What's new
Welcome to our new Manager Legal Services Tom Cowen
Tom took up this role in July 2010. Tom comes to TARS with a wealth of experience. He was a Solicitor for the Seniors Legal & Support Service in Cairns, Principal Solicitor for the Environmental Defenders Office(NT) Darwin. Senior Legal Officer, Milne Bay Provincial Government Papua New Guinea (under auspices of Australian Volunteers International) and has also operated in Private Practice in Newcastle.
His qualifications include: BA, BSc, MEnvS, LLB (Hons) DipLegPrac.
His interests are: Sailing, movies, family.
We look forward to working with Tom.
OWN [The Older Women's Network] presents How Could They?
A Series of 5 Brochures Exploring Legal and Financial Issues:
- For older women considering 'Granny Flats' - A Room of One's Own
- For older women negotiating new relationships - Love at Last!
- For older lesbians negotiating new relationships - Over the Rainbow
- For older women considering gifts and loans - One Good Deed...
- For older women considering going Guarantor - Safe as Houses?
Click here to find out about A Room of One's Own.
Click here to find out about LOVE AT LAST.
Click here to find out about Over the Rainbow.
Click here to find out about One Good Deed.
Click here to find out about Safe as Houses.
Helping you to understand Centrelink Services and Information
Multilingual Information Sessions in Seven Different Languages
Click here to find out about the Multicultural Centrelink Talk.
Alzheimer's Australia NSW Offers Free Education
Alzheimers Australia NSW offers a variety of free-of-charge education and activities for families and friends caring for a person with dementia. All programs aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of dementia, strategies for maintaining effective communication and ways to promote independence, self esteem and enjoyment. The Dementia Memory and Community Centre invites you to register for one or more of our calendar workshops below.
Click here to find out about the ALzNSW Carer Education 2010-11.
Click here to find out about the ALzNSW Community Awareness 2010-11.
TARS solicitor Meg Small Presenting at Conference
The Conference
The Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) is hosting its 43rd National Conference in Hobart, Tasmania, from Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th November 2010.
In keeping with the location, the conference theme will be 'Islands of Ageing: Building bridges for people, policy and practice'.
The conference is particularly looking for papers that examine the challenges of disconnection that occur not only through the individual ageing process, and for older people as a group within the community, but also between researchers, practitioners and policy makers, national state and local bureaucracies, and professions from different disciplinary backgrounds involved in the care and support of older people.
This will be a conference with a positive focus on examining ways for making connections and building bridges and will provide opportunities for presenters from every sector: older people, researchers, practitioners, bureaucrats and policy makers.
TARS Advocates Jill McDonnell and Pat Joyce have also been asked to present posters at the conference.
Australian Association of Gerontology
43rd National Conference
Islands of Ageing: Building Bridges for people, policy and practice
17-19 November 2010
Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tasmania
Hosted by
The Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG)
Community Partner Program
A few weeks ago TARS was invited by one of the recently formed Community Partners Programs to attend an information day to learn more about the programs and to visit The Sydney Murugan Temple at Mays Hill.
The Aged-care Rights Service has become aware of the great work the Community Partners Programs are doing at this time. There are over 30 programs which are funded by the Department of Health & Ageing to assist aged clients and their families from Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Communities. The aim of the programs is to assist families to access aged care facilities and to assist facilities to provide culturally & linguistically appropriate services for their clients.
CPP's can offer the CALD aged community:
- 1. education and information sessions on the range of aged care services
- 2. improved access to aged care services through identification and removal of barriers
- 3. information and resources in community languages
Further information on these programs can be accessed from the NSW TACS phone 9378 1216 or www.nswtacs.org.au.
National Aged Care Advocacy Program
Aged care advocates welcome Complaints Scheme review. Please open the link below to read the NACAP Media Release.
Click here to find out about the National Advocacy - CIS review.
Useful Links
Here are some useful links for those seeking information about aged care.
http://www.itsyourlife.com.au/aged_care/aged_care.htm
For those still using the phone:
Aged and Community Care Information Line
1800 500 853
FREE HEARING CHECKS
In a couple of weeks, Australian hearing are going to launch Telscreen's multi-language service. Telscreen is the most advanced over-the-phone hearing check in the world. Now your phone can tell you how good your hearing is, free of charge, anytime, from anywhere in Australia.
As the Australian population ages services of this type become increasingly important. No doubt other age groups will also benefit from the availability of the service and for customers being able to check their hearing over the phone will assist in overcoming barriers.
Customers need to ring 1800 826 500 and follow the instructions. Customers must be over 18 years of age. The service is not available from a mobile phone. More information is available on www.hearing.com.au.
Got any questions about Options and Choices as you Age?
The publication "Accommodation Choices for Older Australians and their families: what older Australians and their families need to know" has recently been updated and reissued.
It can be obtained from Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)
ph 1300 653 227
or view on line at www.fahcsia.gov.au (go to - About FaHCSIA - Publications and Articles - Seniors - "Accommodation Choices for Older Australians and their Families")
The First Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Community Care
The Charter became law on 1st October 2009. To obtain a copy phone the Aged & Community Care Information Line 1800 500 853 or to view a copy online go to:http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-mailfax-2009-0110.htm
Dementia: Lesbians and Gay Men Resource Material
For more information please contact: Deb Gavan, Manager, Community Services ACON 02 9206 2121.
or visit the ACON website on:www.acon.org.au
Legal Aid Brochures available in new format
Legal Aid has provided TARS with Audio versions of their brochures - Legal Issues for Older People. All except the Grandparents brochure are available in this format. They have also given TARS 40 copies of "the complete guide" which has all 5 brochure cds in one pack.
Legal Aid has also sent TARS brochures about their Veteran's Advocacy Service, which assists veterans, former and current defence force personnel and their dependents to obtain appropriate pensions, the gold card, military compensation and other entitlements from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Talks on Hearing and Hearing Test
Australian Hearing would like to meet seniors groups to talk about hearing and conduct hearing tests.
If you would like them to come along to your group, please contact Dan Hunter at Australian Hearing on 9269 3500 to book a time/date.
Want to speak to TARS and need an interpreter?
When you phone TARS you can ask to use an interpreter - TARS will call the TIS(Translating and Interpreting Service) from the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs who will provide an interpreter for the duration of the call.
Complaints about Dental Work
If you have a problem with the services provided by a dentist or a dental technician the first step is to raise problem with the provider. If the provider does not address the issue, a formal complaint can be made with Dental Board of NSW (Ph 9281 0835) for dentists or the Dental Technicians Registration Board (Ph 9219 0233) for dental technicians. The Australian Dental Association NSW provides technical advice to assist in making these
applications (Ph 8436 9900).
Access to Medical Records
The National Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 bind all health care professionals and service providers. National privacy principal number 6 relates to access and correction of personal information.
If an organization holds personal information about an individual it must provide the individual with access to the information on the request of the individual. The exception, in relation to health information, is where access would pose a serious threat to the life or health
of any individual.
The organization cannot charge a fee for lodging an application for access. The organization can charge a fee for reasonable administrative costs such as photocopying and postage expenses.
Health care providers such as Doctors are required to provide patients with access to their medical records. The doctor must give access to the content of the information held in the medical record about the individual but the doctor gets to choose the form of access. For example, a doctor may provide you with copies of medical notes or a summary of the notes.
A guardian appointed under an enduring guardianship appointment has the same rights to access personal information as the individual who made the guardianship appointment.
For more information you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (1300 363 992) or the NSW Medical Board www.nswmb.org.au
GRANNY FLATS (see also archived articles OPLS)
For further information refer to the Legal Aid NSW brochure published by the Older Persons Legal and Education Program - "Moving in with the family? Make sure you protect your interests". You can obtain a copy of this brochure and legal advice from
TARS on (02) 9281 3600.
Important Information about Funerals
The Office of Fair Trading has produced a new brochure on Funerals in response to recent changes to legislation where from 1 February 2009 funeral directors are required to provide an itemised quote on a basic funeral option if they offer one. If no basic funeral is offered funeral directors must still provide a written itemised quote and after any funeral service is completed they must provide an itemised invoice or statement. The new brochure highlights changes to the law and is useful for anyone organising a funeral.
More than 75,000 copies of the brochure are being distributed this week to social work departments of all public and private hospitals, Coroner's courts, community health centres, aged care homes, Aged Care Assessment Teams, as well as many other outlets.
View the Funerals brochure
www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/About_us/Publications/FT373_Funerals.pdf
