A café that only employs people with Down syndrome has opened in Headingley, Leeds.

Café 21, which is operated by the charity Sunshine and Smiles, gives 14 young adults aged 18-24 the opportunity to work in the kitchen and front of house - all of whom are paid the National Living Wage (NLW).

It is hoped they will gain vital transferable skills to boost their future career prospects.

Ailith Harley-Roberts, Service Manager at the charity, said: “The young people here have thrived. Some of the staff want to be customer-facing, others love doing stock-taking or working in the back. There is so much involved, they are learning a lot about customer service."

“I have spoken to one parent who said their son has been setting his alarm each morning and can’t wait to come into work. That is what it is all about.”

Roisin Prior is a member of staff at Cafe 21. She delivers food to customers, takes orders and washes up.

"Working here makes me feel fantastic," she revealed "and it is such a nice team to work with."

The launch of the cafe comes after national statistics revealed that only 17 per cent of all adults with a learning disability are in paid employment.

The project has been funded with help from The Seedbed Trust and The Wesleyan Foundation, while Sunshine and Smiles is a charity that helps children and young people across Leeds by providing speech and language therapy, regular groups and activities, individual support and advocacy for families.

 

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

 

Haha...How We All Need This!!!

The key to ageing well: Having a sense of purpose

Positive thinking, supporting grandchildren or completing a satisfying project are linked to walking faster, sleeping better and experiencing less chronic pain in later life, new research has found.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), revealed that having a sense of purpose and feeling engaged in ‘worthwhile’ activities promotes health and happiness in later life.

Andrew Steptoe, lead author of the study, said: “As more and more men and women live longer, we need to understand better what factors lead to healthier and happier older age.

“This is a two-way process. Not only do good social relationships and better health contribute to our sense that we are living meaningful lives, but this sense of meaning sustains social and cultural activity, health and wellbeing into the future.”

Researchers analysed data from 7,000 adults, aged over 50, who had taken part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Participants were asked how worthwhile the things they did in their life were, on a scale of one to 10.

They found that those with ratings of 9 or 10 walked 18 per cent faster than those with scores of 0-3 and had a 13 per cent higher concentration of vitamin D. They were also twice as likely to report having good sleep.

Participants with low ratings were twice as likely to develop depressive symptoms, and 30 per cent more likely to develop chronic pain.

Dr Daisy Fancourt, lead co-author added: “We do not know what activities the participants in this study thought were worthwhile. For some it might be supporting their families, for others a particular accomplishment in their work or hobby, enjoying nature or perhaps following a favourite sports team. What is important is that the individual finds these activities worthwhile and feels they give a sense of meaning to life.”

 

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

Life as a 'sandwich carer': 'The emotions can be a rollercoaster'

At forty-one, Amanda Jones has children, a partner and work that she enjoys. She is also a primary carer for her 73-year-old mother who has dementia.

She is one of the 1.3 million people in the UK known as a ‘sandwich carer’ – those who have the dual responsibility of caring for sick, disabled or elderly relatives, as well as their own children.

The stress of covering her different roles led Ms Jones to give up full-time work last year.

She said: “The emotions can be a roller coaster. The constant worrying gets you down and the burden of simultaneously shouldering responsibility puts an enormous strain on family life.”

Getting by

More than a quarter of ‘sandwich carers’ are now reported to be suffering from depression and anxiety, according to new figures released from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Those carers are also struggling financially, with one in three saying they are ‘just about getting by’ financially, while one in ten are ‘finding it difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to cope.

The prevalence of mental ill-health has been found to increase with the amount of care given. More than a third of sandwich carers providing at least 20 hours of adult care per week report symptoms of mental ill-health, compared with 23 per cent of those providing fewer than five hours each week.

One in four report health problems, relationship troubles and isolation among the difficulties also related to their caring role.

As Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, put it “It is vital that the Government provides ambitious proposals for the funding and delivery of adult social care in the upcoming Green Paper – proposals that better support older and disabled people, giving the sandwich generation the ability to better manage work and caring responsibilities. It must ensure that they receive practical and financial support to care without putting their own lives on hold.”

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/

Free condoms go to sexually active elderly to halt rising rate of STIs

Pensioners are to get free condoms to stem the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among the elderly population.

'Jiggle, Wiggle' campaign

A campaign named ‘Jiggle, Wiggle’ is targeting older people across Derbyshire, where the NHS will give out condoms at GP surgeries and other local venues.

Rebecca Spencer, general manager of the initiative, launched by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said “We want to make residents aware that sexual health services are not just for young people - they are for all people."

Ms Spencer added: “We offer specialist services at 11 locations in Derbyshire, as well as through GP and pharmacy providers and an online service which allows residents to order a STI and HIV testing kit online and get it delivered.”

In 2017, two of the most commonly diagnosed STIs were chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

There has been a 150 per cent rise in the number of people diagnosed with syphilis in 2017, when compared to 2008. There was a 200 per cent leap in the number of people diagnosed with gonorrhoea in 2017 (when compared to 2008).

Statistics from Public Health England show a 25 per cent increase in people aged over 65 diagnosed with gonorrhea in 2017, when compared to the year before.

 

Leymar Healthcare provide Homecare Services in Ashfield and 24 Hour Live in Care in the UK to vulnerable adults in their community. Please contact our office on 01623 360 193 or email us at info@leymarltd.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can use our Contact Form on our website:- www.leymarhealthcare.co.uk/contact us/