Award winners announced for ‘Better Practice’ in aged care

The awards, an initiative of the Australian Aged Care Quality Association (AACQA), are held each year for projects, initiatives, or programs that act as exemplars for other aged care service providers to assist and encourage improvement to care and services.

Among the winners announced at the end of the first day of the event were 38 Commendation awards, and the inaugural winners of the National Innovation and Excellence in Aged Care awards – Resthaven for their Wellness/Reablement in the home initiative and Bushland Health Group for their Palliative Approach – Nurse Practitioner Model initiative.

Both of the National Innovation and Excellence in Aged Care award winners were selected by the independent industry judging panel against selection criteria, which had a focus on quality of care and quality of life outcomes for consumers.

Resthaven Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Richard Hearn says he is “so very proud” of the way staff have worked to embrace the considerable culture change from ‘doing for’ to ‘working in partnership with’ consumers within their home care program.

“This award, for innovation and excellence in our approach to wellness and reablement in the home, reflects the genuine intent of our staff, as they work in partnership with those older individuals who have invited them into their homes with the goal of maintaining their quality of life,” he says.

“We focus on wellness strategies to support people to maintain or regain their independence, goal setting with each person, and finding out what is important to them.

“As one of the first winners of a National Innovation and Excellence in Aged Care award, we are also thrilled to have won a Commendation Award for our Spirituality in the Garden project, which was acknowledged at this event.”

AACQA CEO Nick Ryan has congratulated all winners of this year’s Better Practice Awards.

“The Better Practice Awards are an ideal opportunity to highlight the positive programs in action for older Australians, and to reward staff, management, clients and organisations alike for all the hard work they do,” he says.

“This is our way of recognising and showcasing aged care services that have consumer focus at their core.

“The stand-out providers spend time finding out what their consumers want, and then find a way to make it happen.”

Mr Ryan adds that is was “particularly pleasing” to see a strong representation in the award winners from both residential and home care, including the first winner from the Northern Territory, from a remote home care provider.

Scalabrini Village Chipping Norton and Scalabrini Village Allambie Heights were also among those awarded Best Practice Awards for their Open Heart Program and Italian Language Programs.

Full profiles of the winning programs are available on the AACQA website.