Blog about Melbourne In-home care services and elder care stories

Elections all over the world & Yes2Renewables

17/5/2016

We seem to be following along with our Green Theme, inspired by our guest blogger from a few posts back - Warrnambool Greens campaigner, Lisa Owen.

I was listening to one of my favourite Saturday morning radio programs today and Brian, the announcer had recently returned from a music conference trip to the USA. He talked about one of the last days of the trip when he was in a small town near Indianapolis on his way via car, back to New York before heading back to Melbourne.

He and two travelling companions were having a bite to eat in a tavern/bar where he counted six large TV screens mounted around the room all blaring what seemed to be loud, news and advertisements. All the TV’s were either tuned to NBC or CBS news services and it was pretty much constant coverage of the American elections; the face that was plastered all around the dining room while they were trying to relax and talk was yep you guessed it - Donald Trump.

Brian and his mates noticed that about half of the dining area where watching, while the other half where caught up in chatter or busying themselves with getting more drinks from the bar. Being strangers in town, they reservedly asked one of the waiters if the TV nearest them could have the channel changed or preferably turned off for a while. In an oh-so-polite American response, the waiter advised them that the owners of the tavern had made it quite clear; all TV's where to be tuned to the stations they were on and were to be left on during opening hours. So that was that.

Anyway, Brian’s story then moved to him being back home in Melbourne and waking up this morning dreaming that we too were going through a bitterly fought election. It wasn’t long after waking just prior to dashing off to get into the 3RRR studios that he realised his dream (or rather nightmare) was actually true and we were indeed having to suffer yet another election; battling hard on every TV and radio in the country and with still another 45 days or so of electioneering to get through.

I caught the last part of Brian’s weekly Off-the-record show as I was parking the car outside the library; the gig guide had been read out and Brian and his guest were saying their farewells. I turned off the ignition, gathered up the pile of books I had to return and bundled into the library where I lightened my load placing the books in the ‘returns’ slot under the window of the counter. I did my usual perusing of the best-seller shelf and as usual, nothing there takes my fancy so I head over to the ‘psychology, philosophy and religion’ section where I usually find something of interest to browse through and/or possibly borrow.

I had a bit to do today so I didn’t spend long in the library. On the way to the exit door, I was stopped and had a chat with Dora. A lovely, articulate and vibrant 80-year-old who works at David Jones in the city assisting women who have had a mastectomy with bra fitting. We have awesome chats about travel, writing and I hope to do a blog post on her soon as I wait for approval from David Jones for me to go in and interview and photograph Dora at work. She is an inspirational lady who has a wicked sense of humour and I find myself wanting to quote her all the time – she just comes out with some unreal lines.

After saying goodbye to Dora I wandered out and just outside the library I noticed a group of what I assumed were young pollsters handing out brochures and talking to people as they were leaving the library. Knowing that we are lucky enough not to have someone as questionable and dubious as Donald Trump running, I asked them if they were spruiking for one of the delegates. They weren’t; they were part of what turned out to be a grass-roots organisation affiliated with Friends of the Earth called Yes2Renewables and they were asking people what percentage of renewable energy we should be aiming for by 2020. This is a hot topic and one that seems too often get swept under the carpet or seen as a secondary political responsibility so I was eager to talk with them as I felt this to be important. I must admit, whilst being pro-renewables, I hadn’t actually weighed in on the debate as yet and to be honest didn’t realise that there was such divergence in the aspirations of the states (Australian states, not the United variety).
Printed on a small flyer they gave me (well I asked for it actually as we finished up) this is the current state of play when it comes to renewable energy goals.

ACT 90% renewable by 2020
South Australia 50% renewables by 2025
Queensland 50% by 20130
Victoria 20% by 202

They wanted to know what renewable energy target I thought we should have as a goal for Victoria by 2020. I was curious to see if they knew what sort of objectives countries like Sweden and the United States where aiming for. They were honest and said they weren’t sure although one of them was able to give me some interesting figures from other parts of Europe. Three countries in the EU had already surpassed their 20% renewables by 2020 targets, an objective set back in 2010. They were Sweden, Bulgaria and Estonia. A few other of the 28 member states in the EU had also either surpassed or were close to meeting the 20% target.

It turned out that the group I had been talking to were a passionate group of young eco-warriors come future politicians who were actively trying to lift the ‘renewables’ conversation back onto the table.

After our discussion, I said that we should increase the goal a little to 30% and then if we hit that our next goal for 2025 should be 40%. They wrote my goals on a small white board and asked if they could photograph me holding it next to one of their team members which I happily obliged. (gee I hate my smile when posing for pictures). They were a lot of fun and I thank them for their efforts in trying to bring our environment back into better shape.

It seems Victoria’s renewable energy targets are not as ambitious as other states and territories let alone other countries. I want to promote Yes2Renewables and I completed their feedback form, gave them my email address and said, ‘YES’ keep me up to date with any Yes2Renewables news. I even suggested they send me their logo so we can support them in our small way. So in the future you might see the Yes2Renewables logo on the Respite Now website.

Let’s give the Non-Renewables some respite and let their far healthier Renewable cousins keep all our cars running and our computers, heater and lights illuminating and warming us.

Keep up the good work Yes2Renewables and thanks for educating me today.

Send me your logo (jpg version preferred)

Warm regards,
Greg M>

ABOVE: Which way will the
election/s go? What direction
will the 'Renewable Energy'
debate take? Let us know
what your thoughts are?

ABOVE: The one & only Dora.
With the stories she has from
her travels, she could honestly
be the original 'Dora the Explorer.'

6 Comments

A FOLLOW UP TO GREENER GRANNIES

29/1/2016

4 Comments

Well we had no complaints about the 'Greener Grannies' title of our last blog post so because it sounds so cute, I'll run it again.

Our last months guest blogger, Lisa Owen, provided some really great information about dealing with the influx of packaging and plastics that most households would have experienced over Chrissy and New Year. I suppose with the popularity of the Boxing Day and New Year sales the influx of waste has been even more prevalent in our homes into January.

Lisa has kindly kept us updated with some further information and more recently sent us through some links to organisations that can provide a much greener solution to not only our general waste disposal but purchases we can make that will assist with better decisions and the day-to-day greening of our worlds.

First of all I'd like to leave a link to Lisa's own blog. Have a read of the below link and you'll see how passionate Lisa is about this subject and why we were so grateful she agreed to be our guest blogger last month.

Why the type of coffee you drink is crucial to fighting climate change and child labour
(a blog post by Lisa Owen)
http://lisa-green-owen.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/why-type-of-coffee-you-drink-is-crucial.html

Home products, gifts and personal packaging needs (this is an ad)
http://www.biome.com.au/140-biodegradable-plastic-bags

BELOW ARE SOME LINKS TO FURTHER READING AND PROVIDERS WHO DO MORE TO HELP

Hydro carbon and Big Oil By JP Sottile, Truthout | News Analysis
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/34409-mother-nature-s-invisible-hand-strikes-back-against-the-carbon-economy

How Plastic Pollution Makes Bird Poop Toxic By Suzanne Jacobs, Grist December 16, 2015
http://www.audubon.org/news/how-plastic-pollution-makes-bird-poop-toxic

Microbead-free Waters Act By Sophie Kleeman December 29, 2015
http://mic.com/articles/131384/obama-just-signed-a-law-that-will-stop-your-face-wash-from-killing-the-ocean#.xWAWgtg2V

I hope we generate some more discussion with the inclusion of the above links.

You know we'd love to hear from anyone that reads them....or some of our earlier blog posts.

Cheers for now and may you not only have a green thumb but a green wallet too.

Greg M

4 Comments

GREENER GRANNIES (Or, what can seniors do to keep the environment green?)

15/12/2015

9 Comments

Victorian Greens expert, Lisa Owen is our guest blogger. Her story titled, 'Packaging - the good, the bad and the ugly' starts after the below introduction. Thanks Lisa!

Can seniors contribute to the greening of Melbourne? Of course they bloody can. Following the tried and true ‘Avoid, Reduce, Reuse & Recycle’ mantra we can all do our bit and contribute to slowing the effects of pollution and its partner-in-crime, global warming.

With the shops seething with Christmas shoppers and the big day less than two weeks away we are buying gifts faster than the factories can manufacture them. Food shows are televised every night and our growing passion for all things that enter through our mouth means popular food items on the supermarket shelves, are being replenished many-times-a-day as they keep pace with the festive demand. Many of us will be traveling long distances, prior to getting down to the serious side of eating all the food and giving out the presents, placing added demand on our limited resources. There will be tons of plastic packaging to be dealt with after the gifts have been opened and the food and drinks consumed. It seems like just about everything we buy these days has a gross amount of plastic associated with it.

Australian local councils report a 30% increase in household waste over the silly season as people shop, spend, eat, drink and discard more than any other time of year. Most of us are actively adhering to the "A & R’s" – Avoid, Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. I reckon "Avoid" is often the deal breaker. Having to do without seems to go against the whole commercialisation and capitalism tide. I think we've been living with the "R’s" for so long we're on automatic pilot. But if you're like me, when it comes to plastic, I'm often unsure if it's the recyclable type or not? What do you do with the plastic that doesn’t go in the green recycle-bin each week?

Over the last-ten-years we have produced more plastic than we did during the whole-of-the-last-century! Furthermore, 50% of this plastic is used only once before it’s thrown away. In Australia, and many other parts of the world, much of our free time and recreational activity is spent around waterways such as rivers, lakes, streams, beaches etc and tons of plastic culminates in the ocean. You may have seen photos of the five-rubbish-gyres in our oceans, each one the size of Tasmania (http://www.5gyres.org/the-plastic-problem/)? When I was a kid mum and dad didn’t have to think about what material our Christmas gifts were made from, let alone country of origin, or if child-labour had been used to assemble them. However these days plastic in all-its-forms is creating an epidemic all-on-its own.

Plastic pollution involves the accumulation of plastic products in the environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat and humans. Plastic pollution impacts on our land and oceans, people, animals and the air we breathe. To help with this plastic debate we have enlisted the services of an environmental expert and a member of the Victorian Greens, Lisa Owen. Lisa has kindly provided us with some good and bad news about plastic.

PACKAGING - The good, the bad and the ugly
By Lisa Owen
Victorian Greens campaigner and a South West Victoria community conservation groups organiser.

First, the bad news.
Just about everything comes in packaging....well almost everything and unless otherwise indicated it's often made from non-biodegradable, unsustainable, fossil-fuel sourced, single-use plastic (we might call that NBUSFFSSUP.) The world is drowning in plastic packaging and other single-use plastic, such as takeaway coffee cups, drink containers, plastic bags, glad wrap and ring pulls. Many of us thought that this had been sorted by sending plastic to recyclers but the Earth's population produces and throws away millions-of-tons of plastic each day and recyclers simply can't keep up. Many companies are burying plastic packaging, and single-use plastic, in farm paddocks and landfill and some is being exported overseas for processing.

Although plastic does break down over time, the bacteria and microorganisms that feast on much of our waste and by-products can’t eat plastic and often birds and fish mistakenly see it as food; food that kills them. After eating it they die slow deaths as the plastic sits in their stomach never to digest. As the animals decompose, the plastic remains in the water and soil, slowly breaking down into smaller pieces becoming what’s called ‘plastic sand’ and eventually turning into a toxic sludge in our paddocks, rivers and oceans; it never goes away. Scientists tell us that a certain percentage of the world's beaches today are now made up of ‘plastic sand' which will eventually turn into toxic sludge.

Another major issue with plastic is oil; plastic is made from oil which is a fossil fuel. Oil requires the production and use of huge amounts of power to transform it into usable packaging whether single-use plastic or not. So it’s not just what happens after we discard plastic, in addition, the production of plastic is a major contributor to pollution and climate change. Many of us think that plastic is one of those man-made materials we can’t live without. We see it used in our medication containers and packaging, food packaging, drink containers, computer packaging and the gifts we will be giving our family and friends this year. It’s true some plastics simply can't be avoided but it’s important these plastics are carefully recycled.

The recycling process itself is also fraught with many problems because it takes huge amounts of power to melt-down plastic and other waste and re-manufacture into something usable. This makes the practice unprofitable and not an environmentally friendly process. Sadly, it can also be an unjust process as a large proportion of our plastic waste is being sent overseas to poor, developing countries where people are being exploited through unfair employment contracts, working in toxic, filthy and unhygienic conditions.

So, that was the bad news. Now here's the good news. There are solutions.

Reducing plastic waste
The production of single-use plastic is driven by consumer or customer demand. The less demand we have for single-use plastic, the less will be created. Here are some strategies to reduce your use of plastic while saving money.

Some manufacturers are making biodegradable plastic items such as takeaway coffee cups, disposable plates, crockery, water tumblers and cutlery. What this means is those single-use products will not eventually turn into a toxic sludge but will be eaten by microbes and fertilize the earth. To speed the process you can put them in your compost bin and watch the worms eat them away. Because biodegradable plastic takes awhile to break-down it will kill birds, fish and other animals if eaten hence the importance of disposing responsibly. Best choice is in the compost bin and second in the rubbish bin.

WHAT YOU CAN DO?
Carry your own reusable coffee cup when you go shopping. Presto, no need for plastic lined cardboard cups with plastic lids. Yes, the cardboard cup is lined with a thin film of plastic. Some cafes offer biodegradable plastic coffee cups and if you have one lying around you can throw it in the compost. When asking for a take-away coffee request a biodegradable cup and if they don’t have them you're creating demand. Many of Melbourne’s coffee houses can provide these greener coffee cups.

Carry your own reusable water bottle everywhere you go. Cafes are usually happy to fill it for you.

Carry your own reusable shopping bags. Single-use plastic bags are clogging up everything. We see them flying from trees and filling the stomachs of poor unsuspecting animals. Some businesses offer biodegradable plastic bags, and remember biodegradable still takes a long time to break down in the environment, so after reusing until they are no longer viable place them in the compost bin.

Reuse and re-gift when possible. Visit your local op-shop for cheaper, packaging free, shopping alternatives. You can find crockery, glassware, vases, cutlery, books, frames, furniture, carpets, electrical products, clothes, shoes, linen, garden-ware, jewellery, watches, clocks, toys, art work and so on at local op shops. Buying Christmas presents from op-shops will save your pocket and the environment while at the same time helping a charity. Some of my best Christmas presents have been sourced from op-shops. Like our good-old op shops, Craft and Farmers markets are often places where you can choose your own packaging or use your own.

Seek out unpackaged products or products packaged in biodegradable plastic made from sugar cane, hemp, mulch or bamboo. The best packaging is newspaper as long as the black print is not going to mark and damage the contents! Many organic, sustainable, Fair Trade stores use biodegradable packaging. Oxfam is generally reliable.

Avoid buying wrapping paper as it's often made with a thin film of plastic and the paper is sourced from unsustainable forestry practices. Re-use paper that you've kept from previous celebrations, or better still, put presents in reusable cardboard bags with string handles. We have some that we've given away and received back again many times over.

DID YOU KNOW THAT COLES & WOOLWORTHS HAVE PLASTIC RECYCLING BINS?
Although it's often worth being skeptical about some of the corporate social responsibility claims and practices of big industry, the fact that most Woolworths and Coles supermarkets provide recycling bins for plastic bags and for the slightly firmer-molded-plastic (like strawberry punnets and biscuit trays) is something worth knowing. This firmer, often more brittle form of plastic is the type that should not be placed in your home recycling bin. The two supermarket giants will take any soft plastic, like glad wrap and soft packaging and also plastic bags from things like chips and lollies to biscuit wrappers. Make use of their efforts as the separation of these plastics from the rest of your rubbish or recycling has a great impact on global, conservation efforts.

Keep your eye out for the Coles & Woolworths plastic and plastic bag recycling bins. If your supermarket hasn't got one, ask them to provide one.

Some plastic is important and its long life is put to good use so we can use it for other green intitiatives

The bottom line is, if we reduce our purchases, buy from op-shops and second-hand shops, recycle, support ethical, fair trade businesses and reuse everything until it wears out, we'll create a much better and fairer world while saving lots of money. It seems that packaging and plastic is a dilemma that can be dealt with in a few easy and clever ways. So whether you’re buying presents for your toddler, trying to work out what your teenager wants, buying for grandchildren or in fact buying for your senior parents, it seems that there are a number of ways to deal with the plastic problem and stop Melbourne and its beaches becoming beaches of the plastic sand variety.

A merry plastic packaging free Christmas to you all!

Lisa Owen is a Victorian Greens campaigner and a South West Victoria community conservation groups organiser

RESPITE NOW is an Australian owned, Melbourne based in-home aged and disability home care provider. Their proprietary care planing model, ClientCarerMatchmaker is the only Values, Interests & Preferences based care planning model in Melbourne.

Respite Now s also the only home care provider that allows care recipients and their family to meet with their designated personal carer before starting the service. This ensures your carer is not only aware of specific health and care needs but they are also more closely aligned with your values, interests and preferences. By meeting your personal carer prior to starting, a stranger never need enter our client’s home again. Historically this had been a major concern when arranging personal care in people's homes. All personal care staff are qualified and undertake regular re-training, they have police and reference checks and are already caring for many Melbourne seniors and people living with a disability.

PHONE: 1300 791 562
24/7 DIRECT: 0403 577 827
EMAIL: info@respitenow.com.au
WEB: Your here now, look around www.respitenow.com.au

9 Comments

A STORY FROM A CARING GRANDAUGHTER

4/10/2015

Below is a beautiful story supplied by what the writer calls, 'an involved grandaughter'. Whilst the family unit is an ever-changing entity this story highlights how multiple generations engage, learn and prosper through being just that 'involved'. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading 'My Grandfather tells bawdy jokes' by Milly.

Providing personal care to Melbourne seniors and people living with a disability means we get to meet other members of their family. Through Respite Now’s family-insight meeting we come to understand the sort of support the person requires from us to assist them stay in their home longer, independently and safely. We see the integral role these family members play in the lives of their elders and loved ones. They also often assist us as we plan and develop our care and support plan and select a suitable Personal Care Attendant (PCA). Respite Now’s ClientCarerMatchmaker is Melbourne’s only Values, Interests & Preferences (VIP) based care planning service which culminates with the care recipient and their family meeting the designated PCA before confirming to go ahead with our service.

Sons, daughters and even grandchildren help provide insight into the values, interests and preferences seniors have as they move through the various stages of aging. Now, more than ever, todays ‘typical’ Melbourne family is changing and is quite different to how we previously perceived a family. One thing is for sure we are all getting older and our longer life-span often means more than one generation are closely involved in the support of their parents, grandparents, brothers or sisters and often living with them and sharing their lives. Not all families are fortunate enough to have available family members living close to them, helping care for them, as it becomes evident they need help at home. Our work caring for people in the community who need support enlivens us as we see love and support being made available to family members in need.

Milly, thankfully shared her story with Respite Now.

WIN 1 HOUR OF HOME CARE
RIGHT: Timber, like water, is one of life's central life forces. This picture we call 'old pier of life'

If you can pen a better name, we'll consider it carefully and not only credit your suggestion but the
best answer receives 1 (one) hour of Home Care at no charge (some very minor conditions apply)
Existing customers have 1 hour of fess debited from their account.

MY GRANDFATHER TELLS BAWDY JOKES
By Milly 29/9/15

My grandfather was a seaman. His arms map his life with tattoos and he tells the funniest jokes. When he met my first boyfriend, my grandfather stomped up the hillside coming home from attacking the lantana, swishing a large machete in front of him. My boyfriend blanched and muttered that I should have warned him who he was about to meet. My grandfather cuts an imposing, indestructible figure - an octogenarian who rides a quad bike, works with timber and scares off my unworthy suitors. But he was never intimidating to me. Indestructible yes, but also gentle and sometimes quiet. He’s ticklish and I tease him with feigned jabs at his ribs and then kiss him on the top of his eagle-bald head.

Last year he was cutting some timber for a piece of furniture he was making. He misjudged the distance for the first time in his life and severed the tips of his fingers on the circular saw. He picked up his fingers, found my mother at work in the garden and asked if she could drive him down the hill to Lyn’s house to see if she could bandage him up. Lyn sent them straight to the hospital where he got patched up.

Shortly after the accident my grandfather contracted shingles. He started to look and feel old. Before that he never mentioned his age, not to me anyway. He withdrew and became more solitary than normal. Around that time he gave me a laptop because he'd recently upgraded. Being naturally curious, I went looking through some old files and found a formal document officially donating his body to the local university in the event of his death. I mentioned this to mum who said she thought he was preparing for the end. We felt he had given up hope. If he couldn’t trust his hands anymore then what was the point?

Mum put a quiet word out around the neighbourhood and over the subsequent months a couple of the younger and not so young men started paying my grandfather social visits - talking about their animals, tools, asking him for advice on timbers, trees and gardening. Those compassionate, subtle men valued my grandfather’s knowledge and he started making furniture again.

This weekend my mother, grandmother and I spent Sunday at a county community market, selling my grandfather’s furniture. He has spent the last few months furiously creating beautiful things; he calls them ‘treens’, an old Swedish word meaning little wooden things. I spent large swathes of Sunday telling strangers how wonderful my grandfather is. When I returned to the house and told him what I had been doing he was appalled. I jokingly told him I was going to make him a website and print business cards and he would become a famous artist. He covered his ears in horror and in his quiet way, quickly changed the subject.

The four of us sat around my grandparent’s lounge room arguing the definition of “ghetto” and being very careful not to tell my grandfather how proud we were of him. So, I’m telling you instead.

DEMENTIA DOESN'T HAVE TO MEAN A LIFESTYLE CHANGE

20/3/2015

5 Comments

I’m Jane Millard, Greg’s wife and partner at Respite Now. I’m giving him a break from updating our blog so I hope you enjoy this post.

A re-enactment of Peter and Maxwell ready for a walk

Peter's Story

I wanted to share a story about some recent experience we've had with Alzheimer's disease, a topic that’s been in the news quite a bit lately. Alzheimers falls under the dementia category and the most common types of dementia are; Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Fronto Temporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), Huntington's disease, Alcohol related dementia (Korsakoff's syndrome) and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease.

I've taken creative license to convey the potential challenges encountered by a dementia sufferer trying to accomplish tasks. The distractions and subsequent anxiety are steered back on path with the help of some imagination and guidance.

Peter Thomas lives in the family home and moving from the kitchen to the front door involves a journey of Alice in Wonderland proportions as he attempts to leave for a shopping expedition. Rather than the colourful distractions Alice encounters Peter becomes immersed in an operatic aria and while looking for a stage-costume in the linen cupboard he decides the messy cupboard needs to be tidied. These events have laid waste to the shopping list Peter prepared and any memory of the need for groceries. Peter is 80 years old and has early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Although he is cognizant most of the time he is also aware his grip on reality is diminishing. Kerry, Peter’s carer, has an hour and a half to take him shopping. The problem is, although Peter has prepared a shopping list, he now says he doesn't need food and by the time he reaches the front door he has pretty much forgotten everything. Peter’s dithering consumes what time should be spent shopping and Kerry gets Peter back on track as he joyously sings an aria from Puccini’s ‘Tosca’.

Peter has four children although he never mentions the older three; his youngest daughter lives in the United States and often speaks with him on Skype. Living with dementia can be socially isolating, confusing and stressful for the sufferer, their families and caregivers. The Alzheimer’s Foundation recommends community contact among other things to reduce the progress of the disease. There are many support services to assist dementia sufferers and their family members and attempting to locate and obtain these services can be a challenging process. Research conducted in 2005 by the School of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales found one of the contributing factors many people don’t access support services is because they have no knowledge of the services available.

It’s difficult reaching out for support as I personally experienced with my mother when she was diagnosed with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, a condition that causes strokes and cognitive impairment. Support and care are invaluable for dementia sufferers as is the respect and compassion provided through this support. Taking the steps to find support, creating a care package tailored to your individual needs, can mean the peace-of-mind of being able to stay in the comfort of your own home. A carefully structured care plan and a suitably chosen carer can provide a wonderful platform for dementia sufferers easing some of the challenges and maximizing many of the opportunities that lie ahead.

Have you had any experiences with Dementia, Alzheimer’s or any other condition causing cognitive impairment to you or a loved one? Please write in either by making a comment here or sending us your details via our Contact page. We'd love you to share your stories with us and if you prefer your privacy we can keep it between us.

NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR PRIVACY PURPOSES & PERMISSIONS PROVIDED

MORE DEMENTIA INFORMATION: http://www.alz.org/au/dementia-alzheimers-australia.asp
http://www.yourbrainmatters.org.au/
PHONE ALZHEIMER'S VICTORIA: 1800 100 500

FIND OUT MORE:
https://fightdementia.org.au/about-dementia-and-memory-loss/about-dementia/what-is-dementia

Greg has some great contacts at Alzheimer's Victoria and he'd be happy to pass these on if you want to contact us. We'd love to hear from you, just click the 'Comment' link below or at the top of the page.

Brodaty, H, Thomson, C, Thompson, C, Fine, M 2005 “Why caregivers of people with dementia and memory loss don’t use services” International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, No. 20, issue 6, pp. 537-546

Bye for now,
Jane Millard

5 Comments

A STORY ABOUT DEATH THAT WILL PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE

15/3/2015

2 Comments

We were hoping to post a special article on dementia but due to a copyright query we need more time to get approval. We'll have to wait and post it a bit further down the track. We hope you like the below joke and please come back and read our future (more serious) articles on our blog.

JUST FOR FUN
Grumpy Allan Awright had finally passed away after a long illness. It was a glorious day for his funeral and the town's minister talked at length of the good traits of the deceased; what an honest man he was, a loving husband and a kind and thoughtful father. He continued on as to how he was the life of the party and couldn't do enough to help others.
Finally Marie, his widow leaned over and whispered to one of her children. "Can you go up there and take a look in the coffin and see that is your dad in there? I don't think we're at the right funeral."

LEFT: Allan's son Mark contemplates his Mother's instructions as he approaches the coffin for a peak to check that it is actually his dad.

LET US KNOW: If you like this sort of joke let us know. Alternatively if you don't find it terribly amusing or indeed upsetting, we will gladly take advice and either modify, continue with the occasional joke or leave them out all together.
Please leave a comment via the COMMENT links on this page, use the Contact form here or email info@respitenow.com.au

I'll sign off and we'll see what you all think,
GREG & THE RESPITE NOW TEAM

2 Comments

Microsoft is filing proceedings against scammers. Shouldn't we take notice too?

25/12/2014

11 Comments

Hi and welcome to our second blog post. This one is a lot more down beat than the last one but as the percentage of scamming increases during the festive season, we thought we'd provide a final reminder to be careful. If our message helps one household we'll be happy. It's not just online fraud that is ravaging many people and households, but computer crime is probably the most evident at the moment.

Microsoft is warning customers that with the holiday season here, scammers are active and will target anyone, stating, “The holiday season is a popular time for scammers as more people engage in online activities, including shopping, donating to charity and searching for travel deals.”

TAKE NOTE OF THE BELOW PRECAUTIONS

Do not purchase any software or services from someone claiming to be from Microsoft.
Ask if there is a fee or subscription associated with the “service.” If there is, hang up.
Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you can confirm that it is a legitimate representative of a computer support team with whom you are already a customer.
Take the caller’s information down and immediately report it to your local authorities.
Never provide your credit card or financial information to someone claiming to be from Microsoft tech support.

Although the below video is talking about America, the exact same thing is happening here in Australia. My wife had a very believable 'tech support scammer' ring her a while back and it was very worrying to hear the lengths they go to.

WATCH WHAT MICROSOFT HAVE TO SAY

LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE WITNESSED A SCAM IN ACTION
Information is the enemy of scammers, so if you have heard of or worse experienced a scam, please let us know either privately or by commenting on this blog topic. The more stories that are shared the better off we all are. If you CLICK HERE or the COMMENT link at the top of this post or below my sign off or send an email to info@respitenow.com.au

We hope our customers, staff, friends and family all have a safe and happy Christmas and that 2015 is an even better year.

Stay safe on the road, on the internet and around the house and we look forward to continuing to support the seniors in our community next year.

Regards,

Jane and Greg Millard and the team at Respite Now.

11 Comments

MY DAD'S, DAD'S HOUSE - 'ahh the good ol' days'

7/11/2014

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A FAMILIAR HOUSE (at the bottom of the hill)
I was in my favourite football team's neighborhood two years back (Go the Bombers) and had the opportunity to walk through the house my father grew up in and which my grandfather built in about 1933. Unfortunately he died when my dad was a teenager so I never got to meet him. It had obviously been built well and since then well maintained; here 77 years later it still looked in its original splendour. It was a lovely old house and as a young kid I remember visiting grandma regularly. My brother Neale and I would play in the backyard and run around the local parks kicking the footy. Grandma sold and moved to a smaller unit probably around the time my sister Siobhan was born, so in those days it was just me and my big brother.

A stunning coincidence is the current owner (only the 3rd) used to visit the house as a school friend of my dad's sister, auntie Lucia and it was a thrill for both of us to meet. It was amazing how from the outside, everything was in its original condition and looked exactly the same as I remember it when I last saw it about 30 or so years ago. Even the soft, choir-like chime of the old door-bell.

ABOVE: (from left) The original door bell that still works, Front verandah and Driveway leading to the single-car garage (the only rickety bit of the house that I saw)

INSIDE (so what's it look like now?)
Grandma lived on her own once dad and his brothers and sisters married and as she kept the house in such a clean and tidy state it wasn't hard to see that it was still in the same pristine condition. Everything inside the house looked so familiar with all the fittings and finishes still original; although it now had a busy family, lived-in look. Most owners of houses of its vintage would be proudly showing off the latest upgrade or glossy appliance and it would have had several refurbishments or renovations but she was proud to show me through the house that she was was happily living in and proud of. It wasn't from lack of money that the house still stood as it was now. It obviously had plenty of time and money spent on maintaining this modest, grand old house over the years. My memories were not based on some romantic notion of the past via rose couloured glasses; no, this was almost eerie - but in a good way. Walking through the house felt like I was back in time - wishing dad was with me to see it all again too. I mean everything was the same but it didn't look old and tatty, far from it. It looked refined and elegant much like the grand old lady that used to live there who'd make us boys milk and cookies on that same old bench tops after a day of football knocks and tumbles in the back yard.

ABOVE: (from left) The original cupboards, bench top & tap ware, The fireplace and Looking down hallway to the front door.

DAD (love & memories)
I emailed photos of my visit to dad and wished I was with him when he opened the attachments to see his face. I don't know about you, but I sure remember when I would have had to wait until the roll of film was finished, go and pay to get it developed and printed and then I probably would have driven over or waited until the next get together and shown him the photos. I would have then surely seen his face and been with him to share such vivid memories of our past.

Dad, (Peter Millard) died in the November of the same year from an aggressive form of cancer on the brain. He was just 77. Days before his diagnosis, dad was lively, fit and regularly walked long distances with his sister Lucia. In fact it was on one of these walks that he noticed a bit of dizziness that alerted him to seeking a medical opinion. It was only 8 weeks from diagnosis to his passing. My dads brothers and sisters are still alive and I still get to see them and enjoy their company from time to time. I thank God for the family from the little house in Essendon (Go the Bombers).

Dad enjoyed music, the sanctity of the church, photography, his children and grand kids and was a true gentleman. I hope I have retained enough of his gentlemanly qualities to share with my family, friends and customers for many years to come. I think of him and miss him just about every day.