Come volunteer with us: Volunteering in Aged Care

It is estimated that one in four people in Australia does some kind of volunteer work. Volunteers choose of their own free will to work without payment for the benefit of their community. They give a gift of their time to others.

Volunteers play a pivotal role in enhancing a resident’s quality of life and are a vital link to their communities. As needs change and residents find themselves less able to participate in activities, many welcome the initiatives and assistance of volunteers. According to the Eden Philosophy, residents are confronted by the three plagues of ageing: loneliness, helplessness and boredom; and may also face social isolation and depression. The work volunteers do helps to bring back to our Elders a sense of community and value. It brings companionship and friendship and these are the things that maintain a sense of “living and belonging”; to be able to give to someone else and to be needed. Where appropriate we match the needs of both residents and volunteers and we endeavour to ensure that our volunteers’ interactions and contributions are ones which bring mutual enjoyment and satisfaction for all concerned.

Volunteering provides an opportunity to meet new people and form new relationships, become part of a team, but most importantly make a difference in the lives of our elderly residents. For as little as an hour a week, your gift of time can make a difference to someone’s life, as well as your own.

Prom Country Aged Care Inc (PCAC) volunteers provide the following services

Help from volunteers can come in a number of different forms depending on the amount of time you can spare and the skills you possess.

Currently volunteers at PCAC contribute to many activities and programs, including but not limited to:

• One-to-one visits and outings
• Helping staff with resident outings
• Driving the bus
• Assisting the staff with exercise groups, craft, general activities
• Walking
• Bingo
• HOY
• Assisting low-vision groups
• Reading and writing letters
• Garden club
• Bird watching
• Men’s group
• Music
• Happy hour
• Respite to carers
• Committee of Management (COM)

The process of enrolling to become a volunteer at Prom Country Aged Care Inc. is designed to ensure that each volunteer is treated individually and provided with choices. You will also be provided with ongoing support through our Volunteer Program. Volunteers are invited to join all in house training and where required, other training is provided.

To ensure the safety of all those in our care, all volunteers are required to undergo a police check before commencing (at no cost to the volunteer) and to sign a statutory declaration.

If you think you would like to be part of our wonderful volunteer team, we would be delighted to hear from you!

As a volunteer at PCAC you can make an extraordinary contribution to our Australian elders. Whether you are already volunteering or just starting out and you would like to join PCAC please do not hesitate to contact us at 03 5683 9600 for Banksia Lodge and 03 5686 2585 for Prom View Lodge.

You too can make a difference!

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require further discussion or information about volunteering. And don’t forget, as I have said before, moving into aged care residential services is not a death sentence; it is just a change of address.

107th birthday celebrated at Toora

THERE were birthday celebrations on March 2 for the oldest Prom Country Aged Care resident. At Prom View Lodge in Toora Gladys Andrews turned 107!

Mrs Andrews was born Gladys McConnell on March 2, 1905, on a station near Bombala, NSW. She married Abraham ‘Steve’ Andrews, who was in the Light Horse in the First World War. They spent much of their married life dairy farming at Singleton in the Hunter Valley and raised three children. Steve died in 1955.

Read the full article on Foster Community Online from the Mirror.

Ageing in Place: what does this mean?

Ageing in Place is a philosophy of care which came into being following the introduction of the Aged Care Act, 1997. Prior to this, residential aged care was provided in nursing homes (now termed high care) and hostels (low care). The hostel and nursing home systems were quite different, as the administration and payment systems were operated separately, care subsidies were based on distinct and separate “resident classification” systems and more significantly and having a greater impact on the resident and families, was the need to transfer to nursing home care should care needs increase to high level care. This also meant that partners with different care needs could not be housed together, nor could parents caring for children with a disability whose care needs were different.

Following the 1997 legislation, residential aged care homes were able to deliver care to residents of all care levels and needs subject to meeting specific requirements of the quality assurance framework (which included accreditation and certification). The Resident Classification Scale (RCS) was born; a single funding instrument to replace the two distinct, separate funding tools.

There is no single recipe or right way to provide ageing in place. Ageing in place is all about the provision of responsive and flexible care in a familiar and appropriate environment to meet each individual’s needs as they change. The philosophy is that care is provided allowing the resident to remain in her or his unit or room until they die, with all care needs and services being brought to the resident, rather than the resident having to move or relocate to find the appropriate service and care. Even where ageing in place has been embraced as the care model, sometimes it is not possible to provide all care needs, especially where there are special needs such as dementia, challenging behaviours or acute hospital care is required.

The Structural Reform Package which included the Age Care Act, 1997, did not make ageing in place a mandatory care model or principle in Australian residential aged care services. Services must provide the care for which their buildings and staff are capable and qualified to give. There are, and will continue to be, many aged care services which provide for either low care or high resident needs but not both.

The benefits to the residents and their families when being accommodated in a service with the ageing in place philosophy are mostly positive. High value is placed on the services’ capacity to provide ageing in place and deliver continuity of appropriate care within a familiar environment, with familiar staff and systems, often without the need to relocate whatsoever. The residents once overcoming the “need to move and change their address” often consider that they have found a new “home”, which enhances their move and being settled.

This has particular importance for couples planning to move from the family home as they may be able to remain together even if their care needs differ significantly over time.

Other benefits include the slower turnover of the resident population, so residents are not so disrupted by the comings and goings. Ageing in place allows relationships to have time to mature and develop relationships between residents and also between residents and staff. This in tune enhances the harmony within the home.

The diversity in resident population, as we find in our communities outside residential aged care services, and in which our aged care services belong, is another benefit of ageing ion place. All residents benefit from the exposure to other residents covering the full range of care needs. Low care residents have been noted to enjoy helping in the care and support of residents with higher care needs, and high care residents benefit from the atmosphere created by promoting independence of the residents with lower care needs. As high care residents require more highly trained staff the lower care residents are able to benefit from their skills and expertise. We look forward to our new building being able to accommodate the ageing in place model od care.

There are many case studies and examples of successful ageing in place services. The document titled “ageing in place a guide for providers of residential aged care” published by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, 2002, includes the history of ageing in place, planning for ageing in place, and then other organisational facets such as staffing strategies, design principle and much more. There are also many more recent publications about dementia and special needs accommodation and design.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require further information about this or any other aspect of residential aged care and our services, or any related further reading and literature.; …and do remember, as I have said in previous columns, going into aged care residential services is not a death sentence; it is just a change of address.

An ageing in place address sounds just perfect.

Compliments, Comments, Suggestions and Complaints

To compliment, comment, complain, suggest? Should I? What if the staff take it out on Dad? Will the staff be offended? Will anything be done? Will they not like me or see me as “just a complainer”? or see Dad as “demanding”?

These are some of the concerns people have when trying to be their friend’s/family member’s advocate, wanting to let the staff know things are not as great as they could be, or wanting to thank them for doing a great job, or just making a comment or suggestion where they have seen something working well elsewhere.

If any of the above applies to you, the best action to take is to talk to the senior staff member on the shift about any issue you may have. Make a time so the staff member is not in the middle of administering medications or some other care activity, so your concern or issue can be given the time and attention warranted. Resolution at the provider level, that is, with Prom Country Aged Care Inc. (PCAC) can deliver a faster and more sustainable outcome. You can also arrange to have an advocate with you to support you at meetings with us. If it cannot be resolved at that initial face-to-face level, we, as do most residential aged care services, have a system in place where you are able write your compliment, comment, complaint, or suggestion and it will be actioned by a more senior staff member. You are encouraged to document your concerns so they can be followed up. All of these are reviewed by the CEO. On the form is a section for completion if you want direct feedback from the follow up.

PCAC takes all such issues raised very seriously. We want to ensure our residents receive the best available care and that their families/friends are heard when they also have something to say.

We have bi-monthly resident/relative meetings at both sites where you can also be heard. We rotate the meeting days and times to enable all to come to at least one meeting every now and then.

If you feel you are still not being heard there is another avenue available.

Aged Care Complaints Scheme

The Department of Health and Ageing has revised its complaints system and the previously known Aged Care Complaints Investigation Scheme is now called the Aged Care Complaints Scheme.

The Aged Care Complaints Scheme is available to anyone who has a complaint or concern about an Australian Government-subsidised aged care service (residential and community care).

Do you have a concern or want to make a complaint?

As an approved aged care provider PCAC does its best to provide quality care and services for our residents. However, issues may occur so it is important to have a way for people to raise their concerns in a constructive and safe way. 

If you have a concern about the care you or someone else is receiving, it is important that you talk about it. Complaints can help us improve the services and quality of care we provide to you or your loved one. This can also mean one such comment or complaint may help others as well.

Lodging a complaint with the Aged Care Complaints Scheme

If you don’t want to discuss your concern with PCAC or you are unable to resolve your issue with us, you can contact the Aged Care Complaints Scheme (the Scheme) on 1800 550 552. You can also lodge a complaint online.



What can you complain about?

The Scheme provides a free service for people to raise their concerns about the quality of care or services being delivered to people receiving residential or community aged care services which are subsidised by the Australian Government. The issues which may be raised include quality of care, choice of activities, personal care, catering, communication and the physical environment. 

Complaints which fall outside of the scope of the Scheme can be referred to the appropriate agency. If you lodge a complaint with the Scheme and they cannot help you, they tell you why and who you can contact.

Who can make a complaint?

Anyone can make a complaint, including:

• care recipients
• their representatives
• family members
• friends
• legal representatives
• aged care staff
• volunteers
• health professionals.

What types of services are covered by the Scheme?

The Scheme examines complaints about the following Australian Government subsidised aged care services:

• residential aged care (such as Prom View Lodge and Banksia Lodge)
• community aged care packages (CACP)
• extended aged care at home pages (EACH)
• extended aged care at home – dementia packages (EACHD).

What happens after a complaint is lodged?

Once a complaint is lodge with the Scheme, the process and actions to be taken are explained. You may be asked to clarify your issues, provide acceptable evidence and discuss your expectations. It is important that as much information as possible when lodging a complaint. This helps all the issues and concerns to be better understood and options for resolution maximised.

The Complaints Principles 2011 made under the Aged Care Act 1997 contain detailed procedures regarding the operation of the scheme. 

Review of a decision or process

If you are not satisfied with the Scheme’s decision or how the Scheme handled your complaint, you can contact the Aged Care Commissioner to ask for a free review. The Aged Care Commissioner is independent to the Scheme.

Phone 1800 500 294 (a free call from fixed lines; calls from mobile phones may be charged)
Website www.agedcarecommissioner.net.au
Fax (03) 9663 7369
Email info@agedcarecommissioner.net.au

Aged Care Advocacy

You may want to talk to someone independently about your concerns and options before speaking with the Scheme or, you may feel uncomfortable speaking to the staff at PCAC on your own; if so, advocacy may be able to help you.

An advocate can:

• provide you with information about your rights and responsibilities
• help you resolve your problem with PCAC, including speaking for you if you wish
• listen to your concerns about the complaints process.

Advocacy services are free, confidential and independent. Services are available in each state and territory.

You can call Aged Care Advocacy directly on 1800 700 600 or with your permission the Scheme may phone an advocacy service on your behalf to explain your concerns and arrange for the service to contact you. To learn more about what advocacy is and what advocacy agencies do, visit the Advocacy Services for Older People website.

The Aged Care Complaints Scheme News website is a useful website for the most current information about the Scheme.



Printed products and reports

The Department of Health and Ageing offers printed products and reports. These can be ordered online at www.health.gov.au.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require further information about this or any other aspect of residential aged care and our services; … and do remember, as I have said in previous columns, moving into an aged care residential service is not a death sentence; it is just a change of address.