When Angie Wraight’s husband of 38 years died in her arms during the pandemic last year, she felt lost. A “wonderful” palliative care team had helped keep her husband Brian comfortable through his cancer battle, but when the rush of nurses and ...
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St Basil’s inquest: infection breaches, rushed handover after workers furloughed
Infection breaches and poor communication prevailed after St Basil’s aged care staff were furloughed following a positive Covid case during Melbourne’s second wave. The facility suffered the worst outbreak that swept through Victoria’s nursing homes last year, with 50 residents dying in July ...
More »Government announces new National Aged Care Advisory Council
The government has finally announced the makeup of the new National Aged Care Advisory Council, with 17 "prominent Australians" tasked with providing expert advice and guidance on aged care. The Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, announced the ...
More »Iron deficiency linked to Alzheimer’s
A new study has found evidence that an Iron deficiency in the brain could be an important factor in developing Alzheimer's disease. Researchers from the University of Adelaide were studying the mutations in a small number of genes associated with ...
More »St Basil’s inquest: Death was ‘manslaughter’, victim’s daughter tells court
A Melbourne woman believes her mother’s death from the coronavirus outbreak at St. Basil’s aged care facility was a form of “manslaughter”, a court has been told. Maxine Tsihlakis told a coronial inquest into the deaths of 50 residents at the facility that ...
More »Digital care tech is helping to ensure aged care residents get enough nutrients and hydration
Certain considerations must always be contemplated and envisaged before implementing changes to an environment where an elderly person resides, to ensure they are as comfortable, safe and happy as possible. One area of growing concern is hydration and nutrition, which ...
More »Vaccine booster program officially rolls out across Australia from Monday
Australia’s booster shot program officially commences across the country today, with fully vaccinated adults aged over 18 who had their second shot six months ago rolling up their sleeves once again. Aged care and disability facilities residents and staff will be among the first ...
More »We need to talk about the emotional pain of frontline healthcare experiences during COVID
The pandemic has impacted many of us around the world, especially the frontline healthcare workers, myself included, as a pain physician in Melbourne. Politicians talk about revitalisation post-COVID-19 but they fail to talk about the emotional pain that the frontline ...
More »We need productivity gains in aged care… but what if the biggest gains make the least profit?
The Intergenerational Report 2021 called for productivity gains in all sectors as the most significant way of securing the economic future of Australia. So, would this also apply to aged care? Well, there’s spiralling demand with a shrinking, poorly paid ...
More »‘Time is running out’ on antibiotic misuse, experts say
High rates of antibiotic misuse in Australian care facilities have raised concerns over the ongoing threat of antimicrobial resistance. A new analysis of 39 countries found that almost 70 per cent of residents in Australia are prescribed antibiotics annually, compared ...
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