Emma Hamilton's blog

It's important following a hip replacement that older people and their caregivers follow certain precautions to avoid hip dislocation. Depending on the type of surgery you have your health provider will instruct you on what you can and cannot do following surgery.

If you're a personal care assistant working in an aged care home you most likely spend most of your shift running from resident to resident. Physical tasks like showering, toileting and feeding a resident will take up a majority of your shift.

But have you ever stopped to think about the content of your conversations with an older person?

Communicating difficult news can be an uncomfortable task for many carers. As a caregiver you may have to talk to someone you love and care for about a diagnosis or change in care arrangements. Perhaps you have to deliver bad news to family or friends or relay information from health professionals.

Over recent years the term Mild Cognitive Impairment or MCI has been used to describe a type of memory impairment that sits somewhere between normal age related memory loss and early Alzheimer's.

People experiencing MCI typically have problems with memory, thinking, judgement and language. But unlike early stages of Alzheimer's, MCI does not necessarily have a major impact on daily living skills. 

For most of us the holiday period is a time of celebration, family get-togethers and parties. But for many older people Xmas time can be a reminder of how quickly time has passed or how much they miss the company of close family and friends.

Caregivers too can often feel guilty if they can't live up to everyone's expectations over the holiday period. Many older people spending their first Xmas in residential care may mourn the loss of the family home and old traditions. But even if your loved one is in an aged care home you can still include them in family celebrations.