Aged care mentoring model improves workplace

South Australian aged care provider, Resthaven, recently celebrated the completion of the federal government ‘Encouraging Better Practice in Aged Care’ (EBPAC) initiative, titled Aged Care Clinical Mentor Model of Change: Six Steps to Better Practice.

The goal of an Aged Care Clinical Mentor is to implement best clinical practice in an aged care service by demonstrating leadership in change management which results in ‘real’ improvements in clinical care outcomes.

“Best practice in aged care is important. It infers that everyone involved in providing care and services to residents and clients use care and service concepts, interventions and techniques that are grounded in research and known to provide good quality outcomes for older people. It follows then that best practice in clinical care is a fundamental aspect of best practice overall,” the resource states.

The project encourages best practice in aged care by implementing clinical change through a workforce development approach.

The $1.2 million project developed and trialled a clinical mentoring model in both residential and community aged care, with Resthaven managing the national project in partnership with other aged care organisations and South Australia's Flinders University.

Wendy Morey, Resthaven executive manager, workforce and governance, says national projects like this ensures Resthaven continues to offer best practice training to its workforce.

Benefits of the Aged Care Clinical Mentor

• Active involvement in the identification and implementation of continuous improvement initiatives related to clinical practices
• Reviewing and assessing current clinical practices in an identified clinical priority area and implementing strategies for ‘best practice’ service provision, active participation in and contribution to, organisational meetings/consultations/knowledge transfer activities
• Providing staff access to relevant and current best practice clinical information
• Implementation of Action Plans in relation to clinical care within an identified clinical priority area at the site level. 
• Positively interacting with other staff, members of the health and service provision team, residents, clients and their representatives to promote clinical mentoring and its outcomes
• Informing management teams of any relevant issues or opportunities for improvement

Access the Aged Care Clinical Mentor Model of Change: Six Steps to Better Practice resource.