Services for Older People

Welcome to the Older People and Retirement section of our website. Here you will find useful links to local advice and help on issues that face older people.

Benefits

Check your benefits entitlement with our new Online Housing and Council Tax Benefits Calculator (estimate only).

The 'Benefits Now' website provides independent advice on Disability Living Allowance and a self assessment. It enables assessment for Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance before applying; indicating potential qualification and payment rates. It describes the different levels and methods of payment and explains the way decisions about applications are made.

Visit the Gloucestershire Social Services to publish an information sheet on benefits and financial help you may be eligible for.

Community Safety

• Stroud District Council's Community Safety service.
• Message in a Bottle scheme.
• Neighbourhood Watch scheme in Stroud District.

Concessionary Fare Scheme

You may be eligible to apply for the Council's concessionary fare scheme which will give you travel tokens or a bus pass. For more information please visit the Concessionary Fare Scheme's Frequently asked questions page.

Council Services

• A-Z of council services.
• Find out who your local Councillor is and how to contact them.
• Advice on how to become a councillor.

Gloucestershire County Council publish a series of information sheets offering advice to older people, including advice on helping people to stay independent, services for older people and community meals (meals on wheels).

Disability Information

• Information for People with Disabilities page.
• The Disabled Living Foundation provides information on useful gadgets and adaptations which can make everyday tasks easier for disabled people. The website includes guides to various types of equipment, details of the Foundation's equipment centre and telephone helpline and a list of Disabled Living Centres in the UK.
• Parking badges for people with disabilities information on the Gloucestershire County Council website includes an on-line application form.
• Gloucestershire Travel Guide for the Elderly and People with a Disability.
• We can assist with adaptations to Council houses to assist mobility.

Health Information

• General health information.
• How do I get an Emergency Personal Information Card (EPIC)?.
• Patient UK is a directory of UK health, disease and related websites edited by two GPs. Information is arranged by patient group and there is a comprehensive range of information relating to older people and for carers. There is also information on a wide range of topics including legal issues, healthy living, and equipment. There is also a comprehensive list of links to other relevant sites.

Housing

• Information on buying your Council home.
• Careline is an emergency Helpline that can be accessed through your telephone 24 hours, 365 days per year.
• Nursing Home Fees Agency (NHFA) website NHFA Ltd provides older people, their families and carers with advice and information on obtaining and paying for all types of care.
• Better Caring website can help you find the right care home and answer all of your care questions.
• Care Home selection website provides a listing of over 18,000 care homes throughout the UK.
• Commission for Social Care Inspection Information and advice on social care.
• Many people find that as they get older their home no longer meets their needs. For example, it may be too large, costly to heat or the garden hard to manage. Sheltered housing can often be a good solution. To find out further information visit the sheltered housing scheme section of our website.
• The 'Keep Warm Keep Well' website provides practical advice on keeping warm and healthy in the winter, including information about how to get help to make your house warmer and meet the cost of heating bills in cold weather.

Local information

• Visit the Transport and Streets section of our website for information on getting around Stroud District.
• leisure facilities in Stroud District.
• A comprehensive list of voluntary groups, clubs and societies can be found on the Gloucestershire County Council website.
• What's On in Stroud District

Pensions and Retirement

• The Pension Service - Directgov
• UK Online Over 50s section - helps to plan for retirement with information on benefits, saving plans, housing, health and work.

Other Useful Links

• Age Concern - www.ageconcern.org.uk
  
  Age Concern is the largest charitable movement in the UK concerned with the needs and aspirations of older people and the leading authority on ageing related issues.
• Age Concern Gloucestershire - www.ageconcernglos.org.uk
  
  Age Concern Gloucestershire works to improve the quality of life for the older people of Gloucestershire. It offers a free advice and information service and a hospital aftercare visiting service for the over 50's. The Clean Sweep Service provides help with housework for people who do not qualify for specialised care provided by Social Services.
• Care and Repair Stroud - www.careandrepairstroud.co.uk
  
  Care & Repair (Stroud) Ltd offer a range of schemes to assist people with housing related problems in the area covered by Stroud District Council. Care & Repair are a 'not for profit' agency whose main purpose is provide adaptations and other work for people who are elderly or disabled to enable them to remain living safely in their own homes.

• Help the Aged - www.helptheaged.org.uk
  
  Help the Aged is committed to addressing the issues that matter to older people. They have four main priorities - Combating Poverty, Reducing Isolation, Defeating Ageism and Challenging Poor Care Standards. Working together with older people they campaign, research and develop practical solutions.
• Saga - www.saga.co.uk
  
  The SAGA site has discounted holidays, insurance and other commercial services for older people.
• 'The Oldie' magazine - www.theoldie.co.uk
  
  'The Oldie' magazine site is published monthly. 'A haven for good sense and quality writing in a media obsessed with celebrity and 'yoof'.
• Association of Retired and Persons over 50 - this is Britain's largest campaigning and social membership organisation for people over 50 and offers many benefits both social and practical to its members. It is committed to fighting discrimination, for better pension provision and a range of other areas relevant to its members.
  
  This information can now be found on the Heyday website www.heyday.org.uk
• Age Concern Chat - www.ageconcern.org.uk/discuss/chat/
  
  The Baby Boomer Bistro is a chat 'café' and meeting place developed specifically for the over 50s. It offers people the chance to meet and make friends around the world. Through a variety of special virtual events, it also means that the voices of older people can be heard by politicians, decision makers and experts in many different fields
• Hairnet - www.hairnet.org
  
  Hairnet offers a computer and Internet training initiative for the over 50s including home-visit training for older people who want to learn about IT and how it can be useful for them. Hairnet also offers workshops to a range of non-profit groups, and community website aimed at and run by the over 50s.
• Volunteering - www.volunteering.org.uk
  
  Everything you need to know about volunteering.