Welcome to Our 365 Care April Newsletter
Each month we bring you the latest updates on the trends, issues and stories of the month that matter to you.
So, sit back, enjoy a nice cuppa and our latest newsletter!
Eventful April
April is a busy month, what with the Easter bunny bounding around from 15-17 April, the long weekends and of course, the day we remember our fallen soldiers (lest we forget), Anzac Day on the 25th.
If you’re looking to get out of the house and appreciate the slightly cooler and hopefully sunnier weather, here are some events you may be interested in:
Anzac Day
The ANZAC Day Commemoration Service will be held at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park on 25th April at 12:30 pm. Come along to pay your respects and listen to the NSW Police Concert Band and Sydney Welsh Choir, as well as the United Drumhead Service.
The ANZAC Day March will take place prior to the service. If you’re interested in watching or taking part, it will start at 9 am at the intersection of Martin Place and Elizabeth Street and will finish in Hyde Park at Liverpool Street.
Easter
The Royal Easter Show is back from 8-19 April at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. With everything from rides, food stalls, and fun characters, to a dog show, massive exhibits of fresh produce, and rodeos, there’s sure to be something to delight everyone. You can buy tickets online at ticketmaster.com.au and if you want to save some cash, 13th April is Seniors’ Day where you can get tickets for half price. Get in quick as numbers are limited due to COVID.
Health Focus: Parkinson’s vs Essential Tremor
Yet another event happening this month is World Parkinson’s Day on the 11th of April. On this day and throughout the month of April, the focus is on raising awareness of Parkinson’s disease.
In Australia, around 37 people per day are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. You may think of it as just shaking but there are actually many more subtle symptoms, such as:
- A loss of your sense of smell.
- A slowing and stiffening of your movements.
- A lessening of facial expressions, causing what’s called ‘masking’.
- A decrease in the size of your handwriting.
- A change in your voice – either softer, breathy or hoarse.
If you’d like to learn more, our blog this month focuses on the details of Parkinson’s, as well as 10 ways to live a fulfilling life alongside a diagnosis. You can check it out here.
Many people get confused about the difference between Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. So much so, that people are frequently misdiagnosed with one or the other.
While Parkinson’s and essential tremor may look similar on the surface, there are some key differences and these are vital to know to ensure you get the right treatment.
To make it clearer, here’s a handy table we borrowed from International Essential Tremor Foundation.
COVID 19 Update – Seniors in pole position for the COVID pill
You might recall that in February we mentioned two new COVID drugs undergoing testing: Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Merck & Co’s Molnupiravir. Paxlovid stops the virus from replicating and Molnupiravir causes mutations in the RNA of the virus, which makes it die.
Well, both have been provisionally approved for use in Australia and the aged care population will get first dibs on the latter of the two, Molnupiravir. Also called Lageviro, Molnupiravir is an antiviral pill that will be prescribed to eligible adults who are considered high risk.
This includes older Australians and people who are immunocompromised due to medical conditions. The only caveat is that it needs to be given within five days of showing symptoms and you need to get a positive PCR or RAT test result to be able to get the prescription.
It’s a step in the right direction though, and if you’re a concession cardholder, it’ll only set you back $6.80. If you don’t have a concession card, you’ll be charged $42.50, which is still worth it if it keeps you out of hospital and makes the COVID experience milder.
Aged Care Industry Update
Putting aged care under the microscope
Flinders University in Adelaide, in partnership with the Australian Government, has launched a new centre to study the aged care industry in depth. It’s called the Aged Care Centre for Growth and Translational Research and is set to receive government funding of $34 million over the next three years.
The overall aim of the centre is to develop ways to improve the capabilities of workers, as well as develop assistive technologies so that older Australians can live independently for longer.
The centre will do this by:
- Providing an information hub on aged care.
- Carrying out studies with aged care workers, aged care consumers, providers and researchers, which will lead to real positive change in the industry.
- Developing training modules and resources for aged care workers to show them how to apply the research outcomes and incorporate new technology into care.
For the centre’s first year, the focus will be on four priority areas, namely, dementia care, restorative care and rehab, mental health and wellbeing, and social isolation.
Flinders University Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling explains, “We’ll apply the research through education and training programs to introduce innovations and improve caring practices – because we can’t afford to leave behind Australians who got us to where we are today.”
Human Interest Stories
Dogs decrease your chances of disability as you age
Yet another reason why we love dogs.
There have been many studies done over the years showing how owning a pet can increase your happiness, decrease your stress, provide companionship, and just generally add only good things to your life (for the small price of picking up their poop and feeding them). Now, new research is proving dogs can lower your chances of frailty and disability too.
How? By making you take them on walks. A study looked at 11,000 seniors over a four-year period and found that those who had a dog had about half the risk of becoming disabled as those without a dog.
Other studies have also shown a link between having a pet and slower cognitive decline. Pets have even been shown to help people who have difficulty speaking because of their dementia or Alzheimer’s to communicate better.
And what better pet to have a chat with than an unconditional-love-providing, loyal and doting doggo?
Travel Spotlight: South Korea
When you consider Asian countries to visit, it’s unlikely South Korea wins out over places like Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. But if you look more closely, South Korea is actually an interesting and unique place that’s well worth seeing.
It’s located on a peninsula attached to the northeastern corner of China and is separated from China by notorious North Korea above it.
Seoul is the capital and is a bustling metropolis that houses almost 10 million people.
Here are some fun facts about South Korea:
You can shop ‘til you drop. While restaurants and bars usually close around 11 pm, malls stay open until 4 am! And Busan, South Korea’s second largest city, is home to the world’s largest department store, Shinsegae, spanning over 3 million square feet.
The DMZ is a bit of a nature reserve. The border between North and South Korea is very highly guarded and is known as the demilitarized zone (DMZ). But because no one lives there, it’s become one of the most pristine nature reserves in Asia, housing numerous ecosystems, hundreds of species of birds and fish, as well as black bears and lynxes.
South Korea has its own brand of pop music: K-Pop. And it’s popular! Some of the biggest international artists to come out of South Korea are the boy band BTS, solo artist Rain and of course, PSY. Who on earth is PSY, you ask? He’s the artist responsible for the worldwide dance craze, Gangnam Style.
Say Kimchi!! When you smile for photos in Korea, you don’t say ‘cheese’ but rather ‘kimchi’. Kimchi is a pickled cabbage that also happens to be their national dish.
Shave your beard before you go.
Koreans see beards as being dirty and unkempt, so be sure to keep your face neatly shorn or risk being seen as a grub.
8 natural wonders. Outside of their enormous cities, you’ll find natural treasures including Jeju and Nami islands, Seoraksan Mountain, Cheonjeyeon Waterfall, Dadohaehaesang, Wolchulsan and Bukhansan National Parks, and Gosu Cave.
Recipes
Enjoy these healthy, flavour-packed treats from www.bestrecipes.com.au/ to satisfy your cravings!
Pumpkin soup
A flavourful and heart-warming treat perfect for teatime.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pumpkin, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbps butter
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 L water
- 4 tbs cream *to serve
- 4 sprigs parsley *to serve
Instructions Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes
- Melt butter, add pumpkin and onion and coat with butter.
- Add enough chicken stock to coat onion and pumpkin.
- Add pumpkin mixture to a saucepan, just cover with water and bring to the boil.
- Simmer until pumpkin is very soft.
- Process with a stab mixer until smooth.
- Serve garnished with cream and a sprig of parsley.
Healthy Apple Cake
A delicious apple cake with a hint of honey that also happens to be dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour, sifted
- 4 green apples, diced, peeled
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup macadamia oil
- 3/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes
- Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a 20cm round cake tin.
- In a bowl, mix together the oil, honey and eggs, and beat well.
- Fold in sifted flour, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Stir apples and pecans gently through the batter and pour into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer is pulled clean from centre of cake.
- Turn out onto a wire rack and cool.
Mind Games
Word Search: DESSERTS
APPLEPIE COOKIES MUFFIN WHIPCREAM
CAKE DONUT PIE
CANDY DOUGHNUTS POTATOCHIPS
CHOCOLATEBAR FRUIT PUDDING
CHOCOLATECAKE ICECREAM SWEETROLLS
Word Scramble: CAKES
RBERGADENIGG___________________________
TOCUNOC ___________________________
ONSEPG ___________________________
TEALOCHOC___________________________
BARMEL___________________________
SUOSEM___________________________
TABLERSROFCK___________________________
ROTRAC___________________________
DOUPN ___________________________
ONDFANT___________________________
Book Reviews
Turn My Mourning into Dancing
by Henri Nouwen
In times of suffering, simple answers often ring empty and hollow–so how can you find hope in hard times? Learn how to survive the difficult seasons with the comfort and of God’s constancy. With sensitive, practical advice, Henri Nouwen gently points you towards a life that is grounded in God’s companionship and rooted within eternal hope.
Nouwen has discovered that healing begins with taking our pain out of its toxic isolation and seeing our sufferings in communion with all humanity and all creation. He teaches us that our little lives participate in something much larger. Turn My Mourning into Dancing is compelling reading for:
Those looking for growth and insight amid life’s hard and harsh moments
Anyone grieving and searching for reassurance
Anyone who has experienced a loss or betrayal
Though it may not last forever, grief is a gradual, organic process that changes a person permanently. Nouwen guides you during your hard times toward answers and hope–hope that allows you to dance even through the darkest night.
Answers to Mind Games
Word Search
Word Scramble
- GINGERBREAD
- COCONUT
- SPONGE
- CHOCOLATE
- MARBLE
- MOUSSE
- BLACK FORREST
- CARROT
- POUND
- FONDANT
Please HELP US to IMPROVE OUR SERVICES
At 365 Care we are committed to providing you with the highest quality of care to meet your needs. Your feedback is important to us, whether good or bad.
If you have something you would like to share, you can:
- Request a feedback form from the office.
- Contact your Coordinator in the first instance
or if it is more confidential in nature, please contact our General Manager on 02 8294 4126
We aim to address your concerns as quickly as possible and where appropriate, will investigate and keep you informed along the way.
If you do not feel comfortable speaking with us, you can contact the following organisations for assistance.
- Aged Care Advocacy: a free and confidential service promoting the rights of aged care recipients.
Phone 1800 700 600 - Aged Care Complaints Commissioner: a free and confidential service for anyone to raise issues about Australian Government-funded aged care.
Phone 1800 550 552