Winter Sports On Victoria's Mount Buffalo In 1947
Australia’s Aged Care Sector: Mid-Year Report 2022-23
- Warning signs of financial distress amongst approved providers
- Adequacy of direct care funding in residential care depends on workforce availability.
- Large staffing gaps to meet the minimum standards.
- Losses grow for non-care services
- Home care financial performance continues to decline.
- Government spending on aged care far exceeds forecasts.

I’ve been approved for a home care package but how do I choose a provider – and what if I want to switch?

So you’ve been approved for a home care package. Congratulations! This government-funded program can provide you with much-needed assistance to stay independent and live safely in your own home.
However, the process of getting started can be confusing and overwhelming. Which provider should you choose, how do you get the most out of your package, and what if you change your mind later?
Here’s what you need to know.
What does a provider do?
A provider delivers aged care services subsidised by the Australian government – such as nursing care, personal grooming, home maintenance, meal preparation and transport – under a home care package.
Your provider can help with decision-making, managing your package funding, and handling any fees or charges you may have to pay.
Your choice of provider will be limited to those that service your area, their staffing levels, and possible waiting lists for different service types. My Aged Care’s Find a Provider can provide more information about providers near you.
Are there waiting periods?
Potentially.
There may be a delay between receiving your approval for a home-care package and when one becomes available. This will be the same regardless of your choice of service provider.
Occasionally, the service provider will be at capacity and not able to start the services you want as soon as your package starts.
The only way to know is to ask the service provider directly.
How does the provider work?
Providers all work differently.
Some use case managers and assign staff members to you to provide consistency and familiarity. Others may be organised centrally and different workers might attend each time you need that service.
Some may come the same time each week, or day. Others may come on different days each week.
Think through what’s important to you and what your expectations are before you discuss your care with a service provider.

What fees does the provider charge?
Provider fees are highly variable. Fee schedules are published on the My Aged Care website or can be requested from the service provider, but it is still sometimes quite hard to compare.
If you can, try to compare:
- administration fees
- care management fees
- service delivery fees (for example, do they charge per hour or per 15 minute block?)
- travel costs (for example, do they charge per kilometre travelled or a flat rate?)
- internal or third-party services (for example, do they use their own nurses or outsource it to another company that provides this care?)
Writing these down or creating a spreadsheet can help with comparisons.
What services do I get?
You get to choose how the funds in your home care package are spent, as long as they are broadly for health care.
This choice can be daunting, but try to think through what services best meet your care goals. Consider which services will best meet the long-term goal of staying healthy at home. The assessment completed prior to your approval is a good starting point for identifying gaps in your care.
Ask yourself: “What will help me stay living at home longer?”

Can I organise services outside of what the provider supplies?
Yes. However, they may not be covered through your home care package.
Say you already have a trusted clinician and would like to continue to receive their care. You can discuss brokering through your service provider.
If you have used up the funds in your home care package, you always have the option to pay privately. This won’t affect your home care package.
Likewise, you are still eligible to receive Medicare rebates, chronic disease management plans, and government-subsidised prescriptions while you’re on a home care package.
Can I review my package as time goes on?
Yes. You should review your package regularly to make sure it still meets your needs.
You might need to change the mix of services, or you might realise you need more funding. If you have a case manager assigned to you, they can help you find the best options.
Think about services you may be able to access outside of your package and what informal care might be available. This can take pressure off your package.
If your care needs are still not being met, you may be eligible to apply for a higher level package, which you can discuss with your provider at any time.

What if I want to change providers?
First, think about what issue you have with the current provider, whether you feel comfortable discussing your concerns with them, and whether switching will resolve the issue.
If you decide to switch, it won’t cost anything. You need to provide between two and four weeks notice for your package to transfer and you will generally need to contact My Aged Care to reactivate your code for the new provider yourself.
Remember there may be waiting periods with the new provider and their fee structure may be different. Be sure to check the details of the new provider carefully to make sure they can support you to stay healthy at home.
Danelle Kenny, PhD student, The University of Queensland and Tracy Comans, NHMRC Boosting Dementia Research Leadership Fellow, The University of Queensland
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
‘We lose ourselves’: carers talk about the lonely, stressful work of looking after loved ones

An informal personal carer is someone who looks after a family member, neighbour or friend in need of care due to disability, illness or age.
In Australia, there are approximately 2.8 million informal personal carers, including 906,000 who are primary carers. Projections suggest the national demand for carers will rise 23% by 2030.
Around one in ten Australians are informal carers: most of these unpaid. This group of people support one of society’s most foundational needs and our economy would struggle without them.
Yet, little is understood about their experiences. Our recent research reveals how this group of carers lack necessary support for their own wellbeing.
Our research
We interviewed 36 informal personal primary carers living across Western Australia and Queensland. Respondents were aged between 34 and 69 years, and had all been the primary carer for a child, parent, partner, or in-law, for between two and 21 years. Data was collected in two waves: one in 2020 and the other in 2021. Respondents were recruited with the help of an Australian carers’ organisation.

‘I’d rather it be someone else’s problem’
Many of the carers we spoke to said they were not caring by choice, but by necessity. They said they feel both unseen and undervalued. A husband who had been caring for his wife who suffers from Alzheimer’s said:
I would rather work. I really don’t like being a carer. I’d rather it be someone else’s problem. Being a carer, you just get forgotten.
Carers generally provide care around-the-clock, yet their compensations (such as carer payments) are far from equivalent to full-time pay. The carer payment, for example, equates to only 28% of weekly ordinary time earnings in Australia, and carers can expect to lose approximately $17,700 in superannuation every year they provide care.
Few of Carers Australia’s pre-budget submission items to benefit carers were adopted in the most recent federal budget. Instead, the budget contained items which may indirectly benefit carers through increased support for the cared-for. But these measures do not explicitly recognise and support carers’ wellbeing.
Similarly, the recent draft of the National Strategy for the Care and Support Economy recognises the contribution informal carers make to Australia’s economy but focuses on paid care and support.
Our interviewees spoke about the personal costs of their work, and the stress and loneliness they experience. They shared feelings of being taken for granted as if their role was not work, let alone difficult work. One mum caring for her disabled son shared:
I just want people to see that, [a] carer doesn’t have any leave, paid leave, or recognition. People just think that’s your loved one, that’s your job. But I do want people to understand that I did not choose to be a carer as my career, but I will do it because it is important.
This played into a feeling of people losing their sense of self, because caring work was so demanding and time consuming. A mother who had been caring for her daughter for 17 years after she had been involved in an accident said:
People don’t realise how much we put our life on hold to support the people that need that emotional and mental and physical and spiritual support. We put ourselves in the back shed while we’re supporting them, so we lose ourselves.
A mental toll
Many spoke of how they once had individual goals and ambitions, which they now considered unachievable. All of our interviewees had quit jobs and halted careers to take on personal care full-time. One mother caring for her ill child said:
I think if I had a crystal ball, I don’t know that I would perhaps have become a parent, I think I would have just stuck to my corporate life and had a cat and be done with it.
The mental health toll experienced by carers in our study was clear throughout all interviews. A mother looking after her child with mental health challenges expressed:
Every carer has mental health impacts from being a carer. They won’t say it’s depression or anxiety, but it’s mental health because when the hierarchy of needs is not being met for you, you can’t provide them for somebody else.
As one interviewee explained, the demanding nature of the work had left them exhausted and as though they “can’t do it”. Our interviewees spoke of “falling apart” under the strain of constantly caring for high-needs people in their households. One mother who cared for her children who were both on the autism spectrum recalled:
How many times, if I don’t go to the bathroom and have a shower to cool down myself, I could kill the kids and myself easily. That’s how bad. We are not ever in the category to get help.
Feeling abandoned
Because so much of their work happens in pre-existing relationships and behind closed doors, carers talked about not just feeling unseen but abandoned. A common theme across all interviews was how carers felt abandoned by institutions, health professionals and, in many cases, friends and family members. One husband who had cared for his wife for close to 20 years said:
The government doesn’t even care about the carers […] we’re not really getting anything and then they’re trying to take the crumbs off us.
Carers do not have psychological, institutional or social support for themselves as individuals, separate from their role. But these support pillars are necessary so the entire responsibility of care does not fall solely on informal carers.
Carer-inclusive activities could be a good start. But policy should also be responsive to the unique and unmet needs of carers. These relate to the lack of personal and professional development, feelings of abandonment and social isolation.
With an ageing population, a pandemic, and an emerging crisis over the quality of care for older Australians and people with disabilities, the role of informal carers has become increasingly important.
The truth is that most of us will likely, at some point, undertake care work or be the person being cared for. Better formalised support for carers will ultimately improve the care for the most vulnerable among us and society as a whole.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Carers Australia also offers advice and support.
Fleur Sharafizad, Lecturer in Management, Edith Cowan University; Esme Franken, Lecturer in Management, Edith Cowan University, and Uma Jogulu, Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Law, Edith Cowan University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Pittwater RSL: Seniors Show + Lunch 2023

AvPals term 2 at newport

- Friday July 7th, 2023, 9.30am-11am
- Friday 29th September 2023, 8.30am-11am
u3a at Newport Community Centre: coming up
- access to a wide range of courses and presentations
- friendly and inviting social events in your region
- Volunteers lead and administer the courses and talks
- A wide range of topics is covered – from learning foreign languages to table tennis to history to book/movie clubs to philosophy to science related issues. There’s something for everyone!
- Courses are held in a variety of local venues and via Zoom
- Events, visits, tours and social activities are also offered
- Full details of activities are listed each semester in the Course Book and on individual regional pages
Avalon Scottish Country Dancing


Pittwater-Narrabeen Parkinson’s Support Group
Bilgola Probus Club

Concession car parking at NSW Health public hospitals
- requiring treatment over an extended period
- attending hospital more than twice a week (including carers of long term patients who visit frequently).
- ongoing cancer treatment
- treatment more than twice weekly
- daily dressing changes
- cardiac rehabilitation or health promotion classes
- Transport for NSW Mobility Parking Scheme permit
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold Card
- Health Care Card.
- clearly displaying and publicising concessional rates
- streamlining the concession application process with designated points of access
- validating concessional parking for the duration of a course of treatment.
Learn Something New: Australia MOOCs And Free Online Courses
COTA – NSW - cotansw.com.au
ABOUT US
The Council on the Ageing NSW (COTA NSW) is the peak organisation for people over 50 in our state. We’re an independent, non-partisan, consumer-based non-government organisation. We work with politicians, policy makers, and service providers as well as media representatives to make sure your views are heard and your needs are met. COTA NSW works to empower and engage people over 50. For decades, we’ve shaped the policies and programs that change lives.
Since our beginning in 1956, COTA NSW has introduced policies and programs that make a real difference to peoples’ lives. We have proud record, having created: ■Meals on Wheels, ■Retirement Village Residents Association, ■Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association, ■Seniors Clubs, ■Seniors Information Service, ■OM:NI – Older Men: New Ideas, ■Grandfriends, ■Grandparents, Relatives and Kinship Care Alliance, ■Medication Management for Older People, and the ■Mature Employment Line
MWP Care


The Club is a vibrant organisation hosting up to three bridge sessions a day. We have 37 permanently set tables – that’s 148 players. We host over 30,000 player sessions every year. This includes prominent tournaments and education events attracting players from across the region.
We pride ourselves on the friendliness of the club and our strong community spirit. We support local charities but even more importantly we support community members by providing them with social connection and mental stimulus – irrespective of age and mobility.
Our clubhouse is at Warriewood.
We have a new Beginners Course starting the end of September.
Each 2-hour lesson focuses on learning by playing, with a break for tea and chocolate biscuits mid-way. The course runs for 6 weeks and costs $100, which includes text book and support materials.
After the lessons we offer “Help with Play” sessions to practise what you’ve learned; Mondays 7-9pm; Tuesdays 2.15-4.30; Fridays 9.15-11.30. ($7 for members & $12 for visitors – membership
We also offer more advanced lessons each month so you can continue to improve your game if you want.
If you are keen to learn this great game, please call or email Cath Whiddon (Director of Bridge Ed at PBC): 9979 5752 or cwhiddon@live.com.
If you already know how to play, take a look at our website to see what’s on offer this month: peninsulabridgeclub.org.au
Peninsula Bridge Club Facebook page: www.facebook.com/peninsulabridgeclub
Media Releases concerning Seniors this week from National Seniors Australia
With around a quarter of a million members, National Seniors is Australia’s largest consumer organisation for the over 50s and fourth largest group of its kind in the world.
Community Connect
Need help on where to go to find the community information and assistance you need?
At Community Connect Northern Beaches, our professional staff and trained volunteers are knowledgeable, friendly and approachable and we will be only too pleased to help you find the service you want. We provide information and support, as well as advocacy and referral to other non profit community services and government agencies.
If we can’t help you we will get you someone who can. If you are newly arrived or do not have an English speaking background we can offer individual advice and support. Or Why not come to Specialist Community Support Workshops: Family Law, Power of Attorney plus Wills and Executors; Domestic Violence Support and Prevention; Positive Community Integration ; Crime Prevention; Or Our Free English Classes.
We also provide information on: Family Services: Child Care, Personal Support & Counselling; Health (Including Mental Health) ; Material and Practical Assistance ; Advocacy to access state and federal MP assistance; Accommodation and Tenancy (help with form filling); Legal and Financial Matters ; Consumer Affairs ; Multicultural Issues; Conservation and the Environment ; Employment and Education; Accessing Community Facilities -You are welcome to call in for: Brochures, booklets and fact sheets on a range of topics; Service Directories e.g. Council Guides and Migrant Directories; Publications e.g. The Senior newspaper and Nova.
Access to our community information data base, internet, email, fax and photocopying.(Please note there is a small charge for photocopying and use of the fax to cover the cost of paper, toner and fax call). We also offer: A Legal Referral Program - Monday 1pm to 2pm at our 30 Fisher Road, Dee Why office. Taxation Assistance for low income earners and pensioners from July to October.
What does it cost?: Our services are free, however we are always grateful for a small donation where possible. The program is supported by NSW Department of Family & Community Services (FACS). CONTACT US: Phone: 02 99317777.

In 2022 our programs focus on assisting older people aged 65 years and older, we also assist younger people with a disability and their carers. We are funded by the Australian Government Dept. of Health through the Commonwealth Home Support Program (known as CHSP). Pittwater Online News PROFILE
These services may be eligible for government subsidies. Call us on (02) 9913 3244 for a confidential discussion. Alternatively you may call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to discuss your needs. To access our services (and all other CHSP provider services) you must be registered with My Aged Care – the portal for all things related to Aged Care Services
We provide services aimed at helping people to stay independently living in their own homes.
Our programs cover:
- Transport – to medical and social appointments
- Shopping – Escorted Shopping, Shop By List, Group Social Shopping
- Visiting – a volunteer visits a client in their own home for social support
- Individual Activities – visit a friend, the library, the beach, local garden, and nursery, go for a coffee & chat, attend community activities etc.
- Social Group Bus Outings – our mini bus and experienced staff coordinate a calendar of bus outings to interesting venues
- CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) social groups/outings – Chinese, Italian, Korean , Filipino, Serbian
- Home Maintenance Modification Service – provided to individual home owners at reasonable cost. Services provided by trusted tradespeople can include Plumbing, Carpentry, Handyman, Electrical, Modifications (ramps, rails etc.)
Visit our website for more at: www.mwpcommunityaid.com.au and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mwpcarelimited
2023 Seniors Card Discount Directory
- Central Coast & Hunter
- Northern NSW
- Southern NSW
- Western NSW
council has a Home Library Service Available for Seniors
Aged Care Complaints Commissioner
Any person can make a complaint to the Commissioner, including care recipients, family members, friends, staff, volunteers, or professionals.
Complaints may relate to any aspect of services including care, choice of activities, discrimination, catering, communication or the physical environment. The 1800 550 552 helpline is staffed 9am to 5pm (AEDST) Monday to Friday.
Out of hours callers can leave a message, or contact the Commissioner at anytime through the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner website.
________________________________________
In 2014-15, there were 10,924 contacts to the Aged Care Complaints Scheme. 3,725 were assessed as a complaint, 3,812 ‘other’ contacts includes non-compulsory notifications, own motion investigations and compliance referrals. There were also 3,387 out of scope contacts which were not related to an approved provider or an approved provider’s responsibilities under the Aged Care Act.
Country Pensioner Excursion ticket: NSW Public Transport
AvPals

Started in 2000 it now has 20+ trainers and many hundreds of students. At a really low cost (about $50 a school term) they can provide one-to-one training on most matters connected with computing and related technologies like mobile phones and digital cameras. From the smallest problem (how to hold the mouse!) to much more serious matters, there is a trainer who can help.
We offer “one to one” personal tuition or special short courses in the training rooms under the Catholic Church in Avalon. Training is conducted Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. For more information visit AVPALS web site www.avpals.com or phone 02 8064 3574
Keep up to date on our Facebook page
Find out more at: www.avpals.com
Disclaimer: These articles are not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Pittwater Online News or its staff.
Study Highlights Vital Need For Specialised Aged Care For Older People Experiencing Homelessness
Navigating Community-Based Aged Care Services From The Consumer Perspective
I’m over 65 and worried about the flu. Which vaccine should I have?

Influenza, or the flu, is a virus transmitted by respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. It can cause the sudden onset of a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain.
In Australia, the flu is responsible for more than 5,000 hospitalisation and 100 deaths a year. The highest rates are among those over 65, whose immune systems aren’t as effective as they used to be, and children under five, whose immune systems are yet to mature.
To combat the decline in immunity as we age, specific vaccines are available for people aged 65 and over. So how do they work, and why exactly are they needed?
Remind me, how does the immune system work?
The immune system uses multiple mechanisms to fight viral infections, which can be divided into two major arms of the immune system, called innate and adaptive immunity.
Innate immunity involves multiple inflammatory cells and chemicals that are triggered immediately, or within hours of encountering an infection. They activate the immune system to clear the infection.
Adaptive immunity takes a little longer (weeks) to work and involves memory T cells and antibody-producing B cells, which can be reactivated when the body encounters a virus or other pathogen.
The combined innate and adaptive immune response determines how well we respond to an invading virus like influenza.
Why are older people more at risk from the flu?
Generally, as we age past 65, the innate cells become less effective at their job of clearing infections. They also start producing more inflammation.
New T and B cell numbers also decrease with increasing age and hence the adaptive immune response is also not as effective as when we are younger. This immune system decline is called immunosenescence, which leads to increased susceptibility, hospitalisation and death from influenza.

Certain medical conditions, such as cancer and heart and lung conditions, increase susceptibility to severe influenza, with older people being more likely to have additional medical conditions than younger people.
What flu vaccines are available?
Annual flu vaccines are recommended to protect against the common circulating strains of influenza, which can differ from year to year.
The standard flu vaccines offered to adults aged under 65 consist of surface proteins of the virus or inactivated (killed) virus from four influenza strains: two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and two B strains.
When you’re vaccinated, your immune system makes antibodies from B cells which protect you if you become exposed to these strains of the virus.
However, the standard influenza vaccine is less effective in older people.

Two stronger or augmented vaccines have been made targeting this age group. They contain the same components as the standard vaccine, but one vaccine – called Fluad – uses a strong adjuvant (an agent used to increase the immune response to vaccination) called MF59 to stimulate better immunity.
The other augmented vaccine, called Fluzone, uses a four-fold higher dose of each influenza strain to increase immunity.
How do they compare?
Studies comparing Fluad and Fluzone show both vaccines stimulate stronger immunity against influenza than the standard flu vaccine and are therefore likely to provide better protection.
Studies directly testing for improved clinical outcomes with vaccines for over-65s show a small benefit of receiving either of the vaccines over the standard vaccine, including a modest decrease in lab-confirmed influenza, hospitalisations and emergency department visits compared to the standard influenza vaccine.
They are however yet to show and impact on flu-related deaths.

In the few studies comparing Fluad and Fluzone directly, there is little evidence of a difference between them in reducing influenza and serious flu outcomes. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation therefore recommends using either Fluad or Fluzone.
While both have been Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved since 2020, only Fluad is available for free on the National Immunisation Program for people aged 65 and over.
Fluzone is only available with a private prescription if you’re 60 years and over, at a cost of around A$65-70.
If neither augmented vaccine is available, a standard influenza vaccine is also acceptable for older people, since any influenza vaccine is preferable to receiving none.
Flu vaccines can also be given at the same time as COVID vaccines.
How else can we protect against the flu?
While influenza vaccination is the single most effective way of preventing influenza, other measures such as social distancing and wearing a mask or N95 respirator can also provide some community protection.
Wearing a mask or N95 respirator significantly reduces the risk of infecting others when infected.
The evidence for protecting oneself against infection is less conclusive, mainly because it’s linked to early, consistent and, importantly, the correct use of masks.
Magdalena Plebanski, Professor of Immunology, RMIT University; Jennifer Boer, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University; Katie Louise Flanagan, Infectious Diseases Specialist and Clinical Professor, University of Tasmania, and Kirsty Wilson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Over half of eligible aged care residents are yet to receive their COVID booster. And winter is coming

As Australia heads towards the fourth winter of the pandemic, we have once again started seeing an increase in the level of COVID circulating. With this comes an increased risk of infection and serious illness.
Elderly people living in aged care are one of the groups facing the greatest risk.
But the latest figures from the federal health department show that to May 24 just over 40% (42.9%) of aged care residents estimated eligible for a booster vaccination have had their latest shot and are fully vaccinated.
If we also take into account immunity gained through recent infection in the past six months, just over half (50.4%) of aged care residents are estimated to have adequate levels of immunity.
Although numbers have increased considerably in the past few weeks, this is plainly far from ideal.
It’s been heartbreaking
Earlier in the pandemic, I was briefly part of the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre, set up to coordinate the response to the COVID surge in residential facilities. I was part of the team that collected, collated and interpreted COVID data used to inform the public health response.
What we witnessed in aged care then, and since, has been nothing short of heartbreaking.
Our inability to adequately protect aged care residents in the early part of the pandemic was undoubtedly one of our biggest pandemic failures.
I saw firsthand that this was not due to a lack of effort. The reality was there were just too many factors thwarting our ability to bring outbreaks under control in this uniquely challenging setting.
Since then, aged care residents have continued to die from COVID during the Omicron era. Since January 2022 COVID has accounted for about 5% of all deaths in residential aged care.
Why booster shots are so critical
Maintaining high levels of immunity by being up to date with COVID boosters is vital for protecting this vulnerable cohort from serious outcomes this winter.
Age, existing chronic illnesses and weaker immune systems are just some of the reasons why this group is most vulnerable.
Not only do vaccines protect against severe illness, they reduce the likelihood of passing COVID on to others in this high-risk environment.
And with higher rates of COVID transmission in the community, we’ll likely see more active outbreaks in residential aged care facilities. This highlights how important it is to see more residents receive their booster shots.

COVID fatigue, vaccine distribution
It’s not entirely clear why COVID booster rates in aged care are so low.
There may be some COVID vaccine fatigue. Residents and their families may have tuned out to public health messages about the importance of vaccination and keeping up to date with booster shots. But how much of an issue this is in aged care is hard to measure.
Changes in the way COVID vaccines are delivered to aged care may have also played a role. Early in the pandemic, vaccine delivery was coordinated federally. However, now aged care centres are responsible for ensuring residents have access to the recommended COVID vaccine, with primary health-care providers, such as GPs and pharmacists, administering the shots.
We’ve tried incentives
Health departments and health workers are well aware of the need to adequately protect aged care residents as we head towards winter.
In February 2023, incentive payments for eligible health workers to go into residential aged care facilities to administer COVID vaccines were streamlined and increased.
In April 2023, the federal health department’s chief medical officer, and the aged care quality and safety commissioner issued a joint letter to aged care providers with advice on preparing for winter, including a reminder about COVID vaccination.
The federal government has also called on Primary Health Networks – bodies responsible for coordinating delivery of primary health care in their regions – to encourage them to support residential aged care homes across Australia to arrange COVID vaccination clinics.
This is all positive and sensible. Yet, we still haven’t seen a huge spike in COVID booster rates as we reach the end of May. That is concerning.
We mustn’t forget flu vaccines
As we enter the colder months, influenza also poses a significant threat for aged care residents.
So promoting COVID and influenza vaccination in aged care should go hand-in-hand this year, and for the foreseeable future.
Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Active and Healthy at any age
Join Healthy and Active for Life Online!
- Providing online exercise programs for you to complete in the comfort of your home
- Providing you with an exercise manual and log to keep you on track
- Helping you to create realistic goals and increase your fitness
Apply for the $200 Seniors Energy Rebate
- your valid CSHC from Centrelink or the DVA
- the most recent electricity bill for your current primary place of residence
- your contact details
- your bank or Credit Union account details
- Check you meet the eligibility requirements.
- Select the 'Apply online' button.
- Enter the required details.
- Submit the application.
assistance to pay your aged care costs
- in residential or respite care
- getting a home care package.
- you’ve completed a calculation of your cost of care
- you have assets valued less than the current threshold
- you haven’t made gifts over the limits.

NSW Seniors Card program: Translated Resources
Pensioner water rebate
- Pensioner Concession Card from Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs, or
- gold Health Card (also known as a gold card) that shows:
- war widow
- war widower
- extreme disablement adjustment (EDA)
- totally and temporarily incapacitated (TTI)
- totally and permanently incapacitated (TPI).
- single dwelling
- dual occupancy
- strata or company title unit
- unit in a retirement village with a life term lease.
Contact Community Care Northern Beaches HERE

Keep your Wits About You
A regular contributor suggests we all look at Lumosity to see if will suit keeping active mentally. Their website states: "improve Brain Health and performance. Designed by neuroscientists, Lumosity exercises improve core cognitive functions. Researchers have measured significant improvements in working memory and attention after Lumosity training. Dozens of research collaborations help improve the Lumosity training program and its effectiveness." You can visit their website to decide for yourself at: www.lumosity.com/app/v4/personalization
Heartmoves is a low-moderate intensity exercise program. Regular participation in Heartmoves will help to: Better manage weight, blood sugars, blood pressure and cholesterol; Improve fitness, balance, co-ordination and flexibility; Enhance your quality of life and meet other people. Ingrid Davey is a qualified Older Adult Instructor and accredited Heartmoves Leader who will guide you through an exercise program that is fun, safe and modified to suit you. Tuesday 9.30am and Thursday 10.30am at Nelson Heather Centre, 4 Jackson Road Warriewood. The cost per class is $10.00 casual now and $17.00 for two classes. Phone Ingrid to secure your spot on 0405 457 063. www.heartfoundation.org.au
EasyLink (formerly Easy Transport Manly Warringah Pittwater) - medical appointments, shopping trips, mystery tours and Saturday Lunch - this great non-profit organisation offers great ideas and solutions.
Visit: https://easylink.com.au
Australian Government Dept. of Health: Hearing Devices for Seniors
NSW Seniors Website: Crosswords, Puzzles & Games
Meals on Wheels
My Aged Care
Computer Pals for Seniors: Northern Beaches - Technology made easy for Seniors

Home Instead Sydney North Shore & Northern Beaches
Seniors Toy Repair Group needs your help
Volunteers are sought to help out on Wednesday mornings (7.30am to midday) at the group's workshed in Ingleside. Volunteers need their own transport and be willing to sort and clean toys that are picked up at different collection points on the Northern Beaches.
Prospective volunteers can email Mary Kitchen to arrange a visit to the workshed. To arrange a donation pickup please call Terry Cook on 0410 597 327 or email him. Find out more about this great community group HERE
Know Your Bones
Wellbeing Plus


WIND, BRASS AND PERCUSSION PLAYERS!!!!!

Pensioner's Concessions: Council Rates
- Half of the total of your ordinary rates and domestic waste management service charge, up to a maximum of $250.
- Half of your water rates or charges, up to a maximum of $87.50.
- Half of your sewerage rates or charges, up to a maximum of $87.50.
Tech Savvy Seniors
- Northern Beaches Council Library at Glen Street, Mona Vale, Warringah Mall 02 9976 1720
- Northern Beaches Community College Inc at Narrabeen, Brookvale, Mosman (02) 9970 1000 enquiries@nbcc.nsw.edu.au
NSW Spectacles Program
- one pair of single vision glasses, or
- one pair of bifocal glasses.
- receive a full Centrelink pension/benefit
- have no other income other than the Centrelink payments
- have financial assets less than $500 (if single) or $1000 (if married/partnered or parent/guardian)
- are a low-wage earner who earns less than:
- the JobSeeker Payment if you're under 65, or
- the aged pension if you're over 65.
RSPCA's Community Aged Care Program
- services our Aged Care program offers include: temporary foster accommodation and/or emergency pet boarding if the owner requires medical treatment, respite or other assistance
- assistance with veterinary treatment
- home visits to assist the elderly with basic pet care
- assistance with pet grooming
- assistance with transport to and from the local veterinarian
- a volunteer network to assist with dog walking and short periods of in-home care if the owner requires medical treatment, respite or other assistance
Australian Ageing Agenda
Australian Ageing Agenda (AAA) is an independent and authoritative bi-monthly publication for people who work in or around the aged care and retirement sectors in Australia. It provides a broad range of news, education and opinion with an emphasis on knowledge sharing and research translation.
Each issue also contains regular updates on relevant business and financial issues along with a selection of well researched features on crucial systems and operations, clinical care, technology, built environment and other issues relevant to the ‘ageing sector’. AAA leads the way with the industry’s most comprehensive conference details and remains Australia’s number one source of news and information about ageing issues and aged care.
Have a look at their comprehensive website HERE
Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN)
Keep on Dancing is what the science says!
- Flexibility
- Agility
- Mobility
- Strength
- Stability

NLA Ebooks - Free To Download
