Our Act of Kindness Award Winner receives his prize!

Chesham man wins award after going the extra mile for elderly residents

by Camilla Goodman

A CHESHAM man has won an award after going the extra mile to help elderly residents.

Andy White, 50, of Darvell Drive, Chesham, who is director of Lynwood Construction, was announced the winner of Home Calls' Act of Kindness Award last Thursday.

Mr White was nominated by Donna Ward of Bucks Trading Standards after he helped two worried elderly people.

Trading Standards called Mr White late on a Friday afternoon about a resident in Abbotts Vale, Chesham, whose downpipe was removed and not replaced by a rogue trader.

The resident was concerned about the rain causing damage because of the pipe not being there. Mr White went round and sorted out the problem free of charge.

He also helped someone in Chesham Bois with guttering problems.



He said: "It's something I'd normally do, it's nothing out of the ordinary. They were local so I went and did it and thought nothing of it. I didn't deserve all this. I'm glad I did what I did for them."

Ms Ward said: "Mr White provides reassurance to those people who've had a bad experience. It's just a way of saying thank you and that we appreciate the help he gives us."

Home Calls, which is based in Water Meadow, Chesham, said Mr White had had some fierce competition to beat.

Founder of the company Beverley Palmer said: "We ran the awards to recognise people who go the extra mile, like Andy, above and beyond the call of duty, to help people in a time of need.

"It opened our eyes to how many people are willing to put themselves out for others in the community.

"If we spread the good news I think it may just catch on."

Home Calls, which was set up two years ago, provides daily calls to the elderly in Bucks to check on them and their needs to enable them to live at home independently.

Act of Kindness 2011 Competition Winner

Congratulations to Andy White of Chesham in Buckinghamshire - winner of our Act of Kindness 2011 winner! He wins £50 of Marks and Spencer vouchers.

Closing date approaches for Act of Kindness nominations

The closing date for the Act of Kindness competition, which aims to honour people who have shown an act of kindness to older people, is fast approaching. Have you nominated your entry yet?

The aim of the competition is to reward a resident in the community for a charitable act. The competition is run by Home Calls, which is based in Waterside, Chesharn. The business supports older people living at home alone through the daily telephone service it provides.

“We are accepting entries until 14th November and a winner will be chosen on 30th November. We’d like as many entries as possible. Community based acts of kindness are rarely celebrated – and this is something we want to change.” Said Hhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifome Calls Director, Beverley Palmer.

“An act of kindness can be anything,” she went on to say, “ whether it’s helping a neighbour by doing their shopping, from popping in to see them every day to make sure they’re OK, taking time to accompany them on a daily stroll, to rescuing them after a fall.”

To nominate someone, tell Home Calls - in no more than 500 words - about an Act of kindness towards an older person that you have witnessed.

Entries will only be accepted on a competition entry form, which is available by calling 01494 449 769 or emailing beverley@}home-calls.eo.uk. The winner will be selected on November 30 and will take home £50 of Marks and Spencer vouchers.

Have you seen an Act of kindness towards older people?

If you have then why not contact Home Calls Limited and nominate the act of kindness you have seen in their Act of Kindness towards older people competition?

Home Calls supports older people living at home alone through the daily telephone service that it provides. Director, Beverley Palmer believes that with support, older people are perfectly capable of living safely in their homes. But she also feels that even the smallest acts of community based kindness can make a huge difference to older people who do live at home on their own.

“We’re launching our Act of Kindness competition because there are so many people in our communities that carry out acts of kindness every day which go unnoticed. Even if everyone can’t win, we can at least recognise their great and kind work”, said Beverley.

The competition is simple. In no more than 500 words, tell Home Calls about an act of kindness that you have seen towards an older person. The winner will be selected on 30th November and win £50 Marks and Spencer vouchers.

So have you witnessed a worthy winner? Entries may only be accepted on a competition entry form which is available from Beverley Palmer on 01494 449769 or via beverley@home-calls.co.uk.

Strokes: Time is on your side

There has recently been a very effective TV campaign about what to do when you think someone has suffered a stroke. Particularly in understanding physical signs that indicate a stroke has happened.

As always, prevention is better than cure, and there are preventative measures you can take to cut the risk of a stroke in the first place. The leading cause of a stroke is hypertension, so here are ways to reduce it:

1. Check your blood pressure - You can buy a simple but effective blood pressure kit from your chemist. The top blood pressure number should be less than 140. The bottom number should be less than 90.

2. Lose weight - Many doctors think weight loss is the single most important nondrug treatment for prevention of hypertension.

3. Exercise aerobically, quit smoking and reduce stress

4. Check your cholesterol once a year – it can narrow arteries and make you more prone to hypertension.


Sadly, we can’t always prevent strokes. But immediate action can reduce the effects of a stroke. So as the adverts tell us: move FAST

Face – drooping on one side?
Arm – can they lift them both over their head?
Speech – is their speech slurred?
Time to call 999 if any of those

If you witness someone having a stroke then the most important thing to remember is that Time is on their side.

The NHS has recently started using “clot busting” drugs. Taking a drug called Alteplase within 90 minutes of a stroke gives patients more than double the chance of full recovery, according to a report in The Lancet medical journal.

As after a stroke, treatments are constantly improving. The NHS Buckinghamshire Trust is at the vanguard of innovative stroke treatments and has recently opened eight hyper acute beds at its Wycombe Hospital stroke ward. These provide intensive nursing and therapy care for the first three days following a stroke

These facilities aim to promote patient independence, aiding rehabilitation in order to return home as soon as possible. By involving patients, their relatives and carers in setting personal goals they make the experience better for all.

When leaving hospital care there is concern over being able to cope or adjust to normal independent living. We at Home Calls can relieve any concerns you may have for that person by providing a daily check on well being. Either as long term care or just until the stroke victim is confident enough to cope again, its sure to be a great help to those in need. .

For more information on NHS Buckinghamshire’s stroke clinics go to
http://www.buckspct.nhs.uk/
And for ways in which we can help after you or someone you know leaves hospital just call 01494 449769 or email info@home-calls.co.uk

It doesn’t have to be this way…..

By David Chandler

This shocking story of a woman’s ordeal due to a simple accident could have easily been avoided if she had a dedicated telecare service in place.
The fact that she spent so long helpless and alone made the impact on her and her health more serious than it would have been if friends and family had been alerted sooner.

This is where a service like Home Calls UK really does come into its own. It becomes a vital monitoring service that brings peace of mind the older person, their friends and family.

As Home Calls UK is in contact at a set time each day, any problems will be picked up within 3 hours if, like in this case, there is no response. The call would also give the person in distress a little comfort. Even though they may not bhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gife able to reach the phone, they would at least know that someone out there would soon be aware of their predicament.

Our service would also monitor the person when they got home from hospital, offering relatives peace of mind that they are coping without the need for other home care services that are becoming harder to obtain.

A preventative service like ours not only provides how can but decreases isolation that many feel when they get older and whilst unwell and unable to get out and about.

To see how our service works, click here for a step by step guide. You can rely on us for fast, friendly care when its needed most

I read the news today – oh boy…..

By David Chandler

Care for older people has been in the news lately like never before. Not just as part of the general worry over government cuts to NHS and care budgets but with specific cases that set a worrying precedent for the future of care in the UK.

The legal case of former prima ballerina, Elaine McDonald, over the provision of her home care worker has possibly changed the quality of life for over 250,000 people forever. It opens the door for councils and health authorities to cut back on the number of care workers employed and utilised in the community. Here's the full article.

It is clear that these measures if implemented will mean that many older people will become isolated and lonely in their own homes.

The Home Calls UK service aims to be a comforting, friendly and personal presence in the lives of people who wish to remain active and independent in their own homes. Through building up a relationship with the person we can better cater to their needs whilst taking away the worries of their relatives have of them living alone. Their social and personal interaction need not be curtailed

Another high profile concern is people being forced to re-mortgage or sell their houses and move to fund their healthcare in their old age.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jul/02/dilnot-funding-old-age

Home Calls can be paid for by relatives of the person separately but it also falls into a service that can be funded by the government’s Attendance Allowance . Unlike many other benefits this payment is not means tested and is available to anyone 65 and over whether they currently have home care or not. So Home Calls service won’t put a drain on your savings and can fill the gap that the councils no longer are willing to finance. We’re that cost effective life line as well as opportunity for a real conversation with someone knows you and cares.

For more information of Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance see this excellent guide from Age UK