A new study has challenged the widely-held belief that rubbing your hands together with ethanol-based sanitiser is an effective defence against the flu. The research, which was published in mSphere, found ethanol-based hand sanitiser would have to be in contact with the flu virus for nearly four minutes to deactivate it. The flu virus remains infectious in wet mucous even after being exposed to ethanol-based disinfectant for two minutes, the study found. Thick mucous protects flu virus Researchers from...

  One of the most difficult aspects of caring for a loved one is finding a window of time to look after yourself too. When tired, stressed, or busy, the last thing most of us feel like is exercising or cooking a healthy meal. There are other reasons that carers neglect to look after themselves, too, whether it be their belief they should be providing all the care themselves, the idea they don’t deserve a break, putting their own needs...

It should come as no great surprise that those among us who have lived the longest would also have the greatest perspective about what matters most. Elderly residents at the St Clair Nursing Centre in Missouri, US, have captured the hearts of people across the globe as a series of heartwarming photographs featuring older people providing advice to the younger generation went viral.  The photos that were shared daily as part of an ‘advice for the day’ series on...

- The Story Of Ross Baker - I have always had a close relationship with mum, so when it became apparent that mum had really started to get frail and began showing signs of dementia, I made the decision to leave Tasmania and move back into my parents' family home in Victoria. Mum had always been an independent person, which is why it came as no surprise when she refused the help of home care workers for tasks like bathing. But...

  One of the most difficult aspects of caring for a loved one is finding a window of time to look after yourself too. When tired, stressed, or busy, the last thing most of us feel like is exercising or cooking a healthy meal. There are other reasons that carers neglect to look after themselves, too, whether it be their belief they should be providing all the care themselves, the idea they don’t deserve a break, putting their own needs...

A plumber has received praise from around the world after he fixed a 91-year-old woman’s boiler and did not charge her a cent for his efforts. James Anderson, a plumber from Burnley in the UK, issued an invoice after completing the work which reads, “Lady is 91 years of age, acute leukaemia, and end-of-life care.  “No charge under any circumstances” “No charge for this lady under any circumstances. We will be available 24 hours to help her and keep...

Ngaire Hobbins, 'What is the role of nutrition in dementia?' Good nutrition is essential to the aged care experience, but a person living with dementia may struggle to communicate their needs. As care providers, it is vital to recognise their needs are being unmet, and facilitate options that ensure mealtimes are an enjoyable experience again. Hear from Ngaire Hobbins as she shares expert insight from her career as a specialist dietician in gerontology, as part of the Nestle Health Science...

Shaynna Blaze, on her mother's dementia diagnosis HelloCare's CEO Lauren Todorovic spoke to Shaynna Blaze, interior designer and a judge on The Block, about her own family connection to dementia and about design features that can improve the lives of people living with dementia. Ms Blaze was a member of Dementia Australia's panel for Dementia Action Week....

  The Morrison Government is delivering on its commitment to better support people living with dementia. Dementia is one of the nation’s greatest health challenges and has an impact on every family in Australia.  Dementia Action Week, from 16 to 22 September, is creating awareness and important discussions around discrimination and dementia. The theme for this year is ‘Dementia doesn’t discriminate. Do you?’ Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians Richard Colbeck encouraged all Australians to get involved...

By Benedict Sheehy, University of Canberra. British health-care conglomerate Bupa runs more nursing homes in Australia than anyone else. We now know its record in meeting basic standards of care is also worse than any other provider. This is more than a now familiar story of a corporation putting profits or shareholders before customers. It is also about another abysmal design failure in regulation. Health care is meant to be one of our most regulated sectors. In this case, Bupa’s facilities...

  One of the simplest and most effective analogies that I have ever heard used to describe dementia was that if you liken a person's brain to a regular set of traffic lights - the average person processes thoughts in ‘green’ and ‘red,’ but living with dementia is like being stuck in ‘amber.’ Changes in the way that the brain works can result in major changes in the way that a person with dementia understands and delivers communication...

  The Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Senator Richard Colbeck, has announced the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will be extended for six months. The government has agreed to the Royal Commission’s request for a six-month extension so it can to continue hearing evidence from around Australia and continue to conduct its deliberations, Mr Colbeck said. Aged care remains “front and centre” of the government’s agenda, he said. “It is important that our aged care...