Weardale Community News June Edition

www.wcng.org
Local focus: The AAP Community
Wellness Coordinator
OUR local Area Action
Partnership (AAP) funds
a number of different
support roles in Weardale.
We contacted the AAP to
find out more about one of
the roles, the Community
Wellness Coordinator
and the invaluable help
provided to Weardale.
The Weardale AAP
Community Wellness
Coordinator, Lisa Turnbull,
has been in her role for
over two years and her role
is to support the health
and wellbeing for all of the
Weardale residents.
In essence she is the link
between the public and the
GP Practice. Her role is to
spend time with someone
who is in need of a health
check or has a health issue,
and who perhaps feels a bit
socially isolated.
An example of a contact
may illustrate Lisa’s role, for
confidentiality reasons we
have changed the name of
the person.
Joe lives by himself since
his wife of many years
passed away two years ago.
He is in good general health
and does not feel the need
to bother the doctors. Lisa
phoned Joe to ask if she
come visit him at home and
see if there was anything,
she could support him with.
Lisa listened to Joe about
some of the difficulties he
was facing, and how she
may be able to make life a
bit easier. Initially the range
of issues she sorted were:
• A referral to the GP practice
to have a medication review.
• A home safety check
by the Fire Bridge and he
received free of charge fire
alarms, which were installed
for him.
• Information on social
activities happening
locally, with Lisa offering
to accompanying him if he
would prefer that.
Lisa is a compassionate
trained professional, who by
working at the pace of the
Joe was able to gain his trust
and confidence. Through
her support he was able to
maintain his independence
which meant he was able to
stay in his home, that held
so many precious memories.
The role is pivotal in
the community to support
those who may feel at
times isolated or need a
bit of support. If the issue
is medically related or the
client needs a referral she
can sort. Weardale is a
rural community, so if the
client needs some social
interaction, this can be
arranged. We have ‘Wheels
to Meals,’ groups
enjoying crafting,
local history, and
walking groups, to
name but a few.
Lisa lives locally
so has an in-depth
understanding of
the needs of the
local community,
and she understands
the resilience of
residents. During
her time working
as the Community
W e l l n e s s
Coordinator Lisa
has identified three
clients with atrial
fibrillation, which
if undetected could have
caused a major life changing
health condition.
During the Covid 19
pandemic contact has
continued with the local
Lisa Turnbull.
community through
telephone calls, which
have proved invaluable to a
number of people. Lisa has
made calls to keep in contact
with those she was visiting,
but also to contact the wider
community, particularly
those who are shielding due
to additional medical issues.
Lisa has had numerous
conversations, but for some
she has been the only
point of contact. When
this has occurred Lisa has
let the person know there
are services available for a
friendly chat, and that she
will maintain contact to help
them feel less isolated.
Some are happy to hear
another person is calling to
make sure they are well and
coping through this difficult
time. As well as checking
that everything is okay
with the person, Lisa shares
information in relation to
services that are around to
help at this time, including
the volunteer groups and
that there are a number of
local services and businesses
open and offering delivery, if
food is needed.
Lisa continues to work to
ensure people are looking
after their own health or
being supported to stay
at home, by working with
colleagues in health, social
care and welfare services to
achieve this. This provides
reassurance to families that
work continues to support
their family member and
that Lisa can be contacted in
relation to their loved one,
especially when many have
not been able to see each
other for some time.
For some residents
their support needs have
increased, which has
meant that care packages
Weardale Community News, June 2020
Credit Weardale AAP
have needed to increase.
Knowing that day to day
help is there can be the
reassurance they and their
family need to access the
support that will help them
be able to stay safely in
their own home. Where
individuals need direct
medical support, Lisa is able
to talk to them, and in her
friendly way, able to offer
reassurance that even in
these difficult times medical
matters can be dealt with
safely.
Lisa has had a number
of comments over the
time from people she has
supported. Recently when
speaking with people she
has been pleased that the
support is making such a
difference to so many people
who do not have family close
by and those who don’t like
to feel they are putting upon
others. Some of the positive
comments are included
below:
“I had the fire brigade
out to fit me some new
smoke alarms, I’m pleased
you came to see me as I
wouldn’t have bothered
otherwise.” (Patient).
“You have been so good
with me and my mam,
supporting us both, getting
her a stair lift fitted and
carers involved to relieve
me, telling me about the
care connect and getting
it fitted for us, I feel I need
to write an email to your
employer to state how
invaluable you are.” (Family
member).
“I have been praising you
today to my friend, I have
told her how you involved
Citizens Advice Linda to
come out and see me to do
the assessment for finances
and how shocked I was
that I was not receiving the
correct benefits. I hope you
don’t mind but I have given
her your details as she would
love to chat.” (Patient).
The clutch of 20 eggs
By Jo Herbert
ONE day towards the end of
April, while hanging out my
washing, I started to hear a
strange, even a bit spooky,
sound. It was somewhere
between a hiss and a
wheeze, and (with a bit of
imagination) the merest
hint of a low growl. As I
got closer to the shed wall,
the noise became gradually
louder. What the? There
was no-one else around. I
looked up, down, behind the
wall, behind me; finally, in an
old wooden flower trough
against the wall, I spotted
the source of the warning
– a perfectly-camouflaged
mallard nestled low and
sitting tight. She was visibly
inflating and diminishing,
so I took it as a distress
signal and beat a retreat.
It was easy to establish her
“personal space”, as the
wheezing would start as
soon as you stepped inside
it.
Eggs-traordinary!
The mallard incubating her eggs
According to the RSPB
website, mallards need
to incubate their clutch
for about 28 days before
hatching (having laid one
egg per day before starting
to sit), so we are still keeping
a cautious eye on her. She
leaves the nest for short
periods occasionally, to
have a meticulous wash and
brush-up, a good drink and
some food if it’s about. The
rest of the time, she keeps a
wary eye but stays hunkered
down. If she’s off the nest
while it’s chilly, she leaves
the eggs so well covered
with down and foliage that
they’re invisible. However, in
the middle of a (rare) warm,
sunny day, she left the nest
pretty much open and I was
able to count 20 eggs! The
RSPB say 12 is an average
clutch size, though their
information is accompanied
by a photograph of a
single adult female with 21
ducklings – so do you know
Page 13
of a bigger brood?
On a more sinister note, a
couple of days after I first saw
her, another mother paraded
through with 5 gorgeous
little fluffy ducklings. Over
the next week, we noticed
these slipped to 4, then
3, and on two separate
mornings we found a sad
little corpse within about
2 feet of “Mother-of-20”.
Back to the RSPB website
again; apparently mallards
“…will not tolerate stray
ducklings close to their own
brood, and females may kill
small strange young they
encounter close to their
own.” Happy to report the
remaining 3 are growing
strongly and becoming ever
more rambunctious, while
poor Mum gets increasingly
frantic. Meantime, we’re
keeping our fingers crossed
and looking forward to
seeing how our other visitor
copes with (hopefully) 20
little balls of fluff.
We would like to wish all of our customers well and advise we are still able to
work providing certain criteria are met regarding social distancing.