horoscope

Aries

Your militant streak is uppermost but try avoid developing a hostile approach that could alienate those whose help you seek

Taurus

Spare time is in short supply and you find it difficult to complete the easiest of tasks with so many interruptions. Sit back, rebalance and start again...

Gemini

A heightened sense of restlessness can interfere with progress leaving satisfaction difficult to achieve...don't worry next year this will change for the better.

Cancer

Relationships are supportive and a female figure or maternal influence is about to bring love and nourishment your way.

Leo

Take up new skills, have counselling but also be aware that it's important to develop your creativity to ensure fulfilment of dreams for the future.

Virgo

Take the lead and show everyone you're capable of managing on your own even if it means setting out on an independent course of action without them.

Libra

A good time to assess what new interests or pathways would be good to explore for the months ahead. You are ready for change and to start something different.

Scorpio

Finances are subject to unaccepted influences and you must make sure all valuables are kept safe and insured in case of theft, damage or loss.

Sagittarius

You have lost confidence, and ambitions are thwarted by situations out of your control for now; don't worry this will change in a few weeks time.

Capricorn

You can expect to attract some amazing attention from potential partners who at last are seeing the nicer, gentler side of your personality...you're such a pussy cat :-)

Aquarius

Secret sexual or romantic liaisons add spice to life but take care that what is shared behind the scenes doesn't become public when you least expect it.

Pisces

A lucky time for you especially if you are trying to get a new interest or hobby off the ground and attract a bit of media attention to help it on the way.

Lunar Lore

December 10th lunar eclipse will be seen from Alaska, northern Canada, Australia, New Zealand, central Asia and eastern Asia. North America and Hawaii will see moonset still eclipsed.

 

Campaigns & Issues

Councils’ care home policy may cost families £millions a year, says charity

independant age_logoThousands of families in England may be paying councils millions of pounds a year for care home places that should be free, according to a report by older people’s charity Independent Age.

The families are having to ‘top-up’ their elderly relatives’ care home fees because some councils refuse to pay the full market cost themselves. Councils are required to provide an appropriate care home place to elderly people with few assets but the maximum rate they will pay in England is on average £45 a week, compared to an average real cost of £524.

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News

Inflation falls for all age groups, although elderly still hit hardest

  • The latest figures from the Alliance Trust Economic Research Centre show that all households experienced a decline in their inflation rates in April
  • Despite this, it is still the elderly households which face the highest rate of inflation
  • The over 75 year old households face an inflation rate of 3.6% and although this is the lowest level since October 2010, it is still higher than the official rate of inflation
  • The 30-49 year olds, once again, have the lowest rate of inflation at 3.0%. This is the lowest level recorded for this age group since November 2009
  • Gas price inflation remains elevated at 15%, which continues to affect the elderly households disproportionately

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Competitions & Fun

Win a pair of tickets to South Pacific

South PacificThis breathtaking and lavish Lincoln Center Theatre production reinvented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical.

It swept the 2008 Tony Awards, played for two years to sold-out houses on Broadway and was televised across America.

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Reader Offers

You could win one of three superb weekend breaks in Silver Travel Advisor’s “Best of British” Diamond Jubilee celebration this month

STAhotel j_peg_169Silver Travel Advisor is a friendly website packed with advice, tips, information and honest reviews written by and for silver travellers (aged over 50).

A team of advisors are on hand to answer queries (for free), and you can share your own experiences too.

It’s time to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee this month with an amazing British prize draw:

Win a two night stay for two people at Flackley Ash Hotel , Rye, East Sussex

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Health & Wellbeing

Patients to benefit from better advice on pain control

Mike BennettNew guidance for doctors and other prescribers on the use of strong painkillers for patients with chronic or incurable disease has been welcomed by researchers at the University of Leeds.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is today (23 May) launching a new clinical guideline on the safe use of opioids – a family of drugs derived from the opium poppy that have been identified by the World Health Organization as essential in the treatment of severe pain. The new NICE guideline should help ensure that when patients receiving palliative care for chronic or incurable illnesses start treatment with strong opiods, the drugs are prescribed safely and consistently..

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Property & Finance

Older people need specialist housing

Cambell RobbBritain’s housing market is failing to meet the needs of the elderly, despite a rapidly-ageing population and a growing demand for retirement housing, a charity has warned. Housing charity Shelter has found that if demand remains at current levels supply would have to increase by over 70 per cent in the next 20 years in order to keep up.

The report explored the housing options available to those over 55 - a group that will make up one in three people in England by 2030.

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Lifestyle

Learn how the internet can make life easier for you

Learning internetStocking up on the heavy grocery essentials was a full day out for Sheila, age 82. “I could see the advantages of doing the supermarket shop on the internet: having the groceries delivered, saving the taxi fare and not relying on others to shop for me if I’m ill,” said Sheila.

“But although I used the internet for emails, I didn’t really enjoy or trust it. My daughter suggested that Pearson Love to Learn’s Internet Basics online course might give me confidence and when she offered to try it out with me, I decided to give it a go.

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Travel & Leisure

New sat-nav for older people

sat nav_for_older_peopleThere could be a new solution for the increasing number of elderly drivers in Britain who are driven round the bend by complicated sat-nav devices. Scientists are developing a new satellite navigation system - dubbed the Granny-Nav - to help technophobic pensioners. The new device, which tells pensioners to turn at a specific point, such as a pub and not in a certain distance, is being hailed as a new way to keep the elderly as independent as possible.

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I have received a copy of you paper from our Community Centre for the last two years and really look foreword to reading it.  Thank you!