McCusker Nurse Service wins

Amana Living’s McCusker Nurse Service is now an award-winning initiative, having topped the New Projects category at the prestigious Aged & Community Services WA (ACSWA) Excellence in Care Awards last Friday (8 June 2012).

Amana Living’s Terri Roberts also brought home the Trainee Award, while dedicated volunteer Julie Neville was runner-up in the Volunteer category.

The gala celebration at Burswood Entertainment Complex saw aged care providers from across WA come together for the annual awards, this year presented by the ABC’s Russell Woolf.

The New Projects: Innovation & Best Practice Award was presented to Australia’s first McCusker Nurse, Karen Malone, who was interviewed by DPS News about the McCusker nurse service last week prior to the awards.

The McCusker Nurse Service, launched in June 2011, provides an innovative approach to dementia care and is the first of its kind in Australia.

The free service, funded by the McCusker Charitable Foundation, offers the carers of people with dementia a single point of contact with a dementia expert – their McCusker Nurse – who they can call at any time for help in understanding the condition and navigating the support options available to them.

“All our staff are winners at Amana Living; however, we are particularly proud of those who have had their hard work and dedication recognised by these awards,” Amana Living chief executive, Ray Glickman, said.

“The McCusker Nurse Service, for the carers of people suffering from dementia, is vital in filling a gap within an area of growing need.

“Amana Living believes in supporting staff as they continue to develop their skills and career paths. We also rely heavily on volunteers to enable us to provide enriching activities and experiences for our clients and residents, beyond the quality care they already receive.”

The impetus for the project came from the 2010 Amana Living Customer Satisfaction Survey, in which carers of people with dementia said they wished they had known earlier about support services such as Amana Living offers. They talked of the stress of caring for someone with dementia and the difficulty of finding out what supports are available.

The service has proven  effective in reducing carers’ stress and helping to avoid crises by linking them to other services as soon as possible after diagnosis. Amana Living now looks forward to attracting funding to establish a network of McCusker Nurses.

Read DPS News’ story last week about the McCusker Nurse Service