Winter 2015
About Life
At Life Care, we believe that ageing is not a disability or a policy problem to be solved, rather it is a natural part of life that should be celebrated. It is unique and varies according to our character, experiences, outlook, well-being and family circumstances.
About Life Winter 2015
Mission Our purpose is to partner with people to embrace life and ‘Live Every Day’. Vision Life Care is an innovative provider of quality services to the ageing. We are recognised as a preferred option of choice for active ageing and an employer of choice for staff. This is achieved by an outstanding team working in a flexible and integrated approach with volunteers and partners. Values Integrity · Respect Innovation · Excellence Teamwork
WHAT’S INSIDE... Welcome from our CEO Allen Candy Focus on care in our community Innovative dementia care The Commonwealth Home Support Program Outstanding industry recognition Heartfelt thanks to all Life Care’s volunteers Life Care’s new team members A day with families, friends and the Crows… Meet our Coordinating Chaplain A gift to say welcome The model partnership Giving is the best fun... Adelaide Crows fly in for a visit... Sewing for Africa Painting with Maggie Life Care Active open Saturday from July
Allen Candy CEO
Welcome from our CEO Welcome to our new look About Life magazine, which has undergone a significant facelift – one we hope you enjoy! At the same time as reviewing the look and content of About Life, we have also been challenging ourselves on how we can improve communication with our clients and their families, organisations we partner with and our staff. It is important to us, that relevant, interesting and useful information is available at the right time for the right groups, and as we start a new financial year, this will be a key focus for Life Care over the next six months.
Life Care has had a busy start to 2015. We have witnessed external changes to the way aged care is packaged up and delivered. This heralds the start of a new era of aged care, where consumers have more say and more choice, which we believe is an excellent outcome for our clients. This is an exciting time for the aged care sector, and we are looking forward to celebrating Life Care’s 65th anniversary later this year. I have put the challenge out to our staff and leadership team to look at different ways to improve the care and services that Life Care offers. This is particularly as we focus on being a service partner with our clients, rather than a traditional aged care provider. We launched our new look website last year, and have seen increased visitation to the site, as people are looking for more options for flexible and tailored services in the aged care sector. We see our relationship with our clients and their families as an ongoing one that may continue for a few weeks, a few months or many years, as people travel through their aged care journey with us.
As part of the website, Life Care is about to add a new video, called ‘Start the Conversation’. It is an important part of how Life Care wants to position itself in aged care in South Australia. We understand that entering aged care can be a daunting experience for many families and their loved ones. We know that there is a lot of confusion, apprehension and emotion tied up in the process of navigating your way through the options and service models available. We want to help make this process a more engaging and reassuring process for people. As part of this, I have encouraged my management team and their staff to think about what aged care ought to be, not what it has been. We are fundamentally changing the way we design and deliver aged care services to our clients. Our ‘Start the Conversation’ video will capture the essence of Life Care and how we work with our clients and their families, and we look forward to sharing it with you.
To coincide with our new website, we launched our 1800 number which now provides a single point of contact for all enquiries regarding our residential or independent living services. We have an Enquiry Team which takes all 1800 calls, and they can help callers with information on any aspect of our services. This committed team provides an individual service to assist the enquirer, now and in the future. This model supports our ‘Start the Conversation’ approach, where we encourage people to pick up the phone and start the conversation before a crisis occurs. Over the last two months Roselin Court, Glenrose Court, Reynella Lodge and Aldinga Beach Court have all been through their three yearly Accreditation Audit. I am pleased to advise that all four sites achieved the maximum score of 44 out of 44 and have been re-accredited for another three years. The auditors were very complimentary about our sites, the care given to our clients and the positive attitude of our staff. This feedback is a real tribute to all the hard work that our staff do on a day-to-day basis to provide the best possible outcomes for our clients. Parkrose Village successfully undertook their Audit in 2014, and Life Care at Home and Norman House will undergo their Quality Review in August, so we look forward to receiving the final reports. There has also been significant Government reforms in the past 12 months, which not only change the aged care sector, but also the expectations of consumers who are having to pay more for their services. As people pay more, they expect more, and this is where Life Care is looking at how we design and deliver services in a whole new way - that focuses on being a partner, not just a provider. As we work to complete our budgets and business plans for the next 12 months, our focus will be on how we can support our staff to do this so that we can deliver on our commitment to help our clients truly ‘Live Every Day’, by offering flexible, outcome driven services, with consistent, high quality care.
Lastly, on behalf of all the staff at Life Care, I would like to recognise four of our Directors who retired this year after a combined 25 years of service to our organisation. This is part of the review of our Board and corporate governance following the adoption of the new constitution at the AGM last November. I would like to acknowledge the support and contribution of Anne Lawson, Malcolm May, Rebecca Halkett and John Olson and personally thank them for their passion and commitment. We wish them all the best for the future. I hope you enjoy our Winter edition of About Life.
Focus on care in our community Over the last 6 months, Life Care at Home (LCAH) has run a range of programs and introduced some new initiatives via the Commonwealth Home and Community Care Program (HACC).
A big focus for LCAH is listening to what our clients have been asking us to do – and that is to provide them with a range of different opportunities to learn and take up new and interesting activities, so they can truly support Life Care’s position – to ‘Live Every Day’.
In keeping with our commitment to connections in the local community, we brought together people with similar interests and backgrounds and organised activities that were relevant or of interest to them, and included excursions to the Conservatory and a variety of Museums.
Part of this process has been to build on our services that focus on providing community connections and helping people to become motivated to try new things, to learn and grow, especially as they age.
In addition to all the programs, connections, excursions and activities, LCAH approaches everything with a good dose of fun and humour. We believe facilitating these shared experiences is key in forming and maintaining relationships in communities and helps to keep people connected and engaged, who otherwise could be at risk of being socially isolated.
This has included an eclectic range of activities – from the traditional to cutting edge technology – everything from learning how to bowl, to mastering new technologies of iPads and iPhones. Life Care also has a strong commitment to active ageing and we acknowledge how important it is. This belief lead to the development of a Healthy Ageing seminar series that incorporated weekly topics covering exercise, nutrition, benefits of massage and other health and wellness related areas of interest. The seminars were not only informative but provided contacts and networks in the wider community for our clients to access.
The key is to listen to our clients and work with them to design and deliver services that meet their physical, social and emotional needs.
Innovative dementia care Life Care at Home (LCAH) has introduced a Dementia Reablement project, which is an innovative project focused on improving the quality of life of clients who have dementia as well as the life of their carers. Our project team brings together neuroscience, neuroplasticity and dementia. The project involves the development of individualised personal care plans for our LCAH clients, based on their needs, strengths, interests and skills. These plans include a range of activities that increase confidence, promote independence, involve meaningful interaction and provide enjoyment for everyone involved in the process. This is done through a number of methods, including cognitive rehabilitation, physical exercise, adaptive equipment, education and memory aids. It is widely acknowledged that carers often have high levels of stress, especially as they care for people with dementia.
This project looks at identifying ways to reduce carer stress, increase their social networks and provide time for hobbies. Strategies include linking individuals to their local council community service programs (e.g. cleaning assistance, in home respite) joining a common interest group (e.g. sewing), linking them to support groups (e.g. Alzheimer’s Association) as well as receiving one-on-one education and advice. This component of the project is critical as too often the carer is forgotten in the process. Through this program, our clients have access to a variety of remedial and compensatory strategies that assist them in their everyday activities, which helps to increase their independence, which we see as such an important part of a person’s enjoyment in life. Carers also see positive outcomes as they get some quality time to get involved in their own interests and hobbies. They also report a reduction in stress levels, and also increased assurance, which leads to more confidence and the ability to enjoy their friends and social networks. This project is part of Life Care’s commitment to actively and sensitively managing dementia amongst all our clients.
Australian Dementia Statistics* · There are more than 342,800 Australians living with dementia · This number is expected to increase to 400,000 in less than ten years · Each week, there are more than 1,800 new cases of dementia in Australia; approximately one person every six minutes. This is expected to grow to 7,400 new cases each week by 2050 · Three in ten people over the age of 85 and almost one in ten people over 65 have dementia · An estimated 1.2 million people are involved in the care of a person with dementia * Source: Alzheimer’s Australia
The Commonwealth Home Support Program From the 1 July 2015, there will be some changes to the Home Support Program as part of the Commonwealth Government’s changes in the aged care sector. The four current programs offered will be combined into a new Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP). The result is that the programs below will merge to form one offering: · Commonwealth Home and Community Care Program (HACC), · Planned respite services from the National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP), · Day Therapy Centres (DTC) · Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged Program (ACHA)
This means that the home care, home assistance and respite services now represent an ‘entry tier’ into the aged care system for older Australians, and will form the beginning of the end-to-end aged care system offering you a continuum of care options.
All existing Life Care clients who receive these community services, will be ‘grandfathered across’ to the new program and will continue to receive services after 1 July 2015 until your needs change and you need new, or different services.
This is a positive development, because as you age and your needs change, there will be a range of programs you can choose from, depending on what you need.
When that time comes, we get in touch with the My Aged Care contact centre to organise a change in the services you require to meet your new needs.
This means more choice, more control and more flexibility in utilising these services.
If you have any concerns or queries please do not hesitate to contact our Life Care at Home team on 1300 555 220 and they will be happy to discuss the new services and what the implications might be for you and your family.
The Government’s aim is to still support frail, older people living in the community to maximise their independence by: · Streamlining access to entry level support services · Having a standardised national assessment process and single point of entry through My Aged Care · Increasing the focus on a restorative approach including wellness and reablement · Reducing red-tape for service providers through streamlining funding arrangements
Outstanding industry recognition The 2015 Aged & Community Services SA & NT (ACS) is a peak industry body which provides strategic leadership to the majority of the not-for-profit aged and community sector in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Each year the ACS Awards are held to celebrate the achievements of aged, community care and retirement living professionals, providers and communities who care for older South Australians. This dinner was held in Adelaide on 19 June, and 22 finalists and 11 winners were acknowledged for their service and contribution. Life Care was recognised in three categories. Peter Salotti was a finalist in the Volunteer Award which was a great acknowledgment of Peter’s tireless volunteer work at Norman House. In addition to giving his time to our respite services, Peter is a generous fundraiser and also cares for his wife who lives at one of Life Care’s residential homes. Nima Janghorban was a finalist in the Employee Award. He is a personal carer at Parkrose Village and is known for his integrity, compassion, patience and a sense of humour. His level of respect and dignity towards clients and staff is well known and appreciated by all who work with him.
CEO Allen Candy was delighted to accept the Winner’s Award for the Residential Care Design Category, and acknowledged the architect Walter Brooke and Associates and all the staff at Aldinga Beach Court. This was a significant award to win, as it was testament to the hard work, care and attention to detail that was invested in the design of our latest extension at Aldinga Beach Court. The new design made excellent use of the space, with lots of natural light, and outside garden and courtyard areas. It combined great functionality without losing the personal touch that makes Aldinga Beach Court feel like a home to all of our clients. To be recognized in the key areas of our people and facility design was a great honour. It reflects Life Care’s commitment to ensuring we have the best people, providing the best level of service and care, in facilities that challenge traditional aged care thinking.
Seen with the category sponsor representatives Top Allen Candy CEO Middle Nima Janghorban Bottom Peter Salotti
Heartfelt thanks to all Life Care’s volunteers
Each year, Life Care celebrates Volunteer Week which is traditionally held in mid May. Our volunteers play such an important role at Life Care and this year we celebrated their contribution at a lunch at The Adelaide Pavilion on the Park. 100 Volunteers enjoyed a lovely lunch, where they were acknowledged by Life Care Chairman John Stock OAM and CEO Allen Candy who spoke at the event. Highlighting the integral role volunteers play at Life Care, John thanked them all for their selfless and tireless work which in 2014, equated to 21,500 hours of their time. In addition to thanking our volunteers and celebrating their support of Life Care, the lunch was also the perfect way to formally acknowledge those volunteers who have given 5, 10 and 25 years of service to Life Care. Allen commented on the long standing support that many of our volunteers give to Life Care, as highlighted by these awards. To spend so many years volunteering for the same organisation is a tribute and testament to their drive and enthusiasm, and having a familiar face around for so many years is also very reassuring and comforting for our clients.
Pictured above Service awards were presented to 5 years Peter McMahon Simon Bailey Marilyn Matters Athalie Schofield Raymond Radbone Valmai Radbone Kevin Clark Pamela Meyers Vivian Tucker
10 years Helen Burzacott Malcolm Hamilton Robert Lineage Lorraine Ricketts Stuart St George Dianne Krahnet Liz McHugh David Nicholson 25 years Kenneth Lewis Patricia Rogers
Life Care’s new team members WARREN ORTMANN Warren joined Life Care in February this year, as our new General Manager, Corporate Services and is based in our North Adelaide office. Warren’s background includes manufacturing and commercial operations and extensive experience in helping organisations to deliver strategic and financial plans with a view to improving top line growth and operational efficiencies. Warren is a CPA and holds an MBA. Warren was particularly attracted to joining our organisation after hearing our strategic direction with our underlying philosophy of ‘Live Every Day’. Warren believes Life Care will improve many aspects of aged care in the State and take on a Leadership role in aged care service design and delivery.
LORIS RIGON Loris Rigon is the new Project Director for major capital works developments for Life Care. Loris has a strong background in project management on large scale projects which includes managing design, scope of works, building with the managing contractor, cost control, delivery of project and handover for operations of building. Loris enjoys working on a project from start to finish and overseeing each phase of the project lifecycle. He is looking forward to delivering successful project outcomes for Life Care as it enters its next phase of capital works investment.
HEATHER FRASER Heather is our new Residential Services Manager at Reynella Lodge. Originally from Scotland, Heather is a registered general and psychiatric nurse and was a registered midwife. She has recently completed a post graduate certificate in Cardiovascular nursing and a Diploma of Palliative Care Nursing. Heather has a long background in acute care. In 2005, she changed her career path to aged care because of her special interest in dementia and end of life care. She is committed to providing the highest standards of person centred quality care. Joining Life Care is exciting for Heather, as she is looking forward to being part of a progressive organisation that is a leader in aged care with a great reputation in the community.
MERRIDY SCHOFIELD Merridy has joined Life Care as our Residential Services Manager at Aldinga Beach Court. Merridy has over 20 years experience working in the community services sector, specialising in aged care, disability, mental health and community development. Merridy has qualifications in social science and business. She has a passion for community engagement and supports people retaining their independence as they age, whether they live at home or in residential care. Merridy believes that Life Care has a great vision for the future in providing leading environments for people as they age. She is delighted to be part of this future, contributing what she can to bring meaning to what ‘Live Every Day’ means to the residents, families, clients, staff and volunteers.
A day with families, friends and the Crows‌
One of the highlights on our calendar, is our Intergenerational Day to celebrate families. This not only involves family members of our clients, but extended families, staff and even the occasional Crows football player! These events are held twice each year during the school holidays, to bring together parents, children and grandchildren, as a way to highlight the importance of family and of staying connected to each other. This year, Reynella Village Community Hall came alive to the sounds of laughter as our Independent Living residents from Reynella Village, Reynella Lodge residents, the Out & About Club and Aldinga Beach Court invited their families to spend some time enjoying afternoon tea and each others company. Crows players Kym Koster, Mitch McGovern and Kyle Cheney added to the excitement with a handball competition and the usual signing of posters and Crows merchandise. Their attendance is a great attraction for everyone who attends, and is part of the ongoing partnership between the Adelaide Football Club and Life Care. The day was a relaxed enjoyable way for families to spend some time together, and the passion and support for the Crows was also clear to see! It is an event that our clients look forward to with great relish – a day of delicious food, family and friends, and some footy thrown in for good measure – the perfect combination!
Meet our Coordinating Chaplain Reverend Bill Hall has been appointed the new Coordinating Chaplain of Life Care at a pivotal time of the organisation’s evolving commitment to the care of ageing South Australians. For the past nine years, Bill has been an innovative and inspirational member of the Life Care chaplaincy team serving at Glenrose Court and Parkrose Village residential living sites. Describing his new role, Bill said, “In essence, this is about providing an environment in which residents, clients, staff and volunteers, along with their families, are able to live with meaning and purpose every day.” “Chaplains assist people to change what can be changed and to cope positively and peacefully with that which cannot be altered.” Bill said the Life Care chaplains would be meeting to develop a model of chaplaincy to support Life Care’s commitment to develop a range of service options that individuals can draw upon as they age.
A gift to say welcome The Side by Side program is an initiative developed by Life Care specifically designed for people with younger onset dementia (those with dementia under the age of 65). The program is based at our dedicated Respite home at Everard Park, Norman House.
The program has been designed to help participants regain skills and confidence while taking part in meaningful activities and interacting with other people. It also gives their families some much needed respite. The Side by Side group at Norman House have taken on a new venture this year and are now making Welcome Gifts for all new Life Care clients moving into one of our residential or independent living locations. The gifts are a terrarium, which Life Care clients are given when they arrive, and are a lovely way to say ‘Welcome’ to your new home! They not only add the personal touch that Life Care is well known for, but they are created by existing clients, as part of a program that helps them through their journey with dementia.
The model partnership Before Bert became a client at Parkrose Village, he lived with his wife of almost 70 years, and enjoyed a busy and active life. One of his greatest joys was making wooden toys for his grandchildren. However, issues with Bert’s health prevented him from working with wood, as it was affecting his breathing, so his love of toy making had to stop. When Bert and his wife came to Life Care and we learned of his passion for making these models,
we wanted to help him to continue doing something that gave him so much pleasure. The result was stunning cardboard toys! Life Care happily provided cardboard boxes and paint to Bert, as we believe that our clients should be encouraged to do the things they love and continue to remain active and involved with as many activities as possible. Bert makes the models in his room, which he shares with his wife as they like to do things together. He helps her with sewing and she helps out if he needs knitting done for his models – the perfect partnership!
This group are always looking for new ideas where they can work alongside others to produce something that is meaningful and of value – and it is always done with a great sense of humour.
Giving is the best fun...
Our Life Care clients are always looking for ways to engage with and support the wider community, to not only support external initiatives, but to have a shared experience and enjoy the process of making a difference to other groups outside the Life Care family.
A great example of this was highlighted late last year, when members of Life Care’s Crafty Chats and Young at Heart groups at Reynella Village, along with some of our Independent Living residents in the southern region, worked together to deliver Christmas cheer to others less fortunate than themselves. The project was coordinated by Life Care at Home, and saw more than 50 clients packaging up gorgeous Christmas hampers of food and craftwork that were distributed to disadvantaged or isolated people in the community. This kind of activity is important to our clients and is something Life Care encourages strongly. Our clients often tell us they want to remain connected to their local and extended community and to do things that make a real impact or difference in those communities. CareWorksSA and the Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia, a metropolitan Aboriginal Centre, were the beneficiaries of our clients’ efforts – to bring a little cheer to those in need!
Adelaide Crows fly in for a visit... Norman House provides quality overnight and day respite services for our clients, giving their carer much needed time to have a break, knowing that the person they normally care for is in a happy, safe and homely atmosphere for a few hours or a few days. This atmosphere recently took on a distinctive red, yellow and blue flavour, as two Crows players dropped by to spend some time with our clients and staff. Players Kym Koster and Andy Otton swapped their Sherrin for some table tennis and bocce boules. Some healthy competition and a good dose of laughter followed. This was the first time Norman House clients and carers had hosted Crows players, and it was a great success allowing our clients to have some quality one-to-one time with their football heroes!
Maureen has a great passion for sewing, and also for Life Care!
Sewing for Africa
Maureen’s mother was the first person to move into Life Care’s Independent Living village at Marion Rose. Maureen used to visit her mum often, and so 11 years ago, when she wanted to find a new home to live in, Marion Rose was the first place she thought of. There are 15 homes at Marion Rose village, and there is a real sense of community amongst everyone who lives there. Maureen’s sister also spent some time at Marion Rose, before moving to Parkrose Village, so it has been a real family affair and a long and happy association with Life Care.
Painting with Maggie Maggie enjoys the independence that living at Marion Rose village offers, but also likes the fact that everyone who lives in the 15 homes remains connected through various activities.
One of Maureen’s loves is sewing and 3 years ago, she decided to answer a call for help and put her skills to work by making sleeping rugs and clothes for orphans in Libya and Kenya. Since then, she has made hundreds of outfits and rugs, which are shipped over to Africa and distributed to those in need. Maureen was making so many outfits that she had to move her operation out into one of the sheds at Marion Rose, which Life Care was more than happy to accommodate. Previously used for a resident’s CB radio hobby, the shed has now been transformed into a sewing room for Maureen. It is the sense of community at Marion Rose and also the support from Life Care to help Maureen fulfill her desire to help others in need that results in such a positive outcome – both for Maureen and the children in Africa.
Maggie’s association with Life Care goes back several decades, when she first volunteered at Parkrose Village to help serve morning tea to the clients there. Her life has come full circle, as she now lives at Marion Rose village. One of her great loves is painting, and so Maggie runs painting classes in the Marion Church, which is very convenient for her, as it’s just a stroll across the car park from her unit. Maggie runs 3 lessons a week, and teaches using oil, watercolour or acrylic - whatever her students want to work with. Several Marion Rose clients go along to Maggie’s classes, which is a great way to stay in touch with people, whilst retaining the independence of living in your own unit.
Life Care encourages all of its residential and independent living clients to continue enjoying doing the things they love, to stay connected to their local communities and networks, and to be active and independent. Wherever possible, Life Care helps to facilitate this as we believe it is an important component of happy, healthy and active ageing.
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About Life magazine is the official publication of the Churches of Christ Life Care Inc. Corporate Services 263 Melbourne Street North Adelaide SA 5006