Council on the Ageing (COTA) Vic At the beginning of the 21st century, the new mantra-"successful" and "resourceful" aging-is used interchangeably and intoned often unreflectively by a society eager to find ways to reduce aged-related losses. Yet despite numerous empirical studies and public health promotion strategies directed at ways of aging well, negative images of aging have an enduring vitality. This article examines ageism in a range of political, social, and cultural manifestos that have a productive role in encoding tacit assumptions and stereotypes about older people's lives. Particular attention is given to the pervasive use of the concept of "dependency," a stereotypic and productive ageist mechanism that continues to infiltrate what are arguably more inclusive strategies directed toward a global model of aging well. The authors explore some potential strategies to combat stereotypes and warn that aging well initiatives based on individualism and "selfresponsibility" risk reproducing existing power relations that continue to inform ageist stereotypes.

This research supports doll therapy as a therapeutic intervention that may be utilized within the ongoing care of some persons with dementia to meet needs for attachment and to reduce behaviours of concern. Despite some controversy on this topic, doll therapy should be considered as a therapeutic approach to further dementia care in light of this positive outcome.

This paper examines the marginalisation of nursing discourse, which followed the enactment of the Aged Care Act 1997. This neo-reform period in aged care, dominated by theories of economic rationalism, enshrined legislation based upon market principles and by implication, the provision of care at the cheapest possible price. This paper exposes some of the gaps in the neo-reform period and challenges the assertion that the amalgamation of nursing homes and hostels in such an environment can provide better quality of care and life for residents. It argues that this amalgamation entails a transformation towards a social model of care and fails to address the professional healthcare needs of the acutely sick and complex extreme old person and makes evident new gaps in the provision of aged care services. The paper proceeds to present strategies where the future for nursing practice in aged care necessarily involves a judicious balancing of individual cases alongside economic prescriptions of care and ever-changing public policy initiatives. It concludes that this can be achieved through a more interactive public, professional and advocacy discourse. The methodology involves extensive analysis of public documents including media, academic journals, government reports and interviews with recognised leaders in the field of aged care. The study utilises a critical interpretative framework consistent with the logic of Michel Foucault.

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Dementia may alter the experience of pain and the ability to communicate it; this will, in turn, result in poor pain detection and inadequate treatment. The aim of this literature review is to identify the observational pain scales that have clinical utility and feasibility for use with people living with dementia in the community by district nurses in their daily practice. It was found that a consensus could not be reached on which tool to use in clinical practice. A further evaluation of the Non-communicative Patients Pain Assessment Instrument has improved its feasibility for use in the community environment, as it can be administered by family carers. This literature review concludes that observational pain scales need to be validated for use in the community and that there is a need to consider the involvement of the informal carer in the assessment of pain.