News from Bolton at Home

Here you'll find our most recent news articles, from important tenant updates and new housing developments, to new community initiatives and activities.

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International Day of Older Persons

International Day of Older Persons

Today (1 October) is the International Day of Older Persons.

  • This year marks 30 years of the International Day of Older Persons.
  • It’s led by the United Nations.
  • A day for awareness of wellbeing, contributions to society and elder abuse.
  • This year’s day also highlights how Covid-19 puts some people at greater risk of poverty and isolation, and affects their health.
  • The theme of this year poses the question- do pandemics change how we address age and ageing?
  • Get involved online using the social media hashtag #UNIDOP

 

Thank you

We’d like to thank all our tenants and residents, of all ages, who’ve been part of the continued humanitarian response to support people in Bolton through the Coronavirus pandemic. Thank you so much for what you continue to do for others, including many older members of our communities, in your roles as volunteers or just good neighbours.

Hundreds of you have been looking out for others who might otherwise struggle with loneliness, supplies, staying up to date with guidance on testing and isolating, and managing potential symptoms of Covid-19; particularly if they’re not online and can’t access the internet.

 

What we do to help- please share if you think we can help someone you care about

During the pandemic, we’ve made welfare phone calls to support people where it’s been needed. We’ve contacted older tenants living in different types of Bolton at Home properties, who are connected with community groups and projects that we support, and those we’ve distributed food supplies to.

If you, or someone you know, might benefit from a welfare call at this time, please phone us 01204 328000.

Coronavirus hasn’t disrupted our ability to run our Careline community alarm service 24/7, giving around 7,000 customers reassurance that we’re ready to help if they need support in an emergency. We use full personal protective equipment (PPE) alongside other safety precautions on all home visits by Careline to keep tenants, residents and staff safe. If you’re interested in Careline, and would like details of the different service options and prices, please phone 01204 335733.

As part of the Bolton Family- we’re still working with a range of partners such as Bolton Council, local health services, charities, volunteers and faith groups, to support people with food, prescriptions, counselling, mental health support and other needs.

Anyone with urgent concerns about food provision can also contact us on 01204 328000 for more information about local support available.

 

We’d love to recognise your community contributions as an older person

We post a printed newsletter, called Quarter Turn, every three months to around 4,500 households. You’ll receive it if you live in a Bolton at Home extra care scheme, sheltered housing, in general let with Careline, or if you’re aged over 70 and live in our general let housing without Careline.

We include information on staying safe during the pandemic, details of support that’s available to you, service updates and the history of social housing in Bolton.

Do you know someone who deserves to be recognised for their community efforts and helping others? We could feature you/others in Quarter Turn and elsewhere, and challenge some of the stigma and stereotypes that exist around age and ageing.

If you’ve got a story to share with us, please email us at news@boltonathome.org.uk.

 

Eyes wide open to elder abuse and support available

Our Domestic Abuse and Violence Team supports victims of abuse. We’ve worked in this field for a number of years and we offer intensive support where it’s needed.

Abuse can be psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.

To encourage friends, neighbours or even strangers to come forward and report abuse when they see it, we recently launched our Eyes Wide Open campaign. We understand that those outside of the abuse are often either reluctant to come forward or don’t know how to spot the signs. Indeed, victims themselves don’t always recognise that they’re being abused. 

We launched this campaign to raise awareness of what to look for. And we encourage you to contact us- anonymously if you prefer- if you think someone could be a victim of abuse or neglect. We’ll either give you advice or investigate the situation ourselves.

Some of the signs to look out for are:

  • Injuries with the excuse of ‘accidents’
  • Frequently miss commitments or occasions without explanation
  • Dress in clothing designed to hide bruises or scars (e.g. wearing long sleeves in the summer or sunglasses indoors)
  • Appearing anxious or worried.

If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, or you’re worried about someone else, you can contact us in confidence by phoning our specialist team on 01204 329636 or 01204 327997 during office hours.

 

Do pandemics change how we address age and ageing?

Gemma Parlby is our Director of Housing Services.

Gemma said: “We’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Please let us know.

“Pandemics bring risks to our physical and mental health, and staying at home more can present extra challenges to our wellbeing.

“We know that Coronavirus is causing specific concern among some of our older tenants and those with social, economic and/or health needs. However, if supported by national investment, social housing providers like us would be placed to be at the heart of social and economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because of the services we run to try to keep people feeling safe and secure at home, provide suitable housing options as circumstances change, support tenancies where needed, connect people with their community, offer help with money matters, help job seekers into work, and how we boost the local economy in the process.

“Are there any different types of services that you think will be needed to address age and ageing as a result of this pandemic?

“Please know that we’ll always work with partner organisations to see how we can mobilise urgent support for the people who need it most during a pandemic.

“Coronavirus has definitely made us rethink how we can most effectively support you through our services for older tenants, while keeping you safe by working responsibly. For the time being, we might need to continue doing things slightly differently, reaching you by phone or by the internet if you have it, if we can’t be there with you in person.”

 

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtag #UNIDOP) and please let us know your thoughts.

Stay safe and take care.