Clinical Excellence
The Autumn Aged Care vision is to be the leading residential aged care service provider in Eastern Suburbs and Morning Peninsula
Our Mission is to provide Excellence - Every Resident - Every Time.
Autumn Aged Care’s core values underpin our priorities and support our vision and mission, they shape our actions and approach and provide safe and flexible residential aged care services. Values: Caring, Clinical Excellence, Quality Improvement, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork
One of these values is Clinical Excellence.
The Autumn Aged Care model of care includes a strong focus on qualified and experienced staff with extensive aged care knowledge.
The Management team includes an Executive Director of Nursing who is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor and Masters degree in Gerontology (Honours) and an Executive Quality and Education Manager, both are nurses with many years of experience in aged care.
Structure of Residential Aged Care Homes at Autumn Aged Care
A Registered nurse is in charge on site 24/7. Lead by a Director of Nursing and Clinical Care Coordinators and supported by an Administration Manager, Quality and Education Coordinator, ACFI Coordinator and Roster Manager for daily operations and the coordination of clinical care.
Our homes consist of separate communities with qualified nurses leading each community along with well trained and supported carers working with a community staffing model that rosters the same staff in the same communities to foster continuity of care.
Our Registered Nurses oversee clinical portfolios as listed below ensuring best practise in clinical care.
- Mobility and Dexterity and Rehabilitation: including falls prevention
- Screening and assessment of falls risks
- Implementation of individual falls prevention strategies
- Medication Management: We are able to offer DNA Testing to test for medication efficacy at no cost to residents. We have an electronic Medication Management System which allows for the safe delivery of medication. With our medical partners we work to avoid polypharmacy.
- Skin care and wound prevention: we assess and monitor skin integrity of all residents. To support this, we employ a 7 day a week dedicated Wound and Skin Integrity Nurse.
- Behaviour Management: including stringent monitoring and reviewing of psychotropic medications. Autumn Aged Care Homes have safe and comfortable secure memory support communities with access to outside courtyards that residents can freely enter and exit.
- Pain Management Programs: in partnership with physiotherapy the Registered Nurses monitor and manage individual resident needs to minimise discomfort.
- Palliative Care Services: all homes have syringe drivers, air mattresses and Registered nurses trained in palliative care.
- Oral and Dental Care: visiting services provides dental treatment on site in a mobile chair, our nurses monitor through regular auditing and inspection of residents oral and dental status. There is a schedule for toothbrush and equipment replacement.
- Counselling and Pastoral Care: Autumn Aged Care employs Pastoral/Counselling services that can be accessed by all stakeholders.
- Specialised Nursing Care: Our registered nurses are trained in catheter and stoma care, diabetes management with ongoing training and development.
- Continence Management: We actively promote continence; each resident is regularly assessed to ascertain toileting and continence aid needs.
- Infection Control Program: We work alongside an infection control consultant and this keeps our organisation updated with best practise in contemporary infection control issues and we actively promote anti-microbial stewardship.
- Nutrition and Hydration: We provide nutritional supplements as recommended by our on-site team of Dietitians and Speech Pathologists.
- Sleep Management: We have a strong focus of providing an environment that is conducive to good sleep conducting regular audits of noise and temperature levels within the environment.
- Sensory Loss: This includes the management of hearing aids, vision and other assistive devices.
These care portfolios ensure a strong focus on clinical excellence with education and training provided to all staff ongoing in a continuous improvement cycle. Equipment and resources are purchased to ensure the highest care delivery is possible that aligns to best practice and evidence. A Personal Care Assistant (PCA) Mentor is employed full time to support all care staff, providing an additional resource on-site for support of education and training.
Care services for speciality areas include:
- Bariatric care, equipment and ceiling hoists provide capacity for bariatric to 250kg.
- Wound Management, digital photography for comprehensive monitor of wounds, external wound consultant engaged as required. Annual wound management training for all care staff.
- Enteral feeding (PEG), competency requirements for education and training met for all nurses.
- Tracheostomy care, competency requirements for education and training met for all nurses. External training and support is provided as required.
- Dementia Care, dementia Australia provide regular education and support. A specific dementia/memory support unit provides care expertise. In partnership with severe behaviour management team and DBMAS we are able to care for those residents with change behaviours.
- Dialysis, we are competent to manage residents with peritoneal dialysis.
- Catheter and Stoma Care designated trained registered nurses in both female and male cathertisation.
- Reconditioning
- Residents can receive regular physiotherapy tailored to their cognitive status and level of frailty. Strong evidence supports intensive physical therapy post hospital discharge to improve functional outcomes in hip fracture patients. Physio sessions can initiate range of motion, strengthening, mobility and balance exercises.
- Restorative/Rehabilitation/Convalescence
- Assessment and monitoring by physiotherapy services upon admission, establish and document goals with resident and family to maximise function taking into consideration baseline cognitive and physical functioning. Create pain management plan to support residents’ comfort and independence.
Our strong clinical governance has provided us with full compliance and an unblemished record with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, meeting all outcomes required under the new Aged Care Quality Standards that were introduced on the 1st July 2019.
Visiting Services:
General Practitioners (GP) visit on schedule and for urgent care requirements as needed. Residents have a choice of their own GP and locum services are available out of hours.
Gerontologists visit weekly (Gerontology is the study of the aging process and the problems that elderly individuals might encounter. Professionals in this field typically study and find ways to treat physical, mental, emotional, and social problems)
A full range of allied health services are on site or visit regularly such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, dietitian, podiatrist, dental, optometry.
E-Case is used as a care software program to capture all care requirements of residents where consultation on developing care plans is based on resident need, goals and preferences. Care monitoring includes daily alerts for any variation to expected care
Other features of our service include:
- All medication is managed via a software program called Medsig
- Autumn Aged Care has pharmacy services and medication impress that can be accessed by Registered nurse at all times
- Nutrition and dietary needs are supported by an Executive Chef who oversees menus and meal preparation and delivery to residents. A set menu ensures residents have choice, variety and nutritional needs are met. Menus are changed seasonally and prepared in consultation with a Dietitian.
