Life Stories Australia

April 19, 2024

Moving Onwards and Upwards


What a pleasure to chat with, and join “Life Stories Australia”. Trying to recount the past has opened a whole new life for me in the future and I am very excited to join Deborah and others crafting Life Stories.


“First up, in a Life Stories Australia first, we have a guest speaker who has become a member. Dr Bruce Powell, who had us all enthralled about his life story journey after a horrific cycling accident has joined our group as an Associate emerging life story teller. Along with writing his memoir, he has assisted Rhu Griffiths with workshops. We welcome him aboard. If you missed his forum or would like to revisit it, you can watch it here.”

Hospital room with two beds and beige privacy curtains, white walls, and bright overhead lighting
By Bruce Powell May 5, 2026
A patient who can’t speak communicates perfectly. A reminder that listening is often the skill clinicians misunderstand, even when words are absent.
Selfie of a man with light curly hair and a white beard, making a playful face indoors.
By Bruce Powell May 5, 2026
Insight promises clarity, but it often destabilises identity. What happens when you see too much, too late, and can’t return to who you were.
Smiling person soaking in a bathtub with a white foam beard and wet spiky hair
By Bruce Powell April 27, 2026
Rethinking “bad behaviour” in brain injury: less about intent, more about control, shame, and the gap between clinical labels and lived reality.
Close-up of an arm with a small black abstract tattoo near the elbow.
By Bruce Powell April 25, 2026
NDIS access relies on executive function many applicants lack, turning support into a barrier. When paperwork decides outcomes, the system fails.
Large brown dog resting on a beige couch beside a black-and-white toy elephant
By Bruce Powell April 22, 2026
NDIS cuts risk shifting costs, not saving them. The issue is not spending less, but spending smarter on supports that change outcomes.
Black-and-white portrait of a man in a beret and zip-up jacket, looking straight ahead.
By Bruce Powell April 20, 2026
Saving lives is not the endpoint. Recovery is. This article examines how underpowered rehabilitation drives bed block, delays discharge, and weakens systems.
A watercolor painting of a rusted, white kettle with the red letters
By Bruce Powell April 8, 2026
Two convincing emails. One tax bill, one refund. Both felt real. Put the kettle on. Pause, step out, and avoid getting scammed.
A person wading in a clear, rocky tide pool at the base of a large, craggy mountain under a bright blue sky.
By Bruce Powell March 22, 2026
Rehabilitation is the missing link in Australia’s hospital crisis. Underfunding and COVID disruptions continue to block recovery and system flow.
A person with light-colored hair and facial hair sleeping peacefully on their side in a bed with white linens.
By Bruce Powell March 22, 2026
Featured in MJA InSight+, this article explores brain injury advocacy, the reality behind the Royal Commission findings, and why meaningful change is still overdue.
The DonateLife logo: a fuchsia heart shape formed by three rotating arrows, with the text
By Bruce Powell March 17, 2026
Reflective insights from a former ICU doctor on organ donation, community trust, ethics, and the quiet realities behind transplantation.
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