Resources

This video by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission provides important information about sedative medications. It promotes quality and appropriate use of sedatives in residential aged care services in Australia, in particular antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. It also explains some of the impacts and side effects that should be considered when using these medications, and highlights the importance of informed consent. (6 min)

This 5th edition of the Silver Book by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners contains guidance on the use of psychoactive pharmaceuticals in the care of older patients.

A guide to using the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), a tool for assessing the signs and symptoms of major depression in people living with dementia. To be completed by someone that has regular contact with the person.

An article from Australian Prescriber which describes the importance of assessing older people for an anticholinergic burden when taking drugs such as antidepressants and antipsychotics.

Help sheets for careworkers to support older adults remain independent with functional tasks

Professor Lee-Fay Low, Professor in Ageing and Health from the University of Sydney, describes some of the challenges of conducting aged care research in the midst of aged care reforms.

In this blog, Dr Claire Gough of ARIIA describes some of the challenges in defining rehabilitation within the context of aged care and its relationship to the concepts of reablement and restorative care.

Dr Xanthe Golenko explains how the Bolton Clarke Storytelling Program is bringing life story work into residential aged care to promote the personhood of each resident and build connections between staff and those in their care.

James Stack, Managing Director of Obvious Choice, explains why an increasing number of Australian personal care workers are showing us that unexpected success doesn’t only happen on talent shows.

Professor Jennifer Tieman, Director of the ARIIA Knowledge and Implementation Hub outlines the role of the Hub in supporting change in aged care.