June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, was the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia in 2019. More than 15,300 people were diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2023, with the average age being 69. 

According to Australia’s Cancer Council, bowel cancer develops from the inner lining of the bowel and is usually preceded by growths called polyps, which may become invasive cancer if undetected. About 90 per cent of bowel cancers are adenocarcinomas, which start in the glandular tissues lining the bowel. Other less common types of cancer can also affect the bowel, including lymphomas and neuroendocrine tumours. Depending on where the cancer begins, bowel cancer may be called colon or rectal cancer.  

Some factors that increase your risk of bowel cancer include: 

• A diet low in fibre 
• High red meat consumption, especially processed meats 
• Being overweight or obese 
• Alcohol consumption 
• Smoking tobacco 
• Inherited genetic risk and family history 
• Inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease 
• Polyps 
• Having a previous diagnosis of bowel cancer 

The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program 

If you are between the ages of 50 and 74, you are eligible to receive a free bowel cancer screening test every two years. Screening for bowel cancer involves a simple, at-home test called a faecal occult blood test (FOBT). This bowel cancer screening test looks for traces of blood in the stool that are invisible to the human eye and could be a sign of bowel cancer.  

Your test will arrive at the address listed on your Medicare card so make sure your details are up to date. You will normally get your invitation for the bowel screening test on or around your birthday, but it can arrive up to six months later. If you have already received your faecal occult blood test, sign up for reminders to help you get your screening done. 

Right at Home is Australia's quality support at home, home care provider, and provides care at home for special care situations such as cancer recovery. We provide the support that you or your loved one needs so that you can focus on recovery and we can focus on things such as cleaning, transport, shopping, meal preparation, personal care, medication management, medication administration, wound care, and anything else that is required to support our clients.

We deliver support at home services through government funded home care packages or through private pay arrangements. As an approved provider with the provider name Right at Home RightCare, we can deliver services from level 1 through to level 4. To find out more about how to register for a home care package, contact your nearest Right at Home office today. We will visit you in your home for a free consultation, explain the process, and help you register. 

Keep up to date with COVID 19 information on the following links: 

Australian Government Department of Health 

Victorian Health and Human Services 

NSW Health 

Queensland Health 

ACT Health 

WA Department of Health 

Tasmanian Department of Health 

Northern Territory Department of Health 

SA Health 

Founded in 1995, Right at Home offers in-home companionship and personal care, and assistance to seniors (elderly and aged care), and any adult who needs our care at home including adults living with a disability who want to continue to live independently or age in their home. Right at Home is your local expert for issues related to caring for your loved ones and is dedicated to keeping you informed about home care. With no package management fees, Right at Home allows you to get more care from your package or budget. 

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 care, after hospital care, post-operative care, respite care, dementia and Alzheimer's care. Right at Home also offers assistance with daily living and personal care such as grooming, hygiene, transport, shopping, meal prep, domestic services and social support, so your loved one can enjoy 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. 

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

Right at Home Offices in Australia: ACT & Queanbeyan; ACT Canberra; Adelaide Central; Brisbane Bayside; Brisbane North; Brisbane South; Brisbane West; Central Queensland & Wide Bay; Central West New South Wales; Darling Downs; Far North Queensland; Gold Coast North; Gold Coast South; Gosford; Greater Logan; Hunter & Port Stephens; Ipswich Lockyer Valley; Kalgoorlie Wheatbelt; Macarthur Penrith; Mackay; Melbourne Brighton: Melbourne Glen Waverley; Melbourne North; Moreton Bay Region; Newcastle; Noosa, Gympie & Hinterland; North Queensland; Northern Rivers; Padstow St George; Perth Midland; Perth Northern Suburbs; Perth South Eastern Suburbs; Perth West Coast; Southern NSW; Southwest Victoria; Sunshine Coast; Sydney Central & Eastern Suburbs; Sydney Five Dock; Sydney Inner West; Sydney Liverpool; Sydney Lower North Shore; Sydney Northern Beaches; Sydney Norwest; Sydney Parramatta; Sydney Ryde; Sydney Sutherland Shire; Sydney The Hills; Sydney Upper North Shore