Auditors who carried out an unannounced accreditation of Nellie Melba Retirement Village’s aged care centre have stamped their seal of approval on the quality of care provided at the Wheeler’s Hill facility.
Three auditors inspected the Ryman Healthcare village last month, assessing its aged care centre against stringent new standards introduced by the federal government in July.
Nellie Melba received a 100 per cent pass mark for all eight standards.
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The auditors interviewed almost 50 residents, family members and staff across the two-day audit.
They reported that “100%” of the residents and family members randomly sampled said Nellie Melba staff treated them with respect.
“Consumers and representatives interviewed commented on how patient staff are with consumers, how they get to know their background and preferences and seem to enjoy their job,” the audit report said.
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The auditors noted that all family members they spoke to said staff greeted them by name, made them feel welcome, and talked to them in detail about their loved one.
They found that all residents sampled had care plans, progress notes, charting and other documents that reflected “individualised care that is safe, effective and tailored to the specific needs” of each person.
The glowing assessment of Nellie Melba’s care centre was delivered just days before the Aged Care Royal Commission released an interim report, which was highly critical of Australia’s aged care sector.
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Ryman Healthcare regional manager Eileen Kielty said with so many negative headlines about the industry in recent months, it was “extremely satisfying” to see the outstanding work of Nellie Melba’s care team publicly recognised.
“It’s easy to tell people in the brochures and on the billboards that kindness and care are at the heart of everything we do.
“But to make that real takes people who are highly trained, passionate about what they do and who care for our residents as if they were caring for their own mother or father.”
While the results were not surprising, Eileen said the audit result was proof that the philosophy of kindness and care Ryman was founded on in the 1980s is still the hallmark of its villages 35 years later.
“We know our care team is amazing because we see what they do with our residents every day. It’s still really gratifying, though, to have a team of independent experts examine their work in minute detail and reach the same conclusion.”
