Eldercare was one of four finalists from across the Asia Pacific region nominated for the Best Dementia Care Philosophy Award which was won by The Salvation Army Aged Care Plus.

Eldercare Chief Executive Jane Pickering said that being a finalist was a ‘great encouragement’ for Eldercare.

“Being a finalist for the award is a testament to the importance of teamwork and I thank the brilliant team at Eldercare for their commitment and dedication to excellence in dementia care,” said Ms Pickering.

“Attending these awards and sitting amongst the ‘best’ dementia care practitioners in the Asia Pacific region inspires us to keep working hard at Eldercare and to transform the lives of residents living with dementia.

“The strategies we have introduced to enhance resident wellbeing are not ‘high tech’ or complex – we’ve made small, sensible changes to our delivery of care which are having profound positive impacts.”

The Dementia Excellence Program embraces a truly person-centred approach and promotes flexibility so residents have as much autonomy as possible to decide how they spend their day.

“We know our care of people living with dementia is successful based on the ongoing positive feedback we receive from families and staff and because our research proves residents are happier and more relaxed,” said Ms Pickering.

Eldercare’s Dementia Excellence Program was created seven years ago and has been introduced at the organisation’s residential aged care facilities across the Greater Adelaide and Yorke Peninsula regions.