Montefiore wins national award for dementia care
Sydney’s Montefiore has gained national recognition with a Better Practice Commendation Award for its Integrated Cognitive and Sensory Program at a ceremony held by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency.
Janine Grossman and Jacki Wesson
The awards program celebrates the dedication of workers and providers in our world-class aged care sector, according to Minister for Aged Care, Ken Wyatt who said: “Each in their own way has created an environment that has led to positive health and wellbeing outcomes for older Australians.”
Accepting the award on behalf of the organisation were Director of Professional Services Janine Grossman, Dementia Specialist/Research Coordinator Dr Jacki Wesson and Board Member Toby Hammerman.
“Supporting our residents and clients to live well with dementia is a key focus for Montefiore,” says Grossman, acknowledging the increasing impact of dementia in the community, where it now affects one in 10 people over the age of 65.”We are in the process of implementing a new Montefiore Dementia Model (MDM), which will incorporate more intimate, home-like environments as well as elements from this program that focuses on behavioural and environmental factors.”
Adds Dr Wesson: “The Integrated Cognitive and Sensory Program has improved staff skills and knowledge to better support residents livingwith dementia, who mayexperiencechanged behaviours, for example, emotional or physicalexpressions of frustration.”
Based on the results of this program,Montefiore conducts its own Living Well with Dementia training for all staff, uses tailored behaviour support pathways for residents and facilitates the development of solution-focused strategies.
Grossman and Wesson also acknowledged the others who contributed to the research, design and implementation of the program, including Professor Henry Brodaty and Lee-Fay Low of the Centre
for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at UNSW, and Montefiore’s Tracey Clark and Sofia Venuti.
