LATEST NEWS
ACCPA Proposes New Aged Care Working Visa
Aged care providers have proposed that the Federal Government establish a specific visa for skilled migrants to deliver 24/7 registered nurses to facilities. The Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) submitted policy proposals to the Government to amend the reform bill requiring round-the-clock nurses in residential aged care. Some recommendations included a consideration for partial or full HECS waivers, and to create incentives to upskill the sector’s workforce. The submission called for a government-funded recruitment campaign to attract more registered nurses to the sector, as well as to draw inspiration from the UK and introduce a similar style of health and care worker visa. ACCPA also asked Labour to start funding the 215 resident care minutes 12 months earlier to support providers in reaching their targets.
Australia’s First Exercise Guidelines to Lower Dementia Risk
The Dementia Collaborative Research Centres have funded and launched Australia’s first guidelines on physical exercise to reduce cognitive decline and improve mental health. Regular physical exercise has been linked to reducing anxiety and depression and lowering the risk of onset of dementia by up to 30 per cent. However, Melbourne University’s Director of the Psychiatry of Old Age unit, Professor Nicola Lautenschlager, said Australia lacked definitive information or guidance on this. The guidelines encourage a healthy diet, no smoking, low to no alcohol intake. The guidelines also explore risk factors and barriers, including medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and head injury.
Better Balance for Fall Prevention
This campaign, supported by Council on the Ageing (COTA) NSW, is an annual campaign designed to raise awareness about falls, their impact, and to learn about prevention strategies. It also helps Australians to match the most suitable exercise programs for each person.
Survey Reveals Most Older People Impacted by Rising Cost of Living
National Seniors Australia’s latest National Seniors Social Survey has revealed that 80 per cent of older people have been impacted by increasing living costs, with an anticipated increase in the next 12 months in the number of older people being “severely” impacted. Results show that renters, low-income households, rural and remote households, larger households with 3 or more people, and households where the respondent was aged in their 50s were the most likely to experience severe impacts from rising living costs. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Labour Force Survey has also shown that the national workforce increased by almost 491,000 between October 2019 and October 2022 and that 39 per cent of this group were people aged 55 years and over.
Western Sydney University (WSU) Student Placements
WSU are seeking workplaces to host students from their postgraduate degrees in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Placement requirements are as follows:
- Placement hours include 300 hours in total
- 70-100 of placement hours need to be client contact – this includes individual or group work, co-counselling with supervisor or other staff member
- Supervisors within the industry need to have a min. of 5 years experience (preferred), with supervision or equivalent debrief at least once a week (WSU will provide clinical supervision every week, alongside the service)
- Students will begin placement usually in February (or they can start later in the year, depending on the opportunity) and complete their placement by the end of year, around November-December, depending on service preference and student agreement
- Service visits will be conducted once a year, usually mid-year. The placement visit is between service, student and University supervisor – it is an informal conversation to see how the student and service are progressing with the placement process
- Insurance is provided by WSU once a student is placed that the service
- A Student Placement Agreement (SPA) is formed between the service and WSU.
Read the WSU Placement Manual for more information on the placement process.
