Eldercare's position on aged care matters
Eldercare has strong positions on many aged care matters, many of which impact the broader South Australian aged care sector.
Eldercare has an AI policy that aims for AI technologies to be used responsibly, transparently, and in a manner that aligns with our organisational values and legal obligations.
Eldercare acknowledges that AI can have a positive impact on productivity, efficiency and decision making and it is transforming many industries. Eldercare is now using AI in several areas of the business under controlled conditions.
Eldercare promotes an environment that focuses on person-centred, restraint-free strategies, rather than medication, to assist residents that are experiencing serious agitation or distress.
Relevant eldercare employees have been trained in non-pharmacological strategies to support residents who may experience agitation or distress. Eldercare only supports the use of anti-psychotics as an absolute last resort when all alternatives have been explored or when a resident has been diagnosed with a medical condition that requires this medical treatment. Consent must be given by the resident (if they have capacity to do so) or by the resident’s legal representative before any treatment is provided and under the direction of the resident’s General Practitioner or Medical Specialist.
Eldercare understands that being environmentally responsible is an important part of our business. We are actively reducing our energy and emissions intensity, and other significant environmental impacts. Eldercare also accepts responsibility for supporting our people to take action in caring for our environment.
Eldercare is committed to ensuring that all our aged care homes maintain full registration with the Aged Care Quality & Safety Commission. Eldercare has a strong compliance and quality program across the organisation.
Eldercare is committed to creating a service culture where consumers are actively involved in the decisions that impact their health and wellbeing outcomes. Eldercare has a consumer engagement strategy and plan in place.
Eldercare’s Corporate Governance Framework guides the Board, Executive and Management of Eldercare to ensure that the organisation has the systems and processes in place to achieve the organisation’s purpose, values, and strategic directions and that they are held to account for the achievement of these.
The Eldercare Board has a corporate social responsibility strategy and plan. Corporate social responsibility is acknowledged as being critical for Eldercare to achieve “good governance.” It is acknowledged that Eldercare has a responsibility to be socially and environmentally responsible.
Eldercare is committed to ensuring the health and safety of our residents and employees, as well as the family and friends of our residents, employees and volunteers. When necessary, residents will be cared for in isolation, in their bedrooms, with employees using the required personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect their health and to prevent the transmission of COVID to other residents.
Eldercare acknowledges that cyberbreaches are a significant risk to our business and to our employees and consumers. Eldercare is committed to, and invests in, the security of people’s personal information and data.
Eldercare’s IT Governance Strategy includes a requirement for Eldercare to quickly identify, appropriately respond to and recover from internal IT failures or adverse external events, including cyberbreaches.
Eldercare is committed to provide flexibility to retirees by offering various DMF retentions dependant on contract types. There will be no ‘hidden costs.’
We welcome and respect the diversity that our residents, staff, and volunteers bring to Eldercare. We encourage and expect respectful behaviour from everyone who lives, works, and visits Eldercare. We do not accept any form of behaviour that vilifies or discriminates against someone else based on their beliefs, gender, sexuality, race, or ethnicity.
Eldercare supports our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender diverse, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) residents, staff, and volunteers to ensure they feel welcomed and safe. We are pleased to be accredited under the Rainbow Tick Program.
Eldercare is committed to working in partnership with our residents and their families to ensure that we provide satisfactory responses to concerns raised. Eldercare encourages residents and/ or family members to approach Eldercare in the first instance if they have concerns.
Eldercare is committed to achieving gender equity within our business, we believe that talent is gender neutral. Eldercare has policies and procedures in place to support gender equity. As required by law, Eldercare reports on gender equity indicators each year to the Workplace Gender Equity Agency (WGEA). Eldercare is pleased to report that we are “gender neutral” according to WGEA’s assessment.
All Eldercare sites provide a higher everyday living package to all residents as part of our service offer. Higher everyday living services are services that are above the requirements set out in the Aged Care Act’s services list. Eldercare adheres to the requirements set out in the Aged Care Act rules for the provision and charging fees for these services.
Eldercare’s core business is Residential Aged Care and Retirement Living. Eldercare has made the decision to grow these areas as entering the home care sector now, without being able to build scale quickly, may compromise Eldercare’s success. This position may be reviewed in the future. Eldercare has a strong partnership with Resthaven for the provision of home care services into our Retirement Living Villages.
At Eldercare, we understand the importance that food and dining have in the lives of older people in our care. Our approach emphasises the dining experience, optimal nutrition and hydration, and food safety, ensuring that residents enjoy meals that are not only safe and nutritious but also contribute positively to their overall quality of life. We acknowledge that there is a very close relationship between nutrition, hydration and good health.
Eldercare has developed a food and nutrition approach as a key component of our Model of Care.
We provide our residents, wherever possible, with locally sourced food and drinks that make up a well-balanced diet. This is good for our residents’ health and wellbeing – and good for South Australia.
Eldercare acknowledges that as technology permeates all areas of business operations and that effective IT governance becomes crucial for performance, value creation and risk management.
More importantly sound IT Governance will build consumers trust in Eldercare. Eldercare has an IT Governance Strategy and Technology Roadmap that emphasise how technology can assist Eldercare to achieve its purpose and Strategic Directions.
Eldercare has a strict policy that medications are only administered by Enrolled or Registered Nurses. Eldercare has a strong view that qualified health professionals should be managing medication administration for optimal resident safety and health outcomes.
As an alternative to physical restraint, Eldercare uses a variety of strategies to keep residents safe and to meet their individual needs. We do not use bedrails in any circumstances.
Eldercare has a zero tolerance to any form of elder abuse and takes strong action to prevent this abuse and to support older people who have been abused.
Eldercare has a zero tolerance to any form of violence against women and children. Eldercare is a White Ribbon Accredited workplace and is proud to be part of this international movement aimed at stopping violence against women and children.
Eldercare does not support the view that unqualified care staff should be employed in Aged Care services. Eldercare requires a minimum qualification of certificate III for personal care staff.
Eldercare has always been strongly connected with the Uniting Church in South Australia
Eldercare is guided and motivated by the core values of our organisation (respect, accountability, and connection) and by the Christian principles of the Uniting Church.
Eldercare is a Company Limited by Guarantee so the Uniting Church of Australia, has no ownership of Eldercare’s assets or business, authority or involvement (direct or indirect) in Eldercare’s decision making, control of its management, or implementation of its Objects or its affairs.
Eldercare is open to be involved in research that improves the quality of resident experience the quality of their life or to enhance workforce.
CCTV monitoring can be extremely useful when used appropriately. CCTV devices are placed in various locations around Eldercare residential care homes, e.g., corridors, stairwells, entry/exit doors, carparks. memory support units and shared dining and living areas.
Eldercare has a program to install more CCTV across all our aged care homes’ public areas for safety and security monitoring purposes. Eldercare does not generally support CCTV monitoring of residents in their own bedrooms to protect the privacy and dignity of residents but specific requests to install CCTV in resident rooms will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Chief Executive. Legal requirements must be met before CCTV is installed in resident rooms.
Eldercare supports tertiary students being placed in Aged Care during their courses to complete their “practical” components of their courses.
We are committed to supporting the development of skills and knowledge in the aged care industry’s future workforce by providing exposure to purposeful learning experiences on placement and creating passion for working in the aged care industry.
Eldercare respects the rights of residents to exercise self-determination and autonomous decision making in the delivery of their care, including palliative and end of life care.
Eldercare believes residents should have the right to choose to access all available healthcare options under law, including voluntary assisted dying.
Residents who choose to access voluntary assisted dying will be treated with the same dignity, respect and compassion afforded to all residents throughout their end-of-life journey.
Eldercare is committed to building a professional, qualified and engaged workforce for the sustainability of the aged care sector.
Eldercare has a workforce development strategy which guides us to grow and develop our own workforce. Eldercare provides several scholarships each year to support employees with high potential to complete tertiary education.