Aged care employees bare a weight of responsibility that very few members of the workforce would have to deal with. Being asked to care for another person is one thing, but being asked to care for an extremely vulnerable person who is nearing the end of their life, is something completely different. The elderly can be extremely vulnerable and often require assistance on a variety of levels in order to be able to function. Being entrusted to care for these...

WARNING: Graphic Content   Male nurse Michael William Schuppe, 59, was granted bail on Sunday after being charged with the sexual assault of an 89-year old aged care resident with ‘extreme dementia,’ in October this year. It is alleged that Mr Schuppe digitally penetrated the 89 year old victim in front of a co-worker, after the pair had used a sling to lift the woman from her wheelchair as they prepared her for bed at the Queen Victoria Memorial...

World AIDS Day falls on 1 December each year and is a day to show our support for people living with HIV and remember people who have been lost to the epidemic. World AIDS Day is recognised internationally, with many countries marking the day with events to raise public awareness of HIV and AIDS care, treatment, research and prevention. In 2017, it was estimated that there were 27,545 people with HIV in Australia. Of these, an estimated 89%, were...

When a personal alarm is activated, it generally signals that someone is in need of help. The wearer of the alarm may have had a fall and need help getting back up, or they could be seriously injured, or they may have had a heart attack or stroke - in other words, they are experiencing a medical emergency that requires urgent attention from the response team once the personal alarm is activated. An elderly person may be frail and unwell...

There is not a single thing in existence that is more valuable time. Every month, minute, and second of your future, eventually becomes your present day reality, and as you go along dealing with the issues of your modern day life, before you know it, those present day moments have  passed so quickly, that you have to look up and wonder if you were ever really present at all. As the months and years go by, it’s not hard to...

Many might believe that social media is only geared towards teens and young adults, and older audiences are not very welcome to share and post. However, there are a few grandmothers right now that are proving that belief wrong, and are ruling the social media world. Many of these older women are embracing social media and becoming popular personalities on platforms such as Instagram and Youtube. They have a dedicated fan base and are working hard to cultivate a personality...

Australia has a growing ageing population - and with it a growing number of people with dementia. Dementia currently affects more than 420,000 Australians, a number that is predicted to increase to more than a million without any medical intervention by 2056. Dementia is the single greatest cause of disability in older Australians and the third leading cause of disability overall. As the older generations deal with age related conditions like dementia, it’s up to the younger generations to...

WARNING: Graphic Content   Male nurse Michael William Schuppe, 59, was granted bail on Sunday after being charged with the sexual assault of an 89-year old aged care resident with ‘extreme dementia,’ in October this year. It is alleged that Mr Schuppe digitally penetrated the 89 year old victim in front of a co-worker, after the pair had used a sling to lift the woman from her wheelchair as they prepared her for bed at the Queen Victoria Memorial...

Over time, the condition of people living with dementia deteriorates. As the person weakens, other problems can arise, adding complexity to caring for a person at this often difficult stage of their life. Though dementia is caused by degenerative brain diseases, the symptoms of advanced dementia usually become increasingly physical. What happens to someone who has advanced dementia? As dementia progresses, it takes an increasingly physical toll on a person’s body. People with advanced dementia: May not be able to...

The end of a person’s life should be sacred. As the hours and minutes wind their way down towards the inevitable expiration of an individual’s life, the final moments are perhaps more precious than any of the moments that came before them. For some, this may be a period of reflection. A chance to look back and take stock of a lifetime full of memories, and replay the things that you cherish the most, one last time in your mind...

As Australians, it can be relatively easy to take the amazing things that we have for granted. Clean air, high standard health services, and a docile political climate accompanied by a wealth of employment opportunities, all take place against a stunning backdrop of wide-open spaces that contain some of the most stunning natural beauty on earth. For those observing from the corners of the globe, Australia would seem like an oasis, and well deserving of the moniker ‘The Lucky Country...

The Royal Commission into Aged Care is finally underway. Commissioners are asking providers to supply information, and the first hearings are scheduled for January. Every aged care provider in Australia will be affected, and will be asked to open up their operations to an unprecedented degree of scrutiny. No doubt this sharpened focus may be met by some trepidation in the industry, and a degree of uncertainty about what is required. There may also be some concerns about what the...