Letters - Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Well once again my dad’s care home has been shut down to visitors as they have an outbreak of covid. All the residents have dementia.

My first question is why? My dad, myself and my sister have been double jabbed.

My second question how long will this go on for?

As soon as there is a positive test will the home be shut and all the residents become prisoners? Will this keep happening, when does it stop, do we not have to learn to live with it?

My third question is what is the point of being double jabbed? I know the vaccination will not stop people getting covid but if there is an outbreak of chicken pox does the world stop?

Yes unfortunately some people have died from covid but some people can die from flu!

Shutting the home again is so cruel not only to the residents but also the families.

Something needs to change.

Lesley Mack

Marton

CRIME

Strengthen stop and search powers

The continued rise in knife crime is extremely disturbing.

The statistics are truly alarming. It clearly has become commonplace among many, teenagers in particular, to carry a knife; sometimes a very large and serrated one.

The time has come for the current powers that permit the police to randomly stop and search you to be extended.

The government should ignore knee-jerk reaction from the usual suspects who will accuse such a policy of being racist and an infringement of liberty. It is neither. It is to protect the public.

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights allows the violation of those rights if it is ‘to attain a greater good’.

Anyone found carrying a knife without good reason should be punished severely.

Today one reads all too often of innocent people being robbed or stabbed to death by those for whom human life has clearly little if any meaning. Unlike a gun a knife is so easy to obtain .

To be stopped and searched would be irritating but such a policy would deter many from carrying a knife without good reason. The innocent would have nothing to fear.

There is clear research evidence that random stop and search deters. Safeguards can be built into new policy to ensure it does not harm the innocent.

Dr Barry Clayton

Thornton Cleveleys

SOCIETY

Helping you know your rights

The recent social care news coverage has raised interesting questions about the control we have over our care in later life.

September was World Alzheimer’s Month, raising awareness of the issues faced by people living with the challenging disease.

The disease is a major concern for some older vegetarians and vegans (jointly referred to as ‘veg*ns’). Many of us worry about needing care, fearing we may lose the ability to choose a diet in accordance with our beliefs and values.

Vegetarian for Life (VfL), a national charity that supports older veg*ns, is launching a self-advocacy pack to support people worried about this situation. It has been launched to mark National Older Vegetarians and Vegans Day.

The pack will help to explain the laws protecting those with special dietary needs; sources of support if your rights aren’t being recognised; and simple actions you can take to protect your rights. These include making a statement of your wishes and care preferences, helping future carers to understand your needs.

It is vitally important that people plan for their future and know their rights. VfL believes that needing care should not mean losing the right to have and practice their values.

Contact the charity to request a pack or visit the website for more information.

We hope to help as many veg*ns as possible to maintain their beliefs and be treated with dignity in care.

Joe Barson

Advocacy & Policy Officer Vegetarian for Life

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