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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
eastleigh.gov.uk
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My house had no heating upstairs. No back up hot water. Hitting the Cold Spots have sorted it so that this winter we will be better and should save money on the energy bills.
Keeping John warm Help with heating for man living with dementia John is in his 50s and lives with his wife in a home they own in Eastleigh. John was a boxer in his heyday but it left him with ‘boxer’s dementia’ and he’s prone to frequent falls. John receives disability benefits as a result. His wife, Cynthia, works and is John’s main carer. Their 25 year old boiler recently failed so they were left without or heating upstairs and no hot water. The Energy Saving Advice Service pointed them to the Hitting the Cold Spots project and Cynthia gave them a call.
Heating Help John and Cynthia still had some very limited, inefficient heating downstairs but the old boiler wouldn’t provide heat upstairs and their electric immersion also broke, making it difficult for John to bathe. During the initial phone call, the Hitting the Cold Spots advisor arranged to visit the couple and sent them a link to Southern Water’s Priority Services Register. He also suggested they call local Buy With Confidence installers to quote for a boiler replacement. At the visit, the advisor completed grant paperwork but also recommended a number of health and wellbeing services. The couple applied for funding through the Hitting the Cold Spots project as well as a grant from Eastleigh Borough Council. Their application was successful and the new boiler was installed shortly after funding was confirmed.
Further Support Talking to the couple, their advisor discussed other assistance offered through partner organisations: • Adult Services sent an Occupational Therapist to the home to look at a Disabled Facilities Grant for a wet room at a cost of approximately £15,000,
which would allow John to bathe downstairs and avoid future slips, trips and falls.
New care solution supports independence Extra Care housing is the latest development in care for older individuals offered by Hampshire County Council in partnership with Eastleigh Borough Council and VIVID Homes. Extra Care accommodation allows older people to live their lives actively and independently in selfcontained accommodation with a tenancy. Care staff are on site 24/7 providing each resident with a planned care and support package which has been agreed with Adults Health and Care. The scheme is different from residential care as it offers residents their own flat with their own kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom and front door; qualified staff onsite to respond quickly to a variety of care needs (planned and in emergency situations); a safe and supportive environment in buildings close to local facilities;
shared facilities such as laundry, restaurant, hairdressing, lounges and gardens; social activities organised by residents’ groups and supported by care staff; couples can move to Extra Care and remain together; some properties have two bedrooms. It is an option for applicants aged over 55 who have a housing need, are registered on Hampshire Home Choice and who have a care and support need as assessed by Adults Health and Care. The Borough has three schemes in Chandler’s Ford: Surrey Court, Fernhill and Rowan Court (specific dementia unit) and Laburnum House in Hedge End.
Find out more: hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/ adultsocialcare/extra-care-housing or phone 023 8068 8000.
• John could benefit from balance classes offered through the NHS and Cynthia will enquire about this when John next sees his specialist. • The couple had a Safe & Well visit from the Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service, who fitted two smoke alarms, a carbon monoxide monitor and created an escape plan for them in case of an emergency. • Carers Together and the Princess Royal Trust for Carers can offer Cynthia extra support if she decides she needs it.
Savings and outcomes
Inspiring Minds
The couple received full funding for the boiler replacement: Hitting the Cold Spots secured £2,780 and Eastleigh Borough Council contributed £500.
In March, The Point, Eastleigh is hosting two 12 week courses to help support mental health through the arts.
The new, more efficient boiler should reduce John and Cynthia’s energy bills too.
One stitch at a time is an inspiring and relaxed course in creative stitching that will introduce participants to various approaches to embellishing through the therapeutic art of sewing.
The couple says: “Things have improved a lot.”
If you know someone who needs help with their heating, please call the Hitting the Cold Spots team on Freephone 0800 804 8601 or email staywarm@ environmentcentre.com.
Each week will build confidence in helping people to complete a personal and imaginative project. The course begins on Tuesday 10 March from 10.30am-12pm.
Street dance is designed to energise and motivate. By the end of the course those enrolled will have the confidence and ability to dance a whole routine. This course begins on Friday 13 March from 6.30pm-8pm. Both courses cost £5 per session, are suitable for ages 18 and over and participants must be registered with an Eastleigh surgery.
To book phone 023 8065 2333 Buddies welcome.
