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Looking ahead to 2013- E-newsletter #5

December 11

 
 

WELCOME

Welcome to the latest edition of COTA Queensland's e-newsletter.

 

OFFICE CLOSING TIMES OVER CHRISTMAS

COTA Queensland's office (level 1, 25 Mary Street, Brisbane) will close at 5pm on Friday 21 December 2012 and re-open at 9am on Wednesday 2 January 2013.   Our Board, Management, staff and volunteers take this opportunity to say thank all members and colleagues for your support this year and wish you a Merry Christmas and the very best for 2013.

 

COTA QUEENSLAND SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

Administration:  Are you looking to stretch your administrative skills, have attention to detail and would like to join a dynamic team working towards advancing the rights, needs and interests of people as they  age.   COTA Queensland would like to hear from you.  We are looking for admin volunteers to assist with reception, minute taking and various other tasks.

Please contact the Finance & Administration Manger Debra Short by 7 January 2013 with all inquiries at accounts@cotaqld.org.au

Peer Educators: If you think you'd like facilitating interactive health information sessions, we'd like to hear from you. Based on a Peer Education model, we are looking for mature-aged people in their 40's or older.

We are currently looking to expand our network of Peer Educators and are seeking interested people in the Brisbane area, particularly within a 10-15 kilometre radius from the city.

If you enjoy talking to people who are getting older, and like the challenge of facilitating discussion within a given framework, this might be a volunteer role you may thrive upon.  It's not a regular weekly or monthly commitment as we are delivering sessions to groups at times they meet, so some flexibility in availability is important for this role.

Please do contact us by 7 January 2013 if you would like further information or an application kit, our next training is for Peer Educators to present Medicines and You sessions, and will be conducted in Brisbane on 21-22 January 2013.
Phone 3316 2905 or email bookings@cotaqld.org.au

 

CHRISTMAS - A TRADITIONAL TIME OF ANXIETY?

Social Phobia, sometimes called social anxiety disorder, is likely to affect one in 10 people during their lifetime.  It is more common in women (6 percent) than men (4 percent). People with Social Phobia fear social situations where they have to interact with others.  They think they'll be judged and/or scrutinised, and worry people will think they're stupid or foolish. It might mean they can't use public transport or go to places where there are lots of people, such as supermarkets or sporting events.  At this time of year, it may stop them from going shopping, attending Christmas parties or family gatherings.  People with Social Phobia find all of these activities enormously difficult.

Social Phobia is treatable with taking therapy and in some cases, medication, and people should be aware that you don't have to put up with it.  A doctor can help.  During the holiday season, beyondblue  encourages everyone to look out for their mental health as well as their physical health.  Call the beyondblue info line on 1300 224 636.

 

POLICY UPDATE

The COTA Australia Policy and Position Statements (as at November 2012) are now available online at www.cota.org.au
This policy compendium identifies what COTA has to say about a range of issues such as older drivers, climate change, energy, housing, hearing services and mobility scooters (to name just some).

The COTA Queensland Board has endorsed the following policy priorities for 2013:
• Transport
• Housing
• Cost of living
• Health, aged and community care

If you would like to stay in touch with the work of the Policy Committee in 2013, please contact Mark Young, Policy Officer, on 1300 738 348 or policy@cotaqld.org.au.

 

NEW AIHW REPORT: OLDER PEOPLE LEAVING HOSPITAL

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a new report:
Older people leaving hospital: a statistical overview of the Transition Care Program 2009-10 and 2010-11
Older people leaving hospital: a statistical overview of the transition care program 2009-10 and 2010-11 presents key statistics about transition care services provided to older people directly after discharge from hospital. The Transition Care Program aims to improve recipients' independence and functioning, and has assisted nearly 52,000 people since it started in 2005-06, including 18,000 individuals who received just under 20,300 episodes of transition care in 2010-11. The report includes for the first time an analysis of trends since the program's establishment, and an examination of the final outcomes of people receiving consecutive episodes of care.
AIHW catalogue number (AGE 71).
Available from CanPrint for $36 (1300 889 873).

View the media release and download the full report for free online

 

 

TAXI SUBSIDY SCHEME REVIEW PANEL

The Minister for Transport and Main Roads, the Honourable Scott Emerson MP, has established a Review Panel to make recommendations on the future of the Taxi Subsidy Scheme. The Terms of Reference of the review are available online here.

COTA Queensland is a member of the review panel, which is expected to deliver its report and recommendations to government in February 2013. If you have had positive or negative experiences of using the Taxi Subsidy Scheme, or have ideas in general about how it could be improved or sustained, please let COTA Queensland know by contacting Mark Young, Policy Officer, on 1300 738 348 or policy@cotaqld.org.au.

 

ACCC URGES CONSUMERS TO CHECK SHOPPING LIST TWICE FOR UNSAFE GIFTS

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released its “Safe Santa Checklist” – a product safety checklist to help keep the community safe from product-related injuries, illness or death this Christmas.

The ACCC is encouraging consumers to use the checklist while making Christmas shopping lists to avoid buying gifts that have been recalled or are otherwise unsafe. The checklist will help select safe presents so, for example, a child doesn’t end up receiving a toy under the Christmas tree with parts that could cause them to choke. Following the checklist will also help keep up to date on the latest information on Australian recalls and product safety issues.

Santa stars in a short online video demonstrating how to use the ACCC checklist. The video and checklist are available at: www.productsafety.gov.au

 

THE 12 SCAMS OF CHRISTMAS

1. Social media scams
Beware of ads for phony contests and "stay at home" job postings, even if they are from your friends.
2. Malicious Mobile Apps
Only download apps from official app stores. Check users' reviews and read the app permission policies.
3. Travel Scams
Be wary of offers that are too good to be true and, when on the road, be careful of using free Wi-Fi connections.
4. Holiday Spam/Phishing
Never respond to spam emails or click on the links in these emails.
5. iPhone 5, iPad Mini and other hot holiday gift scams 
Be suspicious of deals on hot holiday gift items and make sure to verify them with the retailer.
6. Skype Message Scare
Never click on a suspicious link, even if it comes from someone you know.
7. Bogus gift cards
Buy gift cards from the official retailer and not a third party source.
8. Holiday SMiShing
Remember that legitimate businesses such as banks won't ask you to verify personal information via texts.
9. Phony E-tailers
Only shop at trusted well-known e-commerce sites.
10. Phony charities
When you want to give, visit the charity's website and do some research before donating.
11. Dangerous e-cards
Check to see that the sender is someone you actually know and it comes from a well-known e-card site.
12. Phony classifieds
Don't wire money for deals and make sure you don't pay for an item before receiving it.

Source: www.news-mail.com.au/

 

QUEENSLAND RESIDENTS WARNED TO TAKE CARE IN HOT CONDITIONS

Queensland Health Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said it was important residents looked after their health by staying cool and hydrated. Almost 400 Queenslanders were treated at Queensland Health emergency departments for heat-related illness from July 2011 to June 2012, with more than 60 per cent of cases occurring in the hottest months.

Dr Young said a number of measures could be taken to prevent heat-related illnesses, including:
• drink plenty of fluids - cool water is best. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink but drink regularly throughout the day
• urine colour is a good guide to hydration - it should be clear to light straw-coloured, not dark or gold
• stay indoors in very hot weather, preferably in an air-conditioned building or ensure there is good air flow with fans and open windows
• public venues, such as air-conditioned shopping centres and pools, can provide refuge from the heat
• people can also stay cool by taking cool showers or baths, soaking their feet in a basin of water, or wetting a bandana or washer and wrapping it around their neck
• take time to adjust to the environment, pace yourself and limit strenuous outdoor activity.

Source: www.health.qld.gov.au/

 

NATIONAL ELDERCARE RESEARCH

Are you an employed person involved in providing informal care for an elderly relative?
Informal caregivers, in addition to their paid job, provide assistance (usually unpaid) to an elderly relative (e.g., a parent, parent in-law, grandparent, aunt or uncle, partner/spouse, sibling) who needs help because they have an illness, disability or because they are getting older.
The person who needs help may live with you in your home, in their own home or in another place such as a nursing home.
What does an informal caregiver do?
• All informal caregivers generally provide some form of emotional or social support.
• Some caregivers assist their elderly relatives with the activities of daily living: for example, helping with cooking, eating, washing, dressing, going to the toilet or administering medications.
• Other caregivers provide care for people who are quite independent but who may need support with transport, finances, management of health care issues and occasional household tasks.
Research is being conducted by University of Queensland PhD Researchers into how caring for elders with physical (i.e. frailty) or mental disability impacts on carers ability to manage their job roles at work, home and the impact on their health and wellbeing.
If you provide care to an elder who requires assistance with their daily living, please follow the link below to register your interest and to find out more information. In accordance with University and research policy, all participants will be ensured confidentiality at all stages of the study.
https://experiment.psy.uq.edu.au/eldercare/

 

IN THIS ISSUE

  1. WELCOME
  2. OFFICE CLOSING TIMES OVER CHRISTMAS
  3. COTA QUEENSLAND SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
  4. CHRISTMAS - A TRADITIONAL TIME OF ANXIETY?
  5. POLICY UPDATE
  6. NEW AIHW REPORT: OLDER PEOPLE LEAVING HOSPITAL
  7. TAXI SUBSIDY SCHEME REVIEW PANEL
  8. ACCC URGES CONSUMERS TO CHECK SHOPPING LIST TWICE FOR UNSAFE GIFTS
  9. THE 12 SCAMS OF CHRISTMAS
  10. QUEENSLAND RESIDENTS WARNED TO TAKE CARE IN HOT CONDITIONS
  11. NATIONAL ELDERCARE RESEARCH

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Council on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland

Level 1, 25 Mary Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
PO Box 15525, City East, QLD 4002
Office: +61-7-3316-2999
Toll free number (within Qld): 1300-738-348
Fax: +61-7-3316-2900
www.cotaqld.org.au