Media Centre

ACQ strives to be the media’s preferred commentator on aged care issues within the State.

While faced with the challenges of communicating the complexities of the aged care industry to the everyday person, ACQ consistently delivers a united voice in the media for its members.

The following media resources produced by the Association aim to improve the industry’s standing within the Queensland community and encourage more sensitive and thoughtful discussion of negative issues regarding aged care in the media.

Free mental health training for communities affected by disaster

Media Centre

Beyondblue the national depression initiative is working with communities affected by disaster to provide free community support training on mental health and wellbeing.

Community leaders, local business owners and other interested community members are invited to take part.The three-hour support workshops will be conducted by beyondblue accredited facilitators and will focus on raising awareness of risk factors for depression, anxiety and related disorders after a disaster and providing support for promoting positive mental health and wellbeing within a community. For more information visit http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=104.1348

Pension increase may be on cards

Media Centre

Aged Care Guide- Julia Gillard's climate change committee is examining ways to stop state governments clawing back parts of its planned carbon tax compensation to people in residential aged care homes and public housing tenants. The Australian newspaper reported that a paper presented to the multi-party climate change committee on Tuesday (17 May) discussed how state governments broadly charge up to 25% of assessable income as rent in public housing facilities. The paper stated that in May 2009, former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wrote to all premiers seeking agreement that the full $30-a-week increase to the single pension announced in the budget would flow through to pensions in public housing.

The states agreed and, according to the paper, only South Australia and Western Australia have ended the quarantine. The release of the paper will increase speculation that the government is looking at an increase to the age pension as part of its compensation package and will attempt to find a way to pass on the carbon tax compensation for at least the first 12 months, which will be targeted towards low and middle income earners.

Veterans’ Health Week

Media Centre

Veterans’ Health Week, from Monday 24 to Sunday 30 October 2011, is a fun opportunity for veterans, war widows, widowers, family members and the broader community to celebrate the strengths of the veteran community. This year’s focus is on mental wellness— encouraging members of the veteran community to think about their health and wellbeing, and discover tips for making positive lifestyle changes, to live a healthier, happier, and stronger life. DVA is partnering with ex-service organisations and community groups to develop a program of Veterans’ Health Week activities at a local level. A variety of fun and interactive events will be held around Australia and events will vary from state to state. More information will be available closer to the week on the DVA website.

2011-12 Budget provides greater access to psychological support

Media Centre

The Australian Government’s $2.2 billion mental health package will provide more people with access to face-to-face psychological support from allied mental health professionals. Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler said the package includes an investment of $220.3 million to strengthen primary care and better target mental health services to those most in need. Under this investment a total of $205.9 million is being provided for a major expansion of the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS). This investment will be used to better target the provision of psychological services providing treatment for an additional approximately 185,000 people over five years. This includes 116,000 specifically for people from hard to reach groups including those in rural and regional areas.

A new superbug

Media Centre

MJA Release:

Australia is in the grip of a new superbug that can cause potentially fatal colon infections, an editorial in the latest Medical Journal of Australia says. The first case of an epidemic strain of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) thought to have been acquired in Australia has been identified at a hospital in Melbourne, and further clusters have been reported in residential aged care facilities, Dr Rhonda Stuart of the Monash Medical Centre’s Department of Infectious Diseases said.

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