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The meeting held on Friday October 10th. heard an extremely good and useful talk on various allowances and benefits from representatives of Essex County Council. Below is a very brief resume' of some of the points raised, but the general advice is that further advice and help should be sought should you believe that you may be entitled to an allowance or benefit. Some sources for that help and advice will be listed at the end of these notes. (Please note that bearing in mind the age of most of the members of Colchester BreatheEasy the notes will not cover benefits that may be available in respect of children or persons under retirement age but advice will still be available from the agencies shown below) Attendance Allowance. A non-means tested, tax free benefit for people aged 65 or over who need help with personal care or supervision. It is paid at two rates - the lower rate for people who need help during the day OR night- the higher for people who need help day AND night. Disability Living Allowance - A non-means tested, tax free benefit for people claiming for the first time under age 65 who need help looking after themselves and those who find it difficult to walk or get around. Carers Allowance. For those persons who CARE for someone for at least 35 hours per week and where the person being cared for is in receipt of an Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance at the middle or high rate of care. The carer must not be earning more than £95 per week. Carer does not have to be related to or living with the person being cared for. Payment of Carer's Allowance can affect the rate of benefit in payment to the person being cared for. Specialist advice should be sought before claiming Carers Allowance. Pension Guarantee Credit. Means tested benefit for those aged 60 and over, there is no upper capital limit .. People getting Pension Guarantee Credit automatically get help with rent and council tax. Pension Savings Credit. For those aged 65 and over to reward personal saving. No upper capital limits. Can be paid in addition to Pension Guarantee Credit or on its own Council Tax Benefit. For those who are liable to pay Council Tax and are on low income with savings of no more than £16,000. Housing Benefit - For those who pay rent and are on low income with savings of no more than £16,000 . The above notes are intended as a very brief and simple explanation and it should be emphasised that you would be advised to seek advice and help to apply for any of these benefits or others not mentioned. To apply about your eligibility for benefits phone The Pension Service local service team Tel. 01245 214306 Agencies that are willing to help you to proceed with a claim include: Citizens Advice Bureaux: Help The Aged: Age Concern ------------------------------------------------------------------------Benefits and Allowances. are you getting yours?
2008 Essex Lung Run
This two mile run was held at Maldon's Promenade Park on 31st. August.
The event included Craft stalls, children's entertainment and music as well as the run itself which was supported by 200 runners on a lovely sunny day at a beautiful location.
Below are shown some of the images of the day, if you were not there this time, make sure you dont miss next year's event!
Sleep Apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea was the subject chosen by our guest speaker at the August 2008 meeting.It was given by Dr Tim Howes, consultant respiratory physician at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and a regular visitor to Colchester BreatheEasy meetings. Dr Howes, who leads the Trust’s sleep apnoea service, said: "There was a time when middle-aged men who snore loudly were a bit of a music hall joke but if it’s as the result of sleep apnoea it’s no laughing matter. There is some evidence to show that those with OSA are at greater risk of developing high blood pressure which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Research has also shown that someone who has been derprived of sleep, due to OSA, has the same impairment in reaction time, and judgement, as someone who is over the drink-drive limit. Obstructive sleep apnoea is a condition which causes interruptions in breathing during sleep and most people with it snore loudly. In the UK, it is estimated that about 3.5% or men and 1.5% of women have OSA. The condition is most common in people who are aged 40 or over, although it can affect people of all ages, including children. oooOOOooo
The Group
held its Annual General Meeting in July with reports given on the financial state of the group and the election or re-appointment of Committee Members
Chairman: John Price
Treasurer : Peter Wilkinson
Secretary : Jim Edwards
Membership Secretary : Maurice Foster
Publicity : Doug Hasseler
Catering : Rose Hewitt
Exercise Class Co-ordinator : Colin Bennett
Medical Advisers : Jill Carr and Kate Welham
At the June Meeting
Stephanie Lee-Barrett
who is a Dietitian employed at the Dietetic Department of the
Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust
gave diet advice that was of particular interest to people with COPD and other similar complaints
The full presentation can now be seen by selecting the appropriate subject heading on the menu in left hand side of this page
Our April meeting featured an illustrated talk on Garden Birds
This was by Roger Hance who combines his interests in photography and bird watching to great effect. This was enjoyed by all present and it is clear that bird watching is one of those interests that even us 'heavy breathers' can follow, often not having to do anything more strenuous that looking out of the window!
Some Examples
For further information why not visit the RSPB site ( http://www.rspb.org.uk )
RABBIT, RABBIT, RABBIT !
February 1st is White Rabbit Day ! whats all that about then ?
"Rabbit Rabbit!" can only be said once between each pair of relatives, and only on the first day of the month, and it goes only in one direction: If I say "Rabbit Rabbit!" to my brother, he cannot say it back to me; instead, he can only say something like "You got me (or 'You Rabbit Rabbited me'), but I'll get you next month." "Rabbit Rabbit!" does not have to be spoken, but can be written in a letter.
Well, that's one explanation but in the case of Colchester BreatheEasy February 1st. meant GOOD LUCK!
Two bits of good luck to be exact.
LINE DANCING !
Firstly we were entertained to a demonstration of Line Dancing by members of the Divine Line Dance Club, this was great fun and our members were given the opportunity to join in too!
ooOOoo
The following is taken from the pages of the web page for The British Lung Foundation, follow the link for more information.
BLF reveals UK’s top ‘hotspots’ for life-threatening lung disease COPD
The country’s top ‘hot spots’ for lung disease COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) have been highlighted in a new risk map launched by the British Lung Foundation.
COPD is the UK’s fifth biggest killer, claiming around 30,000 lives a year, yet nine out of ten people in the UK have never heard of it.
The risk map is part of a report by the British Lung Foundation which pinpoints specific areas in the country where people are most at risk of being hospitalised with COPD.
The British Lung Foundation carried out this research to help find the estimated 2.8 million people in the UK who have COPD and don’t know it. These people are the ‘missing millions’.
You can read more about World COPD Day by visiting the BLF site (http://www.britishlungfoundation.org/ ) and download a copy of the Invisible Lives report below.
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Colchester Breathe Easy is part of the BLF Support Network
British Lung Foundation, 73-75 Goswell Road, London EC1V 7ER
Charity Number 326730
