What's going on in the Agewell Local Forums

In May 2007 all six Agewell local forums have been involved in a number of pieces of work.

At  Tipton's Agewell local forum they heard from various guest speakers. First, from the Sandwell branch of the Parkinsons Disease Society, which offers information, support, social activities for patients and their carers. A network of volunteers also offers home visits. You can contact the branch on 0121 552 1783. Second, from PALS, the Patients Advice and Liaison Service. This offers help taking up concerns or complaints from the NHS. Within our forum this topic is hot, as members still report difficulties getting appointments and follow-up appointments at Neptune Health Centre. The message is, don't suffer in silence. Making a complaint may help other patients. PALS can be contacted on 0121 612 1436.  We are taking part in the public consultation about revising the Sandwell Plan, drawn up by the public agencies in the borough to improve and regenerate Sandwell and residents' quality of life.  We have also received an initial reply to our report about the bus network in Tipton and the difficulties people have in getting about. We shall be looking at this reply at our July meeting.

The West Bromwich Agewell local forumhave heard from new members who have started an older people's breakfast club in the Swan Village Area. At the same meeting we gave our views to the co-ordinators of practice based commissioning. This is where groups of GPs surgeries get together to plan and buy health services. Key concerns are access to GP services, improving chiropody and having a budget to tie in with social care services, which are the Council's responsibility.  We had a guest speaker from Energy Watch at our last meeting. This was to promote the priority service register for older and/or disabled customers. Registering gets you through more easily to the utility company and offers services such as adaptations, security password, bills in different formats, free annual safety check, advance warning of planned cuts in supply etc. You can register by contacting your gas/electricity/water supplier or by ringing Energy Watch on 0845 906 0708.  We also welcomed Miranda McCarthy and Ravi Jassal from the West Bromwich Town Team. The Town Team has proposed more formal links with Agewell West Bromwich, as the Town Team has taken up the needs of older people as one of its priorities.  We are taking part in the Sandwell Plan consultation too.

At the May meeting ofRowley Regis Agewell local forum   relaxation therapist Barbara Tarbuck attended.  Barbara ran a 45 minute session where she discussed various techniques that could be used at home for relaxation and then also ran a demonstration which everyone enjoyed.  The food team also attended and discussed with the group the various foods people ate in the past and how they compare to now, as well as cooking different foods that would be easy to make at home, yet very healthy.  These sessions followed on from what people requested at the older people's conference.

TheOldbury Agewell local forum elected to devote their entire meeting to a presentation from Sandwell Primary Care Trust's Food Team.  A number of members of the forum have an interest in healthy food and this generated a healthy conversation.  They also linked the discussion to an up and coming event - the Langley Summer Fete.  Forum members were eager to show what healthy foods were cooked from yesteryear for both young and old at the Langley Summer Fete, as they felt it was a good intergenerational opportunity.

Smethwick 's Agewell local forum's was a consultation exercise around the Sandwell Plan.  The Sandwell Plan is a review on how to transform Sandwell into a better place to live, work and visit. Sandwell Partnership had requested Agewell local forum members to undertake this consultation.  The results were very interesting, with in the main; health, quality of life and environment being the main issues for attendees.  The forum also decided at the next meeting they wanted to discuss the possibility of holding a older people's conference in Smethwick .

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