SUM5990 Quarterly Newsletter-Template AW · Already, the SummitCare tagline has been changed to ‘Warmth Worth Wellbeing’. ... In recent months a roadshow was held at all our centres,

Inside this issue

The Road to Wellbeing

Prepared for Emergencies

Recognition of Our Staff

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from the desk of the ceoA very warm welcome to 2014! I trust that each and every resident, staff member and family connected to the SummitCare group has enjoyed the festive season with as much joy and love as I have. This is truly a special time of year and I know each of our nine centres have thoroughly enjoyed hosting very special Christmas gatherings for residents and families alike.

I would like to take the time to extend sincere thanks to our care and catering teams who really go above and beyond to help make these events so special and memorable! Our team of Accommodation Managers

January 2014 | VOL 14. Issue 1

continue to excel in special event planning and I know that it really is important to enjoy events which help mark important life events and build fond memories.

The beginning of a new year is also a great time for us to take stock and plan out our personal goals for the coming 12 months. This is something we do in my family because, like any busy household if we don’t plan then before we know it our diaries are fi lled with sporting and other activities. In January each year, as a family, we get a large piece of cardboard and all four children, Neville and I put up ideas on what they would like to achieve and we plan our calendar with those goals in mind - small or large.

SUMMITNEWS

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January 2014 - Summit News January 2014 - Summit News

I encourage every reader to enjoy this edition of Summit News and as you refl ect on our new wellbeing journey and framework take some time to think about your own wellbeing, what makes you happy, what makes you feel good about yourself and how you take time out to refl ect on what you want to achieve in the coming year.

The new year is a genuine opportunity for us to change things that have annoyed us and the simplicity is that by committing to a plan of action and staying true to those goals we can achieve so much.

For SummitCare our annual plan is already well and truly underway. We move into year two of our strategic plan and our teams of staff and managers continue to be focused on residents and their needs. This is set to be an exciting time as we also launch our new website which will an interactive wellbeing hub where you can stay abreast of news in SummitCare - be it our residential or homecare services.

Please take seriously the advice on fi re awareness and also I also congratulate our staff recognised at the Annual Recognition event. I pay particular homage to our SummitStar category winners Niles, Stephen and Ros! They are each amazing individuals and we salute your efforts! Well done to all.

From the desk of the CEO Continued

Warmly,

Cynthia PayneChief Executive Offi cer

Preparation, Communication and Leadership - vital in a crisis

When news arrived that a bushfi re was burning out of control in the Lower Blue Mountains, we immediately understood that we could assist through the two SummitCare centres within the vicinity. For three days during the crisis SummitCare would care for 140 residents of Buckland Aged Care Services, shared between our Penrith and St Mary’s centres.

Effective leadership, across the Buckland and SummitCare teams, ensured the relocation and return of the residents was undertaken with minimum disruption. Through preparation and training those responsible for Local Emergency Control were able to do their jobs and make necessary decisions quickly and with confi dence through their preparation - away from the less immediate distractions, which were managed by the ECU.

We are now reviewing the lessons gained during this unprecedented crisis, and exploring what could be shared for wider benefi t with government, our industry and key stakeholders.

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Summit News - January 2014

SummitCare has reached another major milestone on its wellbeing journey, with a comprehensive Wellbeing Framework recently unveiled to staff.

For the past year, SummitCare has been working towards making wellbeing central to all its programs. It is part of a repositioning that will enable our consumers to have more care choices, while ensuring their emotional, social and physical wellbeing is paramount.

Already, the SummitCare tagline has been changed to ‘Warmth Worth Wellbeing’. A steering committee has been hard at work analysing the impact of the change of focus from care and medical practices to looking at consumers in a holistic sense – as people with personal preferences and individual interests.

Dr Irene Stein has headed the committee since its inception,

gathering about 30 SummitCare staff representing all work categories from kitchen employees to managers. The committee was charged with conceptualising a Wellbeing Framework, determining how processes could change to fi t within it, and exploring a future as a wellbeing-focused organisation.

“They were enthusiastic, happy, committed, and they worked very hard between meetings,” Irene says of the committee members.

“It was a very collaborative model.”

Centre rollout

In recent months a roadshow was held at all our centres, during which the Wellbeing Framework was launched to staff. The presentation provided insights from SummitCare’s senior leadership team on the journey of the organisation; changes in the legislative environment and sector; and Summit-Care’s values and wellbeing strategy.

Carla Beheram, Manager Special Projects, has been an important and active member of the steering committee.

Carla says the roadshow received a very positive response, and SummitCare centres now proudly display beautifully designed posters outlining the Wellbeing Framework. Staff have also been issued with

The road to wellbeing

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Into the future

It may take a couple of years for SummitCare staff to fully integrate wellbeing into their work practices, according to Carla.

“What we’d like to see at the end is that people are viewing our consumers’ wellbeing in everything they do and looking at all of the aspects that can lead to wellbeing and giving that consideration when they’re providing care.”

Irene agrees, stating consumer-directed care is the way of the future. SummitCare’s wellbeing focus and framework will ensure it remains a progressive organisation.

“I think it’s a two to three-year project, because from now every single piece of paper that talks about what we do has to be reviewed and placed into that framework,” Irene says.

“And the ongoing work of the wellbeing steering group will be to check all those procedures and policies and forms, and anything that we write about wellbeing.”

And the ultimate outcome?

“That there is an absolute renewal of our demonstrated commitment and what we do for people – and we put it all around wellbeing and enablement. That’s the aim and that’s got to be the outcome.”

pocket cards they can carry, outlining behaviours to promote wellbeing in line with organisational values.

“It talks about our vision and our culture and breaks down exactly the behaviours that are expected of them in their job,” Carla says.

Wellbeing brochures are also being produced for staff and consumers.

From here, steering committee members will also be the champions of the Wellbeing Framework, promoting the structure and leading by example.

Carla says more communication strategies will be used, “helping people understand our Wellbeing Framework and how it changes what they do from day to day”.

She wants to pay tribute to Sue Smith, Group Manager – Care & Lifestyle, for being a key wellbeing driver, and to the commitment of all members of the steering committee.

Wellbeing Steering Committee

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Personal preferences

• Inclusive

• Negotiation

• Communication

• Honesty and respect

• Advocacy

• Choice

• Personal growth

• Safety

• Privacy and dignity

• Optimism

• Problem solving

• Diversity

• Supportive environment

Optimal health

• Positive and deliverable

• Inputs from allied health team

• Financial security

• Physical environment

• Honesty and trust

• Facilitation / advocacy

• Good nutrition and hydration

• Resilience

• Variety and choice

• Cultural diversity

• Education and health promotion

• Re-enablement –empowerment and maximize independence

• Personal networks

• Complete clinical assessment

• Spirituality

Meaningful activities

• Creative

• Positive relationships

• Community connections

• Positive communication

• Promotes / safeguards physical and mental health

• Problem solving

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• Acknowledgment of past

Environment

• Safety

• Food service

• Cleaning

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Your wellbeing is our focus

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Fire alarms have been sounding across SummitCare recently. Fortunately, it’s all in the name of safety precautions, with our emergency and fi re safety advisor, Emcorp Group, rolling out a series of exercises to keep staff prepared.

Matthew Franklin of Emcorp describes one surprise evacuation exercise using simulated conditions. This involves a smoke machine and ‘Fred’, the rescue dummy, and ensures our staff use the skills they learn during the Fire Awareness and First Attack Fire Fighting sessions they attend each year:

It’s 9.35 on a Tuesday morning at SummitCare. The staff are busy attending to the needs of the

residents when suddenly the fi re alarm sounds and the smoke doors close. The staff rush to the fi re board to ascertain the area responsible for the alarm and investigate.

When they open the door after checking for heat, they are confronted by a thick layer of smoke. The care staff quickly enter the room and evacuate ‘Fred’ using the blanket drag technique [due to smoke inhalation, Fred is unable to evacuate himself] and drag him to safety while another staff member stands by with an extinguisher and prevents entry to unauthorised persons.

This example shows how the new initiative SummitCare is undertaking with Emcorp Group allows our staff to experience a situation as close to a real fi re event as possible, without putting anyone in real danger.

Matthew says during these exercises staff become prepared for the emotional reality of an emergency situation “and they have proven that they are capable of thinking on their feet and are able to deal with those critical fi rst moments before the emergency services arrive”.

“The lessons learnt from these exercises can be now be focused on during future training sessions, such as correct door entry technique, practising the blanket drag to ensure it is performed correctly should they

Prepared for emergencies

Fire evacuation exercise

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need to use it on an actual resident,” he says.

“The more exercises such as these that are undertaken help to ensure that the staff do not get complacent and act instinctively, treating all alarms as real emergencies.”

The drills complement the retrofi tting of fi re sprinklers, a project SummitCare is currently undertaking.

John Engeler, SummitCare Group Manager Accommodation Services, says the requirement for retrofi tting came about largely as a result of the Quakers Hill fi re, in which a number of elderly residents of an aged care facility in Sydney’s west lost their lives in a deliberately lit blaze.

“Tests later showed loss of life would have been less had sprinklers been installed,” John says.

“This tragedy saw the NSW Government introduce new policy requiring sprinklers to be installed in existing aged care facilities.”

Newer facilities, such as our Wallsend centre, already provide them.

“Eight of our facilities will be required to have sprinklers installed, however SummitCare well anticipated this response as part of its own commitment to industry leadership, best practice and outstanding

product offering,” John says.

SummitCare has begun the process of installation two sites at a time, with our Liverpool 173 and Waverley sites due to begin installation this year , well exceeding government requirements.

Fire awareness tips for residents and families

• Be aware of your closest emergency exits, which may be different to the way you normally leave the centre.

• Know where your assembly area is.

• Be aware and know how to identify hazards such as obstructed exits.

• Check your surroundings if you hear a fi re alarm, and listen for announcements.

• Understand that when the fi re alarms sound the smoke doors close. These doors are designed to create compartments and to contain fi re and smoke. They do not lock.

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Website at your service for aged care queries

A new government website is helping families navigate the maze of aged care services and issues in Australia.

Called My Aged Care, the site helps deliver reliable and up-to-date information to older people, their families and carers on government-funded aged care services. It also provides referrals for assessment and service provision.

The fi rst stage of the My Aged Care initiative started on July 1 with the rollout of the website and a national contact centre. These initiatives are designed to provide one point of entry for Australians to access clear, consistent and reliable aged care information. The contact centre allows

people to speak directly to a consultant to discuss aged care services and problems.

The website provides a range of information, including types of aged care support available, options for aged care homes, advice for carers and assistance for people trying to fi nd a service. It also lists a range of case studies detailing the experiences of older people as they manage their health and care needs in the twilight of their lives.

More tools and services will progressively be added to the My Aged Care service, including a residential care fee estimator for those considering moving into an aged care home. For those wanting to stay in their own home, the site already has information about likely fees for services people may need. From next year, a central client record system will operate, meaning people’s details will be recorded so they do not have to keep retelling their story every time they call a My Aged Care consultant.

The website and national contact centre are components of the Living Longer Living Better aged care reform package the Australian Government is backing to help give people more choice, more control and easier access to a range of aged care services.

For more details, call 1800 200 422 or visit www.myagedcare.gov.au

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Media spotlight on Randwick

SummitCare Randwick has recently received positive attention from major Australian media outlets for its use of humour therapy via its weekly Play Up program.

Under the headline ‘Laughter and music better than drugs for dementia patients’, the Sydney Morning Herald ran an article in August – and an online video piece – highlighting SummitCare Randwick’s participation in the program. ABC radio later picked up the story about how actors are entertaining residents with sing-alongs and other performances via Play Up, which is run by the Arts Health Institute.

The Herald’s interest follows the publication of the results of a three-year study by the Sydney Multisite Intervention of LaughterBosses and ElderClowns (SMILE) as part of a residential care trial, which involved our Randwick centre.

The results, published in the respected British Medical Journal, indicate that weekly clown and actor visits – plus the training of staff members to provide humour therapy – signifi cantly reduces agitation among residents.

Barry Cowling, Operations Manager at SummitCare Randwick, says the Herald

article has produced positive feedback.

“A lot of people saw it. It was actually syndicated to a regional newspaper and ran in that as well,” he says.

“Following up from that we’ve had a couple of enquiries for further articles – and someone from ABC National came out and put together a program for radio, too.”

Barry says the most pleasing part of the media attention is that it is raising awareness of other forms of therapy “that are just as benefi cial in the management of dementia symptoms as many pharmacological interventions”.

He says it also highlights SummitCare’s philosophy of providing a happy environment for residents and employees.

“My philosophy has always been about having fun,” he says. “The biggest thing I’ve learned from the SMILE study and the Play Up program is giving people permission to have fun and engage with residents on that level.”

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Journal. This study formed the basis of Play Up.

Randwick also participated in The Smile Within, a documentary that chronicled the study’s fi nal weeks and was broadcast on the ABC’s Compass program in March 2012, watched by 270,000 households. And SummitCare CEO Cynthia Payne is chair of the Arts Health Institute.

Maggie Heartsch, CEO of the Arts Health Institute, commends Cynthia, stating she “has a real vision around what’s needed to improve aged care services in a very sustainable way”, while understanding the value of play in aged care.

As a result of SummitCare’s involvement, Play Up is having a positive impact on the lives of its residents and staff.

“It improves mood and for people with dementia it reduces agitation,” Maggie says.

“What’s really important about the program is it’s not just about a performer coming to visit. It’s also about the staff working with performers as a team. The staff learn lots of skills around creative engagement that fosters a greater connection with the person.”

Play it AgainHumour therapy is changing lives at SummitCare

Making play a vital part of every day is continuing to pay dividends across SummitCare for residents, staff and families.

Play Up, a humour therapy program, has now been integrated into all our centres. Run by the Arts Health Institute, the initiative sees specially trained actors visit our centres each week to creatively engage with residents, mentor staff and boost happiness through play.

SummitCare was an early adopter of this groundbreaking program, with our Randwick centre involved in the SMILE Study – t he results of which were published in the British Medical

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Making Connections

Jean-Paul Bell sees this connection up close. As Creative Director of the Arts Health Institute he performs in the Play Up program around Australia, and spent months at SummitCare Randwick during the SMILE study.

“The social engagement through the Play Up connection provoked a response that staff had not seen previously and that’s what’s encouraged them, in turn, to carry on with that,” he says.

“My personal philosophy is there’s early childhood development and there’s also late life development in elders. Everybody has potential to improve in terms of their social skills and connection and creativity at any age, and SummitCare really picks up on that.”

The Play Up program is also having quite an impact on the broader Australian aged care sector, and is currently in more than 70 facilities across fi ve states.

Jean-Paul says he would like to see it go global, and it is already attracting overseas interest.

“I see being in care as the last leg of a glorious journey – it’s like the last leg of a lifetime cruise. And it should be really the most enjoyable part of your life.”

He and Maggie stress that Play Up is an important tool for staff, one that can improve their self-esteem.

“Sometimes staff think that Play Up’s not for them because they’re not funny,” Maggie says.

“But you don’t actually have to be funny to have a playful attitude to the way in which you work. Playfulness really creates a whole different energy and culture.”

Proof of the program’s success is evident in the many breakthroughs – formerly silent residents bursting into song; residents laughing simply because staff are laughing; families thrilled to see their relative’s engagement during the fi nal part of their life.

“There’s a really important connection that happens in play and it just changes everything. It changes the way people see you. It makes everything seem so hopeful or full of joy for that moment. It’s quite emotional,” Maggie says.

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SummitCare holds an Annual Recognition Event to reward staff who have outshone in performance excellence and completed work-related education courses, and to celebrate staff anniversaries.

Summit Star is SummitCare’s staff recognition program and is now in its 7th year. The program rewards staff who have shone in four categories: Exceptional Care & Service, Upholding our Culture, Leadership in Action and Outstanding Teamwork.

With the repositioning of our brand came the launch of the new Summit Star categories: The Chairman’s Award for Innovation, Excellence in Achieving Resident Wellbeing, Living Our Values and Leadership in Action.

SummitCare St Marys hosted the event and entertainment was provided by Australian Health Institute’s Play Up Performers.

Summit Star Major Category Winners

All Major Category nominees were rewarded with a trophy, certifi cate and voucher to thank them for their dedication in performance excellence.

The nominees were:

Exceptional Care & Service - Niles Kumar, Liverpool 173

Leadership in Action - Stephen Zhao, Wallsend

Upholding our Culture - Roslyn Pulham, Penrith

Supplier Commendation Award Nominees

Staff who were nominated and stood out in performance excellence received a Summit Star Commendation Award.

Thank you to all of our sponsors: Medclean, All Facilities Services, Hartmanns, BUNZL and Waratah Lawncare for sponsoring our commendation awards.

Recognition of our staff

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The nominees were:

Exceptional Care & Service - Debbie Stone, St Marys

Exceptional Care & Service - Claire Torreno, St Marys

Leadership in Action - Sue Brown, Smithfi eld

Leadership in Action - Jenny Coupe, Wallsend

Upholding our Culture - Melissa Smith, Wallsend

Most Outstanding Centre Award

The centre who has the best performance record within the fi nancial year is recongised with the ‘Most Outstanding Centre Award’.

SummitCare utilises Scoretrak, an online performance tool that manages

the core areas of performance measurement within each centre.

Congratulations to SummitCare Canley Vale for achieving this award!

Managers Choice Award

Each Operations Manager selects from their staff a person who they believe has upheld SummitCare’s vision and values.

The staff members awarded were:

Canley Vale - Nirupa KumarLiverpool - Niles KumarLiverpool - Janina MaleckiPenrith - Kylie ChattoSmithfi eld - Elmer GomezRandwick - Rasmay SomSt Marys - Claire TorrenoWallsend - Lisa BartlettWaverley - Maila Rodriguez

Congratulations to all who received recognition for education and performance excellence on the day!

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Summit Star Major Winners: (L to R) Exceptional Care & Service - Niles Kumar. Absent from photos: Leadership in Action - Stephen Zhao; Upholding our Culture - Roslyn Pulham. Summit Star Commendation Winners: Exceptional Care & Service - Claire Torreno; Exceptional Care & Service - Debbie Stone; Leadership in Action - Sue Brown. Absent from photos: Upholding our Culture - Melissa Smith. Most Outstanding Aged Care Centre - SummitCare Canley Vale.

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Summit News - November 2013 Summit News - November 2013 Summit News - January 2014

Managers Choice Award Winners: (L to R)Rasmay Som - Randwick; Elmer Gomez - Smithfi eld; Claire Torreno - St Marys; Niles Kumar - Liverpool; Janina Malecki - Liverpool; Maila Rodriguez - Waverley; Nirupa Kumar - Canley Vale; Kylie Chatto - Penrith. Absent from photos: Lisa Bartlett - Wallsend.

January 2014 - Summit News

OUR VISION

By striving for excellence in all that we do, SummitCare is professional, respectful and supportive in caring for our aged community as if they were our family.

OUR PURPOSETo enable wellbeing, all day every day, for people requiring aged care.

OUR CREDO

We are people providing care and service to people.

OUR VALUES W – Be welcoming at all times

to residents and guests.

O – Be obliging and willing to learn.

R – Be respectful.

T – Demonstrate teamwork with your colleagues.

H – Be honest with yourself, residents and colleagues.

Recognising our sponsors

206/2-8 Brookhollow Avenue Baulkham Hills NSW 2153PO Box 6684 Baulkham Hills BC NSW 2153P (02) 9398 4000 F (02) 8850 8530E [email protected]

Documents

SUM5990 Quarterly Newsletter-Template AW · Already, the SummitCare tagline has been changed to ‘Warmth Worth Wellbeing’. ... In recent months a roadshow was held at all our centres,