People with family members or friends nearing end of life will learn practical skills and knowledge to improve their death literacy under a program being launched next month. The Last Days program is the first in-person, community-focussed course to provide practical and effective education to improve knowledge and confidence for those caring for someone in their last days, weeks, or months of life. Professionals with experience in palliative care will offer support and information in workshops on death and dying aiming to better prepare and equip program participants for what’s ahead. Good p ..read more

A leading virus expert has called for greater support for people affected by long COVID, warning those with the condition have felt abandoned by the Federal Government. Chief executive of the Burnet Institute Brendan Crabb told a parliamentary inquiry future responses in how the country deals with COVID should take into account people who have been dealing with long COVID. Long COVID relates to patients who are still reporting symptoms or contracting new symptoms several months after their initial infection. “The ones who are suffering, we don’t know the exact numbers … but the numbers are big ..read more

Furry, finned, or feathered – family pets come in all shapes and sizes. But while these friendly faces keep us company at home, it’s a very different story for people in aged care – many of whom must relinquish their beloved pet as a condition of entry. Researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are calling for the Federal Government to mandate financial support for pets in aged care to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of thousands of residents. The call follows UniSA research that explores a practical model of hosting companion animals in aged care, including foster ..read more

The continuation of once-in-a-generation aged care reform following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is critical in being able to achieve the kind of care and support older Australians both need and deserve, the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) says. It says sustainable funding and changes to workforce are key elements of this reform requiring immediate attention in the 2023 Federal Budget to be handed down in May by the Albanese Government. Seven out of ten aged care providers are operating at a loss and the situation appears to be worsening. We n ..read more

With active-wear and headbands dusted off, the odometers on the bike, treadmill, and cross trainer at ACH Group’s Kapara Residential Care Home have been clocking up the kilometres as residents take part in making wishes a reality for sick children. For the second year, 16 lively and generous residents will ride and walk throughout February to raise funds for Make-A-Wish’s virtual fundraiser ‘Ride for Wishes’. ACH Group acting CEO Linda Feldt said Ride for Wishes not only encourages residents to stay active but is also an opportunity for the Kapara community to give back. “The fundraiser is an ..read more

General practitioners, including those who regularly consult in aged care homes, will have access to a new expert advice services to help them manage the clinical needs of patients with dementia complicated by behaviour and psychological symptoms. Dementia Support Australia with the support of the Department of Health has launched the GP Advice Service offering direct email access to psychogeriatricians and geriatricians when treating a patient with Behaviours and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD). The nation’s 31,000 GPs can access the DSA team through the new email service at gpadvic ..read more

The Federal Government’s draft 10-Year Dementia Action Plan has failed to address some fundamental areas for reform, according to multiple leading advocacy bodies. The publicly available consultation paper, released in November 2022, sets out the Government’s vision for greater public awareness of dementia, and great post-diagnostic support for those living with the condition, as well as their carers. The action plan emphasises seven key objectives, namely:   Tackling stigma and discrimination, including that experienced by marginalised groups such as First Nations, Culturally and Lingus ..read more

An Aboriginal man’s bid to access his age pension earlier than a non-Indigenous Australian is about “correcting historical disadvantage”, his barrister says.  Wakka Wakka man Dennis James Fisher is suing the Commonwealth in the Federal Court, arguing he should receive the pension from the age of 64 because of his shorter life expectancy.  Australians are only eligible to receive an age pension once they turn 67.  Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show a 65-year-old Indigenous man will live for a further 15.8 years on average, Fisher’s barrister Ron Merkel KC told ..read more

High drug prices are not justified by industry’s spending on research and development (R&D), argue experts in The BMJ this week. Aris Angelis and colleagues point out that from 1999 to 2018, the world’s 15 largest biopharmaceutical companies spent more on selling, general, and administrative activities (which includes marketing) than on R&D and that most new medicines developed during this period offered little or no clinical benefit over existing treatments. By refocusing their spending, they say drug companies “could provide more innovative drugs at affordable prices” and they call f ..read more