Show Notes
This season of It Can't Hurt To Ask, we're taking a deep dive into your men's health questions and concerns. This episode, we’re talking about chronic conditions—complex health conditions that can be long term or lifelong—and how genes and lifestyle can increase or decrease a man's risk. Chronic conditions are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in Australia, where over half of our population lives with at least one. They include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, kidney and autoimmune disease, vascular, lung, neurological and mental health conditions, and more. Our featured expert is urologist and Professor of Surgery, Dr Eric Chung, who shares his deep knowledge of what affects men’s health and how many chronic conditions are preventable or manageable. You'll also hear from Queensland men, Sam and Dan, who share their life experiences with chronic conditions such as hypertension, stroke, and chronic pain. What are the effects of genetics, diet, exercise, sleep, and stress on your chances of developing a chronic condition? How can technology help to reduce your risk? Where can you seek support? Listen to find out. If you'd like to learn more about men's health, listen to other men's health episodes in our brand-new season. Also listen out for our final episode this season, where we explore how Queensland men can age well. Please leave us a review—we'd love to hear your thoughts. Episode resources: Chronic conditions Many Australians live with chronic conditions, which can cause illness, disability and even death. Chronic conditions can lower your quality of life and may affect your independence. You can take an active role in managing and preventing chronic conditions. You can work with your GP and specialist to manage your condition, reduce your risk and improve your quality of life. To learn more, visit the Australian Government's chronic conditions website. Where to get help 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) is a confidential phone service that provides health advice to Queenslanders. You can phone and talk to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the cost of a local call. 13 HEALTH provides qualified health advice—it is not a diagnostic service and should not replace medical consultation. In an emergency always call Triple Zero (000). Virtual emergency care is also available in Queensland. Visit our Virtual Emergency Care Service between 8am - 10pm for free specialist emergency care services, by telephone or video conferencing. You can also access the Health Direct symptom checker. If you feel that you may be in need of mental health support and have never accessed a mental health service before, our mental health access line 1300 MH CALL (1300 642 255) is available 24/7. This is a confidential mental health telephone triage service and is the first point of contact to Queensland public mental health services. Organisations like Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) and the Men's Shed Association are also available to provide mental wellbeing support. Find your local Men's shed location to connect with your community face-to-face, or speak to a Beyond Blue counsellor online or by phone.
More from It Can't Hurt To Ask
What's involved in caring for someone at the end of their life? What kind of support is available for people wanting to die at home? How can people provide care for loved ones while they are in hospital?
While it may feel uncomfortable, we can't talk about Death and Dying, without answering this one—what actually happens when someone is dying? Lauren tackles this question head on to find out more—what are the different stages of dying, how long does it take and what do the movies get right (if anything)? We also learn more about the importance of advance care planning as we age and how voluntary assisted dying works from Karen, a clinical nurse consultant from Toowoomba. In this episode, we'll hear from clinical nurse consultant Jacinta and palliative care specialist Dr Sheryl from Caboolture Hospital's palliative care service, who explain what to expect as people come to the end of their lives. Remember, death may feel scary, but talking about it shouldn't. After all, it can't hurt to ask! Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).
There can be a lot of people involved in end-of-life care, so in this episode, we're finding out who's who and what they do. In this episode, Lauren meets with staff from across the state who help care for people who are dying, to find out what their jobs are and what they love about their work. From the role of doctors and nurses in palliative care settings, to allied health professionals and a geriatrician, we're finding out how many different disciplines can come together to support a person's quality of life in their final months, weeks and days. What's the most common request a palliative care music therapist gets? Why might an occupational therapist talk to a patient's neighbours? How does a geriatrician explain ageing? Come along for the journey to find out! Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).
What if we told you that palliative care is less about death and dying, and more about living? In Episode 2 about Death and Dying, Lauren heads to different services across the state to find out what palliative care is, how it works and the many different ways you can access care. We start with a history lesson from Dr Graham, the director of the Specialist Rural Telehealth Service, who explains what palliative care is and who it's for. We will also hear from clinical nurse consultant Jacinta about how a hospital palliative care ward works, meet community palliative care specialist Dr Erin who explains what in-community care looks like, and find out how the Specialist Rural Telehealth Service delivers care to people in rural and remote areas from Dr Graham. Hit play to find out how palliative care services are evolving to meet the needs of people right across the state. Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).
Death is one of life's few guarantees. It's natural and will happen to all of us—so why are we so afraid to talk about it? In Episode 1 of It Can’t Hurt to Ask ... about Death and Dying, our host Lauren kicks off the season by asking what seems like an obvious question: what are death and dying? The answer, however, is a little more complex. We're joined by Dr Christian, a palliative care specialist from Rockhampton Base Hospital and Laurelle, a social worker from our statewide Specialist Palliative Rural Telehealth Service based out of Gold Coast University Hospital. They help us explore the clinical definitions of death and dying (and how they differ from what we understand as death), share what we do and don't know about death, and help us understand what a "good death" really means. It may seem scary, but this episode is just the start of tackling the silence and stigma that surrounds death. Because talking about it can help us feel more prepared, more informed and help us live our lives to their fullest. Resources: Talking about death and dying can bring up challenging emotions. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental wellbeing, support is available: Lifeline: call 13 11 14 (24 hours a day) if you are experiencing a personal crisis or chat to a counsellor online. Beyond Blue: call 1300 22 463 for broad mental wellbeing support or speak to a counsellor online. Griefline: call 1300 845 745 (9am–6pm, Monday - Friday, 12 noon–6pm weekends). PalAssist has general information and advice about palliative care services in Queensland. Call 1800 772 273 (free for Queensland residents) or chat online (from 7am to 7pm, 7 days). In an emergency, always call Triple Zero (000).