“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, 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
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
Hmmm, the Swedish model again. A fascinating report by Lisa Millar on this week’s ABC Foreign Correspondent, talked about the Swedish model for managing Covid-19. Her report looked at the latest phase of its evolution. Sweden has taken a liberal attitude to social restrictions because of Covid-19. To see Lisa’s … Read more
The Covid-19 crisis had its biggest consequences for these two most important rituals, the wedding and the funeral. “During the service I never pose people or use flash photography. Discrete candid photography allows me to capture the sombre mode of family embracing, children deep in thought, and friends crofting the … Read more
For those who’ve followed Sydney’s Newmarch House Covid-19 infections, last night’s ABC Four Corners made for compelling viewing. At Newmarch House over a period of 39 days, 34 staff and 37 residents became infected with Covid 19. There were 19 deaths of residents. When we researched Newmarch House intensively for … Read more
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. We’ll have an objective analysis, with scrupulous attention to detail, a … Read more
Work has gone online – even, surprisingly, in the healthcare space. We’ve discovered more about what’s effective and what isn’t as lawyers, school teachers and sales people have developed new online practices. However, at times this can feel like two steps forward, one step back. Some Sydney lawyers report that … Read more
So what sort of end of life decisions might need to be made if you suffering from Covid-19? Like advance care planning with other diseases, you are stepping through a series of “If, then”s. Here’s information from the UK’s Royal College of Physicians about what happens in Covid-19 critical care. … Read more
We’ve found a good, practical, user-friendly resource that can help you with advance care planning if you become ill with Covid-19. The following message comes from, the US, one of the busiest countries dealing with Covid-19. Thank you very much to Colorado Care Planning at https://coloradocareplanning.org/ who helped us track … Read more
Jenny McFadden has started a Facebook group, Covid Safe Elders Australia. People can get in touch with the group and share their concerns about the way the elderly are being managed during Covid-19. “We’re interested in people who have experiences and stories about aged care. These experiences can help us … Read more
As Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced an ‘early mark’ for Australians on social distancing restrictions from Saturday 2 May, 2020, because of our success in controlling Covid-19, the spotlight stays on the continuing sources of outbreaks – including aged care facilities. Scrutiny will ensure we don’t have a sudden … Read more
Patients who need resuscitation are being managed very differently because of Covid-19, something that is causing concern for emergency medicine specialists. They fear that resuscitation efforts won’t meet the standard we are used to in emergency departments, so non-Covid-19 patients will become ‘collateral damage’. “I understand that we need to protect … Read more
Dr Michelle Atchison agrees with Matthew that, as Covid-19 imposes isolation on the grieving, it is an important time for professionals in the grief area to reach out to their patients. She is the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Chair of Private Practice, and also works in … Read more
Palliative care is adapting to meet the needs of those with Covid-19 – and people dying of other causes. Palliative Care Australia has formed the Australian COVID-19 Palliative Care Working Group (ACPCWG) in partnership with palliative care related specialist groups. These are the Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM), … Read more