Fat and flour or decent food in aged care?

Is a 5.6% insurance premium hike justified?

Health Minister Sussan Ley announced private health insurance premiums will increase by an average of 5.6% from April. This amounts to the average family paying about $300 more a year for an average policy.

Long shifts mean burnout for nurses

Working 12+ hour shifts is linked to a heightened risk of burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intention to leave among hospital nurses in 12 European countries, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

New technology shaking up health care

New tests and drugs have impacted health care for many decades. But according to Tim Usherwood, from University of Sydney, we’re now seeing the emergence of completely different kinds of technologies that will radically alter how health care is both accessed and delivered.

Rare disease day - official video

If you care for someone with a rare disease, you are not alone. There are over 6000 rare diseases. For most, there is no cure. For many, there is no independence.

10 ways to survive shift work

When you’re working a shift schedule, your eating and exercise habits can suffer.  People who work shifts sometimes skip meals, eat irregularly, eat unhealthy food, and may find it hard to keep up a regular exercise schedule. Shift workers are at higher risk for weight gain and heart disease as well. Healthy eating and exercise help improve your sleep and your overall health. These ten easy tips can help you stay healthy even with an irregular or shift work schedule.

Aussie kids bullied and going to bed hungry

One in ten Australian children miss school at least once a week, almost one in six have been bullied, and one in thirty – a child in almost every classroom – goes to bed or school hungry nearly every day. That’s the disturbing reality being revealed in Canberra today (Thursday 25 February) at the launch of the final report of the Australian Child Wellbeing Project (ACWP), the largest study of its kind in Australia. Lead researcher, Flinders University’s Associate Professor Gerry Redmond, said the ACWP findings reveal that young Australians are suffering because of a systematic failure to meet their most basic needs, with the most marginalised reporting low scores in almost every aspect of wellbeing.

Dr Grygiel, Hung out to dry in chemo scandal?

Prior to the airing of the 7:30 Report's story on a chemo under-dosing scandal at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, Professor John Grygiel had received assurances from Hospital administration that he had their full support. He was told that "...the segment would not name me or anyone else personally, and that it was not a finger-pointing exercise. I was informed that the Hospital completely supported me and my clinical decisions, and that they would not ‘hang me out to dry’."

Losing a little weight means a lot

Those who struggle with obesity, take heart. Losing as little as 5% of your body weight is enough to reap significant health benefits, according to a study published February 22 in Cell Metabolism. The randomized controlled trial of 40 obese men and women compared, for the first time, the health outcomes of 5%, 10%, and 15% weight loss. While additional weight loss further improved metabolic health, 5% weight loss was sufficient to reduce multiple risk factors for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Hand hygiene campaign effective but expensive

The National Hand Hygiene Initiative run in Australian hospitals successfully reduced risks of a potentially deadly and costly-to-treat ‘golden staph’ infection.

Christchurch's nerves shredded after quake

New Zealand has been shaken again by Sunday's earthquake - and new research published in the New Zealand Medical Journal reveals that post-disaster psychological symptoms can persist for more than 18 months for some individuals.

Devastating impact of sudden cardiac death

In a world-first survey study, researchers from the University of Sydney and Centenary Institute have highlighted the need for better psychological support for families affected by sudden cardiac death due to a genetic heart disease (SCD).

Why smiles (and frowns) are contagious

Our instinct for facial mimicry allows us to empathise with and even experience other people's feelings. When you smile it makes everyone in the room feel better because they, consciously or unconsciously, are smiling with you. If we can't mirror another person's face, it limits our ability to read and properly react to their expressions. A Review of this emotional mirroring appears February 11 in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

March 15-17 Aus Healthcare Week 2016 Expo

Pick up your free ticket and visit us at the Australian Healthcare Week 2016 Expo, Australia’s largest health facilities, technology & medical devices expo. Come and say hello and pick up the latest issue of the Australian Hospital & Healthcare Bulletin.

Quality in aged care is underpinned by a strong workforce