Vulnerable older people at risk at end of life

Vulnerable older people at risk at end of life: The escalating, and often hidden, problem of elder abuse is chief amongst the challenges confronting Australia’s ageing population. It is a challenge not only for older people but also for other key stakeholders including, for example, health professionals, lawyers, government, policy makers and social workers (Purser et al, 2018).

Compounding the problems are the definitional and prevalence uncertainties in this area. At what age a person becomes ‘older’ is unclear. Definitions range fifty years and over, to sixty-five years and over.

Read the article here on CareSearch

Help Us Find Solutions for Social Isolation

Social isolation is a state in which a person lacks a sense of belonging, isn’t engaging with others, and has a minimal number of social contacts and quality relationships. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation think there is much more the U.S. can learn from beyond their nation’s borders about preventing social isolation—both from countries where residents are happy and have thriving social connections, and countries that are still working to find solutions.Help Us Find Solutions for Social Isolation: Join us in searching for ideas to help tackle the growing problem of social isolation in the United States, and expand social connections which provide purpose and meaning.

Patient Safety Culture

A review published in the Australian Health Review highlighted that despite efforts to improve patient safety culture (PSC), health professional groups have different views and do not perceive their organisations to be promoting patient safety.
Although many factors affect patient safety, in the US the Institute of Medicine identified hospital organisational culture as one factor contributing to a reduction in errors. From an Australian perspective, there is a lack of recent PSC literature in acute hospital settings in Australia, which is highlighted and discussed the the review.
The full article, Health professionals’ perception of patient safety culture in acute hospitals: an integrative review can be read here.

A global study reveals 1 in 5 catheters unnecessarily painful or malfunctioning

A global study has found major problems with the manner in which short peripheral catheters are managed, with two-thirds of catheter insertions found to be placed in non-recommended sites or at risk of failure, and one in five catheters found to be unnecessarily painful or malfunctioning.

The study, led by Western Sydney University, involved hundreds of health professionals who assessed 40,620 peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) in 51 countries. The study found that thousands of catheters were placed in non-recommended sites such as the hand, wrist or antecubital veins with many devices reviewed already failing or at risk of failure.

Read the full article here by The Australian Hospital & Healthcare Bulletin.

Moving ultrasound pictures capture babies' first breaths

Watching a newborn baby take its first breath has always been a significant moment for parents and healthcare staff. Now, for the first time, doctors at the Royal Women’s Hospital have captured moving ultrasound images of the lungs of newborn babies as they take their first breaths.

The research, involving the Women’s and Monash University, signals a breakthrough in understanding how human lungs transition from the womb to the first breaths at birth.

Researchers say the new information could lead to the diagnosis of severe breathing problems in very preterm babies in the first minutes of life, instead of the current several hours, allowing for live-saving treatment.

Read the full article here in The Australian Hospital and Healthcare Bulletin

                                              Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Cari

It's National Child Protection Week - help prevent abuse and neglect

The National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) are an Australian organisation that focuses entirely on the prevention of child abuse and neglect before it starts. They promote National Child Protection Week which starts annually from Fathers' Day every year (Sunday 2nd - Saturday 8th September this year).
They say that we all have a role to play in protecting children from harm. The little things we do every day can help to create safer environments for children. For instance:

• Be kind to children and parents
• Respect young people
• Be a good role model around children
• Get involved in your local community
• Look out for signs of abuse or neglect; if you suspect something is wrong talk to an expert
• Always take reports of abuse seriously
• Avoid blame and don’t judge; instead, ask yourself what you can do to help
• Listen to the needs of children and spend time with them

National Child Protection Week is an opportunity for government, business and community to come together to promote the safety and wellbeing of children. Learn more about how to get involved here.