Implementing behaviour support plans for residents with a mental illness, introducing nurse practitioners to support residents, staff and doctors, and rolling out a laughter therapy program across multiple sites in a region, are among 37 initiatives honoured with a 2014 Better Practice Award.
Announced at the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency’s Better Practice conference in Sydney on Thursday, the winners represent 124 individual aged care homes and reward programs across four categories – health and personal care, innovation, resident lifestyle, and staff development and retention.
Aged Care Plus has won an innovation award for a successful behaviour support program for residents with a mental illness at its Carpenter Court Centre in Newcastle, which specialises in caring for older people with mental health problems.
A judge said the program addressed an area of clinical care that required a greater focus in residential aged care.
Aged Care Plus’ executive manager of care services, Peter Bewert, said the introduction of behaviour support plans has resulted in reduced hospital admissions, increased quality of life, stronger sense of belonging, improved communication abilities, and greater community integration for residents.
“This program is very-much focused on connecting to people at an emotional level and understanding the emotions of why they are exhibiting that behaviour,” Mr Bewert told Australian Ageing Agenda.
Residents can be left mentally tormented and frustrated after dealing with the root cause of their behaviour and connecting with them on an emotional level requires a highly-individualised person-centred approach, he said.
“When we can truly understand the emotions behind [the behaviour] then we are able to really make a breakthrough about getting better quality of life outcomes for our individual residents and that is what we have been able to achieve.”
The program has also been beneficial for staff, who have greater confidence in their ability to meet client needs, Mr Bewert said.
Aged Care Plus, which is a division of The Salvation Army, has 17 residential aged care centres in NSW, ACT and QLD. It is looking to roll out the model to its two other facilities that specialise in care for people living with mental illness as well as adapting it for implementation in all other centres.
“We have the framework of the model but it will change depending on the individuals that come and their specific needs. The whole notion of making this person-centred is that it is not one size fits all,” Mr Bewert said.
The model could also be adapted by other specialist and non-specialist aged care providers, he said.
Tapping into skills and knowledge of nurse practitioners
Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home, NSW, has scored in the health and personal care category for introducing nurse practitioners (NP) to support residents, staff and onsite doctors.
The NPs prescribe medication, diagnose and treat acute illnesses and injuries, refer residents to other professionals and administer vaccinations.
A judge described the program as a “genuine case of leading innovation. Slick, professional, formally funded, well-documented… delivering strong results… very impressive.”
Proactively identifying hearing difficulties
IRT has also won a health and personal care award, in its case for a hearing assistance program at the William Beach Gardens facility in Wollongong.
The program, which a judge said had great sustainability and transferability, includes a proactive approach to assessing residents’ hearing capacity and investigating the best support options plus education and training for staff, residents and volunteers.
IRT chief executive Nieves Murray said they found that improving residents’ hearing was also improving their health and wellbeing and encouraging greater social involvement.
“Assistance to hearing-impaired residents helps them to avoid social isolation which can lead to other illnesses such as depression and dementia,” Ms Murray said.
Nearly 40 per cent of residents have been identified as being significantly hearing-impaired and there has been an increase in use of hearing aids and other listening devices as a result of the program, she said.
The project also produced a training video and manual to provide in-service and pre-service training for care staff and volunteers, which IRT has made freely available to the aged care sector.
Bringing creativity to care
Blue Care has picked up an innovation award for bringing creativity to care across a region, which a judge said was an “excellent example of an integrated strategy across multiple sites.”
The organisation implemented the Arts Health Institute’s Play Up! Program at its seven residential facilities spanning the Gold Coast to Kingscliff in northern NSW resulting in happier residents, fewer falls and more confident and enthusiastic staff.
Blue Care South Coast general manager Linda Taylor said the specially-trained Play Up performers worked with staff members in regular visits to creatively engage residents with dementia.
“They say laughter is the best medicine and with this program, we really see residents become engaged and their home becomes a place where there is so much laughter, singing and sometimes even dancing,” she said.
Quality Agency CEO Nick Ryan said the awards were set up four years ago to recognise homes that went beyond meeting minimum standings and excelled at what they did. Award winners demonstrated commitment of management, staff, residents and families to providing high quality care, he said.
“The award winners are great examples of innovation and customer focus. The programs have been well thought out, researched and planned and most importantly — affect residents’ lives in a positive way.”
Award recipients are listed with full details of the winners available on the agency’s website .
2014 Better Practice Award winners
Health and personal care
- Aldinga Beach Court Life Care, Aldinga, SA, Bedtime to breakfast
- Baptcare Victoria, Psychotropic medication use evaluation and review in aged care
- Barwon Health – Alan David Lodge, Geelong, Victoria, Drink, drink, drink
- Bupa Cardiff, NSW, Palliative care link nurse model of care
- Bupa New Farm, Qld, Water therapy
- The Marion, Leichhardt NSW, Footloose – a falls minimisation project
- IRT William Beach Gardens, Wollongong NSW, Hearing assistance program
- Salamander Bay Aged Care Facility, NSW, Person centred multidisciplinary team building initiative
- San Carlo Homes for the Aged, South Morang Vic, We’re talking about your medication
- Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home, NSW, Nurse practitioners
- The Whiddon Group, NSW, Client death screening to improve end of life outcomes
Innovation
- ANZAC Hostel, Brighton, Vic., What’s important to you? – The HELP Conversation
- Blue Care Qld, Play Up!
- BlueCross Monterey, Vic., Tools for life – getting men engaged in residential aged care
- Carpenter Court Aged Care Plus Centre, NSW, Inspiring hope and belonging for people with mental health problems
- Catholic Homes for the Elderly, Vic., Raise the bar
- Claremont Terrace Hostel, McKinnon, Vic., Breaking down the barriers
- Garden City Aged Care Services – Alzheimer’s Queensland, Upper Mt Gravatt, Qld, Resident choices enhanced with technology
- Garden Suburb Aged Care Facility, NSW, Family friendship support group
- Lansdowne Gardens, NSW, Music therapy/appreciation program
- LHI Retirement Services, SA, Redesigning texture-modified foods
- St Michaels Aged Care Facility, Murrumbeena Vic., Christmas in the park
Resident lifestyle
- ANZAC Village, Narrabeen NSW, Heartbeats
- Bupa Bellarine, Newcomb, Vic., Play days
- Bupa Bellarine, Newcomb, Vic., Mass gets a modern twist
- Caroona Goonellabah Hostel and Caroona Kalina Nursing Home, Goonellabah NSW, Inspired voices choir
- Castledare Retirement Village, Wilson WA, Time to Talk
- Emmy Monash Aged Care, Caulfield North Vic., The Narrow Bridge
- Hall & Prior, Mosman Park Aged Care Home, Mosman Park WA, New beginnings
- Living Care – Clelland Lodge, North Nowra NSW, Old Blokes of Clelland Lodge – Ginger beer brewing club
- Mayflower Nursing Home and Hostel, Westmead NSW, Cultural diversity a framework for the leisure and lifestyle program
- The Orchards Aged Care, Lisarow NSW, The Clay Village Project
- Starrett Lodge, Hamlyn Terrace NSW, Bucket list program (BLiP)
- Thompson Health Care Pty Ltd
Staff development and retention
- Feros Care, Creating aged care leaders in the 21st century
- SwanCare Group, WA, Feathers Program – Put a feather in your cap!
- Vasey RSL Care Ltd, Vic., Staff attraction and retention strategy
