Day: September 11, 2023

What is advance care planning? Advance care planning involves planning for your future healthcare. The process of advance care planning helps you outline your values and beliefs and your preferences for your future healthcare. Advance care planning will help guide your loved ones and doctors to make decisions on your behalf that align with your values, in a situation where you aren’t able to do this yourself. What is an advance care directive? Advance care planning involves formally detailing your values and preferences regarding your future healthcare. This document is called an ‘advance care directive’, though it has different names

What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that begins in early childhood. ADHD used to be called attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADHD is often misunderstood. It can cause problems: concentrating becoming distracted being hyperactive (sometimes) being impulsive This may cause people with ADHD to have problems with their: schooling friendships work family life Around 1 in every 20 Australians has ADHD. While ADHD is more common in boys — it’s under diagnosed in girls and adults. More than 3 in 4 children diagnosed with ADHD still have symptoms as an adult. What are the symptoms

What are the adenoids? They are fleshy lumps of tissue that are out of sight located at the back of the inside of the nose and at the top of the throat. Together with the tonsils, they trap and destroy germs that enter the child’s mouth and nose. They are part of the immune system and help to fight infections. Everyone is born with adenoids and they are biggest when children are around 3 to 5 years old. They start to shrink when children reach around 5 to 8 years of age. They are usually gone altogether by the time

What is an adenoidectomy? Adenoidectomy is the surgical removal of the adenoids, which are small lumps of soft tissue found at the back of the nose. It is a short and safe procedure, but your child will have a sore throat for a couple of days. Why is an adenoidectomy performed? The adenoids are part of the immune system and help protect the nose and throat from infection. They are often quite large in young children and grow smaller with age. The adenoids may disappear during teenage years. The adenoids can also get infected. If that happens frequently, it can cause

This page will give you information about an adeno-tonsillectomy. If you have any questions, you should ask your GP or other relevant health professional. What are the adenoids and tonsils? The adenoids and tonsils are part of a group of lymphoid tissues (like the glands in the neck) that help to fight off infection. The adenoids and tonsils enlarge naturally in children at around the age of 3 and usually shrink away again by the age of 7. The enlargement happens because children are exposed to a lot of new infections at this age and have many colds. What are the benefits

What is addiction? Addiction, also known as dependence, is when someone finds it hard to stop doing something that makes them feel good. You can have a physical or psychological addiction, or both. Physical dependence means that withdrawal symptoms appear if you stop the addictive substance or behaviour. Psychological addiction occurs when you believe you need the addictive substance or behaviour to function. You might think you need the substance at certain times. For instance, to be social at a party or to unwind after work. Or you might think you need it all the time. What is withdrawal from

What is addiction? Addiction is when you have a strong physical or psychological need or urge to do something or use something. It is a dependence on a substance or activity even if you know that it causes you harm. It can impact your daily life. This article describes the types, causes and signs of addiction, and where to get help. Many people have heard of addiction to: smoking drinking alcohol gambling taking drugs prescription medicines Addiction to drugs can include cannabis, ice and amphetamines. Alcohol and nicotine are also drugs. It’s possible to be addicted to anything, such as: Computers — computer addiction is increasing. You may

Kindness and compassion during recovery Almost everybody feels good when someone is kind to them. This is especially true for those who are vulnerable, like people who are recovering from a mental illness like depression, or who are learning to live with dementia, or who have an addiction. Acts of kindness and compassion can increase wellbeing and help their recovery. It can also help them overcome loneliness and isolation, build healthy relationships and improve their self-esteem. There are many ways to be kind and compassionate to someone who needs help. These can include: being sensitive and sympathetic creating a positive outlook and instilling hope recognising and validating positive changes helping them solve

If you are a person living with disability or caring for someone with disability in the ACT, you may have noticed some changes in the way that disability services are delivered. Services that were delivered through ACT government agencies are now delivered through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS is a Commonwealth Government scheme to support Australians under 65 who have permanent and significant disability. The scheme is run by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Services for people aged 65 years and over are delivered through My Aged Care. To find out how to access the NDIS, go to Applying to

What is acne? Acne is a common skin condition that causes spots on the face, neck, back or chest. These spots can be whiteheads, blackheads or inflamed, pus-filled pimples. Adult acne, also called hormonal acne, is acne that continues past the age of around 18 to 20 or starts when someone is in their early twenties. Acne vulgaris generally affects teenagers and continues for 3 to 5 years although it can sometimes carry on for longer. Some people have a mild form of acne, with only occasional spots or outbreaks, while others have more severe acne, with large areas of the

This page will give you information about an ACL reconstruction. If you have any questions, you should ask your GP or other relevant health professional. What is the anterior cruciate ligament? The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the important ligaments that stabilise your knee. If you have torn (ruptured) this ligament, your knee can collapse or ‘give way’ when making twisting or turning movements. An ACL rupture happens as a result of a twisting injury to your knee. The common causes are contact sports and skiing injuries.You can injure other parts of your knee at the same time

  What are Achilles tendon injuries? The Achilles tendon (often simply called the ‘Achilles’) is the thick cord you can feel at the back of your ankle. It attaches the calf muscle to the back of your heel. The 2 most common injuries of the Achilles tendon are: Acute rupture (break): a complete or partial tear that occurs when the tendon is stretched beyond its natural range. Achilles tendinopathy (previously known as ‘tendinitis’ or ‘tendonitis’): a chronic (long-term) condition that causes weakness and breakdown of the Achilles tendon, due to a series of very small tears (also known as ‘tendinosis’).

What is residential care? An aged care home is for older people who can no longer live at home. This might be because you need help with everyday tasks or health care. Aged care homes are also called: residential aged care facilities (RACFs) nursing homes An aged care home gives you the services you need to have a good quality of life. The government funds aged care homes across Australia. These homes supply services to those who need it. Each aged care home is different. They provide different levels of care. Some provide just basic accommodation while others provide continuous

What is an abscess? An abscess is a collection of pus inside the body, usually from an infection. If near the surface of the body, pus may break through the surface and drain. Abscesses can develop just about anywhere in the body and can be painful. Often treatment is needed to heal an abscess and to stop infection spreading, so see your doctor if you think you might have an abscess. What are the different types of abscesses? There are many different types of abscesses, including: skin abscesses or boils — often affecting the face, throat, armpits or groin dental abscesses —