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Mental health

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:52:52 GMT

Mental health is about how we think, feel and behave. One in four people in the UK have a mental health problem at some point in their lives, which affects their daily life, relationships or physical health.

Music

Fri, 22 May 2009 09:14:03 GMT

Music can bring a lot of pleasure, whether you listen to it at home, attend concerts, sing, or play a musical instrument yourself.

There are many music venues in and around Newcastle, playing host to a wide variety of musical performers. We have listed some of these venues here. If you want to get involved and sing or play an instrument yourself, we also have information on some of the organisations that can help you.

Mobile hairdressing

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:59:19 GMT

The Quality of Life Partnership have set up a mobile hairdressing scheme for older people living in Newcastle upon Tyne. The aim of the Hairdressing at Home scheme is to provide older people with details of friendly, reliable and properly vetted hairdressers. It is designed for older women and men who cannot normally go out to access hairdressing services.

Help with shopping

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:49:22 GMT

As you get older it can get harder to get out and about, especially to do things like your food shopping when you have heavy bags to carry. There is a community shopping scheme in Newcastle that could help you called 'Hop to the Shops'.

Small repairs

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:48:25 GMT

Anchor Staying Put has a Small Repairs Service for older people who own their own home and live in Newcastle or Gateshead. This has been set up to help people to carry out repairs to their property at an affordable price.

Finding reliable tradespeople

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:45:35 GMT

The Newcastle Trades Register has been set up to help people aged over 60 years old in Newcastle to find tradespeople to carry out repairs and maintenance in their homes, including qualified engineers who can help with your digital television changeover needs.

Gardening

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:42:52 GMT

As you get older you may find that maintaining your garden becomes more difficult and that some tasks are harder to manage. Whether you are a homeowner, or a Your Homes Newcastle tenant, there are schemes that can provide you with a reliable gardener to help keep you garden in good condition, so that you can continue to enjoy it.

Leisure centres and swimming pools

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:41:16 GMT

There are many places where it is possible to access leisure facilities. We have listed below the main leisure centres and swimming pools in the city so that you can find one near you. You may also be interested to read our section on Fitness and Keeping physically active.

Many of the centres and pools listed have sessions especially for older people and discounted rates, so it is always worth contacting them or visiting their website before your visit.

Schizophrenia

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:43:00 GMT

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health condition that causes a range of different psychological symptoms. These include hallucinations, hearing or seeing things that do not exist, and delusions, believing in things that are untrue. Hallucinations and delusions are often referred to as psychotic symptoms, or symptoms of psychosis. Psychosis is when somebody is unable to distinguish between reality and their imagination.

Bipolar disorder (manic depression)

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:18:55 GMT

Bipolar disorder, previously called manic depression, is a condition that affects your moods, which can swing from one extreme to another. It is a relatively common condition, with around 1 person in 100 being diagnosed as having bipolar disorder. It can occur at any age, but often develops between the ages of 18 and 24. Both men and women, and people from all backgrounds can get it. If you have bipolar disorder, you will have periods or episodes of depression and mania.

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:05:50 GMT

Please note: as an older person, finding out which benefits you may be entitled to, and the impact they may have on other benefits, is not always straightforward. There is a huge amount of information available about benefits, but this can be overwhelming or confusing. We would always advise you to seek advice from an independent Welfare Rights Officer, who will be able to look at your individual situation and guide you through the applications process.

You can find details of local and citywide organisations that provide independent and free benefits advice on the Newcastle Welfare Rights webpages.

From 27 October 2008 Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds for new customers. If you are currently receiving these benefits you will continue to receive them, so long as you continue to satisfy the entitlement conditions.

Learning Disabilities

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:49:34 GMT

A learning disability is a life-long condition. It affects a person’s ability to communicate or to do everyday things. People with a learning disability find it harder than others to learn, understand and communicate but it does not prevent someone from learning and achieving a lot in life, if he or she is given the right support. There are approximately 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:12:26 GMT

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the collective term for some lung diseases that make breathing difficult. COPD usually affects people over the age of 40 and it’s the sixth most common cause of death in England and Wales, causing more than 30,000 deaths a year.

Anxiety

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:39:30 GMT

Two in three people experience anxiety or depression at some point in their life. It can be mild and last only a few weeks or it can be a lot more severe. You may also find it useful to read our section on Depression.

Self-employment

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:38:38 GMT

The decision to become self-employed is a big step, especially if you’re close to retirement age, and it’s not one that you should take without advice. Although one of the main attractions of becoming self-employed is no longer having to work for somebody else, there are several disadvantages that you should consider.

Flexible working

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:40:08 GMT

More people are staying in work past the age at which they might previously have retired, either because they simply enjoy working or because they need to work for financial reasons. It is unlawful for your employer to force you to retire against your wishes before the age of 65 years old, except where your employer can objectively justify the earlier retirement age. Employees have the ‘right to request’ to work beyond the default retirement age or any other retirement age that is set by their employer and the employer has to consider the request seriously. For further information on this, see our section on Age Discrimination. If you do wish to continue working, there are several options available to you.

Retirement

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:27:04 GMT

Retiring from work is a decision which most people will have considered very carefully. Many people are now retiring at a younger age and living longer. Retirement can be an exciting new phase in your life, especially if you are in good health and financially secure.

Planning for your retirement is important, and, before you retire, it’s worth planning your finances to make sure that you get the most out of this time in your life. Your retirement from work will also mean changes in your lifestyle, and it’s important to consider the emotional and practical implications of these changes. This section gives information and ideas about planning your finances and leisure time, and the other changes that retirement may bring.

Redundancy

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:23:06 GMT

Redundancy is a form of dismissal from a job. Reasons for redundancy can include the fact that new technology or a new system has made your job unnecessary, that the job you were hired for no longer exists, that there is a need to cut costs which means that staff numbers must be reduced, or that the business is closing down or moving. If you’re going to be made redundant from your job, you should be treated fairly by your employer and there are certain steps that they are expected to follow. You may also be entitled to receive a redundancy payment.

Problems at work

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:14:29 GMT

During your working life it is likely that you will encounter problems at work at some point in time. This may be due to the job itself, your relationship with your colleagues, or it may be that your personal circumstances are making it difficult for you to carry out your duties. Discrimination, health problems and caring responsibilities can all affect your working life. In this section, we have given examples of some of these issues and how you can resolve them.

Looking for work

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:42:39 GMT

If you’re looking for work, thinking about returning to work, or want to change your career, there is help available. It may be a long time since you went through the process of looking for a job, filling in application forms and attending interviews. This section provides information on where you could look for a job, how to improve your job prospects, and tackling age discrimination. You may also find it useful to read our section on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).