COVID-19 booster doses recommended and available for older adults now

Archive for December, 2021

COVID-19 booster doses recommended and available for older adults now

With Queensland’s borders now open to international and interstate visitors, older adults are being encouraged to have a COVID-19 booster dose.

People aged 18 or older are eligible for the booster dose if it has been at least five months since second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The booster is free.

A booster dose is not mandatory, however the Australian Government recommends it to ensure the protection from the first two doses is even stronger and longer-lasting.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends either the Comirnaty (Pfizer) or Spikevax (Moderna) booster dose although the Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) vaccine also will be available.

Find out more information about booster shots by talking to your doctor or at an Australian Government website using this link.

With our borders opening and vaccination rates climbing, it is hoped families, living interstate will seize the chance to reunite with their elderly loved ones after many months of limited physical contact. It also means Queenslanders can take day trips or holidays interstate without the risk of being shut out of Queensland.

At the time of this newsletter going to print, travellers could enter Queensland from both declared COVID-19 hotspots and non-hotspot areas although the entry requirements differ in each case.

For more information on border entry requirements to Queensland visit this link.


Children deliver cheer to our clients

The children at Fig Tree Pocket’s Gan Gani Community Kindergarten were determined to spread some cheer to clients of Jubilee recently. The children packed and delivered some goodie bags to the Jubilee office which were then distributed to various clients.

The heart-warming gesture came after a visit by our Jubilee Wanderers to the kindergarten for Seniors Month in October was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Thank you to all of the kindergarten children, teachers and parents involved.

 

Pictured: Jubilee’s Executive Director, Darren Sonter with Oliver and William from Gan Gani


Start exercising with friends online

Seize the chance to connect with others while exercising in the comfort of your own home. Existing and new participants in Jubilee Community Care’s Active at Home program can now access exercises online in addition to the usual sessions carried out with the assistance of a support worker in your home. The aim of the program is to allow Jubilee clients to regain the strength and confidence they need to remain active and independent in their later years.

The additional virtual exercise sessions are optional and a live event hosted through the secure video platform Zoom. To participate, you will need a device such as a computer, tablet or smart phone with internet access. Jubilee Community Care can assist in setting up and learning Zoom if necessary.

During the sessions, a qualified exercise physiologist will take you through a guided Active at Home exercise session with a focus on inclusion, personal connection and social engagement. The exercise physiologist will provide general exercise advice. It is important to ensure you are safe and well prior to exercising and this will be covered at the beginning of each session.

The online exercise sessions will take place at 9am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Wednesday, January 5. If you require further information on Active at Home or the additional sessions phone Jubilee on 3871 3220.


Free book delivery by local libraries

Did you know Brisbane City Council has a free home library service for residents unable to visit a library due to frailty, disability or long-term illness?

Library staff assist with the selection of reading material, including magazines, large print, audio books, DVDs and CDs based on a customer’s interests and preferences. These items are delivered once a month.

In addition to the Home Library Service, council libraries offer a free audiobook postal service for people who are blind or vision impaired. Eligible residents receive a new selection of audiobooks based on their reading profiles and preferences upon the return of their previous mail delivery.

Residents unable to visit a library in-person, and their full-time carers, are eligible for the services. An application form can be obtained from any council library, the online library catalogue eLibCat or mailed to the applicant. Once the form is completed, it can be emailed or mailed to any council library for assessment.

For information about these services, phone Brisbane City Council on 3403 8888.


Care planning essential to ensure your medical wishes are carried out

Older adults are being encouraged to take control of their end-of-life care after a national study found a majority are failing to take the steps to secure the future of their health care.

The study, led by Advance Care Planning Australia (ACPA), found that 70 percent of Australians aged 65 or older are side-stepping the opportunity to control their end-of-life care, with men less likely to plan than women.

For the 30 percent of older Australians with some form of advance care planning document, the study found the majority of them are either incomplete, invalid or not legally binding. In Queensland, those documents include Enduring Power of Attorney, an Advance Health Directive or a Statement of Choices.

Advance care planning offers people the opportunity to clarify their medical treatment preferences in advance, preparing themselves and loved ones for a time when they can no longer communicate their wishes.

ACPA program director Linda Nolte said the study highlighted a looming minefield of family conflict and confusion with a generation of baby boomers entering their twilight years and dementia now being the leading cause of death for Australians aged 85+.

“While advance care planning is by no means mandatory, we’re concerned for older people who expect to remain in control of their medical decisions as they age. If choice and control is important to you, advance care planning should be on your radar,” Ms Nolte says.

“An important part of healthy ageing is making informal health choices. We urge people to take active steps to control their future care and create legally binding Advance Care Directives while they still have decision-making capacity. It means you’re more likely to get the care you want and avoid treatment you don’t want. It also relieves loved ones of the burden of making life-and-death decisions by guesswork.”

“We also encourage people to ensure their Advanced Care Directive is coherent and properly dated, signed and witnessed. It may be the difference between whether your doctor follows your directive or not.”