Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2022 i Australian Carers Guide NSW/ ACT

Allowing yourself time to maintain your own health and wellbeing will ensure you can provide the best care possible to your loved one What is respite care and its benefits? Respite care in Australia is temporary, short-term care that gives carers the opportunity to take a break from caring for elderly, sick or disabled family members. You can organise family or friends, volunteers or paid carers to care for your loved one for a few hours a week, overnight or for a vacation period. The time away from your day-to-day caregiving routine can help to recharge your batteries and refresh yourself, while achieving your own personal goals outside of your carer role. Australian respite care not only helps you, but also benefits the person needing care. It can provide variety…

If you have diabetes you have too much glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood. If your blood glucose levels remain high for too long, it can have serious health consequences. However, managing your diabetes carefully can help you live a full, healthy and active life. Whatever type of diabetes you have, enjoying a healthy diet is the cornerstone to managing it well Food, glucose and insulin Glucose is found in carbohydrate foods, such as grains, legumes, milk and yoghurt, fruit, sugary foods and starchy vegetables. During digestion glucose reaches your small intestine where it passes into your bloodstream. One of the functions of your blood is to carry glucose around your body. When glucose reaches body tissues, such as muscle cells, it moves into the cells where it’s…

If you are a firsttime traveller, planning with a trusted and recommended travel agent may be a good idea. Booking a holiday package, with many of the travel arrangements prebooked can help reduce the stress of travelling. It’s also worth exploring online travel forums and blogs for travel advice specific to your chosen location. Being aware of capabilities and possible challenges can help with your decision about going on holidays and can assist you in deciding where you want to go, and what you might do whilst you are travelling. Things to consider before planning your holiday: • How does your experience of living with dementia impact on you? • Can you complete daily living activities on your own, or with the help of a family member or friend? •…

$18.8 Billion 5 pillars over 5 years Aged Care Reform at a glance The government’s aged care reform plan is focused around 5 pillars: • Home care – supporting senior Australians who choose to remain in their own home • Residential aged care services and sustainability – improving and simplifying residential aged care services and access • Residential aged care quality and safety – improving residential aged care quality and safety • Workforce – supporting and growing a better skilled care workforce • Governance – new legislation and stronger governance. Pillar 1: Home Care 2021 • 40,000 more home care packages. • Senior Australians able to access assistance and information about aged care through 325 Services Australia Service Centres, and aged care specialists in 70 Service Australia centres. • Extra…

Whether you choose to keep or sell the family home when you move into aged care is up to you. Selling the home may be the right decision but there are a few things you should think about first. Let’s start with how the home is assessed for working out how much you can pay for your aged care. For calculating the amount that you can contribute towards your aged care costs the value of your former home is capped at $178,839 (unless a protected person lives there in which case it is exempt). A protected person includes: your partner or dependent child, a carer who is eligible for an Australian Income Support Payment who has been living in the home for at least 2 years or a close relative…

Solutions on page 114 LOVE PUZZLES? All puzzles are kindly supplied by Richardson Puzzles & Games - their puzzle book range is available to purchase from all good book retailers. Crosswords can relieve stress and boost your mood ACROSS 1 Made the sound of a duck (7) 5 Gather or collect (4,2) 8 Hanging down limply (6) 11 Deep anger (3) 12 Central (4) 13 Fierce and intense (of a situation) (3-6) 14 Relating to a wedding (6) 15 Very confused situation (9) 16 Leader in a race (5,6) 20 Security for a loan (10) 21 Person banking money (9) 24 Something that cannot be done (13) 29 Opposite of an acid (6) 31 Person who fells trees (10) 33 Toughness (10) 35 Yield (6) 36 Plant with bright flowers…

Both receiving and giving long-term care can sometimes be challenging. When you care for someone long-term, it can be hard to let someone help. It can seem easier to do it yourself rather than involving someone else. As a care recipient, it can feel like you are giving control of your life to someone else. It’s important to remember that support is available and it can improve both of your lives. These tips aim to help carers and care recipients overcome some common obstacles. 1 ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS It’s rarely healthy to spend every minute of the day with another person, regardless of the quality of your relationship. Creating a wider support network brings additional relationships that provide essential stimulation through social interaction – for both of you. Taking a short…

Inclusee delivers specialised digital programs and activities to their community to increase inclusiveness and connection for lonely and isolated seniors. Loneliness is a growing epidemic impacting seniors across the country. 1 in 4 older Australians are lonely, which greatly impacts their physical health, mental health, and overall wellbeing. This is more likely to lead to depression, anxiety, and chronic illness. They are considered significant health and wellbeing issues in Australia because of the impact they have on peoples’ lives. It affects people from all walks of life. It’s a feeling of distress when people do not experience social relationships in the ways they would like. It causes a feeling of social isolation, which is different to feeling alone. Social isolation is seen as the state of having minimal contact with…

The prevalence study states that the most common forms of abuse are: Psychological Abuse - 11.7% Neglect - 2.9% Financial Abuse - 2.1% Physical Abuse - 1.8% Sexual Abuse - 1% Some older people (3.5%) experienced more than one type of abuse, with the most common combination being psychological abuse and neglect. The abuse of older people is clearly happening in Australia right now, and there is plenty we can do. In Australia, older people are often denied their human rights as a result of ageism and ageist attitudes leading to abuse, neglect, and poor care. This was clearly demonstrated during the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. We know that domestic and family violence increased during the recent COVID-19 lockdowns, and we suspect there was a correlating…

The death of a parent can sometimes mean financial turmoil for surviving relatives, however fortunately lingering debts aren’t the responsibility of the adult children in the family. Debts are paid from the deceased person’s estate and then the remaining assets are distributed amongst the beneficiaries. How debts are dealt with is dependent upon a number of factors: ◗ Are the debts secured or unsecured? ◗ Is there a guarantor for the debts? ◗ Were the debts in the sole name of the deceased person or were they held jointly with another person (such as a spouse)? ◗ What types of assets are in the estate (such as bank accounts or real estate)? DEALING WITH THE ESTATE If parents die in debt, the first place their executors must turn their attention…

Most of us love a funny story but there is also a serious side to most stories. Not only do they make us chuckle and create great memories, but they can also be used as learning opportunities to improve our caregiving. It’s been proven that laughter is a natural medicine. It lifts our spirits and makes us feel happy. It’s contagious, reduces stress hormones (cortisol and epinephrine) and releases endorphins that can potentially relieve pain. 1 MARY AND CAYE Mum and I loved to go shopping. Whether we were buying food or sheets and towels, she was always excited by the thought of wandering up and down the aisles together. Because I felt a shop was a safe environment, when mum was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, I…

Our goal is for all Australians to feel confident about accessing high quality and safe aged care, when and where they need it. The first year of the Government’s 5-year reform of aged care has been one of solid progress and there is much more that remains to be done. The Australian Government is committed to a new era of aged care for Australia – putting the care and changing needs of senior Australians first. We have a real opportunity to transform the industry – and the day-today lives of people accessing and working in aged care and those who care for them. HELP TO FIND THE RIGHT AGED CARE SERVICES We’ve already made changes to make it easier for senior Australians and their carers to find safe, high-quality aged…

MY MOTHER My Mother was what I would call a moderate churchgoer – a couple of times a month, Christmas Day, Easter Day. She believed in God, and I think she prayed, although God never came up much in her conversations. In moving around over the years, mum had long periods of time of not going to church at all. Eventually, mum and dad found a very small suburban church close to where they lived. Mum had just started to get ill at that time, and I had to move in with them, to help Dad look after her. The people from this little church gave us enormous support. They rallied around us and helped in so many ways. Even the priest often came over to give mum communion. Someone…

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THE BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER It’s true: laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. It also helps you release anger and forgive sooner. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free,…

slow down ask listen repeat write it down point We communicate our thoughts, ideas and feelings to others in many ways. We do it with words—spoken or written. We communicate through the use of voice, hand gestures, and face and body movements. APHASIA A language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. It can occur suddenly after a stroke or head injury or develop slowly from a growing brain tumour or disease. Aphasia affects a person’s ability to express and understand written and spoken language, making it hard to read, write, work with numbers, join in conversations, and share thoughts and feelings. Aphasia can be mild or severe, depending on the brain damage. It may be temporary and improve quickly, long lasting, or permanent. Once the underlying cause is…

This major life shift triggers many unconscious shadow issues, or habitual difficult patterns: for carers, resentment of the lack of freedom, impatience with the other’s demanding needs, betrayal about the loss of a dream. As one woman put it, “When my husband got sick, we lost our future.” As a client said, “When my brother was diagnosed, my life became about nothing but him. I can’t cope.” As a friend said, “Did I stay healthy just to take care of him?” And a husband told me, “I adore her, but I’m not built for this kind of patience.” OUR TEMPERAMENT OUR RESPONSES Our default shadow characters, and their coping strategies, may take over. It can help to do shadow-work by naming them, quieting the mind, and observing them, rather than…

SPIDER PLANTS FOR MOISTURE Furnaces and air conditioners can sap humidity. A collection of spider plants can boost the relative humidity in a bedroom from 20 per cent to a comfortable 30 per cent. ASPARAGUS FERN TO PURIFY AIR Carpets, paint cleaners and print toner give off pollutants called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These can irritate your eyes, skin and worsen asthma. Plants are good air-scrubbers soaking up VOCs. HERBS FOR BETTER DIGESTION Mint may help to tamp down bloating or gas. You can grow common varieties such as peppermint and spearmint (essential in mint juleps) in containers. Basil, another good cooking herb, can also help to calm your stomach. Try steeping the leaves in hot water. RELAX WITH LAVENDER This fragrant purple plant has been an important herbal medicine…

Wordwheel Find as many words of three or more letters in the wheel as you can. Each word must use the central letter and a selection from the outer wheel – no letter may be used more times than it appears in the wheel. Can you find the nine letter word hidden in the wheel? Wordsearch Can you find the words in the grid? They will be placed only once and may be either horizontal, vertical or diagonal and go either forwards or backwards. Words can cross. ARGENTINA AUSTRIA BRAZIL CHILE ENGLAND FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY INDIA IRELAND JAPAN NEW ZEALAND NORWAY PERU PORTUGAL RUSSIA SPAIN SWEDEN THAILAND WALES Word Wheel ATTRIBUTE: abet, abut, bait, bar, bare, bat, bate, batter, bear, beat, beau, bet, beta, bier, bit, bite, biter, bitter, bra,…