I write for 'Pendulum', the quarterly magazine (excellent) of the charity Bipolar UK. Last autumn, I wrote an article about the therapeutic power of writing - whether fact or fiction. My following article was about how having a hip replacement operation had led to my developing writer's block, such that I'm now unable to write fiction at all. Even though I had an opening to submit a novel for the first - and perhaps last - time in my life. Boo hoo!

I can still thankfully write factual…

Through the magic of Twitter I’ve found out that Turn2us is running Benefits Awareness Month throughout April, a nationwide media campaign to encourage everyone to check their benefits entitlement.…

Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone pledged his support for our call for a Minister for Older People during a visit to a London care home yesterday.

On a day when the so-called “granny tax” was being debated in the…

Margot James MP is supporting our application for a motion calling for a dedicated Minister for Older People to be appointed.

On her blog today, the MP for Stourbridge says

“It is essential that older people are represented across Government, a…

The computer swallowed grandma. Yes, honestly it’s true! She pressed 'control and 'enter' And disappeared from view. It devoured her completely, The thought just makes me squirm. she must have caught a virus Or been eaten by a worm. I've searched through the recycle bin And files of every kind; I've even used the Internet, But nothing did I find. In desperation, I asked Mr. Google My searches to refine. The reply from him was negative, Not a thing was found 'online.' So, if inside your…

IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT, WRITE TO YOUR MP, THEY HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR LETTER, SO CANNOT SWEEP IT UNDER THE CARPET.

Don't forget MP have been put into their position by you the voter, so use them by going to their 'surgery' with your complaints, you can find out were the surgerys are held by going on line or ringing your council or the MP party offices.

Just had this sent to me by a friend, thought it so apt as it applies to us oldies:-

At the cash register of the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own shopping bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my…

On Thursday, Brian Paddick’s campaign team tweeted a (now deleted) comment about Ken Livingstone being “old” and “past it”, before pressure from myself and many others forced them to retract it. Coupled with the Lib Dems’ “Boris and Ken are tired old men” message, this incident reveals a worrying ageist streak within their campaign. It’s not only electorally dangerous for them (four in ten votes at…

Older people’s charity, Anchor, has today embarked on a landmark research project into the quality of life of thousands of older people across the country….and YOU can take part!  

The research will aim to investigate standards of basic service provision from town to town, and will result in a ‘Grey Britain’ report offering insight into the impact of day-to-day services on older people, from transport to healthcare…

Every year, just before Easter, the Chief Rabbi in Rome goes to the Vatican and presents an ancient, and by now quite tattered envelope to the Pope. The Pope inspects the envelope, shakes his head, and hands it back to the Chief Rabbi, who then departs.   This has b...een going on for nearly two thousand years. One year recently, it happened that there was a new Pope and a new Chief Rabbi. When the Chief Rabbi presented…

If you are aged over 65 you cannot claim a carer's allowance or take advantage or events held by the Carers Association. I have a neighbour who is a carer for her husband who is 90, a veteran of DDay and among other health issues he is registered blind.  Discrimination? Would there be a case to take?

Dear all

I went to a resolution meeting today at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, where I had a total hip replacement operation last October. My efforts to draw their attention to my bipolar, triggers, warning signs and coping strategies fell on deaf (or merely unprepared?) ears. Today I was delighted to see that when my advocacy worker from POhWER (ICAS) and I began to raise the issues of our desired outcomes from the meeting, the policymaker and the senior nurses present…

MP for Portsmouth North, and Grey Pride supporter, Penny Mordaunt made reference to our Grey Pride campaign calling for a dedicated Minister for Older People in the budget debate on the floor of the House of Commons last week.…

I've just returned from a local meeting with Ed Miliband and 3 other members of the Shadow Cabinet, including the Shadow Home Secretary and Harriet Harman. I put a question to Mr. Miliband and got a very encouraging answer - and a promise. He will engage in dialogue with Disability Rights UK - the newly-formed umbrella organisation which will campaign on behalf of people with 'disabilities'/'impairments' (sorry to use those negative words). He will look at stigma, bullying over benefits on…

As we older people get older still we all need to be concerned with Alzheimer's disease. This Puzzle is easy to put together, if you are not affected by Alzheimer's disease. But impossible to do for someone with the disease. Give it a try. If this puzzle is particularly difficult for you then your physician can offer you additional testing to check you for Alzheimer's. If you would like to give it a try, then click on the following link:…