When we hear that someone has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, we are also often given a stark timeline. “Doctors say he’s only expected to live six months,” someone might say. So, how do doctors come up with these life expectancies, and how accurate are they? After all, we’ve all heard the stories of someone being given only 12 months to live, and a decade later they’re fully recovered and going strong. It's difficult to accurately estimate life...

I recently finished a meals review of a residential care facility where 60% of the residents required texture modification of their meals. I am seeing the dilemma - and the opportunity - of catering to this large cohort of people on texture modified diets, in residential care and in the community. Staff at this busy facility (like many I immerse with), plate the food in the dining room. Texture modified components are brought from the kitchen in small containers, one...

For some families, having a loved one enter palliative care is the point where the hopes and dreams of recovery begin to make way for the grim reality of impending death. Palliative care is a family-centered model of care that is focused on a patient's level of comfort and overall quality of life. One aspect of providing this comfort is managing the anxiety and fear that can come with a patient who is approaching death. And a new trial beginning...

It’s not easy to let a loved one know you are concerned about their ability to continue living independently. There is the very real risk you will hurt their sense of pride, and perhaps make them confront issues about their life they would rather ignore. But it is better to bring the subject up early - if you delay and an adverse incident occurs, your loved one’s independence could be eroded even further. Encouraging a loved one to wear a...

In the early 1990s, doctor and geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas was working in a nursing home when a resident approached him about a rash. She also mentioned that she was lonely. Dr Thomas was able to prescribe a cream for the rash, but when he consulted his Harvard medical books for how to treat loneliness, of course there was no prescribed remedy. This incident set Dr Thomas on a path for change, and he and his wife, Jude Thomas, developed...

Many older people require help to remain living independently in their own homes. They may need to be reminded to take their medication, or help with dispensing the medication in the right doses. They may need to be reminded of appointments they have on each day. When older people don’t have any family or they live with their spouse who is equally as frail, a nurse or personal carer may be required, and this can come at quite a significant...

When we are caring for someone living with dementia, our first priority and commitment must always be to the person themselves. We must always have their best interests at heart and place their welfare at the centre of what we do. When it comes to administering medication the same priority applies: medication must be given with sensitivity, with their wellbeing in mind, and it must do the person no harm. However, sometimes healthcare workers or even carers looking after a...

In the early 1990s, doctor and geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas was working in a nursing home when a resident approached him about a rash. She also mentioned that she was lonely. Dr Thomas was able to prescribe a cream for the rash, but when he consulted his Harvard medical books for how to treat loneliness, of course there was no prescribed remedy. This incident set Dr Thomas on a path for change, and he and his wife, Jude Thomas, developed...

By Leah Bisiani MHlthSc/Dip Bus/Dementia and Aged Care Consultant/RN.1. This is part 3 in a series of 5 articles. Please ensure you have read Parts 1 and 2 to appreciate this information in context. The loss of joyfulness When we anticipate or experience joy, it delivers intense warmth and pleasure, of which we hold close.  This pleasure stimulates gratifying emotions, delivering wonderfully dynamic sparkles of energy that dance with gay abandon through our minds and bodies, all the way down...

Sydney nursing home worker Prakash Paudyal who was caught on a hidden camera assaulting an 82-year old dementia patient was jailed for a minimum of 4 months yesterday. The assaults that were caught on hidden camera occurred between August 26 and September 3 at the Bupa Seaforth facility and depicted the 36-year-old nursing home worker roughly pulling an 82-year-old man with dementia by his shirt and assaulting him with a shoe. It was also revealed in court late last year...

In the early 1990s, doctor and geriatrician Dr Bill Thomas was working in a nursing home when a resident approached him about a rash. She also mentioned that she was lonely. Dr Thomas was able to prescribe a cream for the rash, but when he consulted his Harvard medical books for how to treat loneliness, of course there was no prescribed remedy. This incident set Dr Thomas on a path for change, and he and his wife, Jude Thomas, developed...

Looking good and feeling good have always gone hand in hand. Your appearance is a reflection of the way that you treat yourself, and the way that you treat yourself will always be a reflection of how you feel. As a person ages, their diminishing physical capabilities can result in a lack of ability to dress and present themselves. For elderly people who reside in aged care facilities, this responsibility will fall to the facility employees who have been entrusted...