Kmart has become known and loved for its stylish, quality homewares at affordable prices. With Kmart aficionados and “hack” groups popping up all over the internet, it’s no surprise that the megabrand has become the first stop for many people when looking for additions and upgrades to their homes.  It was recently brought to our attention by a reader that Kmart had introduced a new range of independent living assistance tools. When we went to their website, what we...

Anglican not-for-profit aged care provider, Benetas, joins the choir of voices in Australia calling for the Australian Government to end the Home Care Package waitlist in its upcoming federal budget. As commented earlier this month following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s hearings on Home Care Packages, Benetas CEO Sandra Hills OAM said that the existing waitlist for essential services for older Australians is untenable. “The latest official data shows there are 103,000 older Australians who...

In South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, plans are underway to build a new, state-of-the-art aged care facility that blends the latest in dementia-care research with community-centred design. Clayton Church Homes has unveiled plans for a 60-bed home, Summerhill, to be located on a hilltop site in the town of Uraidla. CHS is a not-for-profit provider aligned with the Uniting Church. It delivers aged care services in the Adelaide Hills, with two residential aged care facilities and six retirement villages. It’s very...

Sir David Attenborough has been part of the global media landscape for decades. Now 94 years old, Sir David began his career with the BBC back in 1952, and has been a household name since. But just as he has kept up with the changes in our physical landscape, he has now ventured into the new and changed media landscape.  Joining Instagram over the weekend, posting his first post, Sir David instantly broke an Instagram record, gaining over 1...

Creative advertising agency Thinkerbell has launched a new internship program for people over 55. Thrive@55 is an eight-week, fully paid program, offering older people in Melbourne and Sydney the opportunity to work across all areas of the agency. In an industry dominated by young people, the internship presents a fantastic opportunity for older people to have their voices heard, and for the company to tap into a wealth of experience and expertise.  A new type of internship Thinkerbell is...

Meet the Young @ Heart Chorus, the singing group that has collaborated with the likes of David Byrne from Talking Heads. The thing that’s especially cool about them? They are all over the age of 75.  Founded nearly 40 years ago in Massachusetts, the group has been the subject of an award winning documentary and has travelled the world performing from New Zealand to New England to Europe. And now, with touring off the agenda, in the first week...

People living with dementia are suffering from frequent and even chronic pain without relief or treatment, and being offered inappropriate medications, according to a new study from the UK. It’s a troubling finding given that people living with dementia can experience difficulties in expressing ailments and communicating when they require assistance.  Thankfully, there are ways to detect and assess pain in people living with dementia, even when verbal communication is difficult or not possible. An easy-to-follow framework gives carers...

Every seven seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with dementia. A typical case that I often see in my practice is as follows: A 76-year-old woman has a two-year history of progressive worsening of short-term memory and cognitive decline. She can’t recall the names of her grandchildren and is devastated by her deteriorating abilities. However, this is not the first time in her life that she has had feelings of loss and despair. Over the past 30 years, she has...

  Why do you keep talking to me? What do you want? I don’t understand what you are saying. This is what can go through the mind of a person living with dementia as they try to navigate their confusing and often frustrating new world Almost half a million Australians live with dementia – and that number is projected to more than double within 40 years. Almost 1.5 million people are involved in the care of Australians with dementia...

People living with dementia are suffering from frequent and even chronic pain without relief or treatment, and being offered inappropriate medications, according to a new study from the UK. It’s a troubling finding given that people living with dementia can experience difficulties in expressing ailments and communicating when they require assistance.  Thankfully, there are ways to detect and assess pain in people living with dementia, even when verbal communication is difficult or not possible. An easy-to-follow framework gives carers...

Vicki Cain dreamed of being a nurse from the age of four. She would often accompany her grandfather, the local surgeon in Ballina, on his rounds, and it was from that point she decided working in aged care as a nurse was the career for her. So, after leaving school at 16, Ms Cain got a job at the local aged care facility. “I walked out of there the first day feeling like I was on fire,” she told...

In South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, plans are underway to build a new, state-of-the-art aged care facility that blends the latest in dementia-care research with community-centred design. Clayton Church Homes has unveiled plans for a 60-bed home, Summerhill, to be located on a hilltop site in the town of Uraidla. CHS is a not-for-profit provider aligned with the Uniting Church. It delivers aged care services in the Adelaide Hills, with two residential aged care facilities and six retirement villages. It’s very...