News

Natasha Chadwick entered the aged care industry early in her career, and quickly became determined to change the way things were done.

The Telstra Business Women’s Awards judges have selected Natasha as one of the most outstanding women doing business in Queensland and have shortlisted her for the finals which will take place in Brisbane at the end of March. It’s an incredible achievement, but no less than she deserves.

A radical new way to treat dementia patients has come to Australia. Instead of nursing homes, sufferers get to live in what’s designed to look like any other town. They can live almost normal lives, but they’re safe and happy, and their families are thrilled.

A newly established dementia facility is changing the lives of those suffering with the terrible condition and making them feel more at home. Described as a micro town, the NewDirection Care facility seems like any ordinary community except for the fact, 60 per cent of its residents are living with dementia.

Paul Heckler was just 52 in 2013 when he began to experience the symptoms that would change his life forever. “Paul hadn’t been working for some time and was complaining about trouble seeing,” Astrid, Paul’s wife, told A Current Affair. He underwent a myriad of tests to try to figure out just what was wrong,…

Nurses play a crucial role in the early identification of delirium in people of all ages, with research suggesting that increased delirium education and understanding can improve awareness of the condition, and potentially improve the management of people who have delirium.

After more than two decades in Aged Care, Natasha Chadwick believed Australia’s aged care model needed an innovative makeover and a people first approach. A year ago, she opened the doors to NewDirection Care, the world’s first diagnosis-inclusive Microtown for Australian seniors with complex care needs including those with dementia and younger onset dementia.

Natasha Chadwick and Alasdair A MacDonald report on a new, award-winning inclusive model of residential aged care that doesn’t segregate people by physical or cognitive diagnosis. Instead, residents with a range of care needs, including advanced dementia, and with similar values and lifestyle preferences, share a home together.

For all the horror stories about aged care there are positive developments. There are new models that promote purpose and meaning. “I’d rather die.” For many – particularly in light of the horror stories that have led to a royal commission – that’s the common reaction to any suggestion about going into aged care.

Last week the Hon. Ken Wyatt AM, MP, Minister for Aged Care saw first-hand the World’s First Microtown™ NewDirection Care in Bellmere, Queensland. Minister Ken Wyatt described NewDirection Care as “Aged Care that is totally person-centred, with seven people per house with a care companion who works with each home’s resident.”