Aging

Well, the pill popping has started. To misquote John Travolta - I've got PILLS they're multiplying, and I'm losing control ... Sitting at a horse show last year with my husband, his mate of similar age turned and said to him, "how many pills do you have to take?"

Steve North said it was fate after a play he wrote a couple of years ago was recently announced as one of eight winners in the nationwide Sage Age Playwriting Competition. Entitled The Last Rehearsal, Mr North’s play is based on a theatre group who are preparing to rehearse ahead of an upcoming performance, but unbeknownst to their director ...

Will Hunter. More than 1000 competitors will be hoping to take home the chocolates from the Copper Coast 2024 SA Masters Games this Thursday to Sunday, April 11 to 14. It is the third time in four years the Copper Coast has hosted the games, and venues across Kadina, Wallaroo and Moonta will host a total 20 sports.

Patricia Gill. Business developer and founder of Denmark-based Acare WA Marie Redman has proposed that the Shire of Denmark buildings be vacated to make way for seniors’ accommodation. Her suggestion, which would involve the Shire moving into the site of Supa IGA and a new big supermarket being built elsewhere, was met with applause at last Thursday’s meeting at the Riverside Club.

The CEO of a Cootamundra aged care facility has welcomed a move by TAFE NSW Cootamundra to reintroduce a critical healthcare course amid a deepening skills shortage in the industry. For the first time in almost a decade, a Certificate III in Health Services Assistance will be offered at TAFE NSW Cootamundra ...

Health bureaucracies that slashed rural nursing services for the sick and elderly have been put on notice by Member for MacKillop Nick McBride and Health Minister Chris Picton ... Without consultation, on January 22 the green rubber rings of two Local Health Networks squeezed out rural nursing services at Lucindale, Tintinara and Coonalpyn. People with cancer, MS, heart conditions and the elderly were told to drive round trips of 80kms or more for many nursing services. Most have no ability to drive. There is no public transport.

Forty-one tourism experiences have been named as the best in Australia for mature-age visitors, with Queensland dominating ... The Grey Nomad Awards is a niche national tourism program that shines a light on the best places for older travellers to stay and play around the country. The Award announcements reflect achievements throughout 2023.

Without consulting three rural communities, the SA Government has abruptly slashed nursing services to people with cancer, heart conditions and multiple sclerosis. Sick, infirm, and elderly people at Lucindale, Tintinara and Coonalpyn have been told to go to larger towns...

Serena Kirby. Denmark's senior residents now have access to a new locally-based home care service ... Long-time local and founder of ACare WA Maria Redman said she had started the initiative after seeing how difficult and convoluted the existing system was when her father-in-law needed in-home support.

Every picture tells a story. See what 100 years of life looks like at an art exhibition highlighting the experiences, memories and life history of our most senior citizens.  

We’re on the hunt for the best country pub that provides a cracker experience for mature-age RV travellers. That’s why we’ve worked with other organisations to identify and short-list 16 top pubs that are now up with a chance of being named the Best Grey Nomad Pub Stay in Australia.

The future of residential aged care in Ardrossan is in doubt as the local hospital tackles challenges which forced it to close its accident and emergency, and acute care ... "We also reluctantly realised our ability to provide sustainable aged care was doubtful and it was unlikely any other private provider would be interested in taking over these services": Ardrossan Community Hospital chairperson Margaret Tomsen.

New telehealth trolleys, offering greater access to health professionals without the need for travel, have been rolled out across all West Wimmera Health Service’s ten residential aged care facilities ... these trolleys are now being wheeled around our aged care facilities...

What has your experience been of returning to Wilcannia in 2023? It was a delight to see many of my dear friends. One of my white friends wrote about my visit on social media and 90 people responded to it. It was a shock!

Resthaven Manager Service Development, Tam Henwood, is passionate about the Staying at Home in Regional South Australia Program. As the primary carer of her mother, Tam’s involvement with the initiative is not exclusive to the office, having participated in a retreat earlier this year with her mother who lives with dementia.

A collaborative research project led by Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie has the potential to improve the health and care services for people living with Parkinson’s disease in rural, regional, and remote Australia ... Parkinson’s disease is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder globally, after Alzheimer’s disease...

The TT attended a Consultation meeting at Maldon Neighbourhood Centre last week and met Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Housing Solutions Broker Clare Richards ... Council is currently considering allocating 49-year leases on land owned at Steele Street in Maldon and Canrobert Street Newstead to Wintringham Housing.

Longridge Board of Governance … have become increasingly concerned about the forecast of intermittent power outages … Given that Longridge does not have a generator ... Bill Vine, recently contacted Tony Pasin … asking the question “why should Longridge need to go to the market to fund a generator?”

Spaghetti Circus have been on a very special tour. As part of the company’s outreach program their Junior Performance Troupe performed in five pre-schools and four aged care facilities across the Byron Shire last week to foster connection and joy across generations.

When Respect Cohuna Village resident, Robin Wilkinson, mentioned she would love to fly a plane, staff at the village ‘flew’ into action and before she knew it, the 84-year-old was flying high above the town she now calls home … “They offered me a trip to go on a joy flight, and I jumped to it,” said Robin...

West Wimmera Shire Council has named Harrow’s Ralph Zwar as the 2023 Senior Citizen of the Year ... Mr Zwar has worked with many different organisations and committees, making a significant contribution to the well-being of the Harrow and Edenhope communities.

Baked beans. That’s the secret to a long and happy life according to Kenneth "Ken" Weeks ... the Clarence Valley’s oldest resident, and the country’s oldest known living man, had his love of the humble dish immortalised courtesy of Heinz Australia, who commemorated his milestone by personalising 300 cans of his favourite food in his honour.