Age Old Problems: New Aged Care

Social connection is one of the most powerful contributors to health and wellbeing, yet around one in five older Australians experience social isolation. As people age, changes in health, mobility, relationships, and lifestyle can make it harder to stay connected, even when the desire to engage remains. In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care , host Kate Holland speaks with Maria Chabre...

1 November 2025 marked the most significant shift in aged care in more than three decades. With the introduction of the new Aged Care Act, Strengthened Standards, and the Support at Home program, older Australians now have clearer rights, stronger protections, and a system designed around dignity, safety and independence. In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care , Helping Hand’s Company...

Loving someone who is living with dementia is a journey filled with both love and heartbreak. You’re still holding on to the person you’ve always known, but slowly, parts of them begin to change or slip away. It can be painful, confusing, and emotionally exhausting. In this third episode of our dementia-focused series, host Kate Holland is joined once again by Tanya McIver, Group Manager of Reside...

When the needs of someone living with dementia become more complex, moving into a residential care home can become a matter of necessity. While this can be an emotionally challenging process for everyone involved, the shift can help people to live their best lives and allow carers to regain their relationship with that person. But how do you know when it’s time? And is there an ideal way to broach...

It’s estimated that in Australia, there are currently more than 400,000* people living with dementia. No, it’s not a normal part of ageing, but its prevalence is significant. And while everyone’s experience of dementia is unique, there are some early warning signs to look out for, and some important things to keep in mind when you spot them. Tanya McIver is Group Manager of Residential Services at...

The Federal Government is reshaping how home care services are delivered to older Australians, aiming to support more people to live independently and safely in their own homes for longer. Initially flagged as a 1 July change, the new Support at Home Program will instead come into effect on 1 November 2025. With new features, funding models and service pathways, this transition can feel complex. S...

Allied Health services play a powerful role in helping older people live well, safely and independently. Sitting under that banner is Exercise Physiology, an incredibly valuable service that is often confused with Physiotherapy. Not any more… In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care , we explore the role of Exercise Physiologists (EPs) with the ultra-enthusiastic Harry Beresford, who is...

Receiving nursing at home has so many benefits. There’s no need to make an appointment, no sitting around in waiting rooms, and for Helping Hand clients it means seeing familiar faces in familiar uniforms. Clients receiving home care services can often access nursing services through their government funding, or there is always the option to self-fund. You might not know it, but nurses can do quit...

Leaving behind one life to start another, in a retirement village or residential care home, can be hard. Often people grieve the life they knew. It’s a point that Helping Hand’s coordinating chaplain Paul Hodgson always acknowledges when meeting new residents, that they’ve been through a big change and it’s not always an easy one. Another part of his job is to help clients and their families throu...

Residential Aged Care is for people who can no longer live safely and independently in their own homes. Often the need for this care comes up quite suddenly and it can be hard for families to navigate the system and work out what they have to do. The good news? A quality Admissions Team can help you. In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care , we talk with two warm and wonderful Helping H...

A group known as Forgotten Australians and Care Leavers has been identified as having many challenges as they face the possibility of aged care. Forced into institutional and out-of-home care as children, many experienced significant physical and emotional trauma that can still impact them today. We respect that not everyone will identify with the terminology ‘Forgotten Australians’. When carers u...

While it might feel like an awkward conversation to have, discussing early on how we want to live as we age can ensure that our personal wishes and desires are met. In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care, we discuss Advance Care Planning and the benefits of creating an Advance Care Directive – a legal document available to anyone over the age of 18 which can be used to state your value...

If you’re looking for a volunteering opportunity with real impact, this episode is for you. Helping Hand’s volunteer Kaye is living proof of the joy and purpose volunteering in aged care can bring. You may even need a tissue… She joins Rachel Carson, Lifestyle Coordinator at our residential care home at Golden Grove, in this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care to discuss the ins and outs (a...

In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care we get to the bottom of what an Occupational Therapist (OT) does and how they can help you to remain safe and independent in your own home. Joining us with all the expertise is Amanda Bailey, Occupational Therapy Manager in Home Care at Helping Hand. Chatting with Kate she explains: What are the different allied health services available to older...

In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care, we discuss the benefits of residential respite care. With the help of Lisa Brewer, who works in Admissions and Customer Service at Helping Hand, and Kerry Carlson who is Resident Liaison Coordinator for Helping Hand in North Adelaide, we discover: What is residential respite and what are the benefits for carers? Who is eligible to use it and how...

Finding the right age care service is really important. This podcast was created to help people do just that by providing information and advice from people both delivering and receiving quality age care. In this episode of Age Old Problems: New Aged Care we are discussing Home Care.  With the help of Jo Carter Jones, Group Manager of Retirement Living and Housing at Helping Hand, and one of our H...