managing Covid-19.

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

Our grief responses are okay – even the little ones.

The OK's of Covid-19, by the Healing Patch, https://www.homenursingagency.com/our-services/childrens-services/healing-patch

This article was updated on 27 July, 2022. It’s close to two and a half years since the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic and grief is still hitting us and loved ones are still dying. The latest Australian Covid statistics from the ABC are here. We have gone … Read more

A unique ARDS – likely mode of death for Covid-19.

CT imaging of damage to the lungs from Covid-19 infection, made by George Washington University and reproduced by the New York Times in its video.

This article was updated on 23 July, 2022. In Australia in 2022 it is the middle of winter and we now face a third Covid-19 wave. We have already had more deaths from Covid this year than the two years put together. So it’s worth revisiting our article on Acute … Read more

Sweden’s Covid-19 story compared to Australia’s.

Australian Covid-19 statistics 29.4.20, Aust Govt Dept of Health

This article was updated 21 July, 2022. Sweden is often portrayed as the Covid-19 anti lockdown poster child. Since we posted our article below an interesting book has been published comparing the successes of the varied approaches across the world, including Sweden’s. So which country managed Covid-19 best? Devi Sridha … Read more

Disenfranchised Grief: Melbourne two years on.

Disenfranchised grief - Melbourne two years on. Melbourne mother Sara Webb.

It’s been two years since the first Covid-19 restrictions were announced in Australia and nowhere felt it harder than Melbourne, which faced the longest lockdowns globally. Melbourne’s experience has been unique in Australia and Melbournians are wanting to share what they have endured, and the losses needing to be grieved. … Read more

Living with Covid-19 in 2022.

Good Grief Newsletter 17 March, 2022 - Photo courtesy Unsplash

Living with Covid-19 in 2022 involves moving from ‘crisis’ to ‘business as usual’. OLIVIA LOUKAS reflects on those aspects of 2021 Covid-19 management that need to improve to secure this transition safely. Confusion still exists. Living with Covid-19 in 2022 means continuing to manage it. A surge of cases is … Read more

Sources for: Living with Covid-19 in 2022.

Read our sources for - Living with Covid-19 in 2022.6

Living with Covid-19 in 2022 involves moving from ‘crisis’ to ‘business as usual’. OLIVIA LOUKAS reflects on those aspects of 2021 Covid-19 management that need to improve to secure this transition. Below are our sources for this article by Olivia, published separately on our website and in our newsletter today. … Read more

Melbourne study confirms intense suffering for families of those dying in nursing homes during Covid-19

Melbourne study confirms extra suffering for families of those dying in nursing homes during Covid-19 - Photo by Patricia Prudente on Unsplash

The families of those dying in residential aged care experienced intense levels of stress and suffering because of Covid-19 lockdowns, research from Melbourne confirms. While the research acknowledges something reported all over the world, the authors believe it is the first Australian qualitative study of the issues. Dr Paul Yates … 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

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

Are 18 Deaths at Home from Covid-19 acceptable?

Ianeta Isaako and family

We now have more Covid-19 cases in the community than we could hope to accommodate in hospital. Many will go on to recover without needing the intervention of ICU. But a percentage will need that intervention or they will die. Who will fall into this risk category? We need to … 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

Funerals and Lockdowns

Barry left behind his beloved wife Eleanor and cherished children Carolyn, Chris and Sandra.

By Sandra Moon Two weeks ago, with state border closures in place and Local Government Area (LGA) lockdowns due to COVID-19, my mother Eleanor took my father Barry into the Emergency Department not knowing he would never come home again. While it had been a long health battle for Dad, … 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