industry & reform
Michelle Dowsett, CEO, Sale Elderly
Citizens Village Inc. Photo: LASA
The project was funded by the state
government and saw close to 200 people
participate, including those who identified
as LGBTIQ, with 15 consultations held at
various locations, including regional centres.
PROTECTING YOUR REPUTATION
voice and encouraging them to help
inform and shape policy and actions that
may impact them as they age.
Ford said older LGBTIQ people in SA
needed advocacy as they aged, with
access to the mainstream system often
proving difficult.
He said the themes that emerged
from the report involved health issues,
confidentiality and resources, especially in
rural and remote areas.
“How do we connect with people? What
are the opportunities to connect? It’s easy
to lose connections as we age,” Ford said.
One recommendation was to
start a community visitor scheme as
well as creating an opportunity for
intergenerational storytelling.
Another way to connect with the
mainstream community, he said, is
through housing, and there needs to be a
better range of options like mixed housing.
He also pointed out the challenges
faced in navigating the system with friends
and family. Ford said a common question
asked upon entering aged care is: How do
we know if a service is LGBTI friendly?
“Some people don’t have partners, so
they had to hide themselves for a big part
of their lives,” he said.
How do you protect the reputation of
your aged care organisation in the face of
media and public scrutiny?
That’s the question Gail D’Arcy,
managing director of The D’Arcy
Partnership, posed to delegates at the
LASA congress.
Takeaway points from her presentation
include doing the preparation work
early on by identifying risks and fixing
what is controllable, checking the facts,
and making sure the ‘spin’ is cut from
your vision.
She said consequences include difficulty
in attracting new residents, decrease in
staff moral and damage to your reputation
as a CEO or care provider.
“The better the communication, the
better the business and the better the
reputation,” D’Arcy said.
She added that good planning meant
being ready – not getting ready when a
journalist calls.
“In order to plan, you need to
understand the risks and be prepared
to change behaviour and culture. It’s
the responsibility of everyone in your
organisation,” she said.
“This needs to be embedded in your
culture so that everyone knows what to do
and what action to take.”
Examples include being aware of issues
like staff training, nursing ratios and
background checks.
D’Arcy stressed that internal
communications are vital, such as being
transparent with staff, encouraging early
identification of issues, and observing
protocol.
Given the recent Four Corners report
and subsequent royal commission, D’Arcy
said a communications plan – such as
having a media spokesperson or drafting
statements for contingency scenarios –
comes in handy.
However, she said whatever operational
plan you have, you must make sure it’s
consistent in terms of tone, manner and
information.
STAYING AT HOME
What does it take for an older person to
live at home until death? That’s the theme
ECH chief executive David Panter explored
Neil Eastwood. Source: Twitter @StickyNeil
in his presentation covering Level 5 Home
Care Packages (HCPs) – ‘staying at home
until death’ packages.
He said the aim of the level 5 HCP was
to promote self-determination and enable
people to have the best life possible as
they aged.
“We want to have a system that
encourages people to stay at home for as
long as possible,” Panter said.
He added that little was known about
the care and services that can help older
people to remain living confidently
in the community until death. As a
result, ECH commenced the EnRICH
(Enabling Responsive and Individual Care
at Home) pilot in September 2017.
The model was conceived to rigorously
examine the type, quantity, construction
and cost of care and services that could
support someone at risk of permanent
residential care admission to live
independently until passing.
“Older Australians prefer to age in
place, and the majority of people want
that place to be their long-term home in
the community. Only 1 per cent report
a preference for residential aged care,”
he said.
“Over 40 per cent of people will require
some level of assistance as they age;
while formal community-based care and
services are delivered into individuals’
homes by the subsidised HCP program,
these are not consistently successful in
enabling someone to remain at home
until death.”
Panter said the model came with
additions like short-stay services and rapid
response services.
The findings showed that three out of
12 people hospitalised returned home and
were able to increase or maintain their
social engagement.
Participant and carer network
satisfaction was also high, with higher
levels of engagement and communication
leading to positive responses. ■
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