When Are Older People Going To Realise That It’s Alright To Ask For Help?

Posted on July 28, 2017 by
Posted by  | Jul 25, 2017 |  | 0  |     

The recent tragic deaths of an isolated old couple in their 80s, in their Sydney home, have caused a lot of controversy. As pointed out by journalist Jenny Noyes in the 21 July edition of The Sydney Morning Herald, this has been prompted by a statement from the local police implicitly blaming younger people for being too absorbed in their selfie culture and digital technology.

Specifically, The Northern Beaches Area Command have implored people to “put down their iPhones and iPads, and hold back the selfies, and make friends with people you don’t know, and have a real conversation with your elderly neighbour who is living a simple life devoid of all electronic gadgets that contribute little to community cohesion.”   read more

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Laugh Yourself To Good Health

Posted on July 27, 2017 by

A fun article provided by LiveWell Club 

Laughing with friends seems like a pretty great way to help with anxiety, pain,and stress!

How would you like a laugh-fest each morning? A hearty laugh really gets the day going! Laughing clubs are a place where individuals can practice Laughter Yoga. Also known as Hasyayoga is packed with psychological and physical benefit. Developed by the Indian physician Madan Kataria, these clubs encourage members to participate in prolonged periods of voluntary laughter.
The activity is seen as an exercise, and as a way to encourage fun, healthy joy without equipment or constraint. Laughter relaxes the whole body and has the benefit of being socially contagious, hence Laughing Yoga is so often done in groups rather than as an independent activity.

A class will typically start with socialising and talk, followed by stretching and breathing exercises. Participants then begin exercises with specific elements associated with various forms of yoga, often under the guidance of an instructor. If you’re looking for a way to improve your mental and physical health, as well as that of friends and family, why not give Laughter Yoga a go?    read more..

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Adaptive Clothing

Posted on July 26, 2017 by

When a loved one is placed into an Aged Care facility for residents with High Care needs, it is a very emotional time.   I have been through this myself and totally understand how difficult this is.   I always said it felt like I was giving up my child, as I had cared for Mum for an number of years at home.

I must admit, that when Mum settled into the Nursing home, I started to see how comfortable she became with the staff and her surroundings,  as they understood what was happening to her, and her needs, much better than I could at home.  We were very fortunate to have found a wonderful nursing home, with great staff.   I must admit that was back in the early 90’s, and there was not as much awareness of Alzheimer’s and where to get help back then, as there is now for families and carers to assist with home help.

Due to these circumstances and the need for specially designed adaptive clothing for ease of dressing, I created my own designs and started my business Special Care Clothing Solutions  in 2006.     The clothing is manufactured in Australia to ensure quality control, and I use Australian fabrics, being careful that the dye in the fabric is not full of heavy chemicals like some fabrics from China and that they are suitable for the facility laundries.

The designs prevent pressure on the skin as they close and secure at the shoulder with small nylon stud on tape.   As they open completely to enable ease of dressing from the front, there is no lifting of arms or ducking of head required, which can be painful as joints stiffen.       For personal service call Yvonne on 1300 780 755 or download a catalogue here.

We look forward to answering any of your questions and assisting with your loved ones transition in life.

 

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Alzheimer’s disease

Posted on July 25, 2017 by

This article is being shared from Health Direct.
Alzheimer’s disease attacks brain cells and neurotransmitters (chemicals that carry messages between brain cells), affecting the way your brain functions, your memory and the way you behave. It is also the most common form of dementia.

Dementia is a syndrome (a group of symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline in mental abilities.

While the exact cause is unknown, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease may be increased by a range of factors, including:

  • age
  • a family history of the condition
  • previous severe head injuries
  • lifestyle factors and conditions affecting heart and brain health.

If you are worried that you may have Alzheimer’s disease visit your doctor to get some advice. Your doctor may ask you about any new or worsening problems you may have noticed such as:

  • forgetfulness
  • speech problems such as difficulty finding the right words
  • difficulty in understanding what people are saying
  • personality and mood changes
  • difficulty with performing everyday routine activities.

There is no single test that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. If your doctor suspects you may have Alzheimer’s disease, they may refer you to a specialist to confirm the diagnosis.

Although Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of ageing, it is more common in older people and may affect about one in four people over the age of 85.

Are you a carer or helping someone out?

Carers are everyday people who provide unpaid and ongoing care and support to someone they know who has a disability, mental illness, drug or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail.

Support for carers

Learn more about practical, financial and emotional support and services that are available for carers. For carers services in your state or territory visit Carers Australia.

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Innovation Grants Support Dementia and Aged Care Choices

Posted on July 13, 2017 by

Innovation Grants Support Dementia and Aged Care Choices
The Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP    11th July 2017

The Australian Government has released $34 million in funding grants to support innovation in dementia care and other aged care services.

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt said the grants would help the aged care system to meet the challenges ahead.

“The projects to be funded are cutting-edge and will strengthen the capacity of the aged care sector to respond to consumer-directed care and the challenges of dementia,” Minister Wyatt said.

“We know Australia’s population is ageing, and we know the aged care system must adapt to meet the community’s changing needs.”

42 projects will receive grants, with the focus on six priority areas.

“The Australian Government is committed to supporting the aged care sector as it moves towards consumer-directed care,” Minister Wyatt said.

“Supporting these projects will identify barriers that restrict access and choice and help ensure the special needs of consumers from diverse backgrounds are met.

“Australians deserve an aged care system that is responsive and sustainable and empowers them to receive the services they need. My priority is a flexible system that people understand works for them, not against them.”

“These grants will help ensure our aged care system is able to deliver high- quality and more innovative services, now and into the future.”

The successful projects will receive funding through to 30 June 2019.

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Taking life for granted

Posted on June 26, 2017 by

When you are young you don’t really give much thought about getting old.  It is time to have fun and enjoy life, good health and friends.  At twenty do you remember thinking that someone who was 50 was “old” and grandparents in their 60’s & 70’s were really ready to be put to pasture?

As we creep closer to these ages and beyond, we still want to feel young, but just know the body no longer lets us be so agile.   I was looking at my hands yesterday realising how they have aged, now like I remember my mothers looking.   I then drew back and thought about how I felt inside.   I have been fortunate and lived a healthy life, but certainly as I am ageing, parts of me are starting to tell me to slow down, few aches in the hips etc, and that maybe I should exercise a little more, to keep the joints from stiffening up.

It is not hard to understand how painful it must be to move, when joints are stiff and movement is limited.    I am so proud to feel that I have been able to work with the Care Managers to design the right clothing for their residents with High Care needs.    For more information about dignified and comfortable clothing, please browse my website here.

 

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Do Aged Care Staff Need More Dementia Education? | HelloCare

Posted on June 21, 2017 by

Most health professional training programs for current and future health workers, provide very little education around the conditions that cause dementia.

Source: Do Aged Care Staff Need More Dementia Education? | HelloCare

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Tiny royals steal the show at Queen’s 91st birthday | Starts at 60

Posted on June 18, 2017 by

The Royal Family gathered at Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour.

Source: Tiny royals steal the show at Queen’s 91st birthday | Starts at 60

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$70m Compensation to Manus Island detainees

Posted on June 14, 2017 by

Did I just hear right?   The government have committed $70 million dollars compensation to refugees in Manus Island?      Yes Confirmation from ABC NEWS 

Commonwealth agrees to pay Manus Island detainees $70m in class action settlement

By Emma Younger and Loretta Florance

Updated 18 minutes ago

Sudanese refugees Sami Ahmed Abdullah and Abdul Aziz Muhamat celebrate the settlement. PHOTO: Sudanese refugees Sami Ahmed Abdullah and Abdul Aziz Muhamat celebrate the settlement. (ABC News: Eric Tlozek)
MAP: Papua New Guinea

Asylum seekers who alleged they endured physical and psychological harm on Manus Island between 2012 and 2016 say they “are finally being heard” after the Federal Government agreed to pay $70 million in compensation.

The group alleged the Commonwealth breached its duty of care by holding them in conditions that did not meet Australian standards.    During the period of their incarceration there was also a riot that resulted in the death of an asylum seeker and serious injuries to other detainees.  They also claimed they were falsely imprisoned after Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court ruled their detention was illegal.

A Victorian Supreme Court trial against the Commonwealth and security companies Transfield and G4S, which had been delayed for several months, was due to start today and had been expected to run for six months.

Law firm Slater and Gordon, which ran the class action, believed it to have been the largest immigration detention trial ever in Australia.  When it began, legal representatives for the plaintiff told the court it had reached an agreement to settle the case.

The in-principle agreement, subject to court approval, will include payment of plaintiffs’ legal costs, which to date are more than $20 million. Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz Muhammad, who was part of the action, and now lives on Manus Island, said he was “really, really happy” with the outcome. “I’m so excited, I haven’t been so excited like this since I came to Manus Island,” he said. “One thing today I found is there are some people down there in Australia who care about us.”   read more..

I find this totally insane, they came by boat, not invitation!!  As you see above the Lawyers apparently will receive approx $20m and the balance dispersed.   What will they do with the money?  Return to the land they wanted to get away from?    Average $39,000 per person.    Don’t we have pensioners and/or homeless persons in Australia who could benefit from this kind of money?      

IN MY OPINION AS AN AUSTRALIA, ONE OF THE MANY OF US PAYING THEM COMPENSATION BECAUSE THEY TRIED TO COME ILLEGALLY INTO AUSTRALIA, WHO WERE THEN HOUSED AND CARED FOR ON SAFE LAND….  WE SHOULD REVOLT.    SPEND THE MONEY ON AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS.

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Palliative care boost for regional NSW

Posted on June 13, 2017 by

Seniors News | 13th Jun 2017 11:31 AM     Article provided by Seniors News

Elderly woman keeping hands by her lips. Source: Thinkstock.
FOR many seniors, the reality of living out the dream in a country hideaway, was an impractical choice.

However, thanks to new funding, that is all about to change.

The NSW Government has announced a record $100 million spend on palliative care services with a major focus on regional communities.

“Whether you live in Sydney, whether you live in Western Sydney, whether you live in a remote community in rural and regional NSW, you will have access to greater care,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

The funding, which will be rolled out over four years, will assign six palliative care nurses and two specialists exclusively to regional and rural areas.

Health professionals working in the country will also be offered the chance to build skills in palliative care with the funding to offer training and scholarships for hundreds of staff.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the funding announcement offered the chance for the elderly to see out their days in their own homes.

“About 70 per cent of us generally say we’d like to pass away at home,” Mr Hazzard said.  “In reality, about 70 per cent of us currently pass away in hospitals and nursing homes.”

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