Better homes, better lives

Livingwell News

InsideP2 MEMORY LANE

P5 FOOTIE ACES

P5 PANCAKE FUN

P6 COOK SAFE

GETTING INVOLVED

ISSUE 39 | SPRING 2018

24/7

INSIDE SHAPING OUR SERVICE MOVE MORE WIN A £25 SHOPPING VOUCHER

Live your life well!OUR new Livingwell service

is all about helping you live independently in

your own home for as long as you can.

Livingwell services are up and running in complexes across your communities.

And from singalongs to selfie sessions, parties to pancakes, high teas to high jinx, there’s a whole

host of activities that you can get involved with.

We’re helping you get active, meet new people and putting you in control of the service you receive.

There are lots of events happening, so look inside to find out more about what has been happening and how you can get involved.

2 News

Find us on Facebook at GHA: www.facebook.com/glasgowhousing Cube: www.facebook.com/CubeHA Loretto Housing: www.facebook.com/LorettoHA

Find us on Twitter at GHA: @glasgowhousing Loretto Care: @LorettoCare Loretto Housing: @LorettoHA

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Say cheese!

PEOPLE have been doing it in space, in the jungle and celebrities and politicians love it.

And now our tenants have got in on the selfie trend – with a festive twist.

Tenants got a selfie stick and some Christmas-themed costumes to take some pictures.

Manager Bridget Martin said: “We all had a great time.”

TENANT Ida Gibson took a trip down memory lane – with a little help from

Glasgow Life.Our staff helped her

borrow one of Glasgow Life’s Reminiscence Kits made up of objects from their archive.

The kits contain different items from the past, grouped into themes such as football, cinema, Glasgow tenement life or different decades. The boxes spark conversation and memories as well as giving people a chance to learn new things

about Glasgow and its people.Area Care Manager Liz

Smith said: “It was a joy to see how much Mrs Gibson enjoyed the session.

“She had such genuine interest and enthusiasm in learning new things.”

Meanwhile, tenants at the Wyndford, in Maryhill, also got in on the act with their tenement life memory box. They shared memories of growing up in Glasgow and everyone got a Scottish tea cake to take home and enjoy later.

Box of memories

CONVERSATION PIECE: Ida Gibson with

her Glasgow Life Reminiscence Kit

News 3

THANK you to everyone who got in touch to tell us what you thought of

our proposals for your new Livingwell service.

We listened carefully to what you told us during our local events and through the responses you sent us.

We know you appreciated being able to tell us your views and we found your feedback really valuable in shaping the new service.

You’ll have access to daily staff visits, a great range of leisure and social activities, and OKEachDay, a tried-and-tested service that gives you control over the levels of daily contact they want, as well as better access to news and information and easier ways to report repairs.

The full package of services available for tenants in our Livingwell complexes includes:■■ daily face-to-face visits for

tenants who want them from a dedicated mobile team■■ contact when it suits, for

example, in the evening and at weekends■■ our staff, or volunteers, on

site at certain times seven days a week■■ our Livingwell Advisors, working

in small local teams as part of wider area hubs, providing cover 365 days a year■■ a wider range of leisure and

social activities for tenants to take part in■■ opportunities for tenants to

take part in volunteering

■■ a tried-and-tested OkEachDay service where tenants press a button to let us know everything is fine at their property and, if not, receive a call from a friendly person■■ you’ll also have access to

your own local housing officer, a repairs team, including a handyperson service, advisors who can help with budgeting, benefits and fuel bills, great online services and a 24/7 customer call centre.

The Livingwell services are operated by Loretto Care, a Wheatley Group partner and one of Scotland’s leading care and support providers, on behalf of GHA, Cube and Loretto Housing. The OKEachDay part of the service is operated by Alertacall.

If you have more complex or critical needs, we would help arrange an assessment for a care package by the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.

Our Livingwell services replaced our Sheltered Housing services at the start of April, after funding was withdrawn by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.

Thank you for helping us shape your service

Love is in the air for our Valentines! OUR Valentine’s Disco gave couples – and singles – the chance to get together to celebrate the power of love.

Bill and Veronica Muirhead, who have been married for 36 years, were one of the couples celebrating.

The couple met at St Roch’s Football Club.

Veronica said: “Bill asked me to dance, but I told him: ‘Why would I dance with you? I don’t like you.’ The rest is history.

“My advice for a happy marriage is to put up with each other and have lots of patience.”

May McFadyen shared her top tips for a happy marriage, saying: “Have lots of good humour, unite with your family and don’t forget your roots.”

There was a lovely buffet cooked by Susan Gilchrist and Veronica – thank you, ladies.

WEDDED BLISS: Veronica and Bill

YOUR VIEWS: We listened

4 News

TENANTS from across Glasgow got together for new sessions designed to

help them enjoy the benefits of getting more exercise.

The Sit Less, Move More sessions see researchers from the University of Glasgow come to Moffat Street in the Gorbals to give tenants top tips on how they can make

sure they get moving enough.People taking part have been

kitted out with ‘activators’ – pedometers to count their steps and encourage them to get moving – as well as tips and ideas to make sure they don’t sit for too long.

They also do practical exercises to gently move their muscles

Sit less, move more

Exercise sessions show tenants how easy it is to take a few simple steps to improve their mobility

LET'S MOVE: tenants practice exercises

Pupils serve up a treat for tenants SCHOOL pupils dropped in to lay on a special afternoon tea for our older tenants.

Students from Lochend Community High School in Easterhouse served up soup, sandwiches and cakes they had made for people at Sandford Gardens.

The tenants at Sandford

were joined by ladies from Marfield Street, Smithycroft and Elmslie Court.

It was the first in a series of events the pupils are putting on to get to know the older people in their community.

Tenant Betty Brunton said: “It was very good. They were very well-mannered kids.”

News 5

Putting their best foot forward

OUR Brockburn Road football aces scored a prize from a national charity for their efforts to help their community get active.

Tenants were given a certificate from Paths for All, which works to increase the number of people walking in Scotland.

Our football stars earned an award for their efforts at weekly walking football sessions, which are held every week at Dennis Donnelly Park in Corkerhill.

Walking football is a slowed-down version of the beautiful game that everyone can enjoy – regardless of whether your best days are behind you or even if you have never played before.

If you want to get involved, speak to a member of staff at your service.

to help improve their mobility and boost their energy levels, improve their mood and combat sore or stiff muscles. Older adults spend more than 70 per cent of their waking day sitting down, but experts say you should try to get up every 20 minutes.

Mary Thomson, from Anniesland, said: “I have been

making sure I get up during the ad breaks while I am watching television. I have found it really interesting to see how much more I have been moving.

“Even getting up every 20 minutes makes a difference and it has been good fun coming here and trying something different.”

IN STEP: Mary Thomson’s ‘activator’ is helping to make a real difference

TENANTS at our Marfield Street Service in Carntyne enjoyed a flipping good time as they celebrated Shrove Tuesday.

They got together with staff to enjoy the traditional teatime treat cooked up by tenant Marion Broadly. About 20 tenants came along for the event, which was followed up by a First Aid talk.

Marfield Street Livingwell Advisor Marian Hassan said: “Everyone said it was lovely.”

TEATIME TREAT: Pancakes at Marfield Street

Shrove Tuesday is just pantastic!

PATHFINDERS: Marie and James were thrilled with their certificates

KICKABOUT: The walking football team in action

6 News

MY STORY MARIAN HASSAN

Which complex do you work in?I work in Marfield Amenity in Carntyne. What do you enjoy about your job? It is such a positive place to work. I enjoy everything, from organising activities to having a chat with the tenants. I love getting the chance to get involved with all the different activities that are on offer at the development.

What did I do before you joined us?I worked with an agency as housing support officer and home care.

What is the latest news from your complex?Tenants had fun making pancakes to celebrate Shrove Tuesday and we also had a first aid talk. Before Christmas, we were visited by two Shetland ponies, who brought a smile to everyone’s face.

OUR tenants are helping cut the risk of fire by learning how to cook

safely in the kitchen.Cooking incidents account for

more than one third of incidents attended by Scottish Fire and Rescue in our communities.

Tenants at our Brockburn Road complex in Pollok went to a special cook safe demonstration.

They enjoyed a fire safety talk from a Scottish Fire and

Rescue officer and a cooking demonstration by cook safe staff – including making soup, using a chip pan safely and knocking up a delicious dessert.

The programme is a good way of educating people on the dangers of fire, safer cooking practices and healthy eating – and everyone who went along said they had a great time.

We’ll be holding more sessions throughout the year.

Tenants enjoy creating some delicious treats in the kitchen – while keeping out of harm’s way

Tasty lesson in staying safe

LESSONS: cooking in safety

Protect yourself from trips and fallsTHE majority of accidents involving older people are falls.

The most serious accidents involving older people usually happen on the stairs or in the kitchen. The bedroom and the living room are the most common locations for accidents in general.

Falls affect more than one third of people over 65 and 40 per cent of people over 80. Follow this advice to stay safe:■■ avoid leaving items

on the stairs – they can become a tripping hazard■■ ensure stairs are

well maintained, with damaged or worn carpet repaired■■make sure landings, stairs

and hallways are well lit ■■make sure banisters are

sturdy.Worn rugs, slippery floors

or paths, uneven surfaces, trailing flexes and items left lying around can increase the danger of slips and trips.

Spills on the floor should be cleaned up immediately to prevent slipping.

For more information on staying safe from trips and falls, visit the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents website at www.rospa.com

News 7

NHS’s vital tips to spot cancer

WE gave our tenants a helping hand with their health – with some help from our NHS friends.

Elaine Murray, from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, popped in to visit Marfield Street in Carntyne for an information session on spotting the signs of breast cancer.

Alice O’Neill said the session was “nice and very beneficial”, while Ann McCabe added that it was “very educational” and she would also make sure her daughters also went along for a screening.

We also have a screening programme in place, so make sure you come to your appointment.

COMPLIMENTS, COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS

WE want to do everything we can to get things right the first time, but sometimes that isn’t the case. We received one complaint in December, which was about the service. We resolved it by talking directly to the families involved. We shared your experience with staff and managers, so we can learn from what happened so it doesn’t happen again.

We also received comments and compliments on the activities we put on at your

service. People said they enjoyed getting together and having fun. We appreciate you getting in touch - so keep telling us about your experiences.

SIMPLE WAYS TO BE SAFE IN THE KITCHENMORE fires start in the kitchen than in any other room in the house.

The most important thing to do is to make sure you have a working smoke alarm.

You should also consider fitting a heat alarm in your kitchen.

Follow our general cooking advice to help you stay safe in the kitchen. ■■make sure your cooker is or

has been fitted properly by a qualified fitter

■■ keep your oven, cooker and grill clean and make sure there’s no fat on it■■ keep tea towels, cloths

and kitchen paper away from the cooker■■ keep fats and oils away

from the cooker■■ cook with handles

turned to the side to avoid pans spilling■■ use a flameless lighter

on gas cookers instead of matches or a lighter.

■■ THE fire officers from Calton fire station popped along to the Sword Street service in Dennistoun to make sure everyone had information they needed to stay safe from fire at home. Everyone who was there will also get a free home fire safety visit.

Tenant Jane Dryburgh said: “It was a very worthwhile event.”

CONTACT USGHA: 0800 479 7979Cube: 0800 027 3456Loretto Housing: 0800 952 9292Loretto Care: 0800 952 9292

Tasty lesson in staying safe

Singalong funTENANTS at the Anniesland service recently had one of their renowned ‘singalong’ afternoons with some hot drinks and treats.

Local resident Benny, who also sings in the local area, said: “I love to get up and sing. I go to a couple of local pubs and sing – everyone enjoys themselves and it’s good to see all my friends come along and enjoy themselves.”

8 News

N A U E R W W R T N E V D A G

O O T A T F A R E Q L N X E N

I O T N L S C V T K J Z G I I

A S W O A A H F U N C B W O D

N I D M R S T C R P H A K M D

M U J O A C A N K I U H R H U

R B L F J N A J E I J E J C P

C S I C F T G R Y H K E E N U

Z J H Q I S L E I G H R A S H

X Y C V W B U T R O P T Q U U

W G I I N V Z K R P E L Z W L

Y T Z O J H O A P A J D Y Z P

Y S T N E S E R P A V H G N Y

Y I O L C K C U K O U O S H W

U X A W I B Q D R V D G Q D Y

WORDSEARCH

YOUR DETAILS:

Name:

Address:

THE winner of the wordsearch in the last newsletter was Margaret Donald from our Freeland Court

complex, in Priesthill, who won a £25 gift voucher. She was delighted to receive her prize, along with these lovely spring flowers, from our Area Care Manager Liz Smith. Margaret won a competition when she first moved to the service 23 years ago and was thrilled to win again.

You could be a winner too. To enter our latest wordsearch, just draw a line through each word listed below and send the completed wordsearch to us by 31 May 2018.

Win a £25 gift voucher Do you know the answers?

1. William Wordsworth, 2. Mars, 3. Vernal equinox, 4. Igor Stravinsky, 5. Dusty Springfield, 6. Chris Packham, Martin Hughes-Games, Michaela Strachan, Gillian Burke, Simon King, 7. Germany, 8. Hare, 9: Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, formerly Yorkhill

1. Which poet celebrated daffodils in his most famous poem?2. Which Roman God is the month March named after?3. What is the first day of spring called? 4. Who wrote the music for the Rite of Spring?5. What seasonal-sounding recording name did Mary O’Brien use to record her hits, including I Only Want To Be With You?6. Name one presenter of BBC’s Springwatch programme7. In which European country did the Easter Bunny originate?8. And what animal was he originally? 9. Which charity is Glasgow’s annual Easter Egg bike run held in aid of?

SPRING QUIZ

Last issue’s wordsearch answers:

B M N L W G B L Y M G WR C M O A W I C L B N I

C I H R S D R P F A I Q

X L D A O A M V R F R AD E O F N O E E E L P VN Z F C O G R S T O S RF A C L K K E M T W W HD T B U N N Y D U E A OS U N S H I N E B R R IC I N C I P D Y K E M OV Q K Q R X C Y S I P SW P V D P Z K K U D R Q

For the chance to win a shopping voucher, send your completed entry with your name and address to: Livingwell News competition,FREEPOST RTJU-TRRA-GHKA,Livingwell News,Wheatley Group,Wheatley House25 Cochrane Street,Glasgow G1 1HLOr simply pass your completed wordsearch to your Livingwell Advisor who will make sure it’s entered into the draw. Good luck!

This wordsearch is all about spring:

BLOOMBUNNYBUTTERFLYCHANGECLOCKDAFFODILFLOWERGARDENPICNICSEASONSPRINGSUNSHINEWARM