Homeless Older Women
The number of homeless older women in Australia is increasing, according to the annual State of the Family report published by Anglicare Australia. This little-recognised phenomenon is linked to various social factors.…
3 must have inclusions in your residential aged care agreement
Once you have accepted a place at an aged care facility or nursing home, they will send you one or more contracts to formalise their offer. The documents are given…
UPDATE: New Aged Care Visitor Access Code helps families and residents during COVID-19 pandemic
The New Aged Care Visitor Code has been updated with a range of changes including no time limits for close family visitors and allowing residents to leave a residential aged…
Aged Care Royal Commission hearings to resume as 4 Corners reports on Newmarch House tragedy
It is pleasing to see that the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will resume hearings next month after pausing in light of coronavirus - this coincides with…
Mother murdered by a nursing assistant | Our Client’s Story
We successfully settled a negligence claim for our client who suffered mental harm (also known as ‘nervous shock’) when her mother was murdered by a nursing assistant at a facility…
Aged Care Royal Commission update – Adelaide workshop and hearing
Adelaide Workshop on Aged Care Program Redesign The first public session of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Safety and Quality for 2020 was a workshop on the redesign of…
New research shows what’s needed to improve home care packages for older Australians
New Australian Government commissioned research by Dr Sarah Russell, Kristy Siostrom, Iain Edwards and Velandai Srikanth shows tighter regulation of providers of home care packages is one of a number…
New reports show Australia lagging internationally on aged care
Two new major reports for the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety by Flinders University researchers show that Australia is lagging well behind other overseas countries when it…
Regional hearings and forums for the Royal Commission into Aged Care
The latest hearings of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety have wrapped up in Mudgee. The three day hearing inquired into the shortfalls and challenges in aged…
The Royal Commission to Aged Care Quality and Safety Hearings
The second and third Melbourne hearings of the Royal Commission to Aged Care Quality and Safety have inquired into diversity in aged care and the aged care workforce, respectively. Hearing…
Younger people in residential aged care – Melbourne Aged Care Royal Commission
The first Melbourne hearing inquired into younger people in residential aged care, with a focus on impact, drivers and appropriateness of allocation policy as well as how to best support…
Aged Care Home Death | Our Client’s Story
We helped 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. [The…
Explosive evidence from the Brisbane Aged Care Royal Commission hearing
This month’s Brisbane hearings of the Aged Care Royal Commission highlighted fundamental problems with the regulation of our aged care system. As well as nursing home residents, their families and…
Mildura hearing of the Aged Care Royal Commission
Mildura was host to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety hearing between July 29 and 31. According to senior counsel assisting the commission, Peter Gray, QC, the town…
Darwin and Cairns hearings of the Aged Care Royal Commission
The most recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety hearings in Darwin and Cairns highlighted some of the fundamental problems in Australia’s aged care sector - a lack…
Perth hearing of the Aged Care Royal Commission
The Perth hearing of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety inquired into the nature of person-centred care, advanced care planning and palliative care services. As is the…
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…
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:…
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…
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;…
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…
Should nursing home doors be locked?
Practices in nursing homes across Australia vary when it comes to easy access for residents and visitors but should nursing home doors be locked? If you've visited a relative or…
How often should you update your Will?
Don’t be fooled into thinking your will is something you can do once, then “set and forget”. Your will is an important document for your family’s future. Circumstances change and…