NSW is headed for a “more severe flu season than usual” with the state recording a 25 per cent week-on-week surge in cases. The latest NSW Health Respiratory Surveillance Report detailed a 22 per cent jump in people presenting to hospital emergency departments with flu-like illnesses. NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said health authorities expected the flu figures to remain high for “several weeks to come”. “Flu is rapidly increasing across the state,” she said. Dr Chant also urged Australians over 65 to get their free vaccination, with just 52.4 per cent of people in the age group curren ..read more

Experts have found that music can activate neural pathways in the brains of people with conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr Vicky Abad, registered music therapist and managing director of music therapy company Music Beat, says that music can be very powerful in therapy. “Music is a window into people’s pasts,” she said. “It builds on strengths and abilities against a disease that can strip a person of their dignity, abilities and quality of life.” Dementia Australia's research into the prevalence of the disease found that there are currently over 421,000 Australians living wit ..read more

Di Winkler, La Trobe University Lisa lives with multiple sclerosis. She used to live in aged care after being admitted there in her late 40s. It isn’t living, it is existing. You are told what to do […] when to go to bed, what to eat, that isn’t life. It affects the person that I am. Aged care is set up to support older people in their final years. It can’t adequately support younger people with ambitions, friends, goals and years of life to live. In 2019, the Coalition government committed to measurable, time-bound targets to solve the issue of younger people in residential aged care by 202 ..read more

Research into the prevalence of elder abuse has found that as many as one in six older Australians experience some form of it. The Australian Institute of Family Studies research concluded that experience of elder abuse is associated with a sense of social disconnection and poorer physical and emotional well-being. Elder abuse can take many forms, including neglect, psychological, physical, financial and sexual abuse, and is often perpetrated by someone known to the older person. Women, those from diverse backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, the LGBTQI+ community and ..read more

Hal Swerissen, La Trobe University Waiting lists for older people who need home care have blown out again. Twice as many people are now waiting for a Commonwealth Home Care Package as last year. Home care packages help older people with more significant needs to live independently at home and in the community. Four levels of care are available. Level 1 provides up $10,000 per year for services such as allied health, social support and transport with limited assistance for housework and meals. Level 4 provides up to $60,000 per year for personal and social support and a range of health services ..read more

Eating more fruit, nuts and legumes and reducing sugary drinks may help to ease stress and anxiety in people aged over 60, new Australian research has found. The research examined about 300 Australians aged 60 and over and found a lower intensity of anxiety symptoms in people who followed a Mediterranean style diet, which is a diet high in fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and olive oil, Dr Anthony Villani said. “When we examined individual food groups within the diet, the strongest impacts on easing anxiety and stress were related to a high intake of legumes and nuts and a low int ..read more

Nurses are leaving permanent employment for contracting work at an unprecedented rate, and although that decision offers better working conditions and pay, many independent nurses do not know what to claim come tax time. A survey from the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) revealed that 87 per cent of nurses said they felt stressed at work, 80 per cent reported exhaustion and 73 per cent said they work too much. With respect to these numbers, it’s no surprise many are seeking out the better working conditions, pay and flexibility offered by independent nursing.  This ..read more

Dementia is the second leading cause of death for Australians aged over 65. More than 421,000 Australians currently live with dementia and this figure is expected to almost double in the next 30 years. There is ongoing public discussion about whether dementia should be a qualifying illness under Australian voluntary assisted dying laws. Voluntary assisted dying is now lawful in all six states, but is not available for a person living with dementia. The Australian Capital Territory has begun debating its voluntary assisted dying bill in parliament bu ..read more

Plans for "geriatric flying squads" are part of the federal and state government's $56.3m package to try and open the aged care bed blockage in South Australian hospitals. The package includes $42.9m for the "flying squads" made up of medical and other SA Health staff to help hospital the transition older patients into residential aged care. Currently, 190 older South Australians are in hospitals when they should be in an aged care facility. SA Health Minister Chris Picton said the flying squads would help the SA aged care homes, which are already "under the pump". "This will be doctors, nurse ..read more

A new study has found that older adults who walked for transport at least once a week lived longer than those who didn't. A Monash University study looked at transport-related walking, which is walking for a specific purpose, such as to a medical appointment or to shop, instead of using motorised transport like buses or cars. Recreational walking was not assessed in the study. Of the participants, all of whom were 70 or over, walking for transport at least once a week was associated with around 25 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who never walked ..read more