Winter 209

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News of Community Care in Skye and Special Interest Articles:

• Carers Rights Day Drop-in Event

• Health Services on Skye and Lochalsh – Public Welcome Engagement Welcome to the new look Community Care Forum Newsletter. Do you like the

• Digital Switchover heading in Gaelic? We hope you approve.

Through the new contract arrangements, Community Care Forum (HCCF) has managed to secure funding for the newsletter for the foreseeable future, and we hope to get back to a regular quarterly production.

The newsletter is for those of us who use care and health services locally, and who care about our families and neighbours. We hope it will continue to be a If you have ideas for useful source of information and trigger debate around issues affecting our articles in future well-being and happiness. issues please contact Please let us know what was useful, entertaining or helpful about this issue as Jim Towers your feedback will help shape the future of this local community newsletter. Tel; 07918 747 754 [email protected] Carers Rights Day Drop-in Event Friday 4th December, Community Hall,

11.30 am to 2.30 pm

Carers Rights Day The theme for Carers Rights Day this Handyperson will also be there to Friday 4 Dec, 11.30am year is ‘Caring for your income and tell you about the latest offers from to 2.30pm pension’. If you, as a carer, have Telecare. If nothing else, come and worries about your income or pension Portree Community browse through information on then please come along to the drop-in display and help yourself to Centre event at the Portree Community Hall. tea/coffee and biscuits. There will be experts from Citizens Carers Rights Day 2009 will be about Please drop in for a Advice Bureau, the JobCentre, ensuring that carers get all the Crossroads Care, Alzheimer , coffee and a chat financial support they are entitled to, Health and Happiness, SLCVO and others now and for their future. to offer advice and help.

Joe Taylor - Retiral Development group, which has Joe Taylor will be retiring at the joined agencies and service users in end of December from his post of an attempt at better service team leader, Skye Lochalsh and awareness and development. We Wester Ross community mental wish him well in his retirement, but health team. During his time there, he will be very much missed." he was instrumental in setting up the Skye and Lochalsh Mental Health NAIDHEACHDAN CÙRAM COIMHEARSNACHD Page 2 of 4 ‘s an EILEIN SGIATHANACH agus LOCH AILLSE

Health Services on Skye and Lochalsh

– Public Engagement Highland Community Care Forum have been in one of the 9 focus groups (HCCF) has been working with the looking into the questions asked in the Skye and Lochalsh Community Care questionnaire in more depth facilitated Forum and the Skye and Lochalsh by Anne McDonald and Jim Towers from Council for Voluntary Organisations HCCF. A report on the feedback is to involve local groups and currently being analysed by HCCF which individuals in discussions about will be sent to the Mid Highland CHP, as future services in Skye and Lochalsh the CHP intends to use this report to on behalf of the NHS Mid Highland focus the agenda for a workshop in Community Health Partnership December (date still to be confirmed). (CHP). You may have completed one The workshop is by invitation only. of the questionnaires which have HCCF will be there, and we will keep been distributed widely through local you informed. If you want to know networks and e-bulletin. You may more, please contact Jim Towers, tel 07918 747 754, email [email protected]. Digital Switchover

Switchover to digital TV for Skye and • a helpline and retuning advice; Lochalsh will happen in July 2010. • a 12 month digital TV aftercare service. Older and disabled people are being If you are eligible, you will be written to offered help with the switchover process directly and you will get help in plenty of through the Switchover Help Scheme. time before switchover. Switchover to You are eligible if: Most people will be asked to pay £40 digital TV for • You are 75yrs or over, or towards the standard offer of help. • you have lived in a care home for six However, for eligible people who are also Skye and Lochalsh months or more, or on Pension Credit, Income Support, will be happening • you get (or could get) Disability Living Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Allowance, or Attendance or Constant Employment and Support Allowance, it’s next year Attendance Allowance, or Mobility FREE. For more information, please phone Supplement, or 0800 4085900 • you are registered blind or partially or visit www.helpscheme.co.uk. sighted. To find out your area switchover date, see You will be offered: www.digitaluk.co.uk/postcodechecker. • easy-to-use digital equipment to Skye and Lochalsh Council for Voluntary convert one television set in your Organisations will be carrying home; out information sessions on the • home delivery and installation if you switchover, including details of funding available to organisations that are wish; • an aerial check and replacement if prepared to cascade information to their needed; own members'

Social Work Update The new housing development and Day In the face of ever tightening budgets, Centre in Dornie will be ready by July Social Work is doing its best to next year. The 8 special rented maximize the use of limited resources properties will be available to adults over by working more closely with other 18 with complex needs. service providers locally such as Alzheimer Scotland and Crossroads An Acarsaid, currently closed for Care. refurbishment with the majority of If you have anything to say about the service transferred to Graham House, will care service you receive, good or bad, reopen in April or May next year. please let Jim Towers know. NAIDHEACHDAN CÙRAM COIMHEARSNACHD Page 3 of 4 ‘s an EILEIN SGIATHANACH agus LOCH AILLSE

Highland Hospice has developed a new Outreach Team to provide a If you would like more information similar service to the Day Hospice about volunteering with the available in Inverness to the remote Outreach Team please contact and rural areas of the Highlands. Julie, Amanda or Carol on;

The aim of the Day Hospice is to 01463 227910 help people maintain the best quality of life throughout their If you are interested in applying to illness. volunteer please contact We have already started a Day Fiona MacGregor Hospice on The at the ( Volunteer Co-Ordinator) Skeabost Hotel, alternate on tel 1463 227902 Wednesdays between 11.30am and Email: 2.30pm. We would appreciate [email protected]. your support if you are able to uk volunteer as a driver to provide transport to and from the venue for Ness House, 1 Bishops Road, people participating. Inverness, IV3 5SB SCO11227

Alzheimer Scotland, Skye and Lochalsh Services

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s leading Contact Details: dementia charity, providing services to people with dementia, their carers and Service Manager – Kevin Lawley families. Service Administrator – Margaret McGlynn Please get in touch if you want to know more about what we offer locally with The service office is based at Taigh an Day Care services, Care at Home, or Oisien, Bridge Road, Portree, Isle of with carer support and training. Skye, IV51 9ER Phone/Fax 01478 613450 Email [email protected] Website www.alzscot.org

Are You Worried About ‘Fuel Poverty’?

If you are a customer of Scottish Hydro or Scottish & Southern Electric, you may qualify for the Energyplus Care tariff which offers 20% discount on their current prices. When you apply for the Energyplus Care tariff, an assessment will be made to determine your scale of ‘fuel poverty’. This is based on: • Spending more than 10% of your total disposable income on energy bills. • The type of property and how energy efficient it is. • Your household income/benefits received. • Your disability/special needs. If you would like further information or a referral made to Energyplus Care on your behalf please contact Jim Towers, tel 07918 747 754, email [email protected]. Please be aware that, due to increases in fuel costs, if you tried but failed to qualify for the Energyplus Care tariff in the past you may well qualify now – it may be worth your while trying again.

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Carers Can Training Crossroads Care – Skye and Lochalsh

The main purpose of Crossroads Care – Training for Carers For further information please Skye and Lochalsh is to provide respite - contact Tina on 01463 contact : care/short breaks for the carers of Jennifer Millington, 723573 or people of all ages, including children, Co-ordinator, Crossroads Care [email protected] OR who have a disability or condition that check our website below for means that they need the care of Skye & Lochalsh, details of local workshops, another person. They aim to provide a Tigh Lisigarry, Bridge Road, free to unpaid carers. break from caring whenever the carer Portree, Isle of Skye IV51 9ER requires it. The carers can be of any Telephone : 01478 612399 age, including young carers. Referrals e-mail: can be received from Social Work [email protected] HCCF draft Highland Services and NHS Highland or directly Community Care Plan from family/friends.

summary. If you would like a copy of the Stage 1 report contact Jim Towers New hccf website feedback poll, which is very simple to A brand new website for HCCF with lots more information and news for carers use. We will also have a facility to will be launched at the HCCF AGM on conduct larger scale consultations 27th November. with members on chosen topics. The discussion room will facilitate We’re on the Web! We decided that we needed more technology than our existing website unlimited topics of conversation and See us at: provides to improve communication we would encourage you to use this with members, professionals and also to to chat to other carers about the http://www.hccf.org.uk allow service users and carers to situations you experience in communicate with each other. Highland. As well as being easier to navigate, the The new website will replace the new site allows us to gather opinion on existing one at the same address as all sorts of subjects using a quick soon as the AGM launch has taken place. About Our Organization… Highland My name is Jim Towers and I am the Community Care Local Worker for the Highland or neighbours. We believe these Forum Community Care Forum in Skye and aims can only be achieved if Lochalsh. I work alongside the Skye agencies that plan and provide Highland House and Lochalsh Community Care Forum services listen to what you, carers 20 Longman Road to be a voice for people who use and users of care, say is needed. We Inverness, Highland community care services and for are here to help make this happen so please, if there are any local IV1 1RY people who are unpaid carers. We believe that community care is about community care issues or questions you have, do contact me on Phone: choice in the support and services 01463 718817 that service users and unpaid carers Tel; 07918 747 754 or email require, about helping you to live at Fax: [email protected] . home as long as possible, about 01463 718818 providing services tailored to your Or drop me a line c/o SLCCF, E-Mail: needs, and about providing support if Victoria Cottage, [email protected] you are looking after family, friends Hedgefield Rd, Carers Information Portree, Line Isle of Skye, IV51 9HF. 01463 723561

Charity Number SC 020501