters Club allows every member to take part in this new fund-raising exercise by enrolling family/friends as supporters prepared to regularly donate, say £10 per annum = 20p per week! (150 members raising £30 p.a. would result in £4500 p.a., with gift-aid - £5600 p.a.)
Please ask at the Centre for application forms!!
EGG ON FACE??
A lady visited a restaurant advertising ‘Today’s Special’ as a breakfast of 2 eggs, bacon, hash browns, tea and toast for £1.99. She ordered this, minus the eggs, at which point the waitress declared ‘Then I’ll have to charge you £2.50 as this would not be the special offer’. ‘You mean I’ll have to pay for NOT having the eggs?’ asked the lady. ‘Afraid so,’ answered the waitress. ‘In that case I’ll have them’ replied the lady. ‘OK’ said the waitress ‘how do you want your eggs?’
‘Raw and in their shells!!’ retorted the lady.
MEMBERS ONLY !
All current members will receive the relevant 2008 AGM papers. If you are presently attending the Centre and have not been supplied with these papers then you have somehow slipped through the net and are not a paid-up member. As only paid-up members are eligible to benefit from the services/therapies offered by the Centre, to avoid this situation recurring, we are now producing annual membership cards. On payment of the annual membership fee everyone will be given a Membership Card and allocated a Membership Number. This will serve to ensure everyone becomes a member and also provide confirmation that the annual fee has been paid and, therefore, help with memory issues etc. Your understanding and co-operation in this matter will be much appreciated!!
NEW GUYS ON THE BLOCK!
To accommodate the initial 20 concurrent sessions for new members, it may be necessary to change some of the ‘old-timers’ regular slots every now and again. While every effort will be made to disrupt things as little as possible, if you are affected by this, please be understanding and remember that you, too, would have had to be slotted in for 20 session when you started!!
£££££££ CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME £££££££
As a self-help, self-funding group, some members feel very strongly that the only fundraising carried out at the Centre should be FOR the Centre. This has been taken on board and we would ask that in future no-one attempts to generate funds for any other cause/agency. Thank you.
NONOGENARIANS UNITE!
We are amazed and delighted to report that we have benefited from our second ninety-year-old to undertake a sponsored walk across the Tay Road Bridge and back! Obviously both Hylda Merchant and Helen Thoms hail from a good age to become a good age and both ladies are truly inspirational!
CEILIDH/CONCERT
Members of Dundee Strathspey & Reel Society have kindly agreed to provide a ceilidh/concert for us on Thursday 22nd May 2008 at 7.30pm in the Centre. Tickets are £6, include refreshments and can be bought from the Centre.
HELP IS AT HAND
The Dundee Independent Living Centre is a free and impartial service on practical ways of coping with a disability. At the Centre there is a range of daily living equipment for demonstration, a comprehensive information service and qualified and experienced staff. This facility is available for disabled people and their carers and is situated at Unit T, Charles Bowman Avenue, Claverhouse West Industrial Estate, Dundee DD4 9UB. Tel: 01382 307635, email: DILC@dundeecity.gov.uk
GOOD LUCK
Sara Clark our ‘Alternate Saturday’ physiotherapist has left to concentrate on her medical exams and to get married. We wish her all the very best for her future and are pleased to announce that Sunita, our week-day physiotherapist, has taken over Sara’s role.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST!
Professor Phillip James retires from his position at the Wolfson Institute and Ninewells Hyperbaric Unit at the end of March 2008. He was the inspiration and the main driving force behind providing Hyperbaric Therapy to benefit people with MS. This moment certainly cannot be allowed to pass without recording our heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all the hours and effort he has put in over the years to supply unconditional help and support. We are delighted and extremely grateful to note Phillip’s hope to continue with this advisory role for Hyperbaric Therapy and MS Therapy Centres once he has retired.
Views expressed in this Newsletter are individual and cannot necessarily be endorsed by M S Therapy (Tayside)Ltd