Director | Certified Financial Planner | Aged Care Professional
The recently released interim report from the Australian Royal Commission into Aged Care has found the country’s aged care system is “sad and shocking” and “diminishes Australia as a nation”. It calls for immediate action to support more older Australians to stay in their homes and reduce the use of chemical restraints in aged care.
These chemical restraints (i.e. drugging) posed so many health hazards to patients and have been found to have caused more risks of falls, fractures, brain damage and even death.
These antipsychotic drugs are being used in controlling patients’ behavior like agitation and aggression and have been commonly practiced for so many years but have only worsened the situation.
That’s the main reason why the entire aged care sector has been called out for major reforms and to immediately action the changes, particularly on chemical restraints.
As an alternative to this, non-medical intervention has surfaced and more people are now observing this kind of treatment compared to chemical usage.
It has been found that reducing antipsychotics being administered to seniors is better for them and that introducing massage and music therapy to these patients has produced great results.
Large costs are not required in engaging these non-medical treatments. Massages can be absolutely soothing as well as listening to familiar, well-loved music for the elderly.
This has been backed up with claims from a scientific study that these techniques work and even showed more effectiveness rather than using drugs to resolve the issue.
For more details about Financial Planning, Retirement and Aged Care, please visit our website, www.verante.com.au and we will help you achieve clarity with your financial position and how you can prepare yourself or your loved ones for retirement.
