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This evening, MPs voted on the Welfare Reform and Work Bill. We (MS Society) are deeply disappointed to report they voted to reduce theEmployment and Support Allowance (ESA) for people in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) by £30 a week. Read on.
Source MS Society:
Shift.ms, the social network for people with MS, has launched an online tool to help people with MS ‘be kind to their mind’.
‘Thought Sort’ is the first online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) tool specifically designed for people with MS. It aims to help people cope with the uncertainty and complex range of emotions that accompany an MS diagnosis. Read on.
Equipment and Information News from Guideposts Independent Living Centre Team – February 2016New product, see the Compression Stocking section of our Resource Handbook (see the section under Clothing). A company in the UK now stock some coloured and patterned lymphedema gauntlets and gloves. PebbleUK ( 0800 433 4757 :www.pebbleuk.com Brief details: Supply a range of compression stockings, flight socks, diabetic support socks. UK supplier of Lymphedivas’ patterned gauntlets and gloves. https://www.lymphedivas.com/en/shop Noozie ( 020 3637 4760 : www.nooziecomfort.com Less risk of scalds from boiling water with the electric hot water bottle. The “bottle” is heated with a charger, so unlike microwaveable products you could reheat it in the bedroom. Useful for going on holiday or staying with friends. Again you can find details in our Resource Handbook. Look under the “hot water” bottles in the Bedroom section: Brief details: Supply pad which is heated to 65 degrees by a portable charger. The Après Dryer has been an effective tool for drying in the shower for many years but now Spanish designers Valiryo have brought out a much sleeker version, the Valiryo Body Dryer which fits discreetly into a modern bathroom. It has 23 air vents and the warm air starts automatically as you approach and switches off as you move away. Supplied in the UK from www.BathroomBasics.co.uk Après Dryer = Approx £700. Ornamin’s range of German designed food preparation eating and drinking equipment. The Oramin Mug has a chunky open hook handle for easy grip and the Thermo Mug Vital is insulated and has a cone shaped interior to enable drinking without head tilt. The Vital range of plates and bowls have a discreet lip for easy scooping and the Wave cutlery range has a high end design look with a nonslip grip. www.ornamin.com on sale from and Amazon. Oramin Mug Oramin Cutlery Thermo Mug Vital Bowl Designability: Innovations from Designability like the Blys™ modern light source. It provides low-level lighting that enables access to essential personal possessions during the night without disturbing sleep. It is controlled by a simple touch sensitive panel with choice of light intensities and is waterproof. Aquarius Hygiene has added the Dual Nozzle bidet which connects to the mains water and theirIntelligent Bidet, which has a dry facility, to their portable Bidet range. All their bidets fit to an existing toilet and only the mains-connected models need professional fitting. www.aquariushygiene.com Link to video of products http://www.aquariushygiene.com/2015/06/26/video-review-of-the-all-new-aquarius-porta-bidet/
Sliderz a way to move all kinds of heavy and awkward office furniture. A client with arthritis recently bought Sliderz as they found them useful for moving things around the home and office. See video clip – http://www.sliderz.co.uk/video/ Resource Handbook Find our updated version on this page of our web-sitehttp://www.guidepostsilc.org.uk/resource-handbook New and Updated Holiday factsheets follow this link to our web-site: http://www.guidepostsilc.org.uk/holidays
One of our visitors has stayed in this hotel, which has been added to our hotel factsheet:
Grants: Following an enquiry about grants from a former boxer and a postal worker, we have added information of a new grant-making trust, to our factsheets: View the ILC grants factsheets. http://www.guidepostsilc.org.uk/charitable-grants
Resources in the Reminiscence section of the Resource Handbook: Playlist for Life : www.playlistforlife.org.uk Brief details: Web-site which gives some tips and ideas of how to create a playlist for someone living with dementia. Prime Time Videos and Books : www.primetimevideo.co.uk Brief details: Supply wide range of nostalgic DVDs and books on farming, aviation and transport.
New product information about Platinum Stair lifts (look under the stair lift section in the Mobility section of the Resource Handbook) Platinum Stair lifts ( 01535 631177 : www.platinumrails.com “Supply Ergo Space stair lift for narrow curved stairs. Supply stair lift with Ergo Plus pad which may be suitable for people with shorter legs.” http://www.platinumstairlifts.com/products/ergo-space-seat/ Accessible housing in the Resource handbook just added this company: C3modular : www.c3smodular.com Brief details: Not a sales company, but provide “pod” style custom designed accommodation. Design and build an accessible pre-fabricated unit which can be lifted into place and linked onto an existing house. Special Effect: We’ve just discovered this national charity, who are based locally: Special Effect ( 01608 810055 : www.specialeffect.org.uk Brief details: Based in Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Special Effect is a games charity that specialise in creating customised controllers set ups to help people to play video games. Free To A Good Home: One of our clients has kindly donated an electric wheelchair. It is a Wheeltech Energi. If this second hand wheelchair is of interest, please contact the ILC. You would need to be able to collect it from our centre. It is too heavy to lift into the boot of a car. Useful numbers below to copy into your telephone book:
Guideposts Independent Living Centre Tel: 01235 524857 www.guidepostsilc.org.uk
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Think tank organisation Reform has suggested the Government reduce theEmployment and Support Allowance (ESA) by £60 a week for those in the Support Group.
Michelle Mitchell, our Chief Executive said: “This proposal shows no common sense thinking on welfare. The reality is some people are simply too unwell or disabled to work” Read on.
There is currently no system in the UK to get old drugs relicensed for new purposes without pharmaceutical sponsorship. There are a number of treatments which are off-patent (or soon to be) with promising clinical trialresults for people with MS. Read on.
It seems that Microsoft’s Kinect is definitely getting interesting use cases outside of gaming lately. For example, we told you last week how the technology allowed orangutans in an Australian zoo to play video games. Today, Microsoft is showcasing another innovative way to useKinect, in a partnership with the global healthcare company Novartis. Read on
Hormone levels are raised during pregnancy and pregnant women with MS usually have less disease activity when a hormone called estriol is increased. During the last three months of the pregnancy, relapses decrease by more than 70% when estriol reaches highest concentrations. –See more here
Source BBC:
Nearly 14,000 disabled people who rely on a specialist motoring allowance have had their cars taken away from them following government welfare changes.
Figures seen by the BBC show almost half of those having to be reassessed for this support under the changes lost their Motability vehicle. Read on.
Sue will be in on Friday Feb 26th from 11am and can speak informally to members. Unfortunately she cannot book individual appointments. There is a possibility that she could run an outreach clinic but MS members would need to go to their GP for a referral to their service. Sue will be able to give more information when she visits. It would be really great if lots of members come on 26th and let her know your views and to try and get this clinic up and running if you think it would be of benefit. Any questions please ask me.
Sue