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...

  For far too long, there has been the established fact that, in the mass media, older people are most likely to be invisible, or negatively stereotyped. But if the last few weeks are any indication, that tide may be turning, in both ways. To my delight, and keeping to the oceanic metaphor, there has been a wave of features about a rich variety of older people, in various media, and it’s worth listing those features and their sources, both...

  The best way to combat elder abuse is to educate people in the community how to recognise the signs, and what to do when they suspect there is a problem. Dr Daniel Reingold, CEO of the US-based Riverspring Health, told Mark Moran Group’s Elder Abuse Prevention Conference we need to talk about elder abuse, but cautioned the field is “challenging” and “filled with obstacles”. “We’re not going to stop elder abuse,” Dr Reingold warned, but he urged more...

Maggie, 62 was working in law enforcement when she decided that it was time to quit and take care of her mum, Vera. Not wanting her mother to live in residential aged care, she chose to care for her herself. That was over 12 years ago, and Maggie doesn’t resent having to make that decision. She lives next door to her mother, who is 97 years old, and suffers from anxiety. However, despite her age, Vera still lives on her...

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...

A shocking report via the Daily Mail has revealed that a Victorian in-home care worker has confessed to raping an elderly grandmother in her own home. 59-year-old Simon Prodanovich launched his cowardly attack at the victim’s Mount Waverley during one of his regular in-home visits. Mr. Prodanovich had been employed to assist the victim’s wheelchair-bound husband who was living with various ailments and in need of care. The attacker entered the couple's family home on January 12 of this year...

  Aged care providers are finding innovative ways to engage residents in decision making about their care, including having residents help in the recruitment of staff. The quality of the staff in an aged care home is, of course, a key determinant of the quality of care.  Aged care staff must have the right knowledge and experience to care for older people, but they also must have the right personality, they must have a genuine interest in older people...

  The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety heard from 21-year-old assistant in nursing, Lavina Luboya, on Friday. The youngest witness at the royal commission to date, Ms Luboya was born in Congo and moved to Australia in 2007. She works two shifts every day at two different aged care facilities in Western Australia - one facility in the morning and another in the afternoon. She is a casual in one facility and permanent part-time in another. Ms...