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;…
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…
Case study – fighting for justice for family of aged care resident
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…
What is a private financial manager?
You may have heard in the news recently the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) decided that NSW Trustee & Guardian could not require private financial managers to purchase a…
ALRC Inquiry into Elder Abuse
Financial abuse can have a devastating effect on an elderly person, impacting their living arrangements, their ability to pay bills and possibly even their health. Worryingly, the statistics show perpetrators…
We Need to Talk About Dying
Death is not always sudden. Most of us will die slowly, not always peacefully, in an uneven series of ups and downs until it’s over. Most people accept the inevitability…
Want to Have a Longer Life? – You Should Have a Facebook Account
If you are over 65 it is likely that you don’t have a Facebook account, unless you have young grandchildren to show you how it all works. Many older Australians…
Facing Financial Reality when Dementia is Diagnosed
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of dementia, can wreak havoc on even the best financial planning for retirement. Alzheimer’s is incurable, and about 5.4 million people in the…
Is Jogging Bad for Older People?
Keen joggers love getting out to have a run, even in high summer when they inevitably lose gallons of fluid in perspiration, and their face is the colour of beetroot!…
National Carers’ week 2016
It is National Carers' Week from 16 October to 23 October, a time to pay tribute to the many thousands of carers who provide unpaid care and support to family…
Newcastle aged care nurse found guilty of murder
On Wednesday 28 September 2016, Justice RA Hulme of the Supreme Court of NSW found Gary Steven Davis, 29, guilty of murdering two residents and attempting to murder a third…
Alzheimer’s Breakthrough? Not Just Yet.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if this statement was true! It is certain that many institutions are working hard on a cure, but we are not quite there. Firstly, a few…
