Allied Health Link Round Up Blog – April 2022
- Allied Health Support Services
- April 29, 2022
Our team at ALLIED HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES is commited to keeping our audience up to date, well informed and saving time! On that point, it’s time for our monthly LINK ROUND UP BLOG!
IT’S ABOUT AGED CARE THIS MONTH!
Ageing cannot be prevented, but we can learn how to help our elderly residents live their lives! Thus, we give a special shout out to all of our colleagues in the AGED CARE space!
ARTICLES
The value of Allied Health Services to older Australians is not yet realised
AHPA CEO Claire Hewat recently wrote a piece for Aged Care Australia regarding the lack of access to allied health in residential aged care:
‘It takes a team to enable older people to function well – physically, socially, and emotionally. Allied health professionals are essential specialist members of that team, providing support to live independently in the community or to maintain the best possible quality of life in a RACF. And yet sadly, as the Royal Commission found for many older adults, access to these services is either limited or non-existent.’
Maintaining health and wellbeing as people get older is important and can dramatically impact a person’s ability to remain independent and to experience a full life. Yes, you say, of course – that’s a ‘no brainer’. Unfortunately, the findings of the recent Royal Commission clearly demonstrate that in many cases, the reality does not align with the rhetoric. Read the full article here.
Dental reforms to look after older adults unable to access care needed, advocates say
Better oral health outcomes in our elderly population is being touted as a major priority for advocates as the federal election campaign begins.
While an often overlooked health issue, experts say poor oral health is associated with and can contribute to cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, and cancers.
The Australian Dental Association (ADA) says about one in four older Australians have untreated tooth decay, and more than half have gum disease. Read more…
Google continues Australian Football League partnership with Dementia Australia
Google has launched a campaign with Dementia Australia to raise awareness and increase understanding of dementia and the impact of dementia in communities.
Dementia is one of the biggest health and social challenges facing Australia and the world. It is estimated that there are up to 487,500 Australians living with dementia in 2022, and around 1.6 million people are involved in their care.
The campaign, called ‘helping you help them,’ was created by 72andSunny and tells the story of a woman and her grandmother reconnecting through their love of AFL, using Google products.
It wants to show that Aussie rules football is more than just a game and is an intrinsic part of the Australian way of life, permeating different generations of families across the country. Read more…
BLOGS
Congratulations to the Pitchfest 2022 Winners – Daniel Hug & Alexander Roberts
Physio Pitchfest was a virtual event (held on April 6th) in which six finalists pitched their innovative ideas to an expert panel!
Daniel Hug won the Judges’ Award with his pitch and received $15,000 to support further development of his outstanding idea.
Daniel’s pitch involved an intelligent falls assessment and prevention app. Falls are a key issue in aged care and healthcare more generally, and the expert panel believed Daniel’s app has the potential to address the problem proactively and in a digital capacity. Daniel and his team have made great progress to date and hope that the $15,000 prize money will assist them to further develop their product.
Find out more about the winning ideas & shortlisted finalists here!
Benefits of art therapy for older Australians
It is well-known that creating art can bring great joy and pleasure, but did you know that nurturing your inner artist can be good for your mental health too?
And for older Australians, there’s growing recognition of the positive effects of art therapy on wellbeing and mental health, such as reducing anxiety, boosting confidence and providing a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Art therapy uses the creative process to improve mental health. It can be very powerful and offer excellent opportunities for self-expression, improved cognition and physical capability and reduced stress levels. Art therapy can also be a very beneficial creative outlet for older people living with memory loss, as there is evidence that it can help improve memory and communication. Neuroscience tells us that the creative centres of the brain are the last to deteriorate, which is why it is possible for people with dementia to grow and develop their creative capabilities. Read more…
RESEARCH
Brainstem atrophy is linked to extrapyramidal symptoms in frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal dementia patients with extrapyramidal symptoms have brainstem atrophy and reduced metabolism in certain areas of the brain significantly more often than patients without extrapyramidal symptoms, a new study shows. This observation can facilitate differential diagnostics in frontotemporal dementia.
Read the full article here.
Clinical effectiveness of music interventions for dementia and depression in elderly care (MIDDEL): Australian cohort of an international pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial
Dementia and depression are highly prevalent and comorbid conditions among older adults living in care homes and are associated with individual distress and rising societal costs. Effective, scalable, and feasible interventions are needed. Music interventions have shown promising effects, but the current evidence base is inconclusive. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of two different music interventions on the depressive symptoms of people with dementia living in residential aged care.
Read the full article here.
Peruse our awesome Allied Health blog offerings here!
RESOURCES
To give the best care to our elderly, take a look at these resources.
Australian Dementia Network Resources
The Australian Dementia Network has compiled a list of resources (e.g. Webinars, Workshops, Guidelines and many more.)
Visit their website to access.
The 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures
The 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures is a statistical resource for U.S. data related to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia.
Read the full report here.
Australasian Journal on Ageing COVID-19 Articles
Australasian Journal on Ageing is a peer reviewed journal, which publishes original work in any area of gerontology and geriatric medicine. It welcomes international submissions, particularly from authors in the Asia Pacific region.
Have a look at all the articles here!
Allied Health Support Services has a library of FREE resources for health professionals! Topics range from business and marketing to neurological rehabilitation and paediatrics. Sign up today to access amazing resources, podcasts, webinars and blogs for FREE!
ALLIED HEALTH EVENTS
Dementia + Recreation National Conference 2022
The Dementia + Recreation National Conference is for Recreation, Lifestyle, Allied Health, Nursing Professionals & Managers working in residential, community, home or other healthcare settings with a commitment to & passion for quality lives & lifestyles for people with dementia.
As with all AHCE events, the conference aims to be a dynamic forum for the discussion & debate of ideas, creative thinking & solution seeking. Delegate engagement & network building are key drivers for the conference.
Date: 11 – 12 May 2022 (Amora Hotel Riverwalk Melbourne)
Australian Dementia Research Forum 2022
The Australian Dementia Research Forum 2022 is the premier annual event for Australian dementia research, bringing together dementia researchers, health professionals and policy makers, as well as people living with dementia and their families and carers. The forum dedicated to advancing dementia science and research, will be held virtually on 30-31 May 2022.
The virtual conference will offer the same rich content and broad range of presentations as past face-to-face meetings. There will be selected live sessions, pre-recorded presentations and live Q&As, interactive panel sessions, poster sessions and Virtual Exhibit Hall.
This will be delivered through a state-of-the art and easy to use virtual community platform.
Date: 30 – 31 May (Virtual)
Western Australia Care & Ageing Well Expo
This Expo showcases the best products, services, information, and education that will aid older people into their future years and how to live a healthy and well life.
You will have access to comprehensive information to allow you to make an informed choice about all things aged care, whether you are at the start of your journey for someone you care for or if you are preparing yourself for the future.
The Expo will have a number of experts covering a multitude of topics, including ageing well, aged care finances, home care planning, how to care for those with dementia, cybercrime and safety for seniors, and much more.
Date: 30 – 31 July 2022 (Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre)
FEATURED EVENT
The 5th Annual Future of Aged Care Summit
The 5th Annual Future of Aged Care Summit will address the key challenges to reforming and rebuilding the aged care sector and ensuring that older Australians receive care that is of the highest quality.
Delegates will gain tools and strategies to ensure best practice governance that is centered around quality and safety, implement the recommendations of the final report of the Royal Commission and professionalise the aged care workforce to embed quality and safety into service delivery.
This event is co-located with the 4th Annual Aged Care Tech Forum.
Happening on June 15 – 17, 2022!
Allied Health Support Services FREE weekly NEWSLETTER provides you with information related to professional updates, events, research, resources and links to help broaden our collective knowledge … sign up today!
Sarena Jones
Director @ Allied Health Support Services
Founder @Australian Allied Health Awards
