Independence and Wellbeing Information for Guildford and Waverley residents

Independence and Wellbeing Information for Guildford and Waverley residents

  

This information has been compiled taking every care to ensure its accuracy. If you find that any of this information is incorrect or out of date, please contact the Guildford and Waverley Integrated Care Partnership, Independence and Prevention Team within Surrey Heartlands CCG (details below) or visit our Contact Us page.

  • phone: 0300 561 1555
  • email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • SMS text: 07799 750 889

 

On this page:

 

Staying fit and well during COVID-19

  

Let's Get Steady videos

  

Falls prevention pack
         

Handy person scheme

  

Careline Community Alarm

  

Safe and Well Home Visits
         

Keeping well

  

Local Car Schemes

  

Local Borough Council Transport

 
 

Staying fit and well during COVID-19

We are now finding ourselves in a time where we are having to make a conscious effort to ensure that we are social distancing when seeing friends and family or going to the supermarket. Such changes to our day-to-day life can be unsettling. It is normal to feel anxious and more than ever, we need to take good care of ourselves, physically and mentally.

It is important to talk about how you are feeling. Befriending groups are available if you need someone to talk to. Please see a list of organisations below that could offer you support:

 

Tips to help you stay well

  • Eat as healthy as possible. The Eatwell Guide, shows how much of what we eat overall, should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.

  • Stay hydrated. Drink at least six to eight cups of fluid a day.

  • Stay active. There are various exercise classes available that you can follow on line to help you build and maintain strength and balance. Active Surrey have some very useful links on their website with various exercises that you can follow at home. Please visit www.activesurrey.com for more details.

  • Maintain your health and wellbeing. Supported by the Health and Wellbeing Board, www.healthysurrey.org.uk helps you find self-care information, as well as signposting to local services available to you as a Surrey resident.

 

 

  

Let's Get Steady Falls Prevention Advice and Information


Are you worried about falling? Or have you had a fall that has knocked your confidence, which is now preventing you from doing the things you enjoy?

Let’s Get Steady offers practical advice and guidance to help reduce the risks of falls for individuals who have had a fall, are at risk of falling due to a long-term condition or are worried about falling.

Due to Covid-19, we are currently unable to run face to face sessions, so we have produced a series of Let’s Get Steady film clips which aim to raise awareness of falls prevention, support with wellbeing and empower people to make positive changes to their lifestyle, to enable them to live independent lives.

 

Let's Get Steady - An overview

  

Introduction

An overview of the Let's Get Steady videos.

   An introduction to Let's Get Steady from
Jane Todd, Community Partnerships Officer at Waverley Borough Council.
 

The film clips below will provide you with useful advice on:
     

What to do if you have a fall

  

Careline Community Alarm

You will find a demonstration on how to get up from a fall, which will enable you to practice and be prepared, should you have a fall.

  

This film will provide you with more information on the benefits of a 24 hour emergency call system, that helps people to live independently in their own home.
     

‘I wasn’t aware there were so many services available from the council’

‘Thank you – as a result of Let’s Get Steady, the safety bars in our shower are due to be fitted today and we are having a survey for handrails up the stairs’
     

Home Environment

  

Safe and Well Visits

Often, we do not notice risks within our own environment. This film will point out some potential falls risks around the home that you may not have thought about before.

  

Here, you will find out more information about the free home safety checks offered by the fire service that help to reduce the risk of fire in the home.
     

Hydration

  

The Balance Triangle

This film will provide you with some key facts around the importance of hydration and how being dehydrated could contribute to a fall.

  

This film highlights how our sense work together to keep us safe.
     

‘I am managing very well since the session and I am no longer worried about going to the shops and walking around the neighbourhood’

‘I am generally more aware of trip hazards’
     

Medication, Healthy Bones and Nutrition

  

Social
Prescribing

Find out how these all play a role in helping to prevent falls in this film.

  

If you are lonely, isolated or you are feeling anxious, you may find your usual enjoyment of life takes a knock. Here you will find out more about a service that supports with your well-being, recognising that many things affect the way we feel.
     

The Importance of Exercise

  

Close

Keeping and staying active is important for many reasons, both physically and mentally. Here, you can watch two local firefighters demonstrating strength and balance exercises from the Get Up and Go booklet, which is produced by Saga and The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

  

We hoped you enjoyed Let's Get Steady and now feel empowered to maintain your independence and wellbeing.

 

Before doing any of the exercises demonstrated in this film, please take note of the following safety points:

  • Seek medical advice for guidance regarding appropriate exercise levels and precautions after surgery such as hip replacements, or if you suffer from ongoing medical conditions.
  • REMEMBER - Exercise is not without its risks.
  • Do not exercise on an empty stomach or after a big meal
  • Ensure your environment is safe to partake in exercise i.e. free of trip hazards
  • Wear suitable, comfortable clothes
  • Wear comfortable flat, non-slip shoes with supportive backs
  • Make sure you have water near by
  • Exercise within your limitations; stop if you experience pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or chest pain

 

If you have any concerns, contact your GP.

Some of the films refer to documents contained in the Guildford and Waverley Falls Prevention Pack.

The full length Let’s Get Steady film is also available on DVD for those who do not have access to the internet. To request a DVD or if you have any questions regarding the information contained in the films, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Guildford and Waverley Falls Prevention Pack

The Guildford and Waverley Falls Prevention Pack, provides lots of useful advice on how to prevent a fall, along with information about local services available to support you and keep you living independently in the community.

A hard copy of the pack is available from the Independence and Prevention Team.

  • phone: 0300 561 1555
  • email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • SMS text: 07799 750 889

 

Download and print your copy below:

 

Handy Person Scheme

The Handy Person Scheme may be able to assist you with small works to your property such as installing key safes, half steps, external galvanised rails, bannister rails and grab rails. A free home safety check is also offered to identify any potential falls risks. Some of the smaller installations listed above are free and the team can support individuals to apply for disabled facility grants when more significant adaptations to their property are required.

Check out the Guildford Borough Council's Handy Person Scheme video.

 

Careline Community Alarm

A pendant alarm is ideal if you fall frequently or live on your own. It will prevent you from lying on the floor for long periods of time after a fall.

Careline is a 24 hour emergency call system, where you can simply press a button in an emergency and an alarm call will be sent to the alarm centre, which is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An initial trail period is offered free of charge to Guildford residents.

Additional equipment is available such as smoke alarms, pill dispensers, bed sensors and falls detectors.

  • Guildford residents phone: 01483 502 334
  • Guildford residents email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.     
  • Waverley residents phone: 01483 523 535

*Careline installations and urgent Careline repairs are being carried out as usual, in accordance with Government guidelines.

 

Safe and Well Home Visits

Free Safe and Well home visits are carried out by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. They combine home safety checks to help reduce the risk of a fire in your home, and where appropriate, you will also be offered information to help improve your wellbeing, enabling you to live safer and more independently. 

For more information:

 

Keeping well

Social interaction is good for our brain health and can help if you are feeling lonely or isolated. There are many different ways of meeting people in your community. Please see a list of services and activities below.

  • Reconnections by Independent Age is a volunteer-led service that supports over-65s in rediscovering their love of life in the communities where they live. If you, or someone you know, is over 65 years of age and would like some companionship, encouragement and ideas to help you rediscover old interests and make new friends.

    • phone: 01483 654 422
    • email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

  • Social Prescribing helps you with your well-being. It takes a holistic view and recognises that many things affect the way we feel. If you are lonely or isolated, or you are worrying about money or feeling anxious, you may find your usual enjoyment of life takes a knock.

    Life events, like bereavement, an illness or a fall can all trigger a downward spiral in our personal well-being. Social prescribing can help to address these things by finding out what is important to you and then putting you in touch with the people and activities that might help you to feel better.

    After an initial chat on the phone, your link worker might come to see you at home or meet you for a coffee in a café or community centre, wherever you feel most comfortable.

    Following this conversation, your link worker might refer you to another organisation that can support you in your situation or link you with local groups and activities to relieve loneliness and increase opportunities for social interaction.

    To access this service, ask your GP or health or social care professional, (such as a community matron, an occupational therapist, or a social care assistant) to make a referral.

 

Local Voluntary Car Schemes

 

Local Borough Council Transport

  • Guildford Community Transport provides a variety of services to residents such as dial a ride, door to store, social trips and transport to social centres for older people. For more information:

    • email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

  • Hoppa Community Transport provides a number of door-to-door transport services within Cranleigh, Godalming and Haslemere and many surrounding villages. There are some scheduled bus stop routes, all of which are wheelchair accessible and available to residents of Waverley. All drivers are fully trained; DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checked and paid employees of Hoppa.

    To use the Hoppa service (with the exception of the scheduled services) you must first register as a member. Registering is free and can be done via:

 

 

Your Health Hits: 12917
Review Date: 2020-10-20
Review Due: 2021-04-18
Model Publication Scheme Class: Class 9: Services Commissioned