Adding information about local services takes a little more time and effort. But you can spread out that time grabbing a few minutes here and there to do some research.
What to do
Find out about services for older deafblind people in your area and how people can access them. You could, for example contact Social Services or your local society for the blind to find out the following:
- Contact details for the deafblind specialist in the sensory team of Social Services
- Who in your area can provide deafblind awareness training
- What services or activities are provided for older deafblind people in your area.
If you are unsure how to get in touch with Social Services or with your local society for the blind, ask at your local library, council offices or Citizen’s Advice Bureau. If you are still stuck, contact Sense for advice.
Write up your findings and give them to the practice manager or other member of staff at your GP surgery along with ‘It All Adds Up’. This saves them having to do the research and shows them what is available in your area. (You can write the phone number for Social Services on the ‘It All Adds Up’ poster in the pack.)
To have impact
- Keep your information concise and focused
- Present the information clearly and make it easy to read
- Make sure that you include correct contact details for each service
If you know of people who have used a service, you could include a short quote from them to show how the service benefited them.
