Portrait of a unhappy elderly man in an old age home
With population growth on the rise and longer life expectancy, quality aged care has become a consideration for an exponentially growing number of families. For many families the ideal aged care option would allow their loved one to stay home, as long as that is… Continue reading →
Not every senior person is lucky enough, in this ever-expanding world, to have all their family members living close by. It’s not always easy for their children who live far away – in another town or state, or even in another country – to make it home for Christmas. Many senior Australians emigrated here decades ago, leaving their extended family in distant lands, so very often, all they have are their children and grandchildren to rely on. And when those children and grandchildren decide to travel, too? They are left to fend for themselves, and perhaps even reinvent Christmas in their twilight years. Continue reading →
As Christmas approaches it becomes more important than ever to find ways to involve your ageing loved ones into your family celebrations, and help them to enjoy this special time. It’s not easy though – Christmas is a busy time: from work wind-ups, to Christmas card writing, and gift buying; this time of year can easily turn into a series of hectic tasks to be ticked off an endless list. But perhaps we should all try a little harder to put time onto that list? Time for our family, time for our friends, time to reflect on the people who are important to us, rather than good old-fashioned traditions of eating, drinking and being merry? Continue reading →
Platinum’s carers are often called upon to provide support for people who are living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). This support can range from simply preparing meals, to assisting with personal care in the mornings and evenings. Showering and dressing for the day, or the bedtime routine are important duties carried out by Platinum’s carers for people experiencing the often debilitating symptoms of MND. Continue reading →
Alzheimer’s disease – the leading cause of dementia in older people – can have a devastating impact on both the person with the disease, and their surrounding family and friends. Its symptoms are unsettling at the very least, and can be devastating and destructive as the disease progresses.
Too often, dementia (whether it’s Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body dementia, vascular dementia,… Continue reading →
It’s well documented that we will all live longer, better lives, if only we were to eat our 5&2 a day, drink plenty of water, and take 30 minutes of exercise daily. But is that all we need to do? How do we fill the other 15 and a 
half waking hours of our day, once we’ve taken a brisk walk, or enjoyed a swim, or participated in an aerobic spin class?
Older people have been doing lots of the right things to keep their bodies and minds well for many years. Just think of those classic images of older men cogitating over a game of chess, grandads who play checkers along the streets or in the parks around the world, and retirees and their secret world of bridge-playing. Seniors may have more time on their hands, once their working lives are over, but they still seek out ways to fill the hours that are satisfying and enjoyable. And they’ve been doing so for centuries.
Happily, what our seniors have been doing, now has the seal of approval from medical specialists and health researchers who are constantly looking for ways to ensure our good health, long lives, and reduced cost to the health care system.
If you don’t fancy checkers or chess, here are a few other ways to exercise your brain and ensure cognitive fitness for the future: Continue reading →
The call to find a cure for dementia (and in particular, Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common cause of dementia in Australia) has become increasingly urgent in recent years, as we have started to realise just how great an impact the condition has had on our increasing elderly population.
It is not simply because it has become the biggest cause of disability in Australian people aged over 65 years, with over 350000 people living with the condition at the present time. And it’s not just because this figure is expected to rise exponentially over the next 30 years that finding a cure is important.
Those figures are startling enough on their own, but when you begin to peel back the layers and examine the implications on society, on communities, and on individuals, then the need for a cure and some high quality strategies for managing people who are living with the condition becomes even greater. Continue reading →
Here at Platinum Healthcare Services, we are often asked to provide services on behalf of MSWA. There are approximately 24000 people in Australia living with one of four types of Multiple Sclerosis. It is a disease that affects women more commonly than men, and it is more likely to affect people of European descent than any other ethnic group, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009).
A chronic, neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system, MS occurs when the protective fatty tissue that surrounds the delicate nerve fibres becomes damaged. As a result, the messages that travel via the nervous system become interrupted and a person’s motor, sensory, and sometimes their cognitive functions are impaired.
A person with MS will tire easily – a common symptom in the early stages of the disease – making everyday tasks and chores more difficult to manage. Often, Platinum Healthcare Services are provided to enable people in the early stages of the disease to carry on with their normal lives – working, caring for children – as easily as possible.
Other symptoms include muscle weakness, pain, numbness, bowel and bladder weakness, difficulties swallowing and with speech, and problems with concentration, memory, and depression. Continue reading →