West Sussex Noticeboard

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Free fire safety checks (27/6)
Two thirds of the people dying in house fires in West Sussex are over 65. Help change this! If you care for or support an older person who may be vulnerable why not consider making a Home Fire Safety Check referral. For more information phone free on 0800 328 6487 or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk

Information for disabled people going into hospital (3/6)
If you are disabled and you need hospital treatment, it is important that you inform the hospital about the nature of your disability and the extra support you need. If your GP refers you for treatment, they will inform the hospital staff of your needs. You can also discuss your requirements with hospital staff when they complete your admission form on your arrival in hospital. The admission form gives staff an idea of how much help you may need during your stay in hospital. You might want to discuss: any routines you have, specialist equipment that the hospital may not be able to provide, having a carer present with you at certain times, access to facilities, such as bathrooms and toilets, using a fixed loop or subtitles for television or radio. Consent to treatment - For some procedures, including operations, you will be asked to sign a consent form. Most people with disabilities wil be asked to give their consent to any treatment in hospitals. However, where people lack capacity to give consent, they will be treated under the Mental Capacity Act. Where a person clearly lacks the capacity to make decisions at the time they are admitted to hospital, health professionals will make what is called a 'best interests decision' on whether specific treatment is in a person's best interests. Doctors and nurses will weigh up the benefits and risks, including whether the person is likely to regain capacity and regain the ability to give or withhold consent. Read more

Nurses to get ‘lessons’ from people who have quit smoking (18/4)
Official figures show that mental health patients are unlikely yo give up smoking. The scheme will encourage nurses to become local leaders in Mental Health Centres and encourage people to quit smoking with advice. Nurses and their teams will lead a 'strengthened' service which could mean better care and support, including those with disabilities and complex emotional needs. Health minister Dr Dan Poulter announced 1,200 school nurses will be given more training. 300 young people have already signed up to become ‘school nurse champions’. Read more at: www.nursinginpractice.com

DIY SOS: The Big Build looking for major domestic renovation and construction projects (15/4)
DIY SOS: The Big Build has helped ordinary people whose lives have been dramatically changed by an unforeseen issue e.g. an accident leading to a disability, the onset of a life-altering illness or condition, the sudden death of a parent. The show helps people by radically transforming their homes. DIY SOS: The Big Build is not a makeover show - they do whole house transformations that can at times involve structural changes and planning regulations. The DIY SOS team manage to achieve in nine days what would normally take months by appealing to local trades’ people who work for free with the team to complete the build. They are keen to hear from families and individuals who would really benefit from having their home transformed. They can only help people who are UK residents, who own their own home and do not have the funds to do the required work themselves, but cannot guarantee to help people who contact them. Read more at: www.bbc.co.uk

Banks offer new guidance on dealing with carers (4/4)
All banks and building societies in the UK have received new guidance to support carers and relatives who manage accounts on behalf of other people. Read more at: www.yourmoney.com

Warmer Homes Healthy People home visiting project (10/1)
If you are in fuel poverty and struggling to afford your fuel bills, your local Citizens Advice Bureau can arrange to visit you at home. They can offer information and advice on grants, find more cost-effective ways of purchasing fuel or make your home more energy efficient. Phone 01273 463263, mob: 07539 037934 or 07706 762960 or visit www.centralandsouthsussexcab.org.uk or www.adviceguide.org.uk

Emergency SMS for hearing or speech-impaired people (5/11)
The EmergencySMS service lets deaf, hard of hearing and speech-impaired people in the UK send an SMS text message to the UK 999 service where it will be passed to the police, ambulance, fire rescue, or coastguard. By sending an SMS message to 999 you can call for help and the emergency services will be able to reply to you. You will need to register your mobile phone before using the emergencySMS service. Read more at www.emergencysms.org.uk

Short Breaks directory for disabled children (19/7)
A directory has been issued by West Sussex County Council listing short breaks available for disabled children across the county. Short breaks provide fun, leisure and social activities for disabled children and young people. They are for children with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and those on the autistic spectrum. Some short breaks can be with siblings, others are just for the disabled child or young person. To find out more contact 01243 642854 or visit www.westsussex.gov.uk

Families needed for research into individual budgets. Can you help? (11/7)
Ambitious about Autism is researching families' views in England on individual budgets in light of the Government's proposal. Parents or carers of children and young people between the ages of four and 16 who have been diagnosed with autism and have (a) received an individual budget, (b) been offered but refused an individual budget or © are simply aware of the individual budget scheme, are wanted to help with the research. Read more at: www.teamaroundthechild.com

AskDes - buy and sell secondhand disability equipment
People in West Sussex will be able to continue buying and selling second hand disability equipment thanks to ICIS. The service, called AskDes, was previously run by the charity Voice for Disability which has sadly had to close. AskDes enables people to sell or give away disability equipment that is no longer needed and to buy second hand equipment such as a walker, mobility scooter and many aids for daily living. The cost of advertising equipment is free for anything under £100 and only £10 for items that cost more. The advertisements are published on the AskDes website for one year. To advertise your item go to www.icis-info4life.org.uk and click on the AskDES button. For help with buying or selling and for more information phone ICIS on 01903 859929.

In Case of Emergency contacts
We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory, but if we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the emergency services attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Hence the 'ICE' (In Case of Emergency) campaign from South East Coast Ambulance Service. ICE is a method of contact during emergency situations. All you need to do is store the number of a contact person/s who should be contacted during emergency under the name ICE. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialling the number stored as ICE. For more than one contact name simply enter ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.




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