A new guide to enable older people with sensory loss to get the support and help they need launched by Counsel and Care.

Around a million older people in the UK are affected by sight loss and many also have hearing loss and many need help to find resources that may help them, according to Counsel and Care.

To ensure that all older people who experience sensory loss can get the services, support and equipment they are entitled to, Counsel and Care has joined forces with Thomas Pocklington Trust and Sense to produce a new guide for older people with hearing, sight and dual-sensory loss. The guide is launched today (28 October 2008) by Counsel and Care, the national charity getting the best care and support for older people, their families and carers.

Stephen Burke, the charity’s chief executive said: ‘This new guide is a significant addition to Counsel and Care’s comprehensive range of information for older people, their families and carers.

‘It is crucial that older people experiencing sensory loss, their families and carers have access to the right information and advice at the right time so that they know what their options are and can manage their changing needs and its impact on their lives.

‘This guide provides advice and tips on how to make the most of a person’s sight and hearing so that they can continue to lead as fulfilling and enjoyable a life as possible whatever their age.’

Counsel and Care is a national charity getting the best care and support for older people, their families and carers. Advice on issues affecting older people can be obtained by calling 0845 300 7585 or emailing advice@counselandcare.org.uk.

Find out more at the Counsel and Care website