How can I help my mother prepare for retirement

Savvy_Sue

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Schools too are always glad of volunteers but I don't know whether you would need to be CRB checked these days.

Yes, you'd need a CRB. Actually, if she likes children and still wants a little job and her knee can take it and she doesn't mind being out in all weathers, then schools are often DESPERATE for lollipop ladies (and gentlemen)!

foreign_correspondent

SDhe sould go on courses - check out your local university of the third age
http://www.u3a.org.uk/
or the WEA
http://www.wea.org.uk/
or your local college for evening classes

Volunteering is great, and older people and under 25's are the two age groups most likely to volunteer

Your local CVS or the site Errata suggested are both ideal starting places.

The local WI may be worth checking out too -
http://www.thewi.org.uk/

I suppose it is hard to suggest more without knowing what she enjoys, what her skills and interests are - what has she done for a living?

firesidemaid

i helped my parents to do a budget to give them an idea of how much thrit outgoings were, how much they had left and that anything else had to come out of their savings.......and they just do what they want...and when the money's gone hey;)....

thought they would use the computer to go on ebay and make a little extra money...no, they just buy things to sell, never go on ebay and i end up selling it all...

there are lots of free/cheap things for the over 60s/65s, including free local swimming and cut-price aqua aerobics (good for knees).

bubblybee

Hi All,

Thank you for all these really useful suggestions. I'm going to start printing them off and putting the ideas together. Please keep amy other ideas coming....

anamenottaken

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Schools too are always glad of volunteers but I don't know whether you would need to be CRB checked these days.

Yes, volunteers in schools who even MAY come into contact with children are required to be CRB checked. The school organises this and pays the fees. All the volunteer has to do for this is fill in a form and provide ID.

Savvy_Sue

anamenottaken wrote: »

Yes, volunteers in schools who even MAY come into contact with children are required to be CRB checked. The school organises this and pays the fees. All the volunteer has to do for this is fill in a form and provide ID.

A volunteer shouldn't have to pay for a CRB check, UNLESS they are volunteering in order to gain experience to further their career or doing 'required' voluntary work to get experience - which as a retiree is unlikely!

Oldernotwiser

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

SDhe sould go on courses - check out your local university of the third age
http://www.u3a.org.uk/
or the WEA
http://www.wea.org.uk/
or your local college for evening classes

Volunteering is great, and older people and under 25's are the two age groups most likely to volunteer

Your local CVS or the site Errata suggested are both ideal starting places.

The local WI may be worth checking out too -
http://www.thewi.org.uk/

I suppose it is hard to suggest more without knowing what she enjoys, what her skills and interests are - what has she done for a living?

And,of course, the Open University.

Jennifer_Jane

I have to say that I love U3A, am doing loads of things with them and they are a lovely bunch of people. Am so lucky to have a particularly thriving branch where I live.

Apart from that, I swim for an hour or so on 3 days a week. Swimming is free for over-60's in most, if not all, council leisure centres. They also do aqua fit, but that has to be paid for, of course.

Errata

This doesn't apply to the OP's mum, but may apply to others reading this thread.
If you have any kind of chronic health problem or you have had a serious health problem treated successfully, there may well be a User Involvement Group for it in your area. They are an opportunity for those who use and have used particular services to contribute to the development of that particular service, and the voice of service users is vital.
One example would be: I gradually became deaf and had to use hearing aids. My involvement in improving services for those with hearing problems was to become a member of the local Trust's Estates Access Group. This meant that I conducted access audits of all hospital departments and premises that patients and visitors used and identified what improvements should be made to help people hear what was going on / being said to them. My reports resulted in changes being made resulting in people with hearing problems being able to hear better and not become stressed because they couldn't figure out what was being said.
The clinical advantage was that more accurate blood pressure readings could be taken because the patient didn't have their blood pressure sky rocket because of unecessary stress they were subjected to through not being able to understand easily what was being said by all and sundry prior to the test.
User Involvement is incredibly interesting, you get to meet all kinds of people, use skills from your working life, give your brain a good workout and feel a sense of fulfilment and achievment.
Try it - you might like it !

Pip-squeak_3

Lots of local libraries have reading groups that get together every two months or so and discuss set books. A good way to widen your reading and meet new people.