Medical

As the latest COVID-19 wave continues, the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care will begin publishing vaccination rates for individual residential aged care homes.

NSW has become the latest state to lift COVID-19 vaccination restrictions for aged care home visitors, joining Victoria and Queensland. Unvaccinated visitors will now be allowed, though are still “strongly encouraged” to have received jabs for both COVID and the seasonal flu; visitors should also provide evidence of a negative rapid antigen test just before entry.  

Aged care residents with mental illness are finding it hard to access mental health services, with a new study finding that less than three per cent of residents with mental health conditions obtained treatment in 2016/17.

Ambulance Victoria is rolling out a new system to better triage Triple Zero (000) emergency calls from people in aged care homes. The Residential Aged Care Enhanced Response (RACER) pathway will see Referral Services Triage Practitioners either dispatch an ambulance or direct callers to other services such as Residential-In-Reach or the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED).

Some good news for aged care residents worried about COVID outbreaks: the Federal Government’s emergency leave provisions have been extended another 12 months.

NSW is set to pour an extra $743 million into palliative care to 2027, in addition to the $300 million the State Government already spends on end-of-life care every year. Premier Dominic Perrottet (pictured) announced the funding for this month’s State Budget, which will be released on 21 June. “We’re committed to ensuring NSW has the best palliative care services and support in Australia, if not the world.

Not For Profit aged care provider Bolton Clarke has partnered with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to increase evidence-based aged care nursing practices. Bolton Clarke and QUT have appointed Dr Linda Schnitker (pictured, centre right) to a conjoint research position to develop knowledge that will help staff better care for older people. Linda, an academic at QUT’s School of Nursing, is also a dementia care research leader and an advocate for aged care nursing careers.

The Federal Government has placed two COVID-19 antiviral drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for people over 70, to expand access to the treatments. The oral pills will also be made available on the PBS to people aged over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged over 30 with two or more risk factors for severe disease; people over 18 with compromised immune systems may also be eligible.

The Australian Aged Care Collaboration (AACC) has launched an aged care scorecard, tracking the commitments made by Labor, the Coalition, and the Greens on delivering Royal Commission reforms. The scorecard measures whether each party has committed to a list of six reforms – fully, substantially, partially, or not at all.

Telehealth appointments for COVID-19 antiviral treatments will from next week be covered by Medicare until the end of October.

Regular medication reviews of aged care residents can lower the risk of death, according to a study from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

Clarence Care and Support is an independent and not for profit organisation that enables individuals and families to achieve a lifestyle of their choice. Every individual that connects with Clarence Care and Support is looking for the assistance they need to enrich their lives. The services we provide help them live and choose their lifestyle and remain living in their community. We are here. We are here to listen. We are here to act. We are here to help. We are here for you. We will create a care plan that suits each individual’s and family’s needs.

The disease is also expected to become our leading cause of death within five years. In the latest annual report on death, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released figures showing that 12,625 people died from the disease last year alone. In 2015, the death rate for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, jumped to 40.1 deaths per 100,000 people, up from 28.6 in

Given the remarkable pace of medicine breakthroughs I am quietly confident they will achieve this goal. Maybe in time to save me – and of course the other 1 million Australians predicted to be diagnosed with dementia in my lifetime. Can you imagine that?

With $1.2 billion cuts to aged care funding this year, and home care set to see considerable changes in February 2017, the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is pushing for nurses to be given a greater say in our changing health and aged care sectors. So what is the key to their plan? They have released a white paper titled ‘Nurses are Essential in Health and Aged Care Reform’ designed to highlight the critical role our 360,000 nurses play in the health system – and encourage the Federal Government and healthcare groups to invite nurses to the table when it comes to implementing new reforms.

Technology Assisting Disability WA (TADWA) is a not for profit organisation whose purpose is to enrich lives through solutions for independence for people with disabilities, older people and those caring for them, through the application of technology and the skills of volunteers and staff. Since 1984, TADWA has provided customised aids, equipment and technology designed to assist you in getting the best possible solution to meet your individual needs.

Architectural practice ThomsonAdsett appoints Ann-Maree Ruffles to its Seniors Living portfolio The new Group Director has over three decades of experience, including 20 years running her own practice designing luxury homes, multi-residential apartments and disability housing. ThomsonAdsett is a local firm that is now the second largest internationally for retirement and aged care, with over 1,000 in their portfolio. They also have a number of village, care and hospital developments in Asia, many of which are eclipsing Australia in their advanced technology.

University of Tasmania’s dementia course listed in most popular 50 online courses internationally The university’s free online course Understanding Dementia has been ranked as one of the top 50 online courses of all time. It was also listed highest in the health and medical category in the rankings put together by open online course (MOOC) aggregator Class Central. The nine-week course has drawn over 70,000 people from 170 countries since it began in 2013 and was developed by the University’s Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre.

Looking at art can benefit people with dementia by taking away the anxiety of trying to recall things, a study on the dementia access program run by the Art Gallery of New South Wales has found. Dr Gail Kenning from the University of Technology in Sydney conducted the study of the program, which has been running at 2010, said the findings showed people were able to experience the “in the moment” pleasure of looking at art, rather than worry about memory.

Researchers are cautioning older people, particularly men, to be careful around the home after a new study showed the number of people suffering a ladder-related fall has jumped by nearly 50 per cent in the past ten years. Published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, the research by Queensland’s University of Technology found there had been a steep rise, from 3,374 hospitalisations in 2002/03 up to 4,945 in 2011/12 – an increase of 47 per cent. The group most in danger were men aged over 60.

Most people don’t according to a study by charity Independent Age[1] found many older people avoided talking about incapacity and ageing. The survey of 2,000 people revealed over 60 per cent of 65-plus people hadn’t discussed their end-of-life wishes with their family. Another quarter had no plans to talk about it. The conversation we have to have While it’s a hard topic to bring up at the dinner table, the fact is we will all die and accidents and sudden illness can affect us at any age.

Helpful resources to help people living with dementia and their loved ones will be available at a free initiative by Sydney-based Northern Beaches Dementia Alliance (NBDA).

Concentric Rehabilitation offers a variety of services to the residents of Homestyle Aged Care. Concentric provides private rehabilitation services across all Homestyle sites, with a Wellness Centre soon to be opening at Sea Views Manor at Ocean Grove, Geelong.

Fear of cancer reoccurring is one of the most common and debilitating concerns cancer survivors have. It is not always easy to identify in practice if a cancer is to reoccur as it is not closely related to cancer type, stage or treatment, and there can be reluctance from both survivors and clinicians to discuss it.

The technology in mobile phones is being seen as a vital tool for monitoring health and it can already detect heart disease, Australia’s biggest killer.

An estimated 110 Australians have a heart attack daily.

Kidney Health Australia is urging adults to take a simple two-minute online test to determine if they are at risk of developing kidney disease. Of the 2 million – or one in 10 – Australian adults affected by kidney disease, 1.8 million are completely unaware of it – likely due to the lack of symptoms.

In astonishing news, there is a drug currently in clinical trial testing that seems to indicate the possibility to slow decline in people in Alzheimer’s disease – something that is a great first step in tackling the disease. Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, affects up to 1 in 10 Australians over 65 years of age. This increases to 3 in 10 over 85 years, according to estimates from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

If a person, or couple, think it is getting closer to consider entering residential aged care, it is reasonable to assume they will be mindful of their financial assets. For example, their home.

Social connection with others is beneficial at any age, but for our senior Australians, it's instrumental in maintaining positive health and overall well-being. Determined to make a difference to the lives of seniors, award-winning aged care provider Whiddon, is promoting International Men's Health Week (12 June – 18 June) with its 'Age Well, Together' campaign.

In what is being termed a defining moment for the treatment of dementia, trial results of a new drug have offered some people at least a year of extra time without their disease progressing.

The love and dedication of workers to improve the health of residents in residential aged care often goes unnoticed. Joan Powell moved to Baptistcare William Carey Court Residential Care in Busselton, a city on the southwest tip of Western Australia last year, after her poor health meant she could no longer be cared for safely at home.

With nearly 30 years of experience offering dementia care in small cottages in NSW and Victoria, Not For Profit provider HammondCare has opened South Australia’s first dementia village in the Adelaide suburb of Daw Park.

Free education packages developed by the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre at the University of Tasmania, delivered through Equip Aged Care Learning Packages, and commissioned by the Department of Health and Aged Care, are now available.

Gwenda Darling, who lives in the NSW Riverina region in south-western NSW, lives with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. She has previously given evidence to the aged care Royal Commission about her experience – now she is helping the Government to advise aged care providers on how to design better aged care homes for people living with dementia.

Aged care residents take part in world-first Laughter Care program

It’s always advisable to ask what activities are available at the aged care facility being considered for a loved one. At Uniting NSW.ACT’s The Marion aged care facility in Leichhardt, in Sydney’s Inner West, there’s a theatre group.

A global cycling movement aimed at giving aged care residents the chance to enjoy cycling in the outdoors and meet new people has launched at Bolton Clarke’s Gosling Creek aged care in Orange, 254km west of Sydney.

Ask Annie, a free and interactive app developed by Dementia Australia’s Centre for Dementia Learning, is now freely accessible to aged care workers looking to develop their person-centred care for those living with dementia.

It is the policy of the Australian Government and the wish of most people to remain in their home for as long as possible.

There is evidence that there is another early severe flu season in 2024 and people are urged to get their annual vaccination.

An international research team led by Queen Mary University of London, UK, has developed a new method for predicting dementia with an over 80 per cent accuracy and up to nine years before diagnosis.

Memory can falter as people age. Forgetfulness is a scary experience, however, there are ways to fight memory loss and improve your recollections.

The Australian Government’s Institute of Health and Welfare has issued its Injury in Australia report which revealed the main cause of injury in 2022-2023 was falls.

Physical activity is known to ease knee pain and joint stiffness yet only one in 10 people regularly exercise.

Most of us have a wish to pass away peacefully at home but many of Australians die in hospital or residential aged care – now a proposed national framework is aiming to increase the number of elderly people passing away at home.

The efforts a community has made to reopen an aged care home that had been empty since April 2022 deserve recognition.

The Victorian Not For Profit has received $192,000 from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to trial telehealth in eight of its 14 residential aged care homes.

Retired nurse Margaret Williamson is undergoing a medical trial which may revolutionalise the treatment of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, the leading cause of death for women in Australia.

Prescription drug Ozempic, which is used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, could also slow down the process of ageing, researchers believe.

During Wound Awareness Week (2-8 September), Uniting NSW.ACT has shone a spotlight on its ‘wound care warriors’: 420 highly trained nurses who work across its services using their knowledge and skills to help reduce the significant physical, emotional and economic impact chronic wounds have on individuals, their families and the health care sector.

Professor Anton Peleg. from Monash University's School of Translational Medicine, has received a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2023 Targeted Call for Research Improving Infection Prevention and Control in Residential Aged Care Homes grant.

AnglicareSA Community Aged Care customer Rose wears sunglasses and stands with home-visiting volunteer Dayane in front of a cabinet filled with treasures in her home.

How long a person can stand on one leg is a more accurate measure of ageing than changes in strength or gait, according to new research from Mayo Clinic.

Brenda Fry was a dental hygienist when she realised there was a peculiar gap in the health care system distressing many elderly people and their families.