Understanding the Survivors' journey

Australia is home to about 35,000 Survivors of the Holocaust ? the largest number of Survivors per capita outside Israel. Up to forty percent of the residents at Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home?s 2 campuses - are Survivors.

The Home has introduced an integrated program to help staff understand the ageing Holocaust Survivor, which includes strategies to cope with some of their behaviors and the skills to validate their experiences.

Staff from Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home will present their Holocaust Awareness Program at a Better Practice in Aged Care event, organised by The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency, to be held on
21-22 July.

Many Holocaust Survivors experience post-traumatic symptoms, including chronic states of anxiety, depression, guilt about having survived, nightmares, flashbacks, isolation, loneliness and social withdrawal. These problems may develop years, even decades after the Holocaust ended.

Symptoms can be triggered by the environment, clinical care and themultiple losses that may occur as Survivors age- experiencing failing health, loss of friends and family, loss of independence and entry into a residential aged care facility.

With about half of the residents of the Sir Moses Montefiore Home diagnosed with dementia, the resulting failing short term memory allows older memories of trauma to come flooding back to residents.

The Holocaust Awareness Program aims to help staff understand the experiences of residents, the consequences of their post-traumatic symptoms and a way to empathise. As many of the home’s staff may also be survivors of some form of trauma, the program also aims to provide staff with support and strategies to cope with their own memories that may arise when working with resident survivors.

The Better Practice events aim to highlight the many positive programs being run in aged care facilities across Australia, with a vision to sharing information and knowledge to help homes provide a high quality standard of care to older Australians.

“Caring for survivors of trauma and their carers”
Mary Pillars, Director of Quality Systems; Janine Grossman, Director of Professional and Community Services and Renee Symonds, Psychotherapist in Clinical Practice
Sir Moses Montefiore Jewish Home, Hunters Hill
Better Practice in aged care event
Novotel Olympic Park
Thursday 21 and Friday 22 July 2005

More information and a program of speakers is available. Contact numbers below or go to www.accreditation.aust.com

For further information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Liz Blieschke, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, (02) 8831 1033, 0438 446 466
Lisa Smith, Corporate Affairs Officer, (02) 8831 1016

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