Lunch - Speaker Ruth Swift

ROTARIANS HEAR ABOUT SUPPORT FOR ELDERLY

Age UK Oxfordshire is an independent local charity covering people aged 50 or over who have support or care needs. The range of their work was explained to members of Henley Rotary Club at their meeting at the Red Lion Hotel on Tuesday.

Ruth Swift is the head of area for the charity and is also a member of the Rotary Club of Witney. She told how the organisation, which has 580 volunteers in Oxfordshire, helped elderly and lonely people to cope with three main challenges – physical challenges, financial challenges and emotional challenges.

She covered support for carers, dealing with dementia, phone calls and meetings for lonely people, as well as the “Late Spring Support Group,” which meets at the Christ Church Centre in Reading Road twice a month and provides comfort and companionship for those over 60 who have suffered a bereavement or lost a loved one.

The organisation runs a community information network, which puts people in touch with the many local groups and clubs within the area. Assistance is also given in getting to grips with information technology, whilst advice is also available on welfare benefits and legal matters such as power of attorney.

In urging all older people to “live life to the full,” Mrs Swift revealed that 70 to 80 per cent of the funding for her organisation was from local councils and was naturally subject to the austerity programme. For this reason, they were anxious to make people more aware of their work in the hope of attracting donations and volunteers.

Maria Bunina gave an eloquent vote of thanks.