Aged Care Summer 2011

Aged Care Australia Spring 2011 Summer 2011

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Profile: Prof Len Gray | an I.T revolution in the making ITAC 2012 | come along and see Matilda the robot The Care Factor | Warrigal Care launch ACAA Congress Overview | awards and more

Aged Care Australia – ANNUAL CONGRESS –

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

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Aged Care Australia Voice of the aged care industry

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Summer2011 2011 Winter

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44 ACIVA 47 Comfort Shoes

General 62 Aged Care: room for improvement?

65 Bethanie Medallion Winners Announced 68 Sage 75 Essential 2012 Guide for Aged Care Released 76 Warrigal Care launches The Care Factor 77 From Compliance to Best Practice The Ultimate Aged Care Quality System

contents

National Update 3 CEO’s Report 5 President’s Report 8 State Reports 20 Congress Overview 25 Building Awards 31 Architects Leading The Way

Workforce 48 Presidential Card 51 Survey Confirms Shortage of Healthcare Workers in NSW 52 Proper Care For Workers Who Care 54 Employer of Choice Awards

Profiles 32 Professor Len Gray

Technology 34 New Siblings for Health Care Robots 36 ITAC Awards 39 Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records Bill 2011

ACAA OFFICE HOLDERS PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT DIRECTORS

EDITOR PRODUCTION

Bryan Dorman Francis Cook Tony Smith Mary Anne Edwards Viv Padman Geoff Taylor Kevin O’Sullivan Rod Young Jane Murray

Sponsor Articles 58 Energy Contract Discount Offer 61 WHS Harmonisation Online Course Now Available

ACAA – NSW PO Box 7, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 T: (02) 9212 6922 F: (02) 9212 3488 E: admin@acaansw.com.au W: www.acaansw.com.au Contact: Charles Wurf

ACAA OFFICES

ACAA – SA Unit 5, 259 Glen Osmond Road Frewville SA 5063 T: (08) 8338 6500 F: (08) 8338 6511 E: enquiry@acaasa.com.au W: www.acaasa.com.au Contact: Paul Carberry

FEDERAL PO Box 335, Curtin ACT 2605 T: (02) 6285 2615 F: (02) 6281 5277 E: office@agedcareassociation.com.au W: www.agedcareassociation.com.au

ACAA – TAS PO Box 208, Claremont TAS 7011 T: (03 6249 7090 F: (03) 6249 7092 E: smithgardens@bigpond.com Contact: Tony Smith

78 Calendar of Events 79 Product News

ACAA – WA Suite 6, 11 Richardson Street South Perth WA 6151 T: (08) 9474 9200 F: (08) 9474 9300 E: info@acaawa.com.au W: www.acaawa.com.au Contact: Anne-Marie Archer AGED & COMMUNITY CARE VICTORIA Level 7, 71 Queens Road Melbourne VIC 3000 T: (03) 9805 9400 F: (03) 9805 9455 E: info@accv.com.au W: www.accv.com.au Contact: Gerard Mansour AGED CARE QUEENSLAND PO Box 995, Indooroopilly QLD 4068 T: (07) 3725 5555 F: (07) 3715 8166 E: acqi@acqi.org.au W: www.acqi.org.au Contact: Nick Ryan

Aged Care Australia is the official quarterly journal for the Aged Care Association Australia

Adbourne PUBLISHING

Adbourne Publishing PO Box 735 Belgrave, VIC 3160

Advertising Melbourne: Neil Muir (03) 9758 1433 Adelaide: Robert Spowart 0488 390 039 Production Emily Wallis (03) 9758 1436 Administration Robyn Fantin (03) 9758 1431

DISCLAIMER Aged Care Australia is the regular publication of Aged Care Association Australia. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but ACAA reserves the right to edit, abridge, alter or reject any material.

Opinions expressed in Aged Care Australia are not necessarily those of ACAA and no responsibility is accepted by the Association for statements of fact or opinions expressed in signed contributions. Aged Care Australia may be copied in whole for distribution among an organisation’s staff. No part of Aged Care Australia may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the article’s author.

www.agedcareassociation.com.au

www.adbourne.com

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national update

CEO’s Report Rod Young CEO, ACAA

ACFI Funding Dilemma

funds in a very tight economic environment and one in which the Government has committed to return the budget to surplus next year.

n the recent Mid Year Economic Review Treasurer, Wayne Swan announced the Government has provided an addition $1.9B over the next four years for residential care subsidy increases, in addition to the existing annual subsidy growth. The $1.9B has been allocated in order to meet the unexpected increase in aged care subsidies that the industry has been generating through the ACFI funding tool.

When Government agreed to move to ACFI from the RCS it agreed on the basis of an annual growth in subsidy of around 3% when in fact over the last eighteen months the growth has escalated to 7% and is showing no indications that the annual increase is slowing down.

I

ACFI was meant to provide additional income for the sector and in particular to better recognise the cost of providing care to residents with high levels of frailty or chronic disease. It was meant to move subsidy from low level care within hostels and transfer funding to high level care.

It was meant to produce a transparent objective instrument which reflected the care needs of a person at a point in time.

ACAA believes that ACFI has largely delivered on these laudable objectives.

However, there is a problem. The additional funding mentioned above has been allocated

by Government to cover the additional aged care subsidy outlays. But Government is not happy about having to find these additional

The Department has formed a committee which has been charged with looking at the reasons for the increase and to explore whether there are ways in which the ACFI, or the claiming process could be modified to ameliorate the rapid growth in ACFI outlays.

This work will take some months and its outcomes are, at this stage, unknown.

DoHA will, in an attempt to rein in the growth in expenditure, escalate the number of validations that are occurring.

ACAA does not believe providers should have any concerns about these reviews provided ACFI claims are legitimate, assessments have been professionally conducted and that the documentation to support the claim has been prepared and is included in the ACFI pack or is readily accessible.

ACAA believes that providers should receive all subsidies to which a provider is legitimately entitled. The care and services now required to properly manage many of our residents often requires more income than the ACFI provides however, having achieved a more responsive and accurate subsidy tool through the ACFI it behoves us as an industry to make absolutely certain that our claims are accurate and reflect our professional assessment of our clients’ needs.

No more and no less.

One of the best ways in which we, as an industry, could convince the Government that the ACFI is delivering as intended, is to show that we have been using the tool appropriately. One way of achieving that outcome, will be to ensure that the number of downgrades following validations remains at the same level as the industry average that has occurred since the implementation of ACFI in 2008, at around 17%.

Providers who have any concerns about their ACFI processes or procedures should consider consulting with a state office of the Association in order to ensure that you are receiving your correct entitlement and can demonstrate proper assessment processes and documentation have been accurately obtained and applied. n

For the Latest Aged Care News go to www.acaa.com.au To view the latest Aged Care magazine online visit Adbourne Publishing www.adbourne.com.au/aged-care-latest.html

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 3

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national update

President’s Report Bryan Dorman, President, ACAA

The following is an edited version of ACAA President Bryan Dorman’s Opening Address at the 30th Annual ACAA Congress held at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre 6-8 November 2011.

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lot of things have happened in the last year. I guess the two most significant matters have been the PC Report and the Merger discussions between this association and ACSA.

The PC submission process was finalised.

The PC draft report was released for comment and the final report was released by the Government in August and Minister Butler has indicated a preparedness to liaise with the industry through the National Aged Care Alliance.

The Expert Reference Group from the Alliance has been convened and has now met with the Minister on three occasions with the fourth meeting scheduled for this Tuesday. (So if you notice Rod Young missing Monday night and a good bit of Tuesday, it is because he will be travelling to and from Canberra for that meeting).

At the ACAA AGM in October our federal board approved the progressing of discussions with ACSA up to the point of a formal decision. ACSA has yet to make a similar decision to progress the matter further. I understand their board is awaiting a more complete report to consider.

A Steering Committee consisting of three members of each board has met on several occasions. Indeed the last meeting was held last Thursday with considerable progress across a range of issues including a briefing from Hynes lawyers on structure governance and constitutional issues.

There is still a long way to go before full agreement is achieved but it is pleasing to report that this process has commenced which I trust, will eventually lead to a successful conclusion.

There is no doubt that these two particular events offer us all, as an industry firstly and also as an association, a unique opportunity to achieve radical and long reaching reform for our members.

I’m sure you will all be familiar with world wide data particularly in developed countries, of the reality that we are facing the challenge of, rapidly escalating care costs, extensive health cost blowout and social welfare cost growth that are generally unsustainable.

The Expert Reference Group has created five sub groups each of which has been charged with a particular component of the PCs recommendations: • Quality of Care • Workforce • Wellness Approach • Financing, Care and Accommodation • Assessment, Choice and Consumer-oriented Care • Palliative Care

To compound the increasing financial burden for care, health and social welfare costs of an ageing population, the working and taxpaying contributors supporting the over 65 population will decline significantly. In 2050 those working in our society will shrink from 50% of the population to 27%.

These groups are considering particular issues and areas of further clarification that will be built on in the PC report.

So we have the opportunity in my opinion to lead our industry into the future in a strong and competitive framework; framed by an over arching driver.

The Merger Discussions are also progressing: ACAA adopted a position five years ago which endorsed the notion of one industry voice. It was therefore pleasing to have ACSA determine mid-year that they would also adopt a position of exploring merger discussions.

Though there have been a range of important issues with which the association has dealt over recent years, particularly our industry viability, I believe these two contrasting trends are pivotal issues driving the future of our society, and with a direct impact on how and where we deliver care to the elderly.

That of Consumer Choice There is little doubt in my mind that what our consumers will require in the future is a robust system that supports choice in a variety of services, products and service providers.

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national update

If we, as providers of care services do not respond to this growing dynamic then it is likely we will not survive in business.

If we, as care providers do not modify our business models to become far more nimble, flexible and consumer focused it is likely we will not continue in business.

As care providers we must take note of the overriding wish of our customers to stay in their home for as long as possible and preferably for the whole of their life. If we as providers do not heed this message then it is likely we will not continue in business.

And do not be fooled by the status quo of today’s service offering.

Technology will radically change how and what we can do in a person’s home and dramatically change the way in which we do it.

In particular home based assistive technologies, home monitoring services, internet TV, broadband speeds, virtual hospitals and self care monitoring will dramatically change the capability of a person to manage their own health care and to remain independent in their own home for longer than today.

And home does not necessarily mean the quarter acre block of the traditional Australian suburb.

eccles AGED CARE REALTY AGED CARE SPECIALISTS FOR 50 YEARS SALES AND CONSULTING MELBOURNE BASED AUSTRALIA WIDE For a confidential discussion contact

There are clear indications that those persons making decisions about their future housing options today are not taking the sea change or tree change options.

They are looking for housing options that will help them stay in their local communities.

They are looking for whole of life housing options in small integrated communities. To them a nursing home is an after-thought, but nonetheless a safety net in the event it is needed.

We need to be aware that many village operators are moving from the housing model of the past to a care model. As this response to consumers wishes grows, then villages become akin to today’s hostel.

If the PC Report is adopted by Government, consumers with the financial capacity will be expected to start contributing to their care the moment they start receiving low level HACC services in their own home.

System changes like this will drive consumers to demand the opportunity to make decisions about the type of service they need, how that service will be delivered and by whom.

In my opinion these changes will drive a demand for providers to offer a comprehensive housing and care service offering. This will require all of us as community care providers, seniors housing, village operators or nursing home providers to re-think our business structures and to consider how we might meet the needs of the future consumer.

If as I predict, consumer wishes will strongly drive us towards an integrated housing and service offering across the aged care continuum. It is equally important that we as an industry are reflective of the demand for an integrated industry structure and ensure that our service model is reflective of this direction.

Your ACAA Board has therefore pursued for sometime the bringing together of the industry peaks to reflect this strategic re-structuring of our industry and its concept of service continuum. To this end, we have earlier this year held discussions with the Retirement Village Association and more recently have commenced discussions with ACSA to bring about a merger of ACAA and ACSA. It is essential that we bring the weight of the whole industry to support our government liaison and lobbying activities. When you see and compare similar organisations overseas, it is apparent that the strength of their service and lobbying capability brings to bear a whole of industry approach.

ACAA strongly supports these concepts and that this is the right future for the industry and our Association. We will continue the work toward these objectives with the many industry stakeholders and the peak organisations. n

Phil Eccles 0419 960 419

Bill Carew 0412 539 717

Eccles Realty Pty. Ltd. Unit 33, 41-49 Norcal Rd, Nunawading Vic 3131

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The best care starts with the right kind of support That’s the challenge facing every aged care facility.

Obviously, there are many aspects to efficiently managing an aged care facility. One key consideration involves managing the health of its residents, many of whom are experiencing longer life expectancies. With the rising longevity, the number of drugs and the cost of prescriptions are rising in tandem. As the elderly are the biggest consumers of medicines and have specific age-related drug requirements, there is no denying the importance of practising Quality Use of Medicines (QUM).

We all want medicines use to be appropriate, safe and value for money.

AMH Drug Choice Companion: Aged Care, from Australian Medicines Handbook, is a widely-accepted aid to QUM in aged care in Australia. It is available in easy-to-use pocket-sized book and digital formats, with the content organised for speed and ease of reference.

It contains information on more than 70 specific conditions common in older people, including: dementia and management of behavioural symptoms, cardiovascular diseases, fall prevention, osteoporosis, palliative care issues, COPD, insomnia, depression as well as some broader concepts. Drug choices are ranked as first line/other options or arranged by disease severity or symptoms, with dosing information specifically for the older person.

The Companion is a practical reference for healthcare professionals who work with older people and is especially useful for conducting medication reviews.

The right kind of support comes from the heart and mind. With AMH Drug Choice Companion: Aged Care, you can help your patients to benefit from quality care while your facility reaps positive professional outcomes.

FREE 30-DAY TRIAL FOR AGED CARE ONLINE AMH offers a free 30-day trial of the Aged Care Companion Online to aged care facilities. It includes access from any computer within the facility, allowing all staff access to the trial wherever internet access is available.

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| Summer 2011 |

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national update

ACAA – SA Paul Carberry, CEO ACAA – SA

Aged Care Reform, Why This Time it Will Happen

T

he Productivity Commission’s Report, “Caring for Older Australians”, was released by the Federal Government on 8th August this year, and we are now well into that familiar post-report phase of analysis and consultation.

Some people I talk to remain sceptical that this report into aged care will go the way of its many predecessors. That is, nowhere.

However, I think they are wrong, and that this time it will be different, and we will see tangible reform on the fundamental matters of deregulation of supply and user pays, which the Commission chose to put first and second in their list of recommendations.

It will happen because there is no other way for the government to solve the dual problems it faces: ensuring sufficient services and beds to meet future demand, and containing its own expenditure.

The User-pays Proposals The Commission has said that, subject to means testing, aged care recipients will need to contribute to their care costs, limited to a maximum lifetime amount per person. This will apply, whether they are receiving care in their own home, or in a residential setting, and will be continuous across the settings.

As well, aged care residents who have the means, will be expected to pay for their accommodation and living expenses. The current cap on accommodation charges will be removed, and all residents will have the option of paying a daily charge, a (fully) refundable bond, or some combination.

The context for this is inadequate investment in residential care beds over recent years and no prospect of that changing without a reform of the system. A recent report by Deloitte estimated that, just to achieve break-even on capital investment over 25 years, the accommodation cap should be around double its current level.

If the clients don’t provide the needed funds through cocontributions and adequate accommodation payments, then future governments will have to. But where would they find the extra billions?

This year the Commonwealth will spend $9.1 billion on aged and community care, 0.8% of GDP, growing to an estimated 1.9% of GDP by 2050 under the Commission’s recommendations.

And that assumes all their recommendations are implemented, including the user-pays proposals outlined above. Without a fair system of user funding, taxpayers, that diminishing percentage of the population would have to make up the difference, in addition to the growing outlays for pensions and general health costs which the demographics will place upon them.

So, applying the user-pays concept, as proposed, is essential for the whole plan to work, but it will not be to everyone’s liking. The bulk of most people’s wealth is in their home. Under the Commission’s proposals, the home will be assessed for aged care purposes, and its value will need to be accessed in some way, either by selling or by borrowing against it.

Deregulation of Supply The Commission has recommended that the government remove the regulatory restrictions on home care and bed numbers and, if the government implements a user pays system, it will have to do this as well.

It will need to act cautiously and take its time to avoid those “unintended consequences” the Commission talked about; however it will have to do it.

The current system of allocations has denied consumers effective choice and access, and combined with unfair price controls (to consumers and providers), has limited providers’ options for growth and innovation. If the government deregulates price, as it must, it will have to deregulate supply, or it will continue to produce distortions and inequities.

However, deregulation of supply is not just about quantity, it’s about the type, quality, location, variety, mode of delivery and targeting of services.

This will produce challenges and opportunities for providers and it’s not too early to start thinking about how you might respond to the new order. Some of the well-known business-advisory firms have already published their thoughts on this, and it would be well worth having a read of them. n

For the Latest Aged Care News go to www.acaa.com.au To view the latest Aged Care magazine online visit Adbourne Publishing www.adbourne.com.au/aged-care-latest.html

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national update

ACAA – NSW Charles Wurf, CEO ACAA – NSW

The fundamental review of planning at a local level

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s the recently elected NSW Liberal government finds its feet after the delivery of its first budget in August 2011, there is now clear movement in planning and emergency management The incoming government came to power with a clear policy to conduct a comprehensive review of the State’s main planning law, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, originally written in 1979.

as a result of the fire at Quakers Hill. The NSW Premier announced an immediate review of building standards in aged care, and also the qualifications and background checks of staff in aged care.

At the time of writing it is not clear what the NSW Premier, nor any relevant Ministers, have in mind.

There is clearly a period ahead for aged care providers in NSW to re-engage with the NSW Government on these issues. The industry has been well served for decades in NSW by the Aged Care Industry Council Building Committee. The Building Committee brings together through the 2 peak industry Associations aged care providers and a range of experts, including architects, builders, building certifiers and quantity surveyors, and over the years strong links have existed between those responsible for NSW planning and the Commonwealth Department in relation to building and certification programs.

The Building Committee has written to both Premier O’Farrell and Minister Constance in December 2011 in relation to any further review processes in relation to aged care in NSW. n

The Review was formally announced in July 2011, with a staged timetable as follows: Stage 1 – Announcement, July 2011 Stage 2 – Listening and Scoping, to November 2011 Stage 3 – Issues Paper released December 2011, submissions open to February 2012 Stage 4 – Green paper on policy options, due to be released in April 2012 Stage 5 – White paper and associated proposed legislation to follow This is a comprehensive review of the planning processes in NSW, and will inevitably reconsider the current arrangements for both residential aged care and retirement living.

Also underway is a planned review to develop a new NSW HEALTHPLAN. The current 2009 version identifies the NSW Health emergency management arrangements to coordinate a whole of health response in the event of an emergency. NSW HEALTHPLAN provides for five major contributing health services components (Medical Services, Ambulance Services, Mental Health Services, Public Health Services and Health Communications).

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It was HEALTHPLAN that was activated in response to the tragic fire at Quakers Hill Nursing Home in Sydney in November 2011.

The planned review of HEALTHPLAN would have been expected to take in learnings from the recent Victorian bushfires and Queensland floods, and now will obviously have a focus on residential aged care following the fire at Quakers Hill.

In addition to these planned reviews of planning and emergency management, there will inevitably be a focus on residential aged care

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national update

Aged & Community Care Victoria Gerard Mansour, CEO Aged & Community Care Victoria

The PC Report: What ACCV members said

F

ollowing the release of the Productivity Commission’s Final Report on its inquiry into aged care in August 2011, Caring for Older Australians, Aged & Community Care Victoria (ACCV) conducted a two-step briefing process with members on the report which included a series of information sessions and an event, the Aged Care Leaders Symposium, which was created specifically to begin to unpack the implications of a reform agenda for members.

ACCV prepared a summary of this combined feedback – What ACCV members said.

Part 1: Summary of online member survey Following the release of the Final Report, ACCV CEO Gerard Mansour toured Victoria to present a summary to a range

of ACCV regional and metropolitan member meetings. After the presentation, members were asked to complete a short online survey to gain feedback about their thoughts on the Report.

Rating the package The survey showed that overall, more than two in three members strongly agreed or agreed with the proposals outlined in the Final Report. Importantly, at the time of the survey, 14.9 per cent of respondents were undecided about their overall opinion of the proposed package.

Strengths and advantages of the proposals The top highlighted strength and/or advantage of the proposed package focused on the provision of funding to match care needs. Almost 40 per cent of respondents highlighted this as a core strength. Increased consumer choice was rated after this, with almost 19 per cent of respondents outlining this as the key strength, followed by the proposal to implement a Gateway Agency (11.2%) and a focus on additional care and services (7.9%).

Weaknesses and disadvantages of the proposals In outlining the areas in which the proposals present a weakness or area which needs more focus, the core focus issue presented in the topic of capital. Primarily, members would like to know they will have sufficient capital to operate following changes around accommodation bond and daily fee use. This accounted for 21.4 per cent of responses.

Other concerns were raised around: • Resourcing of the Gateway Agency •M atching the annual funding increase to operational costs • Deregulation of the market • Capital and the use of bonds

Part 2: Summary of ACCV Aged Care Leaders Symposium In September ACCV hosted the Aged Care Leaders Symposium, offering an interactive opportunity for delegates to engage in dialogue in response to an interview with the Minister for Ageing about the Government’s response to the aged reform agenda.

Throughout the day, delegates responded to ad hoc survey requests to analyse responses to discussion topics.

Entitlement and assessment There was strong support with 73 per cent of respondents stating that the distinction between high/low/extra services, as well as CACP, EACH, EACH D, should be abolished.

There was also strong support for consumers to have access to an entitlement system in a location of their choice with more than 87 per cent of respondents agreeing with this.

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aca Aged Care Australia

national update Where to from here?

The focus has now turned fairly and squarely onto the Gillard Government as it now considers how to respond to the Productivity Commission’s final report on aged care reform.

The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing has committed to obtain feedback and input from the National Aged Care Alliance (NACA), of which ACCV is a member through the national associations Aged Care Association Australia (ACAA) and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA).

Respondents (83%) also agreed that those consumers that could afford to pay for their care, should do so.

There was support for the proposed question around whether the Department of Health and Ageing should be removed from administration of aged care, and replaced with the Gateway Agency and the Australian Aged Care (AAC) Commission. However a response of 49 per cent was dominant with respondents unsure as to how this would work in practice.

Finance and accommodation More than 60 per cent of respondents agreed that accommodation charges should be uncapped.

Only 24 per cent of respondents either strongly agreed or considered that providers would have sufficient access to capital from financial institutions. Thirty-nine per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement, and 37 per cent of respondents were unsure.

Only 13 per cent of respondents believed they would be able to meet consumer demand if lump sum payments were replaced by daily charge fees. Fifty-six per cent of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that they could meet demand, and 32 per cent were unsure.

consumers should contribute up to 25 per cent towards the cost of their care.

Wellness care and services In continuing the theme of consumers paying more for their care, 89 per cent of respondents agreed that consumers should be entitled to pay for additional care and services on a fee-for-service basis. Sixty per cent of respondents also stated that a supported resident accommodation payment based on 1.5 beds was not acceptable.

Quality of care Respondents were also asked to comment on whether they thought the proposals to encourage older people to remain living in their own homes longer would have any effect on consumer choice. Almost 90 per cent of respondents believed that the model would encourage consumers to live at home longer, and 46 per cent agreed that this is a positive outcome. There was some uncertainty as to whether sufficient resources would be provided for those older people who do remain living at home to have a quality of life and avoid social isolation.

In addition, the Minister conducted more than 30 ‘Conversations on Ageing’ across Australia, seeking the views of the community on aged care reform.

ACCV CEO Gerard Mansour and President Valerie Lyons have been actively involved with the NACA, and continue to be actively involved in discussions about the aged care reform agenda. The Minister has set up an ‘Ageing Reform Expert Panel’ comprising eight members from the NACA, incorporating providers, consumers, staff and professional organisations. ACCV members are represented on the Panel by both national associations ACAA and ACSA. In addition, NACA has created five Working Parties to feed into the Panel. Gerard is a member of the ‘Finance Working Party’ which is providing input to the Panel and the Minister.

ACCV continues, as its number one reform agenda priority, to advocate for the need to ensure we build a financially viable and sustainable industry so that consumers can receive both choice and access to aged care services in their own homes and aged care homes. n

In addition, a very strong response of 93 per cent of respondents agreed that providers would need to change their current business models to adapt to the proposed financial models.

Two out of three respondents agree with the proposed creation of the Australian Pensioner Savings Account and the Aged Care Home Credit Scheme, and three quarters of all respondents believe

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 15

national update

Aged Care Queensland Nick Ryan, CEO Aged Care Queensland

Election of Board members and Office Holders

F

our Board members were elected at the Aged Care Queensland Annual General Meeting 20 October 2011; Deidre Moran, Glenn Bunney, Karen Crouch and Kim Teudt. The first Board meeting of the new membership 22 November 2011 saw the election of Officer Holders.

ACQ Board for 2012 are as follows: Marcus Riley

President and ACSA representative Glenn Bunney Deputy President and ACSA proxy Darryl Chapman Treasurer and ACAA proxy Mary Anne Edwards ACAA representative Peter Bell Director Lanna Ramsay Director Deidre Moran Director Karen Crouch Director Kim Teudt Director Nick Ryan CEO (non-voting)

Sustainability ACQ has signed a contract with the Queensland Department of Environment & Resource Management (DERM) to conduct a Sustainability Project across the retirement living and community and aged care industry over a two-year period.

The funding is designed to undertake activities such as an Innovation Call, an Eco-Efficiency Trial across 20 sites,

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training delivery and development of a Best Practice Guide for Ageing Communities.

Disaster Management The ACQ Disaster Management Report was launched at the recent ACAA Congress.

The resource can be downloaded at www.acqi.org.au and provides a series of recommendations primarily directed at both levels of government and also captures the experiences and learnings from many ACQ members who endured the disasters during the 2010/11 summer. A series of Facts Sheets has been developed for members and some useful template documents from members have also been included.

Our thanks to all contributors including members, Hynes Lawyers, Queensland Police Service, ACSWA, Volunteering Queensland and QCOSS.

Community Care Quality Standards Community Care member services has been particularly busy responding to Member queries, especially around the new Quality Standards now being audited by the Department of Health & Ageing and the HACC program. Some of these issues have required follow up with the Department of Health & Ageing to clarify Guidelines, interpretations and other issues of concern.

Queensland Pay Equity Consultation ACQ has provided a written submission to the Honourable Arch Bevis as part of the consultation process he is undertaking for the Commonwealth Government.

This submission outlined the aged care sector perspective on the Fair Work

Australia Regulation of August 2011 that was subsequently repealed in September.

ACQ outlined that the original regulation was delivered without notice, would have been detrimental to many of the aged care organisations named within the regulation and questioned the viability for many of those implicated. While ACQ recognises the regulation will be reintroduced at some point we have echoed the statements made

by QCOSS that the Commonwealth and State governments have an obligation to fund the full, fair government-contracted cost of service delivery regardless of circumstances.

Community Care Forum Held on 17 November, the highlights included inspiring presentations on Squalor & Hoarding from Centacare, No Problems Cleaning and the Spiritus journey to firmly embed a Chronic Disease Self Management framework within their organisation. NDS (the disability peak) provided an update on the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the fundamental change of moving individuals to the centre of funding and service provision with many parallels to the proposed PC reforms in the aged care sector. The new Assessment Framework being implemented in Western Australia was explained and it is encouraging to see how a new front end to community care is being built on existing foundations with further developments required to join up the role of HACC and ACAT assessments.

ACFI funding DoHA have flagged that they are concerned with a blow out of approximately $2billion in the payment of ACFI subsidies. Subsidies have increased more steeply than anticipated

and the Department has said that unless these costs can be controlled they doubt there will be any money for reform. ACQ is concerned that the department is not looking more closely at the modelling used for their estimates. Members know, only too well, that there are fewer people entering residential aged care and are staying in their own homes longer while being supported by community-based services. It also appears that department modelling used erroneous assumptions such as ‘lost’ HHH residents would be replaced with someone with lower care needs and therefore less funding should be required. This is obviously not happening due in part to the much higher acuity levels of people entering residential care but also because services try to replace ‘like with like’.

Not to do so would impact negatively on income and in turn on rosters and care. The consensus in the industry is that the ACFI (like all funding tools before it) will be subject to changes in ground rules to meet government-contrived expectations.

This does not necessarily meet the increasing needs of a rapidly aging population where entry into residential care is often delayed until late 80’s and early 90’s.

and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 which deals with fit and proper persons owning a retirement village.

We expect that this legislation will be eventually passed but the form of legislation still requires considerable research to develop a Submission for the 9th December deadline. As well, work has concluded on the proposed Queensland Planning Provisions,

which is a by-product of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009. An ACQ submission was provided to Government on the 25th November. Aged Care Queensland is indeed very fortunate and grateful to have members with the breadth and depth of experience to contribute to in depth responses on such complex draft legislation. n

Retirement Village Legislation The Queensland State Government goes to the polls in early 2012 so there has been a flurry of legislation submitted to the House, or is in the Committee stage, on a wide variety of matters impacting on retirement villages. They include the Civil Proceedings Bill 2011 that seeks to legislate prorated Exit Fees calculated to the day a resident leaves a village.

Despite senior counsel advice assisting the Aged Care Queensland led retirement industry response and the Elder Law group pointing to the pitfalls with the proposed (and ambiguous) drafting and its implied retrospectivity, the Bill has now been referred to the House for passage. At the same time Aged Care Queensland has been examining proposed changes to the Criminal

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 17

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national update

ACAA – WA Anne-Marie Archer, CEO ACAA – WA

1st Division Winner – Bankwest, presented by Kim Gilbert from Zenith

The ACAAWA action AGM This year we decided to inject some fun into our Annual General Meeting with a Lawn Bowls event and combining the two activities certainly made for the most enjoyable AGM we have had in years.

With a strong representation from both our corporate and industry members, keen to battle it out with bare foot bowls, the teams were separated into first and second divisions after the first round and the winning teams were rewarded with trophies accordingly.

It was wonderful to see so many of our members networking and socialising in such an informal setting and there were some creative uniforms bidding for the best team outfit award. Unfortunately there could only be one winner on the day and it went to the St Ives team who took carriage of the COAG Royal visit – coming as the “Queens of Care”.

We were blessed with dry conditions despite the ominous clouds and storms to the north that made way for a fantastic BBQ provided by the WA HESTA crew and there were lots of prizes donated by our corporate members.

The event was sponsored by Zenith Insurance and the greatest winner on the day was ACAAWA receiving a very generous $20,000 cheque to support the Association – which was greatly appreciated and will be put to very good use.

The 1st Division winning team was the Bankwest team, who were defending their runner-up placing at the last event and the runner-up for 2011 was taken home by the St George Bank team.

The Aegis Aged Care Group (Aegis Angels) claimed victory for the 2nd Division and a close runner-up was the TR7 team.

There were plenty of prizes awarded on the day to recognise some of the outstanding performances, in particular the worst shot of the day (aka the Flipper) and not winning also received recognition with the wooden spoon awarded to the Grant Thornton team who definitely made up for a big score with their high spirits.

All up it was a truly enjoyable afternoon and it was terrific to see the members having so much fun – which is certainly a refreshing change to the challenges the industry faces both now and in the future.

Let’s hope the combined AGM/Lawn Bowls event becomes an ACAAWA tradition and we see everyone again next year. n

Images right from top: 1st Division Runner-up – St George, presented by Kim Gilbert from Zenith; 2nd Division Winner – Aegis Aged Care Group, presented by Kim Gilbert from Zenith; 2nd Division Runner-up – TR7, presented by Kim Gilbert from Zenith; The Wooden Spoon – was awarded to Grant Thornton, presented by Tim Anderson from Egan Valuers; The WA HESTA Team cooked up a sensational sausage sizzle to the hungry horde.

national update

Exhausting, exciting and exhilarating!

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T

hat’s my description of this year’s ACAA Magical Mystery Tour annual conference on the Gold Coast. Others have a different perspective!

“I loved the energy levels, the momentum, all the subjects of the sessions that I managed to get to. It was a great experience for me. We will be looking at a number of ideas that we will investigate further for possible implementation at our facility, particularly the development of an association with a recruitment agency and an employee benefits service that we didn’t know about before. They were exhibitors in the Exhibition Hall.” Lucy O’Flaherty, the CEO of Glenview in Tasmania The conference dealt with a wide range of critical aged care issues that surround the questions detailed by Julie Hynes, partner of Hynes Lawyers in the panel discussion on Changing Models of Care: ‘Where will I live?’

‘Who will look after me?’

‘How will we pay for all this?’

And ‘That’s a good idea, that’s smart IT!’ Bruce Massage from Premier Consulting revealed that changing cultures around aged care include a University in NSW that is investigating the establishment of residential retirement units, an aged care facility and child care facilities in one area on campus.

Concurrent sessions ranged from how to deliver care into the next decade and beyond, what will aged care look like, what will new facilities look like, how do we all deal with death and our right to choose, how to use humour and a good gut wrenching belly laugh and of course the Productivity Commission and its findings.

The Minister, Mark Butler came and went to much applause. He didn’t reveal anything new, but he did take questions, many questions and for that he scored well with the audience. As already widely reported there was much applause when he was asked a question about indexation, but he managed to dodge it nicely.

Towards the end of the conference a straw poll of delegates said: ‘We need access to web based medical services,’ after listening to keynote speaker Dr Jay Parkinson. Many loved Dr Jay’s reply when asked ‘What do you say to your critics?’ Jay said, ‘I don’t care, nor will I care!’ Others also found Dr Jay inspiring but some were a bit disappointed. You obviously cannot please everyone.

Avril Henry and Neer Korn were wonderful, enlightening and entertaining. They generated responses like: ‘I am learning how to attract young people into aged care,’ and ‘it’s an exciting time, using technology and social media to attract and keep staff!’ ‘They are both a breath of fresh air, as well as down to earth.’

On day one there was the unforgettable session on humour and the DVD on ‘The Smile Within.’ I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. The session detailed a world first, the first high quality large scale research project examining the effects of humour therapy on older people with dementia. Who will ever forget comedian Jean-Paul Bell’s opening question in the DVD as he entered the aged care facility and said to one old bloke sitting in a wheelchair, smiling. ‘How are you mate, I see you are legless again?’ Yes, the old bloke was laughing, as the camera revealed he was indeed physically legless.

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 21

national update

‘We need to make sure we put the words ‘home,’ ‘humour’ and ‘love’ back into aged care,’ one delegate said after listening to the remarkable work of Dr Nader Shabahangi at Agesong and watching that same documentary on the power of humour, ‘The Smile Within.’

Sandra Bygrave from Uniting Aged Care said for her one of the highlights was Dr Nader Shabahangi, when he talked about the power of language and how constructive or destructive it can be. That the moment we all label someone as having ‘dementia’ we stop listening to them, we block opportunities to explore new ways of communication as we have them firmly planted in ‘The Dementia box.’

‘We should be talking about the getting of wisdom from older people, that the only thing wrong with them is forgetfulness, and that we all ripen as we age and we change our language from institutional to

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poetic,’ said Dr Nader. Strong stuff, linked to Quantum Physics, he said and who am I to argue with a Quantum Physicist?

Facilities, ceo’s, managers and organisations were recognised for excellence through building, renovation and management of the workforce.

Then of course we went to Sea World and watched in awe as the dolphins performed, and the indescribable night of nights when the aged care industry lets its collective hair down, they do it well every year.

A great conference, a great time, exhausting, exciting and exhilarating!

You missed a great few days if you didn’t manage to be there! n

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“

national update

The Winners of the ACAA Building Awards 2011 – new category

“

Everywhere you look you appear to be outside in the trees. That combined with aquariums and aviaries has brought a wonderful look and feel to the building.

Carolyn Kwok, Deputy CEO of RSL Lifecare.

Overall, we have been told by our staff that they love it, so do the residents and their families. We have more children visiting because we provide special areas for them to play, so the project has been a big success.

B

positive ageing through an opportunity to engage in the “Care Farm”, a first for NSW.

The first category is the Standard Building category.

The finalists were:

The judges said the facility was constructed over four levels and what sets it apart from many other facilities are the high standard of finishes and incorporation of lifestyle detailing including, bird aviaries, water features, a vehicle display in the forecourt, remembrance stations housing active memorabilia and artwork throughout the facility.

efore I detail the winners and those who have been highly commended, let me thank Walton Constructions for their continued sponsorship of the New Building Awards, especially in this time of economic fragility. It’s tough out there in the construction world, life for architects is confronting as well, so sponsorship at a time like this should be much appreciated by all.

Macleay Valley House (Thompson Healthcare Group) Bishop Tyrrell Place (Storm Retirement Villages) Mark Donaldson VC House (RSL Lifecare) A High Commendation award went to Bishop Tyrrell Place The judges considered the overall master plan to allow for future expansion and future associated self-care development was worthy of this commendation. The quality of care at Bishop Tyrrell Place is enhanced by the provision of a stimulating homestead lifestyle and wellbeing program that promotes quality of life, enjoyment and

The winner of the 2011 New Standard building award is Mark Donaldson VC House.

Carolyn Kwok, the Deputy CEO of RSL Lifecare said the new facility was opened by VC winner Mark Donaldson, and has much military memorabilia in it.

“This is a living memorial to those who have served this country, lounges are named after soldiers serving in Afghanistan and the floors are named after key battles.

I think what sets this construction apart from others of its ilk, are the use of large glass windows to encapsulate the gardens and trees outside and bring those views inside. Everywhere you look you appear to

Annie Gibney, DON of Parkview; Wesley Mission Brisbane .

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 25

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25/05/11 11:17 AM

national update

be outside in the trees. That combined with aquariums and aviaries has brought a wonderful look and feel to the building.

gardens, recycled water use in the laundry and automated systems to regulate heating, cooling and lighting.

Residents and families all love it, telling us it doesn’t look like a nursing home, that it feels like home, listening to the wild birds in the bush, every room has a balcony so they can be a part of nature.

The winner of this year’s New Extra Service category is Parkview, Wheller Gardens (Wesley Mission Brisbane)

Staff love it, we have all the latest IT bells and whistles, but it is the ambiance that draws people to what we have built.”

Now to the new Extra Service Facility award for 2011. The finalists were: The Viceroy (Padman Healthcare) Advantaged Care at Bondi Waters Parkview, Wheller Gardens (Wesley Mission Brisbane) Regis McKinley House Regis Lake Park Well we have to fess up that there was a conflict of interest, but it was declared up front!

Walton Construction, the sponsor of the new building awards, declared a conflict of interest because they were involved in the construction of Regis Lake Park.

It was therefore agreed that Walton Construction would not take part in judging this nomination for the new extra service category.

There were two high commendation awards given and they are: Advantaged Care at Bondi Waters and Regis McKinley House.

Advantaged Care at Bondi Waters was a realisation of a long journey for the Kresner family in the mid nineties.

The design and finishes aim to be similar to that of a boutique hotel in look and feel and enhance the living experience of residents as well as achieving an environmentally friendly facility that blends into its beachside neighborhood.

Regis McKinley House is the first in the Regis Group’s range of Club Service facilities – offering hotel-style services such as on-site concierge, al a carte dining, 24 hour snack menu, day spa, pay TV and e-zones.

McKinley House also comes with a range of environmentally sustainable features such as storm water retention, irrigated landscaped

Sited in the middle of Wheller Gardens Aged Care campus, this building replaces two older aged care buildings. It has three distinct components, two accommodation wings and one service centre. Particular emphasis was placed on the ability to monitor and control access to the building as a whole and to the sections within it. Internal and external passages are designed to avoid unnecessary “dead ends”, be wide, well lit, uncluttered and comfortably furnished.

Annie Gibney, DON at Parkview at the time of the award presentation.

“Parkview took us five years to plan, working with staff, clients and architects. The basis for all our planning was how to reduce loneliness and boredom. So first of all we changed our language, we have reduced medical speak to an absolute minimum, clients have numbered apartments on avenues or ‘on the park’ so to speak, it’s like a normal address. Our early research found that people liked apartment living, as it’s what’s happening all round Brisbane, so that underpins the design.

Every room has large picture windows, wide doorways, so no-one feels isolated and we used natural wood and light everywhere we could.

There are a huge list of extra services, as you would expect, there is a private club room for parties, a movie theatre with surround sound, an upmarket spa, fridges, TV’s and kitchenettes for when families visit.

We also boast a special area for cats and the residents who want to cuddle a pussycat can do that.

Overall, we have been told by our staff that they love it, so do the residents and their families. We now have more children visiting because we provide special areas for them to play, so the project has been a big success.

I know that because so many families have told us the new facility does not look like a nursing home at all and have become quite overcome by how nice it is! “ Parkview is a 145 bed facility with 36 extra service residents. n

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 27

national update

– Renovated Building Awards 2011 ACAA Congress 2011

Mike Swinson

R

enovations to existing buildings are always fraught with risk, risk that the builders might find hidden problems that can destroy the budget and the timeline.

But how do you cope when your builder of many years, a family friend, contracts cancer and when the project is half finished he finally succumbs to the disease?

That’s what one of the winners of this year’s ACAA building awards had to come to terms with.

Kilbride Aged Care at Rosemeadow, part of the Kennedy Healthcare Group won this year’s Renovated Buildings award, standard category.

Kilbride Aged Care was, before this development, a 109 bed nursing home made up of interlinked buildings of one and two stories. The facility needed serious upgrading as the majority of the rooms contained 2 to 5 residents per room and the majority of these rooms also shared bathroom facilities.

The end result of the two stage project is a modern 163 bed facility that has been wonderfully designed with exceptional finishes and spaces that the residents can enjoy.

The CEO of the Kennedy Healthcare Group, Mark Kennedy said once stage one was underway, the builder, Brian Livingstone, who had done all the group’s work for the past 20 years was diagnosed with inoperable cancer.

“As soon as Brian realised how serious his illness was, he introduced us to our new builder, Ted McNamara, who then went on to finish stage two of the renovation and is now negotiating another project with the group.

It was a tough time emotionally, but we got through it.”

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“We now have a wonderful building, our staff and residents and extended families all love it, we have not heard a bad word about it.”

Now complete, the low care wing at Kilbride sets new standards in low care accommodation. With capacity for 36 residents in modern, luxurious and spacious surrounds occupying the entire top floor of Kilbride each low care suite features: • Private ensuite • I ndividually controlled reverse cycle air-conditioning •F lat screen TV and DVD player •F ully adjustable and electrically operated bed •C omfortable lounge chair, writing desk and built-in wardrobe •A ccess to beautifully furnished library, lounge and dining rooms • All meals provided • 24 hour on site staff A high commendation went to the other finalist, Berala on the Park. The judges said the renovation has taken the facility into the next generation of care through designated areas and rooms for a pain management clinic, massage therapy, physio, day spa and exercises.

In the Renovated Extra Service Category there were two finalists, Mareeba Aged Care and Regis Shenley Manor.

Mareeba Aged Care was awarded a High Commendation, because, as the judges said; The judges said the planning and design took into account the needs for flexible shared living zones that reflected different lifestyle needs. Extensive research of best practice in aged care and building design was obtained

and resulted in all residents having a choice of accommodation including double rooms for couples, private suites with separate living rooms and views.

The existing high care facility was able to continue operating during the building project over a two year period. Mareeba has now doubled its capacity and offers a complete range of aged care – high care, low care, extra services, dementia specific and palliative care.

Shenley Manor is now also a Regis Club Services facility offering hotel style services.

Built on two levels and with two street frontages, Shenley Manor offers a range of spacious premium rooms and communal spaces. Contemporary design and luxury features include cinema, private dining room, hairdressing salon, café and central courtyards and landscaped grounds.

Regis’s Development Manager for the project is Mark Maller and Mark said Regis owned both the land and the old facility, but the upgrade meant a total gutting of the old building, with the inherent associated risks and the addition of a totally new wing.

The winner in this category was Shenley Manor, part of the Regis Group.

with building certification standards and needed an extensive rebuild to bring it up to required building standards.

Shenley Manor was acquired by Regis in Jan 2008; the nursing home no longer complied

Mark also wanted to pay tribute to the entire project team, because despite record wet weather the re-build was completed successfully almost within the allotted time frame. n

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aca Aged Care Australia

national update

Architects Leading The Way

With Aged Care Facilities and Regulatory Change

I

ncorporating new certification requirements and regulatory frameworks, required by changes to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) is an important part of the Aged Care provider’s responsibility to meet the age-old challenge of improving facilities for quality of care for residents.

Aged Care providers have a responsibility to familiarise themselves and keep up-to-date with regulatory changes. Industry specialists, such as architects, are a vital part of the process particularly when upgrading and renovating an existing Aged Care facility or planning a new facility.

Kilbride Nursing Home at Rosemeadow, NSW, designed by Aged Care experts McNally Architects and Winner of the 2011 ACAA Building Award for Best Renovated Building is one particular facility where these challenges were met and resolved successfully.

McNally Architects took to task creating two new wings to connect with the existing Kilbride Nursing Home. Part of the challenge

was to solve the problems inherited with the existing facility and incorporating upgrades to meet the current regulations and expectations of the residents.

Over the past 30 years, the existing building had a series of additions and this posed a number of hurdles due to the level changes, different construction techniques used at each build stage and the dysfunctional, inefficient and now non-compliant circulation spaces.

The configuration and size of the rooms, hallways and bathrooms have had affect on the day-to-day running of the operation.

Other hurdles that have been resolved are means of escape requirements, non– compliant exit points such as stairs, fire and smoke compartmentalisation, then retrofitting sprinkler systems, new lighting, upgrades for ancillary support mechanisms and other technology that the facility required for day to day and certification needs.

Most importantly, in the re-design process McNally Architects had to consider the care

Melbourne CAREX 2012

and quality of life of residents, particularly those living with Dementia. Thirty years ago, the owners and designers of this facility did not have the wealth of knowledge we have today understanding what residents require for a quality of life. Their needs and requirements were of the utmost importance to the facility owner and operator Kennedy Health Care Group.

Retrofitting the existing building to be BCA regulation and Australian Standards compliant has been a challenge. This has been done successfully to create a wonderful place for residents to live their lives and from an operational point of view; Kilbride Nursing Home is an extremely efficient facility.

To find out more about this project or other Aged Care Projects By McNally Architects, please refer to the website www.mcnallyarchitects.com.au alternatively contact our office on 02 9929 5144. n

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aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 31

profile

An IT Revolution in the Making

By Mike Swinson with Professor Len Gray, who holds the Masonic Chair in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Queensland and is the Director of the University based Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine and the Centre for Online Health.

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here has been very limited coverage of a fascinating study that has the capacity to revolutionise healthcare delivery to many older and frail Australians, particularly those in regional Australia.

The project is due to be completed by the end of this year (2011) and revolves around the use of video technology that will improve access to aged care residents by GP’s, specialists and other health service providers.

The clinical trial is being led by Professor Gray and conducted at a facility in Brisbane.

However, before we all get too excited and rush out to see about purchasing ‘the technology trolley’ with all its associated paraphernalia, let’s take this project one step at a time, combine that with a deep breath and realise that like any revolution, it takes time to research, to plan, to build support, to gather the community with you and finally implement.

Professor Gray: “The basic issue we have begun to explore is to what extent is there a demand for specialist medical services in aged care facilities.

We know there is some, but just how big is it?

At Sandgate in Brisbane where we are trialling this project, we will know by the end of this year the full extent of that demand. What we might find is that once this service is available and easy to access, that the demand might rise, because I’m sure many older residents sometimes can’t be bothered with a visit to a specialist clinic at a nearby hospital or to the specialist’s rooms. Tele-health consultations that are relatively cheap and easy might increase the demand, we simply don’t know yet.”

“The second thing we have done is put in telehealth facilities, mobile wireless, video

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conferencing and offered the facility a range of speciality consultations, working out protocols, how to host a consultation, what is needed, processes and procedures, so that everyone knows what is needed before the connection is established. We will soon know what works, what doesn’t and what we need.”

What Professor Gray and his team know already is that there is a future for this service; they need to refine it and streamline it, and then offer it to a number of other facilities.

There is already quite a lot of interest in this research and I have no doubt that there will be widespread interest and as Professor Gray says its success will depend on logistics and cost.

“Interestingly, we have not worked closely with NEHTA, the National E-Health Transition Authority on this as they are concentrating on establishing secure electronic health records amongst other things. Once those are widely available it will help us to introduce this service more quickly. We can provide this service without electronic health records, as we do now, it just makes it harder and more time consuming.”

This trial is exploring the intricacies of delivering tele-health, where doctors interact with patients, nurses and other doctors.

So what does a facility need in technology and connectivity to make this work?

“The sort of work we do requires quite expensive video conferencing equipment, but we also get much better quality images and that’s another essential ingredient. We can then do more clinical work, in the knowledge that the image is accurate. With high quality images you also get a better patient experience, it feels more authentic. Sound quality is better; the images are on larger screens.

However we all need to be using the same

underlying operating systems that talk to one another, it’s called ‘interoperability!’ Without interoperability it makes it very messy.”

Before Professor Gray and his team can begin to roll this system out to other facilities there are a number of problems to solve: 1. Interoperability problems 2. Quality and security issues 3. The need for clinical grade images Professor Gray. “So we prefer to go down the high cost standards approach knowing that’s what we need to make sure the system works. We already know that we rely more on what we see and hear than on existing medical records, because they are stored at GP’s, specialists, hospitals and in facilities and are not easily accessible. We also need to exchange a series of pictures, high quality images that are secure. So the short answer is that it is quite expensive to get set up, but that it is affordable for most facilities, depending on how much they use it. Medicare does compensate the cost to a limited extent.”

“The first thing we think that has to be provided is the service, the links to specialists in your region, then think about the equipment. There is a whole system here that has to be built to make this happen and that hasn’t happened yet, but, mark my words, it will!”

Before the system can be expanded, the team have to build a provider network and then roll it out one facility at a time. Then there is the issue of training and supporting staff who will use this technology. The experience so far is revealing and fascinating.

“If you ask an intelligent doctor to turn this video conferencing technology on, he/she will, in most cases be totally unable to do it,

they need their kids to come and operate the menu buttons on the controller.

Now whether staff in a home perform better at this than doctors, I don’t know!”

“We think the system has to be passive, you ring up and book and at the given time the video automatically turns on, you wheel the trolley up to the resident and away we go.

That’s the easy bit, but if you are consulting from a distance, you need a lot of information.

Most of the information you need is at the GP’s and he might be away. You have a referral but it’s only 2 lines, and he/she only took over the care 2 weeks ago. All these bits of paper can be a mess. This is what we have learnt in the last 6 months, so we have realised that we have to build systems and procedures and the staff at the facility have to help with that, as does the GP of each resident.”

Even though the team are not working closely with HEHTA, Professor Gray says a shared and secure electronic health record would come into its own; it would save an enormous amount of time and energy.

“What we are working on is how to train inhouse staff to prepare cases, using standardised protocols and can I say that it is a two way street, because what we see is staff getting as much out of this as patients. They find they are interacting with a wide range of specialists, they are increasing their knowledge and experience in a way they would never have dreamt possible and they tell us they love it.”

“What we are finding is that we have one or two staff who are trained to work with us.

They host the consultation, they introduce the patient, they answer questions on behalf of the resident, they are a critical ingredient in the success of this venture. They are the messenger to other staff, to the GP and it is a very important role.”

“When one imagines that video conferencing is a doctor talking to a patient, the biggest benefit is to staff who build skills and

confidence and that flows to everyone in the facility, including resident’s families.”

“We think this helps with the staff’s professionalism, it reduces any sense of isolation, builds confidence and knowledge and we think has all sorts of intrinsic benefits that we may now not even be aware of.

You get re-engaged in the real world through this technology portal. It’s exciting!” n

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New Siblings for Health Care Robots This article is a compilation from the latest Latrobe University Bulletin and the video on the same topic.

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we-inspiring – and perhaps a trifle unsettling – the latest additions to the next generation of baby sitters and aged care attendants have arrived in Australia.

Prior to arriving in Australia the new robots, Charles and Sophie – named after Charles La Trobe and his first wife Sophie – spent eighty days travelling the world receiving modifications including an increase in size and a modern makeover before they reached their new home down under.

Dr Rajiv Khosla, Associate Professor in Management and Director of the Research Centre for Computers, Communication and Social Innovation (RECCSI) at Latrobe, said that the new additions have now been named Max and Mia. Standing a little taller than your average vacuum cleaner, the robots are critical players in global research into advanced intelligent communications robots for the health care industry.

The machines are already capable of reading basic emotions via face- recognition software, which then informs their actions.

The establishment of RECCSI on La Trobe University’s Research and Development Park in Bundoora earlier this year aims to take emotionally intelligent computer systems across their next frontier. Dean of Law and Management, Professor Raymond Harbridge, says that, linked by high definition video with NEC in Japan, the La Trobe Centre is a collaborative hub for interdisciplinary research in human resource management, tourism, organisational innovation, health and aged care, cross-cultural communication, and robotics.

The Centre – supported by a million dollars in grants and contributions from its partners

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over the next three years – has its roots in research into context-aware emotion-based systems and conversational informatics by Dr Khosla and Kyoto University’s Professor Toyoaki Nishida. Their collaboration involves, among other things, the measurement and analysis of conversational interactions.

‘Designed to assist senior citizens, such robots will exercise their own intelligence to evaluate the emotional state of patients for example before and after the surgery in hospitals and in health care clinics. They will also assist carers of children with mental health or development disorders.’

The cute, human looking robots from NEC Japan are not just toys. They are the cutting edge of a new push to humanise technology.

In his University den, Dr Khosla dreams of a world where robots and humans are friends.

“Information Technology is becoming all pervasive, it’s becoming so much part of our lives we tend to spend more time in front of our computers than we do with our friends… and what has happened is while this technology has become all powerful and is providing us with some convenience, it has also resulted in an information explosion. We as computer users and people are not a set of procedures and rules only but are emotional beings. So the philosophy here in this project is to incorporate the human senses into the design of computers so they can interact with us in an emotionally intelligent manner.”

Dr Khosla, working with his own small team of innovators has designed software that reads and interprets human emotional and cognitive responses. It was an evolution of robot intelligence from wishful thinking to reality. This is the concept that has captivated NEC.

Dr Khosla says “NEC has a futuristic vision where they want to shift the focus of design of ICTs (Information Communication Technologies) from just purely convenience and being powerful, to social innovation – and what they mean by social innovation is, they want to use these ICTs for enhancing people-topeople communication skills, with a macro vision of wellbeing and sustainability of human society.”

At La Trobe, IT students from different countries fine-tune complex emotional systems for the world’s first generation of caring robots. These include emotionally intelligent systems for recruitment and behavior profiling; holiday destination planning; driver safety. The robots have been trialled in aged care facilities from as far North as Ingham in North Queensland to Melbourne, with remarkable results.

“I have used these robots in nursing houses. These robots can speak and they communicate with people. Brain science has been getting more and more popular.

Two new robots. Max and Mia are about to be let loose in nursing homes as well as supporting elderly people in their own homes. Like Matilda and Jack – who featured on the ABC television’s ‘The New Inventors’ this year and have made various other television appearances – the new companion robots will help elderly people remain independent and connected with their friends and the community in addition to reminding them about their daily activities and when to take their medications.

Dr Khosla says the rosy-cheeked robots can also read human emotions by analysing facial features and body language. They are

wirelessly programmed to notify nurses if an elderly patient is distressed, injured or requires help. To further develop their human communication skills, the four companion robots are now being partnered with a greater range of people with whom to interact. They are being used to facilitate and conduct job interviews, serve as reminders, or have chats with staff and students.

The robots can tell jokes, converse, move around, their faces lighting up when they recognise people, and connect to the internet, transmitting images to third parties.

“We may have become blasé about industrial robots and the exploits of military robotics on the evening news,” he says. However, Dr Khosla concedes the concept of intelligent robots programmed to respond to emotional

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issues, “is something most people still have trouble getting their heads around.”

The robots can run bingo games, they can interact with residents, they can dance, they can sing, they are multi lingual, so in the mostly Italian aged care facility near Ingham, they sing old Italian favorites. They also play a pivotal role in supporting an older resident, automatically registering when someone is upset or anxious and alerting staff using the latest wireless technology.

Dr Khosla says so far residents and staff at every facility where the robots have been placed love them, they make people laugh, they make them happy and they support carer’s and staff.”

Check the video and details at: http://www. latrobe.edu.au/reccsi/media-releases/video/ robots-are-there-for-you n Matilda the Robot will be appearing at ITAC 2012.

More details available soon on the ITAC website at www.itac2012.com.au Photos courtesy of Ms Tess Flynn

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SMArt technology For Modern Aged cAre: delivering chAnge

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGED CARE

19 & 20 April 2012 Melbourne pArk Function centre Melbourne exhibition And SponSorShip opportunitieS

now open

Nomination for Implementation and Innovation are now open for submissions ITAC 2012 is brought to you by the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council (ACIITC ) supported by the Aged Care Association Australia and Aged and Community Services Australia

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Go to itac2012.com.au for details For further details contact Jane Murray J’S corporAte & event ServiceS T: 08-9405 7171 F: 08-9405 6585 E: itac2012@jayscorpevents.com.au

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGED CARE

AwARdS

ITAC 2012 Awards Nomination for

Implementation and Innovation ItaC 2012 Implementation

awarDS nomInatIon for Innovation

• Submissions close: 31st December 2011 • Finalists notified: 15th February 2012 • Nomination forms available from the ITAC 2012 website at www.itac2012.com.au • Submissions should be emailed to itac2012@jayscorpevents.com.au

ImplementatIon anD InnovatIon

(Aged Care Provider Category)

(Vendor & Service Provider Category)

The awards are open to Aged and Community Care Providers and their implementation partners (vendors or service providers) that have effectively used ICT to improve business outcomes in the Australian Aged and Community Care environment.

There will be four (4) awards in the Implementation category:

The ‘ICT Company of the Year Award’ is open to ICT companies that have designed outstanding and innovative products that will enhance the Australian Aged and Community Care ICT marketplace in these areas: • Hardware Judging Criteria • Software The selection criteria is outlined as a guide to assist in completing the nomination, • ICT Support Services InnovatIon however, highlights of the inspirational (e.g. Consulting service) (vendor and Service provider Category) aspects are encouraged.

1. ImplementatIon Best Implementation of the Year Award – (aged Care provider Category) under 150 places/clients facilities with less than 150 places/clients owned Key awards are open to Aged and Community CareInformation Providers and The ‘ICT Company ofThe the nomination Year Award’should is openaddress to ICTthe companies byThe the one organisation following criteria: implementation partners (vendors or service providers) will thatbe reviewed that have outstanding and innovative products that • All submissions by designed the 2. their Best Implementation of the Year Award – Awards Judges. have effectively used ICT to improve business outcomes in the will enhance the Australian and Community Care ICT of What isAged the advantage or uniqueness 150 to 650 places/clients product/project/innovation?

• Finalists will be selected each Category. facilities with greater thanCommunity 150 places/clients Australian Aged and Care environment.

There will be from marketplace in thesethe areas: owned one organisation

ow does it benefit the aged and • H • The company logo (jpg format) and 3 four by (4)the awards in the Implementation category: • Hardware community care industry? digital high resolution photos are required 3. Best Implementation of the Year Award – 1 Best Implementation of the Year award – • Software with the nomination submission. greater than 650 places/clients • W hat does it do, or do better than existing Under 150 places/clients facilities with greater than 650 places/clients competing offerings?

• Finalists may be required•to ICT submit a Support Servicesor(eg.

Consulting service) owned by the onewith organisation – facilities less than 150 places/clients owned by the one multimedia presentation for the Awards • Has it resulted in increased efficiencies?

Gala Cocktail Reception.

4. Best Implementation of the Year Award organisation • In what way is it innovative or original?

KeY InformatIon for Infrastructure • Finalists are required to attend the Awards 2 Best Implementation of the Year award – • Have you demonstrated a return hardware and/or software that enables the Gala Cocktail Reception All to be held submissions will be on reviewed by the Awards Judges. investment?

150 to 650 places/clients implementation of business applications Thursday 19 April 2012.

– facilities with greater than 150 places/clients owned by the

Finalists will be selected from each Category.

Why one do you believe your organisation should win an Aged Care Industry ITcompany Award? logo (jpg format) and 3 digital high resolution The organisation photos are required with the nomination submission.

How specific to each Award Category: 3 Best Implementation of the Year award – Finalists may be required to submit a multimedia presentation IMPLEMENTATION Greater than 650 places/clients for the Awards Gala Cocktail Recpetion.

What procedures are owned used to further Best Implementation of the Year – facilities with greater than 650 places/clients by thedevelop the business to achieve improved business outcomes, in terms of: Award – Under 150 places/clients 1. Describe the business case used to seek approval for 4. How was the change around the new implementation managed Finalists are required to attend the Awards Gala Cocktail one organisation within the client’s organisation the project and indicate to the extent that operational Best Implementation of the Year Reception to be held Thursday 19 April 2012.

4 Best Implementation of the Year award supports costsfor wereInfrastructure factored into the project.

Award – 150 to 650 places/clients 5. How were the impacts (benefits) of the implementation measured?

2.that W hat project the governance was employed Best Implementation thesoftware Year – hardware and /ofor enables implementation throughout the project?

Award – Over 650 places/clients SUBmISSIonS CloSe: 31Stbenefits DeCemBer 2011 6.

List qualitative and quantitative of the implementation. of business applications Best Implementation of the Year of Infrastructure Award INNOVATION ICT Company of the Year Award

3. How were staff involved and their commitment obtained?

7. Demonstrate how you measured and proved the success of the project.

Finalists notified: 15th February 2012

Nomination forms available from the ITAC 2012 website at How will you or are you going to market, in terms of: www.itac2012.com.au 1. E xplain the innovation you have created e.g. New 3. W hat section of the industry does this support messaging system between nurses and doctors.

2. E xpress what impact this will have on the industry.

e.g. multi-site facilities versus stand-alone facilities.

4. Demonstrate the cost effective nature of the innovation.

technology

Submission to Department of Health & Ageing

on Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records Bill 2011 (Exposure Draft) ACAA & ACSA have worked closely over several years to jointly support the development and deployment of IT capability across the aged care industry.

Earlier this year the Government called for comment on their

b) intended to reduce health information fragmentation and deliver better health outcomes.

However, with final legislation to be introduced later this year and operative from July 2012, the timeline appears ambitious and the process of uptake and implementation is likely to be lengthy.

There are many outstanding details to be considered:

Exposure Draft legislation for the

Overview

introduction of the Personally

The Bill confirms many of the features of the PCeHR System as it relates to aged care providers: 1. A s with the Privacy Act 1988 and similar legislation, most aged care providers of various types should be within the definition of a “healthcare provider organisation” within the meaning of the Bill; 2. Th is means they would be eligible to register to participate in the PCeHR System. Registration is to be a voluntary, opt-in procedure for both providers and consumers of health services. We understand that registered participants will be required to have unique identifiers pursuant to the Healthcare Identifiers Act 2010; 3. O nce registered, certain employees (which include contractors providing services to a provider) will be able to operate the PCeHR System. Other persons not employed or contracted by the provider (for example, an external medical practitioner providing services at an aged care facility) will be required to have their own unique identifier and their own registration to use the PCeHR System; 4. S ubject to a range of exceptions, the consumer will be required to provide

Controlled Electronic Health Record, the PCeHR. The following is the joint response to the draft legislation from the Aged Care Industry IT Council which is jointly sponsored by ACSA and ACAA. Introduction Aged Care Association Australia (ACAA) and Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) have sought independent legal advice on the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records Bill 2011 (the Bill) and we provide the comments below on the basis of that advice.

Firstly, we understand that the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Records System (the PCeHR System) is: a) designed to be a more modern, flexible and accessible system of centralised electronic health records; and

consent to the collection, use, access and uploading of health information onto the PCeHR System. The consumer can set different access controls to allow different providers to have access to different information. A “nominated healthcare provider” can author and upload a “shared health summary” of a person’s medical information; and 5. Civil penalties will apply for unauthorised collection, use or disclosure of health information. The penalty provisions operate in such a way as to place the onus on the person using or disclosing health information to ensure it is an authorised use or disclosure.

Key Features of the Exposure Draft Lack of detail Of concern to both organisations is the lack of detail in the Bill itself. The Regulations and the PCeHR Rules have not yet been drafted and may vary over time, yet they are to contain significant particulars of the PCeHR System and will be incorporated as parts of the Act. The Rules and Regulations will include such matters as: • requirements that healthcare and information technology providers must meet to allow registration; • storage of data and records, administration, day-to-day operations and physical and information security; • requirements when a person’s registration under the scheme is cancelled; • types of records that must be prepared by an individual healthcare provider (a medical practitioner) to be allowed to be uploaded into the PCeHR System;

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• considerations to be taken into account when determining to refuse registration on grounds that the security or integrity of the PCeHR System will be compromised; • classes of persons who can be “nominated healthcare providers”; • default access controls to the PCeHR System; • verification of identity and capacity of a consumer at the time of registration; and • specific information to be included in the Register when a participant is registered or registration is cancelled.

Until the Rules are drafted, aged care providers cannot know conclusively whether they will even be able to fulfil the requirements to participate in the PCeHR System or what they might have to change to do so. They also cannot ascertain the types of information they can author and upload and the employees who are entitled to do so, nor the types of records they can enter or the circumstances under which those people are to be managed and authorised.

Accordingly, it is difficult to ascertain whether perceived barriers to participation will be removed. It is also difficult to assess how the system will integrate with existing systems, including systems established for accreditation and certification of aged care services under the Aged Care Act 1997.

Parallel record-keeping The Bill confirms the intention of the PCeHR System not to replace existing record-keeping systems. As a voluntary opt-in scheme, healthcare providers and recipients who participate will face an additional layer of record keeping regulation.

However, we understand that State laws will be overridden to the extent that they cannot operate concurrently.

Aged care providers will need to ensure they have procedures in place to deal with the new requirements and to identify which apply to their consumers and other participants of the PCeHR System. This issue might be complicated for aged care providers given arrangements with visiting health care professionals and the existence of multidisciplinary teams who may have different levels of involvement with the PCeHR System. Additionally, there are no specific procedures for verifying whether a person is registered, which will be a practical issue

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for providers who are not participants in the PCeHR System.

The Bill aims for consistency between existing record-keeping restrictions and requirements and the PCeHR. However, there are significant complexities in the relationships between the new system and existing record-keeping. For example, penalties apply to the unauthorised use or disclosure of information obtained through a person’s PCeHR. However, those penalties would not apply if information is legitimately accessed from a PCeHR, downloaded into a clinical file and accessed through that file by a person not registered with the PCeHR System.

Authorised representatives, consent and capacity Under the new system, minors and adults who lack capacity can have a PCeHR file managed by an “authorised representative”.

PCeHR System Operator must be “satisfied” that the consumer is “not capable of making decisions for himself or herself ”. The PCeHR System Operator must then be satisfied that the representative is authorised to “act on behalf of the consumer” pursuant to a law or court order.

The Bill confirms that words of “general authorisation” are sufficient for the relevant satisfaction but provides no specific guidance as to the process or threshold of the relevant satisfaction. There are also no provisions for the revocation of authorised representative status, when satisfaction might lapse, whether authorised representatives are obliged to notify the PCeHR System Operator of a change in circumstances or whether an authorised representative is entitled to rely on an existing authorisation.

The companion documents to the Bill suggest that the provisions are intended to cover any relevant formal Commonwealth or State power of attorney or VCAT/court order, but it is unclear if that is a correct interpretation of the operation of the Bill.

The situation with a consumer who lacks capacity but has no official attorney, guardianship or administration arrangements in place is not clear.

Consent of the consumer is central to the PCeHR System. The Bill does not provide guidance as to the level of informed consent required, the details of how consent is to be

obtained or what occurs if it is withdrawn or lapses due to incapacity. In particular, where a person has registered for the PCeHR System and lost capacity, it is not clear what the status of their records will be.

Further Legal Issues There are numerous other legal issues evident from a review of the Bill which raise issues for aged care providers: 1. The definitions of “healthcare” and “healthcare provider organisation” mean the position of some aged care providers is uncertain under the Bill; 2. The definitions of “employee” and the categories of employees authorised to use the PCeHR System on behalf of a healthcare provider organisation are ambiguous and may capture contractors (which may result in liabilities being transferred to operators despite assumed contractual protections). Providers will be required to be vigilant to ensure relevant persons are properly authorised to use the PCeHR System; 3. The definition of “entity” appears to be broadly and ambiguously drafted but fails to identify common operating structures, such as entities created by statute and common corporate structures such as companies and incorporated associations; 4. The presumption of default access controls being set for a consumer appears inconsistent with a consumer being required to actively agree to participate but then having no input into the applicable controls; 5. Access does not appear to be linked to an insurance scheme or be conditional upon users having a minimum level of insurance cover, which may impact on consumers and providers; 6. The Bill is silent as to the interaction between the PCeHR System and the duties of care of participants or other persons relying on the PCeHR System; 7. The Bill puts the onus on the person uploading information to ensure ownership of copyright over the material or on the relevant authority to copy it onto the PCeHR System. What additional burdens this will place on providers to ensure systems of copyright recognition/ consent are in place is not explained.

Equally, what practical issues will arise

in multi-disciplinary teams and with community aged care providers and visiting professionals is unclear. What does a provider utilising the PCeHR System do if they have pertinent documents or information and cannot verify the intellectual property status of the material?; 8. The civil penalty provisions provide for defences of reasonable and honest mistakes of fact but contain no “reasonable excuse” defences. Some sections have the potential to expose providers as a result of inadvertent breaches of civil penalty provisions; 9. The interaction between the compliance provisions of the Bill and existing aged care accreditation, sanctions and funding regimes is not clear; 10. A “nominated healthcare provider” has special status in the Bill. A provider must be an individual who agrees to be the nominated healthcare provider and has a healthcare identifier

(and are generally nurses or medical practitioners). The procedure for agreement is not specified. The situation with an employee of an aged care facility (for example, a registered nurse) who is nominated by a consumer is unclear.

For example, will they require a separate identifier (in which case they can access the PCeHR System in dual capacities)?

What happens where the individual agrees but their employer objects?; 11. S imilar issues arise with “nominated representatives” (who are any persons who agree to be nominated representatives). They are authorised to receive information from a participant about a registered consumer; 12. Th ere is no guarantee of representation on the Advisory Committee to the PCeHR System Operator by a person with specific knowledge of the aged care sector; 13. Th ere is no requirement to provide information about the risks or limits

of the PCeHR System to consumers at the time of registration; 14. Th e Bill requires that a person not be discriminated against in relation to the provision of healthcare simply because they are not registered. It is not clear whether this encompasses indirect discrimination, which may be a significant risk where the PCeHR System is relied upon by a provider in their delivery of healthcare; 15. Th e provisions for accessing the PCeHR System in an emergency situation are ambiguously drafted (including as to when there is an absence of consent); 16. I n circumstances of contravention or potential contravention of the PCeHR System, the PCeHR System Operator is under no obligation to notify affected providers, thereby limiting the ability of providers to identify and deal with risks. Nor is the PCeHR System Provider required to notify affected consumers of a breach, which will seemingly

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avoid accountability and in turn erode confidence in the System. There is no guidance as to whether a determination of the Independent Advisory Council will stand if the prescribed procedural requirements have not been met, such as avoiding conflicts of interest; 17. The asserted limit on records being held or taken outside of Australia may not be consistent with the technology platforms utilised as part of the PCeHR System, or the expectation of consumers; and 18. If a decision is made by the System Operator, the decision stands even if the Operator fails to notify an affected person that they may seek a review of the decision. All affected persons should know of the outcome of a decision and the right to appeal the decision before it can be said to be final.

Broader Practical Issues Broader practical issues still exist in relation to the PCeHR System such as the following questions: 1. W hat are the costs of implementation and who bears them?

2. W hat ownership and responsibility arrangements relate to infrastructure and/or software?

3. W hat value is a system that has no guarantee of completeness?

4. W hat value is a system of medical recordkeeping to which lay persons can access and enter information? Will there be sufficient audit trails and procedures to identify contributors to records and their qualifications?

5. W hat value is a system where when medical practitioners are restricted as to the information they can access by consumers?

6. W hat will the likely uptake be amongst consumers and participants? What are the incentives to providers to adopt the PCeHR System?

Both ACAA and ACSA have been contacted

by McKinsey and Co. in their capacity as National Change & Adoption Partner (NCAP) for the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCeHR) program and we will therefore also be raising the above issues with them.

In any event, please contact the ACSA and ACAA national offices should further information be required about any particular aspects of this submission. n

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What systems need to be reviewed and set up

by an aged care organisation to be prepared for the PCeHR? The Aged Care IT Vendor Association Dr Caroline Lee, President ACIVA, CEO Leecare

I

n order for aged care to embrace the new e-health initiative, organisations will need to learn from and understand the projects of others who have embarked on an e-health journey. Introducing e-health will require aged care organisations to commit to change, and introduce new procedures that will enable them to take full advantage of the benefits that are possible from a thoughtful and thorough implementation.

At present, there are no aged care projects that are nationally scalable or nationally based that can provide transparency of the full scope of system change requirements that ‘any’ aged care organisation will need to undertake if they are to be involved in the Health identifier (HI) or Personally Controlled e-Health Record (PCeHR) system. This is to be addressed however in coming months when a DOHA/NEHTA sponsored aged care project is scoped, allocated, commenced and communicated to the industry.

In the meantime, it is prudent for aged care organisations to consider the many system elements that need to be re-considered, and activities that will need to be undertaken by aged care organisations, when preparing and introducing e-health and they include: •E ducation of staff, clients/residents/representatives regarding the Health identifier (HI) number, the service, the Personally Controlled e-Health Record (PCeHR), their purpose and use

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•E ducation of admission staff regarding the need to discuss the concept of the PCeHR with new clients/residents/representatives •A n assessment documentation review – to include an area to document the individual clients/residents HI number and the level of access consented to •A dmission: Privacy Act consent form, to access health information – these processes/documents will need to include a provision for the resident/client to consent to the use of their Health Identifier to access clinical/medical records from the PCeHR site by the facility’s clinical staff and will need to document the level of approved access for different health professionals • I nstallation of a clinical software program that is accredited to access the HI service and education of staff regarding its use • S etting up a network/server to enable access of the HI and PCeHR websites via the installed clinical program on site •R eview of the current levels of access to the network that is installed or needs to be installed at each organisation site/on the road – so that practitioners can utilise the installed software from their work location •E ducation of staff re how to use the software to access the various websites, what will be obtainable from these sites, and what should be downloaded

• Review of the current devices that are installed/available at workplaces that will enable staff access to the web/HI/ PCeHR service • Discussions with the pharmacy/ies that provide services to clients/residents and general practitioners, to determine how linkages may be able to be arranged between their software and the organisation’s software if relevant.

Introduction of e-health will bring many benefits to the frail and elderly in our community if organisations are able to embrace these changes and adapt their procedures to include access to client/ resident PCeHR’s.

The aged care vendor industry is committed to assisting their client base to commence and travel down this journey as it understands that the population we collectively service are the most vulnerable in our population and would benefit most from such an initiative.

ACIVA does not support an aged care project which would result in selection of only a very few software vendors as this would see taxpayer funds selecting which older persons in the country are lucky enough to be supported by the PCeHR. We support a project that will ultimately enable involvement of the entire Aged Care sector client base, representing 100% of the older population receiving care within the ehealth eco-system. This would then assist ALL aged care organisations (including community care) to attain the perceived benefits of accessing the PCeHR for clients/residents.

Also, we recognise that the country needs a solution that supports widespread and rapid adoption of the PCeHR and we are confident that involving the ‘national’ aged and community care industry, with an all vendor approach, the entire country will benefit.

ACIVA wishes any project to have a national reach and that it delivers a level playing field for all who wish to participate.

1. That the developments that are required of the vendors are achievable within the timelines required to meet a 30 June 2012 deadline.

2. W hat is requested of any selected project is sustainable, that our developments will continue to live and thrive.

3. That any project is Scalable Nationally and will interact directly with the PCeHR, utilising the considerable technical knowledge of the current aged care vendors who have provided years of support to the aged and community care industry.

4. That the aged care industry is seen as both a nursing home/hostel and community care industry.

We as Vendors were brought together by the Aged Care Peak Bodies and Council to work jointly to continue to transform the entire Aged Care Sector. We as a nation have a unique opportunity here to build on such an unusual but sincere and positive partnership for the older persons of our country, so that all older persons are treated equally regardless of where they live or which software product their organisation uses. Hence we support a process where funds will be allocated to include as many software vendors that wish to participate in an aged care project to interface and link with the HI and PCeHR – so that these nationwide objectives are realised and do not remain a dream. n

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 45

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Comfort shoes with embedded GPS to keep track of Alzheimer’s patients

A

s millions of baby boomers approach 65, the rates of Alzheimer’s sufferers are expected to continue to rise significantly in the coming decade. Already 5.4 million Americans are living with the disease with that figure predicted to rise to as many as 16 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

To make it easier for caregivers and family members to keep track of those suffering dementia, Personal Location Services company GTX Corp has partnered with comfort shoe manufacturer Aetrex to produce the GPS Shoe that allows real-time tracking of the wearer.

GTX started out producing footwear for children with a miniaturised GPS chip and cellular device embedded in the sole that allowed parents to keep track of their offspring via an online portal and then started offering similar shoes aimed at long distance runners. Realising that the technology would also be beneficial in keeping track of those suffering dementia the company partnered with Aetrex to embed its GPS technology into comfort and wellness shoes for the elderly.

While there are already a number of wearable GPS devices such as watches and bracelets designed to keep track of

loved ones – young and old – and even non-humans. Shoes are a perfect fit for the technology as it’s something the person being tracked is unlikely to wander off without. They’re also likely to be more comfortable or the elderly than the GPS platform shoes we looked at a few years ago.

The GTX system uses low power two-way GPS tracking technology that continually tracks the location and movement history of the wearer and relays the information to a monitoring centre through mobile networks.

The wearer can then be pinpointed by logging into a secure internet portal or via a smartphone app. The system also allows caregivers to receive an alert on their

smartphone or computer with a direct link to Google maps plotting the wearer’s location when the GPS shoe moves outside a pre-set area.

The GPS technology is protected inside a cavity made from a polycarbonate material placed in the midsole of the shoe, which GTX says should last for the normal duration of the shoe – one to three years.

Having recently received FCC certification, the shoes are set to go on sale in the U.S. through Aetrex priced at US$299 a pair. n Source: gizmag.com (October 2011)

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 47

workforce

Give Your Employees Hundreds of Extra Dollars Every Year

For the Effective Cost of One Extra Cent/Hour !!!

Brad King, Manager Business Development, Presidential Card

I

have just returned from the ACAA Annual Congress (my 5th….

I am becoming an old stager!) and it was great to catch up with so many colleagues. I had numerous conversations with people regarding the problem of employee attraction, retention and reward in our industry. The ability to be able to give your employees more without a major ongoing financial outlay is definitely appealing.

How about an option that effectively costs you the equivalent of a pay rise of only one cent per hour!

The ACAA Employee Benefits Program is a cost effective way of giving a valuable bonus to your employees for very little outlay…. only $24.90 per annum, per employee…. and that includes GST! The Program is strongly branded, with your organisation’s logo on the Card & Website. We also provide full implementation support to reinforce the message that your organisation is a caring employer.

So…. how much can the average family of three save in a year by using the Program?

Food & Fuel

$910

Insurance $720 Entertainment

$300

Health Insurance

$280

Movie Tickets

$270

Clothing $200 Holidays $140 Household Items

$100

Car Servicing

$77

$2,997 With over 8,000 retailers offering discounts and in excess of 30,000 household products online, there is something in the Program for everyone. To make it more valuable to your employees, and hence your organisation, we have also made the Card usable by family members. I often meet resistance from organisations to implement an organisational funded Program, with the perception that “We don’t think our employees would use the Card”. I don’t know any

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Aged Care employee that could afford to pass up hundreds of dollars in savings annually, let alone thousands.

We also off a Hybrid Program, that allows you to fund the Program for full time and part time employees (for example), and offer the Program on an Opt-In basis for casual employees, who contribute to the Program themselves. This option still allows us to offer full implementation support. From experience of this type of Program, we are finding that 85% of employees that attend information sessions do perceive the value and purchase a Card on the spot.

At the equivalent cost of a 1 cent/hour pay rise, the ACAA Employee Benefits Program is a fantastic opportunity to offer a substantial benefit to your employees at a minimal cost.

Whilst each website is co-branded in with your organisation’s logo and welcome message, our generic website can be viewed using the following login details: www.presidentialcard.com.au/acaa LOGIN: ACAA00000 PASSWORD: ACAA n

ACAA EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PROG RAM

WITH MORE SAVINGS &

MORE FUNDING OPTIONS THE BENEFITS SPEAK FO R THEMSELVES

A comprehensive Progra

m, personalised specificall y for your Organisation Co-branding of both Car d & Website with your log o Personalised Member Pac k for each employee Availability of a Volunteer s’ Program at no cost to you

POSSIBLY YOUR MOST VALUABLE HR STRATEGY

For More Information, Cont act: Brad King Manager Business Developm ent 0413 839999 BKing@PresidentialCard.co m.au

www.presidentialcard.com.a u/acaa LOGIN: ACAA00000 PASSWORD: ACAA

The James Richardson furniture collection satisfies a vast range of applications for Aged Care facilities: Independent Living; Retirement; and High and Low Care.

Offering a wide range of furniture designs and aged care specialist upholstery fabrics, James Richardson ensures high quality to industry standards, functionality and durability as well as modern and classic designs to suit any environment. Packages include, lounge, dining, outdoor, sitting, reception and administration.

HIP members benefit from great insurance

Health Industry Plan

HIP works hard to offer members better income protection and death cover.

Improved policy benefits include: • increased death cover up to a total of $618,240* without the need to supply a medical report • a 20% increase in the benefit of each unit of death cover • $6,000** per month of income protection for four units of cover.

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50 |

This information from Health Industry Plan contains general advice only. It is not specific to your personal financial situation, objectives or needs. Get the facts (including a Product Disclosure Statement) from www.hipsuper.com.au or talk to a financial advisor before making any super decisions. The Trustee of HIP ABN 50 030 598 247 is Private Hospitals Superannuation Pty Ltd ABN 59 006 792 749, AFSL 247063. * This calculation is based on members aged between 16-36 at four units of cover, and only if members apply for an additional three units of cover within 60 days of joining the Fund. Insurance benefit is reduced each subsequent year. Please refer to the HIP Insurance Booklet or PDS for full details. ** Subject to a maximum monthly benefit of 75% of the member’s monthly income. Please refer to the HIP Insurance Booklet or PDS for full details.

aca Aged Care Australia

HIP 32262 Nursing Review 160x225 AD_3.indd 1

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workforce

Survey Confirms

Shortage of Healthcare Workers in NSW

H

ealthX has just completed an extensive market research exercise to evaluate the recruitment requirements and challenges faced by aged care facilities in rural New South Wales when it comes to recruiting Registered Nurses (RNs).

Without question, HealthX confirmed that rural NSW is in short supply of nurses. There is a strong demand for RNs over the next 12 months, if not immediately. Approximately 200 facilities in the area were surveyed and results show that over half of the aged care facilities have requirements for RNs.

• 74.3 percent require RNs immediately

• 14.3 percent require RNs in the next 3 months

• 11.4 percent require RNs in the next 12 months It was also evident that aged care facilities surveyed currently face ongoing recruitment challenges.

73 percent of respondents acknowledge and have challenges in regards to recruiting RNs. These challenges include: – The geographic location, i.e. not in capital cities –P ay differences between RNs working in aged care in comparison to working at hospitals, as well as, – Experience required for working in this particular nursing sector which makes it difficult for new graduates to commence work in aged care.

–G raduate nurses have many areas to choose from, and aged care is not a particularly attractive option due to the workload and lower pay rates compared to health departments.

Some facilities have expressed the following major challenges in the retention of nurses: – Losing jobs to mining.

– The heavy regulation, paperwork and documentation surrounding aged care are higher than other jobs, therefore it becoming less attractive.

–R etirement – some facilities have employees in the higher age group, and will retire in the near future.

With an ageing Australian population looming, these factors attribute to the high demand and scarcity of RNs in the area.

HealthX Director, Derek Irwin says, “We pride ourselves as workforce planning specialists – in order to ease the staffing shortages, there needs to be a long term solution.”

Australia’s total population is projected to increase over the next few decades and the number and proportion of older people in the population is fast increasing. According to the figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2.7 million Australians aged 65 years in 2006 represented about 13 percent of the total population.

By 2036, numbers are expected to rise to 6.3 million or 24 percent of the total population will be receiving aged care.

It is expected that within the next eight years, there will be an increase in the demand for residential aged care staff predominantly RNs, and along with that personal care workers, managers and medical care staff.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Barclay Gardens’ Director of Nursing, Vanessa Smith.

“There’s always a shortage of RNs in aged care. We’re really stretched.

All our shifts are covered by our regular staff at the moment but we could employ another RN.” Director of Nursing at Great Lakes Aged and Invalid Care Association, Doreen Swann, said they were managing but need more RNs. They haven’t been able to obtain any RNs from their last two advertisements, she said.

The findings reflect some of the problems identified in the Productivity Commission report this year that warned the aged care workforce would need to triple by 2050 to keep pace with demand.

The increase in the demand for these skills will be 56.8 percent, and this is something that together with its clients, HealthX will work towards minimising through tailored workforce planning.

Mr Irwin also said that, “We are well aware that the demand for RNs will only increase in the coming years due to our ageing population.

We have been working with clients in rural and regional Australia to successfully deliver a steady stream of RNs around the countryside from Darwin to Cessnock, and we are set to provide more permanent placements of RNs on long term contracts.”

HealthX is a dedicated team of workforce planning specialists focused on solving rural and regional nursing shortages across Australia, with many nurses currently working in the region, servicing clients throughout the Hunter Region in areas such as Newcastle, Cessnock and Singleton.

Partnering with health facilities (in aged care and acute care), HealthX assists clients in the provision of full time nursing staff through permanent placement and long term contracts.

“Being in a remote location in a small regional town with a dwindling workforce by an increasing aged population makes the recruitment of Division 1 Registered Nurses extremely difficult.

Working with HealthX has allowed the stabilisation of the facility’s baseline roster,” said Navorina Nursing Home’s Director of Nursing, Margaret Smith. n

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workforce

Proper Care For Workers Who Care Paul Carberry CEO, ACAA – SA

I

t’s no secret that attracting, developing and retaining a skilled and motivated workforce is one of the fundamental and ongoing challenges for all industries.

None more so than aged care, which faces a combination of factors which will only intensify in the future.

For a start, on average people employed in residential and community aged care are older than the workforce as a whole. Sixty percent of residential care staff are aged 45 or more, and 70% of community care staff are in that age group. This compares to 37% aged 45 or more in the overall workforce.

As well, and no doubt related to the age profile, aged care staff experience higher rates of injury than other industries. Physical industries, sprains strains and soft tissue injuries feature strongly, however mental and emotional injuries are also significant.

A 2007 Canadian study of over 77,000 participants found that workers in residential care facilities had the eighth highest risk of poor mental health out of 95 industries, and Australian workers compensation data shows that the health and community services sector recorded the highest rate of mental stress claims per 100,000 employees in 2007-08.

Given the above, taking very good care of your staff’s welfare should be a top priority for all aged care providers. Not only is it the right thing to do, but, as a study conducted in South Australia shows, it pays off in a variety of ways.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are well established among progressive employers as a method of enhancing and protecting employee well-being. They adopt a variety of forms and methods.

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Our project was conceived as a study of the potential value of providing onsite physiotherapy and psychological services to employees of aged care facilities. It was conducted with funding provided by the Workcover claims manager in South Australia, Employers Mutual Limited.

Researchers from the School of Psychology at the University of South Australia conducted qualitative research of employee perceptions about the level of support their employer provided them in the workplace. They also looked at a range of data, provided confidentially by the employers and Workcover, relating to staff turnover, absentee rates, workplace injury claim numbers, cost of claims, and return-to-work rates.

The researchers wanted to determine whether providing the above services to employees as an EAP program would reduce injury claims and improve the other factors mentioned above.

The researchers use a concept called Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC), which refers to the climate for psychological health and safety which exists in every workplace. It may be positive or negative and encompasses four principles: 1. t he level of senior management commitment and support for stress prevention; 2. t he priority management gives to psychological health and safety versus productivity goals; 3. o rganisational communication upwards and downwards in relation to psychological health and safety; and

4. the extent of participation and involvement by managers and workers in relation to psychological health and safety.

Analysis of the initial (baseline) employeeperception questionnaires, and the employer and Workcover data, produced some stark results. Workplaces with a low PSC had both a higher incidence of claims and a higher average cost of claims.

Workers in places with higher PSC actually looked after themselves better at work, e.g. use of lifters, and reported lower levels of muscle and joint pain than their counterparts in lower PSC workplaces. They were also less fatigued and had higher levels of workplace engagement.

On average, workers in high PSC places took less sick leave, and there were lower rates of staff turnover.

An important factor in all of this was the level of support to the program given by the facility managers. Managers of worksites with low PSC were less supportive. The clear feedback from the psychologist and physiotherapist involved is that, “management buy-in” is essential to the success of such programs.

Even though top management of the organisations involved had approved of the program, the attitude and active support of site management was essential for success.

As a consequence, the extent to which the psychologist and physiotherapist were able to deliver the planned interventions at the different facilities also varied.

The questionnaires were administered at three points during the project, at the start, midway point and at the end, in order to measure changes in PSC levels as a result of the services and interventions provided.

“

“ ” On average, workers in high PSC places took less sick leave, and there were lower rates of staff turnover.

Facilities with high PSC at baseline tended to stay high or improve during the study, and this was associated with improvements in morale, and reductions in cynicism and absenteeism. Where the PSC was originally low and deteriorated, it was associated with falls in workplace morale, increased cynicism and absenteeism.

Conclusion Although, the project did not produce evidence of statistically-significant changes in PSC as a result of the psychology and physiotherapy interventions, given that the study was conducted over just one year, and given the barriers at some sites mentioned above, this is probably not surprising.

However, a couple of messages shine through:

•W orkers who believe they are less cared about and supported by their management get sicker more often, leave at a higher rate, and have more costly workplace injuries, more often. The cost of this will vary from workplace to workplace, but if you are concerned about the cost of introducing an EAP for your staff, you need to also work out the cost of not doing so.

• I mproving workplace PSC requires a “top down” approach. Management needs to demonstrate their commitment by their actions and attitudes, before it can expect a corresponding change in employee behaviour. n [this article draws heavily, including excerpts and paraphrasing, on the final report for the project, prepared by Dr Peter Winwood from the University of South Australia]

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 53

workforce

“I just want to be respected and listened to!”

Mike Swinson

A

s human beings we all have a deep yearning to be valued, to feel safe and respected. When you think about it, it really isn’t a big ask is it? The problem is there are a lot of other people out there who haven’t got that powerful message yet. That’s where awards, recognition for achievement are a vital part of spreading the word about why in some businesses employee turnover is low, why some attract staff more easily than others and so it goes.

That certainly is the case in a number of aged care organisations that were recognised recently as finalists and winners in the Employer of the Year Awards at the ACAA 2011 conference.

and wellbeing including great incentives for staff to progress their careers.

‘The staff feel part of the decision making process and they feel free to approach any senior staff. One person came in to work today on her day off to see the CEO, and as usual her door was open. Even our staff from diverse cultural backgrounds feel safe doing that,’ says Sue McLeish.

She added, ‘here at Kew Gardens I am listened to and I am respected and it doesn’t matter what my position is, that’s the way it is here. I have worked elsewhere and felt disempowered because of the way the facilities were managed, particularly in a highly regulated industry like this.’

Sue McLeish nominated her employer, Kew Gardens, because she said she has seen the most remarkable transformations happen at her workplace and the judges agreed.

‘I have seen a huge number of staff jump at the chance to improve their lot in life, it’s almost magical watching that happen and by the way, our CEO is just fantastic.’

Kew Gardens was this year’s winner of the ‘Employer of the Year Award’ for 2011 as nominated by staff.

Charmaine Waugh, the CEO of Kew Gardens told me that workplace culture is vitally important. She said staff need to be empowered, they have to feel trusted and respected. “That way we keep them and they stay because they are happy, respected and listened to.”

The judges were very impressed with Kew Gardens holistic approach to staff welfare Charmaine Waugh, Kew Gardens and Neil Saxton, Executive Manger – Member Education, HESTA Super Fund

“You know the greatest reward I get from this job is watching people grow, some from humble beginnings. That personal growth cascades down into the care we provide to residents. If people love their job, feel satisfied, respected and listened to then they in turn will provide a much higher quality of care to the people they look after and it shows!”

The success at Kew Gardens is about relationship management, ‘what do you want your life to look like, if I gave you a blank canvas what would you want it to look like?’ and Charmaine says “when they tell us, then we can help them structure training and

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rosters around their family responsibilities.

We have to be as flexible as possible, otherwise people don’t want to work here.

One employee said, ‘I tell my friends about my roster and what it’s like to work here and they can’t believe it!’ That’s my reward.”

The winner of this year’s Employer of Choice award as nominated by the business was Highercombe Aged Care, part of the ACH Group in SA. The judges said they were “delighted with the number of initiatives that were under pinned by a philosophy of good health and wellbeing – ‘Caring for the Carers’.

The Partners in Positive Ageing (PIPA) Management Course was quoted by staff as having a enormous impact. Fantastic!”

“If we apply the concept of health promotion, healthy ageing and positive ageing to our staff, then skill them up in their own healthy ageing journey, they are much more likely to apply those same principles to the older people they care for, and it works, because we have seen some amazing results!”

That’s Jo Boylan, the Northern Region Residential Services Manager for the ACH Group. The Highercombe facility is part of her domain.

‘So where is the evidence for that claim?’

I ask Jo. “It’s our staff who tell us that the Partners in Positive Ageing (PIPA) Course is working wonders. It is a true partnership, it is all about the staff and the benefits from that also flow down to the residents. Let me give you one small example. One of our new residents had just lost his wife, he lived in a caravan, had spent all his savings on medical costs trying to help and support his wife.

When he arrived he couldn’t walk well, he wasn’t full of life by any means. Well, just last

Jo Boylan, Highercombe and Neil Saxton, Executive Manger – Member Education, HESTA Super Fund

‘Maging ang pagbabago na gusto mong makita sa mundo’ – (Filipino) Be the change you want to see in the world ‘Mwenye ana uzima wa mwiri ana tumaini, Mwenye ana tumaini ana chochote’ – (Kenyan) He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything ‘A tavola nessun’ diventa vechhio’ – (Italian) At the table nobody grows old

week he completed a 12 km marathon, he didn’t run but he did walk it and finished and is now a vibrant member of our community.

That’s what I am talking about, using the positive ageing, healthy ageing messages and programs to support staff who then do the same thing for our residents!”

There is a fully operational gym at Highercombe available to both staff and residents, as well as personal trainers. The facility provides smokers with Quit for Life

programs free , they subsidise massages for stress relief and keep people aware that this is all about having a ‘good life,’ being motivated and engaged while at home and at work.

Like many other aged care businesses, the staff at Highercombe come from a wide range of cultures so to celebrate that diversity, different nationalities and rich cultural heritage, staff suggested three inspirational healthy ageing quotes that now decorate the staff hallway.

Jo Boylan, herself a self confessed ‘glass half full’ individual says “we believe multiculturalism adds to the fibre of Highercombe. The implementation of the healthy ageing at work program was a worthwhile exercise with positive outcomes for those involved. It is evidence of the value of providing health promotion coached trainings, resulting in staffs’ personal growth and mental inspiration to stimulate engagement, increase general well being, social and interpersonal interaction, and relationships with others.” n

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 55

workforce

ACAA Employer of Choice Awards (finalists) Rod Young and Mike Swinson

O

nce again the industry is indebted to HESTA, for sponsoring the awards with such wonderful prizes for recognition of excellence in the sector.

As part of this sponsorship arrangement HESTA is providing the winner in each category with $5000 to go towards a Sage overseas study tour within the next two years and for the runners up in each category a free registration to New Zealand Aged Care Association’s annual conference in 2012 as well as $500 from ACAA to go towards travel & accommodation to the conference.

1. Employee Nominated: Employer of the Year The finalists in the employee nominated category were: • Kew Gardens, Australian Aged Care Group, Vic • Laurieton Lakeside Aged Care Residence, Halveny P/L, NSW • Miranda Aged Care, NSW • Lyndoch Living, Vic • Therapy Services, Bethanie Group, WA • Multicultural Aged Care Services, Vic • TBG Senior Living Services, Anthem Care, NSW • Emmy Monash Aged Care, Vic The judges had great difficulty making a decision and wanted to award some special recognitions: High Commendation awards go to both the Multicultural Aged Care Services and Emmy Monash Aged Care. Both organisations had

a very low staff turnover, with one also providing paid mandatory education.

The runner up in this category was TBG Senior Living Services, Anthem Care, NSW At this facility staff morale is very high, with career paths encouraged and supported.

Anthem at Home is a division of TBG Senior Living Services, which in turn is part of The Blissett Group. The Blissett Group is one of the leading providers of services and communities for people aged over 55 in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

2. Employer Nominated: Employer of the Year The finalists in the employee nominated category were: • Prestige Home Healthcare, Vic • Masonic Homes of Northern Tasmania • Brotherhood of St Laurence, Vic • Regents Garden Group, WA • Amana Living, WA • Clermont Aged Care, NSW • Jewish Care Inc, Vic • Summitcare, NSW • Sir Moses Montefiore, NSW • Lansdowne Gardens, NSW

Top Left L-R: Steve Gordon & Dawn McDonald, Clermont, Neil Saxton, Executive Manger – Member Education, HESTA Super Fund; Bottom Left L-R: Neil Saxton, Executive Manger – Member Education, HESTA Super Fund and Paul Brophy, Brotherhood of St Laurence; Right L-R: Luba Pryslak, Multicultural Aged Care Services, Neil Saxton, Executive Manger – Member Education, HESTA Super Fund, Tanya Abramazon, Emmy Monash Aged Care

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L-R: Anna Santikos, Monitfiore, Neil Saxton, Executive Manger – Member Education, HESTA Super Fund, Cynthia Payne, Summitcare

• Wahroonga Aged Care, Australian Unity, Vic • Cooinda Village, Vic • Highercombe Aged Care, ACH Group, SA • Orana Gardens, Dubbo RSL Aged Care, NSW Once again the judges had great difficulty making a decision among the finalists and wanted to acknowledge all the finalists as demonstrating a fantastic workplace environment and said they could easily have awarded the prizes to a number of nominees.

A Special Recognition for Industry Support Award and that goes to the Brotherhood of St Laurence. The Brotherhood of St Laurence is noted for its superior engagement with the aged care industry in particular the bringing together of residents with the local community. Social events are held twice a year in way of sports days, concerts and dances with evident support from the media.

The next award is a Special Recognition for Entertainment and goes to Clermont Aged Care. The judges were impressed with Clermont’s initiative for an annual Christmas pantomime, last year being the “Wizard of Oz” and this year “Robin Hood” with all staff having the opportunity to be involved.

High Commendations this year go to Summitcare and Sir Moses Montefiore. The judges recognised Summitcare’s strong commitment to education and training and Sir Moses Montefiore’s commitment to staff wellbeing with “Pamper Month” and the annual staff party which in 2010 consisted of a record 400 employees attending.

The runner up this year is Amana Living who will receive a free registration at the 2012 New Zealand Aged Care Association’s national conference as well as $500 from ACAA to go towards travel & accom to the conference.

Amana Living was recognised for its commitment to training and education and those “out there” staff encouraged to share ideas for the benefit of the entire workplace.

Amana Living is one of Western Australia’s largest not-for-profit aged care providers and assists older people to truly ‘live the second half of life.’ The organisation constantly honours and values the wonderful contribution made by its dedicated staff and volunteers. n (There is another story in the magazine with details of the winners of these two awards.)

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aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 57

sponsors

Energy Contract Discount Offer (ACAA Preferred Supplier)

E

nergy Action have been appointed as the preferred supplier to all ACAA members and affiliates for energy contract procurement and management services.

Who are Energy Action?

Energy Action is Australia’s leading independent energy management company offering comprehensive buying and management services for both gas and electricity, aimed at reducing energy usage and saving your aged care facility money.

The Australian Energy Exchange: Australia’s leading reverse auction platform for the procurement of energy The company’s flagship service, the Australian Energy Exchange, allows energy suppliers to competitively bid against one another to supply your organisation’s energy – with a best fit contract secured in around 15 minutes.

This unique service has secured energy contracts in excess of $5 billion and delivered millions of dollars worth of savings for Australian organisations. We are proud to have signed off over 5,000 contracts for some of the largest energy deals in Australia encompassing corporate, government and industrial business – including many aged care facilities.

We look forward to bringing the benefits of our market and contract knowledge, experience, and the dynamics of the reverse auction, to the members and affiliates of ACAA.

Independent Energy Brokers = No Agendas An important consideration when dealing with an energy broker is that they are independent and deal with as many

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retailers as possible. The more retailers looking to secure your business, the more chance you have of securing a higher saving.

Energy Action deals with all major retailers across Australia, such as; • ActewAGL, • AGL, • Alinta, • Aurora Energy, • Country Energy (now owned by Origin), • COZero, • Energy Australia (now owned by TRUenergy), • ERM Power, • Integral Energy (now owned by Origin) • Momentum Energy, • Origin, • Perth Energy, • QEnergy, • Simply Energy, • Synergy, and • TRUenergy.

Energy Action are always in discussions with new entrants to the retail energy marketplace.

Energy Action – A Full Service Offering Energy Action have experience not only in the procurement of energy for your site, but can also assist your business with a full service management of all your energy needs. This can encompass additional services such as; • Energy monitoring, • Power factor correction, • Site energy audits, • Bill validation, • Tariff analysis, • Carbon pricing and impact reports • Sustainability and energy efficiency team, • …and much more!

Forward Thinking Secures Savings Although your electricity contract may not be immediately due for renewal, we could secure more attractive rates for you NOW than at a later date. This is part of the benefits of dealing with an experienced and independent energy management company who is monitoring the energy marketplace on a daily basis – both retail and wholesale.

Are you sick of rising energy bills ey on lls at your aged care facility?

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Take advantage of Energy Action’s

free electricity bill health check and make sure your getting the best deal!

Energy Action, Australia’s leading independent energy management company, have had a long standing partnership with the ACAA. With the warmer weather coming shortly, wholesale electricity prices are likely to rise, meaning now is a great time to review your energy contracts and secure the best rates possible.

Even if your contract isn’t due to expire, we can still help!

Our flagship service, the Australian Energy Exchange, allows energy suppliers to competitively bid against one another over a reverse auction to supply your facility’s energy – with a best fit contract secured in around 15 minutes.

Note: Energy Action do not ask you to move from your current retailer, the choice to move is always yours!

As a special offer to ACAA members, we have waived the registration fee (usually $450.00) for use of the Australian Energy Exchange.

This means your aged care facility has no fees to pay, only savings to be made!

To discuss this opportunity further and have a free electricity (or gas) bill health check,

contact Peter Naylor at Energy Action today!

Phone: (03) 9832 0855 Mobile: 0415 103 707 Email: peternaylor@energyaction.com.au Or visit us online: www.energyaction.com.au

sponsors

The Wholesale Electricity Market As the wholesale electricity market can be highly volatile, it is difficult to forecast future prices of energy with certainty.

However, wholesale electricity prices provide a very good indication and insight into market trends and movements.

The Wholesale Energy Price Index (WEPI) is a reportable index that reflects daily changes to contract and spot market conditions and their effect on the stability of the underlying wholesale price for electricity in the NEM. The WEPI is a good indicator of retail price movements, as electricity retailers are one of the key players in the wholesale market. It was created by the Department of Industry Tourism and Resources (ITR) in conjunction with d-CyphaTrade and is published daily on the d-cyphaTrade website.

The main driver of wholesale prices is demand peaks which are typically driven by extreme weather events. Compared to previous years, the past 12 months of wholesale market activity has been relatively stable across all states. The second half of 2010 saw steadily decreasing contract prices driving the WEPI down to record lows. The wholesale market reacted early in 2011 with the WEPI ticking up quite significantly as cyclones, floods and heatwaves hit Australia. Although uncertainty remains about the Federal Government’s proposed carbon price mechanism wholesale pricing still remains at relatively low levels which indicates it may be a beneficial time for customers to consider securing their future electricity contracts.

*Data sourced from http://d-cyphatrade.com.au/. Settlement date taken to be the last trading day of December for the year before contract period begins. Current Prices are as of 7/9/2011.

What does the future hold?

The electricity futures market gives an indication on the current perception of future pricing. One of the main participants in the futures market is electricity retailers and hence the wholesale futures can be used as an indicator of future retail pricing.

Below is a graph produced by the AER who publish wholesale electricity futures prices that are registered through the d-CyphaTrade futures market. The prices are for quarterly contracts out till the second quarter of 2015.

The vertical axis represents the $/MWh wholesale price of electricity – this can be divided by 10 to find a c/kWh equivalent.

The wholesale price of electricity is traded

Figure 11: http://www.aer.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/MarketSnapshotLongTermAnalysis/ Data sourced: 8/9/2011

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in full day blocks i.e. it covers both peak and off peak periods.

The current market climate is relatively stable (as shown in the WEPI) and ample supply has seen contract prices hitting relative lows. See the table (above) for settlement prices and current prices for calendar year implied wholesale futures.

How Do I Get Involved?

The first step is to contact your Energy Action Corporate Sales Manager, Peter Naylor on 0415 103 707 or via email on peternaylor@energyaction.com.au.

Peter will require you to send a copy of a recent electricity bill from all sites. ACAA members and affiliates will receive a free energy bill health check. If you then wish to proceed with Energy Action’s services, you can complete the Letter of Authority (LOA) and the Relationship Agreement (RA) if required. We take care of the rest for you! n

WHS Harmonisation Online Course Now Available

A

s of January 1st 2012, new national work health and safety legislation will begin to come into effect in all states and territories of Australia. The legislation aims to create consistency in workplace safety across the country. It will have differing levels of impact depending on where you live and work, but no matter where you are, it will mean change in your legal responsibilities.

Are you ready?

Are you ready for the new legislation?

What are the implications for your workplace? Will your policies and procedures meet the new requirements?

Working in collaboration with the National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA), ACAA and e3Learning have developed and released a new online course to help you and your organisation prepare for the key changes. The course steps through what the changes are, what they’ll mean to you and provides practical strategies to help you prepare.

This course is the only elearning training product in Australia of its kind and is the

quickest and most cost effective way to make sure you don’t get caught out when the changes come into force. You can purchase the course at the ACAA online store http://acaa.e3learning.com.au or contact e3Learning at info@e3learning.com. au to purchase training for your organisation.

About the course The WHS harmonisation module, has been developed with experts from the NSCA, provides an introduction to the new harmonisation laws and helps prepare you and your organisation for these critical changes.

The course takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, and will give you an understanding of: • key terms in the new legislation • key changes in the legislation • the new duties associated with particular roles in the workplace • how the new legislation is enforced, and • strategies for managing health and safety in the workplace that can help

organisations meet the requirements of the new legislation.

The course is innovative and engaging and is delivered using a mixture of: • professional audio • animation and interactivity • formative and summative assessments, and • on successful completion of the course, participants receive a certificate of completion.

Who should complete it?

The course has a national focus and is designed to provide training for anyone who requires an introduction to the new harmonisation laws.

Don’t be caught out when the new model WHS legislation comes into force, contact us to take advantage of this cost effective and up to date online training. n info@e3learning.com.au

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Aged Care: room for improvement?

Dr Duncan Jefferson

C

ontinuing on with difficult subjects as we progress towards Christmas: this time it’s the subject of those infirm, aged people who will spend their Festive season in Nursing Home facilities across the world.

For over three decades I visited patients in Aged Care facilities and have witnessed a massive increase in the quality of care provided during that period of time. My first visits were to what were old houses where the bedrooms contained three or four frail aged who often spent the majority of their time in bed, and the stench of urine pervaded the whole “institution”. It was not

unusual for “restraints” to be used on more difficult patients, which meant that they were literally tied to their chairs; and there was always at least one patient who would call out a garbled cry with the regularity of a metronome, which in retrospect was probably “help”!

Remember, this was at a time when the Berlin wall was still standing, before computers were on every

R

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desk, and the only phones were fixed to a wall!

Today in Australia, the modern aged care facility is a bright “village” type arrangement with high care units to look after the most frail residents. Each facility has to undergo regular accreditation and the standards that I observed were of the highest order. But all is not sweetness and light for the aged around the world. In 2008 the Office of Aged Care Quality and Compliance reported that there were 3947 cases probed nationally between July to December 31 2007, and this included cases of serious physical assault, medical mismanagement and failed personal care. Recently in NSW, a fire was started in a Nursing Home and lives were lost as the result of suspect arson – a man has been charged with the offense and is awaiting trial.

In the US, Amber Paley runs a website called Nursing Home Abuse which focuses on the plight of those aged relatives of ours who may be at risk, and gives practical advice on how to ensure that your family member who is no longer able to defend themselves, is treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

As well as recording the blight of abuses that she has documented, there is also valuable educational and preventative advice on how to best protect your relatives. The Australian Government Department of Health and Aging also has a useful webpage to help those who suspect that abuse may be occurring.

It is sad that abuse occurs, but the good news is that there are 99 good people in the Aged Care business for every one that inappropriately manages their patients under their care. In fact, those who do work with

the frail, the deaf, the incontinent and the demented deserve our enormous thanks and respect for what they do and how they do it. Let’s give them a present this Christmas when we visit our older relatives, and give them our affirmation and thanks for sharing the final part of so many people’s final journey, with professionalism and grace.

About the Author Dr Duncan Jefferson Perth, WA, Australia I’m English by birth, Celtic of inclination, but Australian by choice! I studied medicine in London but have lived my professional career mainly in Perth WA. I am married to a fantastic lady, have had 6 children and at last count, have 6 grandchildren. n

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Bethanie Medallion

Winners Announced WA’s most outstanding aged care contributors received due recognition at the Bethanie Medallion Awards luncheon on Tuesday 29 November at Bethanie on the Park. The Bethanie Medallion, sponsored

by The Bethanie Group is a coveted award for professionals, volunteers, and media in WA.

W

A doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, care workers, part time volunteers, paid carers, groups and organisations that contribute to the Aged Care community and who make a difference through their work were acknowledged at the Medallion luncheon.

Stephen Becsi, Bethanie Group Chief Executive Officer said, “The caliber of Bethanie Medallion nominations this year is outstanding. It is great to know we have such passionate people in our community looking to better and improve the lives of our elderly.”

Now in its eighth year, the Bethanie Medallion program has broadened its categories to acknowledge outstanding professionals, volunteers, groups and organisations serving and supporting the State’s ageing population.

Becsi also commented, “The Bethanie Medallion was created to recognise and commend the unsung heroes in our community. The people who give unselfishly to others, serve above and beyond the call of duty, seek to enrich the lives of others, and simply make the lives of elderly citizens easier and more enjoyable.”

Bethanie Professional Medallion, Bethanie All Rounder Medallion Taking out the Bethanie Professional Medallion, as well as the Bethanie All Rounder Medallion, was Anne-Marie Archer, CEO of ACAWA. Archer is known for her work to increase communication between providers to enable them to strive towards common goals to serve the elderly in Western Australia. Her tireless efforts to educate aged care providers in issues relating to industry best practice made Archer a standout in the category and overall.

Bethanie Individual Volunteer Medallion Anna Nici was awarded the Bethanie Individual Volunteer Medallion. For the past seven years Anna has spent five days a week running ‘Anna’s Café’, preparing food for residents, visitors and staff at Craigcare Maylands Nursing Home.

She operates on a purely voluntary basis, giving her time, energy and enthusiasm everyday and to everyone that needs that extra bit of attention.

Bethanie Volunteer Organisation Medallion The Bethanie Volunteer Organisation Medallion went to Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre who through the Alzheimer’s Australia WA’s Volunteer program, support people with dementia at their organisation. They are pioneers in WA being the first organisation to come on board with the Dementia program; their results have inspired eight further organsations to take part.

Bethanie Media Reporting Medallion Channel 7’s Samantha Jolly took out the Bethanie Media Reporting Medallion for balanced reporting on topical aged care issues. Her stand out report was one that highlighted bed shortages in WA, resulting in a very positive outcome with the elderly lady being offered a permanent home.

“The caliber of Bethanie Medallion nominations this year is outstanding. It is great to know we have such passionate people in our community looking to better and improve the lives of our elderly,” said Bethanie Group Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Becsi.

Now in its eighth year, the Bethanie Medallion program has broadened its categories to acknowledge outstanding professionals, volunteers, groups and organisations serving and supporting the State’s ageing population.

Becsi also commented, “The Bethanie Medallion was created to recognise and commend the unsung heroes in our community. The people who give unselfishly to others, serve above and beyond the call of duty, seek to enrich the lives of others, and simply make the lives of elderly citizens easier and more enjoyable.” n

Photos and category winner summary continued on next page



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Bethanie Volunteer Individual Category Winner – Anna Nici The Individual Volunteer category recognises an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to those in Aged Care in a voluntary capacity. The award is open to people of any age who have volunteered for the equivalent of at least 100 hours over the last 12 months.

They must have demonstrated passion and commitment to improving conditions for the aged in their community and/or established sustainable partnerships and programs that benefit the aged in their community.

Anna Nici has operated “Anna’s Café” at the Craigcare Maylands Nursing Home for the past seven years. She has given her time, energy and enthusiasm because she loves caring and providing for the residents, families and staff, creating an atmosphere that is like a home away from home.

In addition she provides a shoulder to lean on and a wonderful welcome to all the visitors and significantly, she is there every day whenever a resident needs someone to laugh with, cry with, tell a story to or just have a gentle conversation.

Anna’s parents are residents, but she treats all the residents as her extended family. She is described as ‘unbeatable’, ‘inspirational’ and ‘one in a million’ by those who depend on her daily.

Bethanie Volunteer Organisation Category Winners – Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre This category recognises an organisation that has shown outstanding dedication towards others in the community, inspiring others to contribute to, and participate in, the Aged Care sector.

Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Kanyana has been involved with supporting people with dementia through a partnership with Alzheimer’s Australia WA’s Volunteer program.

They were the first organisation willing to participate in the program and support people with early stage dementia as volunteers.

Kanyana has promoted the program through the Milestones newsletter, and at an international & national conference on Dementia. This has inspired a further eight organisations to follow suit.

Kanyana is an organisation that is run almost entirely of volunteers. Their inclusion of volunteers with dementia has given hope and affirmation to those people that despite their illness they are still able to make meaningful contributions to society. This has also increased community awareness and understanding of dementia.

Organisation L-R Moira Shoebridge & Jacqui Thorpe, Patsy Hills & Christine Bennett, Jen Edmonds & Margaret Buckland.

Bethanie Media Category Winner – Samantha Jolly The Bethanie Medallion for Media Reporting acknowledges the role media plays in forming public opinion about aged care and aged care issues in our community, and aims to recognise exceptional reporting of a WA Aged Care related issue.

Samantha Jolly – Channel 7, Samantha wrote and presented a television news report for Channel 7’s 6 pm news.

It was her recognition of the problems facing the aged care industry, particularly in Western Australia, that encouraged her to cover the issue.

Individual L-R Joy Harvey – Bethanie Elanora Nursing Home & Hostel & Villas, Kath Tilbrook – Amaroo Village, Anna Nici – Craigcare Maylands.

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Her report on a 90-year-old woman who couldn’t find a permanent nursing home highlighted the bed shortage here in WA. Bethanie saw that report and offered her a place at its Yanchep facility. A follow up story on her family was run which gave viewers a happy end to the story as well as some good advice on the issues of housing for the aged.

Media L-R Amy Hallett – Western Suburbs Weekly, Samantha Jolly – Channel 7 News Perth, Ann McRae – The West Australian.

Bethanie Professional Category Winner – Anne-Marie Archer The Professional category is open to all professionals who contribute to Aged Care (either part time of full time). This can include doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, care workers or anyone making a difference in the Aged Care community through their work.

them to work together towards common goals to serve the elderly in Western Australia.

Her work within ACAAWA has created a central hub for aged care providers to go to when seeking information relating to the industry.

Professional L-R Glenn Muskett – CEO Braemar Presbyterian Care, Anne-Marie Archer – CEO Aged Care Association Australia WA (ACAAWA), Liz Ennis – Manager/RN Craigcare Maylands

Bethanie All Rounder Category Winner – Anne-Marie Archer The Bethanie All Rounder is chosen from the winners of each category and is given to the person who best embodies Bethanie’s mission and values.

The professional will be a high achiever and have a history of consistently delivering exceptional service in an area of the Aged Care sector.

As CEO of Aged Care Association Australia WA, Anne-Marie works to support aged care providers in issues relating to industry best practice and increase communication between providers to allow

Overall Bethanie Medallion Winner L-R Anne-Marie Archer – CEO Aged Care Association Australia WA (ACAAWA) and Stephen Becsi – CEO The Bethanie Group

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SAGE 2011

Philadelphia and Washington Colin McDonnell, Care Service Manager – Starrett Lodge UnitingCare Ageing – Hunter, Central Coast & New England

T

oday marks my first week back at work following the epic SAGE Philadelphia tour lead fabulously

by Petra.(Petra Neeleman) The Philadelphia leg was, as suggested by Judy ( Judy Martin SAGE Program leader), preceded by a week in San Francisco with Dr Nader Shabahangi of AGESONG. This was truly an enjoyable and educational non stop experience from community talks with elders in the San Francisco Hospital, to poetry book launches for elders written by elders, to tours of the fantastic facilities and involvement in the Intern program working with people with memory loss-work was never so good!

Nader was an excellent host and his approach with age care in respecting the wisdom of elders was enlightening and refreshing.

I would like to return and share further in his concept of elder care. Thanks Judy for such an inspiring addition to my tour.

The forming of our merry band in Philadelphia was enhanced by a wonderful group of personalities (from Australia’s Aged care industry) blended by team leader and time keeper Petra who did her best to keep us in the right place at the right time. This was made easy by the professional planning and organisation of the tour by SAGE. SAGE, in conjunction with USA Leading Age provided access to a cross section of excellent elder communities. One could not have hoped for a warmer reception or more cooperative age care providers. At each community every department head as well as board members were available to answer the cross examination of questions openly and informatively to us as a group and as individuals. This was indicative of the extensive pre-tour planning conducted by Judy Martin who had spent many months prior to the tours liaising with SAGE facility destinations. In some cases I am sure it would have been very daunting to answer the array of questions posed to the staff by us as we were trying to understand their programs and the difference in funding arrangements in the USA. We even explored the difficulties that they are experiencing with the current financial down turn in the States. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the management and staff of the communities who opened there hearts and doors to us – the people from down under.

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The discussions at each elder community were insightful and the questions asked by the group and pooling of information gathered was a God send. The varied interests of the group was well balanced from architects, (who don’t like questions and prefer to walk and take photo’s!) to CEO’s, to myself, a more general knowledge person, was a great benefit. It allowed for a wider and

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greater understanding of each facility and system we visited, be it design, resident care, administration and or of costs and fees involved.

The SAGE social functions schedule and tours of historical places of interest in Philadelphia and Washington, plus the Amish tour lunch and village, kept all engaged and excited. Once again the blending and planning of the social interludes by SAGE kept us refreshed and eager to participate as a very cohesive group of travelers. I can’t mention we sneaked off to see the inauguration of the Martin Luther King Memorial, or about seeing Barak Obama and Aretha Franklin speak and perform live in Washington, but if I could I would tell you – it was hair-raising.

The attendance of over 9000 at the IAHSA and Leading Age conference was amazing and at the same time the conference, while overwhelming, was informative. The size and variety of the trade stalls was incredible, the plenary speakers were world leaders and it was fantastic to be able to witness such guest speakers as Mary Robinson and others of her experience and fame. It took a while to untangle the conference format and work out the international (IAHSA) component but that solved we all got on to enjoy and learn.

A very much unexpected but most valued gift of the SAGE tour program is the network created of a group of very professional people, from Australia and abroad, who are now close friends & colleagues to bounce Ideas off, share knowledge and generally speak the language of advancing the lives of the elders in Australia and internationally. I am sure all on the tour would wish to thank SAGE and in particular Petra for conducting the Philadelphia tour, and Judy for planning, organising, promoting and conducting these valuable, inspiring Australian industry tours for US the people of OUR industry. I would recommend any manager in our industry to partake of a SAGE tour – you will not regret it. n

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SAGE 2011 –

Boston Tour Lyn Bruce

SAGE: A busy week in Boston prior to the Leading Age Conference.

Again SAGE offered us a wide variety of innovative and inspiring services to visit and a fantastic cultural and social experience. It

Residents at Leonard Florence include the elderly, those requiring short-term rehabilitation as well as those living with disabling medical conditions such as ALS and multiple sclerosis.

Leonard Florence caters to upmarket clientele; private patients pay around $495/day.

was good to have it reconfirmed

What is a Green House?

‘we do it well in Australia’.

The Green House model is one which seeks to improve resident quality of life by providing a homely environment and giving autonomy to residents. It uses a different scale, structure and architectural language than the traditional institutional aged care facility. Green Houses were initially developed as free-standing houses in suburban and rural areas on sites affiliated with the more traditional care facilities. A ‘Green House’ typically has about 8-10 rooms and is self-contained. They are supported by ‘Universal caregivers’ known as shahbazim who perform housekeeping, laundry and cooking tasks as well as provide care to elders.

Registered Nurses support the shahbazim in delivering care.

W

e visited a number of services and facilities in the Boston area.

We visited retirement communities, day care centres, virtual villages, hospices and villages catering to elderly homeless, a home for the deaf and Green House villages.

For me there were two facilities we visited which were highlights. The outstanding facility was The Leonard Florence Centre for Living a recently built skilled care facility built following the innovative Green House model.

First urban green house model in US. Leonard Florence is innovative and original in its care as well as its design. Whilst younger people with disabilities are accommodated in the same building as elderly people, these younger people are living and socialising with people of their own age. They are doing what they want to do and making their own decisions about how they live and receive treatment. 1 nurse cares for 20 residents.

The Centre is composed of ten homes, each containing ten private bedrooms and baths, the Leonard Florence Centre for Living serves a total of 100 residents within a sixstory condominium-style complex situated on Admiral’s Hill in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

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Leonard Florence is the first ‘urban Green House’ and takes the concept to a city setting for the first time within a single 8,640 m2 building. 1 nurse cares for ten residents.

The other was all about Education, The Lasell Village, seniors accommodation facility colocated inside a university campus. Lasell is a rare and innovative senior’s facility. Opened in 2000 and built entirely within the grounds of Lasell University, the centre requires all residents to complete an entrance exam to gain admission, and to complete at least 450 hours of study per year while in residence.

Lasell believes this adds an extra dimension to well-being.

The Village combines the elements of: • lifelong learning • retirement living • support services • short-term rehabilitation • long-term care – SNF The centre is run by educators and is very tightly integrated into the surrounding university campus. Elders attend regular classes at the University, and tailored courses are offered to residents. Many students are employed at the Village in administrative, kitchen and support roles. Students also make use of the study facilities at the Village, and elders engage with students in mentoring relationships.

This is an innovative service and brings together seniors with common interests – education and learning. It is interesting to note that whilst the village promotes education and learning and is associated with a University it does not offer its residents a degree at the end of their courses.

As with most of the high care or Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) we saw, the Lasell Village SNF was highly regulated and still very institutionalised. It had 38 beds. 10 live all time. 28 short term. Also available to local community not just residents. 3RNs, 5 aides on morning shift. Plus Director of Care.

A couple of Universities in Australia are currently investigating the feasibility of incorporating aged care services into their campuses.

The Leading Age Conference offered some interesting and thought provoking concepts, but again it was the SAGE TOUR which presented us with ideas, concepts and innovations we will be able to incorporate into our services here in Australia. n

SAGE STUDY TOUR

– Boston Case studies

Chris Straw, Group Managing Director, ThomsonAdsett

HEARTH Hearth provides access to safe, affordable housing and a supportive living environment to elders struggling with homelessness and financial hardship.

Elder homelessness is a rising problem in the United States. Causes can include: • illness or health event • death of a spouse, significant other or carer who had provided a home/care • estrangement from family • challenging mental health and/or substance abuse problem • too frail to maintain employment • living on low, fixed incomes while costs of living continue to rise • savings drained by medical costs • eviction • domestic violence or victims of abuse Elder homelessness can accelerate and magnify the effects of aging, increasing frailty, aggravating chronic disease, impairing mental function and leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation. While homelessness extols a terrible cost on the individual, it also burdens society through placing greater demands on nursing and health services down the track.

Hearth has 137 units spread across seven properties in the Boston area to provide shelter and support to the city’s homeless elders. Hearth’s model of care is one of encouraging self-sufficiency. They provide mental health, physical health and social services to their residents.

More than 70% of Hearth’s residents have mental health issues, which is often linked with chronic homelessness.

The average length of a resident’s stay at a Hearth facility is 10 years. Hearth provides security, comfort and gives residents back lives they lost on the street.

The organisation also provides an outreach program through local homeless shelters, helping approximately 250 homeless adults aged 50 years or older each year who are seeking permanent housing.

Funding Hearth is a not-for-profit community organisation. It relies on charitable donations as well as government funding.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides the bulk of funding supplemented by municipal and state government grants.

Service-enriched housing Promoting as much self-sufficiency as possible for frail and vulnerable elders with flexible provision of services.

Services available: • Subsidised rental units offering continuum of care • Team of social workers, registered nurses, carers, site directors and support staff • Health assessments, treatment planning and service delivery • Wellness promotion to support healthy lifestyle choices • Crisis management to provide immediate assistance to distressed residents • Personal care and housekeeping services • Meal assistance • Group activities and social engagement • Medication management • Financial management • Care coordination with outside providers Outcomes for residents • 68% report their physical and mental health as good, very good or excellent.

• 70% report being satisfied or very satisfied with their lives in general.

• 78% of respondents express satisfaction with their living environments.

BEACON HILL VILLAGE Beacon Hill Village is a retirement community without a large gated estate or apartments. More like a club than a retirement home, Beacon Hill Village is what’s known as a virtual retirement community. The first of its kind in the US, the Village brings together a community of people aged 50+ from central Boston “who prosper from directing their own lives and creating their own future pathways”.

The Village is a retirement community within a town – all the support, social and lifestyle options offered by a retirement village, without the associated residential facilities and requirement for residents to leave their family home.

The Village is a support network for individuals who are passionate about staying in their home and local community as they age. Members gain access to: • social opportunities and cultural experiences; • education programs and learning experiences; • services referrals, including discounted vetted providers; • healthcare support; • wellness activities, including walking groups and exercise classes; • discounts from many providers; • a ‘Neighbour-to-Neighbour’ program to create peer-based support networks; • access to a community of members of similar expertise.

The Village was founded in 2001 and is a not-for-profit community organisation.

Only 65% of costs are recovered through membership dues so fundraising and donations cover the gap.

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network for social, educational and cultural development.

The Village was the first of its kind and has become a model for other similar styles of community. Beacon Hill Village now has more than 400 residents and there are now more than 60 similar virtual retirement community across the United States.

An Australian equivalent community is currently being developed in Port Arlington, Victoria.

The ‘Virtual Retirement Community’ Concept Provides members with services and support to continue living in their homes with some assistance, and a community

KAPLAN HOUSE Kaplan House is a 20 bed in-patient hospice care facility set in a quiet neighbourhood in suburban Boston. This facility is part of the ‘Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston’ (HNS) group. This is a short-stay hospice facility; the average guest stay length is five days. The facility is designed to create a feeling of peacefulness and serenity, and is meant to be like a home, not a hospital. This is a complementary facility working in tandem with in-home hospice support offered by the HNS group.

Kaplan House is available for: • inpatient / acute care for patients with complex pain and symptoms that require skilled care to manage • respite care lasting up to five days to help relieve caregivers when they are exhausted or have to be away • residential care for patients who have no suitable residence or caregiver to deliver hospice care in their final weeks Costs Medicare and Medicaid as well as most insurance plans provide at least partial coverage for patients. Kaplan House also offers reduced or free rates for patients unable to pay.

Kaplan House Facilities • 20 large private bedrooms with patios • Grief / bereavement room • Chapel / meditation room • ‘Country’ kitchen • Outdoor gazebo • Fireplace living area • Children’s play areas

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Vetted services accessible to residents: • Transportation services • Home maintenance including Cleaning, Cooking, Organising, Garden maintenance • Exercise classes • Home healthcare • Educational programs

• Library • Landscaped gardens • Philanthropic office – 60% of new construction paid by philanthropic means About HNS Hospice of the North Shore & Greater Boston is one of 5,000 hospice organisations in the US. It was founded in 1978 as a community based, all-volunteer, non-profit organisation with a mission to provide emotional support and practical assistance to terminally ill patients and their families. HNS is Medicare certified and to date has served over 25,000 patients.

Grief & Healing Centre HNS opened a ‘Center for Grief & Healing’ to expand its bereavement services to anyone who has experienced loss, regardless of whether their loved ones received hospice care. In 2010, the centre served more than 2,100 people of all ages and was renamed the ‘Bertolon Center for Grief & Healing’. The centre stays in touch with the bereaved for 13 months following their loved ones’ death.

The centre also offers summer camps for kids dealing with bereavement.

Staff Mix at Kaplan House • Attracts an older staff mix – 45-55 yo nursing staff • Nurse – 1 for every 13 people • Social worker – 1 for every 30 people • Chaplain – 1 for every 50 people Dementia Support program A “specialised service offered by HNS to support the unique needs of patients with late-stage dementia.” Certified by Alzheimer’s Association. 90% occupancy and 90% Medicaid funded.

LASELL VILLAGE The Lasell Village motto is ‘a passion for living, learning and laughter’; with seniors accommodation co-located inside a university campus Lasell Village has built its brand around education and life-long learning.

Lasell is a rare and innovative seniors facility.

Opened in 2000 and built entirely within the grounds of Lasell University, the centre requires all residents to complete an entrance exam to gain admission, and to complete at least 450 hours of study per year while in residence. Lasell believes this adds an extra dimension to well-being.

The Village combines the elements of: • lifelong learning • retirement living • support services • short-term rehabilitation • long-term care The Village contains 188 independent living apartments and a 38 bed skilled nursing facility.

Spread across 16 buildings over 13.5 acres, the Village has been designed in the campus style with a central courtyard and other architectural references to campus life.

The centre is run by educators and is very tightly integrated into the surrounding university campus. Elders attend regular classes at the Uni, and tailored courses are offered to residents. Many students are employed at the Village in administrative, kitchen and support roles. Students also make use of the study facilities at the Village, and elders engage with students in mentoring relationships.

The dining hall and community areas are very busy and the community spirit amongst Lasell residents is very strong.

Regular registration day events are held in the Village streets and attended by residents and students.

A sample list of courses available: • Contemporary Issues in International Relations • Our Foreparents, Ourselves: Facing Life’s Difficult Choices and Finding Renewal • Lovers of Literature • Crucial Court Cases in American History • Criminology • American Revolutions and Revolutionary Thought • Reflections: An Interfaith Journey to Istanbul • The Ecstatic Heart of Poetry

LEONARD FLORENCE CENTER FOR LIVING The Leonard Florence Center for Living is a recently built skilled care facility built following the innovative Green House model.

Composed of ten homes, each containing ten private bedrooms and baths, the Leonard Florence Center for Living serves a total of 100 residents within a six-story condominium-style complex situated on Admiral’s Hill in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

Residents at Leonard Florence include the elderly, those requiring short-term rehabilitation as well as those living with disabling medical conditions such as ALS and multiple sclerosis.

NEWBRIDGE ON THE CHARLES NewBridge on the Charles is a CCRC set on a wooded 162 acre site in the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, an hour outside of Boston. Run by Hebrew SeniorLife, NewBridge supports a strong Jewish community.

The facility has four different accommodation types: • ‘Cottage’ style independent living units • ‘Assisted Living’ apartments • Short-term and long-term care • Memory Support Assisted Living (for dementia sufferers) The development integrates several ESD initiatives including harnessing geothermal energy for heat. The site boasts expansive green spaces, on-campus walking trails, and two spring pools.

NewBridge has a large community centre as well as a health care and rehabilitation centre on-site. NewBridge also has linkages to Harvard Medical School gerontologists for additional care requirements.

Integrated School NewBridge has placed a K-8 school on site, the Rashi School, which draws in 300 Jewish students from surrounding communities.

The school has built in strong links with the NewBridge community, linking generations

Leonard Florence caters to upmarket clientele; private patients pay around $495/day.

What is a Green House?

The Green House model is one which seeks to improve resident quality of life by providing a homely environment and giving autonomy to residents.

It uses a different scale, structure and architectural language than the traditional institutional aged care facility. Green Houses were initially developed as free-standing houses in suburban and rural areas on sites affiliated with the more traditional care facilities.

A ‘Green House’ typically has about 8-10 rooms and is self-contained.

They are supported by ‘Universal caregivers’ known as shahbazim

together through cultural experiences and storytelling activities. Some specific activities include: • R ashi Mitzvah Makers meet monthly with seniors, sharing games, songs, crafts and holiday activities • Middle School memory support program trains students in working with residents experiencing memory loss; students and seniors meet weekly for music, art, and adaptive sports projects • NewBridge independent living members volunteer in Rashi classrooms and afterschool electives, and serve as Science Fair mentors • Joint gardening and fitness electives • Multigenerational spring concert • Artist in residence works with students and seniors together • NewBridge residents join students at Rashi for Kabbalat Shabbat • Fourth graders interview seniors about Passover memories and traditions • Seventh graders share their Purim projects with seniors • Rashi Israeli dancers perform at NewBridge and assist seniors with “chair dancing” • Shared holiday celebrations: Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, Memorial Day • R ashi families join seniors for Creative Sundays • Seniors attend drama productions at Rashi

who perform housekeeping, laundry and cooking tasks as well as provide care to elders. Registered Nurses support the shahbazim in delivering care.

Leonard Florence is the first ‘urban Green House’ and takes the concept to a city setting for the first time within a single 8,640 m2 building.

The centre’s architect is a man with Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS, a neurodegenerative disease which causes loss of motor control. Several of the Green Houses at Leonard Florence Center are clustered around caring for groups with different needs, such as ALS and Multiple Sclerosis. The architect is now also a resident in the ALS Green House at Leonard Florence.

ESD INCLUSIONS AT NEWBRIDGE A geothermal energy system to heat water to warm the buildings, saving 20% in electricity costs and 50% in gas costs. Total annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 8,000 metric tons.

A rainwater collection system for irrigation Low impact design using porous pavement, through which water seeps back into the soil. These surfaces are also more user-friendly to both pedestrians and those using wheelchairs.

Green roofs. Trees, shrubs, and grasses are planted on roof surfaces of the buildings throughout the campus.

Also, much of the parking (which would otherwise take up vast surface areas) is underground.

Outdoor gardens and community gardens with drought-resistant and low-water-use plantings.

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PACE NORTH SHORE The virtual nursing home PACE provides managed care arrangements to elders in a comprehensive health and social program. The PACE program is designed to allow seniors to remain vital and active in their own communities, rather than being placed in long-term care facilities. Residents are regularly picked up from their homes and visit the PACE centre for check-ups and treatments.

Cost Some participants may have a monthly share of cost or premium based on their income. PACE programs are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid government funding for eligible individuals. PACE services are also available on a private pay basis. Some participants qualify for zero monthly cost share or zero premium based

PETER SANBORN PLACE Sanborn Place is a supported living community for elderly, disabled and/or handicapped individuals in Reading, Massachusetts. The facility provides accommodation for lowincome elders who require supported living. It is owned and operated by a not-for-profit board and was founded by the Lutheran Church in 1983. The facility is mission based and receives federal assistance under the HUD housing program. On-site home care programs and services are provided by sister company Sanborn Home Care.

The facility contains 73 ageing-inplace units, mostly in the 1-bed configuration. It is 100% occupied with a 150 person waiting list.

To help meet this demand Sanborn is currently expanding, adding an additional 50 apartment homes and upgrading its community centre facilities.

Sanborn Place has strict criteria for entry dictated by their funding sources, in particular the HUD housing program. Residents must: • Be 62 years of age or older, or handicapped/disabled • Meet income guidelines: The household’s annual income must not exceed $33,750 for individuals or $38,550 for a couple

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on their income. A typical individual will pay between $1,800 and $6,500 per month to gain access to PACE services.

The PACE North Shore program currently has around 210 employees servicing about 760 participants from six Adult Day Health Center ‘hubs’ on the North Shore.

Services • A comprehensive range of preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services.

• Uses an integrated interdisciplinary team to manage care.

• Develops appropriate communitybased alternatives to providing care in institutional settings, whenever possible.

• Consolidates capitated funding from Medicare and Medicaid to finance service as needed.

•M eets and is approved under HUD’s tenant screening criteria • Provide a Landlord Reference •D emonstrate a history of ability to pay rent • Pass a criminal background check As well as catering for the aged, the facility caters for the young disabled and those with chronic disease such as MS, ALS and Parkinsons.

The facility provides preference and priority to applicant residents on a sliding scale as per below: •L evel of Support III – (35 Units) – Meets criteria of Managed Care of Group Adult Foster Care Programs, needing personal care and homemaking assistance daily •L evel of Support II – (25 Units) – Meets criteria of needing personal care and homemaking assistance on a weekly scheduled program •L evel of Support I – (13 Units) – Meets criteria of living without support services or chooses to use support services on an asneeded basis Sanborn separately runs its own off-site day program called Sanborn Day which it acquired to further its ageing-in-place mission. It also has a link with the YMCA/YWCA for other off-site services.

About PACE Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) programs provide comprehensive health services for individuals age 55 and over who are sufficiently frail to be categorised as “nursing home eligible” by their state’s Medicaid program. Services include primary and specialty medical care, nursing, social services, therapies (occupational, physical, speech, recreation, etc.), pharmaceuticals, day health center services, home care, healthrelated transportation, minor modification to the home to accommodate disabilities, and anything else the program determines is medically necessary to maximise a member’s health.

PACE was developed by On Lok group in California. There are approximately 80 PACE programs in operation around the United States.

Essential 2012 Guide for Aged Care Released

I

n the booming Aged Care sector, knowing all areas on the proper treatment of patients is a vital skill and a necessity for all workers in the field. Pro-Visual Publishing’s National Guide for Aged Care 2012 is distributed at no cost to all residential aged care facilities and accredited retirement villages throughout Australia and puts a strong focus on prominent issues faced every day by aged care providers.

The conformation contained within the guide is varied and detailed, but displayed in an easy-to-read format that not only describes treatment measures, but also details why the issues arise in the first place and offers tips on how to prevent them.

In this year’s edition, prominent topics are Strategies for Handling Dementia, OH&S Requirements for Cleaning Floors and

Surfaces, Bladder Control and Incontinence, Medical Care and Medication Management.

The information is approved and endorsed

by Aged Care Association Australia, Alzheimer’s Australia and The National Continence Helpline.

“It is through this guide that Pro-Visual Publishing hopes to help provide those working in the aged care sector with the information they need to provide exceptional care for those in need. I would like to thank all of the sponsors for their support of the latest edition of the National Guide for Aged Care, who have made it possible for it to be distributed at no cost to recipients throughout Australia”, said John Hutchings, CEO, Pro-Visual Publishing.

Recipients of the guide are also provided with the opportunity to enter a competition in which the best entry wins a $5000 dollar holiday voucher! (See terms and conditions).

Additional copies are available upon request.

Pro-Visual Publishing is the leading specialist in wall mounted workplace health & safety, food safety & hygiene and health and wellbeing information resource charts. Each chart is practical and informative, providing a quick reference point. Pro-Visual Publishing’s charts are designed to inform, motivate, educate and above all keep people, their workplaces and their environments safe!

For further information, or to obtain additional copies of the Chart, please call (02) 8272 2611, email marketing@provisual.com.au or see www.provisual.com.au n

2012 AAG & ACS Rural Conference

“Ageing Well”

19 - 20 March 2012, Dubbo

www.aag.asn.au/nsw.php www.agedservices.asn.au

10 - 11 May, 2012

ACS State Conference Australian Technology Park, Sydney

www.agedservices.asn.au

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Warrigal Care launches The Care Factor

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ot-for-Profit aged care provider Warrigal Care has launched a new short film documentary called The Care Factor.

The Care Factor is a 10 minute short film documentary, produced by Warrigal Care in collaboration with Punch Productions (now TVU). It follows a Carer, Diane Holt, over one whole day from her wake up till she returns home. It shows the importance community carers have in the life of older people living in their own home. The aim of the short film is to use the very popular reality TV format to make the wider public aware of the important role professional carers have in helping other people staying longer, happier and healthier in a comfortable and safe home environment.

Warrigal Care will send a copy of the film to every person contacting them to enquire about Community Services and how they can help them stay longer and healthier in their own home. It will also be used as a recruitment tool to attract more people in becoming carers at a time when more and more older people need everyday assistance to live happy in their own home.

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Diane is one of many fantastic staff working for Warrigal Care as carers, and she proved to be a natural on film! Viewers discover Diane as a wife, mother and grandmother who has been working for Warrigal Care for the past 9 years. She lives with her husband Rob and, as many Australian grandparents, also cares when needed for her grandchildren, on top of her work as an aged care worker.

Warrigal Care employs carers to offer Community Services in the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Southern Tablelands and Queanbeyan areas. The short film was extremely well received at its first viewing at Warrigal Care’s Annual Dinner in October and is now available for viewing on Warrigal Care’s YouTube channel: (www.youtube.com/warrigalcare) and Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ warrigalcare So, jump on line now, watch it, like it and share it with your colleagues, friends and family!

So more people will know and acknowledge the very important role professional carers play in the life of older people and the community as a whole.

Since 2006, it has been a tradition for Warrigal Care to use visual media to communicate about their services, achievements and values with residents, clients, staff, volunteers and prospective customers. They have a very active YouTube channel where all their videos can be viewed: www.youtube.com/warrigalcare.

For further information on the documentary or to receive a copy, please contact: Catherine Miller, Community Relations Coordinator, (02) 4256 7838 or 0423 981365. n Warrigal Care is an Australian, not-for-profit aged care and retirement services provider, committed to excellence in service to older people.

From Compliance to Best Practice

The Ultimate Aged Care Quality System

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he Moving ON Audits (MOA) program was conceived in 1999 with the initial goal of assisting ‘a few clients’ in focussing their efforts on quality care.

Through the Moving ON Audits team living by its credo of commitment to continuous quality improvement, the program has continually evolved to offer the largest, most comprehensive and recognised program of its kind in the aged care industry.

MOA members, whether they serve in the residential, community or retirement sector, first benefit through a planned program of audits and surveys that completely address all of the expected outcomes contained in the respective accreditation standards over a 12 month schedule. The audits and surveys are reviewed and refined on a continual basis to ensure they reflect new industry requirements and member suggestions.

This was particularly evident in the program being the first to adapt to the introduction of the new Community Care Common Standards in March earlier this year, providing Community members with an instant solution requiring no additional investment on their behalf. With draft versions of potentially new residential standards being released recently, the audit review team is closely monitoring the progress of any advances in this area.

for each of our individual services and groups, where we assist in identifying the relevant data to collect and then complete the difficult, costly and resource demanding task of analysing and reporting this information on a monthly basis using leading statistical processes and in line with the specified reporting needs of our members. This process arms our member’s decision makers with instant results, in the format they require, so that they can spend the finite time and resources available on actioning the results rather than developing and maintaining their own quality system and analysing and interpreting the information collected.

The other unique aspect of the program is that members can not only trend their results internally but also confidentially compare them with the largest available database of other ‘like’ services using statistically robust benchmarks.

The program then allows members to transition from compliance to best practice by identifying, collecting and receiving data on the specific areas of quality care that matter to the organisation. This is achieved through member’s having access to the largest library of clearly defined quality indicators available, where each service has the freedom to select the indicators relevant to them and also nominate their own organisational specific indicators for inclusion in their own individualised program.

As a basic example of a residential service participating in the recommended program in the month of December, a quality manager would complete Part A, of both the sleep and independence audits, addressing expected outcomes 2.17 and 3.5 respectively before selecting a random sample of at least 10% of residents for their responses in Part B of both audits. This provides a comprehensive assessment of both the services policies and processes balanced with the view of the residents themselves. This facilitates the identification of risk along with potential compliance short fall along with areas of positive performance which may need including for actioning and further monitoring in the facility’s continuous quality improvement plan. These results along with peer group benchmarks to gauge comparative performance and significance are reported using a straight forward and easy to understand traffic light system.

The focus on the system is to provide an efficient, easy to use and customised program

Also following the recommended indicator program and in particular collecting data on

new urinary tract infections for December, the observed figure may be flagged and reported as significantly higher than the expected outcome. The reporting provides not only the external benchmarking results but also historical trending for as long as data has been collected for internal comparison.

Again, this information may provide the reliable catalyst required to monitor and reduce the occurrence of new UTI’s or better document the circumstances surrounding the result in order to facilitate continuous quality improvement.

It is also highly common in our membership base for such an individual member as our example above, to be part of a larger group of services where management may either adopt the standard program or work with Moving ON Audits closely to specify their own modified or recommended audit and/ or indicator program, customised to match exactly the individual services or overall organisations needs. They may also then receive specialised group and tiered reports to best serve the level of information required for monitoring and decision making by various levels of management.

The program is cloud based, meaning no additional infrastructure apart from an internet connected device is required to access and manage all components of your services quality program and all of your historical results are available electronically at your convenience. It is also fully supported by a friendly team committed to client service, education and to member’s getting the most out of their program.

To find out more about the Moving ON Audits program and how for a very reasonable subscription fee you can instantly access a program that can improve your service’s quality systems exponentially, please call the team on 1300 760 209 or visit www.movingonaudits.com.au n

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events & news

2012 Calendar of Events 26-28 February

20-23 March

19-20 April

21st Annual Tri-State Conference Aged care: The new frontier

Aged Care Queensland State Conference and Trade Exhibition ‘Mission possible – should you choose to accept it’

ITAC 2012 – Information Technology in Aged Care – Smart Technology for Modern Aged Care: delivering change

Albury Entertainment Centre, NSW Contact: ACCV T: 03 9805 9400 E: events@accv.com.au

Jupiters, Gold Coast T: 07 3725 5588 E: events@acqi.org.au W: www.acqi.org.au

Melbourne Park Function Centre E: itac2012@jayscorpevents.com.au W: www.itac2012.com.au

17-18 May

21-22 May

28-29 June

Aged Care Association Australia – NSW Congress 2012

The 4th ACSA National Community Care Conference

Risky Business 2012 International Dementia Partnership

Sheraton on the Park, Sydney T: 02 9212 6922 E: admin@acaansw.com.au W: www.acaansw.com.au

Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide W: www.agedcare.org.au

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre W: www.dementiaconference.com

11-13 July

3-5 September

28-30 October

Nurses in Management Aged Care (NIMAC)

2012 ACSA National Conference

ACAA 31st Annual Congress

Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach T: 07 3725 5588 E: khart@acqi.org.au W: www.agedcare.org.au/news/2011-news/ acsa-national-conference-2012

T: 02 6285 2615 E: office@agedcareassociation.com.au

Jupiters Hotel, Gold Coast W: www.nimac.com.au

Health Industry Plan announces commitment to further develop the growth potential of health care professionals through the Emerging Nurse Leader Program Health Industry Plan (HIP) is pleased to announce a key sponsorship for the Emerging Nurse Leader Program which will see a new wave of positive influence evolve from the health care industry.

The inaugural program launched on 23rd November 2011 at Vaucluse House Tearoom in Sydney introduced the Emerging Nurse Leader Program as a mentorship program established by the College of Nursing to further the development of selected nursing students who have shown strong leadership skills and contributions to the community.

The rolling program selects five leaders from the nursing community throughout Australia to be guided through a five-year program, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Each individual leader’s strengths, interests and development needs will be taken into account throughout the program. Mentors from the nursing profession, as well as government and business sectors, will be called upon to assist course participants in their development towards becoming the future leaders of the nursing profession.

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Ross Bernays, Chief Executive Officer, HIP, stated that “HIP is honored to be part of this great initiative that recognizes and cultivates talent in nursing and health care. The immense dedication and passion from these five leaders will inspire their peers and other professionals in the health industry throughout Australia.”

HIP congratulates the five outstanding Emerging Nurse Leaders for 2011: atherine Ryan from Australian >C Catholic University; >P atricia Fox from Central Queensland University; >E lyse Taylor from University of Canberra; > S herrie Lee from Central Queensland University; and aurelea Bickhoff from >L Newcastle University.

Media contact: Julia Wang, Communications Manager, www.hipsuper.com.au

Clintel’s intelligent solutions for Aged Care can transform your organisation Secure access whenever and wherever you are: Whether you are in the office, consulting room, or another country, you still have the same speed and access to enter and review information, while being reassured the data is safe.

Highly Configurable: You no longer have to rely on IT or the Vendor to create reports or a new screen, form or assessment.

Scalable: As effective for one user as it is for thousands. Use in one area or across the country. Start small and expand when you are ready.

Simple and easy to use: The Clintel aged care software is web based and provides a simple, easy to use interface with standard web browser features.

Design your own reports: The report builder allows the user to decide what data they want, determine filtering requirements and select from a range of file formats for export or presentation.

Improves decision making: Aged care providers can manage risk by tracking variances and identify where, when and how adverse incidents occur, including reporting on Falls, Medication Errors, etc.

Adapts to your workflow: At Clintel we believe that our aged care software should adapt to your needs not the other way around. Our ability to adapt means a much easier and streamlined implementation.

Contact us now for more information or for a demonstration of how Clintel can support the work that you do.

Call Julie on 08 8203 0550 or 0406 537 945 Or visit our website: www.clintel.com.au

product news

Aged Care Who Cares

explained in an easy-to-read style that makes this the “must-read” handbook on aged care in Australia.

ISBN: 9780987082954 Authors: Noel Whittaker and Rachel Lane Publisher: Simon & Schuster Format: Paperback. RRP: $24.99 Publishing Date: 1 November

The book is divided into five broad sections covering care in the home; retirement villages; aged care facilities; financial strategies for planning and coping with all the options; and finally a unique section covering all the resources and information you can access to help you with your choices.

About the authors

At a glance Wrinkles don’t hurt… but what can be extremely painful are the wrong decisions when you or a loved one are staring aged care in the face.

This book is your guide through the minefield of choices.

More about the book Aged Care Who Cares? is the definitive guide to the vast range of options available to senior Australians today. Whatever your financial status, current state of health or future hopes and plans, you’ll find down-to-earth advice to help you make the best choices for your senior years.

Want to stay in your own home but need some extra care? What does it really mean to live in a retirement village? Or an aged care home? What are all those fees and charges in the aged care prospectus? Should you sell the family home or not? The answers to these questions and many more are

Constar Constar is one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of disposable and reusable healthcare hollowware products. Our business philosophy is simple.....get what you need, when you need it! If it’s a specific colour you need, no problem! If it’s a small or large quantity you need, no problem!

Not only are we committed to offering quality, competitively priced products, we think we also offer the best service in the industry. Because we manufacture the products right here in Australia, we carry the burden of holding your stock. From kidney dishes to bowls, medicine measures to trays, we have stock.... it’s our guarantee!

Our products have been designed to offer solutions to a variety of patient, staff and environmental problems that challenge the aged care industry, particularly in regards to safety and infection control. We are proud to have a ‘can do’ attitude and adopt a proactive approach when it comes to working with our clients. To keep up with changes in technology and workplace practices, Constar continues to modify and adapt its products to ensure that our customers are getting the best products available.

Constar is proudly 100% Australian owned and operated. You can be sure that every cent spent here, stays here!

Visit our website www.constar.com.au for further company and product details

Noel Whittaker’s financial advice has been helping Australians stay on the right track to a sound financial future for decades. Author of 19 books including the international best seller Making Money Made Simple, newspaper columnist, TV and radio commentator, Noel was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2011 for raising community awareness of personal responsibility in matters of superannuation, household budgeting and estate planning. Admired for his ability to demystify the most complex topics with wit and wisdom, he has now lent his winning approach to the expert knowledge of his new co-author, Rachel Lane. Rachel has worked in financial services for 12 years and as a specialist in aged care for the past 7 years.

As Executive Manager – Aged Care Solutions for Colonial First State, she is highly respected for her advice in key areas such as the structuring of assets and income for aged care residents. Together Rachel and Noel have unravelled the complexities of aged care for the average reader.

For further information contact Rachel Lane on 0412 722 435

Nominate now and make a difference It’s said that small acts can make a big difference. This is certainly true, when it comes to the HESTA Australian Nursing Awards, because each person nominated for an award receives a certificate of congratulations.

“This gesture is an important part of the HESTA Australian Nursing Awards,” says HESTA CEO Anne-Marie Corboy.

“Recognition plays a vital role in rewarding personal achievement. A certificate lets all those who’ve been nominated know their work is appreciated.”

While only nurses, midwives, personal care attendants and assistants in nursing are eligible to be nominated, it’s important to remember that anyone can make a nomination.

“Nominations are a chance for patients, patients’ families, colleagues or employers to say ‘thank you’, and to tell the community about their ‘above and beyond’ personal experience with a nurse,” Ms Corboy says.

“The achievements of remarkable nursing professionals are heart-warming, inspirational, courageous and empowering – and the Awards are an avenue to share these stories.”

Visit hestanursingawards.com for more information about the Awards, gala dinner and to nominate.

What our judges say...

The HESTA Australian Nursing Awards judging panel is made up of trained nurses, academics and industry representatives.

“Remember this is your one chance to tell us about the remarkable nurse you’re nominating — so tell us as much about their accomplishments as possible.”

“When evaluating nominations, I look for that extra something that makes it stand out against the rest — where the person has thought ‘outside the square’. It’s really important that these special qualities stand out clearly and examples are the best way to illustrate these qualities.”

Unveiling the winners The 2012 HESTA Australian Nursing Awards gala dinner takes place on Thursday 10 May. Following months of anticipation, the winners of the Nurse of the Year, Innovation in Nursing and Graduate Nurse of the Year categories will be announced.

About us HESTA has more than 750,000 members, 100,000 employers and $18 billion in funds invested for the retirement of our members.

We are the Fund more people in health and community services choose.

Issued by H.E.S.T. Australia Limited ABN 66 006 818 695 AFSL 235249, Trustee of HESTA Super Fund ABN 64 971 749 321.

aca Aged Care Australia | Summer 2011 | 79

product news Pro-aid

Summer has now arrived –

Pro-aid healthcare have recently relaunched their range of readyto-drink, thickened beverages. The Pro-aid range is extensively used in the management of patients with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). Managing dysphagia in aged-care is an on-going challenge for health care professionals, with poor management leading to malnutrition and chronic dehydration – a major and growing clinical issue with associated morbidity and mortality.

Traditionally, dietary management of dysphagic patients has involved thickening foods and fluids with hydrocolloid-based thickening powders. However, convenience and the requirements of industry accreditation are driving a shift from thickening powders to ready-to-drink, pre-packaged beverages. These packaged drinks are extensively recommended by speech pathologists, dieticians and medical professionals.

Pro-aid’s trusted product range consists of water, cordials, juices, high protein shakes, teas and coffees. The range has been extensively reformulated with improved flavour profiles and improved packaging. However, Pro-aid Healthcare maintains its position as the most economical provider of thickening powders and pre-packaged, thickened beverages.

For those facilities that prefer to thicken in-house, Pro-aid healthcare also manufactures Thicken-aid; an economical, powdered food and beverage thickener. Thicken-aid is a proven and reliable thickener with fast hydration, good clarity and superior freeze-thaw stability.

www.proaidhealthcare.com.au

“Lets Get Rid of those Stubborn Fungal Infections”

•E nsure bathroom floors are washed thoroughly and regularly.

Apart from preventing us from looking our best for the new season, fungal infections left untreated can become very severe and cause further complications.

In the case of fungal nail, it can take some months to grow a clear nail after the fungi have been killed. Now is the time to act so you can wear those open shoes and have beautiful toe nails again. The same applies to finger nails and other fungal infections on the feet, legs face and torso.

Athlete’s foot, Jock Itch, Fungal Nail (Onychomycosis), Ringworm, those itchy little infections found on the bra line, the torso and behind the ears, are all common fungal (Tinea) infections. They are caused by several common fungi found in soil and their spores floating around in the air, indoors and outdoors, and are especially common in the warm humid climates during our spring, summer and autumn seasons. The fungal spores are very prevalent in swimming pool areas, showers, locker rooms and other communal facilities. This also applies to the bathroom and other areas of the home where those with infections walk around with bare feet.

What to look out for • Intense itchiness in the affected areas • Cracked, blistered, peeling or blotchy areas of skin • Redness and scaling with an advancing edge • Discoloured, thickening and crumbling nails The diagnosis can be confirmed by your general practitioner with a scraping sent to a pathology laboratory.

Generally if some simple rules are followed infections will be minimised.

• After bathing ensure that areas predisposed to infection such as folds in the skin, between the toes, behind the ears, the groin, under the breasts etc are dried thoroughly.

• Change underwear, socks/stockings daily especially in warm humid.

• Wash underwear and socks/stockings in hot water at least 60°C.

Suprem Pants – 100% breathable Suprem Pants (pull ups) are an ideal solution for managing moderate to heavy urinary incontinence and are designed to allow people to maintain their independence and freedom. Being 100% breathable across the entire surface area of the pad, enables the air to flow to maximise skin integrity. Suprem Pants also feature a double absorbent core that optimises the absorbency level, and super absorbent Summer 2011 |

aca Aged Care Australia

•U se an antifungal powder in your shoes and/or on the body to kill live spores and to help keep the moisture level down on the skin. Fungi love moist warm places.

We want to look our best for the new season and so now is the time to get rid of those ugly and irritating fungal infections on our skin and nails we all suffer from, from time to time.

• Do not use other person’s towels.

80 |

•W hen an infection is present take double care to dry carefully after bathing, and scrub the nails thoroughly to stop cross infection.

•W hen gardening use gloves especially if abrasions or cuts are present.

Until recently, there has never been a rapidly fungicidal, non toxic, truly effective antifungal available for the treatment of these infections. As a result there has been a tendency for hydrocortisone cream to be used as it stops the itching associated with fungal infections (Tinea). This is a not a good idea, as hydrocortisone thins the skin and being an immunosuppressive drug, suppresses the body’s immune defences against the fungal infection allowing the fungi to thrive.

A Queensland company Biovite Australia Pty Ltd ( www.biovite.com.au ) has developed a range of topical antifungal treatments with a natural bioactive ingredient which is non toxic, non-sensitising, antiinflammatory, truly effective and they are especially suitable for those suffering from compromised immune systems such as diabetics. The products are called Calmagen® SkinKALM® Dermaceutical Cream for fungal skin infections, Calmagen® NailKALM® Dermaceutical Lotion for the fungal nails and Calmagen® FootKALM® Dermaceutical Powder used to eradicate the live fungal spores form shoes and stopping re-infection while keeping the feet dry and fresh. The Calmagen® FootKALM® Dermaceutical Powder is also very effective for treating fungal infections on the torso, legs or feet.

Dr Michael Freeman – Dermatologist The Skin Centre, Pindara Specialist Suites BENOWA QLD 4217

polymers that both maximise the absorbency level and neutralise odours. Easy to use Suprem Pants can be worn and taken off like any regular underwear.

“Using a breathable continence aid keeps the skin drier and has been shown to have a positive impact on skin condition”. “The spread of infection decreases and the rate of Candida Albicans can be reduced by up to 50%,” states Clinical Nurse Advisor-Continence, Charmaine Rungan, referring to the recent study by the international association of the non-woven industry, EDANA.

Experience the Lille difference today. www.lillehealthcare.com.au I 1300 303 446

FUNGAL INFECTIONS (TINEA) OF

SKIN OR NAILS?

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Principally for the treatment of fungal

Principally for the use in the elimination

For the relief of tinea conditions including

nails but also may be used for fungal

of fungal spores in shoes. Helps

athlete’s foot, jock itch and ringworm.

skin conditions. May also help to reduce

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nail blemishes and restore fungal nails

It may be used topically on the skin.

to a healthy state.

After treatment with NailKalm Lotion

Before

Before

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Give it a Go! Available from Pharmacies, Health Food Shops & Podiatrists

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Always read the label and use only as directed. Consult your healthcare professional if symptoms persists.

Biovite Australia Pty Ltd Phone : ( 07) 5520 7544 Web : www.biovite.com.au

®