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Those retiring in London
need an annual income of over ?18,500 to get by, almost ?3000 a year
more than the national average of ?15,850 per year.
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Over 50s in the UK have
an average surplus of just over ?1,000 per year, but older
households in the North East enjoy one of the highest surpluses,
more than double the average at just under ?2,500 per year.
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In Wales, older
households also have twice as much left over each year, with just
over ?2,000 at their disposal.
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For some older people
however, having any money left over at the end of the month is
unlikely. Overall the study found that almost a quarter (24%) of
over 50s struggle to break even each month; almost a third (31%) of
whom have no surplus income at all and 7% who have expenditure which
exceeds their income.
Choose your hospital
The Choose and Book system is up and running in several districts. It
means you can choose the hospital where you want to get treated –
within 13 weeks for outpatients and 6 months for inpatients apart
from emergencies. You might get a choice of 4 different hospitals,
based on location or the service offered in individual hospitals.
Your GP should offer a booklet to help guide you through the
process.
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‘Our society likes sexy things. And being old is the most unsexy
thing there can be….’ Actor Tony
Robinson, in the Times
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It’s OK to be a merry
widow
Half of older people get over losing a long-term partner within 6
months of their death, say researchers at Michigan University. Some
said they recalled the happy years that they had enjoyed with their
partners. Others felt a sense of relief and liberation after nursing
an ailing partner. And yet others felt a sense of freedom after
years in an unhappy marriage.
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Food
for life
Foods to
aid memory, stress-busting foods, foods for mental energy, mobility,
sleep… Read all about them in the new Food For Life book by Michael
Van Straten. There are recipes too. The book is published by
Quadrille, price ?14.99.
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`I
never really gave much thought to the ageing process until I hit
80 and suddenly realised that I was way down the far side of the
hill….Up till then if, as happened rarely, somebody offered me
their seat on the Underground, I was likely to feel insulted…’
Robin Chancellor, publisher and translator, quoted in Late
Youth, An Anthology Celebrating the Joys of Being Over Fifty,
published byArcadia, price ?12
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Self-help – the new buzz word
Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals and others
in the NHS recognise the value of helping patients manage their
conditions. Last year, the Department of Health announced a major
overhaul in the
way health and social care services deliver care to the millions of
people in England with long-term conditions. They include diabetes,
asthma, and arthritis.
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In
Hillingdon, people with diabetes can now get support
through the Hillingdon Community Pharmacy Diabetes Service. This is
a personalised programme of health monitoring, education and
medicines management offered at ten community pharmacies in the
area.
Follow-up appointments give an opportunity for further discussion in
issues such as weight management and giving up smoking.
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In Tyne
and Wear, the Northumbria Parkinson's Disease Service offers
an eight-week education and support programme that teaches people
about their condition and symptoms, and how to manage their own
treatment.
The
changes are designed to improve the health and quality of life of
those with long-term conditions, prevent premature death, and reduce
the number of times they have emergency visits to hospital.
The guidelines are available on-line at
www.dh.gov.uk/longtermconditions .
WISH YOU WERE HEAR!
A new travel service for the 55 Plus Age Group
Nearly 9 million people in the UK suffer from a hearing loss,
and for
many of them taking a holiday is a daunting prospect. Everyday
situations like
understanding directions, negotiating hotel bookings or car hire can
be
difficult enough for people with perfect hearing. For the hearing
impaired, these common problems can appear insurmountable and many,
especially
older folk, will opt not to take a holiday at all.
Now help is now at hand thanks to the joint efforts of a hearing
aid manufacturer and a leading charity. Widex of Denmark, one of the
world’s biggest hearing aid companies, has teamed up with the charity
Hearing Concern to organise the Widex Hearing Holidays, designed
exclusively for hard-of-hearing people. Destinations on offer early in
2006 include Spain (Nerja), Cyprus (Paphos) and (by coach) Amsterdam
and the bulbfields.
In the
UK, there will a hotel-based spring holiday in The Cotswolds.
Later in
the year, Guernsey and Normandy will be featured. All tour parties are
led by
a qualified lip-speaker, who oversees the smooth running of the trip
and
acts as an interpreter when required.
‘Thousands of adults in Britain miss out on time away because
they have
a hearing loss severe enough to deter them from taking a holiday,’
says
Philip Barron of Hearing Concern. ‘We have taken a lead in addressing
this
problem with these breaks. Thanks to Widex, we are able to offer a
wider range
of affordable holidays in 2006 but we need the help of hearing aid
audiologists and dispensers in reaching the people who could benefit.’
Widex and Hearing Concern are working with the following companies:
Eurostar, Saga Holidays, Travel Editions, Woods Travel and Crusader
Holidays.
For a brochure or further information please contact Philip Barron
(Hearing Concern), 4 Anselm Close, Croydon CRO 5LY. Tel. 020 8680 2229.
Crime is falling in Japan, but not among the over 65s. One in
10 of all Japanese arrests is in the over-65 age group, says a Times
newspaper report. Favoured crimes are pickpocketing and shoplifting,
and some wily oldies are feigning senile dementia as an excuse. Oh
yes, and murder among the elderly is on the rise too: strangling or
stabbing a wife or husband of say 50 years – over a complaint about
cooking or what to watch on telly is not uncommon.
A former police psychologist puts it down to being fit and healthy.
‘…They want to get more out of their lives…Without work, they’ll be
filled with anxiety and there’s a likelihood they may turn to crime.’
Not too convincing, we’d say.
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