The changing face of dentistry: Treating people with dementia

Dentists are being provided with an exciting new tool to assist them in effectively caring for the 900,000 Australians who it is predicted will be living with dementia by 2050.

An initiative of the Australian Dental Association and Alzheimer’s Australia, the six-module online video series entitled Partnership in Practising Care: Quality Dental Care for People with Dementia, is a timely and valuable addition to dental resources.

Created with the aim of educating dentists on best practice processes to treat the increasing numbers of people with dementia they will encounter in their practices as the population ages, the series emphasises the importance of continuity of care, the use of preventative dentistry and ensuring that a high quality of life is maintained.

The encouraging news is that treating people living with dementia, an umbrella term that encompasses conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and which can be marked by progressive memory loss, confusion and personality change, can be managed through simple but effective amendments to the way a practice operates and some professional mindset changes by its staff.

For instance, one of the key requirements for treating patients living with dementia is to get to know them well if there is no pre-existing relationship; this means that any subsequent treatments will grow out of what is effectively a partnership between the dentist and their patient.

Encompassing a broad spectrum of caring for people living with dementia , the modules encompass the following material:

Module 1 – What is Dementia?

Provides an overview of the condition and easy and effective ways that dentists can treat people living with dementia that enhances their quality of life and oral health.

Module 2 – Dentistry and Ageing

Addresses the challenges created by a rapidly-ageing population and the issues faced by dentists treating patients with dementia.

Module 3 – Dementia and Your Practice

Leads dentists and practice through the best communicative, administrative and clinical procedures for treating people with dementia

Module 4 – Consent

Details the importance of informed consent, what is required to obtain it and the onus on the dentist to ensure that their patient understands the treatment they will undergo.

Module 5 – Treatment Planning and Delivery of Care

Takes a dentist through the necessary steps in formulating treatment for people with dementia from treatment options to risk factors, consent issues and post-operative care.

Module 6 – Domiciliary Care

Explores operating in a residential aged care facility and the need for infection control, patient management and liaising with staff before and after a consultation.

It is hoped that the Partnership in Practising Care will transform the way in which dentists treat patients living with dementia, and that they will come to understand that a few simple changes in practice and mindset can have a profound effect on the oral health and overall wellness of these patients.

All six modules of Partnership in Practising Care will be available on Wednesday 17 August via the ADA’s CPD Portal.

• Partnership in Practicing Care was funded by the Alzheimer’s Australia National Quality Dementia Care Initiative with support from J.O. & J.R. Wicking Trust.

This article was originally sourced from ADA.

Women & Leadership Australia (WLA) launches new flagship program designed to develop mid to senior level women and prepare them for advancement into executive leadership. A national scholarship initiative will be administered by WLA to support this launch.

$4,000 scholarships are now being awarded to female leaders across the country to support the nationwide launch of Executive Ready – WLA’s new flagship development program for mid to senior level managers.

Informed by the experiences of hundreds of talented and respected women across all industries, Executive Ready is a leadership accelerator designed to stretch participants and propel them towards executive level performance, behaviours and mindsets. Developed by the country’s foremost authority on women leaders and their unique needs, Executive Ready is for women who want to lead more confidently, transform the performance of their team and fully realise their future career/life potential.

The program’s content is purpose designed to extend leadership ability in preparation for future advancement. Due to its applied nature and performance orientated outcomes the program is also appropriate for leaders looking to consolidate their current position and independent business owners looking for practical advice and strategy to transform the performance of their staff.

To view the Executive Ready program prospectus Click here

Please note: Scholarships cover approximately 40% of the total enrolment fee.

Nomination Process

To make a scholarship enquiry, please respond via email and include the details below. A program expert will then make contact to discuss current opportunities in your state:

Name:

Position title:

Email:

Phone:

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask via email or on 1300 735 904.

Nick Williams

Women & Leadership Australia

p 1300 138 037 | f 1300 451 031 | w www.wla.edu.au | e nwilliams@asam.edu.au

SKYCITY Convention centre ‘exclusive deal’ to’ AuSAE members’ only.

Exclusive offer for AuSAE members who book a conference at SKYCITY Convention Centre. For bookings made between 1 Jan -31 Dec 2016.

1. Free pre-dinner trio of canapés for dinners over 100 Delegates: minimum Value: $1,460.00

2. $2,000.00 discount voucher off the total bill for events over $40,000

3. Sponsored AV – Screen, Projector, laptop, 1 x lapel microphone, 1x lecterns with microphone and 1 x remote clicker

Is ideally situated in the heart of the Auckland CBD and is recognised as one of the premier event destinations for both international and local multi-day events, banquets, cocktail parties, day meetings and functions. Conveniently located in the heart of New Zealand’s premier entertainment destination, SKYCITY Auckland, the complex has a world-class casino, a multitude of bars and award winning restaurants, the iconic Sky Tower and two first-class hotels.

Tanya Dustin P: 09 363 7143 E: tanya.dustin@skycity.co.nz

Australian event organisers were impressed with New Zealand’s recent efforts to entice association events across the Tasman, with a destination package that involves bigger venues, easier access and dollars and sense.

Seven Australian association event organisers were flown to the CINZ MEETINGS Trade show in Auckland in June with the support of Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand. They attended the show and participated in an AuSAE educational session as part of a programme targeting more trans-Tasman association business.

Tourism New Zealand International Business Events and Premium Manager Lisa Gardiner says: “We are aiming to win more Australian and Australasian association business. With larger convention centres coming to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in 2019, and increasing air access, New Zealand is becoming a very viable option for our Australian association neighbours. Add in the benefits of widening networks and more knowledge-sharing opportunities, and it is really starting to appeal.”

Benjamin Graham, Senior Manager at the Migration Institute of Australia, was on the trip to look at the possibility of holding an event with a sister organisation in New Zealand, and the potential of taking his organisation’s conference offshore.

“We’re an Australian-based company but 60 per cent of our membership is from the East Coast. Flying to our last national conference in Perth I thought ‘If it was an hour more I would be in Bali and an hour less I would be in New Zealand!’ I wanted to see what is possible and viable, and Auckland and Wellington in particular would be - particularly with the assistance Tourism New Zealand offers,” he said.

“I was surprised by the enthusiasm and the effort that the New Zealand government puts into getting Australian associations to come to New Zealand. Its Conference Assistance Programme (CAP) is more than just showing you around hotels, it goes right down to the nuts and bolts of being able to assist with cost scenarios and present a business case to your board; that stuff is phenomenal. I was super-impressed. I think most Australians know New Zealand has the venues and capability, but it is that extra level, that New Zealand goes the extra mile, that they would find pleasantly surprising.”

Ivone Johnson of ANZBMS (the Australian and New Zealand Bone and Mineral Society) added: “MEETINGS was beneficial in regards to finding out about venues, hotels and activities in all parts of New Zealand; in particular, the growth of venues in Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington. I have also taken away a new appreciation for Auckland as a business events destination. I was most impressed with the infrastructure, especially the yet-to-be-completed New Zealand International Convention Centre and the vast array of hotels in its vicinity. There is a diverse choice of activities and experiences for delegates to enjoy as part of the conference. Auckland would be an ideal destination due to its proximity to most of the Australian states and its increased flight access.”

Johnson was also impressed with the informative AuSAE education session, which discussed challenges and opportunities facing associations. “One speaker discussed the implications of an Australian association holding a conference in New Zealand in regards to GST. This was valuable to know for future New Zealand conferences our association might hold.”

Graham added that New Zealand also offered a point of difference to Australian destinations beyond new speakers and networking opportunities: “I also think the destinations really know their identity and come together with the business communities to sell that as a city. That cultural element really sets New Zealand apart. It is respected and involved in the day-to-day, which is really appealing to a multicultural organisation like ours. It is completely viable to bring a Maori cultural element into an Australian association conference. The core strength of having an event offshore is being able to incorporate that special, local, element that people adore - that becomes a memory for them.”

Tourism New Zealand's Gardiner added: “With CAP strategic funding and marketing support available to event organisers bringing more than 200 delegates across the Tasman, we're expecting even greater interest from the Australian association market as that awareness of New Zealand's attractions and benefits grows.”

For further information about Tourism New Zealand please visit www.businessevents.newzealand.com

The article was originally sourced from Tourism New Zealand.

The External Reporting Board (XRB) is an independent Crown Entity responsible for the development and issuing of accounting and auditing & assurance standards in New Zealand.

XRBrief 1 is a new initiative of the XRB for your information and education. It is designed to keep people informed of what is happening and changing in the financial reporting, and audit and assurance standards space in a concise manner. We think it is good information especially in an environment such as we have in NZ where there has been a high level of change in the financial reporting space in the past few years....

For more information, please visit www.xrb.govt.nz.

This information was originally sourced from XRB. 

Nearly 200 groundspreaders from across the country will, next week, gather in Nelson for the 60th Annual Conference of long-standing trade organisation – the New Zealand Groundspread Fertilisers’ Association (NZGFA).

Conference attendees – ground spreaders, suppliers, trainers, auditors and testers – will hear from key speakers including Hon. Damien O’Connor (West Coast MP and Labour’s Spokesperson for Primary Industries), Mark Wynne, CEO of Ballance Agri- Nutrients, Mike Whitty, General Manager Marketing of Ravensdown Fertiliser Cooperative and Nelson forestry contractor and health and safety pioneer, Dale Ewers.

“Health and safety and accident prevention are high on our agenda this year,” explains Brent Scully, NZGFA President. “Fertiliser spreading is a demanding job involving heavy plant, complex equipment and often steep terrain. Machine operators and spreader drivers undergo intense training; however, errors do occur and accidents do happen. We want to do everything we can to minimise risk for the men and women in this industry."

Themed “60 Years and Growing”, the conference celebrates the role accurate fertiliser spreading has played in the history of New Zealand’s agricultural success.

It also recognises that fertiliser groundspreading is becoming more technically demanding as it meets the farming industry’s ever-increasing agronomic and environmental standards.

Mr Scully says: “As more fertiliser users understand the importance of using Fertmark fertilisers, spread by Spreadmark accredited professionals, the demand for trained operators is increasing. And as our industry expands, so too does our reputation as being vital to helping farmers achieve the best possible agronomical and environmental results."

The 60th Annual NZGFA Conference will take place between 17 – 19th July 2016 at the Rutherford Hotel, Nelson. Go to http://fertqual.co.nz/nzgfa for full details.

Note to editors:

NZGFA was formed in 1956 as a national association to represent fertiliser bulk spreading operators. The membership has grown over the years from the inaugural 29 North Island members to current membership of over 200 fertiliser spreading and allied companies, across seven national branches.

The NZGFA promotes best practice in fertiliser spreading and established the Spreadmark fertiliser placement quality assurance programme in 1994. The Spreadmark scheme is governed by the Fertiliser Quality Council and operates closely with its sister scheme, Fertmark. The two schemes operate to ensure that high quality fertiliser is manufactured, mixed and spread in a way that precision agriculture is fostered and the environment is protected.

The media release was originally sourced from Scoop.

Urban and rural firefighter representative organisations work together to ensure volunteer firefighters have a single powerful voice

Wellington, Monday 11 July 2016 - Urban and rural volunteer firefighters make up 80 percent of New Zealand’s fire services. Their representative organisations, the United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA) and the Forest and Rural Fire Association (FRFANZ), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to make sure fire brigades and rural fire forces have a single united voice as fire and emergency services transition to a new unified organisation.

Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne has introduced legislation to establish Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). This will provide the legal framework needed to bring together more than 40 separate organisations, over 600 fire brigades and rural fire forces, more than 12,000 volunteers, and approximately 3000 paid staff into the single new organisation.

Mr Dunne said the bill enables the provision of independent advocacy services and support for volunteers, at no charge to them – “the exact role FRFANZ has provided for almost thirty years, and the UFBA for more than a century”.

“FENZ will develop a framework for supporting volunteers, based on modern volunteer principles. Increased support for volunteers recognises their contribution, while not detracting from the support given to the paid workforce,” he said.

UFBA Chairman Rick Braddock said, “Although there have been other reviews of our fire services in the last 40 years, this is the first to result in completely new legislation that will lead to better, more sustainable emergency services for New Zealand communities.

“The aim of the agreement between UFBA and FRFANZ is to unite people, in particular volunteers, who are dedicated to the common cause of protecting lives and property in their communities throughout the country.”

FRFANZ Chairman Kevin Ihaka said, “Volunteers in both organisations share many of the same issues so our aim is to work together to ensure the best outcomes while still recognising differences within our sectors.

“This is an opportunity to manage positive change by unifying the voices of all volunteers no matter where they are from.”

The intention behind combining UFBA and FRFANZ advocacy into a single powerful voice representing collective fire and rescue services personnel closely follows the Government’s rationale in setting up the new unified fire and emergency services organisation.

The agreement will enable UFBA and FRFANZ to facilitate the extensive consultation needed with fire brigades and rural fire forces during the various stages of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Bill as it translates into policy and regulation.

The media release was originally sourced from Scoop.

NZAC has recently developed supervsion guidelines for School Guidance Counsellors.

NZAC Guidelines for Professional Supervision of School Guidance Counsellors 2016

Why do school counsellors need professional supervision?

• To support safe practice by disclosing current risk profiles of students, particularly those who are suicidal or suffering abuse
  
• To help manage caseloads to support a counsellor’s effective and safe practice
  
• To provide opportunities for reflective learning conversations and ethical practice
  
• To assist in preparation of NZAC, NZCA membership
  
• To support the growth of the counsellor’s professional identity
  

These guidelines are offered to support safe and ethical practice of Counsellors within the specific contexts of schools. They are to be read in conjunction with the NZAC Supervision Policy (www.nzac.org.nz/policy.cfm) and the NZAC Code of Ethics (www.nzac.org.nz/code_of_ethics.cfm)

‘Counsellors shall arrange for regular and ongoing supervision with competent supervisors who should be either NZAC members, or members of another professional body with a Code of Ethics acceptable to the NZAC National Executive’ (NZAC Code of Ethics, 9.1)

From the School Guidance Counsellors Appointment Kit:

(www.nzac.org.nz/school_guidance_counsellor_appointment_kit.cfm updated 2015, NZAC/PPTA)

Supervision

A guidance counsellor should have regular professional supervision with a supervisor who is a member of an appropriate professional association, bound by a Code of Ethics and subject to a complaints procedure.

In supervision, a guidance counsellor will:

• Examine their current practice, including discussion of particular cases
• Evaluate safety assessments and planning and associated professional decisions
• Ensure ethical concerns are explored and clarified
• Explore and address ways that the personal and professional life of the guidance counsellor impact on work with clients

Supervision should be regular, ongoing and in the region of one hour per fortnight. The school must be aware of and supportive of the supervisory needs of the counsellor and make the appropriate budgetary arrangements. Requiring a counsellor to engage in regular supervision is important, not only for the wellbeing of their clients, but also for the wellbeing of the counsellor. Stress from the demands of counselling work could be deemed to be a hazard under health and safety legislation and the employer must take every step to eliminate or minimise such a hazard.

The supervisory relationship is regarded in the same light as the counselling relationship and shares the same ethical principles. The supervisor may be asked, from time to time, to share information with the school principal. Such sharing of information must be done with due regard to the provisions of the Code of Ethics (see Appendix 2) and the wishes of the counsellor. In order for a member’s annual NZAC practising certificate to be renewed, a guidance counsellor’s supervisor must verify the number of hours of supervision that have occurred and the professional development undertaken.

Supervision would usually be provided by a senior, experienced practitioner with specific training in supervision and membership of a professional association such as NZAC (NZ Association of Counsellors); NZAP (NZ Association of Psychotherapists); Register of Psychologists (Psychologists’ Registration Board); ANZASW (Aotearoa NZ Association of Social Workers — if retrained as a counsellor)

To ensure safe practice and accountability professional supervision is an expected, work related activity and expense. This is usually paid for by the school (94.8%, NZAC School Counsellors Survey 2011).

Usual practice would involve fortnightly supervision during the school terms for a full time counsellor, pro rated for part time staff. Other forms of supervision can include facilitated group supervision and peer supervision, which requires a clear contractual agreement about how supervision is provided for each practitioner. Group or Peer Supervision can be an additional form of supervision, but does not usually replace one to one professional supervision particularly for inexperienced counsellors.

Full time counsellors would usually undertake professional supervision within their normal working hours. That is, not outside of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The media release was originally sourced from NZAC. 

Something you may have noticed about the minimum categories in the Performance Report is that there is no category for grants. Don’t panic! It’s deliberate.

The minimum income categories for Tier 3 and 4 reports are as follows:

So where are you supposed to record your grants? Well, it depends what the grants are for. If, for example, the grant was a general administrative grant which was granted for helping the charity to carry on their day to day operations, it would be recorded under “Donations, fundraising and other similar revenue/Receipts”. If, on the other hand, the grant was specifically to purchase food supplies to make lunches for school children and this was a service your charity provided, then it would go under “Revenue/Receipts from providing goods or services”. There may be some instances where you received a grant for both of these things, in which case you would need to split the grant between these two categories.

What is the rationale for this? Well, the main reason that these minimum categories have been set is in order to produce some comparability across the not for profit sector. To do this, it’s useful to know what the money was granted for, not just that a charity received grants. Then the reader is able to distinguish the extent to which the organisation was self-funding, or how much is paid for from external parties.

We have had several questions about the minimum categories with regards to both income and expenses, which are usually “Can I change the names of the categories?” or “Can I break the categories down?”. There is provision in both the Tier 3 and Tier 4 standards for you to be able to do both of these things, however, the standards say “provided that the separate categories are still maintained”. What this means is that you can’t mix donations with interest, or members fees with revenue from providing services, but you can rename or breakdown those categories into something more meaningful for your organisation.

What you cannot do is add a category called “Grants” and lump all of your grant receipts into that category. This is because this removes the transparency that is created by maintaining the minimum categories. We understand that some funders like to see their grants listed individually, or, readers of the Performance Report might like to know exactly how much the organisation received in grants.

Therefore we suggest one of two options:

Include your grants in the minimum categories as listed above (being careful to split the grants based on what the money is intended for). Then add a note to the Performance Report next to the relevant category and split the grants out by funder there.

You could add a sub category of grants to the relevant minimum categories above. An example name might be “Grants received for general administration” which would be a sub-category of “Donations, fundraising and other similar revenue/receipts” or “Grants received for the provision of services” which would be a sub category of “Revenue/receipts from providing goods or services”.

It is important to note that adding or breaking down categories should only be done if it adds value for the readers. Listing every single income or expense item you have does not necessarily improve the reader’s understanding and therefore you should carefully consider whether you need to change the minimum categories.

If you are unsure of where to record particular transactions then please get in touch with us and we will be able to help you. You can call 0800 CHARITIES or e-mail us at nrs.charities@dia.govt.nz.

The Article was originally sourced from Charities Services.

The New Zealand Bankers’ Association (NZBA) today welcomed the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) recommendations to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs on changes to the Financial Advisers Act 2008 (FAA) and Financial Services Providers Act 2008 (FSPA).

“Banks support good quality regulation that improves consumer understanding of financial advice and the conduct and competence of financial advisers,” said New Zealand Bankers’ Association chief executive Karen Scott-Howman.

“Banks play an important role in providing reliable and trusted financial advice, so that our customers are able to make confident and informed decisions.”

“The recommendations are comprehensive and align with banks’ priorities in ensuring our financial advice is fit for purpose and puts the customer’s interests first.”

In particular, NZBA supports the forward-looking recommendations that enable robo-advice, which will help promote innovation and consumer accessibility to financial advice into the future.

“The industry has appreciated the opportunity to engage with MBIE throughout the review and looks forward to further collaboration to implement the proposed changes,” Scott-Howman added.

The media release was originally sourced from Scoop.