There are currently 50 million people around the world living with dementia, and it is believed that this overall statistic is made up of over 400,000 Australians. Nearly one out of every ten Australians over the age of 65 have dementia and it is currently the single greatest cause of disability for Australians in this age group. But according to new research that was recently published in the Journal of Gerontology, current research actually suggests that the rate of...

For a large portion of the Australian population, urinary tract infections are not an issue that is generally seen as a cause for concern. It is believed that as many as 50% of women will develop a UTI in their lifetime, while only 5% of the male population will fall victim to the infection. One of the reasons for this infection’s gender bias simply comes down to a difference in anatomy, and the fact that women have a shorter urethra...

Many older Australian wish to remain living at home for as long as they can. For many, it’s important they remain in their local communities, where they have friends and family nearby, they know their neighbours, and are familiar with the nearby facilities. The familiarity of home can also be reassuring to older people. The feeling of being immersed in a home they’ve created, a reflection of their life journey and rich with memories, can also be hugely comforting. With...

  It’s a common situation we see all too often in aged care facilities: a resident doesn’t want to eat their meal. The person may not be able to communicate why they don’t want to eat, they may not like the meal, or the food may be too difficult for them to eat. They may not eat because the staff member helping them is distracted. Or, the resident simply may not be hungry. Of course, making sure that aged care...

Every week Regis Ringwood has a very special visitor, Baby Maycie never fails to brighten the day of the residents.      ...

An aged care facility on the NSW south coast has come under fire this week after it was revealed that a resident was admitted to hospital with maggots in his head wound. Bupa Aged Care Eden made headlines only weeks ago after it became the 9th Bupa aged care home to be sanctioned for failing to meet compliance standards and described by the Department of Health as a “severe risk to the health, safety, and wellbeing of care recipients.”...

  Back in January, the aged care minister said changes to the regulation of chemical and physical restraints in aged care were only weeks away. That was nearly two months ago. “Incidents of over use of physical and chemical restraint will not be tolerated and draft changes to regulations are expected to be released within weeks,” Aged Minister Ken Wyatt AM MP, said on 17 January 2019. Government still working on better regulations The government still hasn’t released draft...

  Listening to ‘Silver Memories’ radio station improves aged care residents’ quality of life and reduces depression, aggression, and agitation, according to new research. Silver Memories is a radio station that plays music, comedy and radio serials from the 1920s through to the 60s, and has been specially designed for residents in aged care facilities to listen to. Its announcers also call out birthdays, and make special hellos, and the station plays 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “It...

Around 440,000 Australians live with dementia and almost 1.5 million Australians are involved in their care. However, dementia training is currently not mandatory for aged care and home care workers. Dementia Australia chief executive Maree McCabe last week told the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality that about 70 per cent of the aged care workforce did not receive any training about dementia as part of their training. Carinity Home Care is passionate about providing specialised quality service...

The Royal Commission’s investigation of home care continued on Tuesday, with hearings revealing confusing fee structures, high turnover of staff, and low wages and inadequate training for carers. Meticulous record keeper reveals system’s inadequacies Josef Rack, a recipient of home care since 2010, revealed an impressive propensity for record keeping, which on Tuesday helped the royal commission shine a light on some of the shortcomings of the home care system. First assessed for a level 2 package, he received four...

  It’s a common situation we see all too often in aged care facilities: a resident doesn’t want to eat their meal. The person may not be able to communicate why they don’t want to eat, they may not like the meal, or the food may be too difficult for them to eat. They may not eat because the staff member helping them is distracted. Or, the resident simply may not be hungry. Of course, making sure that aged care...

  At the upcoming free-to-attend Australian Healthcare Week running on the 27-28 March at the International Convention Centre, Sydney, Darren Clark, Nursing Director - Medical Services, Division of Medicine and Emergency, Logan Hospital, will be speaking about the data model the hospital is using to improve decision making. The ‘DASH model’ features electronic ‘dashboards’ that display clinical information in a meaningful way to clinicians to use for clinical surveillance, decision making and audits. For example, nurses refer to a Nurse...