Psychotropic drugs are being over-used in Australian aged-care facilities to chemically restrain residents, according to both researchers and several government reports. But despite all this attention…
We need to see old age as success and value older people as expressions of this accomplishment.
Vinoth Chandar
Cockroaches in the kitchen, kerosene in the bath, abuse and malnutrition - these are the aged-care stories that often make headlines. We, the public, respond with outrage and calls for more staff and more…
Caring is part of everyday life; it taps into our vulnerabilities and allows us to turn possibilities into material outcomes.
Image from shutterstock.com
Welcome to the The Conversation’s Election 2013 State of the Nation essays. These articles by leading experts in their field provide an in-depth look at the key policy challenges affecting Australia as…
Older people living with younger family members is increasingly popular, but there can be associated legal issues if the relationship breaks down.
Shutterstock
Last year, having recently lost her life partner, 78-year old Miriam* was advised by her children that the family home was now “too big” for her to live in. She sold her property and moved into the home…
The new funding arrangement presumes that older people know what help they need to live in their own home for as long as possible.
Vinoth Chandar
Community-care packages have traditionally been case-managed packages of services for older people requiring residential care but wanting to stay in their home. Since July 1, all new community-care packages…
The project aims to harness technology to allow elderly people to live safely at home for longer.
Louisa Billeter
CSIRO researchers are trialling an app that aims to allow elderly people to live at home safely for longer by subtly collecting data on their movements around the house. Australia’s ageing population is…
Robotic animals help improve quality of life for people with dementia, according to a new study. Researchers from Griffith…
How to deal with our demographic future of an ageing population? One was is the status quo - hike taxes - but the other requires the courage to grapple funding to health and the elderly.
AAP
More than a decade ago the federal treasury produced the first Intergenerational Report (IGR), warning of the challenges facing the Australian economy due to demographic change. The IGR warned that the…
During our lifetime, we face a series of developmental tasks that are universal to the human condition. The last of these stages comes in our final years, when we face our mortality, reflect back upon…
The children with the greatest level of disease also have the poorest access to care.
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Data released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show the number of dentists has increased by 24% in the five years to 2011. There are now around 12,700 dentists in Australia, with…
How will the NDIS support life-long planning for Australians with disability as they grow older?
Image from shutterstock.com
Last week’s protest by several quadriplegic Queenslanders against age discrimination prompts us to examine how the National Disability Insurance Scheme should balance needs-based eligibility and entitlement…
Community attitudes towards the health system have improved significantly over the last four years.
Sarah Reid
More than half of the Australian population believe they’re in very good to excellent health, have a high level of confidence in the health system and support the policy direction that the federal government’s…
Depression isn’t an inevitable part of ageing.
Elderly man image from Shutterstock.com
As the baby boomers approach older age, the number of Australians aged over 65 is projected to rise from around 14% to 24% by 2056. Given that not even a massive influx of immigrants would reverse this…
Aged-care residents are among the most vulnerable in our society, with many reliant on pensions.
Kariobinja/Flickr
Recent media reports have highlighted an anomaly in residential aged-care funding in Australia: that day-to-day operations of facilities are governed by both Commonwealth and state government policies…
Up to 60% of nursing home residents are on psychiatric drugs and around 30% are on powerful anti-psychotics. Ulrich Joho.
Last night ABC’s Lateline discussed the case of 63-year-old John Burns, who died within 12 days of going into residential aged care. Burns was put into care after he started to display disinhibited sexual…
Young people in nursing homes aren’t free to eat, socialise and go out when they like.
morberg
Research published this week confirms what disability advocates have long known: that young people shouldn’t be forced to live in nursing homes. Our joint Summer Foundation and Monash University study…
The intensity of individual requirements for assistance will increase in the future.
Emiliano/Flickr
AUSTRALIA BY NUMBERS: The Australian Bureau of Statistics released the first batch of its 2011 census data yesterday. We’ve asked some of the country’s top demographers and statisticians to crunch the…
We need to set the foundations now for a healthy future of aged care nursing.
KarleQuin
Life expectancy in [Australia](http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features10Mar+2011](http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features10Mar+2011) is at an all-time…
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne