General Chat

Hi again, while the sun is shining. The storm is the size of Australia, so will take a while to pass over. I missed the forecast on TV last night, with the power off but the newspaper that I read online says the storm will last a few days.

Sharron, I filled a thermos with boiling water before the power went off, but then I dont drink tea very often so havent touched it. I will boil it up again and refill for tonight. It is nice to know it is there. If need be I can have a cuppa soup and bread for dinner, or a packet of noodles. My needs are simple. Anyway we have a camping gas cooker downstairs if I can see how to work it. I think I know how, I have a reasonably technical brain.

Huia.

Isnt Gr a wonderful way to keep in touch with the ouside world. I had such a kind lady from NZ pm me this morning, offering to send me a herbal remedy that she knew of that had been used on leg ulcers. I had to explain that I was having treatment from the surgery. but it was such akind offer.

Yes, Jean, very wise to stick with the approved treatment but if it doesnt work you could always ask the doc if you could try the other. It probably involved Manuka honey. Some people swear by it for all sorts but the honey is expensive. Apparently it does have some properties that are good for healing things.

I dont know how many visitors the residents of Phils home will have today. I was going to visit as there was supposed to be a bit of a lull in the storm, but I might be better off at home. There could be roads blocked by fallen trees and power poles, and then there are some people who do not drive to the conditions, and at present the conditions are not good. The carers can care for Phil. I will care for myself.

Huia.

Hi Huia,

I hope you are ok and the storm has passed now. Good idea to fill the flask but hope you didn't reboil the water that was in there - use it on a plant or something and use fresh if you can.

I had put in my previous post about the Manuka honey, it is good stuff but as you say, expensive. You can get it here but I would only buy it for health reasons if all else had failed as with my late neighbour and her ulcer.

Jean, I agree, such a wide choice of info and input from everyone, it's lovely and speads goodwill worldwide. I am so glad I learned how to use the computer and emails and boards such as this, if I ever became housebound it would be a wonderful way to keep in touch with people. My cousin who is 73 pooh poohs the idea but she cannot get about as well as she did and I fear she will regret not making the effort. Most of her family live in Scotland and she is in Buckinghamshire so only her son to help her out and the warden at the flats she is connected to from her little bungalow. Most of her friends are the same age group so might become less able to visit her too.

take care all

Lizxx

I did go to see Phil this morning after all. He opened his eyes once and looked at me briefly, but the rest of the time he had his eyes shut, even when he was presumably awake (scratching his neck). I didnt stay long as I wanted to get home before the weather turned bad again. It started to rain just after I got home, so nice timing. The weather report tonight is predicting more of the same bad weather until Friday :((( I am heartily sick and tired of it. I just want to go into hibernation until it improves. I have 2 fan heaters going at the moment, one to keep me warm and the other for the cat, otherwise she gets between me and the warmth! I wont be lighting the fire while the weather is so stormy, so my next power bill will probably be higher than usual. Still, I must take care of myself.

Huia.

Hi to All the Wonderful Carers

Hope you & yours are all well.

I have just watched a Documentary 'Alzheimers The Musical' made by the BBC.
It is a great show, showing how even though some can't communicate with words they do with singing. They have set up groups in the UK called Singing for the Brain where Carers and Alzheimer Sufferers go once a week and sing their hearts out. You can find it here
http://www.abc.net.au/iview/?series=3044711#/series/3044711

I watched it on ABC2 in Australia.

I would love to be able to get a copy of it for training purposes as I work in Aged Care Dementia Specific and think it would be great for all of the Carers to watch it. If anyone could help me find a copy I would be greatful, willing to pay any costs. I have tried BBC website to no avail.

Cheers
Ingrid

Hi there Ingrid. Sorry cant help with your request. There is a group in Auckland which sings. I think they are all Alzheimers sufferers. I havent seen/heard them though. In my husbands home they get a musician in once a month to play guitar and keyboard and sing to them. Some of the carers and relatives join in the singing, and the carers get some of the residents up to dance. There are also bells and maracas and tambourines and other instruments handed around for anybody to use. I am not sure how much some of the residents appreciate it but I enjoy myself!

Huia.

Hi Huia

Sounds like fun.Glad you enjoy it. I do Community Care so am on the road and in peoples own homes and sometimes we put on the music and sing while we are doing what we have to do ie: showers,cleaning, cooking or just sitting there. They enjoy it and wonder why I know all the old songs.

Hugs

I was brought up on the old songs so know quite a lot of them and of the singers too. All the wrong generation for me, I will puzzle the carers when and if they try to get me to join in! Dad used to play accordion on charabanc trips.

Hi Huiagladyouarefeelingwarmernow......

But it can still get cold at night eh what? We went down to Wellington for a few days and they turned on the windy cold for us - all very kind of them. My daughter had a $200 voucher to spend at Logan Brown so we dined in style on Sunday evening... My SIL and I had mains that were $48 and my daughter and her father had $52 so that was the $200 wiped before we had bread and dips and drinks etc.

We were at Howick village church a while back with my grandson and they sang "Tell me the Old Old Story" - one which my dad used to sing when he wasn't singing "I'll take you home again Kathleen" which rather amused me as my mother-in-law was called Kathleen.

Ingrid - you might like to watch the movie "As it is in Heaven" it is in English and Swedish (with sub titles) the singing is really lovely and it is a terrific story - it ran here in Auckland for a full year at one theatre. It brought a tear to my eye and those that attended when we did all thoroughly enjoyed it.

And yes good old Manuka honey does do wonders for people.

My OH has been making alterations in one of our spare bedroom wardrobes - sort of gives a new meaning to coming out of the closet when I call him for meals. LOL

Cheers to all - Persey ((xx))

Yes,they do play all the old songs in the residential homes. How things will change in the not too distant future when my generation are residing there.We coincide with the rise of the Stones,Meatloaf,Black Sabbath.
Pipes and rolies,I don't think so.Spliffs and bongs more like.A whole new set of challenges await the staff and how we will enjoy setting them,tee-hee!

Hi Perse, havent bumped into you on the boards for a while. I am wondering how Bob and his BH are getting on. I might send him a PM in the hopes of hearing from him.

Huia.

Hi all. I sent Bob a PM. His BH seems to have settled in very well. It sounds like a nice caring place like the one Phil is in. In fact, Bob would like to move in there too as the food is so good. Trust a man to think of his stomach. But then so do I!

Huia.

I have received an e-mail from a seed/supplier affering me the narcissus lucky dip. Considering what I won the first time, I don't think I will deal with anything narcissistic again if I can help it!

Sharron, that was a bit below the belt wasnt it? Not that they know. I love daffs, not quite so keen on the scent of jonquils these days though, I find it too strong.

Huia.

Oops.I didn't even mean to put that on this thread.You may know that my mother had narcissistic personality disorder.

Ingrid
have you looked on this site
http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/news_article.php?newsID=585

gives this link at the bottom of page for more info

For more information about Singing for the Brain go to:

alzheimers.org.uk/singingforthebrain

Huia -

I was out at Hunua yesterday - went to the Presbyterian Church Cemetery there - found a few of my "quiet" relatives.
I was meeting a friend and her little girl for lunch at Papakura so thought I would pop out to Hunua first.

I hope I don't start singing without realising it as I get older - I will be banned from the resthome.

Persey

Persey, my sister had a friend at high school called Hannah C. She was delighted to meet up with her again recently.

Huia.

Ingrid, I have just had an email newsletter from the Centre for Brain Research at Auckland Uni. They have a neurological choir called CeleBRation Choir. You can look at the website www.cbr.auckland.ac.nz

They say it is a social singing group for people with nerological conditions such as stroke or Parkinson's disease. I dont know if there are any singers in it with Alzheimers. Their Christmas concert is on Sat 11 Dec at 3pm if you can get over to Auckland then!

I have a postal address and phone number and email address for them if you want to contact them. The communications and liaison manager is Laura Fogg. PM me with your email addy if you want more info.

Huia.