E-Petition for Pensioners to eat a more healthy diet

[PaulaH]

Hi

I'm a full time carer and moderator on a carer forum.

We've started an e-petition to ask for an allowance for pensioners on low incomes to eat a more healthy diet to include more fresh fruit and vegetables, something that sadly gets overlooked with soaring fuel bills and other living expenses.  The Government are currently introducing an allowance of £200 for pregnant women to improve their diet, we feel pensioners should be given the same opportunity.

Age Concern are running a campaign looking at malnutrition in elderly patients in hospital, not only through poor food but the inability of the staff to help vulnerable patients to feed themselves, something I saw first hand a few weeks ago when my Mum, who is blind, had a brief hospital stay - if I hadn't insisted on going to feed her at mealtimes she would have starved.

The link to the petition is:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/freshfruitveg/

We are currently at 192 signatures in just under 2 weeks (it runs for a year), once over 200 we are guaranteed a response from No. 10 which will help bring our idea to fruitition.  The petition is open to UK residents and ex-pats.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you can support us in this worthy cause.

Paula - National Carers Forum
http://tonyrhodes.f.xaviermedia.com/

[PaulaH]

[SnooziSuzi]

done  ;D 

I think that the older generation who have fought for us etc etc are far more deserving than younger one's who have done bugger all!!

;D

[ACE]

done  ;D 

I think that the older generation who have fought for us etc etc are far more deserving than younger one's who have done bugger all!!

;D

It's the younger ones who need the nourishment, they will be saving for their old age, not waiting for handouts. I do not qualify for most freebies as I have a private pension, which is taxed, why should my taxes pay for somebody`who could not be bothered. I do get £200 a year for heating which I usually spend on gin, so I suppose a few lemons would not go amiss.

[PaulaH]

Thank you for your support, we're now up to 197 signatures ;)

Paula xx

[Emagggie]

My niece has recently started a business cooking and delivering fresh meals to pensioners in her area (Glastonbury). I'm sure she would be interested in this.

[PaulaH]

Hi Maggie

Any help with the petition would be wonderful, thank you.

Does your niece have a website address, we could put it on our carer forum.

Paula xx

[Emagggie]

Thanks Paula, will phone her tonight, (I have emailed, but phone ensures a reply ::)).

[PaulaH]

No problem Maggie, it's a fantastic idea for a business and if we can help promote it through our site then we will ;D

Paula xx

[scotch-mist]

Done Paula,
                  But for the grace of God go I,
Nobody knows whats in front of them.

[Sprinkle]

Although I agree 100% with the sentiments, I do not sign any petitions that have not had the wording thought out properly.

If you're presenting something to the government in order to request, or demand, some response or action, I suggest that the grammar, spelling and punctuation are acceptable.

[PaulaH]

Thank you so much Scotch-Mist, I do appreciate you taking the time to sign (love the pic, I adore Freddie's music ;))

Sprinkle, I'm sorry you feel unable to sign purely because of the wording of the petition.  I do agree that presentation is important but as you can see by the volume of support we have for this campaign in such a short space of time, what really matters is the health and welfare of the elderly not whether the grammar is correct.  Thank you for taking the time to read my request and for your comments.

Paula

[Sprinkle]

...what really matters is the health and welfare of the elderly not whether the grammar is correct...

Paula

Absolutely.

And if you can't even be bothered to take the time to write the thing in an acceptable manner, why should anyone be bothered to support you?
If you haven't had the education that allows you to communicate effectively, then, for such an important issue, why not get someone who has?

[debster]

PaulaH although i agree entirely with the sentiment I resent the remark that hospital staff have the inablility to help vulnerable patients, where this may be true of some wards you cannot make such a sweeping statement. As a nurse on an acute stroke ward with 30 patients our patients are given every help and encouragement to assist them. We have proper dining facilities, adapted cutlery, a range of meals and a variety of consistencies for people with varying swallowing problems ranging from mousse consistency to normal. We work closely with dieticians and speech and language therapists, we spend a lot of time on oral hygiene for our patients and always have on offer supplements in the form of soups, milkshakes, fruit juices, puddings etc etc, we weigh our patients regularly to monitor them and keep food and fluid input charts. We allow patients to eat what they would like, and many will eat 2 or 3 puddings and little else that is their choice. we encourage patients relatives to help out at meal times if this is the patients wish unless it would be detrimental to them.
Im sorry I will get off my soap box now but I am extremely proud of the staff on my ward and what they do please dont disregard us with a sweeping statement or tar us all with the same brush. Im sure you must be aware of how difficult it can be to encourage someone to eat if they are not inclined to do so.

[Melbourne12]

I’m sure the petition is well-meant, but I won’t be signing it either, and not because it’s illiterate.

There are three problems.  Presumably what is envisaged is a sort of Luncheon Voucher scheme, exchangeable for foods that the FSA or some similar body regards as “healthy”, and redeemable from the government, perhaps via HMRC or the Post Office.  The costs of such a scheme would be disproportionate.  It would hardly cost less than £5 to administer each voucher. And each voucher would be worth what? A pound? More? A fiver at the most.  So at best, the admin costs would consume half the budget, and it might be much more.

Second, the abuses of the scheme simply wouldn’t be preventable. Like Luncheon Vouchers, there’d be a trade in them. “Don’t want to be force-fed kale, luv? I’ll buy your twenty quid’s worth of vouchers for a tenner. Or would you prefer a bottle of healthy vodka, or some smuggled ciggies?”  And many shopkeepers would turn a blind eye to the rules.  “Raspberry cheesecake?  Don’t see why not.  It’s got raspberries â€" part of your 5-a-day, innit?”

Third, and the killer reason, IMO, is that healthy food isn’t more expensive.  It’s cheaper.  This is a conundrum that has perplexed do-gooders since the nineteenth century.  Why do poor people waste their little money on unhealthy treats?  Back then it might have been tea and baccy. Now it’s cake, crisps, and ready meals. The answer lies in social factors rather than economic ones.

But don’t tell Gordon Brown, especially the third reason.  He might cut pensions as an enabler of healthy eating, or better still, impose an old people’s tax on processed foods.  That would indeed be a tax incentive.  Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.

[PaulaH]

PaulaH although i agree entirely with the sentiment I resent the remark that hospital staff have the inablility to help vulnerable patients, where this may be true of some wards you cannot make such a sweeping statement. As a nurse on an acute stroke ward with 30 patients our patients are given every help and encouragement to assist them. We have proper dining facilities, adapted cutlery, a range of meals and a variety of consistencies for people with varying swallowing problems ranging from mousse consistency to normal. We work closely with dieticians and speech and language therapists, we spend a lot of time on oral hygiene for our patients and always have on offer supplements in the form of soups, milkshakes, fruit juices, puddings etc etc, we weigh our patients regularly to monitor them and keep food and fluid input charts. We allow patients to eat what they would like, and many will eat 2 or 3 puddings and little else that is their choice. we encourage patients relatives to help out at meal times if this is the patients wish unless it would be detrimental to them.
Im sorry I will get off my soap box now but I am extremely proud of the staff on my ward and what they do please dont disregard us with a sweeping statement or tar us all with the same brush. Im sure you must be aware of how difficult it can be to encourage someone to eat if they are not inclined to do so.

Debster, I appreciate your comments and I am sorry if you felt I was tarring all hospitals with the same brush but I have seen for myself just how SOME hospitals treat their elderly patients.

As I said my Mum who is 86 and almost blind was admitted as an emergency a few weeks ago, I was very concerned about her not being able to feed herself and despite being told she would be helped I insisted on going in at mealtimes. 

The staff on this particular elderly ward literally left the patients to their own devices, every bed had to be helped by visitors despite asking staff for help, they were either too busy, or I hate to say this, couldn't be bothered to help.  My sister had to help one lady who had no visitors because she couldn't feed herself.

I can see that your ward obviously has the patients welfare at heart and I applaude you and your staff for that, unfortunately - as the Age Concern campaign is also highlighting - that isn't the case throughout the NHS whether that is down to budgets or staff training is unclear but I won't apologise for highlighting the shortfall in care that some hospitals provide for the elderly and vulnerable.

Thank you for your comments

Paula

[Emagggie]

...what really matters is the health and welfare of the elderly not whether the grammar is correct...

Paula

Absolutely.

And if you can't even be bothered to take the time to write the thing in an acceptable manner, why should anyone be bothered to support you?
If you haven't had the education that allows you to communicate effectively, then, for such an important issue, why not get someone who has?

:o :o :o How rude. Normally I would ignore a reply like this but I feel strongly that this is a valid petition and content is more important than grammar.

[PaulaH]

...what really matters is the health and welfare of the elderly not whether the grammar is correct...

Paula

Absolutely.

And if you can't even be bothered to take the time to write the thing in an acceptable manner, why should anyone be bothered to support you?
If you haven't had the education that allows you to communicate effectively, then, for such an important issue, why not get someone who has?

:o :o :o How rude. Normally I would ignore a reply like this but I feel strongly that this is a valid petition and content is more important than grammar.

Thank you Maggie, the writer of the petition is an ex-carer, he nursed his Mum for over 20 years until she died last year of lung cancer.  His spelling and grammar might not be perfect but his heart's in the right place - plus he's my partner ;)

Paula xx

[PaulaH]

I’m sure the petition is well-meant, but I won’t be signing it either, and not because it’s illiterate.

There are three problems.  Presumably what is envisaged is a sort of Luncheon Voucher scheme, exchangeable for foods that the FSA or some similar body regards as “healthy”, and redeemable from the government, perhaps via HMRC or the Post Office.  The costs of such a scheme would be disproportionate.  It would hardly cost less than £5 to administer each voucher. And each voucher would be worth what? A pound? More? A fiver at the most.  So at best, the admin costs would consume half the budget, and it might be much more.

Second, the abuses of the scheme simply wouldn’t be preventable. Like Luncheon Vouchers, there’d be a trade in them. “Don’t want to be force-fed kale, luv? I’ll buy your twenty quid’s worth of vouchers for a tenner. Or would you prefer a bottle of healthy vodka, or some smuggled ciggies?”  And many shopkeepers would turn a blind eye to the rules.  “Raspberry cheesecake?  Don’t see why not.  It’s got raspberries â€" part of your 5-a-day, innit?”

Third, and the killer reason, IMO, is that healthy food isn’t more expensive.  It’s cheaper.  This is a conundrum that has perplexed do-gooders since the nineteenth century.  Why do poor people waste their little money on unhealthy treats?  Back then it might have been tea and baccy. Now it’s cake, crisps, and ready meals. The answer lies in social factors rather than economic ones.

But don’t tell Gordon Brown, especially the third reason.  He might cut pensions as an enabler of healthy eating, or better still, impose an old people’s tax on processed foods.  That would indeed be a tax incentive.  Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.

Thank you for your comments, I agree that all schemes are open to some sort of abuse - even ' fake' disabled badges are being sold on Ebay now to avoid paying the congestion charge in London (how low will people stoop these days!).

All we can do is try and improve the health and diet of elderly people in whatever way we can, that's not too much to ask is it?

Paula xx

[debster]

point taken Paul however all you had to put was some staff have the inability to help but im probably also being picky but working in the environment i also appreciate how difficult it can be to allocate resources and i am also honest enough to admit there are people who dont care
another thought i had is that would some of the elderly be bothered to cook fresh veg etc for themselves they can become very apathetic when living alone

[Emagggie]

.....and hopefully that is where people like my niece come in. Her business is doing well as the word goes round. It started when her Grandma had a fall and broke her leg. When she was sent home from recuperation she had meals on wheels but she just craved a fresh home cooked meal.