Leaflet of simple exercises

Posted on January 10, 2021 by KRusbridge


I make no apology for making another post about exercising. Parkinson’s UK is very clear that exercise is very important, indeed I have heard it called “the new medication”. Active Surrey has made a leaflet giving 6 very simple exercises which help with strength and balance. Enjoy!
Click here for leaflet

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Fitness with Flair

Posted on January 5, 2021 by KRusbridge

Brittany Roberts will be hosting her “Fitness with Flair” classes on-line starting on Friday 15th January. I’ve done several of these and I enjoy them. They are a good blend of exercises as such normally done seated and exercises built into simple dance routines. A good work-out for both body and mind! There will be ten weeks of classes from January to March. There is no commitment to attend all of them.
The classes are intended for people with Parkinson’s but are equally useful for a partner / spouse.
More details on Brittany’s flyer. Click on it to see the full sized version

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Using nordic walking poles

Posted on January 4, 2021 by KRusbridge

A member has let me know that he has found the use of nordic walking poles very beneficial. They help him balance and have therefore improved his mobility. One big advantage is that they are, in his words, “infinitely adjustable” so can be adjusted to suit your height.

So what are nordic walking poles? I’m not sure they are that much different from normal hiking poles, which might give you the same benefit. One point is that the base of the pole is a 45degree wedge which is intended to help propel you forwards. They are specifically intended for walking on more or less level ground.

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Links from October Newsletter

Posted on October 9, 2020 by KRusbridge

Here are the links from the October Newsletter. This should be easier than typing in the long web address.

Healthwatch survey for carers in Hampshire : click here

Healthwatch survey for carers in Surrey : click here

How to Tech guides : click here

Boredom Busters : click here

Dial-a-Ride and Fleet link buses : click here This will enable you to register for the service.

Hoppa bus in Waverley : click here

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More from Carers UK

Posted on August 14, 2020 by KRusbridge

Over 400 carers have now attended the Carers UK twice weekly online meet-ups. If you haven’t tried one yet, they’d love to see you there. On Mondays at 3pm they hold “Care for a Cuppa”, which is an opportunity for you to take a short break and share your experiences with other carers from across the UK.

On Thursdays at 3pm they run Share and Learn, where they invite external guests to facilitate sessions on many topics, from carer wellbeing to creative writing and music. In July, professional singer and carer, Jacky Webbe had everyone singing and dancing to a string of Motown hits!

To register for one or more of our online meet-ups, visit our website

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AskSara – an advice service for purchasing equipment

Posted on August 9, 2020 by KRusbridge

AskSara is a new website run by the Disability Living Foundation. It describes itself as  providing “Impartial advice about equipment to help make daily living easier.” It is fairly easy to navigate : you can choose from a range of options, you are asked some questions about what you find difficult, then you get a detailed report giving suggestions about how to cope and examples of equipment that you might find useful.

I went through the process answering the questions about memory just to see how it works. There were 17 questions and I got a document in response with a page for each issue raised. In some cases, there were several products suggested. So lots to look through; maybe better suited in some cases to a carer or family member looking at it with you

https://asksara.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/

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How to guides for using new technology

Posted on August 9, 2020 by KRusbridge

Do Zoom, WhatsApp, Siri etc, etc leave you feeling bamboozled? I know some of them make me feel that way. The Surrey Coalition of Disabled People have put together some useful How To … guides.

Click here to read them

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Amazing resources list when staying at home

Posted on July 27, 2020 by KRusbridge

I’ve come across the most amazing resources list which is described as boredom busters if you are staying at home. Click here to see it

I particularly enjoyed the live webcams : https://explore.org/livecams . I looked at this mid-afternoon and saw elephants at a watering-hole. How good is that?!

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Getting help to stay at home

Posted on July 9, 2020 by KRusbridge

I recently spoke to a member who had some simple improvements done at home which made it much easier for her husband to cope. Most obviously this was a wide step and a sturdy handrail at the front door.

She had “got the ball rolling” by calling Adult Social Services and that call led to a visit from an occupational therapist within a few days (and this was during the lockdown). She recommended some improvements which were completed promptly. It also led to some visits by a physiotherapist. So , just one phone call reaped rewards!

This was in Hampshire and the contacts are adult.services@hants.gov.uk Telephone : 0300 555 1390

I don’t have any information about how good the equivalent service is in Surrey. The contact details are as follows : contactcentre.adults@surreycc.gov.uk or call 0300 200 1005

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Exercise videos from Parkinson’s UK

Posted on June 30, 2020 by KRusbridge

During lockdown, Parkinsons’s UK have been putting up a series of videos to help you keep exercising. They are on YouTube and if you click here, you should get to a list of them.

Lots of choice including balance, seated exercises, aerobic exercises etc, even Qigong though I don’t know what that is! Each video typically last about 30 minutes though of course there is no need to complete a video in one go.

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