Celebrating the pioneers and thinkers
The use of technology in delivering aged care, a wellness program for seniors, and an initiative to develop Aboriginal-specific home care were the programs recognised for their innovation at the HESTA Aged Care Awards last night.
The use of technology in delivering aged care, a wellness program for seniors, and an initiative to develop Aboriginal-specific home care were the programs recognised for their innovation at the HESTA Aged Care Awards last night.
Queensland-based aged care provider Feros Care won the Outstanding Organisation Award for its use of a range of telecommunication techniques to provide telemedicine, medical education and distance health education.
The award recognised the provider’s role in pioneering the delivery of smart and virtual technologies to improve the lives of older people in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
CEO Jennene Buckley said the organisation supports seniors through the use of telehealth and smart technologies, including group and individual video calls, online referral services, senior-friendly personal computers/tablets and ‘smart home’ safety installations.
“Our service uses telehealth technologies to monitor hundreds of clients with chronic diseases in their homes,” Ms Buckley said. “We’ve facilitated more than 5,000 video-conferencing sessions, from one-on-one interactions between a client and a GP, to multi-party sessions such as online bingo, group chat clubs and healthy literacy classes.”
The organisation has also rolled out more than 1,200 smart home installations into clients’ homes to reduce the risk of falls and support clients living with dementia or receiving palliative care treatment.
Last night Feros Care received a $10,000 development grant, courtesy of awards supporter ME Bank. The prize money would help Feros produce a video to showcase its work, Ms Buckley said.
Speaking this morning, Ms Buckley said new thinking and new transformational models of service delivery was critical to providing aged care services in the future. “Feros Care believes our greatest challenge and hope in meeting the needs of our rapidly ageing population, is keeping seniors as healthy, independent, living at home, socially connected to their family, friends and community for as long as possible,” she said. Read her comments in full here.
Wellness program wins team award
Meantime, a West Australian team of allied health professionals were recognised for their innovative wellness program for older people.
The team from Ageing Wisely, who provide wellness services to retirement living facilities, won the Team Innovation Award for developing the Re3 Wellness Program.
The program provides simple lifestyle strategies that aim to improve physical and cognitive function and emotional wellbeing in one holistic program.
Ageing Wisely managing director Paula Fiévez said the program adopted a holistic approach to address age-related degeneration such as sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), osteoporosis and reduced cognitive function.
“In our five-month trial of the program, participants aged between 60-92 attended education workshops and practical training sessions on key lifestyle strategies of the Re3 Wellness Program,” Ms Fiévez said. “Using equipment similar to that used for testing NASA astronauts, the team saw improvements in participants in every physical parameter, as well as cognitive function and reduced incidences of depression.
“This included improvements in lower body strength (55 per cent), upper body strength (42 per cent), balance (52 per cent), pulmonary function (23 per cent), cognitive function, (10 per cent) and depression (20 per cent).”
The Re3 Wellness Program Team were awarded a $10,000 development grant last night, which would allow them to introduce the program into 10 new retirement living facilities across West Australia, Ms Fiévez said.
Aboriginal home care program pioneer recognised
Elsewhere, Graham Custance of Care Connect, won the Individual Distinction Award for his work which has improved access to health services in Aboriginal communities across three states.
Mr Custance developed a model of engagement and service provision that increased the number of home care packages provided to Aboriginal elders and older adults. It also built capacity in Aboriginal communities to enable them to access services that meet their specific needs.
Mr Custance collaborated with state and federal departments and community service agencies, and gained the acceptance and trust of Aboriginal communities. He successfully secured 70 Aboriginal-specific home care packages from the Department of Social Services.
“This involved reconfiguring traditional case management models to meet the requirements of the Aboriginal community, advocating on their behalf and developing an Aboriginal Community Action Planthat included a goal of self-determination for Aboriginal communities,” Mr Custance said.
“Elders of Victorian Aboriginal communities in the Eastern Region of Melbourne and the Loddon Mallee Region now choose the service providers they believe meet their specific requirements in a culturally respectful and appropriate way.”
Mr Custance received a $5,000 ME Bank EveryDay Transaction Account and $5,000 towards further education courtesy of ME Bank.
“I would like to use the some of the prize money to research paths toward shared governance and self-determination in Aboriginal communities or establish an industry project to develop a model of engagement for Aboriginal communities,” he said.
HESTA CEO Anne-Marie Corboy presented each of the winners with their awards during a dinner in Melbourne last night. “We are honoured to acknowledge their extraordinary efforts,” Ms Corboy said.
