Are You Using the Aged Care ‘Dirty Words’?

Are You Using the Aged Care ‘Dirty Words’?

Come on, you know what they are: lovey dearie old fella oldie the old fart you old folks young man or young lady over the hill The ‘dirty words’ are those that attach an ageist attitude towards older people. After all, I take offence at the young cashier at the...
Family and Stakeholder Meetings

Family and Stakeholder Meetings

One important area of developing a care plan for a person is recognising family members or significant others in their lives who are either providing direct care and support to the person, or who are actively interested in ensuring the person gets the best care to...
Lifestory Work In Action

Lifestory Work In Action

Last week, we looked at the negative impact of not knowing a person well, how lack of insight into their history and habits can lead to an adverse outcome. This week I want to review the positive side of understanding the consumer of aged care services better and how...
Life Stories Can Save Lives

Life Stories Can Save Lives

My partner’s aunt, Ruth, was 96 years old when she went into residential care. She was intelligent, gregarious and fun to be around. A strongly independent woman, she had travelled and worked in many different countries throughout her life at a time when that was not...