This week the royal commission is focussing on staffing in aged care, a topic that has emerged as the sector’s largest and most insidious problem. Monday’s sombre opening marked the passing of the chair of the commission, Richard Tracey. Commissioner Lynelle Briggs said Commissioner Tracey used the words “cruel” and “unkind” to describe aspects of Australia’s aged care system and he encouraged the royal commission to make “transformative” changes, rather than “change at the margin”, given the degree of “substandard...

At its hearing in Melbourne this morning, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety marked the passing of the Honourable Richard Tracey AM RFD QC. Commissioner Tracey died on Friday, 11 October, after a short illness. He was 71. Commissioner Tracey was appointed Chair of the Royal Commission on 6 December 2018. He was a judge of the Federal Court of Australia from 2006 until 2018, having been appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1991. He served in the Australian Army from 1975...

First of all, let me start by saying that every Australian with an interest in the well being of older people should be forever grateful to the ABC.  The national broadcaster has a long history of churning out insightful TV reports with the power to incite change, and their bruising exposé into aged care which aired on Four Corners in  September of last year was no different. The week before part one of the ‘Who Cares’ investigative reports were...

  We all have to retire one day, even lions. Last year, three lions, Kovu, Masie and Kiara were retired from Lennon Bros circus after 15 years as performing members of the travelling family troupe. The Lennon family and Zambi Wildlife Retreat signed an agreement late last year to give the three majestic creatures a ‘forever home’ at the retreat, which is located in the outer suburbs about an hour’s drive south west of Sydney. And so, at the end...

With the right considerations, Positive Ageing Advocate, Marcus Riley suggests that it can be a positive and rewarding experience for individuals Positive Ageing Advocate, Marcus Riley is well aware that everyone has a different idea of what they want from retirement living and it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. Whilst retirement living communities may provide great benefits for individuals, he acknowledges that community living is not for everyone and highlights that considerations must be made to ensure options can positively contribute...

  Old age is usually thought of as a period of gradual decline, of failing bodies and unfirm minds. If asked, most people would probably tell you they believe people become more grumpy as they age. But research has shown - time and time again - that the opposite is actually true - older people are happier, and it’s younger people who are stressed, anxious, worried and sad. “Hope I die before I get old” Even when older people are asked...

Three employees of an aged care facility in North Carolina, USA, have been accused of running a makeshift fight club and encouraging physical altercations between residents with dementia after a tip-off to local police. Marilyn Latish McKey, 32, Tonacia Yvonne Tyson, 20, and Taneshia Deshawn Jordan, 26, stand accused of watching, filming, and encouraging between two female residents in their 70’s and have been charged with assault on an individual with a disability. It is alleged that the three accused...

With more people choosing to continue working for longer these days, it’s more likely there will be greater numbers of people experiencing the early signs of dementia while they remain in the workforce. Are employers ready to cope with the inevitable challenges this will bring? There are a number of reasons that Australians are working for longer. We are healthier and living longer lives. The pension age is rising, and we have some of the highest rates of household debt...

Last week HelloCare caught up with renowned dementia trainer, Teepa Snow, who, with her usual positivity and insight, shared some of her advice about how we can improve the way we care for people who are living with dementia. Ms Snow said society is becoming more tuned in to the needs of people living with dementia, but there is still some way to go before the “fear” and “stigma” are really addressed. “The unfortunate part is I don’t think it...

Royal commission hearings into the aged care workforce continued on Wednesday, with witnesses describing alarmingly low staff numbers at a major provider, aged care staff as the “working poor”, and the acceptance of violence in the workplace as something staff had to “accept”. Paul Gilbert, assistant secretary of the Victorian branch of the Australian Nurses and Midwifery Federation, described the low staff numbers employed at some of the country’s largest aged care providers. One home had only five staff rostered at...

I have read with interest late last week the very freshly released Royal Commission research paper into aged care staffing requirements, and the shortfall in funding needed to raise the staffing mix and levels to appropriately care for the average residential aged care service consumer. The following excerpt from the recommendations paints a picture of what residents, families, advocates, and indeed some providers have been saying for some time – the level of service provision (staffing) in residential aged care...

Three employees of an aged care facility in North Carolina, USA, have been accused of running a makeshift fight club and encouraging physical altercations between residents with dementia after a tip-off to local police. Marilyn Latish McKey, 32, Tonacia Yvonne Tyson, 20, and Taneshia Deshawn Jordan, 26, stand accused of watching, filming, and encouraging between two female residents in their 70’s and have been charged with assault on an individual with a disability. It is alleged that the three accused...