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HelloCare frequently interviews health & ageing care experts to attain their opinion and insights on topics of expertise. HelloCare also has 100s of expert contributors submitting content on a regular basis so to ensure a collective group of voices and representation sharing their knowledge.

Aged care, death and taxes after the royal commission

By Anne Howe

The Governor-General was handed the report of the aged care royal commission on Friday. It will be made public in the coming week. Overlaying its considerations has been Australia’s 909 deaths from COVID-19, more than two-thirds of them (685) people in aged care facilities. It has to be recognised that COVID accounts for an extremely small share of deaths in Australia, and even deaths of senior citizens. 127,082 Australians aged 70 and over died in 2019. To date 851 in that age group have died of COVID. Some good might come from these sad deaths if they prompted us to think about where we are likely to die. Read More

“For cases to continue, lessons haven’t been learnt,” says Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws

By Caroline Egan

Victoria’s active cases have dipped below 300 for the first time since June this week, and there is a sense the state is emerging from the crisis. Whilst the numbers are improving there are still 79 active cases in aged care homes across the state – that’s 27 per cent of active cases. New cases are... Read More

“You’re the thing that has to change” Teepa Snow tells dementia carers

By Caroline Egan

Last week HelloCare caught up with renowned dementia trainer, Teepa Snow, who, with her usual positivity and insight, shared some of her advice about how we can improve the way we care for people who are living with dementia. Ms Snow said society is becoming more tuned in to the needs of people living with... Read More

“I’d rather die happy”: Is food regulation keeping residents safe – or preventing choice?

By Caroline Egan

Food plays a pivotal role in our lives. Our innate desire to eat means our time is shaped by the three meals we consume each day. Some of us enjoy taking the time to cook and prepare our own food. The family meal is central to many of our lives. The different ways we prepare... Read More

Aged care resident had to “beg” for doctor during heart attack

By Caroline Egan

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety has been in Canberra this week, hearing about the adequacy of health care access for people in the aged care system, and looking at ways to improve the interfaces between the aged care and health care systems. On Monday, Rhonda McIntosh told the royal commission... Read More

Blame should not be confused with accountability, expert responds to royal commission report

By Caroline Egan

The royal commission’s report on the aged care sector’s failed response to the pandemic does not go far enough and a full inquiry should be held, says a leading aged care expert. The report by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety on the aged care sector’s response to COVID-19 was written... Read More

Are some pressure wounds unavoidable?

By Caroline Egan

Pressure wounds are widely considered a marker of neglect, but experts in the field have told HelloCare that pressure wounds can also develop as part of the process of dying, and even when every preventative measure is taken, they can not be stopped from forming. When a person dies, the body usually shuts down... Read More

Dementia and the topic of assisted dying, far from being straightforward

By Amy Henderson

A journalist recently wrote a piece in support of assisted dying concerning a colleague she had known professionally and personally for some time. Polly Toynbee said of her colleague, Katherine Whitehorn, “She is not herself. Her old self would not recognise herself in this other being who sits in the care home. What or who... Read More

We all like to walk, so why do we call it ‘wandering’ for those living with dementia?

By Caroline Egan

To ‘wander’ is to ‘walk slowly around, often without any particular sense of purpose or direction’, according to the Oxford Dictionary. ‘Wandering’ is the term used to describe ‘seemingly aimless or random movement or locomotion by a person with a mental disorder or cognitive impairment’. When talking about people living with dementia, these words... Read More

Dementia: “It’s ok, they won’t remember anyway”

By HelloCare Editorial Team

There is often a misconception that people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease have memory loss, and that they are unable to create new memories. But at a lecture from Alzheimer’s Australia last week, Professor Steven Sabat told the crowd that “thinking that people diagnosed with dementia have something called “memory loss” is harmful for a number of... Read More

When vaccinating 26 million Australians, expect a mistake or two. But we can minimise the risk of repeating Queensland’s overdose incident

It emerged today that two aged-care residents in Brisbane were given an incorrect dose of the Pfizer vaccine — more than the amount recommended. The 88-year-old man and 94-year-old woman were receiving their vaccinations yesterday as part of the first phase of Australia’s vaccine rollout, which began this week. Both residents are being monitored, but haven’t shown any signs of adverse reactions so far. Read More

Paid on par with cleaners: the broader issue affecting the quality of aged care

By Yvonne Brunetto

The aged care royal commission is due to hand down its final report on February 26, and it will be tabled in parliament in the days after that. The long-term sustainability of the aged-care workforce and the financial health of the sector more broadly, have been hot topics, regularly under the microscope as part of the royal commission. Read More

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Aged care, death and taxes after the royal commission

“For cases to continue, lessons haven’t been learnt,” says Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws

“You’re the thing that has to change” Teepa Snow tells dementia carers

“I’d rather die happy”: Is food regulation keeping residents safe – or preventing choice?

Aged care resident had to “beg” for doctor during heart attack

Blame should not be confused with accountability, expert responds to royal commission report

Are some pressure wounds unavoidable?

Dementia and the topic of assisted dying, far from being straightforward

We all like to walk, so why do we call it ‘wandering’ for those living with dementia?

Dementia: “It’s ok, they won’t remember anyway”

When vaccinating 26 million Australians, expect a mistake or two. But we can minimise the risk of repeating Queensland’s overdose incident

Paid on par with cleaners: the broader issue affecting the quality of aged care

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