RESEARCH AND
Merri Health shines in health survey
Patient-centred care is at the heart of what we do and we ’ re proud to share results from the 2023 Victorian Health Engagement Survey .
Conducted on behalf of the Victorian Department of Health , the state-wide independent research provides valuable data on people ’ s experiences with community health centres . We use the results to gain a better understanding of our clients ’ views and where we can improve .
Merri Health outperformed the state average in more than 76 % of questions . Thank you to the 182 Merri Health clients who took part !
Survey highlights included :
92 % felt that staff based their care on what was important to them , 3.7 % higher than the Victorian average
94.1 % felt they were treated with respect and dignity , 0.1 % higher than average
97.7 % felt safe while visiting or being visited by us , 1.5 % higher than average
86 % felt they were listened to and understood by staff , 2.7 % higher than average
86.2 % were involved as much as they wanted to be in making decisions about their care , 6.8 % higher than average
76 % said we arranged support if they needed help communicating or understanding English , 7.6 % higher than average
The results also highlighted two key areas for Merri Health improvement : 1 . awareness of feedback options and 2 . appointment availability for some aged care services – a trend throughout Victoria .
In response we are continuing to assess client appointments on individual needs , looking at ways to reduce wait times and appointing a new Project Coordinator in this area .
We have also installed new signs at sites to ensure our community knows how to give us feedback .
Supporting better sleep for older adults
Poor sleep can lead to an increased risk of falls , hospital admissions , and residential care placements for older adults . Hospital sleep services can have long wait lists and are not always accessible for our community members .
To help overcome these barriers , we piloted a Sleep Well Group Program in 2023 which has had life-changing results for participants including :
100 % showed improvements in daytime sleepiness 100 % experienced reduced anxiety levels 100 % improved their mood levels 100 % were able to do more activities 100 % showed improvement in daily functioning related to sleep 80 % increased their sleep by an average of 1 hour
Developed and run by our occupational therapists , the program aims to improve participants ’ sleep health and quality of life and empower clients to retain their independence . It is run over eight weekly sessions .
4 . | MerriNews March - April 2024