Staff and resident wellbeing programs recognised in awards

A team approach to care planning and case conferencing in residential aged care, and an exercise program designed to reduce manual handling risks for personal care workers are among the initiatives recognised in the latest Better Practice awards.

Salvation Army Aged Care Plus won a Better Practice award for an employee wellness program
Salvation Army Aged Care Plus won a Better Practice award for an employee wellness program

A team approach to care planning and case conferencing in residential aged care, and an exercise program designed to reduce manual handling risks for personal care workers are among the initiatives recognised in the latest Better Practice awards.

Brightwater Care Group’s Edgewater facility was recognised for its partnership approach to care planning and support based on shared knowledge of each resident.

A one-hour structured “wellbeing mapping session” involving staff, family and the resident was being conducted within 10 weeks of a person moving into the facility. A profile was then developed to inform staff’s approach to each resident’s care and support.

Also recognised in the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency’s annual awards was The Salvation Army Aged Care Plus, which developed an exercise program for all staff to complete before work to reduce injuries arising from manual handling.

Key stakeholders consulted in the development of the project included staff, WorkCover agencies and residents. As a result of the program, staff injury rates have decreased.

UnitingCare Ageing NSW/ACT celebrated yesterday as it picked up six Better Practice awards, which was almost half of the 14 awarded to aged care providers in NSW and the ACT.

UnitingCare Farmborough Aged Care Centre resident Muriel Jenkins and staff member Fatima Todorovski reflect on the life of a resident who recently passed away
UnitingCare Farmborough Aged Care Centre resident Muriel Jenkins and staff member Fatima Todorovski reflect on the life of a resident who recently passed away

The provider’s winning programs included a memorial project to give residents, staff and family an opportunity to pay their respects following the death of a resident through a brief ceremony, and a physiotherapy pain management initiative for residents suffering chronic pain.

This year’s 31 winners were announced at the Quality Agency’s Better Practice conference in Brisbane yesterday.

Other winning programs included an early intervention working party to quickly identify and treat decline in health, a conversation club to enhance the work of a speech pathologist, and the use of technology to connect rural and remote consumers with medical services.

Quality Agency CEO Nick Ryan said the awards recognised and showcased services that went above and beyond for the benefit of their consumers.

“The stand-out cases are those that are committed to understanding consumers’ needs and demonstrate that they have made a real difference to care and quality of life,” he said.

As reported by Community Care Review yesterday, this was the first year that home care services were included in the awards. Among the community care programs recognised was a mobile social club targeting rural and remote clients, a community garden fostering intergenerational connections, and a staff development program to implement CDC.

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Tags: Brightwater Care Group, slider, UnitingCare Ageing NSW & ACT,

1 thought on “Staff and resident wellbeing programs recognised in awards

  1. Congratulations to all the worthy winners of the Better Practice Awards this year, you make a difference in older people’s lives everyday.

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