The Positive Living in Aged Care Awards were held in Sydney this week.
Aged care facilities in Katoomba, Killara and Hamlyn Terrace received first prize in their respective category, for their award-winning mental health and wellbeing projects.
The big winner of the day was the intergenerational program concept. Half of the competition’s finalists were recognised for their work in challenging age-related boundaries.
UnitingCare Ageing’s Starrett Lodge in Hamlyn Terrace won an award for its intergenerational project which links residents with local mother and baby groups.
The lodges’ project aimed to encourage meaningful interaction between young and old for the benefit of resident and child alike.
Clinical nurse consultant Ms Merl said before starting the project it was common for the cognitively aware residents to fear the dementia unit. But the program changed these perceptions.
“When they talk to babies and children, no matter how severe their dementia is, it shows that they are still normal and are still people.”
Ms Merl said she has a permanent smile on her face for the whole hour and a half session.
“I come out [from the session] and my face hurts from smiling. I hope that someone brings me a baby when I am in aged-care. I really do.”
The awards were developed by the NSW Health Older People’s Mental Health Working Group and judged by both the Aged and Community Services Association NSW & ACT (ACS) and Aged Care Association (ACAA) NSW.
The other winners were:
Killara Gardens Pathways Aged Care in Killara, and Anita Villa Riviera Health in Katoomba
The runners-up awards went to:
Mt Carmel House – Catholic Care of the Aged in Port Macquarie, Macquarie Care Centre – Catholic Healthcare in Bathurst, and Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Homes in Randwick.
What are your thoughts on this programme? Have any nurses working in Aged Care seen these preconceptions towards dementia unit patients? either from the community or other patients?
Image credit: Izzard, DerBettler.
Source: Australia Ageing Agenda.
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I’m sure the Program won it’s award for a reason, however, I have a negative comment, as a ‘warning’.
I would also want to be thinking of the welfare of the children / babies, taken into a ‘dementia’ ward / wing of an Aged Care facility.
It’s a great idea, but too many risks.
Dementia Units often have very challenging behaviours with the residents. These include assaults and attacks on staff and other residents, and visitors as well.
Would you consent to having YOUR baby taken into a Dementia Unit, to be handled by the residents? I know, I would not.
Have I misread this ?? Is this what the Program was about? Allowing the residents of Dementia Units to HANDLE the baby, or just look at the baby ??
I looked at the photo supplied with the story, and to me, it looks like a resident holding the baby ??? ( maybe an older nurse, maybe not )
When I’m In Charge, I take into account, the ‘mood’ of the Unit ( this goes for Dementia or other Psych. ), and if too much activity is occurring – IE., aggression / agitation, I say it’s not a good time to visit the Unit.
Visitors can be taken to another area, where it is safe, in order to visit their relative / friend, or even that’s it’s not a good time to visit that person fullstop !!
I once had a new mum bring her newborn into an adult locked psych. unit. I was aware of incidents earlier that day, and that several patients were unsettled. I asked the woman to take her baby off the ward, as it was not safe to be here with a baby at this particular time. I had to explain it a few times, in order for the woman to understand what I was talking about. She seemed shocked, that there ‘could’ be aggression on a psych. ward ??? and that her baby could be actually knocked out of her hands.
So, what I’m saying, is that there would need to be some pretty tight restrictions and controls in such a Program. Again, I say, think of the children’s position. Do you really want to expose a young child to an Aged Care facility ???