Aged care provider doubles dose of success

The not-for-profit provider has recently been recognised with two prestigious accolades for their new relationship-based model of care – MyLife – and the impact it has had on the wellbeing and quality of life for their residents.

The two accolades the provider was recognised with include being listed in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Innovative Companies ANZ for 2018, as well as the Better Practice National Innovation and Excellence Award by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency – all for the design, implementation and proven benefits of the new model of care.

Whiddon Chief Executive Officer Chris Mamarelis has welcomed the news of the two awards and says the accolades are a reflection of the forward thinking work of the wider Whiddon team, but also a great achievement for the wider aged care industry.

“Recognition by The Australian Financial Review and the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency through these awards, within the space of a few months, has been outstanding for our organisation,” he says.

“They recognise the incredible work our people perform each and every day to make a genuine difference to the lives of those we care for.

“Our care philosophy has always been based on a belief that personal growth and meaningful activity is possible, regardless of age and frailty, and we’ve always offered programs to enable this.

“The launch of our new model of care, MyLife, which integrates care for social, emotional and physical needs, has provided us with the opportunity to ensure a consistent and holistic approach to care and create true cultural change.

“I am delighted that the work of our teams across our organisation in delivering exceptional outcomes for our residents and clients, has once again been recognised.”

Whiddon Executive General Manager Strategy and Innovation, Karn Nelson, who worked on the design and evaluation of the program, says the awards speak to Whiddon’s commitment to empowering and engaging residents, clients and families to be true partners in their care.

“Relationship-based care aims to put residents and families at the heart of their care, and allows our staff to go above and beyond to find ways to keep them connected and participating in the things that matter most to them,” she explains.

“The MyLife model has helped staff to understand the people they care for on a much deeper level, even if they felt they already knew them well.

“Through a major retraining program for all staff, new processes and initiatives such as All About Me and Best Week, we have seen incredible outcomes.

“Residents have achieved lifelong goals they may have never thought possible like riding a motorbike at 99, or going fishing again after a gap of 30 years, renewing past passions and reconnecting with family members and their communities.”

This is the second consecutive year Whiddon has been recognised in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Innovative Companies, and was listed at number 46 for 2018 making the aged care provider the highest ranked not-for-profit organisation.

Whiddon was also recognised in the Better Practice Awards in 2016 for their HenPower trial in residential aged care.  

The full list of rankings for the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Innovative Companies for 2018 is available here, with the full list of the 2018 Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Better Practice Award winners available to view here.