Increasing the number of older people with both Medicaid and Medicare would mean fewer of them would be forced to skimp on the care and treatment they need.
We spent 312 hours observing 39 residents at six Australian aged care facilities to find out how and where they spend their time across the day.
If you’re worried about older loved ones’ ability to care for themselves, try starting a conversation with nonjudgmental questions.
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Rates of elective surgery are rising most among those aged over 85, due to advances in anaesthesia and techniques such as keyhole surgery. But it’s also much riskier.
Physical activity is just as important for people over 65 as anyone else.
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Large institutions for people with disability and mental illness were once commonplace. These have now been replaced with smaller community-based services. With aged care, we’re doing the opposite.
Almost half of residents in Australia’s residential aged care facilities suffer from depression.
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Australia’s aged care sector is in trouble. Our experts have previously explored the complex aspects of the system, exposing where the problems are, and have been for some time.
For decades, doctors have been prescribing low-dose aspirin for healthy people over the age of 70.
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Taking low-dose aspirin daily doesn’t delay the onset of disability in healthy older people. Nor does it prevent heart attack or stroke in those who hadn’t experienced either condition before.
Thinking ability declines with age in those with dementia.
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Rachel Buckley, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
Have you noticed your thinking ability drops during winter and spring? A new study of healthy adults and dementia patients found cognitive function declines in the colder months.
The situation for older Australians isn’t what was envisioned when the Aged Care act was introduced in 1997.
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Twenty years since the Aged Care Act was introduced, the situation for older Australians remains dire. They’re sicker and have more complex care needs, but little access to medical care.
Two high-level reports on elder abuse in aged care in Australia have recommended better reporting systems.
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The rising global prevalence of dementia, particularly in the nursing home population, means aggressive behaviours between residents will increasingly be an issue.
Bone is a dynamic tissue that is continually broken down and reformed throughout life.
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Fracture risk is higher in older women than men, but in adolescence the reverse is true. These differences mean our approach to managing bone health for men and women changes across the ages.
Simple features, like a thoughtfully sited bench, can make a big difference to older people’s ability to enjoy public spaces in the city.
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Desley Vine, Queensland University of Technology e Laurie Buys, Queensland University of Technology
Several key aspects of public open space can encourage older people to get out and about. And badly designed and maintained facilities have the opposite effect and can harm their wellbeing.
It’s estimated our cells will replicate 10,000 trillion times in our lifetime. Errors in this process can lead to cancer.
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Most of the early research on sexuality and ageing looked at the sexual behaviours and biology of older adults, generally ignoring the wider concept of sexuality.
Our heart works hard for every second we are alive. Eventually its processes will wear out.
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Given our increasing lifespan, we need to better understand how and why the cardiovascular system ages and whether we can slow down the processes involved.
No-one wakes up at 65 with arthritis. It’s a condition that starts earlier in life and perhaps goes unnoticed until it worsens later in life.
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Consultant Emergency Physician and Palliative Medicine Trainee Physician, Clinical Associate Lecturer at the School of Medicine, The University of Queensland