Over 60 but too young to fall? Think again…
Even if you think you are too young to be considered a falls risk- anyone over 60 should be maintaining or improving muscle strength, eating enough protein, and exercising for mental health.
Managed dying. The new palliative care?
Managed dying should be about shared decision making but it rarely is. It’s usually a doctor telling patients what the most conservative option is and why they should choose it.
Advance Care Plans: Understanding ‘Power of Attorney’
One of the key steps when creating an Advance Care Plan is naming your Substitute Decision Maker (in some states/territories you may be entitled to appoint more than one). This is a general term which describes someone who has the legal power to make decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to […]
Starting the Conversation
When it comes to end of life planning, starting the conversation with your loved ones may seem like the hardest part. It doesn’t have to be. Getting the Ball Rolling Unfortunately, there is no “perfect” way of starting a conversation about death and dying. Everybody is different and, in a family, some might handle […]
3 Avoidable Reasons People Don’t Get the End of Life They Want
People often bounce in and out of hospital in the final years of their life – up to 8 times in their last year of life alone. But why is this the case, and surely it’s not necessary? The truth is, people often don’t have the ongoing care that they would like or need in […]
Why doctors need your Advance Care Plan
Hospitals and verbal communication Hospitals are a place where verbal communication goes to die. This is unfortunately a common truth – our modern health care system is incredible and helps many people every day, but it is also a place where people’s wishes can be missed in and people can become caught in the system. […]
Living Life Without Limits or Regrets
Particularly towards the end of life, it’s important for people to have control over how they live their life. Most people want “a good death”. Perhaps a good death is really ‘a death of one’s own.” Everyone will do it differently. Everyone will have different wants and needs. For those people who have “a good […]
Advance Care Plans are paving the way for Digital Health Care
What is digital health care? The phrase ‘digital health care’ can sound scary. Especially when we’ve lived an entire life of having all our health care done in person. After all, the aim of medicine ought to be human-centred. But put them together to make human-centred digital healthcare and the future’s looking bright. Everyone […]
The Real Costs of Residential Aged Care Facilities
We asked Rhonda, a tax accountant, to tell us the facts about the costs of aged care facilities in Australia. Rhonda’s mother has dementia and lives in a Residential Aged Care Facility, so these figures are real. Look out for these sorts of costs when you are inquiring about a Residential Aged Care Facility for […]
What your GP does with your Advance Care Plan
Advance Care Plans are not written by lawyers or doctors. They are written by ordinary people like you. So you do not need to use legal or medical jargon. However, doctors and other medical staff play an important role in putting your Advance Care Plan into practice. But how do they actually do this? Read […]