Aged care awarded for excellence

Australian aged care providers were last week recognised for excellence at Leading Aged Services Australia (LASA) national congress in Perth.

Below is a list of awards presented to various aged care providers for excellence in building and as ‘employers of choice’.

Building awards

Building award categories included the new standard building, with New South Wales’ Uniting Care Elanora taking honours.

Elanora is one of Uniting Care’s most recently developed communities located in the heart of Shellharbour on the southern Illawarra coastline. Elanora offers low and high level permanent and respite care for up to 100 people.

In the new extra service category, Western Australia’s Regents Garden Aubin Grove (WA) was recognised for significant innovation in both building design and materials in the new development.

The expansive use of roofing material that allowed diffuse lighting into many of the internal precincts was given high recognition, and the internal courtyard/village feel of the main atrium area was considered particularly attractive.

Renovation awards

Winner of renovated standard category: Mercy Place Shepparton (VIC).

Mercy Place Shepparton approached the design of an ‘Ageing in Place’ 30 room addition, with emphasis placed on the integration and connections with the existing home. The building incorporates new design concepts and elements such as the resident kitchen being the central hub of the home.

Winner of the Renovated Extra Service category: Victoria’s Kew Gardens, part of the Australian Aged Care Group.

The renovation of Kew Gardens has enabled a move from the traditional clinical model of care to one that enhances wellbeing and promotes positive ageing.

Employer of choice awards

Awards were nominated from providers themselves and their employees.
 

Employee Category

Winner: Western Australia’s Bethanie Kingsley as a result of its demonstrated culture of open communications.

Runner-up: Hall & Prior.

Employer Category

Winner: South Australia’s Springfield Residential Care

Springfield demonstrated that with a changing population profile, it needed to adapt its workplace culture to reflect the needs of its local community to ensure an attractive and engaging place for current and future staff.

Runner up: Nationwide Health and Aged Care Services

As a supplier to the industry, the judges thought it was a unique opportunity to recognise the invaluable work  our goods and services suppliers provide in helping aged care providers deliver the services they need to provide on a daily basis.

Nationwide demonstrated a comprehensive employee engagement strategy with a strong focus on building staff excellence and morale.

“When much of the news around aged care focused on the challenges of meeting our liability into the future, it is great to have a ‘good news story’,” Gerard Mansour, former LASA chief executive, said.