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Welcome to the January 2016 issue of the Age Friendly Nottingham Bulletin. 2016 will be the year when many residents will see our age friendly sign appearing in shop windows in local areas. This means that the business has joined Take a Seat and will be offering a chair to an older person who needs to catch their breath and sit down for a few minutes. We will also be focusing on reducing loneliness in the city and would like to know what other partners are contributing. Please get in touch if you have any suggestions. Councillor Eunice Campbell Nottingham City Council's Older Persons Champion

'Take a Seat' launches in Wollaton Following on from the success in Clifton and Bilborough, Take a Seat was launched in Wollaton on the 6 January 2016 at The Nottingham Building Society. Councillors Sally Longford, Sam Webester and Steve Battlemuch are supporting the campaign in Wollaton and already several businesses on Farndon Green, Middleton Boulevard and Bramcote Lane have asked to join the scheme. If you want to know more about Take a Seat visit, www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/article/30241/Take-a-Seat-Campaign or email sharice.chambers@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or call 0115 8763445

Opportunities for Older Citizens

Healthwatch Nottingham Wellbeing Event 18 January 2016 Healthwatch Nottingham would like to invite older citizens to a free health and wellbeing event on Monday 18th January 2016 from 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm at Victoria Leisure Centre, Gedling Street, Nottingham. NG1 1DB. There will be a prize draw for a 3 month Flexible Fitness Membership, free health checks and locally sourced food served at 3.00 pm. A variety of information will be available on a range of local services and opportunities. Please contact 0115 859 9510 if you would like some more information.

Happier Healthier Lives: African Caribbean Health and Wellbeing Engagement Event 28 January 2016

In 2015 the Nottingham Health and Wellbeing Board undertook a number of engagement events to help shape the priorities for the next Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Almost 500 people provided their views on what is important to them - summary results can be found at: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/hwb.

The African Caribbean community are able to ensure that their views are heard on 28 January 2016 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm at the African Caribbean National Artistic Centre (ACNA Centre, Hungerhill Road, St Anns, Nottingham).

If you would like to attend please register by emailing your name and contact details to healthandwellbeing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or call 0115 876 5726.

Light Night 5 February 2016 Light Night is a great opportunity for older citizens to enjoy a free night out in Nottingham. The city is lit up with lots of free activities. Families of all ages participate in the evening. Take part in a fantastic night of discovery as Nottingham comes to life this Light Night: Friday 5 February 2016 from 4.00 pm until late! For further details on the events being held please visit www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/lightnight

St. Ann's Community Orchard Activity Day 17 January 2016

Come and warm up by the fire and make a delicious pizza in our earth oven on Sunday 17th January from 11.00 am - 4.00 pm with fun activities for children, fresh homemade soup and refreshments available. The Community Orchard is on the St. Ann's Allotments (StAA) with the entrance being on Ransom Road (opposite Hill View Community Centre about 200 yards up from the junction with Hungerhill Road). Look out for the yellow sign! Just come along on the day or contact StAA on 0115 958 9255 or at www.staa-allotments.org.uk for more information.

Crabtree Community CAFÉ Older citizens are invited to visit the new Crabtree Community CAFÉ at Bulwell Children's Centre, run by volunteer Maria Shakespeare, serving great home cooked food once a week. CAFÉ stands for Community Advice for Everyone and Welfare Rights and the Job Centre will be holding information sessions. There will also be nutrition workshops with 'Love Food, Hate Waste' that can help people make their food go further. Home cooked food vouchers are available to families in need. You can call 0115 876 2220 or email bulwellcc@nottinghamcity.gov.uk for more information.

Support for Older Citizens

Good Companions

‘Good Companions’ aims to reduce the level of loneliness and isolation amongst older people in the Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale areas of Nottingham.  It is a voluntary visiting scheme which primarily offers friendship but would also enable clearly defined and practical support to the older person. For more information you can contact Good Companions on 0115 878 6182

Click Nottingham Click Nottingham understands how important friendships and social connections are to health and wellbeing and so a large part of their focus is on bringing people together.  Members can access a quarterly social calendar full of events such as walks, guided tours, gardening, lunches, nights out, theatre and day trips. Over half of the social activities are free, and there is always a Social Host to make sure members are well looked after. To find out how to becoma a member email them at hello@clicknottingham.gov.uk or call 0115 9787846 or visit www.clicknottingham.com for more information.

Nottingham Signposting Service

Nottingham City Signposting Service is for citizens aged from 60 years upwards and assists people to access support to preventative and health / care services from a professional partnership working with the major services. To receive the bimonthly newsletter or if your team would like to train to become referrers into the service, contact Richard Dragonetti by emailing Richard.Dragonetti@metropolitan.org.uk

Silverlinks

Silverlinks aims to enable older people who are facing life changing choices about their homes and living situations to make well informed decisions by connecting them with older volunteers who have already faced and dealt with a similar situation, such as having adaptations or downsizing.

Through workshops and “teach yourself” materials, it also aims to spread information about later life housing and care options so that older people can plan for the future and make their own, well-informed decisions about their living situations. For more information on how you can access these services please contact Mary Cann on 0115 859 9261 or email mary.cann@ageuknotts.org.uk

Dementia

Public Health Forum on Dementia 10 February 2010 Due to popular demand another Public Health Forum on Dementia will be held on 10 February 2016 between 12.00 pm - 2.00 pm at Loxley House, Station Street, NG2 3NG. For further information or to book a place please email healthandwellbeing@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or call 0115 8763445

Information Programme for Carers of People with Dementia Radford Care Group are offering drop in information programmes for carers of people with dementia every Saturday from 20 February 2016 until the 9 April 2016 between 10.30 am -12.30 pm at Radford Care Group Prospect Street Radford Nottingham NG7 5QE. The groups are led by specialists in dementia. Help with respite services and transport may be available and carers are asked to contribute £2.50 per session towards refreshments. To register, or for further information about the programme, please call Radford Care Group on 0115 9786133.

Assistive Technology - devices to help with everyday living

Technology can give people with dementia help and support to remain independent, safe and socially involved. Carers may find it offers them support and reassurance as well. Alzheimer's Society has produced a Dementia-friendly technology charter that provides more information about assistive technology and how it can help people.

While assistive technology may not be suitable for everyone with dementia, for some people it can bring benefits that help them to live well with the condition, such as:

• promote independence and autonomy
• improve confidence and quality of life for a person with dementia
• help manage potential risks in and around the home
• help with memory and recall
• provide reassurance to carers and help them to feel less stressed

For further information on assistive technology and the support offered by the Alzheimer's Society please visit https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=109

Education and Employment

Digital Workshops in Nottingham City Libraries 

Older citizens are invited to attend workshops in libraries across the city from January to March 2016 aimed at increasing digital literacy. Topics include introduction to iPads and tablets, social media and use of apps including photo, music and cloud storage. People can book on to the courses by visiting www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/discoverdigital or filling in a form at their local library.

They also have volunteering opportunities on this project so if you know of anyone who has knowledge of using an iPad or tablet, good people skills and free time during the week, and who would like to be involved in supporting sessions, please contact sarah.coulson@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.  

Nottingham Trent University 50+ Courses As a foretaste of our two courses being developed about later life, “Making New Moves and Building New Futures”  and “Enriching Later Life with Social Science”, we are now providing the second of three “taster workshops”.  The “Language, Power, and Social Reality” taster will provide an appetising introduction to the insights and power of modern linguistics (although we’ll make brief forays into philosophy and cognitive science if there’s time). We’ll consider what discussions in pubs, medical consultations, marriages, and public enquiries have in common, examine how creatively and fluently we use language in everyday life, and discuss strategies and tactics for managing different types of conversations. All are welcome to attend on Thursday 28 January 2016, from 2.00 pm until 4.00 pm at the Newton Building, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham Trent University. For more information or to book a place please call Chris Ring  on 0115 848 2632 or email Chris.Ring@ntu.ac.uk

Employer Toolkit: Guidance for Managers of Older Workers

An online resource has been launched to help get the most out of older workers' expertise and experience. The Employer Toolkit is a new interactive resource, offering guidance for managers of older workers. The information available details how employers can better manage their workforce, and by doing so, how they can capitalise on the UK’s changing demographics.

The Toolkit includes information relating to the 3 ‘R’s highlighted by the Government’s former Business Champion for Older Workers, Dr Ros Altmann CBE. These are retaining, retraining and recruiting older workers. Information is also included on a range of other topics including legal requirements, knowledge management and flexible working arrangements. To access the Toolkit please visit ageactionalliance.org/employer-toolkit/

Useful Information

The Age of Loneliness

If you missed the BBC documentary on loneliness last week, it is still available on iPlayer or go to www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06vkhr5/the-age-of-loneliness

Keys to Care 'Keys to Care', funded by Comic Relief, are a set of 12 attractive and accessible prompts The Relative and ResidentsAssociation produced to aid those who live and work in homes and offer an encouraging and confidence-building support for induction and training programmes, or simply as a trigger to discussion.These beautifully designed laminated cards, which fit on a keyring and in your pocket, cover topics that include Continence Care, Dementia, Care at Night and Emergencies. For more information, please click here.

Fusion 48

Fusion 48 is a special opportunity for health and care providers across Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City to take advantage of an innovative toolkit that is being developed for staff working with older people with frailty to support self-care. It is funded through Health Education East Midlands. There are free to attend all-day training events being held at venues across Nottinghamshire during January / early February 2016. Bookings can be made at www.pcdc.org.uk/events/frailty-toolkit-training/.

State Pension Top Up

Increase your State Pension and get a guaranteed extra income for life with State Pension top up. You can get between £1 and £25 extra per week by making a lump sum payment before 5 April 2017. You must be entitled to the basic State Pension or Additional State Pension and be either:

• a man born before 6 April 1951
• a woman born before 6 April 1953

You can download the State Pension top up information pack: www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pension-top-up-booklet

'Fire Kills' Safety Campaign

The national fire safety campaign 'Fire Kills' uses national advertising, social media and partnerships to deliver lifesaving messages. The aim of this campaign is to spread awareness of the dangers of fire in the home and how older citizens can be supported to help prevent the dangers. Over half of those who die in fires are aged 65+ and so information booklets have been provided to help and advise people on testing smoke alarms, planning escape routes, winter fire safety and encouraging family, friends, and carers to support those who may need help being fire safe.