Health & Wellness

Forum helps explain changing face of dementia care

The 14th Annual Illawarra Shoalhaven Dementia forum will welcome discussion at Fairy Meadow’s Fraternity Club on 17 September. The forum will run from 10am to 3pm and includes presentations from Dementia Australia, Federal Government Department of...

Tyneesha Williams

September 2025

Health & Wellness

The Eco-Anxiety Epidemic: Why so many young people are anxious about climate change

You’ve heard of COVID-19, you’ve heard of the loneliness epidemic; but there is another invisible malady spreading across the Illawarra community. According to a 2023 YouthGov survey, concerns about climate change are having negative impacts on...

Phebe Fidge

September 2025

Health & Wellness

Thirroul doctor calls out unethical prescribing that puts profits over patients in medicinal cannabis industry

A Thirroul doctor has spoken out against unethical behaviour in the medicinal cannabis industry, warning of the dangers of brief consultations, “prescribing by algorithm” and practitioners who make their money by recommending a particular brand...

Genevieve Swart

September 2025

Health & Wellness

Find fresh produce and friends at Dapto Men’s Garden Shed

Dapto Men’s Garden Shed welcomes men 55+ Dapto Community Farm is launching a new program this spring designed for men aged 55+, the Men’s Garden Shed. This six-week program offers a therapeutic and practical way for men to get their hands dirty...

Tyneesha Williams

September 2025

Partner content

Rementia Together: A New Way to Support People Recently Diagnosed with Dementia

To learn more or register interest for the 3–7 November Berry retreat, contact Maxine Radus on 0405 274 563 or visit videri. com. au

The Illawarra Flame

August 2025

Partner content

Supporting Women’s Health at Every Age

By Dr Hayley Glasson at Bulli Medical Practice Women’s health evolves through many distinct life stages, each bringing unique opportunities and considerations. From adolescence through to the golden years, understanding what to expect and when can...

Dr Hayley Glasson

September 2025

News

Food for thought: Could Berkeley Public’s cooked lunch pilot become a school staple?

This morning at 11am the Year 1 class at Berkeley Public School will sit down to enjoy what could be a game changer, not just for their academic performance today but the children’s good health tomorrow. Healthy cooked meals are being served three...

Genevieve Swart

August 2025

Health & Wellness

Preventing Common Injuries in Everyday Activities

By Dr Berlinda Png at Bulli Medical Practice Have you ever pulled your back lifting a box, slipped on a wet floor, or developed neck pain from desk posture? Everyday injuries are surprisingly common, but most are entirely preventable with simple...

Dr Berlinda Png

August 2025

Health & Wellness

Exercise and healthy diet the key to avoiding diabetes

“Keep moving”! That’s the simple advice on how we can try to avoid getting diabetes from a Wollongong-based expert. During National Diabetes Week (13-19 July) Diabetes Australia is highlighting the importance of prevention, to reduce adding to the...

Jeremy Lasek

July 2025

Health & Wellness

For healthy people, cities and hospitals, charity prescribes prevention

Local organisation Healthy Cities Australia (formerly Healthy Cities Illawarra) takes a collaborative approach to community health, working with local government, universities, businesses and other community organisations to “bring people together...

Tyneesha Williams

July 2025

Partner content

How to Stay Healthy Through Cold & Flu Season

As winter approaches across the Illawarra, cold and flu season intensifies alongside the cooler weather. In 2024, Australia saw over 349,000 influenza cases, with children under five and seniors most at risk. Vaccination remains the most effective prevention, yet concerning trends show only 13.7% of children aged 5–14 were vaccinated last year—and this number continues to decline.

Dr Meaghan Miller-McConochie

July 2025

Opinion

What we are really teaching kids when we keep them too safe

By Simone Potter, founder of Bush Magic Adventure Therapy We live in a world where children’s lives are more protected, programmed, and padded than ever before. Helmets, knee pads, safe surfaces, safety scissors – these things have their place...

Simone Potter

July 2025

Health & Wellness

Is it okay to boil water more than once, or should you empty the kettle every time?

The water contained trace amounts of metals such as iron and lead, low enough magnesium levels that it can’t be tasted, and sodium levels substantially lower than those in popular soft drinks

The Conversation

July 2025

Partner content

Finding Steady Ground in an Uncertain World

By Clinical Psychologist Dr Marianne Bourke Life doesn’t come with a pause button. In a world where life feels more uncertain than ever, many of us are quietly carrying more than we let on. We’re often expected to keep functioning, caring...

Dr Marianne Bourke

June 2025

Health & Wellness

New local social enterprise aims to make exercise ‘For Funsies’

Local marketing professional Elise Sinclair is set to launch a new social enterprise to make fitness inclusive, non-competitive and accessible for women and girls – or, as she puts it, just ‘For Funsies’.

Tyneesha Williams

June 2025

Health & Wellness

Staying Well at Every Age: Essential Health Checks for Men

By Dr John Deady of Bulli Medical Practice Men’s health encompasses the full spectrum of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing throughout life’s journey. While we all share many common health concerns, certain conditions like heart disease, high...

Dr John Deady

June 2025

Opinion

Why did I choose homebirth?

The seeds of influence that would bloom into my first homebirth were sown during my pregnancy with my first child. She was born at Wollongong Public Hospital in the waterbirth tub after an induction. My experience was both incredibly empowering and...

Andy Lawrence

May 2025

Partner content

Food Intolerances: What To Watch For

By Dr Amy Harkness of Bulli Medical Practice Is your child experiencing unexplained symptoms after meals? Unlike food allergies that cause immediate reactions, food intolerances can be subtle and difficult to identify, affecting up to 25% of...

Dr Amy Harkness

May 2025

Health & Wellness

Bridging the Divide: How to Navigate Tough Conversations with Confidence

The second in a two-part series by local clinical psychologist Dr Esther Davis We all know that tricky conversations – about differences of opinion or even who forgot to take the bins out – can quickly go off the rails. With the federal election...

Dr Esther Davis

April 2025

Opinion

Where have all the preschools gone?

When my first child was two and a half, I embarked on the daunting process of finding childcare for her two days a week. I was immediately overwhelmed with our fragmented childcare system, and that feeling remains today after two years and my second...

Andy Lawrence

April 2025

Partner content

Immunisations for Seniors: Why Vaccinations Are Vital

By Dr Julie Blaze of Bulli Medical Practice Is your immune system working as well as it used to? As we age, our body’s defence system naturally weakens, leaving us more vulnerable to infectious diseases and making vaccines less effective. This...

Dr Julie Blaze

April 2025

Health & Wellness

Bridging the Divide: Why Difficult Conversations Go Wrong And How to Fix Them

Whether we’re talking about reality TV meltdowns, political clashes, or that never-ending debate in your group chat, tricky conversations tend to get stuck at the wrong level. The Harvard Negotiation Project’s framework for difficult conversations...

Dr Esther Davis

March 2025