Changes to Medical Decision Making
Mar13
Changes to Medical Decision Making An important thing happened last year. The Medical Treatment Planning and Decisions Act 2016 was passed by the State Government in November 2017. The Act enshrined advance care directives in law and at the same time established a single framework for medical treatment decision making. The changes came into effect yesterday (12 March 2018). Read on to find out how these changes may impact on you and your loved ones …. What
The Bite of Stinging Matters
Mar06
The Bite of Stinging Matters This week we’re answering a couple of questions emailed to us by one of our readers Daryl (not his real name) in response to our Wellbeing in Summer articles. We thought the best way to address Daryl’s questions was to post an article about insect stings and bites. IntroductionRoutine encounters with insects and spiders can result in bites and stings. We do not know the extent of insect bites and
New Aged Care Quality Standards
Feb19
new Aged Care Quality Standards The Australian Government Department of Health has developed a single set of quality standards, called the Aged Care Quality Standards, which will replace the current standards. The new standards were developed by the Health Department working with a Technical Advisory Group consisting of consumer groups, service providers, academics and experts. Public consultation on the draft Aged Care Quality Standards took place in March and April 2017. The new Aged Care
Changes to Codeine Availability
Feb12
Changes to CODEINEAvailability From February 2018 over the counter (OTC) medications containing codeine will require a prescription in Australia. This change brings us into line with similar countries overseas. This article discusses the backstory … Why the change? The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has up-scheduled OTC codeine products, making them ‘prescription only’ products. This change follows an extensive consultation and review showing that: OTC codeine-containing products offer little additional pain relief compared to similar
Keeping Cool (Part 2)
Feb06
Keeping Cool (part 2) Welcome to part two of Keeping Cool, your guide to wellbeing in summer. This week we’re going to talk about a few more things that can help us to keep cool and stay well in summer. What about sunburn?Sunburn is a radiation burn to the skin arising from unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Skin can burn in less than 15 minutes and it can take weeks for