Broome Hearing of the Aged Care Royal Commission
The Broome hearing of the Aged Care Royal Commission has been completed and the Perth hearing is now underway, June 24 to 28. The Broome public hearing inquired into access…
Elder abuse: key issues and emerging evidence
The Australian Institute of Family Studies has release a paper Elder abuse: key issues and emerging evidence. The paper provides an overview of elder abuse in Australia. It discusses key…
Should reporting of elder abuse be mandatory?
The concept of mandating the reporting of elder abuse is controversial and draws parallels with mandatory reporting of child abuse. While mandatory reporting has existed in some US states for…
Sydney hearings of the Royal Commission complete
The Aged Care Royal Commission held its latest hearings in Sydney. They took place between May 6 and 8 and between May 13 and 17. The public hearing inquired into:…
Aged Care Facility Precipitates Avoidable Death | Our Client’s Story
We assisted a client in her claim against an aged care facility concerning the preventable death of her mother (Mrs S) whilst she was under the facility’s care. Mrs S…
Negligent Care Within Aged Care Facilities All Too Common | Our Client’s Story
We acted for the daughter and granddaughter of a man (Mr W) who died as a result of the negligent care he received at an aged cared facility in Parramatta,…
Unsafe Conditions in Retirement Village | Our Client’s Story
We acted for a client regarding the unsafe conditions and poor treatment she received as a resident in a retirement village. Our client was unable to live peacefully in her…
Elder abuse should be viewed as a criminal offence
You may have seen a recent news story about two elderly individuals with dementia who had $1.6 million siphoned from their estate by their sons. No criminal charges have been…
Vulnerable older Australians miss out in Budget
This week’s Federal Budget did little for older Hunter people, particularly the growing number of vulnerable people needing aged care at home or in facilities. Our politicians all say older…
Adelaide hearings of the Royal Commission now complete
Hearings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety were held in Adelaide during February and March with more than 28 key witnesses taking part. The first public…
Hunter law firm first to use University of Newcastle designed elder abuse toolkit
Hunter-based law firm, Catherine Henry Lawyers, is one of the first organisations in Australia to use a new, first of its kind, tool-kit designed to help the nation’s lawyers better…
Aged Care Royal Commission Public Hearings Start Monday 11 Feb
Welcome to our first new Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety Blog. The first public hearings of the Commonwealth Royal Commission into Aged Care and Safety will be…
Royal Commission into Aged Care begins
The preliminary hearings for the Royal Commission into aged care commenced on 18 January 2019. There was a call for submissions regarding: The quality of aged care services being delivered;…
I entered into a granny flat arrangement with my son – how do I protect my interests when circumstances change or there is a falling out?
In 2018 we received an enquiry from an elderly woman looking for assistance in relation to granny flat arrangements. The client was in her 70s and required assistance around her…
Growing older – things you need to know about accommodation options
At one of our recent, free, Growing Older community forums we had a number of experts share the key things people need to know about various accommodation options available to…
Fighting for justice for family of aged care resident | Our Client’s Story
We’re helping one of the families featured in the second part of Who Cares?, the ABC TV Four Corners expose into the aged care sector, to fight for justice. Alana…
Royal Commission must address issues behind the aged care crisis
Did you watch ABC TV Four Corners program investigation into Australia’s aged care sector? The second part program went to air on Monday 17 and 24 September. The second part…
Explainer: Review of the Guardianship Act 1987 (NSW)
An important report by the NSW Law Reform Commission that is relevant to many older people and people with a disability and their families in NSW was tabled in the…
Avoidable Death in a Hunter Aged Care Facility | Our Client’s Story
We helped clients sue an aged care facility over the death of their mother (and grandmother) while in the facility’s care. The family reluctantly decided to place their then 87-year…
Common Stories of Financial Elder Abuse
Financial elder abuse is no longer a hidden problem. The 2017 ALRC report ‘Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response’ has elevated the prevalence of elder abuse as a national…
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15) shines a spotlight on increasing financial abuse. Local elder law expert calls on Governments to take faster action to prevent it A local…
Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response
The Australian Law Reform Commission report ‘Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response (ALRC Report 131) was released in May 2017 and elevates the prevalence of elder abuse as a…
Top 10 Tips for Older People to Avoid Elder Abuse
It is estimated that at least five per cent of older people experience some kind of financial abuse by family members of carers. Common elder abuse scenarios include: attorneys misusing…
Palliative Care Week: Local People Under-Utilising Essential Tools for End of Life Planning
A leading Hunter law firm says local people are under utilising such as advanced care directives and enduring power of attorney documents which means they and their families are not…
National Palliative Care Week
This week is National Palliative Care week, the aim is to raise the community’s awareness and understanding about palliative care. It is the treatment a person and their loved ones…
The Federal Government’s Failure to Address the Crisis in Aged Care
We have been advocating for a better level of care for all residents of aged care facilities by expressing our disappointment with the Federal Government’s latest aged care “reform” and budget…
New Aged Care Watchdog Again Fails to Deal with Key Issue of Inadequate Staffing Requirements
Newcastle-based lawyer and Australian expert in aged care and health law, Catherine Henry, has criticised the Federal Government’s latest aged care policy announcement. The government this week announced that from…
New Aged Care Policy Falls Woefully Short
The Federal Government’s latest aged care policy announcement falls significantly short of what’s required to address the crisis in aged care. From January 1, 2019 a new, “independent” Aged Care…
Budget Reaction: Failure To Tackle Key Issues For Aged Care Residents
BUDGET REACTION: FAILURE TO TACKLE KEY ISSUES FOR AGED CARE RESIDENTS – NO MANDATED STAFF RATIOS A leading Australian elder care lawyer from Hunter based firm, Catherine Henry Lawyers, says…
Would you trust one person to share your estate?
Bruce Forsyth, British television presenter and entertainer, passed away recently at the age of 89 years. According to media reports, he left an estate worth 17 million pounds to his…
