When I was growing up in NZ as a young girl, one of my activities was to bake biscuits for my family. I used to make shortbread, marshmallow shortcake, ginger crunch – all out of the much-revered Edmonds Cookbook. And sometimes, when I came home from school, I would get up on a stool to the cupboard where the biscuit tin was, and sneak a biscuit – but I was absolutely terrified of being caught. And I remember thinking, I can’t wait until I’m old and I can eat all the biscuits and cake I want.
.. so now that I am ‘old’, I recall those times, but unfortunately while I am no longer terrified of being caught, now I can’t eat too much cake or biscuits because of how it affects my blood sugar, or my heart or my cholesterol or my weight. And not only that, I have to exercise more – and regularly, if I want to keep the oh-so-many chronic diseases at bay and have any hope of living without pain. Sound familiar?
Well never fear. In this issue we have included a big feature on Aged Care and Dementia, and yes, there is quite a bit of bad news there, but the thing is, education and knowledge is key, and really, nutrition and exercise really do go a long way to keeping you healthy and out of hospital. All we have to do, is choose to do it. There is a new Aged Care Act coming our way too – the government is hoping to get it legislated by July 2025 – we have included a summary, so have a read. They are saying this will be for the next 30 years, so its pretty important.
Stigma has come up a bit in this magazine too – both for people with dementia, and for people who have mental health conditions. We are pleased to be publishing on both of these areas as the more we open these things up, the more we understand and the less we have to fear. And it looks like robotics are definitely coming our way too .. just depends on how long it will take. I think it will be at least another generation – we might have got our moving escalators and microwave ovens as predicted in the futuristic TV show The Jetsons, but we still haven’t got our individual flying bubble cars.
We are pleased to publish more about antidepressants too, with evidence that their use in pain management for older adults is not as strong as previously believed. And new research from a 5-year study has found long-term exposure to pharmaceutical pollutants is dramatically altering fish behaviour, life history and reproductive traits, something I also find a tad concerning.
But to finish up on a brighter note, the new year of 2025 is nigh, which will bring new challenges and opportunities for all of us. My wish for you is that you step up to what ever is coming with vigour, understanding, and compassion for each other and all others who share this wonderful planet with us.
CATE MERCER
Editor/Publisher
The Art of Healing
This Editor’s Note appeared in Vol 4 Issue 89 of The Art of Healing.
