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Wealthy live longer than the poor: Study

According to the latest research poorer Australians die at least three years before their wealthy counterparts. The report entitled, “The Health Lies in Wealth” by the University of Canberra's National Centre for Social and Economic Modeling found that people in the lowest socio-economic group died on average at 79.6 years of age compared with 82.7 years for the highest socio-economic group. Factors that influence life expectancy include household income, work status, education level and support networks.

26 Sep 2010

Aged care faltering in Australia: Report

According to National Seniors Australia, the countries’ aged-care system is riddled with problems and will become unsustainable unless urgent reform is undertaken. In its report “The Future of Aged Care in Australia”, the current system of aged care is evaluated. The report says that there are staffing and bed shortages that are crumbling under financial pressures and are unable to meet the future demands of an ageing population. The report compiled for the lobby group by Access Economics says policymakers must implement viable funding alternatives to sustain the system.

14 Sep 2010

Sanctions on Shalom Toowoomba nursing home due to inadequate aged care

A nursing home in Toowoomba in southern Queensland has been sanctioned for a serious breaches in its healthcare and safety measures. The Shalom Toowoomba Nursing Home has been warned by the federal Department of Ageing that its care of patients is so poor it will not receive Commonwealth subsidies for six months. The Department would be making daily inspections to make sure the breaches are being fixed.

26 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

Australian health makeover over the next few years planned

Australian health is about to get a massive make over according to the four year time schedule and plans announced by the Federal Government. The plans include major reforms that will be undertaken over the next two years.

7 Jul 2010

Greater focus on mental health is needed says expert

According to mental health expert and Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry the resignation of the head of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health (NACMH), John Mendoza, is an indication of the disappointment of the mental health care sector with the government.

20 Jun 2010

Survey: 58% of Australians worry about brain health, age-related degenerative brain disease

The majority of Australians (58%) are worried about their brain health and the threat of age-related degenerative brain disease, according to a new survey. The national survey was commissioned by leading medical research institute Neuroscience Research Australia and polled 1000 Australians aged 18 to over 75.

2 Jun 2010

AMA Victoria supports Brumby opposing Rudd’s health plans

The Commonwealth had proposed health changes by taking control of health funding by withholding some GST revenue. The Victorian Government has released an alternative approach for this. This plan called ‘The Putting Patients First’ intends for increases in Commonwealth health funding to be distributed by the States.

8 Apr 2010

Entry to aged-care facilities largely preventable

Lifestyle, social and health factors, such as being underweight, having inadequate nutrition or having low social activity, have been shown to be significant contributing factors to the entry of older people into residential aged care.

8 Apr 2010

Brumby asks government to rethink $50 billion hospitals plan

Victoria Premier John Brumby's letter to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asks the federal government to rethink its $50 billion hospitals plan. Besides asking about the commonwealth’s vision for the primary and aged care, Brumby also wanted to know how the proposed reforms would help to put the commonwealth-state blame game to an end.

28 Mar 2010

Rudd vs Abott health debate

During yesterday's 75-minute debate between the Prime Minister and Tony Abbott at the National Press Club in Canberra, Mr Rudd conceded that small regional and rural hospitals might have to be given block funding grants to keep them afloat should they not be be able to survive on his new activity-based funding formula.

24 Mar 2010

Lumetra PSO to distribute iSOFT’s AIMS incident management software in the U.S. market

iSOFT Group Limited, one of the world’s largest healthcare information technology companies, today announced a strategic partnership with Lumetra PSO, a US Government-backed Patient Safety Organization (PSO). Lumetra agreed to provide iSOFT’s AIMS incident management software to US healthcare organizations that are seeking to reduce the complexity and cost of their patient safety and risk management programs.

1 Mar 2010

Age care in jeopardy as workers quit because of job stress

Australian researchers say job stress is forcing many age care workers to leave and is jeopardising the industry.

1 Dec 2008

Australia's first Chief Nursing Officer will give nurses a political voice

The appointment of Australia's first national Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer has been met with the approval of the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF).

24 Jun 2008

Australian Medical Association says aged care residents the victims of 'inertia' by the government

According to the Australian Medical Association, the Federal Government is guilty of "policy inertia" when it comes to addressing the needs of aged care residents.

23 Jun 2008

Audit to be done on nursing home where elderly were given poison pancakes

An incident at an aged care facility where four residents consumed food tainted with diluted caustic soda has prompted calls from the Federal Government for a full audit to be carried out at the home.

19 Jun 2008

Gastroenteritis outbreak in South Australia claims another life

An outbreak of gastroenteritis at an aged care facility in Adelaide is of concern as it has claimed the life of a third victim.

17 Jun 2008

Government and nurses call for a major shake-up of Australia's health system

Plans by the federal government to address the dire shortage of general practitioners by making better use of other health professionals is in some ways in line with calls from the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) for a major reform to the way health services are funded and delivered.

11 Jun 2008

Health Minister says rural health in Australia is in a dire state

An audit of regional and rural Australia's health workforce has revealed that the 'bush' has become increasingly reliant on overseas-trained doctors to ensure health services are maintained.

30 Apr 2008