Mid June saw a group of professionals in aged care enter a conference. And steering away from sounding like the start of a fairly dry joke, what this showed is, and has been, good for seniors, staff and sector. Far from a picture of starched shirts and tight agenda, the theme that emerged was hard-working people showing up to acknowledge challenges and push for progress. With honesty, grit and heart.
Those who traveled to Akolade’s Aged Care Week Conference were there to lean into, in-person, the very real challenges and hopes of seniors, sector and staff. There was no time for fluff or throw-away lines, as one member said, “seniors should not be afraid of ageing because of the system, it should be there for them, residential aged care should and can be amazing”.
At the heart of the talks, a through-line of sincerity emerged, to tackle what is happening on the ground, for seniors, for the front-line staff that are directly caring. Not theoretical talks about ‘care’ and ‘quality’ but how the system, and most importantly, its people could thrive.
Aged care professionals are leaning in, not with idle talk but with transparency and accountability. To push for a system that works, that is sustainable and joyful.
We can do better
Ben Gatehouse, Dementia Clinical Nurse Consultant at Mercy Health, showed a passion and plan to change how direct care plays out in aged care.
Not shying away from calling a spade a spade, Gatehouse was clear, “soft skills have been marginalised but they are so important. Why? Because they help people connect”.
And connecting is what he’s on a mission to do, for the teams he trains and the strategy he is advising, moving away from larger models of care, he is adamant, “the move to smaller homes is vital”.
Within that smaller model of care, he shares that quality care is not just medicines administered correctly but also the feeling that choice and agency of truly support and fundamentally allowed, “I’ve made it my mission to ensure that there is a 24/7 snack station, we eat whenever we want at home, that shouldn’t change if you go into residential care”.
Dignity of risk
Gatehouse is leaning in towards the conversation of dignity of risk. This means he says, “we should be supporting staff to get this right, if we don’t train them, enable them, they won’t be able to do it, we as management have to take steps to help staff get this right, so that residents can take reasonable risk”.
Not being one to stay in the land of theory, Gatehouse shares measures he’s actively put in place.
“We’ve made a dementia champion at each of the homes I’m across. This has to be a staff member who has sincerely showed they are hungry to try new things, to make life the best as it possibly can for those in their care. We then bring all the Dementia Champions together and we have very real conversations”.
Gatehouse shares that support for team members is critical, “we are transparent and honest with each other, always asking, ‘What have you tried?’ or ‘What went pear-shaped?’ or “What could you try differently next time?”
Supporting staff
There is no ‘gotcha’ attitude, it is about uplifting each other to support the residents through real, caring and innovative approaches. And it has to be for the long-term, not flash in the plan surface solutions.
“We’re looking to stick and sustain approaches that make the residents’ lives the best they possibly can be”.
For him and his team, it’s about building up future leaders, “we need to build them up, staff need to feel empowered that they are valuable, have insight and make a deep positive impacts in seniors lives, and their families”.
He is frank, providers must go above and beyond to train, support and shape the working environment so that staff, and as a result, seniors can be heard and be their best, “with my team approach, it is to build up”.
Connecting never ages
“Everyone wants to feel wanted and purposeful that doesn’t change with age, this is the case with staff who have been in the sector for decades or those just starting, this is the case with seniors with dementia”.
When it comes to quality care, Gatehouse shares a measure they’ve instituted at Mercy Health. It’s a move that he believes goes further than regulation, and is what the sector and seniors really need, it lands quality of life, not just quality of care.
“We have ‘Hello I’m X’ cards in each of the residents’ rooms, on each of these cards, it has their picture, their name in massive letters and three very important sections”, Gatehouse shares.
“‘About Me, ‘What do I enjoy?’ and ‘Ways to make my day’ are all there for everyone to see, it takes a minute to scan it and become more familiar with the resident, to shape how staff can speak to them and spark joy by asking the resident about things, activities and places they treasure, it is absolutely incredible the difference these cards have made”.
Yes care is physical and medical, Gatehouse recognises but it’s also so much more. To really deliver the care seniors deserve, and many heart-felt front-line staff want to deliver, policy and practice must support caring for the whole person, to have time to meet every resident’s social, emotional and spiritual needs.
Care must be full and holistic, Gatehouse shares, so must the training and possibility to make that sort of care not only a reality but the routine.
Assessors speak
Commissioner Liz Hefren-Webb spoke from the office of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. She lent her voice to reiterate the Commission’s approach, emphasising the bigger picture that regulation, culture change and empowerment are important steps forward.
Outlining the Commission’s intent to focus on issues of risk, she framed it in reality – to uplift independent means of complaints management was to mean seniors and families could voice concerns without fear of reprisal.
She understood that trusted relationships are critical in aged care, and that robust and fair approaches to oversight were a continued ongoing commitment.
Hefren-Webb recognised that seniors are only likely to raise concerns if they feel supported and safe from reprisal. She shared that the government’s Speak Up campaign will continue to run to invite transparency for seniors and sector.
A sector of substance
A new and critical element of regulation was re-emphasised, that of the onus for providers to prove that systems work in practice. A pivot from check-box document checking, compliance has pivoted to the showcasing of organisational policy clearly impacting.
Hefren-Webb was clear in her messaging, the commission looks to ensure fewer repeat offences of poor performers, and critically, to work alongside high-performing providers in the shared goal of care excellence.
To regional providers who have put their customers first, in delivering consistent service in spite of remote challenges to seniors, Hefren-Webb shared her recognition. Highlighting the stories of care workers, nurses and other sector professionals she has reviewed, she bears witness to regional staff tackling challenges to provide quality care. A moment of earned affirmation towards the hard work done of thousands of stretched personnel in far flung spots.
