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Mental health survey shows patient woes

In a new survey of mental health patients in New South Wales it was found that many have struggled to gain access to a doctor. The state's Ministry of Health paid for the survey by an advocacy body, the NSW Consumer Advisory Group - Mental Health Inc. The group questioned 3,500 patients for the survey and will hand the results of the Action and Change in NSW Mental Health Services report to the State Government.

20 Dec 2011

Key Assets expands foster care provision in Western Australia

Key Assets is expanding its foster care provision in Western Australia with the upcoming launch of a new disability services program.

5 Nov 2011

Patient – clinician tensions avoidable: Interdisciplinary approach needed to improve patient outcomes

A leading expert has renewed the call for a coordinated approach to patient care, particularly for those who suffer long-term illness and injury.

14 Sep 2011

Key Assets' new fostering agency now open in Kentucky

Key Assets Kentucky, a newly established fostering agency, is now open and ready for the challenge of placing children in Kentucky with complex needs into family based foster homes.

16 Aug 2011

Majority of people in the U.S., Europe express desire to seek early diagnosis of AD

Results of an international survey reveal that over 85% of respondents in the five countries surveyed say that if they were exhibiting confusion and memory loss, they would want to see a doctor to determine if the cause of the symptoms was Alzheimer's disease. Over 94% would want the same if a family member were exhibiting the symptoms.

21 Jul 2011

Dementia experts call for new approach to support patients and carers

Dementia experts call for a new approach to supporting dementia patients and their carers, after identifying gaps in current health and social care provision. The findings are highlighted in a new report, written by a panel of some of England's leading experts in dementia care, launched in the House of Lords today.

19 May 2011

Study questions suitability of anti-retroviral drugs for the young

According to a new major study one in eight children born with HIV becomes resistant to the three main classes of drugs used to suppress the virus within five years of starting treatment. This is the first major study that looks at drug resistance in 1,000 European children born with HIV. It raises questions about the suitability of anti-retroviral drugs for the young.

25 Apr 2011

New maternity scheme in Queensland

Queensland Health has introduced a new maternity scheme. The expecting mothers in Dysart, Middlemount, Moranbah, Clermont and Glenden shall now have a wider variety of options to choose from when it comes to choosing how their pregnancy be managed.

11 Apr 2011

New research to examine links between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease

New research is being carried out at Keele university to examine links between aluminium and Alzheimer's disease.

29 Mar 2011

Appalling report on Victoria’s mental healthcare services

In a new revealing report, a Victorian Government official – from the Office of the Public Advocate (OPA), spoke about the declining level of care and protection provided to those with a mental disability. The OPA report entitled “Violence against People with Cognitive Impairments” analyzed 86 cases of abuse in government-funded and private support facilities over four years and reported mistreatment including instances of physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional abuse - sometimes by carers themselves. The report said police often believe the perpetrator of the abuse, rather than the mentally impaired victim.

27 Jan 2011

Australia’s child abuse rates fall but foster care rates rise: Report

Statistics show that the total number of Tasmanian children in state care has risen by 60% in six years. This is the second highest number of children per 1,000 in child protection in the Australia. This means more children are being removed from their families for issues such as substance abuse, mental health and family violence.

20 Jan 2011

Digital reminiscence system can improve quality of life for people with mild dementia

Dementia is on the increase, but for the sake of the quality of life of sufferers and their family and friends finding ways to allow the patient to remain in their own home and to live independently is an issue that must be addressed. At the same time, enabling independent living could also reduce the economic burden.

6 Jan 2011

Study shows positive effects of formal child care in improving language skills

Fewer children who attend regular formal centre- and family-based child care at 1.5 years and 3 years of age were late talkers compared with children who are looked after at home by a parent, child-carer or in an outdoor nursery. This is shown in a new study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health of nearly 20,000 children.

6 Jan 2011

Adoption rates plummet to a three decade low

Adoption rates in Australia have touched an all time low since 1970’s. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare revealed that in the last financial year there were just 412 adoptions. That is compared with a peak of more than 8,000 adoptions a year in the early 1970s.

14 Dec 2010

Survey reveals 72% of people over age of 65 do not feel old

There is a sharp contrast between people's positive attitudes towards growing old and their preparedness according to the results of a new international survey, Bupa Health Pulse 2010, published today by Bupa Health Dialog.

17 Sep 2010

Misuse of OTC medicines increases risk for children

Many children are being put at risk by parents over-use of widely available over the counter (OTC) medicines for fever, coughs and colds, says a study from Australia to be presented to the annual conference of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) today (Monday 30 August).

30 Aug 2010

Australian childcare costs to ramp up

From now on Australian childcare fees will rise to up to $33 per child per day. This is to ensure that childcare centres employ more and better qualified staff, a survey of 170 NSW centres has found.

8 Aug 2010

Aged care in crisis: Warns opposition

According to opposition Leader Tony Abbott, the coalition's aged care policy will be suffering a cash crunch. The aged-care sector is critically underfunded and needs more than $50 billion to deal with the increased demand from an ageing population say the Aged Care Association. Mr. Abbott said, “I want to caution people against expecting enormous dollars.” Although he said some very important sectors in the aging population would be addressed but, “It would be a lot easier to help in so many areas if we hadn't been on such a poorly targeted spending spree from this government.”

29 Jul 2010

Brain fever mistaken as migraine kills a 30 year old woman

Jane Harrop, a 30 year old British woman was complaining of headaches for several days that made her feel “drunk”. She was diagnosed to be suffering from migraine but died two days later from a viral infection of the brain.

7 Jul 2010

Inadequate treatment strategies make cancer patients suffer unnecessarily: Survey

Further results from the European Survey of Breakthrough Cancer Pain were presented for the first time today at the 6th Research Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care in Glasgow.

11 Jun 2010