A peak body is calling on the government to take immediate steps to protect older Australians, following an alarming rise in financial scams. Following a report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), people over the age of 65 suffered the greatest harm, with an increase in reported losses in 2023. The report found that text messages were the most reported contact method, with a 37.3 per cent increase; however, scam calls resulted in the highest reported loss at $116m. ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said the figures showed that scammers targeted older Australians with ..read more

A $25.2m government program for nurses is being funded in hopes of combatting burnout, stress, and abuse that leads them to leave the industry. The Nurse Midwife Health Program Australia is in its first phase with a support service through telehealth (1800 001 060) and a website where nurses can seek advice and referrals when needed. The next phase will see four in-person hubs set up. One to cover Victoria and Tasmania, NSW and the ACT, South Australia and Western Australia, and Queensland and the Northern Territory. These services will offer both face-to-face and telehealth services. Under th ..read more

A PhD candidate's research will aim to train AI to identify frailty and forecast health outcomes to make aged care homes "more efficient". James Cook University researcher Jonathan Kong will train his AI to identify declining strength in older individuals and predict how long they’ll stay in an aged care home once admitted. "In aged care, understanding frailty is essential as it impacts the level of care and resources required by people," Mr Kong said. According to the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare's data on older Australians, older people make up 16 per cent of the populati ..read more

The federal government will direct more funding into dementia and brain injury research in the May budget following an impassioned plea from rugby league legend Wally Lewis. Mr Lewis, who was diagnosed with suspected CTE in 2023, urged the federal government to support more clinical research into brain diseases after revealing his own struggle with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) on Wednesday. Aged Care Minister Anika Wells pledged to back the 68-year-old sporting immortal’s call on Wednesday. “As Queenslanders know innately in our blood that bleeds maroon that Wally Lewis is king ..read more

New research has found that living in "greener" neighbourhoods with lower crime rates is associated with having fewer modifiable dementia risk factors. Led by Monash University, the study investigated neighbourhood characteristics associated with dementia risk and cognition. The study found that a doubling of distance to greenspace was equal to being about 2.5 years older in terms of dementia risk factors. Each two-fold increase in crime was approximately equal to a reduction in memory score attributable to a three-year increase in age.  This relationship was particularly evident in those ..read more

A new aged care home by Clayton Church Homes (CCH) officially opened its doors last week in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. Summerhill follows a small house healthy ageing model, which has proven to be the best in supporting older people and the staff caring for them. The house features private rooms with ensuites, each with high-speed Wi-Fi and a 50-inch LED television. The facility comprises of a gym staffed with positive ageing experts, extensive lifestyle amenities, specialist dementia care support, and architecturally designed landscaped gardens and courtyards. Residents are provided ..read more

We recently sat down for a conversation with Clare and Suzannah from Signature Care in Victoria, an Australian family-owned business deeply committed to a person-centred approach to aged care.  With SilVR Adventures' VR seamlessly integrated into their residences nationwide, we eagerly explored the extensive benefits they and their team have reaped from this innovative solution. Clare, who has a master’s degree in Gerontology and is passionate about the clients she has in her care, was openly candid about her apprehensions at the very start. “I was quite dubious about it. I’d seen VR at c ..read more

Residents and staff at Bolton Clarke have welcomed a group of Fijian aged care workers at its Rowes Bay and Glendale homes in Townsville, Queensland. Under the Australian Government's Aged Care Expansion Program (ACE), and as part of the PALM Scheme (the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme) the group will be employed across 17 regional Queensland and NSW homes. ACE aims to help providers secure qualified, long-term staff from the Pacific and Timor-Leste to help the sector's staffing shortages and allowed them to complete Australian standard qualification. The sector's staff shortage has e ..read more

The Health and Aged Care Minister announced a new initiative to expand access to flu vaccinations across aged care homes. Speaking to the press on Saturday, Mark Butler emphasised the importance of proactive health measures following a surge of flu cases across Australia. "Although the weather out there is utterly beautiful, it is important to say that flu season already is upon us," Minister Butler said. "Already, we have about 40 per cent more cases than we had at the same time last year. "It's important to start talking about the importance of flu vaccinations." To enhance vaccine accessibi ..read more

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) is increasing audits after the latest report found one in every three home care services failing to comply with all eight standards. The latest ACQSC report revealed that despite home care compliance improving from 52 per cent to 66 per cent, the regulator will increase the number of quality audits and education for the sector. "We are concerned about this and will be increasing the number of quality audits we do in 2023–24 and in 2024–25," the report said. "We will also be increasing our education to the sector, building on five key risks in ..read more