Applewood Homecare

The You Matters talks attended by Applewood addressed the very significant issues facing the community of obesity and mental health.  The opening talk featuring Dr Donal O’Shea and local psychologist Niall O’Dowda was both engaging and informative as regards emerging trends in society and the impact of early intervention on positive outcomes for the increasing numbers of people suffering with these conditions.

Cllr Jim O’Callaghan generously gave of his time to discuss important legal issues around wills and probate late into the second evening, and Hazel Ensor who opened had us all going with their easy keep fit activities

There was a very large turn out for Prof. Des O’Neill who had very insightful comments to make in relation to approaches to health and wellbeing

Something for Everyone this June:

June 5^th – 7^th John Ford Symposium

Celebrate the great Irish-American director. With a focus on contemporary filmmaking inspired and informed by Ford’s timeless work, this unique gathering of filmmakers, film fans, broadcasters, journalists and film historians will take place this June in Dublin city centre.

www.johnfordireland.org

June 5^th – 7^th 2015 Howth Midsummer Literary Arts Festival

The 2015 Howth Midsummer Literary Arts Festival will be held for the first time in historic Lutyens Library in Howth Castle in June.  Events are headlined by Pulitzer Prize winners Richard Ford and Michael Cunningham and Booker Prize winners John Banville, Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright  for more information visit www.howthliteraryfestival.com

June 11th -14th  Dalkey Book Festival

Jun 19^th- 21^st  Dublin Garden Festival at Christ Church Cathedral

Experience Ireland’s iconic medieval building filled with magnificent and colourful floral displays while the surrounding gardens come alive with activity- Music performances, expert talks, a petting zoo, Irish gourmet food displays, urban gardens and even a bee farm.

History Societies this month

Friday 5th June At 7.00 pm. Foxrock Local History Club Short Evening Outing to Kilgobbin Church Meet at Foxrock church carpark

Saturday 6^th June Irish Georgian Society: Sunni Goodson from MESH Architects will conduct a tour of 9/9a Aungiers Street, an historic 17th century house, presently being restored. There will be two tours which will last one hour each.Ph: 01 679 8675

Saturday 6^th June 10am–5:30pm.Irish Georgian Society: Outing: Guided walking tour of the historic quarter of Cashel town centre, Tipperary Ph: 01 679 8675 www.igs.ie

Saturday 6^th June: The Rathmines, Ranelagh & Rathgar Historical Society:Donnybrook Walking Trail (Saturday). Meet at the entrance to The Royal Hospital Donnybrook, Bloomfield Avenue (off Morehampton Road) at 2.00 p.m. Illustrated. Led by John Holohan

Saturday June 6th: Mount Merrion Historical Society, SOCIETY OUTING : Strokestown Park, (House, Garden, Famine Museum) and St. Mel’s Cathedral  Depart Mount Merrion 9.00am (sharp). Return Mount Merrion 6.00pm Price €35.00 per person– advanced booking required http://www.mountmerrionhistorical.com/Tour150606BookingForm.pdf

Tuesday 9^th June @ 7pm The Poets of Tallaght talk by Tomás Maher contact Anne Hanrahan, Chairperson of Tallaght Historical Society on 01 2441463 or 0876315773.

Tuesday June 9th @ 8 p.m –Lecture ‘DMP Casualties during the War of Independence – Part 2’ presented by James Scannell. to The Genealogical Society of Ireland in Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education, Cumberland Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.Donation of €3 requested.

Sunday June 21st @ 3 p.m ‘The Irish at Waterloo’ – Lt. Col. Dan Harvey, Irish Defence Forces, in the in the Museum of Decorative Arts and History, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 2. (free Lecture)

28th June 2015 Foxrock Local History Club All day Coach Tour : Belvedere House and Gardens Mullingar and Newly restored St. Mel’s Cathedral Longford Meet at 0915 at Foxrock Church car park Advanced Booking Required: Phone: Maureen 086 2221693 Email: maureendaly_dublin@hotmail.com

Saturday July 11th: Dun Laoghaire Historical Society Annual Outing 2015 – “Wexford” – visiting Wells House in Ballyedmond, The National Heritage Park in Ferrycarrick and dinner in the Riverside Park Hotel in Enniscorthy. Contact Anna Scudds on 01-2806213 to book a place.

Safety Notice : Distraction Burglary

(From Personal Safety Security for the Older Person Leaflet , An Garda Síochána Garda National Crime Prevention Unit www.garda.ie)

A distraction burglary is where a bogus caller to your home gains entry on a pretext/lie or creates a diversion so that an accomplice can sneak in separately.

Unfortunately, older persons are frequently targeted with this crime. Bogus callers will say anything to get into your home -

“There’s been an accident, can I call an ambulance?”

“I’ve broken down, can I use your phone?”

“I’ve had a fall, could I have a glass of water”

“I’m from the council, there’s a burst main, I need to turn off your supply”

Some will keep you talking at the front door while their accomplice sneaks in the back door. In all cases you need to be wary of strangers calling to your home. Take precautions -

• Do not open the door to anyone before you’ve checked who it is and what they want. Use your door viewer and chain/limiter.

• Check identification, where appropriate.

• Do not leave strangers unattended at your doorstep.

• Ensure your back door is locked when you answer a call at the front door.

Remember if in doubt, keep them out

Menshed Terenure – There was fantastic support for the launch of the Menshed last week in Terenure.  This is a great initiative – a member based organisation which operates at grassroots level in the community improving participants health and well-being.  If you are interested to be involved contact  Neil@applewoodhomecare.ie

Also in other news Parkinson’s disease has been in the news recently as the second most common occurring neurodegenerative condition after Alzheimer’s. For staff in Applewood with family members suffering with the condition we have personal practical experience of the challenges posed by symptoms to both client and the people looking after them.

The disease is a movement disorder whose classic features are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement but many other physical symptoms relate to Parkinson’s – difficulty with swallowing food, feelings of constipation, speech changes, blank face, dizziness and low blood pressure, and balance problems.

Mental symptoms which feature with the disease are anxiety and fixation, memory loss and depression – for some sleep problems can develop.

Parkinson’s symptoms develop over time with the reduced levels of dopamine and also can be as a result of side effects of medication.

Impulsive-compulsive behaviours which are usually noticed by family members as behaviour totally out of character are very challenging as if they are left untreated they can become addictions which take over their lives.

An example from our family is an uncontrollable urge to buy things that are not needed to the point that six boxes of the same cereal are purchased on a weekly shop resulting in hoarding about the house.  Such behaviours can be linked to medication such as dopamine replacements so it is worth investigating this cause if this is presenting in your family.  A psychologist is also very useful to help work things through as oftentimes the anxiety with Parkinson’s exacerbates these other issues.

A useful resource if you are caring for a loved one with this disease or are or dealing with a recent diagnosis is www.parkinsons.ie

May events at the Evergreen Club:

 You Matter Talks

Weekly activities taking place in the Evergreen Club:

Monday:

• 11am-2pm   -   Lunches
• 19.30-22.00 -   Bridge

Tuesday:

• 11am-12.15pm -Coisceim Dance classes
• 14.00-16.00     -Bridge
• 19.00-21.00     -Red cross

Wednesday:

• 11am-14.00     -Lunches
• 14.00-17.00     -Boules
• 15.00-17.00     -Mens Shed

Thursday

• 10am-11.30    -Computer Classes
• 14.00-16.00    -Art Classes

Friday

• 11am-12        -Exercise Classes

Check out the progress the guys are making in the Coisceam Dance classes.

video 1

video 2

History Lectures this month

Thursday May 7th: Mount Merrion Historical Society, Fitzwilliam Rooms Mount Merrion Community Centre 8pm, ‘For the Sake of Peat – The byways ad narrow gauge railways of Bord na Mona’ illustrated talk by Sean Cain

Tuesday May 19th: Foxrock Local History Club in Foxrock Pastoral Centre (Beside Foxrock Church Jct Kill Lane / Bray Rd N11) 8pm ‘Gallipoli 100 years’ Cmdt. Tony Roe.

Wednesday May 20th: Dun Laoghaire Historical Society in Royal Marine Hotel Dun Laoghaire. At 8pm  “Herman Goertz, the Secret Agent who came in uniform”. Speaker; Jim Scannell

Monday 27th May 8pm – Clondalkin Historical Society, Arás Chronáin, Watery Lane, Clondalkin : Emer Ging presents ‘ Clondalkin’s Viking Connections’

Thursday 28th May at 8pm to The Rathmines, Ranelagh & Rathgar Historical Society in Rathmines Town Hall, Rathmines Rd, D.6 (Admission €3) ‘The Theatre Royal’ Illustrated talk by Conor Doyle

We are currently recruiting at the moment, minimum Fetac requirement, if interested please email your CV to jane@applewoodhomecare.ie. We have recently linked up with Chevlon Training, Irelands Employment Skill Provider who provide a range of different courses available for those who think caring for others might be a career suited to them

Safety Notice – Crime Alerts:

An increased number of burglary’s are taking place in the area during the day time – the Garda advise not to keep large sums of money in the house, keep doors and windows locked and use your alarm.

ATM skimming of bank cards has occurred  at ALL banks in Rathmines. (This is where fraudsters use card reading devices either inserted into the card slot or over it so that when you put your card into the machine it can surreptitiously read its magnetic strip. Small cameras placed over the keypad then film you entering your PIN.) If you have used an ATM in Rathmines recently, ensure you carefully check your statements for suspicious activity and inform the bank immediately if you discover anything amiss.

As always beware of bogus callers to your door.

Happy Easter to All from staff at Applewood Homecare!  We can at last welcome in the Spring with the fine weather we have been having over the holiday.  Make the most of the break in the rain by taking the opportunity to get out and about in your garden or the park or indeed to the many events in your community.  Some of our staff here went into the activities on O’Connell Street and we have included below some upcoming historical society events this month as there is a growing interest with the upcoming 1916 centenary.

The Evergreen Club has Spring in their steps and are into week 2 of a hugely successful CoisCéim Dance Project.  There are a few more weeks to run on this if you are interested in checking this out.  As always the dancing continues with the Afternoon Tea Dance April 24^th 2pm – 4pm.

The Menshed supported by Dublin City Council is launched this is continuous enrolement so if this might be of interest to you or someone you know might benefit please contact for more information.  They are currently working on ideas for projects.

History Lectures

Friday 10th 8pm – The Military History Society of Ireland – Griffith College, SCR, Dublin 8 : Tom Brace presents ‘ The command and staff structure of the IRA, 1918-21′

Monday 13th 7:30pm – The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland – Society House, 63 Merrion Square, D.2 : Conleth Manning presents ‘Hervey Montmorency Morres: ’98 Rebel, Antiquary and Impudent Genealogist’

Wednesday 15th 1pm – Ballsbridge, Donnybrook & Sandymount Historical Society – Pembroke Library, Dublin 4: Hugh Oram presents ‘A History of Ballsbridge from my view’  (Booking recommended 01-6689575)

Friday 24th 8pm – The Military History Society of Ireland – Griffith College, SCR, Dublin 8 : Dr Mark Phelan presents ‘Gallipoli, 1915 – the First Phase: the April Landings’

Monday 27th 8pm – Clondalkin Historical Society, Arás Chronáin, Watery Lane, Clondalkin : Henry Fairbrother presents ‘ Mount Jerome: A Protestant Cemetery’ also takes place on

Thursday 30th at 8pm to The Rathmines, Ranelagh & Rathgar Historical Society in Rathmines Town Hall, Rathmines Rd, D.6 (Admission €3)

Check out a couple of snaps from the Open Mic night from Wednesday 25th-03-2015. It really was a fantastic night.  Well done to everyone who participated.

More pictures from the CoisCeim dance project. Great way to keep fit and active!

Early Onset Alzheimers has been very prevalent in the news this month with the deserved Oscar win for  actress Julianne Moore in the Still Helen a movie that does much for Alzheimers advocacy, and the death of the much loved Discworld author Terry Pratchett (RIP).

Alzheimers and dementia is a devastating illness for the sufferers but in particular for their families and loved ones who see the person they love disappear before their eyes. If you are caring for someone who has dementia it can be very stressful and demanding on many levels and often your own needs are left behind.  It is important for you to look after yourself appropriately as often times it can be the overlooked main care-giver who gets seriously ill in these situations.

The staff here in Applewood Homecare are experienced and trained in Dementia care  and have worked supporting family members who are caring for loved ones with Alzheimers.  If you are dealing with a situation that you are finding it hard to cope with, please contact us for a free consultation to see if we can support you to help your loved one remain at home in a dignified supportive environment.

Upcoming Events

Evergreen Club, Terenure Socials:

Open Mic Session March 25^th,

Afternoon Tea Dance April 24^th 2pm – 4pm.

The Menshed is launched as of Wednesday 3pm 11^th October – continuous enrolement on this so please contact for more information.

There is still some availability on the Wednesday Computer Classes for Beginners contact Neil for more information.

You Matter – will be launching a series of talks in May in a public forum to be held in the Evergreen Club. Dates are to be finalised so please check our Facebook page for further information

Lastly, all the staff here at Applewood Homecare were very saddened to read in the news of the suspected carbon monoxide poisoning deaths of the elderly couple in Churchtown, RIP.  Unfortunately this type of death happens more frequently then it should – the best way to care and protect yourself and your family from this hidden danger is for the regular inspection and maintenance of appliances, vents, flues and chimneys.  Installing an audible carbon monoxide alarm is not expensive and is useful as a precautionary device.  For more information visit www.carbonmonoxide.ie

Neil O’Reilly, Applewood Homecare

Applewood Homecare is delighted to welcome the addition to Terenure of a Menshed Project aimed at enhancing and maintaining the well-being of participants. This initiative is being supported by Dublin City Council and sited at the Evergreen Club and is due to open next month. The idea is that it is a dedicated, friendly meeting place where men come together and undertake a variety of mutually agreed activities. Members can share skills and knowledge with others and learn new skills. New members are always welcome and can be assured there is something of interest for all as members decide their own programme of events.

The CoisCéim Dance Project is also approved due to commence next month to be run at the Evergreen Club. This is an 8 week programme further details when available.

Congratulations to the organisers of the inaugural Wednesday night Open Mic Music Session at the Evergreen Club. A fantastic night was had by all accounts. The next event is scheduled for 25th March 2015 all our welcome!

Safety Notice – Crime Alert in the area : A man currently operating in Rathmines is calling at houses offering yearly window cleaning/gutter cleaning services for a one-off price, taking payment and providing an official looking receipt. The service is subsequently not provided but more than that Gardaí believe he is casing properties for burglary. He is described as approximately 40 years old, 6′ 3″ tall and “ordinary looking”. If anyone of this description calls on you, politely decline his services and call 999 or 112 IMMEDIATELY

Neil O’Reilly, Applewood Homecare

Happy New Year! The team at Applewood Homecare are all busy with their visits and investigating useful community activities for our clients for 2015. As always the Evergreen Club in Terenure is coming up trumps with activities for 2015 such as a new Arts and Craft group , Boules, Computer Classes, CoisCeim Dance Project, Exercise Classes, Mens Club incorporating Mens Shed, Open Mic and more all events are seeking new members. If you know of other events to suit please let me know neil@applewoodhomecare .ie Safety Notice – Crime Alert in the area an elderly lady had a burglary with cash stolen when 2 girls ‘selling lines’ gained access to use the toilet and have a glass of water. Gardai want to remind everyone, especially older residents on their own, not to let ANYBODY you don’t personally know, or hasn’t made a prior appointment, into your home, whatever they may say. Neil O’Reilly, Applewood Homecare

The Christmas Party Tea Dance in the Evergreen Club was another fantastic community event which had the older members rocking Terenure in some numbers. Over a hundred people turned up, it was a great celebration and chance for the over 50’s to mingle and meet others in the area. As an inclusion initiative this monthly event has been a great success with numbers growing all the time. A spin-off Open Mic Session will be taking place on 18th February 2015 for anyone who wants to play and instrument or sing. This club is a great resource for the over 50’s and many more events are planned for 2015 which I’ll post when I have confirmation.

All the staff of Applewood Homecare would like to wish you and yours a Peaceful Christmas and Best Wishes for New Year 2015. A special thought also in remembrance of the loved ones who have passed in 2014.

Neil O’Reilly, Applewood Homecare

Applewood Homecare are delighted to announce our donation of a 12 month integrated care package to The Peggy Mangan Foundation.

We are now inviting applications for this integrated care package and there is more information below.

Actor Seth Rogen addressed a US Senate committee this week to speak about Alzheimer’s Disease. His heartwarming, humorous and honest testimony about his mother- in- laws experience with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease and his own charity and advocacy work in raising awareness and breaking the stigma that surrounds the disease is worth watching. Rogen called on the  the US government to take steps to help fight the worldwide epidemic that is Alzheimer’s Disease.

Via C-SPAN

Terenure 2030 is a is a volunteer run community project whose vision is to enjoy and promote Terenure. As a local business Applewood Homecare is delighted to be involved in this exciting and innovative project and especially excited about our involvement in the access and social inclusion project as part of Terenure 2030.

The Terenure 2030 Team with Enda Kenny
via terenure2030.com

The project has been garnering great interest and support both locally and beyond with An Taoiseach Enda Kenny dropping into the Terenure Sports Centre on February 6th to add his support to the project. An Taoiseach had this to say about Terenure 2030

“I was in the Terenure Sports Club last night for a meeting of Terenure 2030. This new initiative involves local business people and residents working together for the development and benefit of Terenure village and district. Working in tandem with the ‘I Love Terenure 2030’ initiative, it aims to encourage village traders and the community to work together to make Terenure a better place to live and work.

There, I was impressed to hear of the central role played by the Enterprise Centre in the locality – the very first opened in the country back in 1984 – particularly in light of the Government’s plans to begin rolling out 31 brand new Local Enterprise Offices (or LEOs) across the country from April. These will also be a vital source of information, support and guidance to our SMEs delivering a comprehensive ‘first stop shop’ service to entrepreneurs and businesses. Well done Terenure! Enda Kenny An Taoiseach”

Via Terenure2030.com

The Terenure First Fruits Meeting takes place tonight, Feb 27, in the Terenure Sports Club at 7.30pm, more information below and is open to anyone living or working in Terenure.

For more information on Terenure 2030 please visit terenure2030.com.