Awards recognise aged care excellence

The 2018 LASA Excellence in Age Service Awards, sponsored by Hesta, were held in Sydney on 7 June.

LASA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sean Rooney says the awards highlight the dedication and professionalism of the valuable people who make up the backbone of the aged care industry.  

“Our industry has countless unassuming professionals, volunteers and organisations who don’t generally look for thanks or praise,” Mr Rooney says.

“I congratulate all the nominees, finalists and winners of LASA’s 2018 NSW/ACT Excellence in Care Awards for their outstanding efforts and contributions they make daily, not only to our industry, but to the lives of the older Australians they care for.”

The awards were divided into three categories; Organisation, Team and Individual, with the top gongs going to The Whiddon Group (Organisation), Goodwin Health and Wellness Centre Team (Team) and Claire Abbott, Nurse Practitioner at Peninsula Villages (Individual).

The Whiddon Group was thrilled to be recognised for its outstanding leadership, innovation and excellence in aged care, along with its role in implementing the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT), a tool that measures wellbeing and the impact of care services on the quality of life of older people.

Whiddon Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chris Mamarelis says he is incredibly proud of the level of care provided at Whiddon.

“We are committed to improving quality of life for older Australians and have a strong track record for research in wellbeing, creating ageing and initiatives to combat loneliness and isolation,” Mr Mamarelis says.

“I congratulate our people, who work hard everyday to improve the lives of older Australians in our communities.

“They are at the very heart of our organisation and this award recognises their incredible contributions and commitment.”

The Team award, received by the Goodwin Health and Wellness Centre, acknowledged their efforts in supporting the mental and physical health, lifestyle and care plans of its residents through the incorporation of various health services, including the Goodwin Health Club.

Goodwin Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sue Levy, shared her gratitude at the organisations award win.

“This award is a well-deserved public acknowledgement of the great work we see every day from the team at the Centre,” she says.

“They truly value their clients, and are dedicated to the work.”

Claire Abbott was recognised for her role at Peninsula Villages, where she provides high quality care in the areas of chronic, palliative care and gerontological assessment. Over the last three years on the Peninsula Villages team, Claire has helped reduce hospital transfers by 42 percent.

LASA also commended the following finalists: Alisa Monaghan (intergratedliving Australia), Dale Feeney (The Whiddon Group Laurieton), The Whiddon Kyogle Team (The Whiddon Group), Goodwin’s Influenza Vaccination Program (Goodwin Aged Care Services), Goodwin Aged Care Services and Berrigan and District Aged Care Association Limited.

The NSW and ACT award winners, along with the rest of the state and territory winners, will be recognised again at LASA’s National Congress in Adelaide on 28-31 October.