Eldercare Matters Newsletter - Summer 2014-15

“They have the option to changewhat they want – everybody’stastes change,” she says.Angela says that the focus for staffhas moved away from lists andtasks, to asking residents what theywant – and the results have beenpositive for everyone.“We’ve seen weight gains andnot as many residents getting upovernight,” she says.Lee-Anne says the changes havehelped make the facility more‘home-like’ for residents.“They aren’t institutionalised [atmealtimes], they are actually living,rather than waiting to begin theirmeals, waiting for our permission. Itdoesn’t feel like they are dependenton us.”Another important change to thebreakfast routine was to allowresidents to wake when theywished, and make their way to thedining room at their own pace.Residents are generally nowwaking later.“When a person wakes up they caneither have a shower or come downfor breakfast,” Angela says. “So theculture of our residents rising at fiveand six o’clock has changed – theynow rise at 7-7.30am.”Some minor adjustments havebeen required since the changeswere introduced. Some residentswere sleeping very late becausethe blockout curtains made theirrooms too dark.“With the blockout curtains theydon’t get a sense of the time of day.From about 8.30am, staff will go intoa room without waking the residentand pull back the curtains to letthe natural light in, so they’re notsleeping until 12 o’clock, causing awhole new set of issues,” she says.Lee-Anne says initially it wasdifficult for staff to get used to thechanges, as they were used togetting everything done at a certaintime.“Residents are now getting outof bed at 7.30am onwards – thedifference is that those residentscan now feed themselves, becausebefore they were too tired,” shesays.Lee-Anne describes how thechange has been profound for oneresident, who showed little interestin eating breakfast when wokenearly by staff.“I watched him for a long timebeing brought to the breakfast tableat 7.30am. He would just sit there…and just be so disengaged,” sherecalls.Lifestyle staff discovered that theresident was a publican during hisworking life.“Life histories were a very importantpiece of the puzzle,” she says.“No publican gets up at that time ofthe morning!”Staff allowed him to wake naturallyand staff noticed a ‘massive’change in him. “He now wakes at10.30am, feeds himself and is totallyengaged in what is happening. Yougive him the newspaper and he’shappy,” Lee-Anne says.The team at Evanston Park areconstantly reflecting and reevaluatingthe program, but areso encouraged by the positivechanges for staff and residents thatthey are planning to make some ofthe same changes throughout therest of the facility.Staff struggled with the changesat first, but they have noticed thepositive response from residents.Medirest and nursing staff worktogether as a team and assist eachother by multitasking to ensure thatthe residents’ dining experience isenjoyable.Lee-Anne says it was a case ofgetting rid of the tasks and the oldlists“It’s been an effort from every part.It’s been the managers and all staffsupporting this new way. It’s takeneveryone working together to makeit work.”Medirest WinsFood AwardsThe quality of the catering servicesat Eldercare's residential aged carefacilities was acknowledged atthe 2014 Restaurant and CateringSouth Australia Awards forExcellence.Our catering provider, Medirest,won awards in two categories:Best Industrial/Institutional CatererMedirest at EldercareAllambi, GlengowrieBest Site/ContractCatererMedirest at EldercareKirkholme,GoodwoodAbove right: Charles Koetsier – Operations Manager SA / WA – Medirest; Trish Leschen - Regional Manager Central, Eldercare; Linda Matthews -Hospitality Services Manager, Allambi; Susanne Coleman - Residential Site Manager, Allambi; Stacey Matthews - Hospitality Services Manager,Medirest/Allambi13