Category: Uncategorized

May her death not be in vain

The death of Ann-Marie Smith, who died from serious illnesses that developed while receiving full-time care in her home provided by an employee of a disability care provider is a stark warning to potential users of the home care system.

The 54-year-old Adelaide woman suffered from cerebral palsy and lived alone in Adelaide’s leafy eastern suburbs before dying in what has been described as “disgusting and degrading” conditions.

Ms Smith died in Royal Adelaide Hospital on April 6 from septic shock, multiple organ failures from severe pressure sores, and malnourishment. She had apparently been living and sleeping in the same chair in her lounge room for over a year.

While the carer was sacked by the provider, Integrity Care SA for her “serious and wilful misconduct”, Ms Smith’s death has been declared a major crime.

If your family member died in this situation, do you think simply sacking the employee would be enough? To what extent does the provider carry responsibility for their employee’s conduct?

The ongoing nature of the neglect endured by Ms Smith highlights the need to strengthen the accountability and penalty regulations applying to Commonwealth funded aged care services providers.

Rather belatedly, the federal government has announced that a Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) mandatory reporting framework will be introduced into residential aged care providers from 1 July 2021 which will implement greater reporting of incidents involving residents. Potentially, SIRS may be extended into home and community aged care.

The lack of oversight of both in-home care and residential aged care has been the subject of a number of investigations and reports, with little regulatory action to date.

Under the proposed SIRS framework, care providers will be required to report on a broader range of incidents, including neglect, psychological or emotional abuse and inappropriate physical or chemical restraint. Significantly, it will also lift the current exemption on the reporting of resident on resident incidents, where the perpetrator has an assessed cognitive impairment.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission will receive incident reports and will have enhanced powers to administer the SIRS, including taking regulatory action where needed.
As part of the ongoing feasibility study, funding has been included to investigate the design, implementation and regulation of a worker register for aged care.

A 2019 report done by KPMG, Strengthening protections for older Australians, commissioned by the Department of Health, estimated that there were more than 20,000 unexplained serious injury incidents which were not reported under the current system. Any reform of the current aged care system is seen as increasing the regulatory burden on providers to report and respond to serious incidents with an accompanying increase in staffing of the Commission to deal with reports.

The sooner a mandatory reporting scheme is introduced, more deaths like Ann-Marie Smith’s can be prevented.

Sen R Colbeck media release, https://www.richardcolbeck.com.au/press-releases, 14/06/20
Dept of Health release, https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/strengthening-protections-for-older-australians, Feb 2019

Life during Covid-19 – early findings

After conducting a survey of over 7,000 respondents, the Australian Institute of Family Studies has released its early findings as to how people felt their lives had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Given that about 80% of the respondents were female with a higher educational level than the general population, it may not be completely representative but some significant trends do emerge.

Chief findings were:
 Women continued to do most of the housework as they did before the pandemic.
 The mother continued to do most of the childcare/schooling as they did before the pandemic.
 Almost half (43%) of respondents reported they or their partner had lost employment, reduced hours or wages. However 65% reported no real
change to their personal income.
 Grandparents were not able to support the families or provide childcare as before.
 Parent-only care rose from 30% before COVID-19 to 64% of families during the restrictions.
 The proportion of people always working from home rose from 7% to 60% during the restrictions.
 Young adults were disproportionately impacted by the economic downturn, being almost four times (15% vs 4%) more likely to ask for help from
government or NGOs.

Families in Australia Survey: Life during COVID-19, Report no. 1: Early findings, https://aifs.gov.au/publications/families-australia-survey-life-during-covid-19

Seniors’ Stories Volume 6 writing competition

One hundred stories have been selected to appear in volume 6 of Seniors’ Stories to be published later this year.

Amongst those to be included is my story titled, Bent but not broken, a reflection on my mother’s legacy both personal and creative. A whole life in one thousand words or less is never adequate. So I focused on her leaving a war-ravaged Europe to live in a new country, start her own business and create beautiful, original jewellery pieces that still please.

The theme for this year’s competition was Resilience.

In 2013 the NSW Government introduced this initiative and invited holders of the NSW Seniors Card to contribute short stories to this anthology.
The series of books is a way of recognising and valuing the experiences of seniors and sharing their knowledge with younger generations.

The anthology will be launched at NSW Parliament House in October.

Not quite the shortlist – the Peter Carey Short Story Award

Every writer wants a little recognition occasionally. Hard to write a best-seller so often we enter short story competitions to hone our skills and get a little publicity.
So it was really gratifying to have one of my stories, Once were three sisters, recognised in the longlist for the 2020 Peter Carey Short Story Award. Out of over 300 entries, 18 short stories were chosen to get into the longlist. The winner will be announced on 13 June.

Peter Carey AO is an Australian novelist now living in New York who has won the Miles Franklin Award three times and won the Booker Prize twice. His received his first Booker Prize in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda, and the second time in 2001 with True History of the Kelly Gang.

Organised every year by the Moorabool Shire Council, the short story competition is for stories of 2000–3000 words, and is open to all Australian residents. The winner receives $1000 and the runner-up receives $500, with both stories to be published in the Spring 2020 edition of Meanjin.

Other longlist entries are: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/05/14/150542/peter-carey-short-story-award-2020-longlist-announced/

Planning for retirement – online

The Women’s Library and the Older Women’s Network are pleased to present a great conversation with the author of “Every Woman’s Guide to Retirement”.

About the author

As a practising lawyer for over 30 years, Alice Mantel worked in diverse
areas of practice – crime, family law and finally elder law. It has given
her a humane perspective of the legal issues that can arise and confidence
in providing practical advice to uncertain readers. Facing retirement
herself, Alice tried to find the answers to her own questions about aged
care, about working and making the right choice with her superannuation.

Before long, Alice realised that others were experiencing the same dilemmas
and she started to research a book that comprehensively covered those
typical concerns.

Alice brings her own life experience as a parent, caring for her own parent
and listening to others to this book. Currently she is still working as a
professional writer as well as volunteering on a community bank board and
participating in a number of community organisations.

You can submit your questions beforehand to info@ownnsw.org.au

There will also be an opportunity to ask Alice questions during the event.

Share event https://events.humanitix.com/every-woman-s-guide-to-retirement Share event https://events.humanitix.com/every-woman-s-guide-to-retirement

FREE

Date and time
Thu 28th May 2020, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm AEST
Add to calendar

Aged Care Commission calls for submissions on impact of COVID-19

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety is calling for submissions from the general public and organisations relating to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the aged care sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all aspects of Australia’s economy and society, including the delivery of aged care services. In order to understand that impact fully, the Commissioners are seeking the views of those people directly affected.

The Commissioners would like to receive submissions from recipients of aged care services, families or supporters of recipients, aged care service providers, and those who work in aged care. The Commissioners understand, however, that some of these people and organisations may not yet be in a position to make a submission, because they are dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 upon the delivery of aged care services.

In March, in response to COVID-19, the Commissioners limited public access to hearings and workshops before suspending them altogether in order to minimise the risk to members of the public and to staff of the Royal Commission. Consultations with the aged care sector were also halted to allow those working in the sector to focus their energies on managing the pandemic.

While the public-facing work has been on hold the Royal Commission has continued work on an extensive body of research that commenced in 2019. The research covers a range of topics including the funding and financing of the aged care sector; public attitudes towards the aged and aged care in Australia; public attitudes to aged care funding; and the financial viability of the sector. This research will be released to the public in the coming months.

The Royal Commission’s timeframe for the resumption of hearings, workshops and group consultations remains the subject of ongoing review by the Commissioners. The deadline for submissions is 30 June 2020, but that deadline is also subject to ongoing review, given the effects of COVID-19.

More information on how to make a submission can be found at https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/submissions/Pages/default.aspx

28 April 2020

In conversation in Albury

Introducing Every Woman’s Guide to Retirement

Sally Denshire and Alice Mantel in conversation in Albury LibraryMuseum
to Albury women was Dr Sally Denshire, a former CSU academic and Albury resident. Sally and Alice discussed how women’s approach to retirement was different to the usual male perspective. A case of “men retire, while women go on cooking”. Most of the 23 attendees were professional women who were concerned about organising their housing to be the most convenient and cost-effective for their later years. And – as could be expected – some were really looking forward to retirement while others wanted to delay it for as long as possible!

Virus closes arts events

Following government announcements, many major arts events are now cancelled due to fears of the Covid-19 virus spreading through large public gatherings.

Amongst the cancelled performances are the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Royal Easter Show, the Byron Bluesfest and the Festival of Dangerous Ideas. Other large events that have been cancelled include the Parramatta multicultural festival and the Blue Mountains Music Festival.

While these steps are acknowledged to be quite extreme, organisations have followed government directives to restrict non-essential gatherings to less than 500 people to reduce any possible transmission from close contacts. Football and cricket games have also been impacted and will be played inside a “silent” stadium.

NSW hospital are implementing contingency plans to deal with the expected influx of cases after 14 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in NSW over the last weekend. Most of these cases were associated with travellers returning to Australia. Aged care facilities have been given specific guidelines asking family and friends to limit their visits to relatives to reduce the likelihood of infection.

To date, five deaths and 368 confirmed cases due to the coronavirus have been recorded in Australia. It is not known how long these new restrictions will apply.

Skills-based volunteering can boost your career prospects

Although this article is written from the perspective of a new graduate, its advice is equally applicable to older people looking for work in this tough employment market.

From giving back to the community to learning new professional skills, GradConnection shares the reasons why you should volunteer – and why a good volunteer role is far more important than just a line on your resume.

As any recent graduate or anyone approaching the end of their university studies knows, the market for graduate jobs is increasingly competitive. In 2019, the ABC reported that the year prior, only 73 per cent of Australian graduates found full-time employment in their field within four months of graduation. Citing research from Universities Australia, the ABC also reported that since the 2008 global financial crisis, the period between graduation and securing long-term employment has lengthened.

Against this backdrop, many graduates are exploring the advantages of volunteering in terms of not only personal development, but helping their resumes and applications stand out. Whether you’re considering working with a small community group or larger not-for-profit organisation, studies have shown that the benefits of volunteering include an increased perception of employability among potential employers.

Here are some of the professional and personal benefits of volunteering:

  1. You’ll develop greater interpersonal skills

Whether you’re joining a small grassroots organisation or an established charity, participating in volunteer work is a great way to sharpen your people skills. Learn how to communicate effectively with people from all walks of life, and develop greater empathy and teamwork skills that will serve you in the early years of your career and beyond.

Beyond teaching you how to empathise with people from different backgrounds, there’s also considerable evidence to suggest that volunteering is good for your health. Volunteer work can make you feel like part of a community and give you a sense of purpose and achievement, all of which can contribute to improved overall mental health. What’s more, all the communication skills you learn in a volunteer job can later be applied in full time employment.

  1. You’ll learn how to be flexible

Other key advantages of volunteer work are the flexibility and resilience it will encourage you to develop. As many charitable and community organisations have a lean staff, they often rely heavily on volunteer contributions to keep things running. In many cases, this will require you to be flexible and quickly adapt to changing deadlines and priorities.

Rather than seeing this as a challenge, think of it as valuable work experience: Even in full-time work, things don’t always go as planned, and the ability to keep a cool head and think on your feet is highly valuable.

  1. You’ll gain experience in a range of roles

In addition to flexibility, the benefits of volunteering extend to exposure to a range of roles. Similar to internships or clerkships that operate on a rotation basis, volunteer work can give you valuable, practical experience in a range of different positions.

For example, you might assist with marketing one day and help plan a fundraising event the next. The close, tight-knit environment of many organisations that benefit from volunteering makes them the perfect environment in which to develop new skill sets. Having a diverse range of skills can ultimately help you find a graduate job in your dream industry, and make you a valuable all-rounder addition to any team.

  1. You’ll make a habit of giving back

Arguably one of the biggest perks of volunteering is the knowledge that you’re giving back and contributing in a meaningful way to the wider community. The benefits of volunteering for the community are clear, wherever you choose to donate your time. Whether you’re working at a community legal centre, soup kitchen, or environmental organisation, volunteer work is a fantastic way to support the less fortunate and those in a difficult stage of their life.

Employers are also keenly aware of the personal benefits of volunteering for the community, and see many of the resulting traits as highly desirable. Research by SEEK Volunteer found that for many prospective employers, applicants with volunteering experience were perceived as motivated, proactive, and socially responsible – and therefore eminently more valuable.

Pro Tip: Don’t overlook the importance of volunteering

For 92 per cent of Australian employers, relevant volunteer experience gives candidates a significant competitive advantage. So what are you waiting for? Now that you know the professional and personal benefits of volunteering, it’s time to get out there and start helping your community.