Welcome to my home office space. I usually coordinate the Companion Walking Service but since the lockdown I am coordinating our wonderful volunteers to do shopping, and our 'phone a friend' and penpal service.

As you can see, I get a quarter of the dining table. As my husband is also working from home, he gets the study and our youngest son who is 24 spends his time mostly in his bedroom or in the kitchen! We are all addicted to Catan Settlers hence the reason it is constantly left out on the table. We play every night, sometimes two or three games depending on how long the games take.

I have all that I need: my laptop, A4 notepad, phone and map (and a regular cup of tea). As we only moved to Wellington from Nelson last year I am still unfamiliar with the location of some of the suburbs and find it easier to look at an old fashioned map as opposed to one on the computer. I have only been working for Age Concern for six months but love my role. I really enjoy meeting new clients and have been getting to know my way around Wellington thanks to sat nav. I then get to meet lots of amazing volunteers, recruit and train them, and match them up with clients. We go for the first walk together and I then get to see the enjoyment on the faces of clients who are so appreciative to get support from a volunteer. I normally spend a couple of days in the office, and a couple out and about visiting clients.

Like many others right now, it is a challenge working from home. Our team does connect three times a week, and it is great to see them and have their support. Our team is receiving lots of referrals from people with no support and some who are unable to cook, so we are busy organising food bags, volunteers to do shopping for them and helping those who need someone to talk to.

If you need help, please call 04 499 6648 or email info@ageconcernwellington.org.nz. Thank you to our volunteers, we appreciate all your help and I am looking forward to meeting you in the future.

I hope you all keep well and remember to have a daily walk - we all benefit physically and mentally from getting outside in the fresh air.

Lynn

We're connecting isolated people through email, phones, and/or the post.

If you would like to become a penpal or a phone friend, whether you're young or old, please contact me and I can put you in touch with someone who would love to hear from you. Call Lynn 04 499 6654 or email cws@acwellington.org.nz.

It is fantastic that at such a difficult time we are able to connect people for a chat. There are such a lot of people on their own who are anxious and feeling very isolated. The following is a couple of examples that have recently registered with our phone friend service.

• A woman who recently lost her husband told us it was wonderful to have a phone friend as she was feeling lonely and it was interesting talking to someone she didn’t know about different topics. She said it was nice to hear about her volunteer's life, where she had worked, and places she had visited.
• A client who lives with family and usually  visits a dementia unit each day was really pleased to have someone to talk to. He had been missing the interaction of other people that was part of his daily routine. Now he looks forward to a chat each morning with his volunteer.
• Two widows who have recently become email pals are really enjoying writing to each other. They plan to meet up after the pandemic is over. It is so heartening to be part of bringing two people together that are on their own and forming a new friendship!

If you would like to be a volunteer or would like to register to receive a phone call or email, contact 04 499 6648 or info@ageconcernwellington.org.nz.

We have a temporary shopping service for isolated seniors. We have many volunteers offering to help with shopping so if you, or someone you know, needs help please call 04 499 6648 or email info@ageconcernwellington.org.nz

If you'd like to volunteer to help, please go to our website for more information and to sign-up. We look forward to working with you.

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who are already helping us!

You can now watch Ann Dalziel, our Health Promotions Coordinator, demonstrate a Steady As You Go Exercise Class on YouTube here! If you used to participate in Say Go Exercise Classes, you canalso order a CD for $12 including postage. Call Ann: 04 499 6648 or email info@ageconcernwellington.org.nz

Remember - get up and walk around every 1½ hours, make a drink, do a little job in the house or just walk around and look out of the window.  

Keep healthy, keep moving!

We've asked Dr Rosie Gibson, a Researcher at Massey University's Sleep/Wake Research Centre, to give an online presentation on sleep. Her studies focus on how sleep changes with ageing and its relationship to health and wellbeing.

If you have any questions about sleep please send them to us at ea@ageconcernwellington.org.nz or call 04 499 6648 and we'll ask her to answer them in her presentation

We'll share the link to the presentation in the next newsletter!

• COVID-19 Healthline 0800 358 5453
• For general health issues, phone your doctor
• For emergencies dial 111
• For non-emergency police matters dial 105
• If you are feeling anxious or just need someone to talk to call or text 1737
• Elder Abuse Helpline 0800 32 668 65
• If you need to discuss your entitlements phone the MSD Senior Services line 0800 552 002
• Government Helpline on 0800 779 997 or on 0800 22 66 57 (8am–1am, 7 days a week). Anyone is welcome to call with any non-health-related concerns. They can offer assistance in a number of ways
• If you don't have somewhere safe to stay during the lockdown please call the Temporary Accommodation Service on 0508 754 163

• If you don't have the essentials you need to get through lockdown (such as food, medication or cleaning supplies), in the first instance please try calling a neighbour, family member who lives nearby, or friend who lives nearby. You could also check the availability for shopping online. If these options are not available to you, then please call the Wellington Region COVID-19 Helpline 0800 141 967 (7am-7pm, 7 days a week). This is a last resort number.

If you’ve recently received an email asking you to renew your rego, please check the email details carefully.

If the email was genuinely sent from the NZ Transport Agency, it will include your specific vehicle details (eg your plate number, vehicle make and the licence expiry date on the rego label on your vehicle).

If your email doesn’t include your specific vehicle details, or you think there’s anything suspicious or incorrect, do not complete the online renewal transaction the email links you to. If you think you’ve received a scam email, or you’re unsure about anything, please email us info@nzta.govt.nz

By Pauline Walton for Grey Matters

I was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment two years ago, when I was 72. I found that I was forgetting things more often, and sometimes getting a bit lost while driving. It was pretty scary, and I can be quite an anxious person anyway, which doesn’t serve me well. But what I’ve found is that being more mindful helps a lot. For example, sometimes I would go to do something around the house, like get a pair of socks from the drawers, but then I’d forget what I was there to do. So now, rather than get anxious and stressed about it, I concentrate on my breathing, which really brings me back into the moment and allows me to concentrate on what I was doing. Then I can carry on with things. It works for me and I would recommend it to others who have these annoying mind-blanks. But I’m interested to hear what other people do as well. Any other tips out there?

For more stories like this go to www.greymatters.co.nz

Grey Matters is a new website for people who are experiencing changes to their memory and thinking. It is a place where you can:

• Learn about the ageing brain
• Explore stories and strategies
• Share your own tips, tricks and experiences with others.

If you have access to the Internet, this new website has a lot of useful information about COVID-19. Learn the simple steps you can take to unite against the virus and slow its spread. Find out what help is available and get the latest updates: https://covid19.govt.nz

We all have a role to play in saving lives. Be calm. Be kind. Stay at home to stop the spread of COVID-19.

• Pot-up some cuttings
• Set up a bird feeder and watch the birds
• Try star gazing on clear Autumn nights

Careerforce has put together some useful hand hygiene resources on their website. Did you know:

• To effectively wash your hands it takes at least 20 seconds from when your hands are damp with water or sanitiser. That's about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice.
• It is important to dry your hands completely as germs tend to multiply in warm wet environments.

Good hand hygiene breaks the cycle of infection. For more useful information and tips, please click here.

Countdown supermarkets is working to prioritise vulnerable customers who want to use their online shopping service. This includes people over 70. If you have online access, you can register here shop.countdown.co.nz. If you need help with the Priority Assistance application process please call the Countdown dedicated number 0800 477 655

Help us keep vulnerable babies safe and warm - one square at a time!

You can help to ensure that every Little Sprouts box has a wonderful, safe baby blanket by creating peggy squares, grannie squares or charm squares for baby blankets.

All yarn needs to be 100% natural (wool, bamboo etc) and all fabric needs to be 100% cotton. This is very important to ensure safe sleeping.

Simply knit, crochet or cut as many peggy squares, grannie squares or charm squares as you can and drop them to us or send them to us! Our wonderful Craft Angels will turn them into amazing blankets for babies in real need! They will all be given away for free to babies via our fantastic Charity Partners.

Ordinarily, we have a number of different drop off points for your squares and you can also post them to us. However, at this stage our operations in New Zealand are temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. We will update this site and our Little Sprouts Facebook page after the lockdown.

Square Details

Peggy squares

• Knit a 16cm square using 100% wool Double Knit/8 ply yarn in all natural fibres

• Using 4.5mm needles you will need to cast on around 30 stitches

Grannie squares

• Crochet a 16cm square in any pattern using 100% wool Double Knit/8 ply yarn in all natural fibres

Charm squares

• Cut a 5” square in 100% cotton quilting fabric

By now you may be looking for other things to do. How about something uplifting and add some colour into your life with a home manicure. Follow the suggested routine below and end up with beautiful hands to be proud of.

If you have dry hands, thoroughly wash and dry your hands, then smother in almond/olive oil and sugar. Put your hands in a plastic bags or cover in glad wrap and keep warm for 15 minutes. Remove bags and wash under the tap rubbing your hands back and front: the sugar acts as an exfoliator. Then dry and apply hand cream.

Next get all that you need together into a nice basket or on a tray: nail scissors, emery board, wooden orange stick, cuticle remover if you have some, nail polish remover, cotton wool and your favourite nail polish, including base coat. If you haven’t done the above treatment then soak your hands in a bowl for 3-4minutes and dry. Sitting comfortably with your favourite music on, a cup of tea by your side, begin. Trim nails and file with an emery board (metal files can cause your nails to break if soft) and then apply cuticle remover to cuticles. Apply cotton wool to the tip of your orange stick and gently push back your cuticles, then wipe clean with a tissue. Again apply a small piece of cotton wool to your orange stick and dip it in your nail polish remover and go around underneath the tips of your nails. This cleans and can whiten them. Then with cotton wool soaked in nail polish remover go over each nail. You now have a clean base to apply your base coat, followed by two thin coats of your favourite nail polish. And voila! Lovely colourful nails and soft hands!

Thank you Lynn for the great tips!

You can catch me but not throw me. What am I?
I'm clean when I'm black, dirty when white. What am I?
I shoot but I don't kill. What am I?
What can you hold in your left hand but never in your right hand?
First you eat me, then you get eaten. What am I?
What has ten letters and starts with gas?

Answers below...

The charity, English Partners New Zealand, is looking for three new trustees.

Ideal candidates for the role will:

• Be committed to the vision and purpose of ELPNZ;
• Have prior board experience; and
• Be able to demonstrate strategic leadership skills. 

For more information, please click here. The Trustee role is voluntary and requires attendance at 4-5 meetings a year in Wellington on a Saturday.

1. You can’t see your ears without a mirror

2. You can’t count your hair

3. You can’t breathe through your nose with your tongue out

4. You just tried number 3

6. When you did number 3 you realised that it is possible, only you look like a dog

7. You are smiling right now because you were fooled

8. You skipped number 5

9. You just checked to see if there is a number 5

10. We hope you have a lovely day!

There are some talented people sharing fun images on social media. Can you find 27 figures of speech in the above image by Ella Baron & Times Literary Supplement? For example, Cat's got your tongue and Spilling the beans.

We all know our mental health is especially important at the moment, and so this new page on Te Papa's website is very welcome! Complete an online jigsaw, take quizzes and download activity books to engage in mindful play here.
 

• Arctic Travel Experts created 'virtual lights over Lapland' tour
• Roman fort
• Museums from around the world - Virtual, online tours
• Access to 500 Museums & Art Galleries - Free, online
• Aquarium – Georgia aquarium allowing you to tour under the sea, live cams - otters, sea lions, pirana, jellyfish, etc. 
• Virtual farm trips - American dairy association
• Edinburgh Zoo - Live streams: Panda Cam  /  Tiger Cam  /  Penguin Cam  /  Rock Hopper Penguin Cam  /  Koala Cam

SUDOKU AND CROSSWORD



You can also play online: https://www.puzzles.ca/sudoku/



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