From March 2019 to June 2020 Ananda partnered with Dementia Training Australia to provide a Tailored Training Package for staff. The success of this initiative is seen in four publications in the Australian Journal of Dementia Care (AJDC) which are accessible below. Please take the time to read and understand what Ananda is aiming for in this key area of care.
Any staff member who is in contact with residents with dementia is required to have the skills, knowledge and attitude to commuicate with and meet the needs of residents living with dementia. Ananda has provided enormous opportunities for staff to develop these skills to the level of their role and we will be assessing staff to this level from now onwards.
Further face to face and online training will be made available, in the meantime the Resident Focused Care Model and Ananda Resident Focused Dementia Care course are available on Ananda Academy. These provide the minimum level required by staff.
During December we will be asking all night staff carers and nurses to complete the DTA course ‘Bedtime to Breakfast’ during work time and as a team to develop some continuous improvements for roll out on nights shifts during 2021.
We continue to seek dementia care champions to drive forward our ability to meet the needs of our residents and families.
We are keen to work with residents or representatives to improve individualised meaningful activity for all residents and we welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Click the link below to see Survey:
NOTE: This is a survey for Residents and Representatives ONLY. It is not a staff survey and responses from staff will be discarded.
https://us4.list-manage.com/survey?u=fff5c2ebac73147bcce7f3055&id=26b55c8c09
This post will also be emailed to representatives on our e-letter Mailchimp list.
The 3 surveyors spent all day talking to residents, representatives, staff and management about the care and services at Ananda Aged Care Findon and stated how satisfied all were. A report was sent quickly afterwards showing an in depth analysis of 3 requirements in 3 different Standards. We were rated as Met in all 3 and there were almost no negative comments, the only issue on the day relating to call bells for one resident, who has a high volume of calls and in general is answered within our benchmark 8 minutes.
Congratulations and thank you to the entire team, it was an expected result and in many ways does not reflect the quality of care we provide on a daily basis and with the backdrop of the pandemic. The surveyors were very interested to hear of innovations such as our DTA and other dementia training, publication in AJDC three times with a fourth to come, the Staff Blog, Ananda Academy and splitting the home into zones to protect against COVID, as well as our recent 360 degree review process and First 100 Days Onboarding. They received feedback that staff were kind, residents felt safe, and staffing levels were good. Staff were able to talk about our policies and training they had done, as well as the Staff Blog communications.
Dr Goel visited Findon on Wednesday 19th August 2020 to thank staff, so well done to all staff who are now encouraged to maintain and improve on this performance which was fully expected given the ongoing excellent morale and teamwork at Findon.
Thank you to our residents, families and representatives for your ongoing support and understanding of the current restrictions.
We retain our 4 Dots compliance rating.
7/8/20
This morning our Board has made the decision to introduce mandatory face masks by Monday 10th August for all staff and visitors into our homes. We will be doing this proactively and to err on the side of caution at this uncertain time. This direction will be reviewed ongoing based on SA Health advice and transmission rates.
We will have more information on our website and at front reception for exceptions and procedure.
Please reconsider visiting loved ones at this time to help keep our vulnerable community safe.
You can book in a Skype or Facetime call with our staff. If you choose to visit please reduce the duration, frequency and maintain strict hand hygiene and social distancing, following advice from our staff.
Most of all, if you are at all unwell, no matter how mild the symptoms please refrain from entering our homes. We rely on you to help keep everyone safe and healthy.
Today is Aged Care Employee Day and we know you will join us in recognising the dedication and commitment of our Ananda staff.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Registered Nurse on site 24/7 or our Head Office during business hours Phone: 8262 5020 should you require any further information or clarification.
Lastly, we extend our thoughts to you all at this time, please take care and we thank you for your cooperation at this time.
Kind Regards
Karen Daniels-Goddard
Director of Nursing, Ananda Aged Care
Image: All staff are being trained in use of PPE
Ananda Aged Care’s Board of Directors is currently monitoring the COVID19 Pandemic situation in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and considering its potential effects in South Australia.
We continue to take practical steps to plan for and mitigate risks that are posed by COVID19 to our vulnerable elderly residents. You will notice that we have ongoing monitoring, communication and reminders for visitors into our home in order to maintain hygiene and social distancing. Our clinical staff continue to lead the entire workforce with infection control training including drills and risk management.
We rely on your vigilance, cooperation and attention to procedures within our homes to keep our community safe and healthy. Please also reconsider the number of visits and trips to and from our homes and please be mindful of the location and length of visitation at this difficult time.
We will keep you informed of any changes or restrictions should they be in place, and please be aware that these will be recognizing the vulnerabilities within residential aged care as is the current Victorian experience. Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow Australians interstate who are currently experience a harrowing and challenging time.
We have made a video which explains the safety checks at our Findon home in English and Italian and invite feedback as to whether visitors would prefer to view the 2 minute video on arrival and sign that they will not enter the home if not permitted. You will then just have to have a temperature check and wash your hands.
The entry checks at Hope Valley are very similar and the questions the same.
We would locate the video on an iPad on a stand at reception with temperatre checking and hand sanitiseing facilties close by.
Please complete the quick poll at the bottom of this post if you have feedback. Thank you.
Con i controlli di entrata che probabilmente continueranno per qualche tempo, stiamo esplorando come possiamo adempiere ai nostri obblighi e accelerare il processo. Abbiamo realizzato un video che spiega i controlli di sicurezza nella nostra casa Findon in inglese e italiano e invitiamo a fornire feedback sul fatto che i visitatori preferirebbero vedere il video di 2 minuti all’arrivo e firmare che non entreranno nella casa se non sono ammessi . Dovrai solo fare un controllo della temperatura e lavarti le mani. Posizioneremmo il vidoe su un iPad su uno stand alla reception con controllo della temperatura e strutture per l’igiene delle mani nelle vicinanze. Se hai un feedback, completa il sondaggio rapido di seguito. Grazie.
COVID-19 has presented us with many challenges and over the coming months I look forward to working with you all as we navigate our way through this testing time. Our workplace has changed and we must continue to work together to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our residents in our care while safeguarding all staff. We are so proud of all staff for their commitment and dedication – they are all ANANDA STARS!!!!
Whilst the real threat of COVID-19 may still be present as restrictions ease, the reality is we must tread carefully for at least the next 6 months to ensure the protection of our vulnerable residents.
Compliance, safety and the wellbeing of our residents and staff continues to be our main focus and for this reason the following changes will be implemented for the next six (6) months. We will continue to maintain resident quality of life, the new standards and resident focused model of care that supports best practice in culturally appropriate services and an efficient and supportive workplace for our staff.
I will continue to be based at Hope Valley and be responsible for:
Michael Page will continue to be based at Findon and be responsible:
Both Michael and myself will work together to ensure all staff are supported in the provision of quality care and service delivery. In the event there is a Commission visit both Michael and I will be on site – please call us.
Kamal Verma (Hospitality Manager), Linda Merylees (Organisational Concierge), VinceNisco (Maintenance), Jenny Crowther (Finance), and Deepti Sudhir (People Performance and Culture Business Partner) will continue to work across sites providing support to residents and staff.
Dear Families and Friends,
It was with great excitement that we heard last Friday’s announcement that further restrictions have been eased including welcoming back children under the age of 16 back into our homes to visit their grandparents and great grandparents. Having visitors of all ages will increase the energy and joy within our homes.
The other exciting news is that after months of isolation the SA Emergency Management Plan (Form 5) now permits residents to leave their home and then return, regardless of the reason they are leaving. Upon their return, they will be required to undertake our COVID-19 site entry screening checklist including a temperature check.
We will continue to monitor all residents for COVID-19 symptoms including regular temperature checks. All staff working at Ananda are still required to participate in the site entry requirements at the commencement of their shift.
Visiting hours at Hope Valley will continue to be Monday – Sunday between 1-5pm., and Monday to Friday 1-5pm and weekends 1-3pm at Findon, with a limit of one visit per day of up to two people. The government has removed the requirement of short duration visits, however social distancing must still take place.
We also welcome our families now able to visit from Tasmania, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland without having to quarantine for 14 days on arrival (unless they transit in other States).
It is still a government requirement that all visitors including children must provide evidence of the current flu vaccination. Babies under the age of 6 months are exempt.
We will continue to remain vigilant, practice social distancing and hand hygiene practices to keep us all safe.
These are welcome changes are we move towards the ‘new normal’. Thank you all for your support and patience as we navigate through these challenging times. The well-being and safety of all residents and staff is our highest priority.
We are striving, in changing times, to be the best we can be for our residents, families and staff.
In this video we asked resident of Ananda Findon, Gerry Holton, how things were going after 3 months of the COVID-19 emergency.
It is a testimonial as to why we believe Ananda Findon is the best small home in Adelaide and is just like a big family!
In 2019 Ananda had 3 papers published in the Australian Journal of Dementia Care (AJDC) and continuously attempts to improve its training and education around dementia to improve care.
We would like to recommend to all staff, representatives and relatives of residents with dementia that the Wicking Institute at the University of Tasmania runs regular, free, online courses on dementia topics.
In July it runs its highly popular and informative online MOOC (Massive Opn Online Course) on Understanding Dementia.
This can be taken in your own time on your device. We encourage representatives to consider it so they can be more directly involved in a collaborative approach to dementia care at Ananda.
click here for more information and to enrol:
I agree with how Ananda has responded to the COVID-19 emergency | 2 (4%) | 4 (8%) | 12 (23%) | 34 (65%) | |
I agree with the policies for visits | 3 (6%) | 3 (6%) | 4 (8%) | 12 (23%) | 30 (58%) |
I have been informed about changes that have taken place | 2 (4%) | 2 (4%) | 16 (31%) | 32 (62%) | |
I am confident in Ananda’s infection prevention measures | 2 (4%) | 3 (6%) | 16 (31%) | 31 (60%) | |
I am confident Ananda staff carry out correct infection prevention practices | 1 2% | 2 4% | 3 6% | 18 35% | 28 54% |
Social distancing is being well managed | 2 (4%) | 4 (8%) | 19 (37%) | 27 (52%) | |
There is enough hand washing facilities and hand sanitiser for staff and visitors | 2 (4%) | 4 (8%) | 16 (31%) | 30 (58%) | |
There is enough information about COVID-19 | 2 (4%) | 2 (4%) | 1 (2%) | 12 (23%) | 35 (67%) |
Ananda has worked collaboratively with residents and visitors and we have begun to increase our visiting hours, and have always been flexible to the needs of individual families. We are very pleased that the response to our survey was so positive and the overall satisfaction with our COVID-19 response is currently 91% with 52 responses.
It is extremely difficult to ensure all residents are visitors are satisfied in an emergency situation where Ananda must protect the safety of all residents, staff and visitors though where people are not happy we aim to come to n agreed solution.
If residents or representatives remain unsatisfied with Ananda’s response OPAN has an advocacy helpline facility which is available to families and also to providers who wish to discuss issues in relation to visiting on 1800 237 981, 6am-10pm (AEST) 7 days a week.
This will allow residents and representatives to see how we train our staff, monitor that our training is translated into practice, and allow feedback on additional education they feel would be helpful. The first courses we hope to make available are Infection Prevention and Control, and Minimal Use of Restraint. While we create this portal we are able to provide some information here which may be helpful for residents, representatives or visitors to Ananda, and which we request all visitors wishing to assist with meal support for their loved ones carries out so we can ensure you protect yourself and residents and staff from cross infection.
All visitors must take care to wash their hands on entry and exit to Ananda, after visiting the bathroom and before putting on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and after taking it off.
Please go to the training page of our supplier Ecolab by clicking this link and scrolling to the hand washing video:
We request all visitors wash their hands in warm water and soap as in the video, and this will need to be repeated frequently for longer duration visits and where you are assisting meals.
Our staff use PPE as per the signage on each room and for residents with no known infection and who are not showing any symptoms we use Standard Precautions. Gloves and masks are only worn where there is risk to the staff member eg through urine, faeces or blood splash. Hand hygiene following the ‘5 moments for hand hygiene’ is required. Staff would don PPE such as mask, gown and goggles if the level was raised to Contact Precautions (eg for scabies) or Droplet Precautions (COVID-19, influenza etc).
For visitors we currently request that PPE for Standard Precautions is used. We will review these requests regularly and in line with community cases of COVID-19 and influenza.
The correct use of PPE is vital to stop cross infection in the home. PPE in this case primarily protects the resident from the person wearing PPE and we ask visitors who are not socially distancing (because they are assisting with meals), to wear a mask and gloves correctly, and to take off and dispose of them correctly. We will provide plastic aprons also. We are taking those precaution for the resident and visitor’s safety due to the extended close contact involved with assisting with meals. Contact should be kept to a minimum needed to help the resident.
We would not usually request the resident wears a mask. If the resident had symptoms and required a mask themselves we would not allow visitors to assist with meals or be within 1.5 metres at that time.
It is important to take off (doff) PPE correctly and dispose of it correctly or potential COVID-19 or influenza droplets on the PPE may contaminate you, and you spread it in the home or outside in the community. Always wash your hands immediately after doffing PPE and dispose of the PPE in an infection control bin at the room – not in general waste bins and do not walk through the home with PPE, it must be disposed of as close to the room as possible.
We also expect you do not come into the home if you feel unwell at all, and if you have a temperature above 37.5 degrees you cannot enter and should have a COVID-19 swab. You must have an influenza vaccination in our records, and we cannot allow entry to anyone under 16 year of age.
If you have not yet completed our survey on how we are doing regarding COVID-19 response you can do so below. Thank you!
Our staff have done a fantastic job under challenging circumstances and we continue to train and educate staff on infection prevention and control best practice. The image above shows Avneet, a carer at Findon who is currently doing her Enrolled Nursing Student placement with us, undergo a competency check for use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and outbreak management. All nurses will continue to be trained and will monitor and coach heir teams in protecting themselves and our residents in the event of an outbreak. We hope we don’t need to effect our plans, but we cannot be complacent at this stage despite the optimism in South Australia.
Our management teams have continued to meet via video Zoom link and we provide virtual visits for families and residents via FaceTime and Skype. We are exploring whether in future Zoom meetings could be used for resident and representative forums so distant visitors could be included.
As we open up our homes to visitors this weekend and for Mother’s Day we are continuing to work hard to provide meaningful engagement for all residents, and residents move around parts of the homes whilst socially distancing from others.
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We have recently carried out a staff survey which received 114 responses, which you can see in the graphic below. Over 95% of staff stated they felt well informed about COVID-19; felt supported by their team and management; 74% felt confident to look after a resident with COVID-19 Staff and 70% stated they would come to work if there was a COVID-19 outbreak. WE believe the results would be higher still if we repeated the survey as staff were concerned about school closures and looking after vulnerable family members at home, and further training has taken place since the survey.
We are currently running another survey on how we are doing in the COVID-19 emergency and 44 staff, residents and representatives have responsed so far. The results, shown in the graphics below, are very pleasing.
Respondents were asked how they felt about a range of questions regarding management of the emergency.
The the vast majority agreed or strongly agreed with Ananda’s response; with the visits policies; that they had been informed about changes; that they were confident with infection prevention measures;
The vast majority agreed or strongly agreed that they were confident staff carry out infection prevention measures; that social distancing is being practised; that hand hygiene is being practised and there is enough hand sanitiser around the homes and that there is enough information about COVID-19.
We still invite responses and the respondents who had negative scores will be contacted if they left a name and contact details (the survey can be completed anonymously).
There was some difference of opinion on visits, with 16 people wanting no visits at all; 25 wanted short visits as per our curent policy, and 3 people wanted visits only for family members who assisted with meals.
Clearly it is impossible to meet everyone’s needs on visits and Ananda has constantly discussed and communicated its policy, which has been to mitigate the safety of all residents and staff against the flexibility for families to maintain as normal contact as possible in the circumstances. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Finally, we asked how we are doing overall and the average response was 9.1 out of 10 or a 91% satisfaction with management of the emergency so far. 41 out of 44 responses rated 7/10 or higher. One rated 4 out of 10 and 2 people rated 6 out of 10. The overwhelming majority rated 10 out of 10.
This is very satisfying and rewards our ongoing consultation and planning with our residents and families and our staff. However, as we mark 75 years since VE (Victory in Europe Day) it is fitting to remember the words of Sir Winston Churchill about D-Day, which might equally be true of COVID-19 today:
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. Its is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”