Better Practice in aged care

17th May 2006

Ensuring residents get a good night?s sleep without drugs, managing complex behaviours due to dementia, addressing the needs of residents of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds ? these are just a few of the challenges facing staff in nursing homes across Australia.

The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd is holding the first of its 2006 series of Better Practice events to share information with nursing homes to help improve the quality of care they provide to older Australians.

Better Practice is both a celebration of excellence in aged care, and practical advice on implementing programs that contribute to an improvement in the quality of care provided to residents.

The Adelaide event, which marks the start of the 2006 Better Practice series nationally, will be held on Thursday and Friday, 25 and 26 May.

Around 300 delegates from the aged care industry in South Australia, the Northern Territory and north-west WA will attend the event, to hear speakers talking about today's issues in aged care homes, including:

  • Resident focus and choice  
  • Sleep - treating insomnia without drugs  
  • Dementia behaviour management  
  • Falls prevention  
  • Cultural and linguistic diversity  
  • Restraint  
  • Governance, strategic planning and management

The Chief Executive Officer of the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency, Mark Brandon, said this year's Better Practice series will place particular emphasis on evidence-based practice.

"It is all about the industry sharing their success stories and talking about ways to improve care provided to older Australians," Mr Brandon said.

"We want to not only know what works to improve the lives of residents but why. These presentations are based on actual evidence that demonstrate results that can be adapted and applied in other areas of aged care."

"The Agency's Better Practice events attract the people who have the capacity to bring about change for the better, such as registered nurses, directors of nursing, personal care workers, diversional therapists, catering and cleaning staff and managers of homes. These are the people who have the capacity to 'make the difference' Mr Brandon said.

Better Practice starts in Adelaide on 25 and 26 May.

For further information about the events, visit www.accreditation.org.au or call (02) 8831 1028.