July 2021 - July 2024
President’s Message

President’s Message

By Vasi Naganathan

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the July Newsletter, it is a great privilege to present my first President’s message. Against the backdrop of ongoing COVID-19 challenges and the Government’s Royal Commission response our work at ANZSGM continues to grow.

A big thank you firstly to John Maddison for his leadership as our President for the last two years during these unprecedented times. I have worked closely with John in the handover process over the past months and have greatly valued his guidance and advice. He has left me feeling energised about my two years ahead as I step into his shoes.  

I would like to acknowledge the hard work and ingenuity of the organising committee of our ASM held in Melbourne in May. They successfully arranged our first hybrid (face to face and virtual) meeting and it is likely to be the format for meetings moving forward. Plans are well under way for next year’s meeting in Perth in 2022. 

The Australian Government’s response to the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety was released in February  2021. Take  a look at recommendation 58 which states that Australian and State and Territory Governments should introduce Local Hospital Network-led multidisciplinary outreach services, it’s worth noting the detail. The Government’s response was that they ‘accept-in-principle’ this recommendation, but we have to push to make it a reality. Some geriatric medicine departments already have well-developed models up and running, proof that this can be achieved if resources are provided and there is genuine will at a state and federal government level.

It’s also worth noting that the recently released report by the AMA entitled ‘Putting Health Care Back in Aged Care’ recommends the introduction of hospital aged care outreach teams in all local health networks, in coordination with a patient’s usual GP –  a view we are in sync with. I can see the attraction of the goals of preventing hospital admissions as the main way to ‘sell’ outreach models of care in the community and residential care but we don’t say this for any other group of people in our community. “Right treatment in the right place to the right people” would be my preferred mantra – a wiser person than I told me this.

The Federal Government in their response to the Royal Commission have once again raised the possibility of abolishing state-run Aged Care Assessment teams (ACAT). ANZSGM believes Aged Care Assessment needs to remain with state health services for many reasons including the fact that ACATs need to have direct access to geriatric medicine multidisciplinary teams. Approximately 50 per cent of ACAT assessments are done on inpatients. It is hard to imagine this can be done well by an entity from outside the hospital. We are at a crossroads and need to be advocating strongly for and continue to be developing services in the community and residential care or risk future geriatrician-led services being restricted to mainly acute and subacute hospital care. The pioneer geriatricians who built up these services will be unimpressed if we let this happen! Mind you, we might as well dominate hospital care as well.

Disruption due to COVID is never far away. No sooner has Melbourne got out of lock down, Sydney is facing a similar situation. Many geriatricians in Australia and New Zealand are influencing health’s response to the pandemic. The challenge for ANZSGM is to find a way to support these people and become a vehicle by which ideas can be exchanged. We need to remain vigilant in trying to influence government policies and plans to prevent and deal with COVID outbreaks, particularly in residential aged care. On a personal level I acknowledge that this has been a particularly tough time for our members who have family and friends in countries where COVID has been far worse than in Australia and New Zealand. Our thoughts are with you.

The Perioperative Special Interest Group continues to achieve things at a rate of knots thanks to the leadership of a clever and hard-working group of geriatricians. I am sure many of you will find the discussions about how perioperative services are being developed in Australia and New Zealand and how geriatricians are practicing perioperative medicine interesting. If you are interested in joining the SIG please email communications@anzsgm.org for details. Stay tuned for a plan to develop a Residential Care SIG.

As most of you know Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) legislations are either being passed or being debated by state governments. An Expressions of Interest for formation of a VAD working group from members of the Society is now open. The group will develop a Society position and policy on the key considerations on VAD in older populations. The process will aim to capture a diversity of views from a broad representation of membership.

ANZSGM is now a formal member of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG). Changes had to be made to allow for membership of an association that spanned two countries.

I look forward to working with our Council as we continue to advocate for the work of geriatricians and improve the way we support our members. But what I am most excited about in my role as President is the opportunity for a lot of chats with as many of you as a possible to understand more about the diversity of geriatric medicine practice in Australia and New Zealand and your views of where we should be heading.

Welcome New Council Members

Welcome New Council Members

Council welcomed five new members at the Annual General Meeting on 8 June 2021. Three nominated positions –  John Scott (NZ) Chrys Pulle (QLD) and Sue Kurrle (NSW) and two new cop-opted members – Lyndal Newton (NSW), Chloe Furst (SA).

 

 

Dr Chrys Pulle MBBS FRACP 

Dr Pulle was President of Qld Division of Australia New Zealand Society of Geriatric Medicine between 2017-2021. He was secretary to the division for four years prior. Dr Pulle represented ANZSGM (Qld) at State Parliamentary Inquiry to Aged Care, End of Life, Palliative Care and Voluntary Assisted Dying. He has also worked with AMA Qld in representing Society’s position for these issues.

Dr Pulle is a Qld representative for Australia New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR). He is Chair of Dementia Trials Australia (DTAus)  – the key body in promoting, facilitating and coordinating both commercially-sponsored and investigator-initiated dementia and cognition trials in Australia.

He works as a Staff Specialist Geriatrician who specialises in Orthogeriatrics and Cognitive Impairment. He is Clinical Director of Internal Medicine Dementia Research Unit at The Prince Charles Hospital (Brisbane). 

     
 

Professor Susan Kurrle

Sue’s recent extracurricular work has included involvement with the International Emmy award winning ABC series ‘Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds’, and being the Medical Adviser to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. She is also on the Commonwealth’s Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Advisory Council, and chairs the Cognitive Impairment Advisory Group for the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

She is very keen to be succession planning and wants to encourage young geriatricians to consider work outside capital cities. She is also working on how to make it possible to combine clinical work with practical research, and how to partner with non-government organisations and aged care providers to improve care for older people.

     
  Dr John Scott

Dr John Scott trained in Geriatric and General Medicine in New Zealand and currently works in hospital practice at North Shore Hospital in Auckland. He has held leadership positions including Service Clinical Director and Specialty Head of Division for the Waitemata District Health Board, the largest provider of hospital and health services in New Zealand. He has been a member of the Advanced Training Committee in Geriatric Medicine (NZ) and was on the Executive of the NZGS (New Zealand Geriatrics Society) prior to its amalgamation with the then ASGM to form the ANZSGM.

He is currently divisional president of the New Zealand division of the ANZSGM. His interests include the organisation and development of health services, in particular community based services and the provision of services to underserved populations. His interests include tramping (or bushwalking, or hiking, depending which country he is in) and trail running.

     
  Dr Lyndal Newton


Dr Lyndal Newton is a Senior Specialist Geriatrician with extensive experience across the breadth of Geriatric Medicine including Community, Aboriginal and Hospitalist Aged Care Medicine. Dr Newton has been active in state and federal Aged Health legislation and service design.

Her current clinical research interest is in delirium and dementia pathophysiology and management with particular interest in the management of the Behavioural and Psychiatric Symptoms of Dementia. Dr Newton has further higher qualifications in critical care and university teaching and education. Dr Newton is the Clinical Lead for Medicine at Northern Beaches Macquarie University Clinical School and a Senior Lecturer with the University of NSW.

     
  Dr Chloe Furst, MBBS, FRACP, FAChPM

Dr Chloe Furst is a dual trained geriatrician and palliative care physician working across both specialties within SA Health.

She is the chair of the South Australian branch of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine and a clinical lecturer at the University of Adelaide.

She has a special interest in geriatric oncology, capacity, and end of life care and the ethics around these complex issues.

     

 

ANZSGM Welcomes New Members

ANZSGM Welcomes New Members

The Society welcomes the following new members who were endorsed at the Council meetings on 29th March 2021 and 18th May 2021.

ACT
Almad Alnashri (AT)

NSW
Radheshan Baskaran (Full)
Bernadine Hill (AT)
Qiuwen Chong (AT)
Nadine Elias (AT)
Roger Luo (AT)
Nisha Menon (AT)
Sheila Rahmen (AT)
Edmund Fitzgerald (AT)
Thanegi Linn (AT)
Lucy Haege (AT)
Jai Mehta (AT)

Western Australia
Claire Bailey (AT)
Emily Jasper (AT)
Janette Nguyen (AT)
Christopher Wilson (AT)
Beatrice Chin (AT)
Matthew Ting (AT)
David White (AT)

Queensland
Agafonoff Anton (AT)
Tania Korinihona (AT)
Emma Sganzeria (AT)
Sara Sharma (AT)
Jin Tan (AT)
Wing Hang Tan (AT)
Harshithaa Thavarajah (AT)
Isabel Watt (AT)
Santosh Baral (AT)
David Chang (AT)
Lili Davies (AT)
Emma Holden (AT)
Manoj George (AT)
Zahra Korda (AT)
Winona Kwan (AT)
Alistair McAndrew (AT)
Kim Tran (AT)
Sheryl Tweddell (Associate)

Victoria
Frances Cotty (AT)
Maneesha De Silva (AT)
Nicola Hogan (AT)
Charlene Lee (AT)
Courtney Nathan (AT)
Tia Smith (AT)
Paul Viray (AT)
Santha Sona (AT)
Beatriz Arakawa Martins (AT)
Lara Bush (AT)
Anvi Butala (AT)
Floyd Dias (AT)
Kim Fendel (AT)
Susanna Hii (Full)
Roger Ho (AT)
Michelle Preeo (AT)
Rebecca Tai (AT)
Mohammad Sadegh Zargarbashi (AT)

South Australia
Ronaldo Piovezan (AT)

Tasmania
Anand Kumar (Full)

NZ
Kankanamalage Don Devapriya Saman Edirisinghe (Full)
Jeremy Fyson (AT)
Victoria Henderson (Full)
Tyson Oberndorfer (Full)
Kay Hoi Kwan (AT)
John Shepherd (Full)
George Xu (AT)

2021 ANZSGM Annual General Meeting Report

2021 ANZSGM Annual General Meeting Report

The 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Society was held virtually (online) on Tuesday 8 June 2021.

All resolutions proposed in the meeting were approved in session by online poll:

Resolutions For Against Abstain

Minutes from the 2020 Annual General Meeting

That the minutes of the 2020 annual general meeting be accepted.

91.1% 0% 8.9%

Annual Financial Reports

That the financial reports tabled at the annual general meeting be accepted.

95.1% 0% 4.9%

Appointment of the Auditor

That Tinworth & Co be confirmed as the Society’s auditor for the next reporting period.

97.6% 0% 2.4%

Results of the Nomination of members to the Council

That the results of the nomination of members to Council be accepted as tabled at the annual general meeting.

97.6% 0%  2.4%

 

The results of the 2021 Council Nominations were tabled at the meeting:

2021 Nominations
Chia Chong Victoria Re-nominated
Benny Katz Victoria Re-nominated
Mary-Ann Kuhl New South Wales Re-nominated
Sean Maher Western Australia Re-nominated
John Scott New Zealand Newly Appointed
Chrys Pulle Queensland Newly Appointed
Sue Kurrle  New South Wales Newly Appointed

 

Councillors John Obeid, Mandy Callary and Ming Loh retired from Council. Special thanks were given to John Obeid who stepped down from Council after decades of contribution, including a long stint as Honorary Treasurer. Ming Loh will continue his involvement in the Society as President of the NSW Division and a member of the Perioperative Special Interest Group. Mandy Callary will continue her involvement with the ANZSGM as a representative at the National Aged Care Alliance.

 

The resulting Council composition for 2021-2022 is outlined below:

Name

Status

Vasi Naganathan

President (Ex-Officio)

John Maddison

Immediate Past President (Ex-Officio)

Chia Chong

VIC Representative (Nominated) and Information Management Committee Chair

Benny Katz

VIC Representative (Nominated)

Mary-Ann Kuhl

NSW Representative (Nominated)

Sean Maher

WA Representative (Nominated)

John Scott

NZ Representative (Nominated)

Chrys Pulle

QLD Representative (Nominated)

Sue Kurrle

NSW Representative (Nominated)

Owen Davies

SA Representative (Nominated)

Robert O’Sullivan

QLD Representative (Nominated) and Honorary Treasurer

Anthony French

QLD Representative (Nominated) and Clinical Issues Committee Chair

Ronald Leong

VIC Representative (Nominated) and Honorary Secretary

Chris Moran

VIC Representative (Nominated) and Scientific & Research Committee Chair

Amanda Boudville

WA Representative (Nominated) and Policy & Planning Committee Chair

Carl Hanger

NZ Representative (Nominated)

Lucy Dakin

QLD Representative (Co-opted) and GMET Committee Chair

Lyndal Newton

NSW Representative (Co-opted)

Chloe Furst

SA Representative (Co-opted)

Myitzu Khaing

QLD Representative (Advanced Trainee)

To be confirmed

Representative (Adv. Trainee)

The meeting received reports from the President, Treasurer, Committee Chairs and State Divisions. These reports are available for viewing on the ANZSGM website here.

Expression of Interest: Advanced Trainee Representative to ANZSGM Council

Expression of Interest: Advanced Trainee Representative to ANZSGM Council

Nominations for an Advanced Trainee representative to ANZSGM Council are now being sought. The position is for two years and it is therefore preferable that the nominee be a 1st or 2nd year Advanced Trainee.

The Nominee MUST be a current financial member of ANZSGM. The Proposer and Seconder to your nomination must be current financial members of ANZSGM. Nominations are to be received by 5pm Friday 16th July 2021 and can be submitted via email to admin@anzsgm.org through the nomination form here. 

2021 Annual Scientific Meeting Report

2021 Annual Scientific Meeting Report

By Dr Rajni Joseph and Dr Louise Monk
Conference Co-convenors

The 2021 ANZSGM Annual Scientific Meeting ‘20/20 Hindsight: Vision for the Future’ was held at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on the 19-21st May 2021. After the postponement of the 2020 ASM due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s ASM was highly anticipated.  For the first time, the conference was run as a hybrid event with 192 in-person and 490 virtual delegates.  A combination of in-person, virtual and pre-recorded presentations were used to deliver a stellar scientific program and we extend a huge thank you to all the speakers who made the conference a success.

The conference was opened by a captivating welcome address from Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, on COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics and their impact on older populations. Given the timely nature of this talk, Professor Lewin has kindly agreed to make her presentation available to all ANZSGM members, it can be found here.

The keynote addresses were a program highlight and demonstrated that distance and travel restrictions should not be a stumbling block in the sharing of ideas and expertise. Professor Shaun O’Keeffe, presenting from Galway Ireland, treated delegates to two engaging talks on managing risk in Geriatric Medicine and the dangers of over-diagnosis.  From hotel quarantine in Singapore, Professor Andrea Maier presented fascinating talks on Evidence-Based Geriatric Medicine and Geroscience.

The program featured updates in dementia and delirium as well as reflections on the implementation of Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation in Victoria, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and the management of COVID-19 outbreaks in residential aged care during 2020. The critical impact of climate change on health outcomes was discussed along with the important question regarding the role of technology in healthcare. A wonderful journey through the history of Geriatric Medicine by Dr William Browne closed the conference. Conference sessions were beautifully captured by Dr Amelia Crabtree’s visual illustrations, and these can be viewed on the conference website or by using the hashtag #ANZSGM2021. The conference presentations along with extra on-demand sessions are still available via the conference app and web portal for 90 days to registered delegates. We encourage you to view the sessions that you may have missed.

Congratulations are due to all who submitted abstracts. The calibre of research that was conducted during the pandemic has been inspiring. A special congratulations to the prize winners; Dr Janani Thillainadesan with the Career Investigator Prize, Dr Sundhar Rajan Balu with the RM Gibson prize and Dr Phiyen Tran with the best poster prize. See the poster here

Once again, as convenors, we extend our deepest gratitude to those that worked hard behind the scenes to make the conference a success – The local organising committee, our professional conference organiser ICE Australia/ARINEX, the staff at Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, session moderators, scientific paper reviewers and judges and conference sponsors. We look forward to supporting the 2022 ASM in Perth and wish the convenors every success.  

Image: A visual illustration of Professor Sharon Lewin’s presentation as part of the ASM program by Dr Amelia Crabtree, Geriatrician and Visual Storyteller.

 

Reminder: Expressions of Interest open for the ANZSGM Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Working Group

Reminder: Expressions of Interest open for the ANZSGM Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Working Group

ANZSGM Council welcomes expressions of interest for the VAD Working Group

Applications are invited from ANZSGM members who would like to be part of the Society’s VAD Working Group. The Working Group will be responsible for assisting the ANZSGM review and if agreed, update the Society’s position statement on Voluntary Assisted Dying.

The Council is seeking members with relevant skills and expertise in the subject, continuing professional development, education and the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand health systems.

Applicants should:

  • provide relevant skills and expertise to the Working Group
  • not represent any particular organisation
  • be able to prepare for and attend Working Group meetings on a voluntary basis

The Working Group will hold meetings by videoconference. Please read the Draft Terms of Reference (PDF) before applying.

To apply, submit an expression of interest form (DOC)  to admin@anzsgm.org.

Closing date: 5.30pm (AEST) 31 July 2021.

For further information please contact admin@anzsgm.org.

Position Vacant: Full time Academic Medical Specialist with Monash Health

Position Vacant: Full time Academic Medical Specialist with Monash Health

Service Director Subacute & Residential Aged Care – Associate Professor/Professor & Head of Academic Geriatric Medicine (Monash University)

Make your mark in this senior operational and academic leadership  role by delivering exceptional teaching and research. In this position you will contribute to a broad multidisciplinary team as you deliver holistic patient and family centred care.

About Monash Health
Monash Health currently has two inpatient subacute services based at Kingston Centre and Casey Hospital, with a total of 171 and 30 beds respectively.  A home-based Geriatric Evaluation and Management program (GEM@Home) was commenced as an 8-bed pilot in December 2020.

In addition to the subacute services, Monash Health has five unique residential homes (Allambee, Eastwood, Yarraman, Mooraleigh, Chestnut Gardens), consisting of 254 beds in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne.  A significant expansion of the Residential Aged Care Facility is planned with a $134.6 million committed to commence planning the redevelopment of the Kingston Centre, which will include a brand new 150-bed residential aged care facility specifically designed for high care or mental health needs.

Our specialist health care and support services to older people include Aged Care Assessments, Cognitive Dementia and Memory services, Clinics for Falls and Balance, Continence, Pain, Dental, Movement Disorders, as well as Rehab in The Home and a Transitional Care Program

About you
To be successful within this role, you will already have a well-developed industry-informed international research profile, either within Health or geriatric medicine research communities, but with demonstrated experience across subacute services and residential aged care in healthcare setting. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of healthcare data including clinical coding as well as broad knowledge of medical conditions. You will have a track record of successful supervision of postgraduate research student and honour student projects along with a focus upon deep and comprehensive engagement with industry.

You can also demonstrate:

  • Your dedication to safe best practice and quality care
  • An unwavering commitment to delivering patient centred care
  • Enthusiasm and a positive attitude to your work, compassion and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a team
  • Motivated to be accountable for and manage specific portfolios in our relentless pursuit of excellence

What you need
Medical Specialist/Consultant (Senior Medical staff):

  • A medical qualification from a registered tertiary institution and Registration with the Medical Board of Australia (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) with a current annual practicing certificate is essential.
  • Fellowship or membership of the appropriate College or Association within Australia as recognised by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) including maintenance of CPD and good standing as required by AHPRA for the maintenance of Specialist Registration.
  • Higher research degree (MC, PhD)
  • All applicants must be awarded Scope of Clinical Practice by the Monash Health Credentialing committee.  Information presented for application will be presented to the committee during the selection process, and all appointments are subject to maintenance of SoP within the clinical services capability framework in the facilities in which clinical work is to be undertaken.  This process must be completed prior to offer of employment.
  • Appointment to these position requires proof of qualification and if applicable registration or membership with the appropriate registration authority or association. Certified copies of the required information must be provided to the appropriate supervisor/manager, prior to the commencement of clinical duties.

Other Requirements:

  • Current Drivers Licence
  • All candidates will require Australian working rights.

What we offer:

  • competitive salary
  • salary packaging
  • friendly and supportive culture
  • opportunity to experience various teams
  • on-going supervision and professional development
  • This as a great opportunity to further develop your skills and experience in a state of the art facility.   

See here for the full position description and application process

 

Event: Malaysian e-Congress of Geriatric Medicine

Event: Malaysian e-Congress of Geriatric Medicine

The Malaysian Society of Geriatric Medicine will be hosting the 16th National Geriatric Conference (Malaysian e-Congress of Geriatric Medicine) from 19th – 21st August 2021.  The full 3-day program, including a 1-day event with the Asia-Pacific Geriatric Network (APGN) will be held online this year.

The theme “Ageing with Resilience in the Face of COVID-19 Pandemic” has been chosen for the local and international experts to share their valuable knowledge and experience to help us manoeuvre this challenging time, with the hope to ultimately provide better care for the older persons. Resilience is important for us to bounce back from any illness, test and tribulation life may bring. Therefore, it is high time for us to work together to keep the older persons on the right track towards healthy ageing and to strive for excellence in delivering the geriatric services in the new norm.

We welcome research abstracts submission (poster and oral) on any topics pertinent to older persons. There will also be video and photo competitions – to cherish the memory of older persons being “strong and together” during the pandemic.

For more information and registration go to the website.

Geriatricians without borders: A guide to planning an overseas fellowship

Geriatricians without borders: A guide to planning an overseas fellowship

By Dr Rajni Lal

Years of training, exams and night shifts are coming to an end, and now you are at a crossroads, where you can choose to take your journey to an overseas fellowship. There are multiple factors to consider prior to applying, and given the current COVID situation, it can be a challenge.

I spent 12 months overseas and in this article I  will share my pre-COVID fellowship experience in Perioperative care for Older People undergoing Surgery (POPS), London, UK.

Planning ahead
Firstly, it is important to identify your area of interest  and research accordingly. For me, I commenced looking at my options as a year one Advance Trainee (AT) and took the opportunity to visit Dr Jugdeep Dhesi and Dr Judith Partridge, who later became my mentors. It also provided me with an opportunity to explore the hospital and assess the team culture. These visits can now be partially replaced via teleconferencing, keeping in mind the different time zones.

My area of interest was in Perioperative Care (POC), whatever your area of interest in geriatrics may be, I recommend asking yourself these questions:

  • Does this role suit my area of interest and career goals?
  • Is this fellowship only available overseas (consider interstate as well)?
  • Does this job come with high recommendations?
  • Will I gain any additional skills? (Discuss this with employees beforehand).
  • Are 12 months sufficient to gain additional skills?
  • Do I qualify for the job?
  • Can I support myself (and my family)?

If you have answered yes to the majority of the above questions, then I suggest starting the application process early. The whole process can take anywhere between 12–18 months. See here for a  step-by-step guide written by Dr Rachel Aitken and myself.

The experience
Once overseas, get out of your comfort zone and immerse yourself in your new role by adjusting and adapting to new settings and with your team. But equally important is to show your ability to work independently. As a POPS fellow, I was involved in weekly clinics, multi-disciplinary team meetings and daily ward service on surgical wards. These were three-month rotations in vascular, colorectal, urology and orthopedics.

I would strongly recommend having a discussion with your mentor early about your goals.

I was encouraged to participate in various projects, and quite a range of committees. By being open to opportunities, I was fortunate to gain multiple unexpected skills and prospects, including:

  • Education: London Geriatric Trainee Day, King’s Medical School teaching; developed SDM teaching sessions for junior POPS clinicians.
  • Research: Supervising Quality Improvement Project (QiP) and audits for junior doctors; completed own QIP within POPS team.
  • Publications: gained systematic review skills.
  • Multiple national and international conference and poster presentations, whilst having an opportunity to travel to France, Poland, and other UKUK cities including Birmingham and Leicester.

The overall National Health Service (NHD) experience
I was exposed to generally unfavourable misconceptions about the “tough” NHS system, but was pleasantly surprised and encouraged when I saw for myself just how supportive, well-structured and well-run it was. In Australia, we are proud to say that we have one of the top health care systems in the world. However, the geriatrics infrastructure within NHS London has allowed me to imagine outside the Australian health infrastructure.  It has provided me with an opportunity to bring ideas home on how to further enhance geriatric service for our community, clinics, geriatric service within emergency department, and most importantly, perioperative care for older people in both elective and non-elective patients.

The return home
Gaining experience overseas indicates to employees that you are motivated and keen to understand overseas advances and to bring this knowledge home.. It also has a knock-on effect.

In my case, following my return; I became involved in national committees, including Choosing Wisely, Australia; I co-founded ANZSGM Perioperative Care, Special Interest Group (SIG), and

I will be convening ANZCA Perioperative Medicine, SIG 2021.  At a state level, I am on the committee for NSW Agency of Clinical Innovation (ACI) Frailty taskforce; and ACI Prehabilitation as well as ACI Low Value Care Working Groups.

Fortunately, having immersed myself in SDM during my fellowship year, I am now involved in developing SDM workshops directed towards all healthcare workers.

This experience and the skills and knowledge I have gained from it have helped shape my CV. The lifelong friendships with colleagues and associates has made an incalculable difference to my life as I continue, with them, to foster collaborative research and education. This has openly been welcomed in my current job, to advance patient care within the district.

Reflection
So, should you consider going? Well, getting out of your comfort zone will help you gain unforeseen skills, and widen your vision by providing you with excellent clinical and leadership skills. Most importantly, you will be able to travel (within COVID restrictions) and make genuine, life-long friendships.

There is no doubt that applying and relocating does come at a considerable cost, time and effort. You may lose out on local job opportunities, and it may well impact your long-service leave, mortgage and superannuation. Even so, it is an invaluable experience that can only be gained overseas.

With an eye to the future, supervisors should encourage trainees to consider opening up to different experiences, and our universities, colleges and hospitals should consider bi-directional international and interstate fellowship programs, with a focus on education, research and providing financial support to our fellows, benefitting both countries and states.

We cannot predict what is around the corner, and the only way to discover is if you take that flight and go beyond the borders!

Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself. – Chinese proverb

Image courtesy Rajni Lal: Myself (in the middle) with colleagues at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital, London, UK 

 

In Memoriam: Dr Valda Ahern FRACP

In Memoriam: Dr Valda Ahern FRACP

By Dr Edward Strivens 

Valda Ahern was a much loved sister, aunt, friend, colleague, mentor, leader, inspiration and iconoclast.

It’s difficult to sum up the amazing and meaningful life that Valda led. She received her medical degree from the University of Queensland in the late 1950’s and following her Internship in Brisbane. She later moved to North America, where she worked in a number of diverse settings and specialities, including a Neurology Residency in New York State and time at the Medical Research Councils Epidemiology Research Unit in Jamaica in the West Indies.

She returned to Australia in the early 1980’s and completed Advanced Training in Geriatric Medicine, at Mount Royal, Melbourne under Dr Boyne Russell. Valda’s training in geriatric medicine was only two links away from Marjory Warren, the mother of Geriatric medicine. Valda did her training under Boyne Russell, who in turn had done her training under Tom Wilson who had been Marjory Warren’s registrar.

She received her FRACP in 1985 before moving from Victoria to Cairns in 1986 and over the next 20 years, Valda set up and ran regional geriatric services, initially in Cairns and then further units in Innisfail and Mareeba. She also established one of the first Aged Care Assessment Teams in Queensland. She set up intra-professional care before anyone knew what it was, providing rehab before we had a rehab unit and services closer to home 20 years before it became the latest thing.

In her role as a Senior Geriatrician and Director, her passion was for service delivery to the frail, older population of the Far North where she set up patient focussed and much needed services by any means available. This included the integration of multiple funding sources, even if it did mean she clashed with Execs on one or two occasions.

She was always one to speak truth to power and I remember her telling me that after running into obstacles here in Cairns, she called in the help of the then Queensland Premier, Mike Ahern, getting through to him directly by telling his office it was Mrs Ahern on the phone!

Valda was a dedicated wife and support to her beloved late husband Dr Eddie Ahern. She passionately cared for him both during his career and in later life as his health failed, spending long hours with him in hospital and with rehabilitation in the community.

She has been a mentor and inspiration to a generation of leaders and workers in Aged Care Services and Older Persons Health, across all health care disciplines, in the Far North and beyond, with a real talent for spotting and supporting clinicians passionate in aged care, with many of us here today because of Valda.

Valda’s contributions were recognised both locally and beyond. She was made an Honorary Life Member of the ANZSGM in 2010 and was awarded the RACP Medal for Clinical Services in Rural and Remote Services in 2011.

She continued to work in our Memory Clinic well into her 80’s, demonstrating what active ageing looks like, and it’s fitting that she spent her last weeks in the care of the service that she was so instrumental in creating.

Farewell Valda, we’ll all miss your intellect, passion, wit and determination. There will never be another like you here in Cairns.

ANZSGM History Project Update

ANZSGM History Project Update

by Robert J Prowse
prowserj@bigpond.net.au

As we are all too well aware, the corona virus pandemic continues to dog our paths, especially those leading between the Society’s Divisions. So, one brief visit to the excellent Melbourne ASM, but still no time for me to access the Melbourne archives.

In my March update, I commented that I was confident that I had identified all those who had been, or were still, Honorary Life Members of the Society.  Fortunately, I qualified this by saying one could never be certain with history, because shortly afterwards I was inspecting a Newsletter of the Australian Geriatrics Society from April 1984, from papers of former President Bob Penhall, which mentioned that Honorary Life Membership was granted to Dr William John (Bill) Stevenson of Victoria that year.  From Membership records, I was able to glean Dr Stevenson lived from 1912 to 2004.  Apart from this, I know nothing about him and enquires to senior Victorian colleagues have not so far added anything to his history.  If any senior Member has knowledge of this latest retrospective addition to our roll of Honorary Life Members, I would be very pleased to hear from you.

A second discovery concerned the R.M Gibson Prize, which is the longest awarded prize in the history of the Society.  Named after Pioneer of Geriatric Medicine in Australia, Dr Richard Maxwell Gibson (1921-1980) who worked at Newcastle Hospital, the Prize is known to us as being awarded to the Advanced Trainee who is judged to have made the best presentation by an AT at the Annual Scientific Meeting.  Terry Finnegan, another former President, has told me he was the first winner of the Gibson Prize, awarded in 1979 at an AGS session within the AAG Scientific Meeting in Perth.  Incidentally, this a meeting for which we have no other details; it is to be hoped the AAG archives will help, when they can finally be examined!

However, the Advanced Trainee prize doesn’t seem to have been awarded in this way throughout its history.  Looking at some AGS Federal Council records from the mid-1980s recently, I came across an extract concerning what was in this document called the Richard Gibson Prize (the exact title seems to have changed over time) and which states it will be awarded to the AT submitting the best report to the Specialist Advisory Committee in that year, provided it was “of a sufficient standard”.  I don’t know how many Gibson Prizes were awarded using these criteria, indeed I am unaware of even the names of the Prize winners after Terry Finnegan 1979, until David Conforti, who won when he presented at a New Zealand Geriatrics Society meeting in Christchurch in 1989, in conjunction with the RACP, and not at the preceding AGS ASM in Melbourne.

There were no submissions for presentation at the Melbourne 1990 ASM, so no Gibson Prize was awarded.  Ronald Criddle won in 1991 and Bernard Walsh in 1992.  I have not yet been able to find the winner in 1993 but after this we have all the names for every meeting which was held.

Given the lack of surviving documentation, it would be helpful if any winner of the RM Gibson Prize from 1980 to 1993, apart from the three mentioned above, could let the Society know, perhaps through me, of the year of their award and whether it was awarded on the basis of their AT project or following presentation at an ASM.  There is documentation that no award was made in 1986, so we are seeking nine names!

Closing the case of Margaret Guthrie CNZM

In the March Newsletter, there was an account of how a missing Honorary Life Member  – Margaret Guthrie, was discovered by the History Project.  To compensate for this administrative oversight, it was agreed to present Dr Guthrie with an Honorary Life Member medal, which is now a standard part of the recognition by the Society.

John Scott has informed us that Margaret was presented with the medal at the Auckland regional geriatricians’ Journal Club on 3rd May.  He described Margaret, who is in her 90s, as “pretty robust”.  She gave a short talk, mentioning the Healthy Ageing strategy, the development of which she led, and also some of the other issues she was involved in outside of geriatric medicine, while working at the Ministry of Health, such as equal pay for women and access to maternity services.

A suitably positive ending.

Image: Margaret Guthrie with her Honorary Life Member medal, with Graham Davison, also an HLM (left) and John Scott.

Clinical News: Younger age at diabetes diagnosis linked to increased risk of dementia at age 70

Clinical News: Younger age at diabetes diagnosis linked to increased risk of dementia at age 70

By Melanie Hinze

People diagnosed with diabetes at a younger age are more likely to have dementia at age 70 years, according to research published in JAMA.

The authors of the population­-based, prospective cohort study identified 10,095 participants from the ongoing UK Whitehall II study, who were aged 35 to 55 years in 1985 to 1988.

Read the full article here in Medicine Today

Geriatricians and Emergency Physicians – Collaboration for Creativity

Geriatricians and Emergency Physicians – Collaboration for Creativity

By Dr Terry Nash

It’s a pleasure to learn that when two specialties collaborate that both are elevated. I have found it to be an opportunity to learn about the other’s biases and strengths. As Clinical Lead for Comprehensive Aged Residents Emergency Partners in Assessment Care and Treatment (CAREPACT)1 . I have the pleasure of leading a team of Emergency Physicians and Geriatricians dedicated to quality care and increased choice of care for the elderly. Our service has been in South Brisbane since 2014 and we have grown from an Emergency Physician and Clinical Nurse Consultant into a team of Emergency Physicians, Geriatricians, and around 20 nurses. We work across four hospitals, provide a seven day a week telephone triage service, mobile emergency team, nurse navigation, and inpatient gerontic nursing care planning. We provide this service to 94 RACF’s, with approximately 9300 aged care beds. Our mission is to provide an alternative to a visit to an Emergency Department for selected residents in Aged Care – linking the resident to hospital specialist care. We then provide a holistic “end to end” nursing plan from RACF to hospital.

Personally, I have seen that my geriatrician colleagues are the great lateral thinkers. They are always looking to find more detail about a particular problem in search of the solution that few would take the time to appreciate. I have witnessed clinical assessments that look at the objective clinical parameters, followed by the subjective patient experience. Then synthesizing those two approaches into a comprehensive plan. In my specialty of Emergency Medicine, I am considered successful if I can make a rapid risk assessment, take a safe approach when limited information is available or when circumstances are just not ideal.

In an Emergency Department there is chaos, and rarely the time to appreciate the subtle details. In my role with CAREPACT I can approach the care of the elderly in a patient’s own environment. I can see the challenges of nursing in Aged Care and the ensuing workforce challenges that creates. I can provide acute clinical care in an RACF without exposing a patient to the challenging and intrusive Emergency Department environment. I can then learn about the nuance of cognitive impairment, rapidly advancing frailty, and thinking laterally. I have witnessed my Geriatrician colleagues embrace the uncertainty of complex emergency presentations from an RACF and coming on board with managing acute decline, injuries, fractures and suturing.

CAREPACT is a novel model of care, that has been commended in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety 2. We provide clinical support to GP’s, Paramedics, and RACF clinicians at the bedside of residents in Aged Care. There are pathways of care for the RACF workforce, and someone to speak to 7 days a week that can problem solve issues. Our mobile emergency team employs Nurse Practitioners with experience in Emergency and Aged Care. Every clinical interaction has a 7-day follow-up call to close the loop on quality. We review every RACF patient that visits our 4 Emergency Departments – no matter what time of day they have arrived. Across Australia there are multiple models of care that embody some or even all of these approaches. Ultimately, it’s the collaboration between Staff Specialists from different training perspectives that value adds to patient care in a new and creative way.

* CAREPACT – Comprehensive Aged Residents Emergency Partners in Assessment Care and Treatment

  1. Burkett E, Scott I. CARE-PACT: a new paradigm of care for acutely unwell residents 
in aged care facilities. Australian Family Physician. 2015;44:204-9.
  2. Recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety [Available from: https://agedcare.royalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/final-report-recommendations.pdf.
ANZSGM Upcoming Events

ANZSGM Upcoming Events

ANZSGM South Australia Division State Scientific Meeting
Registration is now open for ANZSGM South Australia Division’s State Scientific Meeting ‘Interfaces in Geriatric Medicine’. Find more information and the full program of speakers here

Date: 23-24 October 2021
Venue: Adelaide Hills Convention Centre Hahndorf,  South Australia
Cost: $250/person (Consultant), $100/person (Non-Medical). Invited speakers and Advanced Trainees are free.
Register HERE


AZSGM New Zealand Retreat
Registration for the ANZSGM New Zealand Retreat 2021 are now open. The retreat will focus on how to develop and adapt services to meet the needs and values of all Aotearoa’s older people. 

Date: 4-6 November 2021
Venue: Tahuaroa Functions Centre, Waitangi, New Zealand. 
Call for Abstracts Closes: 20 September 2021
Close of Early Registration: 4 October 2021
Register HERE

AJA Latest Issue

AJA Latest Issue

An overview of the AJA June Issue: Volume 40 (2)

We welcome our new Associate Editors, Dr Gary Cheung from the University of Otago and Dr Joyce Siette from Macquarie University, as we continue to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Journal.

The June Issue features contemporary topics in gerontology and geriatrics, from advance care planning to workplace engagement amongst formal caregivers. The Issue features an Invited Article reflecting on the pros and cons of diagnosing mild cognitive impairment. There’s several articles on frailty, its measurement and associated risk profile.

We include a systematic review on the effectiveness of fall prevention services in the emergency department. Ogrin and colleagues discuss loneliness in older age whilst Rodríguez-Blázquez and colleagues report on validating the De-Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale in a multiethnic sample. 

The perspectives of Forgotten Australians on age care gives some useful insights to our readers, particularly those working in the aged care sector. In Partner News, there’s a rapid evidence assessment summary on LGBTI ageing research on housing needs and preferences, which forms part of the LGBTI Elders Housing Project, led by Housing for the Aged Action Group, in which the Australian Association of Gerontology are collaborators.

The complete Table of Contents and all articles can be accessed (subject to membership) at
Australasian Journal on Ageing – Wiley Online Library

We hope that this Issue will assist in guiding your research and practice. We welcome contributions from you about your innovative work. We thank all our contributors and our volunteer peer reviewers.

Jane Sims, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, AJA.

Employment Opportunities

Employment Opportunities

Geriatrician
Full Time 
Toowoomba, QLD
Application: Via email
Closing date: 1 September, 2021
Further information  
Contact: Christy Schefe – phone: 07 4580 0822
Listed: 14/05/2021

Telehealth Geriatrician
Full or Part Time (flexible working hours supported throughout employment) 
Work remotely from anywhere in Australia
Application: Via email
Closing date: n/a
Further information  
Contact: Brendan Murphy – phone: 0433 131 209
Listed: 21/04/2021

Service Director Subacute and Residential Aged Care – Associate Professor/Professor and Head of Academic Geriatric Medicine
Full Time
Application: Via website
Closing Date: N/A
Contact: A/Prof Georgia Soldatos, Program Director Acute, Subacute and Community – phone 03 95942730