Recent News

Maturing Designs for Ageing in Place

Source:  KB – Resource.com   Kitchen and Bathroom Design

Oct. 15-21 is National Aging in Place Week! Did you know that there were 40.3 million individuals ages 75 and older in 2010 and that by 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that number to jump as high as 88.5 million?

This week, the National Aging in Place Council is sponsoring special events to promote awareness of a contemporary approach to senior living and helping older adults remain in their homes as long as possible, which includes universal design.… Read more

Wanted: older musicians ready to rock

Source:  Illawarra Mercury  14 October 2012

Music these days seems to be all about who will be the next young star to make it big.

Forgotten is the fact that there are a lot of older talented musicians out there still hankering to play to an audience.

And so the idea for the Older Musicians Club of Australia was born.… Read more

Grey Expectations, or a silver lining? The challenges facing older workers!

Source:   The-Conversation.edu.au  28 September 2012

Welcome to Shades of Grey, a series from The Conversation that examines the challenges posed by Australia’s ageing workforce. Today, Adjunct Associate Professor Margaret Patrickson from the University of South Australia takes a look at the underlying desires and expectations of our older workers.

Though much has been written about the issues that arise from workforce ageing, there is still not enough information about which older people might desire to work into their seventies or beyond — let alone whether they might actually have the opportunity to do so.… Read more

Human mortality study finds 72 is the new 30

Source:  The_Conversation.edu.au 16 October 2012

Human life expectancy has increased so much over the last four generations that 72 can be considered “the new 30”, according to a study led by researchers from Germany.

The study, published today in US journal PNAS, found that mortality at younger ages is now 200 times lower than that of previous generations, with the bulk of mortality reduction occurring since 1990.… Read more

Elderly care rises to top of voters concerns

Source:  The Telegraph – UK    18 October 202

One in four adults listed the issue among the top three most important concerns which could determine how to vote, behind only the NHS and the economy.

The polling also laid bare the scale of anxiety about the care crisis, with almost half the population describing themselves as “very” or “extremely” worried about how they, their family and friends will be looked after in old age.… Read more

Urban design to help elderly

Source:   Aged Care Insite  8 October 2012

A new guide developed to help Australians consider more elderly friendly community design has been released by Queensland University of Technology.

Aimed at helping older people remain engaged and mobile within their communities, the Community Liveability Guide was developed to help local councils consider the needs of older people when developing new or redeveloping existing neighbourhoods.… Read more

Literacy linked to a better lifestyle

Source:  Aged Care Insite 15 October 2012

The health and wellbeing of older Australians would significantly improve if there was better understanding of the impacts of low health literacy, says the Royal District Nursing Service’s national diversity policy adviser.

Jaklina Michael has called for more local research to better understand low health literacy in Australia and to improve and support the health industry’s response to the problem.… Read more

Head Spinning Research

Source:  Australian Ageing Agenda 11 October 2012

Hope is on the horizon for the thousands of older people who experience mild and debilitating dizzy spells, thanks to a new investigation into why the light-headed sensations occur and what can be done to treat them.

The Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) trial, currently underway, will attempt to pinpoint the causes of dizziness in the older population, develop an effective screening tool to diagnose dizziness symptoms and suggest a number of treatment options.… Read more

The Senate’s palliative care plea

Source:  Australian Ageing Agenda  11 October 2o12

A host of intense, harrowing stories which detail how Australians are dying in pain, without adequate care, has moved the federal parliament’s upper house to recommend an overhaul of the nation’s palliative care system.

The Senate’s Community Affairs References Committee issued its final Palliative Care in Australia inquiry report yesterday, making 38 far-reaching recommendations for government, sector and community-wide change to the way that palliative care services are rolled out, promoted, and received.… Read more

Shining Brightly: a child’s eye view of dementia

Source:  Australian Ageing Agenda 11 October 2012

A Perth aged care worker has channelled her observations of the impact of dementia on families into a children’s picture book.

Shining Brightly, which was launched by WA Mental Health Minister, Helen Morton, at a function to mark Dementia Awareness Week in late September, relates the devastating progression of Alzheimer’s disease in an elderly woman through the eyes of her young grandaughter.… Read more