Gordi: ‘Staying in shape is part of my job on stage’
The ARIA-nominated artist, also known as Sophie Payten, speaks of parallel careers in music and medicine and staying fit while touring (and how she does it).
Caring
Two-year wait for autism diagnosis hurts children’s future
The earlier an autistic child is diagnosed, the better their long-term outcomes. So why are initial diagnoses taking longer and longer?
Packer’s treatment better than the rest
Anthony Albanese kickstarted the election campaign lauding our public hospitals for treating billionaires like Kerry Packer the same as everyone else, including himself. We run the ruler over his claim.
‘The world is gone’: How two grieving mothers were saved by friendship and laughter
For a long time after her daughter died, Karol Barac never laughed. Then she met Karen Shuster.
NDIS participants want safety, quality … and choice
Mandatory registration of disability service providers sounds simple, until you factor in the effect on free choice, costs and red tape.
Autistic children ‘left in limbo’, parents fear
State and federal governments are locked in talks over which disability services will be covered by the NDIS and which won’t. Meanwhile, disabled kids and their parents are caught in the middle.
Aged care is heading for ‘catastrophe’, peak bodies warn
The aged-care sector is headed for ‘catastrophe’ unless Labor delays its milestone reforms by at least six months, peak bodies and providers across the sector say.
We love to hate it, but truth is we should be proud of the NDIS
The NDIS is an easy target. It isn’t perfect, but it’s so much better than not having an NDIS. Time for some rational discussion and dealing with the real issues and not the political ones.
NDIS says no to giving Finley new voice
Thousands of claims just like Finley Coll’s are being fought in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by people with a disability. There can be ‘long, crazy process’ before that happens.
NDIS spends $1bn-plus on fees for middlemen managers
Billions of dollars a year in NDIS funding is being soaked up by middlemen plan managers and support co-ordinators who are arguably no longer necessary and drain taxpayer funds that should be spent directly on people with disabilities.
Time to cut wasteful hidden fees from the NDIS
Trailing fees and exorbitant hourly costs must be excised from the NDIS to make more money available for those who need it, says a pioneer of the scheme.
Are you ready for ageing? Care will be rationed, rights or not
The new ‘rights-based’ aged care system will be rationed, just like universal free healthcare. Promises won’t match delivery.
‘Tempers frayed and people were exasperated’: Covid from the inside
Hundreds of thousands of health professionals knew they would need to step up for Covid. Some of them succumbed. And then came the backlash.
Woman’s dying days in care were ‘cruel, inhumane’. Why was it allowed to occur?
A dying woman’s first person account of her appalling healthcare after being diagnosed with a terminal illness has sparked calls for urgent change.
‘Change will come too late for me’: last plea from a dying woman
Devastated by a profound lack of care after being diagnosed with a terminal illness, a Queensland mother, wife and academic spent some of her precious final time writing of her shocking experience. She died on Monday.
Hungry for insights on diet, pregnancy experts make guinea pigs of themselves
Two baby-science researchers have used their own pregnancies to trial a groundbreaking supplement that promises to reduce cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness in infants.
Call for rental help for aged-care workers
Catholic Health Australia has called on Labor to subsidise rents for its staff, as it warns older Australians will pay more for care without a radical boost in government funding.
Women hesitating on ambulance calls, study shows
When Debra Clare had a sudden heart attack, her first thought was not to call an ambulance; she is not alone in that.
‘We were hostages at the whim of a pint-sized madman’
A Melbourne lawyer writes of her family’s struggle to cope with their autistic son Harry’s pathological demand avoidance – during lockdown and beyond.
‘Hardwired to fight every demand’: what Harry’s family did to find happiness
From getting out of bed to teeth brushing, there are at least 32 steps to help Harry through each day. This is the story of how his family endured Covid lockdowns with an autistic toddler, and their search for answers to his complex behaviour.
Australian MP tells UK parliament VAD prevents suicide
NSW Independent MP Alex Greenwich told a UK parliament committee that voluntary assisted dying prevents suicide. How does this stack up against the data?
Headspace flails under demand
The majority of headspace users see no improvement to health outcomes, and its chief executive is appealing for structural reform to change that.
Mikaela is exactly who the NDIS should be supporting. So why has it left her ‘stranded’?
Sixteen-year-old Mikaela Williams has quadriplegia. But the effort of learning to get on her feet and scoot around with assistance in a walker is nothing compared to navigating the NDIS.
How can runners prevent injury? Five tricks to try
Don’t let runner’s knee and shin splints slow you down – try these easy exercises to keep you speeding ahead.
Politicians must help cure ailing Medicare
General practitioners are the backbone of health care. But without increased rebates for longer consultations, the system will soon buckle.
Father rides ‘to the Moon and Back’ fighting son’s epilepsy
Will has one of the rarest forms of childhood epilepsy, caught with a mixture of luck and ‘parental instinct’. It will take a trip to the Moon and Back to help him.
They were told their baby would die before she turned three. How did she defy the odds?
Diagnosed with a life limiting illness at five months, doctors told Jess Schonberger’s parents their first-born would not see her third birthday. What happened next has astounded everyone.
Princess Catherine is in remission. Understanding what that means is complicated
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is in remission. We talk to an oncologist about what that means and how long it lasts
Purpose, love and security: the golden triangle of ageing well
Preparing yourself to have a happy, healthy life as you age requires thought, intention and preparation. Wherever you are on the health continuum, this may provide you with some food for thought.
‘Infighting thwarts hospital access’: AMA
Doctors warn state and federal health ministers must share responsibility for aged care and NDIS to keep the nation from getting sicker.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/health/caring