AGED CARE NEWS
Lessons learned as Ken decides to go further
A story by Simon Garner in April's The Senior News (Added 24/3/16)
I can't find a link on The Senior News online digital paper but there's a great story about Ken Holmes, a 78 year old man who recently undertook a Certificate IV in Aged Care Administration and is currently completing a 1 month internship at Mercy Health's facility in Parkville.
Ken is a former surgical tool maker who worked with Melbourne University for 30 years before being made redundant and it was then that he took up working night shift as a Personal Carer in various private nursing homes. He had to give up work to look after his wife when she became ill and hasn't worked for the last 5 years.
"I got sick of talking to the cat and dog, they don't talk back - except when they want something."
Ken says, "They can relate to me but often they don't relate to the younger ones (aged care staff) I can be silly and get away with it. People definitely respond well to me because of the similarity in age."
I HOPE I'M FIT & HEALTHY ENOUGH TO STILL BE WORKING & CONTRIBUTING AS MUCH AS KEN IS WHEN I'M HIS AGE. GOOD ON YA KEN, CONGRATULATIONS, WELL DONE & CARE WELL MY FRIEND.
Greg M (Respite Now)
Government dramatically boosts higher level home care packages
By Linda Belardi on March 24, 2016 in Community Care Review (uploaded 25/3/16)
The Federal Government has responded to significant consumer demand for high level home care packages by allocating 93 per cent of new places in the 2015 Aged Care Approvals Round as Level 3 and 4 packages.
The boost in high care places of an additional 5,995 packages represents a 55 per cent increase on the previous year and responds to widespread sector concern regarding the low take up of Level 1 packages and long waiting lists for Levels 3 and 4.
The Department of Health did not allocate any new Level 1 packages as part of the government’s release of the 6,445 new home care packages.
READ MORE: http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2016/03/24/high-needs-home-care-packages-given-boost-in-acar/
Thousands of seniors on home care packages forced to pay more or move into nursing homes
By social affairs correspondent Norman Hermant
Updated 9 May 2015, 10:58am (retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au on May 22, 4,30pm)
More than 60,000 seniors who currently receive in-home care through federally funded Home Care Packages are set to be moved to Consumer Directed Care (CDC) by July 1. Under CDC packages, the recipient has more choice about how their care is delivered; consumers are told how much their package is worth, and can negotiate with their care provider about what kind of care they receive.
However, it has been estimated up to 20 per cent of those being transitioned to the CDC program will suffer serious care shortfalls.
Thousands of recipients have been told by their home care providers that their new packages will not have enough funds to pay for the services they receive now.
READ MORE: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-09/changes-coming-to-in-home-care-spark-fear-for-thousands/6456604
No one likes old people, do they? Shoot them at birth
ALICE CLARK - HERALD SUN. APRIL 12, 2015 9:30PM
No one likes old people.
What I can gather from pop culture and the way politicians are talking about these soon-to-be-immortal silver foxes, people just don’t like those over 60 (which is apparently the definition of “old” now). This seems to be because they smell, drive slowly, own all the houses, block up campsites with caravans, can’t work, and are a drain on the taxpayer worse than any A Current Affair-style dole bludger.
READ MORE: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/no-one-likes-old-people-do-they-shoot-them-at-birth/story-fni0ffsx-1227300772058
Top 5 Places Where People Live the Longest
A Place For Mum by Dana Larsen. Retrieved 19/1/15
Where in the world do people live the longest? Though we in Australia and much of the Western world tend to think we own good health and longevity, the truth might surprise you – the small, remote island of Okinawa, Japan is where you’ll find the world’s largest population of healthy older adults. In fact, of the five locales scientists are studying for their longevity secrets, three are islands, one is a peninsula and one is simply a spiritual oasis.
READ MORE: http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/2013-03-29-where-people-live-the-longest/
A loss of freedoms
Sydney Morning Herald by Jazmin Hawes of Braddon. Retrieved 29/12/14
A challenge our society faces is looking after our elderly. Autonomy, a quintessential part of freedom, is lost when people enter residential aged care. No mandated staff-to-resident ratio exists, which leads to companies having as few staff as possible to cost-cut, leading to a lack of holistic care such as entertainment and socialising programs. People are not consulted on the times of activities carers have to assist with, so can be forced into the shower or into bed or taken to the toilet at times that they do not want.
READ MORE: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/ct-letters/a-loss-of-freedoms-20141228-12ep36.html
Elderly prefer to stay at home
China Daily by Zheng Jinran. Retieved 26/12/14
About 96 percent of elderly Chinese said they prefer home-based care to living in a nursing home, according to a recent survey by the Beijing Municipal People's Congress. Grandpa, 80, retired from the Beijing Shougang company and has Parkinson's disease. His wife has diabetes, and the couple are unable to look after themselves.
Although Grandpa has four children who live in Beijing, they seldom visit him because he lives far from downtown in the city's western outskirts.
He's pension amounts to only 3,000 yuan ($490) per month, and his wife, who did not work when she was young, receives 200 yuan subsidized by the government.
READ MORE: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-12/26/content_19170720.htm
Florida seniors tackle attempted purse snatcher
Orlando Sentinel by Adrienne Cutway. Retrieved 29/12/14
A Florida man who attempted to snatch a woman's purse was instead tackled to the ground by a group of senior citizens, leading to a broken rib and other injuries, according to a release from the Winter Haven Police Department.
Valerie Melzer, 68, was leaving Christmas Day dinner with her friends at a Chinese buffet in Winter Haven when police say 45-year-old Larry S. Kent Jr. tried to grab her purse. Melzer wouldn't budge, so he started dragging the woman across the parking lot. Her screams signaled her friends, 66-year-old Marvin Hotakainen and 73-year-old Paul Murray, to jump in and help.
READ MORE: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/gone-viral/os-seniors-fight-purse-snatcher-20141229-post.html
GOT SOME NEWS OR SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?
Call us 24/7 direct 0403 577 827 or 1300 791 562 or if you prefer info@respitenow.com.au
A story by Simon Garner in April's The Senior News (Added 24/3/16)
I can't find a link on The Senior News online digital paper but there's a great story about Ken Holmes, a 78 year old man who recently undertook a Certificate IV in Aged Care Administration and is currently completing a 1 month internship at Mercy Health's facility in Parkville.
Ken is a former surgical tool maker who worked with Melbourne University for 30 years before being made redundant and it was then that he took up working night shift as a Personal Carer in various private nursing homes. He had to give up work to look after his wife when she became ill and hasn't worked for the last 5 years.
"I got sick of talking to the cat and dog, they don't talk back - except when they want something."
Ken says, "They can relate to me but often they don't relate to the younger ones (aged care staff) I can be silly and get away with it. People definitely respond well to me because of the similarity in age."
I HOPE I'M FIT & HEALTHY ENOUGH TO STILL BE WORKING & CONTRIBUTING AS MUCH AS KEN IS WHEN I'M HIS AGE. GOOD ON YA KEN, CONGRATULATIONS, WELL DONE & CARE WELL MY FRIEND.
Greg M (Respite Now)
Government dramatically boosts higher level home care packages
By Linda Belardi on March 24, 2016 in Community Care Review (uploaded 25/3/16)
The Federal Government has responded to significant consumer demand for high level home care packages by allocating 93 per cent of new places in the 2015 Aged Care Approvals Round as Level 3 and 4 packages.
The boost in high care places of an additional 5,995 packages represents a 55 per cent increase on the previous year and responds to widespread sector concern regarding the low take up of Level 1 packages and long waiting lists for Levels 3 and 4.
The Department of Health did not allocate any new Level 1 packages as part of the government’s release of the 6,445 new home care packages.
READ MORE: http://www.australianageingagenda.com.au/2016/03/24/high-needs-home-care-packages-given-boost-in-acar/
Thousands of seniors on home care packages forced to pay more or move into nursing homes
By social affairs correspondent Norman Hermant
Updated 9 May 2015, 10:58am (retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au on May 22, 4,30pm)
More than 60,000 seniors who currently receive in-home care through federally funded Home Care Packages are set to be moved to Consumer Directed Care (CDC) by July 1. Under CDC packages, the recipient has more choice about how their care is delivered; consumers are told how much their package is worth, and can negotiate with their care provider about what kind of care they receive.
However, it has been estimated up to 20 per cent of those being transitioned to the CDC program will suffer serious care shortfalls.
Thousands of recipients have been told by their home care providers that their new packages will not have enough funds to pay for the services they receive now.
READ MORE: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-09/changes-coming-to-in-home-care-spark-fear-for-thousands/6456604
No one likes old people, do they? Shoot them at birth
ALICE CLARK - HERALD SUN. APRIL 12, 2015 9:30PM
No one likes old people.
What I can gather from pop culture and the way politicians are talking about these soon-to-be-immortal silver foxes, people just don’t like those over 60 (which is apparently the definition of “old” now). This seems to be because they smell, drive slowly, own all the houses, block up campsites with caravans, can’t work, and are a drain on the taxpayer worse than any A Current Affair-style dole bludger.
READ MORE: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/no-one-likes-old-people-do-they-shoot-them-at-birth/story-fni0ffsx-1227300772058
Top 5 Places Where People Live the Longest
A Place For Mum by Dana Larsen. Retrieved 19/1/15
Where in the world do people live the longest? Though we in Australia and much of the Western world tend to think we own good health and longevity, the truth might surprise you – the small, remote island of Okinawa, Japan is where you’ll find the world’s largest population of healthy older adults. In fact, of the five locales scientists are studying for their longevity secrets, three are islands, one is a peninsula and one is simply a spiritual oasis.
READ MORE: http://www.aplaceformom.com/blog/2013-03-29-where-people-live-the-longest/
A loss of freedoms
Sydney Morning Herald by Jazmin Hawes of Braddon. Retrieved 29/12/14
A challenge our society faces is looking after our elderly. Autonomy, a quintessential part of freedom, is lost when people enter residential aged care. No mandated staff-to-resident ratio exists, which leads to companies having as few staff as possible to cost-cut, leading to a lack of holistic care such as entertainment and socialising programs. People are not consulted on the times of activities carers have to assist with, so can be forced into the shower or into bed or taken to the toilet at times that they do not want.
READ MORE: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/ct-letters/a-loss-of-freedoms-20141228-12ep36.html
Elderly prefer to stay at home
China Daily by Zheng Jinran. Retieved 26/12/14
About 96 percent of elderly Chinese said they prefer home-based care to living in a nursing home, according to a recent survey by the Beijing Municipal People's Congress. Grandpa, 80, retired from the Beijing Shougang company and has Parkinson's disease. His wife has diabetes, and the couple are unable to look after themselves.
Although Grandpa has four children who live in Beijing, they seldom visit him because he lives far from downtown in the city's western outskirts.
He's pension amounts to only 3,000 yuan ($490) per month, and his wife, who did not work when she was young, receives 200 yuan subsidized by the government.
READ MORE: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-12/26/content_19170720.htm
Florida seniors tackle attempted purse snatcher
Orlando Sentinel by Adrienne Cutway. Retrieved 29/12/14
A Florida man who attempted to snatch a woman's purse was instead tackled to the ground by a group of senior citizens, leading to a broken rib and other injuries, according to a release from the Winter Haven Police Department.
Valerie Melzer, 68, was leaving Christmas Day dinner with her friends at a Chinese buffet in Winter Haven when police say 45-year-old Larry S. Kent Jr. tried to grab her purse. Melzer wouldn't budge, so he started dragging the woman across the parking lot. Her screams signaled her friends, 66-year-old Marvin Hotakainen and 73-year-old Paul Murray, to jump in and help.
READ MORE: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/gone-viral/os-seniors-fight-purse-snatcher-20141229-post.html
GOT SOME NEWS OR SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?
Call us 24/7 direct 0403 577 827 or 1300 791 562 or if you prefer info@respitenow.com.au
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