aged care awards

Winner

ECH (Enabling Confidence at Home) Inc

Parkside, SA

ECH is recognised for delivering outstanding support to older people through its innovative and inclusive model of aged care. This includes community-based interdisciplinary care, affordable housing for older people with limited financial means, ground-breaking support for the LGBTI community to access advice and aged care services in a culturally safe way, and strong technological and social supports. 

ECH has developed a prototype ‘connected communities’ program, which promotes and provides neighbourhood-based support for older people at risk of social isolation.

The program has great potential to help other aged care providers identify and engage ‘community connectors’ to help older people and their carers retain independence and continue to participate in their community.  

Community Based Support (CBS)

Moonah, TAS

CBS is recognised for supporting people who are frail-aged or are living with a disability through services that enable them to remain living independently at home, the way they choose, for as long as possible.

Through their nine Social Hubs, CBS provides connections and community access to older people who may otherwise be isolated. Other services provided by CBS include exercise groups as well as personal, home and garden maintenance support.

When COVID hit, CBS was able to maintain connection to their clients by providing devices to enable virtual get togethers, creating exercise programs (online and DVDs) and most importantly implementing an amazing meal delivery service – providing a full two-course meal for just $5. This has helped their clients remain socially supported and independent in the midst of the pandemic.

Post-COVID, CBS would like to continue a meal delivery service and social support

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Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC) Inc

Glenside, SA

Southern Cross Care (SCC) is recognised for providing quality healthcare for residents using Person Centred Software (PCS), a live monitoring clinical care system. The system has been implemented in SCC’s 17 Residential Care homes across South Australia and the Northern Territory.

PCS has helped individualise each resident’s care plan which is followed and monitored by staff on hand-held devices. Any alterations to care plans can almost instantly be viewed and implemented. Nursing and care staff have live information about care delivery for each resident. This level of transparency enables staff to respond quickly to changing needs, identifies any missed care and ultimately leads to better outcomes for residents.

Staff feedback indicates PCS facilitates better care, capturing a more person-centred and holistic picture of each resident. Implementation of the PCS system has allowed staff and the whole organisation to work more efficiently and productively, improving care outcomes for residents.

Winner

Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults

Swinburne Psychology Clinic, Department of Psychological Sciences 

Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn VIC

The Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults (Clinic) team is recognised for providing outstanding mental health care and support for aged care residents.

Responding to the significant restrictions to face-to-face visiting as a result of Covid-19, the Clinic’s team established the National Telehealth Counselling and Support Service. The first of its kind in Australia, the telehealth service provides support to vulnerable aged care residents who may be experiencing mental health issues including depression, anxiety and loneliness.

The Clinic is passionate about training psychologists, social workers and counsellors on how to provide mental health care to residential aged care populations.

Aged Care Services Team

Footprints in Brisbane Inc, 

QLD

The Footprints Aged Care Team is recognised for providing outstanding support and care for older people through the Whole Meals initiative.

Footprints provides specialist community services to older people, including providing support with shopping, community transport, meal preparation and personal care to help them stay independent in the community.

Many of Footprints’ clients were left feeling stranded and unsupported during Queensland’s Covid-19 restrictions. Quickly Footprints had to modify many of their services including their social support program and look for new ways to assist their clients.

Footprints’ dedicated Aged Care Team quickly identified clients who needed to have meals delivered that were healthy and nutritious to ensure they didn’t have to rely on shopping and food preparation. This paved the way for the launch of their Whole Meals service at low or no cost for clients.

Wound Champions Team

Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC) Inc

Glenside, SA

Southern Cross Care’s (SCC) team of wound champions is recognised for increasing awareness and knowledge of best-practice wound care across SCC.

Wounds are becoming more common in aged care due to the complexity of health conditions among residents, with an estimated 10,400 pressure injuries and 2,500 other ulcers approximately per year across residential aged care in Australia. Chronic wounds are linked to poorer quality of life.

Across all of SCC’s 17 Residential Care homes, wound champions are supporting nurses and care staff to promote good skin integrity, reduce wound prevalence and shorten healing times. They have also helped develop a more efficient wound management system and support training on wound staging and classification.