Thankyou Age Concern!!!!

margaretclare

I am sorry, Balmaiden. I didn't mean that what you do is not useful and life-saving for many people. What I objected to was the patronising image evoked by PasturesNew.

Margaret

balmaiden

Margaret,

I was not aiming my post at you, I to was annoyed at what PasturesNew had to say. I know by other posts you have made that you are fiercely independent. I applaud you for this, but dont ever forget that the help is there if you ever did need it.

Bal x

getting-sorted-sarah

I'm Info and Advice Manager at my local Age Concern, a lot more than tea and sympathy is offered! It is lovely to see that someone here has been helped. Why not check out the website of your local Age Concern if you want more information.

margaretclare

balmaiden wrote: »

Margaret,

I was not aiming my post at you, I to was annoyed at what PasturesNew had to say. I know by other posts you have made that you are fiercely independent. I applaud you for this, but dont ever forget that the help is there if you ever did need it.

Bal x

Thank you, Bal.

As of this moment I am not the person in my family who needs help. I'm probably fortunate to have been in a position to help my GD when she was unemployed and homeless, and I'm now very worried abut my daughter who fell over last week and is now looking at having revision of both hip replacements within the very near future. This is the kind of thing that stereotypes say happens only to what PasturesNew calls 'old dears' but she's only 46 and had both hips replaced age 35. Fortunately she's not alone, there are people around her, and once I get through the gynae surgery I'm due for in the next few weeks, we'll be going up there and stay in a Travelodge. But she is needing help to get up and dressed, all those kind of things, so it doesn't only happen to older people!! Fortunately again, she's well clued up, used to work in a local authority disability advice centre so she knows her way around the system. All of us are articulate (I used to work in CAB) and we know how to find help if we need it.

I applaud the work that you do, but if/when I ever need help it's unlikely to be just because I'm 'elderly'. Times when I needed most help, the worst time was in 1992, widowed, redundant, scratching for a living, struggling to keep the roof above my head, and I didn't qualify for help from AC or anywhere else. You say I'm fiercely independent - well, I learned from an early age that I had to be. I may possibly need some help in the future, but it is unlikely to be cups of tea.

Margaret

balmaiden

Margaret,

So very sorry to hear of your daughters problems. Absolutely agree that we dont need help " just because we are elderly " but I have to say imo it is more likely.

My best wishes to you for your forthcoming surgery, we woman are complicated machines with our various " bits " are we not ?

Bal