AGED CARE - RESIDENT INFORMATION
AGED CARE – RESIDENT INFORMATION
OTWAY PIONEERS HOUSE AND POLWARTH HOUSE
VISION
Colac Area Health aims to be a recognised leader in the
development and provision of responsive, integrated health care.
MISSION
To promote the health and wellbeing of the Colac and district community through the
provision of quality acute, aged, residential and community services that are accessible, affordable, flexible and integrated.
ACCREDITATION
The Aged Care facilities at Colac Area Health are accredited
by the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency
and the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.
TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Colac Area Health Main Reception...... 5232 5100
Otway Pioneers House ...... 5232 5131
Polwarth House ...... 5232 5155
Administration Manager ...... 5232 5137
Complaints Liaison Officer ...... 5232 5185
Social Worker...... 5232 5173
CONTENTS
VISION
MISSION
ACCREDITATION
TELEPHONE NUMBERS
INTRODUCTION
ADMISSION POLICY
ADMISSION PROCESS
Contact Person
Doctor
Fees and Charges
Trust Account
What to Bring
Personal Belongings
GENERAL INFORMATION
Alcohol
Allied Health Services
Ambulance
Call Bells
Church Services/Visits
Comments, Complaints and Suggestions
Counselling Service
Daily Activities
Dentures
Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment)
Hairdresser
Infection Control
Labelling of Clothing and Personal Linen
Laundry
Leave - Hospital Admission
Leave - Social
Library Service
Lifting
Meals
Newspapers
Parking
Pharmacy
Privacy
Recreational Activities
Resident Enquiries
Residents, Relatives & Carers Committee
Residents' Rights and Responsibilities
Respite Care
Restraint Free
Room Allocation
Security of Tenure
Smoke Free Environment
Telephones
Valuables
Visitors
Volunteers
Voting
Witnessing of Documents
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Aged Core Facilities at Colac Area Health (CAH). CAH owns and operates two on-site facilities, Otway Pioneers House and Polwarth House.
The information contained in this booklet is relevant to both.
Each resident is cared for by qualified staff, who will provide care and assistance according to individual resident's needs.
The Board of Directors responsible for the facilities is that of Colac Area Health. The facilities form an integral part of the organisation.
The following information has been compiled to assist residents and families in making a smooth transition to the aged care environment. Please contact the Nurse Manager of the facility if you require clarification or further information.
The decision to become a resident and the actual move can sometimes be an uncertain and stressful time for the new resident, family and friends. Residents and relatives who have concerns are encouraged to discuss these with the staff at any time.
ADMISSION POLICY
All persons seeking admission to the Aged Care Facilities need to be assessed as eligible for care by an Aged Care Assessment Service (ACAS). Referral to ACAS can be by request of the individual or from their Doctor.
Arrangements for respite care can be made by enquiring with the Social Worker.
Eligibility for respite care is also determined by an ACAS assessment.
ADMISSION PROCESS
Once the eligibility for admission to an Aged Care Facility has been established, the Nurse
Manager in conjunction with the Social Worker will arrange admissions as vacancies occur. It will be necessary to provide information and make arrangements as follows:
Contact Person
Please ensure that details of relatives/persons to contact are given to the staff on admission. It would be appreciated if these people would advise the Nurse Manager of alternative contact addresses and telephone numbers, if going on holidays or not available for contact.
Doctor
The resident has the right to have a Doctor of their choice. It will be necessary to nominate a Doctor prior to admission. When selecting your Doctor we encourage you to ask them what level of service they provide to the facility, how often they visit, emergency arrangements etc.
Fees and Charges
Once the decision has been made to enter the facility, it will be necessary to make an appointment with the Administration Manager to discuss fees and charges and arrange payment of accounts.
Fees and charges are set in accordance with the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, and depend on the resident's level of care, pensioner status, income and assets.
The Daily Care Fee is charged to all residents depending on Pensioner or Non Pensioner status.
Part Pensioners and Non Pensioners, excluding Respite Care, will pay the Daily Care Fee plus an Income Tested Care Fee, which is based on the resident's income as determined by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans'Affairs. The Income Tested Care Fee is effective 28 days after entry.
Depending on the resident's assets and level of care, the resident may also be asked to pay an Accommodation Bond or an Accommodation Charge. If this is the case, then a Residential Care Agreement will need to be completed within seven (7) days of entry.
Residents who receive a pension can nominate to have their pension redirected to CAH where fees can be deducted automatically. If this is not convenient or the resident does not receive a pension, then on account for fees will be raised on a monthly basis and sent to a designated person or direct debit arrangements can be made.
Trust Account
If the resident wishes, a trust account can be established to cover personal expenses not covered by the Daily Care Fee, e.g. pharmaceutical fees, haircuts, personal newspapers/magazines, dry cleaning, social outings, labelling of clothes etc.
If a trust account is established, the money is held in a non-interest bearing account for the use of the resident only. The resident or the person legally nominated to handle the finances of the resident will be required to authorise any withdrawals from the trust account. Persons legally nominated to handle the finances of the resident, e.g. Power of Attorney, will need to provide a copy of the relevant document. On a monthly basis,
the resident or legally appointed nominee will receive a letter advising of the trust account balance.
What to Bring
A minimum of six (6) changes of day and eight (8) changes of night attire is required. Extra underwear is most desirable.
Women
6 dresses/shirts/blouses/tracksuits 6 cardigans/jumpers 6 petticoats/slips
8 nightdresses (interlock preferred)8 pair cotton pants8 pair socks/stockings
8 singlets/spencers6 bras 2 pair slippers
dressing gown shoes
Men
6 pair track pants/trousers and tops/tracksuits
4 cardigans/jumpers8 pair pyjamas8 pair socks
8 pair underpants 8 singlets/spencers2 pair slippers
dressing gownshoes
Some requirements are optional, depending on individual needs.
Preferred type of clothing is interlock and cotton and should be labelled. A labelling service is offered - please refer to Labelling of Clothing information for details.
Dentures, watches and spectacles also need to be labelled. Dentures can be formally labelled by a dentist. Please refer to Dentures information.
If applicable, please bring your information and services record (Client Information Assessment & Referral Record - CIARR) with you.
Personal Belongings
Residents are encouraged to make their room "homely" by adding their own personal touch and decoration.
Depending on space residents may wish to have:
radio/tape cassette with headphones
television with headphones
clock
cushions
bedspread, doona or quilt
photos, vases or ornaments
wall hangings, prints or paintings
small items of furniture
Before bringing items in, please discuss with the Nurse Manager who will help you choose suitable items.
Please keep a record of personal belongings brought into the facility. It is recommended that you keep a photograph of items to keep with your records at CAH and your family/carer also keeps a record.
All electrical items brought in or purchased by the resident need to be checked and labelled by the CAH electrician for safety. The Nurse Manager will assist you to arrange for this to be done.
Electric blankets and hot water bottles are not permitted in the facility.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Alcohol
Residents are free to consume alcohol. It is expected that alcohol consumption will not compromise the consumer's safety or the safety of others. Possible interaction with medications is to be discussed with the residents doctor. The cost of alcohol is the responsibility of the resident.
Allied Health Services
The following services are available to residents:
• Dentistry • Dietitian• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy • Podiatry• Social Worker
• Speech Therapy
Ambulance
Residents are responsible for ambulance costs should they require transfer direct from these facilities to another facility and/or hospital. It is recommended that residents who are not pensioners have ambulance cover.
Call Bells
Should a resident need assistance a call bell is situated beside each bed and in toilets/bathrooms to summon help.
Church Services/Visits
Representatives from various denominations visit on a regular basis. Each resident is asked if they wish to be visited by clergy and/or pastoral visitors and, if they do, their name will be included on a list according to their nominated religion. Church services are also conducted and family and friends are welcome to attend.
Comments, Complaints and Suggestions
Residents, relatives and visitors are encouraged to express any concerns or make suggestions about the care or service provided. Any comments or concerns may be raised through the Nurse Manager or Residents, Relatives and Carers Committee or through the Suggestion Box available in each facility.
Complaints may be discussed with the Nurse Manager or referred directly to the CAH Complaints Liaison Officer or to the Aged Care Complaints Resolution Scheme - brochures are available at the Nurses Station.
Counselling Service
Counselling services are available to residents and their families. This service can be accessed by speaking to the Nurse Manager.
Daily Activities
We try to keep daily activities as flexible as possible and make every effort to accommodate individual preferences for rising, showering and retiring. If assistance is required by the resident, staff are available to help. Residents and family members are encouraged to participate in preparing nursing care plans and routines. The staff will discuss this with you on admission.
Dentures
Labelling of dentures can be arranged by contacting the CAH Dental Clinic, 15 Hart Street, Colac, telephone 5232 5352. There is a minimal charge for this service. It is requested that dentures be labelled prior to admission.
Residents may receive e-mails via the facility computers (e-mail address available from Nurse Managers). Residents are assisted by staff to reply via e-mail.
Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment)
It is requested and important that all details regarding Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment) are discussed with the Registered Nurse in Charge, when the resident is admitted.
Hairdresser
All residents have access to qualified hairdressers who visit the facility on a regular basis. Residents may also continue to go to their own hairdresser where possible.
Infection Control
An important part of health care is the minimisation of transmission of infection. Visitors who are unwell are encouraged to stay away as the elderly are vulnerable to infection, are generally sicker and take longer to recover. Residents and staff are offered flu vaccination each year and pneumonia vaccination when they are due.
Labelling of Clothing and Personal Linen
It is important that all clothes and personal linen are clearly labelled and it is preferred that labelling be done prior to admission to reduce loss of clothing. CAH in conjunction with Opus Enterprises – Colanda Centre, offers a labelling service, which can be arranged through the Nurse Manager. The cost of this service is the responsibility of the resident.
Laundry
The Service provides an on-site laundry service for machine washable items. Non-machine washable items are the responsibility of the resident or their family. Items with woollen content are not recommended for this laundry.
If requested, the staff can arrange for items to be dry cleaned, however the resident will be responsible for dry cleaning expenses.
Leave - Hospital Admission
If a resident for medical reasons requires hospital admission, the resident's position in the facility will be secure. The resident continues to pay their daily fees during periods of hospital leave.
Leave - Social
Residents are entitled to 52 overnight stays away from the facility each financial year. The resident is required to continue to pay their daily fees during periods of social leave.
Outings taken during the day are not defined as social leave.
Please check with a Nurse on duty before taking the resident out and again when the resident returns. Advance notice of an outing would be appreciated by the staff. It is necessary to write the information regarding the residents leave in the register provided for this purpose.
Regular social outings are organised by the Aged Care Recreational Workers. Residents may discuss any special requests for particular outings with the Aged Care Recreational Workers.
Library Service
A library service, including talking books, can be arranged through the Recreational Workers.
Lifting
Both facilities are equipped with Joyce high/low beds and resident lifting apparatus. The purchase of this equipment offers a quality improvement in delivery of care to residents and safety to staff during work practices.
Residents personal mail will be delivered to the facilities daily. Residents wishing to post stamped mail may hand it to the Nursing Staff for posting through the Main Reception.
Meals
A choice of menu is available and differing tastes are taken into consideration. Staff will assist with meals as required. Any concerns con be discussed with the Nurse Manager. Relatives or friends may bring food to residents, keeping in mind that some medical conditions require special diets. Residents may also be taken out for meals by relatives and friends.
A microwave oven is available to heat meals if the resident is out at meal times and a meal has been kept for their return. Please let staff know if this is required. Relatives may also bring meals to share with the residents and the microwave oven is available for this purpose.
Meal times are: Breakfast7.50 am
Lunch12 noon
Dinner5.00 pm
Morning Tea, Afternoon Tea and Supper are also served.
Newspapers
A daily delivery of newspapers can be arranged. Residents are responsible for the cost of personal newspapers and magazines.
Parking
Some all day parking is available in Miller Street on the southern side and restricted parking is available in Miller, Hart and Connor Streets. All day parking is available in the car park on the corner of Connor and Hart Streets. Cars are parked at own risk.
Disabled visitors may be driven to and collected from the drive-in access at the front of the facilities.
Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical items prescribed will be charged to the resident. Any queries regarding these charges con be directed to the Nurse Manager of the facility.
Privacy
Colac Area Health protects your privacy by keeping personal information secure from unauthorised access, use or loss in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2000 and the Health Records Act 2002. All staff have a duty to protect the privacy of personal information. Please refer to our Privacy brochure for further details.
The residents photograph, name or works of art or craft can only be used by CAH for publicity purposes, following the completion of a Publicity Release Form. The Nurse Manager will arrange the completion of this form with the resident.
Recreational Activities
The facilities offer programs of activities co-ordinated by Recreational Workers. There are both group and individual activities of a social and recreational nature, eg. excursions, games, music, cultural events, etc.
All residents/relatives are requested to discuss their particular interests with the staff, so that these interests can be included in a group or individual program. Costs of some activities will need to be met by the resident.
It is desirable that the staff are given information about the residents background and interests that will enable them to develop a recreational program to suit their individual needs. It will also assist them in knowing the resident as an individual and help in maintaining the residents identity, eg. family names, past employment, special interests.
Resident Enquiries
Resident enquiries can be addressed directly to the Nurse Manager or Nursing Staff of the facility.
Residents, Relatives & Carers Committee
Each of the facilities has a Residents, Relatives & Carers Committee. The aims of these Committees are to provide support, discuss concerns and have input into the facility. All residents, relatives, carers and friends are most welcome to attend.
Details of meeting dates and times can be obtained from the Nurse Manager. A monthly newsletter and the minutes of each meeting is available to each resident and representatives.
Residents' Rights and Responsibilities
The Charter of Residents' Rights and Responsibilities will be provided in the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing Information Sheets and the Residential Care Agreement, given to you by the Administration Manager on admission.
Respite Care
Respite care allows people to use beds in the facility on a temporary basis for emergency or regular planned intervals. All respite residents require assessment and approval by the Aged Care Assessment Service for respite admission.
An entitlement of 63 days per person in each financial year applies. The 63 days may be taken in one period or as on aggregate of shorter periods. Any unused entitlement cannot be carried over into the next financial year. An additional 21 days is available, but assessment byACAS is required prior to extending this period.
A resident receiving respite care pays the same daily fee as a permanent resident receiving a pension.
Restraint Free
Both facilities now practice restraint free management.
Room Allocation