Kathy Lawrence
Christmas gifts for our parents
Written by Kathy Lawrence Buying presents for our parents that they’ll really appreciate can get difficult. Do you go for the tried and trusted or take a risk with something new? You’ve landed on our 2013 gift list. For our new and improved 2014 gift list please click here! We’ve put together a few ideas […]
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How tea parties help to ward off loneliness
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller is Gemma. Gemma tells us how she became a volunteer driver for Contact the Elderly. She describes the benefits of attending the charity’s free monthly tea parties for everyone involved. I’d decided that I wanted to give something back to my community. I saw a poster advertising the […]
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Do meals on wheels actually mean tea and company?
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. Ever wondered what a meals delivery means for your elderly relative? Is it a friendly face and a welcome chat to brighten their day or is it much more than that? Is it a break from the norm of spending their day in […]
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Incoherent Codes of Practice: Energy Companies
Written by Rebecca Lenton June 2020: For the latest tips on managing energy bills and getting the best deals, visit Citizens Advice. The advice in this article is current at 08/04/2013. Energy suppliers’ codes of practice are difficult to wade through at the best of times. But when you feel that your parent isn’t receiving […]
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Forewarned is forearmed where scammers exist
Written by Kathy Lawrence We’re not here to spread scare stories, but we do hear some pretty hairy tales of how easy it is for devious characters to prey on the elderly. We start this article with just a few. David’s aunt recently downsized and for the first time in her life had nearly quarter […]
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When dementia brings death to your door
When When They Get Older launched last year Jill Sinclair, The Glasgow Herald blogger, became a supporter, contributor and friend. She shared with us just how important it was to talk about dementia, in particular her Father’s, and the therapeutic quality blogging holds for her. In 2012 Jill moved back to Scotland to care for […]
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10 questions to ask your parents before it’s too late
Written by Kathy Lawrence There are some questions that are really hard to ask, but knowing the answers can greatly relieve the pressure in times of emergency or end of life. We’ve put together 10 questions to ask before it becomes necessary. How you ask them is up to you – but probably not as […]
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My strategy for coping with grief
Grief is something no one is really prepared for. Maureen Meredith tells us how she coped with losing her mum and dad as well as her son in the space of 16 years. She talks about navigating stages of mourning and ways to bear the sadness. My mum was an angel on earth. Everyone flocked […]
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Talking about death over dinner
Written by Rebecca Lenton This week’s storyteller has chosen to be anonymous. Our storyteller shares how broaching the subject of dying with your parents doesn’t have to be hard, especially when your mum brings up her own death at the dinner table. When Sunday lunch turns into a talk about keeling over you know that […]
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How dad’s humour eased his death
This week’s storyteller is Gill. A terminal illness is hard for anyone to come to terms with but when Gill’s dad was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease he dealt with it in a surprising way – through humour. She tells us how his jokes eased the pain of his passing and ensured his family remained […]
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