Singleton's marvellous menagerie

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

Among the featured speakers at the event is Julie Norris from UnitingCare Ageing facilities, Elizabeth Gates Village in Singleton, who will present findings of a project that introduced plants and animals to a facility with remarkable results.

The project began when the homes brought in some black-faced Suffolk sheep to help with grass cutting. The residents reacted so well that the concept went even further with input from the residents and support from the community. Now the home not only has sheep to look after and interact with, but through donations and local interest, kittens, alpacas, birds, miniature ponies, indoor plants and bird-attracting shrubs.

The increase in animals has attracted more human visitors to the home as well, particularly children and families, which has added to the benefits for the residents.

Better Practice is being held at the Novotel Brighton-le-Sands on Thursday, 24 and Friday, 25 August.

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.

More than 300 delegates from the aged care industry in NSW and the ACT will attend the event, to hear speakers talking about today's issues in aged care homes.

For further information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Lisa Smith, Corporate Affairs Officer, (02) 8831 1016, 0415 217 051.

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The Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd is the independent body responsible for managing the accreditation and ongoing supervision of Commonwealth-funded aged care homes.