EVEN better and better

(Above, L-R): Blue Care Pine Woods staff members, Henrietta Pene and Heather Hartfiel, setting up a display for the centers’ Infection Control Awareness Week

By Lillian Radulova 

Last week we reported broadly on the winners of  the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency’s (ACSAA) annual Better Practice Awards which recognise quality intiatives and improvements that go ‘above and beyond’ the ordinary in aged care.  Click here to read this article.

This week, the stories continue to trickle in from different aged and community care providers whose efforts were acknowledged in the awards.  In the interest of helping achieve the Agency’s objective of making the winners ‘exemplars for other aged care homes, to assist and encourage improvement to care and services for residents’, we are sharing some of these stories.

Blue Care, Pine Woods 
Winner of five Better Practice Awards for programs including Infection Control Awareness Week, Pine Woods School Holiday Program, Staff Palliative Care Support Group, Emergency Evacuation Initiatives and Family Support Group.

Blue Care Pine Woods Aged Care Centre Service Manager, Lyn Bartolini said she was extremely proud of her team’s achievements.

“We’ve dared to do something different and ‘think outside the square’ – to take a risk and not be frightened,” she said.
“Personally, from winning these awards, I want people to recognise that aged care is a specialised field for people with specialised skills – it is challenging and exciting work and the standard of care we give is something to be proud of.”

Emmy Monash Aged Care, Melbourne
– Winner of a Better Practice Award for the ‘Life Enrichment Project’, an arts-based project providing a means for expression.

It includes the ‘Generations in One Voice’ Community Choir, soon to perform at Parliament House’s ‘Courage to Care exhibition’ and the Jeanne Pratt Drama Group.

Emmy Monash CEO Tanya Abramzon said the award is recognition for the project’s life changing role in residents’ lives and in the breaking down of barriers and stigmas.

“We are a small organisation with limited resources. This award is testament to the commitment by staff and the community to provide our residents with the very best care,” she said.

 Above:  Emmy Monash resident Bill Lasica and WoorannaPark Primary School student Jake Ramalinga sing in the ‘Generations In One Voice’ Community Choir. Photo: Neil Bennet

Above: The ‘Generations in One Voice’ Community Choir connects with a choir of Dutch seniors via a live hook-up last year. Photo: Ben Weinstein

IRT, Dalmeny
Winner of a Better Practice Award for the program ‘My Story Matters’. 

The program has volunteers partnering with residents and meeting regularly to create a meaningful record of their lives which are turned into five-minute video stories with photos, music, songs and voice-overs.

IRT Welfare Officer Kate O’Leary, who developed the program, said both young and old benefit from being brought together by the program which was introduced to prevent and manage depression and anxiety among seniors.

“Volunteers really enjoy the inspiration they get from the older generation,” Ms O’Leary said. “They learn that getting old is not a bad thing. “

Catholic Health Australia 
Catholic Health Australia has announced five Catholic aged-care providers as recipients of Better Practice Awards

-St Catherine’s Aged Care, NSW was recognised for their work in continually improving management of residents’ pain
-Glendalough Home in WA, was recognised for their Wedding Belles program
– Ave Maria Community Village, Shepparton received recognition for its ‘Meaningful Mentoring’ initiative
– Ageing Abroad at Mercy Place Parkville, Victoria was recognised as an innovative and inspirational program that fosters cultural diversity and a harmonious work environment
– Macquarie Care Centre, NSW was honoured for their ‘Sense of Worth’ program 

Congratulations to all the winners!