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The article reports on collaboration between members of the Outside In Collective and Australian aged care providers to connect with, stimulate and bring joy to residents with cognitive impairment through window visits, courtyard sing-a-longs and video chats. Topics discussed include estimated fatality rate for aged care residents due to COVID-19, and explanation of Meaghan Feringa, a Care Supervisor at Merton Living, about window therapy.

The article offers information on the research investigating intergenerational programs that promote interaction between youth and residents living in aged care, as well as student placements within aged care services. It discusses efforts to fulfil the residential care needs from security, continuity and belonging. It mentions the efforts for promoting a sense of value and belonging for the older adults.

Background/Aim: To investigate recognition, attitudes and causal beliefs regarding dementia in Italian, Greek and Chinese Australians in comparison with 3rd generation Australians. Little is known about dementia literacy in these racial and ethnic minority groups. Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted of 350 Italian, 414 Greek, 437 Chinese and 500 3rd generation Australians randomly selected from the telephone directory. Results: Third generation participants (85%) were more likely to recognize dementia symptoms in a vignette in comparison to Italian (61%), Greek (58%) and Chinese (72%) participants. Overall, the racial and ethnic minority groups had more negative attitudes about persons with dementia. The racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely to suggest old age and psychosocial risk factors caused dementia, whereas 3rd generation Australians were more likely to suggest brain disease. Differences between ethnic minority and 3rd generation groups remained after controlling for sociodemographic variables. There were differences between Italian, Greek and Chinese participants on markers of acculturation associated with knowledge and beliefs within each group. Conclusions: Racial and ethnic minority groups have poor dementia literacy in comparison to 3rd generation Australians. There is a need for dementia education targeted to and tailored for these groups. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined specialized psychiatric hospitalization in Australia. Methods: Data from July 1998 to June 2005 from the National Hospital Morbidity Database, which includes all public and most private hospital stays in Australia, were analyzed. Results: Over the study period, there were 1,343,584 psychiatric discharges (including transfers, deaths, and changes in care type). There was an 18.0% increase in discharges per 1,000 persons and a 20.3% reduction in average length of stay. The rate of discharges decreased with age, and length of stay increased with age. Psychiatric admission rates were higher and length of stay was lower for women than for men. Hospitalization rates fell with age for schizophrenia, manic disorders, and substance use disorders; increased with age for organic disorders; and peaked midlife for alcohol abuse and mood disorders. A late-life increase in hospitalization for depressive and personality disorders was observed for men. Conclusions: Planning for specialized psychiatric hospital services needs to take into account the mix of clinical needs by age, gender, and diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]