A new Minister . . . and government
We meet the Mayor – almost!
Earlier this year, and long before the Town Hall and rates controversy, your Committee wrote to Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau asking to meet. Disappointingly took months of our reaching out and finally, in October, we secured a meeting with Deputy Mayor Laurie Foon. Our aim was to introduce Grey Power and to start rebuilding our relationship with the Wellington City Council following the COVID hiatus. Our agenda included:
- A public meeting with the Mayor to discuss her vision for older people in Wellington.
- Building relationships with Council staff with prime responsibilities, which includes Grey Power being consulted as policies affecting older people are being developed.
- An update on Let’s Get Wellington Moving, including bike lanes, bus stops and safety issues.
- Affordable housing for older people – the new CHIP model, accommodation supplement, asset levels.
- Rates rebate, including better publicity about the scheme.
Foon was attentive and engaged and subsequently we have been assured that Grey Power will be engaged with on matters of mutual interest and concern. Pleasingly our interest revealed that in the recent “Citizen’s Assembly” consultation process that the Greypower demographic was well represented with 25% of those chosen being over the age of 60, contrasted with 18% of the general population. 16% of the Assembly were also retired showing that activism is aged agnostic! We will keep you informed of further outcomes. The meeting also produced some added revenue for the city with one of our committee members’ getting a parking ticket!
Alastair Duncan
Xmas lunch
Retirement villages review
Two representatives from Wellington Central Grey Power, involved in preparing the Federation’s submission on the Review of the Retirement Villages Act 2023, attended a useful workshop at the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development about moving in, living in and leaving a retirement village. Attendees were from all aspects of retirement village living. Many of the issues have been traversed in other fora, the difference with this being that small focus groups worked with Ministry staff on specific issues. As a fact-finding exercise, the points raised will assist in preparing policy advice for the Government’s review of the Act. It was a fact-finding exercise rather than being solution focused.
Colleen Singleton
Finding a tradie
From Age Concern
Need someone to help you around your home? Age Concern Wellington Region has launched a brand new Care and Repair service.
This service is designed to give seniors confidence in finding good, reliable tradespeople and businesses that can be trusted to deliver great quality work and great service.
We are building a list of reliable tradespeople and businesses that we can recommend to seniors.
Currently we have a vetted and trusted handyman in Wellington who can help you with basic maintenance jobs like fixing doors or installing a handrail, and provide advice on bigger jobs. He is able to help seniors in the Wellington City area.
Visit our website for more information, or call 04 499 6648.
e-scooters: the bad news
E-scooters will stay on New Zealand roads, cycle lanes and footpaths; Waka Kotahi has decided that it isn’t classifying them as vehicles for the next five years at least. Grey Power’s main objection has been their use on footpaths, but Waka Kotahi says: “Our review found that while the greatest risk is to e-scooter riders themselves, some pedestrians also feel anxious or stressed about sharing the footpaths [with] e-scooters.” Sigh . . .
Your next stop is . . .
Buses are to be fitted with a system to announce upcoming bus stops via loudspeaker and displays to help with sight and hearing impaired passengers.
Hearing aids: Consumer investigates
Consumer have done an excellent article on the state of the hearing aid industry in NZ, which can be full of pitfalls for the unwary. If you are a subscriber (or know one) you can read the Consumer member comments at the end, which contain lots of useful information, especially about importing your own aids.
Cheap movies
Hello. I’m the manager at Light House Petone. We have a group from Grey Power Wainuiomata who’ve started coming along to a film on the third Monday of the month at 10.30am. It’s a film that will appeal to the over 60s that we help them select, and tickets can either be $9.50 for just a ticket, or $13 including a hot drink. We thought we should invite your members as well to help them boost their numbers. Phone Jessie on 0273118460.
Changing how you get the Grey Power magazine
[This refers to the glossy magazine that has been posted up till now, not this newsletter]
The rising cost of postage and printing has dramatically impacted on the cost of producing and mailing the Grey Power Federation quarterly magazines. This year postage alone has cost the Federation $134,419 for 3 issues – potentially around $180,000 for the year. With escalating postage costs the magazine postage now consumes over 60% of the fees from the membership, leaving far less for Grey Power’s core business of advocating for older people.
For those members who are internet users, we would like to encourage you to consider receiving your Grey Power Federation magazine online by filling in this form. You will be advised by email when a new issue is available, but you can visit the site at any time in between to keep informed. You will need your Grey Power membership number; it is on your membership card, and if you have mislaid it contact membership@greypowerwellington.org.nz
You can always revert to the printed edition.
Paracetamol vs ibuprofen: what works best?
This article was put together from Sydney University research because there is often misunderstanding about the two medicines. However, it is always better to consult your doctor for any ongoing pain and read the dosage directions carefully.
In most cases, pain and fever relief is as simple as a trip to your local supermarket for some paracetamol or ibuprofen. While both are effective at reducing pain, they work in different ways. So, deciding which one you should choose is dependent on the type of pain you are experiencing. Sometimes it might be appropriate to take a medication that contains both drugs.
In Australia & NZ, paracetamol is branded as Panadol, Paracetamol, Pharmacare, and other generic chemist brands. Nurofen is the common brand name for ibuprofen, which is also sold under generic brand names.
So how do you know which one to choose and when?
While ibuprofen and paracetamol can be taken for similar reasons (pain relief) each works in a slightly different way. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drug, which means it acts by blocking the enzymes that produce a group of chemicals called prostaglandins. These chemicals are important for normal body functions such as relaxing blood vessels, preventing blood clotting, secreting protective mucus in the gut and helping the uterus contract. They are also involved in inflammation, pain and fever.
It is still not completely understood how paracetamol works. Like ibuprofen, it is thought to act by blocking the enzymes that produce prostaglandins, although through a different mechanism to ibuprofen. There is also good evidence that paracetamol interacts with the brain’s endocannabinoid system and the “descending pain pathway”, which inhibits the perception of pain.
Is one drug better than the other?
Because they each provide pain relief in different ways, paracetamol can be better at treating some types of pain, while ibuprofen is better at treating other types. But be wary of packaging that claims a medication is useful for targeting pain associated with a specific condition as these claims are not true. Because it reduces inflammation, the Australian Therapeutic Guidelines state ibuprofen is the better choice for pain associated with osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, period pain, some types of headaches, and for pain that comes from having an operation. Paracetamol does not reduce inflammation but it is a better choice when fever is associated with the pain, like when you have a cold or flu.
We can sometimes get better relief when we take both types of medicine at the same time, since each targets a different cause or pathway of the pain. If one pathway does not completely control the pain then it can be useful to target the other one. The effects of each drug can add together for a bigger effect.
Combination products that contain both paracetamol and ibuprofen in a single tablet include Nuromol and Maxigesic.
Using a combination product means you can take fewer tablets. However, the doses in these combined products are sometimes less than the maximum recommended dose, meaning they might not work as well when compared with taking the tablets individually. Other times, you can get the best effect by alternating doses of ibuprofen and paracetamol. This keeps the levels of the medication in the body more constant and helps to provide more steady pain relief.
University of Sydney/Tauranga/WBOP Grey Power
Keeping your balance with Nymbl
Falls are the most common cause of injury, making up 39 per cent of all ACC claims. Nymbl is a free, fun and easy-to-use app fully funded by ACC. It is designed to help people 50 and older stay on their feet, combining simple body movements with brain games to challenge both the brain and body.
Annoying chores with unexpected health benefits
Wash dishes: Reduce anxiety People who cleaned their plates mindfully (focused on smelling the soap, feeling the water temperature, and touching the dishes) could lower their nervousness levels by 27%. Cleaning with a lemon scented cleaner could make you happier as a citrusy scent is a potent mood booster. Studies have shown a significant decrease in peoples overall mood disturbance, a measure of tension, anxiety, depression, confusion, fatigue and anger.
Making your bed every morning: Boosts productivity. Starting your day with a freshly made bed is what Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, calls a “keystone habit”; one that has a ripple effect to create other good behaviour. He notes that making your bed every morning is linked to better productivity, a greater sense of wellbeing, and stronger skills at sticking to a budget. Bedmakers also report getting a better night’s sleep than those who leave their covers messy in the morning.
Clean up your yard to prevent a heart attack. People who did the most yard work, housecleaning, and DIY projects had a nearly 30% lower risk of a first- time cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke compared with those who were the most sedentary, according to a new Swedish study of 3800 older adults.
Banish kitchen clutter: A recent study showed that people with super- cluttered homes were 77% more likely to be overweight or obese. The likely reason: it’s harder to make healthy food choices in a chaotic kitchen.
Mow the lawn: Feel more joyful. There’s something to that grassy scent. Australian researchers discovered that a chemical released by freshly cut grass makes people feel more relaxed and more joyful.
Growing flowers and vegetables can lower the risk of depression. In a study out of Norway, people diagnosed with different forms of depression spent six hours a week gardening; after a few months, they experienced a notable improvement in their depression symptoms, and their good moods continued for months after the study ended. Doing a new activity and being outside in nature can certainly help, but some experts believe that dirt itself might be a depression fighter. A study found that there could be an increase in the “release and metabolism of serotonin in parts of the brain that control cognitive function and mood, much like serotonin-boosting antidepressant drugs do.”
With spring well on the way, it’s time to make the bed, do the dishes while inhaling the citrus smell of the cleaning products and then head outside with a broom or rake or get out the motor mower! Find a garden trowel and loosen the soil to plant some peas or beans. After all that grab a book and put your feet up in the sun!
Tauranga/WBOP Grey Power