Receiving a diagnosis of a serious illness can be devastating. Obviously, for the person concerned there might be suffering, and uncertainty and fear about outcomes. For family, concern for their loved one, coupled with the prospect of taking on the responsibility of caring for them, can be extremely daunting. Unless family have medical experience, they may never have delivered the type of care required when someone is seriously ill.  They may have little to no knowledge of managing medications...

A woman living with multiple sclerosis has won the right to have sex therapy funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme, but disability advocates are calling for the scheme to also extend to sex workers. The woman applied to have sex therapy for “sexual release” funded under her NDIS plan, but was initially refused. The woman appealed, and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal has now decided in her favour, arguing that sex therapy is a “reasonable and necessary support” for her...

  A leading dietician says the aged care industry has long known operators aren’t spending enough on residents’ food, and it’s time solutions began to be implemented. Dr Cherie Hugo, dietician and founder of The Lantern Project, told HelloCare that witness comments yesterday claiming some operators spend as little as $6.50 per resident per day on food come as no surprise. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time,” Dr Hugo said. “It’s nothing new.” Dr Hugo said she established...

Receiving a diagnosis of a serious illness can be devastating. Obviously, for the person concerned there might be suffering, and uncertainty and fear about outcomes. For family, concern for their loved one, coupled with the prospect of taking on the responsibility of caring for them, can be extremely daunting. Unless family have medical experience, they may never have delivered the type of care required when someone is seriously ill.  They may have little to no knowledge of managing medications...

  Loneliness is sometimes called the epidemic of our times. One in four Australians are lonely, according to a recent study by the Australian Psychological Society and Swinburne University of Technology.  Lonely Australians are known to have worse physical and mental health, and are more likely to be depressed, the study found. Loneliness is particularly common among older people, due to the fact they they often live alone and are more likely to have physical and cognitive impairments that...

This Thursday, 11th of July is Cheer up the Lonely Day, which serves as an important reminder that feelings of loneliness are unfortunately a common occurrence for many, particularly senior Australians. So how can we ensure our ageing population feels included and cared for? Unfortunately, loneliness affects a disproportionate number of senior Australians and the issue has become much more than an unfortunate situation – it is a serious health concern, and one which should be a public health priority...

Apathy can be one of the most distressing symptoms of dementia. Seeing a loved one withdraw from the world and impossible to reach can be extremely worrying and upsetting for family. Apathy makes it difficult for someone to enjoy life, and it can even accelerate cognitive decline and increase mortality rates.  Yet there is little research on the topic of apathy. And in care it is often overlooked, with the focus falling to more disruptive symptoms, such as aggression...

When a young person is diagnosed with dementia, there are limited options available for them when it comes to the time they can no longer remain living at thome. Many end up living in residential aged care facilities for no other reason than it was the only option available to them. However,  Natasha Chackwick, chief executive officer and founder of NewDirection Care, believes ‘traditional’ aged care facilities are usually not suitable for people with young onset dementia, and smaller...

Online retailer Amazon has come under pressure for selling physical restraints on its website that are intended to be used to restrain people who are living with dementia. Amazon sells several types of physical restraints online, including hand control mittens, belt restraints, upper body jackets, and, perhaps most shockingly, a full body “binding sling”. The online descriptions of the products say they can be used on patients experiencing drug withdrawal, psychiatric patients, and for those living with dementia. Physical restraint...

An aged care resident wept when staff at his nursing home served his meal for the first time on a plate he could eat from independently. No longer did he have to use the plate guards that had previously made him stand out from all the other residents. At the Aged Care Royal Commission earlier this month, Lindy Twyford, hospitality manager with the Royal Freemasons’ Benevolent Institution, told this story, explaining how improvements in the way food is served in...

The title of this year’s Victorian Healthcare Week Great Debate was: Do We Need Mandated Staffing Ratios in Aged Care? Are we better off focusing on the quality outcomes for older Australians rather than mandated staffing ratios? Lisa Giacomelli (Chief Operating Officer YMCA NSW) and I (Director, Aged Care Matters) received an invitation to speak on the opposing team. We were told we had been specially selected based not only on our expertise but also our ability to marry humour with...

Europe has regularly inspired us with its creative and compassionate approach to aged care, and Scandinavian countries are known for their high-quality government funded public services. At last week’s Criterion Designing and Developing Retirement Living and Residential Aged Care conference, those in attendance heard how the Danish city of Allborg is combining the two - a state-of-the-art, government funded nursing home reflecting all the latest thinking in aged care. Lars Nohr, Chief Advisor Quality and Innovation at Aalberg’s Department of...