If you are new to caring for one of 180,000 Australians who is in a wheelchair, you may benefit from these tips. As a carer or someone who is offering help in the moment, it is important to respect that the person in the wheelchair is ALWAYS in the driver’s seat. Ask permission first before you touch their chair. Understanding […]
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of expat life. If something happens to Mum or Dad you are a long way from home when it comes time to pitch in and take care of them. So aside from feeling guilty that you can’t be with them, what can you do to practically help and support them? Let’s […]
I don’t know about you but sometimes I feel just a little anxious about visiting a loved one with dementia. Maybe it sounds silly. I mull over what to talk about and how to say things so as not to spark memories that may upset them. I try to sit in silence but that doesn’t always work for me. I […]
Say you’ve had a virus that, no matter what, you can’t seem to shake. You start to feel lousy, then really lousy. Your heart rate becomes faster. You may experience, fever or chills, nausea and vomiting, fatigue or weakness and blotchy or discoloured skin. You may also have an impending feeling of doom, as if its all going to end. Think […]
Backpacking is an exciting adventure especially when you are travelling around a country that is as safe as Australia. Robberies and thefts do occur but not often. It’s better to focus on being safe and vigilant all the time rather than throwing caution to the wind and losing the lot. Using common sense will take you a long way to […]
There’s nothing more sickening than not be able to find your passport while you are overseas. Luckiy the Australian Government Passport Office provides some very practical advice on what to do if your passport is lost or stolen. Be prepared for the unexpected when you are abroad by familiarising yourself with this advice before you travel: Lost and stolen passports […]
Did you know that one of the impacts of family estrangement can be social isolation. Social isolation is often confused with loneliness. These are two completely different concepts. Let’s face it, who could be surprised that some might yearn social isolation just to have bit of peace and quiet after going through all the trauma of leaving a toxic family. […]
Getting older sometimes attracts pressure from family, friends and others to comply with directives, especially about our healthcare. Those demands to comply may not reflect what we know is right for us or our wishes. Luckily, we have OPAN, the Older Persons Advocacy Network on our side supporting our right to make our own decisions about our health and healthcare. […]
The Australian Commission for Safety and Quality has released a new edition of its National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for safe and high-quality end-of-life care (Consensus Statement). The Consensus Statement describes nine guiding principles that outline a best practice approach to caring for people approaching the end of their life. Click on the link to familiarise yourself with The Consensus Statement […]
In the grief and chaos of losing a loved one, someone is sure to think through who should be told. How do we let family, friends, acquaintances and others know that a loved one has passed. Death notices appear less and less frequently in daily print newspapers. Few of us now scan the death notices for the surnames of […]
