Men are not exactly renowned for sharing their feelings or opening up emotionally. Decades worth of macho infused stigmatism and unfair social expectations have seen generations of male Australians forgo the opportunity to talk about problems, and opt for silence instead. While notions like this might seem outdated in this day and age, sadly they are still far to prominent, and even though attitudes are changing, nowhere is this problem more prevalent than in elderly males. Believe it or not...

The death of a family member can be one of the most significant and difficult moments of a person’s life. Unfortunately, the finality of death assures that there will be no second chances regarding your opportunity to pay your respects, or do what you feel is necessary to honour a person’s passing. Aged care facilities on the other-hand actually have a working relationship with death, and while the death of a resident is obviously significant, people dying can often be...

The recent 4 Corners investigation into the atrocities within the aged care sector was brutal. Footage depicting some of the most frail and vulnerable citizens within the country being manhandled, neglected and abused, had an effect that has scarred the image of aged care in Australia. As disturbing as the footage was, it was highly important for the Australian public to understand the depths of despair that some of our elderly go through. Even though these types of incidents are...

Christmas is coming, and it’s time for grandparents to be revolting: But that doesn’t have to be bad news! Grandchildren might not be over the moon by my suggesting that their grandparents should be revolting against the giving of toys that are sexist and/or short-lived plastic rubbish that is played with for a nanno-second in comparison with their long and indestructible life in our planet’s already overwhelming mountains of unrecyclable landfill. And I can understand their disaffection as I’m writing...

Men are not exactly renowned for sharing their feelings or opening up emotionally. Decades worth of macho infused stigmatism and unfair social expectations have seen generations of male Australians forgo the opportunity to talk about problems, and opt for silence instead. While notions like this might seem outdated in this day and age, sadly they are still far to prominent, and even though attitudes are changing, nowhere is this problem more prevalent than in elderly males. Believe it or not...

In the wake of the ABC’s revealing investigation into aged care, the broadcaster is now calling for members of the public to come forward with information about sexual abuse in aged care. During the Four Corners investigation, the ABC team received a number of reports of sexual assault in residential aged care, which has led them to look more deeply into this issue. Though sexual abuse is an uncomfortable topic to deal with, if we don’t bring the stories to light...

A woman who was accused of kidnapping an elderly dementia patient from a Melbourne nursing home pleaded not guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. 52 year old Irene Moschones, was allegedly caught on camera wheeling 97 year old grandmother and World War II survivor Dimitra Pavlopoulu out through the entrance of the Clarinda Manor Nursing Home in January of this year. Ms Pavlopoulu, who was suffering from dementia, was missing for over six hours before she was found...

New research shows that many men and women with dementia are still enjoying sex. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, nearly half of men - 46 per cent - and 18 percent of women with dementia are sexually active. The study looked at the sex lives of nearly 3,200 Americans aged 62 years and over. Perhaps surprisingly, the researchers found that 40 percent of those with dementia, partnered, and aged between 80...

Caring for a loved one in their old age is a demanding job, both physically and emotionally. Seeing them in such a state where they have trouble doing the things they love is difficult to deal with. This is especially so if that loved one is suffering from dementia. As dementia is a progressive condition, the emotional strain on you will also progressively increase as they slowly forget parts of their life, one after the other. In this vulnerable stage...

South Australian politician, Frank Pangallo MLC, has introduced legislation into SA parliament that could mean closed circuit television cameras are installed in all aged care residences. The Bill proposes that cameras be placed in all common areas and bedrooms. Residents would be able to ‘opt in’ to having the camera switched on in their bedroom. Cameras in communal areas would be switched on at all times. For residents who don’t have the capacity to decide themselves whether or not to...

The death of a family member can be one of the most significant and difficult moments of a person’s life. Unfortunately, the finality of death assures that there will be no second chances regarding your opportunity to pay your respects, or do what you feel is necessary to honour a person’s passing. Aged care facilities on the other-hand actually have a working relationship with death, and while the death of a resident is obviously significant, people dying can often be...

New research shows that many men and women with dementia are still enjoying sex. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, nearly half of men - 46 per cent - and 18 percent of women with dementia are sexually active. The study looked at the sex lives of nearly 3,200 Americans aged 62 years and over. Perhaps surprisingly, the researchers found that 40 percent of those with dementia, partnered, and aged between 80...