Early Days

I Can Care started int's life with the Indian Cultural & Arts Network in 1994 for addressing the needs of Asian elderly. A small hall was negotiated in December 1994 with Age Concern (Haringey) at their Luncheon Club (at Woodside House) on Wednesdays between 1 - 5 pm as a meeting place, and to further address the identified needs. Currently the Centre is open every weekday from 10 am - 5 pm with an emerging demand for weekend opening. It provides:

  • A full time day care centre so that the Asian elderly have somewhere to come, make friends, socialise and give a break to their carers.
  • Access to services in a culturally sensitive environment with many of the peer group actively involved in the running of the centre.
  • Universal usage by elderly in all needs criteria, i.e. the current low and medium need users who may face exclusion (no paid for by Social Services) with poor quality of life through isolation, and risk a quicker progression into the high need group.
  • An understanding in health issues and access services through programme of seminars in the Asian languages placing emphasis on physical and mental health issues affecting the Asian elderly e.g. disability, dementia, diabetes (glaucoma), coronary diseases, depression, incontinence, etc. as some of these are not well understood or discussed openly due to social "taboos", fear, embarrassment etc.