EXPERTS PROMOTION
INDUSTRY EXPERTS PENSION HELP
LEGAL
NEUROSURGERY
AGED CARE
Just one more stress driven job
Is my “home made” will enough?
Advances in neurosurgery
Covid no time to cancel care services
There are jobs that are just annoying. You tend to put them off or grudgingly complete as required. For me, it’s the maintenance in the garden that gets in the way of doing the creative work I love. That means the lawns, so we engage a lawn mower. House cleaning is another, although we do tend to grin and bear it. Those years I had a cleaner made life just that bit less cumbersome. What about Centrelink, keeping your details updated and your payment correct, a stress-driven chore? I regularly meet clients who have not updated their details for years, only to find that they have not been receiving the correct payment. The process of explaining to Centrelink where the funds came from or went to, is exhausting. For less than $6 a week (less than the gardener or cleaner) CAPA Services will monitor and maintain your Centrelink payment and records. CAPA Services has service packages structured to meet the varying needs of clients. Further information is just a telephone call away.
This is the fifth in our series answering questions about estate and probate disputes. I am often asked whether a “home made will” is sufficient to do the job. It is a question that troubles me. Maybe it is sufficient if: • you prepare it correctly; • the drafting is clear; • it caters for various scenarios; • it has been correctly executed; and • it can actually be located after you die Why I am troubled by being asked this question is because people seem oblivious to the consequences of getting it wrong. The days of a simple will are long gone. An estate plan always involves consideration of: • how assets are owned; • what obligations are owed to provide for family members; and • a beneficiary dying before you. Sadly, I have seen all too often the costly consequences of errors where people have tried to do their estate planning without legal advice. The costs of court applications to fix mistakes far outweigh the savings of doing things yourself. See krugerlaw.com.au to learn more.
The modern operating theatre looks very different compared with other areas of the hospital or GP surgeries that patients often visit. Powerful microscopes, computer navigation and robots have replaced the old, clunky pieces of equipment that were previously used to perform operations to make surgery more streamlined than ever. Neurosurgeons have always been at the forefront of adopting new, safer technologies to allow operations to be performed in the most delicate areas of the brain and spine. Luckily, most patients will never need the services of a specialist neurosurgeon as most cases of pins and needles, sciatica and the feeling of ‘electric shocks’ in the arm or leg settle with time and following the advice of your GP. For those unlucky enough to have ongoing pain issues, treatment can be undertaken locally at the modern Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital using cutting-edge techniques to get you going and enjoying life again. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks and before proceeding, you should seek the advice of your doctor.
If you or a family member have stopped receiving home care services fearing contracting Covid, I urge you to reconsider. The risk of contracting the virus while receiving home care is minimal and needs to be weighed against the risk of not getting the help you need. Slipping in the shower, forgetting to take your medication and cancelling your nurse’s home visit, can compromise your health. If you have concerns about your service, pick up the phone and ask some questions. Here are five ways many home care services have adapted to life under Covid: 1. Limiting the number of carers who visit, by giving multiple shifts to the same carer. 2. Services have set up infection control protocols and trained care staff in these. 3. Shopping online and getting groceries home-delivered. 4. Use telehealth through Skype calls. 5. Social isolation can lead to depression and a higher risk of mental decline. Home care services are focused on the whole person. A carer’s visit is an opportunity to talk or share a joke as well as to attend to the basics.
NARELLE COOPER DIRECTOR CAPA SERVICES CENTRE FOR AGE PENSION ADMIN SERVICES 07 5354 0144 OR 1300 043 197 ADMIN@CAPASERVICES.COM.AU
TRENT WAKERLEY PARTNER, KRUGER LAW LEVEL 4, OCEAN CENTRAL, OCEAN STREET, MAROOCHYDORE 5443 9600, KRUGERLAW.COM.AU
DR STEPHEN BYRNE SUNSHINE COAST NEUROSURGERY SUITE 17, SUNSHINE COAST UNIVERSITY PRIVATE HOSPITAL, 3 DOHERTY STREET, BIRTINYA. PHONE: 5437 7256 SCNEUROSURGERY.COM.AU
KENDALL MORTON DIRECTOR, HOME CARE ASSISTANCE SUNSHINE COAST 42 BULCOCK STREET, 5491 6888 HOMECAREASSISTANCESUNSHINE COAST.COM.AU
30 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / February 2021
30.indd 2
Sunshine Coast
28/01/2021 10:15:44 AM
