Hospitals and Healthcare

Australia has its first assistant minister for autism and is crafting its first national autism strategy. How the rest of society steps up will be crucial.

Becoming a parent is something you can’t ever truly be prepared for. When your child is diagnosed with a developmental delay, everything you think you knew about parenthood changes. Often the few support systems available are tailored towards mothers – but where does that leave dad?

‘DAD’ is a documentary created to provide guidance, information, and support to fathers with children on the autism spectrum. The film shares the stories of twelve Aussie fathers as they discover a whole new world of parenting and what it means to be a dad.

Watch the trailer and stay tuned for the film release in late 2018!

AN Australian-first initiative to increase support for dementia carers has started in Horsham.

The city is one of 12 locations across Victoria, South Australia and NSW involved in the Virtual Dementia Friendly Rural Communities project, known as Verily Connect.

The program uses a smartphone app, website and videoconferencing to help connect people caring for those with memory loss and dementia. The aim is for this online support community to help reduce challenges such as distance and isolation.

To complement the online technology, trained volunteers in each location will provide support.