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Aged and Disabled Care Edition
Dementia – Where to start?
Dementia is widespread and can affect younger people; currently over 9,600 Australians under the age of 65 have early onset dementia. Up to 100 different diseases may cause dementia, and there are many other diseases that may have symptoms similar to dementia. If you or a loved one have symptoms that are similar to dementia, it is important to get help. Read more here.
Young people living in aged care
There are many young Australians living in aged care facilities. This is a serious social issue that can – and must – be fixed. An estimated 3500 people under the age of 60 live in nursing homes, which are not suited to their needs. Many of these people are socially isolated and have been forgotten. 53% of young people in nursing homes receive a visit from a friend less often than once per year. Many families of young people in nursing homes also feel isolated, and have limited access to the information they need to support their family member and make informed choices. Please visit the Summer Foundation to learn how you can make difference.
Visit us at ACT Seniors Week
As part of ACT Seniors Week DIAL-AN-ANGEL Canberra will be exhibiting at the Seniors Expo held on Thursday 19th of March from 9:30am to 3:30pm at the Old Bus Depot. Drop by and say hello, we would love to see you there! You can read more here.
Delightful Destinations – Accessible accommodation
"Accessible" holiday accommodation substantially caters to people with mobility restrictions. It usually includes zero or minimal stairs, easy access to all areas by wheelchair and space and railings in the bathroom. It is always important to check with your accommodation provider personally to discuss your requirements. You will find a list of accessible accommodation right across Australia here from TakeABreak.
Fit & Well - Get Active
The positive benefits of participation in sports and outdoor recreation activities to health are well documented and apply equally to seniors and the disabled. Research has identified a wide range of benefits including the improvement of cardiovascular health and the assisting in the growth of strength and balance. There are a number of activities that are suitable including fishing, golf, lawn bowls, pet care and bird watching, sports coaching, swimming and walking. Read more here from Performance Body Works.
Top Tips - Flying with a disability
Here’s a rundown of flight assistance offered for people with disabilities.
Qantas (http://www.qantas.com.au/) has a ‘Meet and Assist’ service. Staff can help with check in, help boarding and disembarking from a plane, wheelchair assistance within the airport, and luggage collection. You need to call ahead to book this service. Those who need full-time care during a flight can apply for The Qantas Carer Concession card, giving 50% off full price business class domestic airfares, 20% off full price economy domestic airfares, or 10% off most domestic discounted airfares (except red-e-deals).
Virgin Blue (http://www.virginblue.com.au/) offers a ‘Meet and Assist’ service, and can accommodate a limited number of wheelchairs on its aircraft. Call ahead to book.
Jetstar (www.jetstar.com.au) gives assistance to customers who travel with a guide dog, hearing or mobility dog, who require a wheelchair, or who require two seats for themselves. Jetstar doesn’t offer assistance with luggage.
You can find further information on the websites of each airline.
2009 Events
National Telemedicine Summit 16 Mar
Transitional Care Seminar 26 Mar
AAG (NSW) Rural Ageing Conference 01 Apr
Melbourne CAREX - Health & Aged Care Expo 29 Apr
Heart Foundation Conference 14 May
Managing Challenging Behaviours in Older People 28 May
2009 Alzheimer's Australia Conference 02 Jun
Australia's Ageing Population Summit 25 Jun
Australian Social Policy Conference 08 Jul
Sydney CAREX - Health & Aged Care Expo 15 July
National Conference on Caring 15 Nov
Useful Links
Organisations and Associations
Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA)
Alzheimer's Australia
Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG)
Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (ANZSGM)
Council on the Ageing (COTA)
HelpAge International
National Aged Care Alliance (NACA)
National Seniors Australia
Vietnam Veterans' Association of Australia
Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) Inc
National
Department of Family and Community Services (FaHCSIA)
Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA)
Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
State
ACT Government Health Information
ACT Office for Ageing
NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC)
Northern Territory Department of Health and Families
Northern Territory Office for Senior Territorians
Queensland Health
South Australian Department for Families and Communities (DFC)
South Australian Department of Health
Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS)
Western Australia Department of Health
West Australian Department for Communities - Seniors' Resources Online
You can also visit www.dialanangel.com for additional helpful links. |
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March 2009
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Welcome
With Seniors Week nearly upon us (15-22 March) it is timely to share our wealth of resources with you. We know that it is not always easy navigating your way through aged and disabled care information. We have included an article on dementia, fitness tips, useful links and upcoming events as well as ideas for holidays with easily accessible accommodation.
Most people think about cleaning and childcare when they think of DIAL-AN-ANGEL however we have been providing aged care and in-home nursing services for over 40 years. Our Angels are available on a live-in or live-out basis for temporary, regular, and long-term engagements. Through our “Specialling services”, care is available for loved ones in hospital, or residing in hostels or nursing homes. In some cases all that is required is a little companion care, someone to help with transportation to medical appointments or someone to just help around the house – we can do that too!
It is very important when looking for assistance for frail, aged, or disabled loved ones that you feel confident they are in safe and caring hands. We guarantee that all of our eldercare and nursing Angels have been police cleared, professionally interviewed, and personally screened for your protection. If you are planning to use other care providers, we highly recommend that you check carefully that they also have these rigorous screening procedures in place.
We hope you find this edition useful and look forward to receiving your feedback.
Until next time,
Danielle Robertson
CEO, DIAL-AN-ANGEL Pty Limited |
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