This article is sponsored content. One in every three hundred Australians are housebound due to the debilitating condition of chronic breathlessness, and the figures are even higher for those over the age of 60. There are people who are so short of breath that dressing or undressing, or just getting to the kitchen and back to get a cup of tea, make leaving the home “out of the question”, says David Currow, Professor of Palliative Medicine at IMPACCT (Improving Palliative...

As summer arrives, and heat waves have already made their way around the country, it’s safe to say that we’re in for a hot one. One of the biggest risks during Australian summers is falling to sun and heat exposure, and some of those who are most susceptible are older people.  According to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, those who are particularly at risk include; “those with dementia who may not recognise that they are heating up, those who are...

  A member of staff at an aged care home in Rockhampton has been diagnosed with tuberculosis, prompting residents and staff to be tested for the infectious disease. According to a report by the ABC, 29 residents and 42 staff have been screened for TB. It is believed the case was acquired overseas. No close contacts of the person who contracted TB have shown any symptoms of the disease, said public health director, Gulam Khandaker. The person has been in...

It’s interesting how a confluence of events can give rise to a new idea, in this case for a story club –  well, at least, it’s an idea that I’ve not heard of before. And in case it’s something that those people on the verge of writing a memoir might find a novel approach that they’d like to consider, I thought I’d offer it here. As background to its evolution, it was the product of three events coming together. Firstly...

All dogs want love, especially the older ones. But it’s the older ones that are more likely to be overlooked in rescue facilities and adoption centres.  That’s why one rescue and adoption centre in Florida has decided to do dress up photoshoots for their older pups to help them get adopted. Flagler Humane Society in Palm Coast, Florida has been running a senior pup promotion with the cutest models you’ll ever see, to help some of their older dogs...

By Stephen Duckett, Director, Health Program, Grattan Institute and Anika Stobart, Associate, Grattan Institute Australia’s aged-care system is in sore need of transformation. This is becoming increasingly clear. If the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety — whose interim report was titled Neglect — was not enough to demonstrate the need for change, the tragic impact of COVID-19 on residential care has tipped it over the edge. Many older Australians say they are not getting the care and support they need. Families complain...

  Many aged care homes in Japan have been in hard lockdown since February, and some families are beginning to worry that the social isolation is causing residents to develop the symptoms of dementia. Japan, which has the world's oldest population, is facing a ‘third wave’ of COVID-19, meaning aged care homes are extending lockdowns and families are having to face the fact they may not be able to hug their loved ones for the remainder of the year –...

The need to address the loneliness and isolation experienced by people impacted by dementia has been brought in to sharp focus by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a discussion paper released by Dementia Australia today. Federal parliamentarians, government officials, key stakeholders and dementia advocates will today convene online with the Parliamentary Friends of Dementia to be presented with recommendations to specifically address the mental health impact of COVID-19 on people living with dementia, their families and carers. https://www.youtube.com/watch...

On November 23rd, an event held at Parliament House revealed a troubling health system blind spot. Childhood Dementia Initiative launched their organisation at this event, along with the release of a Burden of Disease and White Paper report, to detail the extent, impact and horrific nature of childhood dementia. These reports expose that a disease that is usually only associated with the elderly has fatal impacts on children across Australia and the world. Childhood Dementia Initiative are circulating these reports...

Cleaning is an essential service that is vital for enabling older people to continue living at home for longer. A clean house can provide clients with a sense of comfort, ensure their home remains hygienic and minimise the risk of them falling or sustaining injury as a result of struggling to do the cleaning themselves. Most older people who receive government funding for 'home help' as it's known (cleaning services), do so because they have been assessed as unable to safely do it themselves. And...

The Victorian government is pressuring the federal government to implement staff ratios in private aged care homes, the first time a state government has attempted to trigger such a change. They are calling on the federal government to make staff-to-resident ratios mandatory in private and not-for-profit residential aged care homes, bringing them into line with Victoria’s public aged care sector. As it currently stands, there is no law or regulation that mandates a minimum number of nurses or carers per...

The Inaugural innovAGEING Innovator of the Year Award The national innovAGEING Awards will be presented tonight in an online event broadcast from Sydney. Says Merlin Kong, the Head of innovAGEING: “We celebrate our diverse and imaginative champions, who have channelled the best of ageing into people-centred innovation. “We are also excited this year to introduce a special Innovator of the Year Award, to honour particular entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.” With the support of Foundation Partners the Commonwealth Bank and KPMG, this...