September is International Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

To mark the month and shine a light on the disease, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) is lighting up famous landmarks in cities across Australia with the colour blue. PCFA is asking Australia to get involved in helping create awareness and raise the much-needed funds to assist in the fight against Prostate Cancer. It is urging men over 50 and those over 40 with a family history of Prostate Cancer to get checked.

Facts about Prostate Cancer

• Prostate Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian men

• There are 20,000 diagnoses and close to 3,300 deaths each year

• Prostate cancer kills more men than breast cancer kills women in Australia.

What is Prostate Cancer? 

Prostate cancer occurs when abnormal cells develop in the prostate. These abnormal cells can continue to multiply in an uncontrolled way and sometimes spread outside the prostate into the body.

Prostate cancer is generally a slow-growing disease and the majority of men with low-grade prostate cancer live for many years without symptoms and without it spreading and becoming life-threatening. However, the high-grade disease spreads quickly and can be lethal.

The prostate gland is part of the male reproductive system and it produces most of the fluid that makes up semen. The prostate starts off as the size of a walnut and it is normal for it to grow as men age. Sometimes this growth can cause problems, such as difficulty in urinating. These problems are common in older men and not always symptoms or signs of cancer.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer:

• Feeling the frequent or sudden need to urinate

• Finding it difficult to urinate (for example, trouble starting or not being able to urinate when the feeling is there or poor urine flow)

• Discomfort when urinating

• Finding blood in urine or semen

• Pain in the lower back, upper thighs or hips. These symptoms may not mean you have prostate cancer, but if you experience any of them, you should go and see your doctor. Take a look at the Prostate Cancer Foundation website for more detailed information on what you need to know about Prostate Cancer. Who is at Risk? All men over 50 years of age or 40 years if they have a family history of prostate cancer should talk to their GP about testing for prostate cancer, as part of their regular health check-up. The risk of getting prostate cancer by the age of 75 is 1 in 7 men. By the age of 85, this increases to 1 in 5. How to get involved: To assist your male family members, encourage them to #getchecked by their GP. To help raise funds for PCFA to assist men who have prostate cancer, why don't you join the PCFA efforts and host a Big Aussie Barbie with your family and friends this summer. Go to http://bigaussiebarbie.com.au/ for more information.

How Right at Home Australia can help:

Right at Home Australia is part of the world-wide network of Right at Home in-home care services. Right at Home provides private pay and government-subsidised, in-home supportive care for older Australians, disabled adults, and people suffering from long term illness to help them continue living independently or with the right care 24/7.

Families today are often spread all over the world or across your state. Caregiving for a loved one can take its toll on spouses and family members and it can change family dynamics and often family are not in a position to provide the hands-on care that is needed. Right at Home understand this perfectly and our services can provide family members with the peace of mind that someone is looking out for their loved ones.

Right at Home Specialised Home Care caters for Prostate Cancer Patients in the following way:

• Clients who need specialised nursing support to assist in catheter maintenance;

• Clients who need palliative nursing and supportive care;

• Adults who need assistance after surgery, hospital stay, or during rehabilitation;

• Adults or older People who may need skilled nursing care;

• Adults who need managed live in care/24 hour care; and

• Families who need respite care for family carers

To find out more about how you or a loved one may benefit from our home care services and the high quality and variety of care that Right at Home Australia can provide, give us a call on 1300 363 802 or visit our website.

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care, and assistance to seniors and disabled adults who want to continue to live independently and age in their home. Right at Home Australia is your local expert for issues related to caring for your elderly loved ones, and is dedicated to keeping you informed about home care.

Right at Home is a My Aged Care government-approved home care provider for levels 1 – 4 and offers flexible in-home care services such as nursing, post-operative care, respite care, assistance with daily living such as grooming, hygiene, transport, shopping, meal prep, domestic services and social support, so your loved one can enjoying a more independent vibrant life. Our nurses and caregivers are screened, highly trained and insured prior to entering your home so you can trust us with the caregiving while you focus on your loved one.

With offices in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Wagga Wagga (servicing Southern NSW including Albury, Griffith and other parts of Riverina), Padstow (servicing Padstow, St George and South West Sydney), Toowoomba (servicing Toowoomba and Darling Downs), Townsville and soon to be opening in Rockhampton, Right at Home Australia's care team is made up of supervisors and carers who are incredibly skilled, compassionate and devoted to improving the lives of their clients and their clients' families. With no admin or subscription fees Right at Home allows you to get more care from your Government Package or budget.

To find out more, please give us a call on 1300 363 802 or visit our website.