For signature/circulation: Statement for academics and legal experts opposing Schedule 5 of the Social Security Admin (Technical Changes No.2 in Australia) Bill 2025

As a member of the Australian OPCAT network, I’m sharing this information today. This statement is for individuals with expertise in welfare, law, human rights (particularly First Nations and disability justice), family violence and related fields to show their support. There are separate sector-based joint statements currently in the works for legal advocacy organisations and…

100 Women Of Influence: Global Leader 2018

Congratulations to the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence (100WOI) in 2018, and to the category winners and overall winner. It is an honour to be listed amongst a group of such remarkable women. The awards are in their sixth year and were this year expanded to include an Alumni Projects program, an initiative designed…

Abstracts for #ADIBudapest2016 due in 9 days

There is just 9 days left to submit your abstracts for Alzheimer’s Disease International‘s leading global dementia conference. Have you got a bright idea you’d like to share, or some research you are involved in that would be interesting? Join the world’s leading dementia speakers and advocates and be a part of ADI’s next conference in Budapest in April…

Ita Buttrose on dementia and human rights

Many times I have written about human rights in aged and dementia care as listed in the related articles below. There are many who agree with me, and then others who think I am too harsh on an industry doing its best to care for people with dementia, with low wages and limited funding to provide…

Dementia and human rights

Since being diagnosed with dementia and joining the global campaign by people with dementia to help improve things such as person centred care, and advocating for what are the most basic of human rights for PWD, it fascinates me we still have so far to go in achieving this. Why are people with dementia having to fight so hard to be…

Dementia is no longer in the closet!

Here is the link to some of the speeches from the Younger Onset Dementia: A new horizon 2013 summit. I can only have faith the enormous effort, and the toll it took on me, and I am sure the other people with dementia and their loving family supporters will be worth it. Glenn Rees, the CEO of Alzheimer’s…

Wide support for euthanasia: poll

Australian Ageing Agenda article published 6 December 2012; Wide support for euthanasia: poll, By Natasha Egan More than four in five Australian adults support reform of voluntary euthanasia laws and almost a quarter of would change their vote if their usual election candidate opposed reform, according to a poll commissioned by advocacy organization YourLastRight.com… read…

Euthanasia and voluntary assisted suicide

This blog examines the philosophical issues of euthanasia and voluntary assisted suicide, which is the painless killing of a human being with an incurable illness or injury, to relieve physical and psychological suffering. Euthanasia involves the intentional taking of life and has been the topic of much religious, moral, ethical, philosophical, legal and human rights…

Discrimination and dementia

The real price of a diagnosis of dementia is endemic and systemic DISCRIMINATION, caused by IGNORANCE and STIGMA. In every area, people with dementia are being denied the right to contribute. People with dementia are being discriminated against, and their rights are being violated by the very people who claim to be working for us.…

Ranting, human rights and help required

Often ready to have a good rant, and then encouraged by friends, I have now set up onebigrant You may wish to join me there?! Karen will be a guest author or responder if I can ever work how to set that up. Eliza, you might be able to help me, as I know you…

Restraints and labels… a new perspective

I have blogged about the use of restraints for people in aged care and/or with dementia, both physical and pharmacological, and how I think it is a crime against our human rights. There is another blog brewing on this, and I still  think it is a disgrace but have no idea (yet) how we can change…

Dr Abraham Verghese speaking out at TED

I have been known to speak out occasionally (!!), and after watching this wonderful video of Dr Abraham Verghese’s speech A doctor’s touch at a TED event, I decided to join TED myself and set up the following conversation Is it humane to use physical or pharmacological restraint in the infirmed, dementia or aged care…