Discovery Community Forum hosts all things health and safety at pensioners’ tea
The annual pensioners’ tea is aimed at giving back to the elderly in celebration of October being International Elderly Appreciation Month.
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The Discovery Community Forum (DCF) held an informative Pensioners’ Tea on October 7 at St. Laurence’s Anglican Church in a bid to give back to the elderly community.
According to the spokesperson for DCF, Nadeen Bezuidenthout, the organisation has identified October as a month to celebrate the elderly.
“Some of the elderly members have lived in the area for a long time and we as a community forum decided in 2017 to start giving back to them as October is International Elderly Appreciation Month,” she said.
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The tea saw about 35 men and women attending, with speakers who provided them with valuable information regarding their safety, security, and health.
Paramedic Martin Botha, also a university lecturer, delivered a medical talk about the signs of a stroke or heart attack and what to do when alone in case of an emergency. He urged them to escalate any strange pain that did not go away or subside in a few minutes.
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“He reminded us that 112 is the correct number to call for medical emergencies. He showed us how to do the Heimlich maneuver on others and even explained how to dislodge a stuck object when we are alone,” Nadeen said.
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Shaun Pretorius from Help24 spoke about ATM safety and provided general safety tips when collecting bins on dustbin collection days and when collecting packages from delivery services, while Gerhard Oberholzer from EC Security delivered a valuable talk about handbag safety at shopping centres over the fast-approaching festive season.
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Gerhard added safety tips on arriving home from an outing, staying vigilant, and not trusting the surroundings. He concluded by reminding everyone to be vigilant and urged them when in doubt, to call their security company for assistance.