Age Concern

Everyone benefits with Age Concern Canterbury Visiting Service

Age Concern Canterbury has established a wide range of services that help address the needs of older people in our community. The Accredited Visitor Service and Companions on Paws are befriending services that provide regular visits to older people who would like more company. The majority of older people are not severely lonely, but findings from The Social Report 2016 show that 10 percent of New Zealanders aged 65-74, and 13 percent of those aged over 75 feel lonely all, most, or some of the time. This is important, not just because loneliness is painful, but because having inadequate social relationships has been shown to be as bad for health as smoking. Loneliness has also been linked to increased likelihood of entering rest home care.

You could benefit from the Visiting Services if you feel like you would like more company, or that you spend too much time on your own. If you would like a visitor, you only need to contact Age Concern Canterbury and a co-ordinator will come to see you in your home to get to know you. The co-ordinator will then match you with a carefully chosen trained volunteer who will begin to visit you for about an hour each week. “Companions on Paws” is a new addition to our visiting service where a volunteer and their companion dog will visit on a regular basis. This service is proving popular with those older people who have had pets throughout their life, but for many reasons are now unable to do so.

The relationships established through the Visiting Service are mutually beneficial. Our volunteer visitors often find the person they visit become special friends and wise mentors, while those being visited value the intellectual stimulation, humour and friendship the visits provide. Volunteers are the core to both these services, and our co-ordinators work hard to provide ongoing training and support to ensure that everyone has a rewarding, safe and enjoyable experience. If you feel like you would benefit from a visitor or wish to volunteer with us, please call our coordinators Rebecca (331 7816) or Peter (331 7809).

If you want to volunteer with your dog or would love a visit from a four-legged friend please call Bev (331 7817).

Notes

How safe is your home?

Complete this survey — reduce your risk of being burgled.

Doors and Windows

1. Are all locks to outside doors either dead locks or strong bolt locks? 2. Can door locks be opened by breaking a window and reaching through? 3. Can internal doors be locked? 4. Are all locks in good working order? 5. Do you lock the internal door from your garage? 6. Can you account for all copies of keys to your home? 7. Are window locks properly and securely mounted? 8. Do you keep windows locked when they are shut? 9. Do you use locks that allow windows to be secured partly open?

Garage

10. Do you lock your garage door at night? 11. Do you lock your garage door when away from home? 12. Do you have good secure locks on garage windows and doors? 13. Do you lock your car when its parked in your garage?

Holiday

14. Do you notify neighbours when away on holiday? 15. Do you have mail and circulars collected for you when you are away? 16. Do you stop deliveries and newspapers when on holiday? 17. Do you have shades up and lights on when on holiday? 18. Do you use timers on lights & radios to make it look like you are home? 19. Do you arrange to keep lawns and gardens maintained? 20. Are you a member of a neighbourhood support group?

Environment

21. Do you have sensor lights around your house? 22. Are shrubs and bushes well trimmed near your house and borders?

Safe Practices

23. Have you recorded all serial numbers and stored them away from home? 24. Have you uniquely marked valuable items (etch or invisible)? 25. Do you have a description of valuable property? 26. Have you displayed a sign that items are marked for identification? 27. Do you have an alarm? 28. Have you displayed a sign stating that your house is alarmed? 29. Do you report suspicious activity or people to Police immediately? 30. Do you know not to disturb anything if you are burgled? just to call Police?

Yes No

The Sustainable Living Programme is a practical, fun way to learn and use actions which reduce your environmental impacts.

It offers you future living skills for a healthier lifestyle and a new approach to making consumer choices. Waimakariri District’s residents can download the learning guides to find eco-building design or house renovation suggestions, see how to make their homes healthier, drier and warmer, and reduce their power bills (among other sustainable actions).

To register on-line go to http://www.sustainableliving.org.nz/SLP/Councils

click on the link for “Waimakariri” and then on

“sign up for access to the Sustainable Living

study guide”.

Future Living Skills

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