Major Award for Queensland Aged Care Home

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2 April 2009

A Brisbane nursing home has won a Better Practice Award for reducing the incidence of devastating falls in its facility.

It is the second Queensland aged care home to secure such an honour and the first in four years.

The project at the Hibernian Nursing Home has reduced the incidence of older residents falling over by 50 per cent in Scarborough since February 2007.

Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot today formally presented the award to Hibernian Nursing Home – which is part of the BallyCara Retirement Living and Aged Care complex.

Mrs Elliot said: “When elderly and frail people fall, it can often results in broken bones, hospitalisation, permanent disability or premature death.”

“The Hibernian Nursing Home is to be commended for such an effective program that helps protect the health and safety of their residents,” Mrs Elliot said.

“Cutting falls by 50 per cent would reduce the number of deaths and injuries; this program makes a real difference.

“It is a real tribute to the staff, managements, residents and family.

“I have visited nursing homes and hostels in every State and Territory and I am always impressed by the innovation and compassion shown by staff in facilities like the Hibernian Nursing Home,” Mrs Elliot said.

The program Active, Independent and Upright includes:

• Organised activity and exercise plans;
• Regulated exposure to the sun to increase Vitamin D levels; and
• Practical measures such as advice on safe footwear.

It has been implemented with the help of staff, residents and family members.

Federal Member for Petrie, Ms Yvette D’Ath said: “It is wonderful to see one of our local aged care homes being recognised at the national level for best practice.”

“The results are impressive,” Ms D’Ath said.

The first Queensland home to receive an Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Better Practice in Aged Care Award was Redland Nursing Home in 2005.

To qualify for the award, a facility must first be fully compliant with all the Australian Government’s Accreditation Standards for two consecutive years.

The facility must also demonstrate the research and feedback that went into the establishment of one of their programs.

“This program has contributed to improving the health, safety and wellbeing of older at the Hibernian Nursing Home,” Mrs Elliot said.

“Encouraging best practice through these awards is just one of the many strategies the Rudd Labor Government has to help continually improve the care residents in our almost 3000 nursing homes across Australia.

The Hibernian Nursing Home opened in September 1992 and has 40 high care places. During 2007-08 the facility received more than $1.7 million in Federal Government subsidies.

“The Federal Government’s financial support for Queensland aged care providers will total $7.4 billion over the next four years,” Mrs Elliot said.

Over the next four years, funding for aged and community care would reach record levels of more than $41 billion – with $29.4 billion of that on nursing homes and hostels alone.

For more information, contact Mrs Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280

 

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