Edition 2 - January 2025 - Health Literacy News Now.
Welcome to 2025 - We wish each and every one of our readers a very happy and productive 2025!
What we’ve been up to
Health Literacy Now has hit the floor running in 2025 and I'm having an inspiring time working with some great people in organisations that have a serious commitment to making health information easier to access, understand and use effectively. From a planning day in Sydney with a patient organisation who are dedicated to providing advocacy, education and support for patients across Australia, to consulting on a project with a global organisation that is aiming to better understand patient needs, and an ongoing project with a trusted pharmaceutical company, wanting to make sure their patient information meets the needs of their target audience; this month has been filled with hope for enhancing health literacy.
I’ve worked in healthcare for more than 20 years, and it still blows me away how awesome health professionals and people working in the health industry are. I love working alongside people with a mutual goal of empowering patients and their carers to take charge of their health. The dedication and meticulous care to detail to ensure they do the best for their patients or consumers is nothing short of exceptional.
Care Focus – Navigating Aged Care
On that note, one of the great meetings I had this month was with Guy Byrnes, the founder of Care Managers Australia. Guy started Care Managers Australia after working with retirees and their carers, and seeing the stress and frustration they faced trying to navigate the complex aged care system. With his permission, below is what Guy had to say.
“Many people find themselves in a situation where they must care for a family member. This can be complicated further when the family member needing care may have lost the ability to make sound decisions for themselves. This is a very stressful situation, and very difficult to navigate. But, improving your health literacy on your rights and what support is available will help. In a situation where you are caring for someone and they cannot make their own decisions anymore, below are some of the key terms you will run into:
- Capacity is a legal term, that refers to how much help someone may need when managing their own financial, lifestyle and/or care decisions safely, and within their own best interest.
- Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) is a legal document that records an agreement a person can make with someone they trust. This document gives that trusted person authority to make decisions for them if they are ever unable to make decisions for themselves (lose capacity). This document must be completed when the person needing care HAS capacity.
Decision making is only handed over to you – the person named in the EPOA, when, and if the person needing care loses capacity. If you have aging parents, or loved ones, it’s a great idea to encourage them to complete an EPOA while they still have capacity to make their own decisions.
- Guardianship can be applied through your state’s tribunal if someone you are caring for has already lost capacity, and you take over their decision making.
Guy further mentioned there are a range of organisations that can help you organise an EPOA or Guardianship. ADA Australia provides advocacy support to write EPOAs. Legal Aid state departments can provide legal advice.
If you would like more information or support regarding navigating aged care, you can find extra resources and contact Guy through the Care Managers Australia website www.caremanagersaustralia.com.au .
Medicines in aged care and across all ages.
As we navigate the complexities of aged care, it’s important to recognise the critical role that medicines play in health outcomes—not just for older Australians, but across all age groups. However, the impacts of medicine becomes increasingly significant in aged care, where managing multiple conditions and medications can be both challenging and costly.
Did you know you can impact on what medicines are subsidised by the Australian Government to make them more affordable for Australians? Keep reading to find out how.
Understanding how medicines are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and made accessible through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is vital. These systems ensure that aged care providers and patients of all ages have access to medicine that is affordable, and offers them the chance to maintain their quality of life, supporting better health outcomes at every stage of life.
TGA and PBS
In Australia, two key organisations play important roles in medicine. The role of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is to make sure medicines and medical devices are thoroughly tested and meet strict standards for quality, effectiveness, and safety before they become available in Australia.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) focuses on making medicines affordable. The PBS decides which medicines the government will help pay for. Medicines listed on the PBS are much more affordable for everyday Australians.
In short, the TGA is responsible for checking medicines and medical devices have been proven to work, and meet high safety standards, while the PBS helps make medicine more affordable for everyone.
Have Your Say on PBS Medicine Listings
The PBS Advisory Committee regularly reviews new medicines to decide if they should be subsidised, to make them more affordable for patients. Medicines being considered may include treatments for cancer, diabetes, rare diseases, and other serious health conditions.
How Can You Influence These Decisions?
You can share your thoughts with the PBS Advisory Committee through public consultations. This is your chance to explain why a certain medicine is important to you, your family, or your community. You can share your experience of living with a condition and how access to new treatments could improve your life.
The list of medicines being reviewed is available on the PBS website, and public submissions are often open for a few weeks before a decision is made. Your input could help make life-changing medicines affordable for thousands of Australians.
You can take action today by visiting the PBS website, reading about the medicines under review, and sharing your voice. Together, we can ensure every Australian has access to the medicines they need.
Final thoughts for January
As January comes to a close, we reflect on a busy start to the year, tackling key topics like the complexities of aged care and the vital role of TGA and PBS in ensuring accessible healthcare. These discussions set the tone for impactful work ahead as we continue striving for better outcomes across all aspects of healthcare. Wishing you a productive and inspiring month ahead—until our next edition!