If I'm old will I die from Covid-19

A Grief without a loss: John Brodgen shares.

John Brogden, Chair of Lifeline

This article was updated on 21 March 2023. On the 60 year anniversary of Lifeline Australia we revisit patron John Brogden’s lessons from grief. A lot has changed for Lifeline Australia patron Mr John Brogden since we last caught up with him in 2020. Lifeline has now ‘gone global‘ with … Read more

More questions than ever about advance care directives.

Who-speaks-for-us-when-we-cant-speak-for-ourselves

This article on advance care directives has been updated on August 5, 2022. Advance care directives are evolving – and there’s so much more to know beyond the usual questions of “Do I need to have an advanced care directive?” and “Who needs to know about it?” For example how … Read more

We need answers about Newmarch House – some from governments.

Newmarch House

This article was updated on 22 July, 2022. This week the Aged Care Quality released a new fact sheet for aged care service providers titled ‘How prepared for a Covid-19 outbreak are you?’. It comes as the inquest into Covid-19 deaths begins, with news reports focusing once again on the … Read more

Elder abuse could worsen during Covid-19.

'Covid-19 raises elder abuse concerns' by Colette Bots in Community Care Review

This article was updated on July 20, 2022. It’s sobering to think that during Covid-19, just as the risk of death from domestic violence went up, so will deaths as a consequence of elder abuse. June 15 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Cindy Smith, chief executive of the Australian … Read more

Omicron threat to the aged worse than it should be.

Omicron threat to aged care in Australia is worse than it should be.

Since we’re in the age of the milder Covid-19 Omicron variant we can all relax. Can’t we? Not really. Not if you live in aged care. Here we explain why the Covid-19 Omicron threat to aged care in Australia is worse than it should be. Covid-19’s progress through aged care … Read more

World figures show wide range in Covid-19 nursing home deaths.

by Margaret Rice This story was first published on June 9, 2020. Earlier this month, the NSW Coroner’s Court announced it will investigate the deadly outbreak of Covid-19 at Newmarch House aged care facility in Sydney’s outer western suburbs, where 19 residents died from the virus. This is good to hear. … Read more

We need Covid-19 symptom awareness right now, says Dr Jamal Rifi.

DrJamal Rifi

As the number of people dying at home from Covid-19 in NSW increases, Dr Jamal Rifi, of Belmore, warns this is not acceptable. There had been 30 deaths at home by last night (Monday, 27 September). Nearly half of these cases were not diagnosed until after death. “We should endeavour … Read more

At home (alone) with Covid-19

Dr Lucy Morgan explains when to call an ambulance

Read the extended version of this story If you get a positive Covid-19 result, you will be told to isolate at home, no matter how fit you feel. NSW Health officers will contact you to talk about your health. You will receive regular police checks to ensure you are isolating. … Read more

A Tale of Two Cities

In Mosman LGA

‘Stay at Home’ is now a police operation, as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian more and more desperately urges Sydneysiders not to go out, so the city can fight Covid-19, its rapidly escalating infection rates and inevitable deaths. Across the world, we see enormous variations in the incidence of Covid-19 and … Read more

Zooming in on grief via webinar

As grief counsellor Nathan MacArthur completed his PhD on grief he knew people going through this common experience needed more. “I found people wanted more quality information about what grief looks like and they wanted to explore the aspects of grief that are most difficult, such as the taboos that … Read more

Time for Australia to look at Covid ‘Lessons Learnt’

It might be time to scrutinise a report by a large non-government provider of health services in Australia – now that the second wave of Covid-19 threatens, this time in NSW. Back in April the Lessons Learnt from Covid19 report was released by Catholic Health Australia, the largest non-government provider … Read more

We need to explain reactions to Covid-19 vaccines.

At the moment there is fear and push back because of the blood clotting associated with the Astra Zeneca vaccine

We go back to Covid-19, which will never really leave us now – the idea of it is with us forever. Vaccines will make a huge difference, saving lives. Yes, at Good Grief! we talk about death, but facing off against Covid-19 is now part of that conversation. At the … Read more

Addressing the needs of staff dealing with Covid-19.

Every death will stay with me forever, Nurse Vishalini Navaneetharajah told The BBC.

“There is a growing concern that the welfare of health care staff needs to be addressed in the weeks and months ahead,” The BBC reports, as we check in on Covid-19 again today. There have been 107.937,561 cases of Covid-19 worldwide and 2,367,122 deaths. In the UK, there have been … Read more

Today we reflect on Covid-19 deaths again.

Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden and Jill Biden remember the 400,000 Americans who have died from Covid-19. Photo by Evan Vucci AP.

Today, January 21, Worldometers says there have been 2,080,154 deaths from Covid-19, out of 97,218,195 infections. This as the new President of the USA, Joe Biden, on the eve of his inauguration grieved the 400,000 Covid-19 deaths in his country, saying: “To heal, we must remember.” “‘It’s hard sometimes to … Read more

Care in the carpark.

Love and trust, Jean Kittson on caring for her parents in a challenging time.

Updated February 2022 Jean Kittson’s latest role is caring for her parents in the challenging, frustrating time of COVID-19. My interview with Jean appears in this week’s editions of Mosman Daily, North Shore Times and The Daily Telegraph. Like so many of us today, Jean – well-known Australian commentator, actor, … Read more