Positive Living in Aged Care Awards

Multicultural Mental Health Australia is encouraging aged care service providers in NSW that are helping people from non-English speaking backgrounds to enter the Positive Living in Aged Care Awards.

This promotional health project is funded every two years by NSW Health to recognise residential aged care providers in NSW who are implementing strategies to promote a positive approach to the prevention and management of mental health.

The Positive Living in Aged Care Awards has been developed by the NSW Health Older People’s Mental Health Working Group (OPMHWG), and is being managed by Aged & Community Services Association of NSW & ACT in collaboration with Aged Care Association Australia (NSW).

Recent Australian literature indicates that older people living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) are susceptible to mental health conditions and associated challenging behaviours. Challenging behaviours are common in dementia, but may also be related to a range of other medical and psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, anxiety disorders and depression.

Studies also indicate that there is under-diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions in this group and that even when diagnosed, there is under-utilisation of specialist mental health services and a lack of awareness of appropriate sources from which to access non-pharmacological treatment.

Therefore these awards aim to promote the sharing of positive strategies to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of residents in residential aged care facilities. It also aims to identify, showcase and promote innovative strategies which have a positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of residents. A specific objective of the project is to promote awareness and support the interface between mental health specialist services and RACFs.

Award categories:

Category 1: Targeted strategy/ies to improve outcomes for residents with a mental health diagnosis.

Category 2: Universal strategy/ies to promote the mental health and wellbeing of residents by increasing protective factors and reducing the risk of the development of symptoms of a mental health condition.

Category 3: Selective strategy/ies to promote maintenance and/or improvement of the mental health and wellbeing of residents with special needs. (Special needs groups may include veterans, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities).

How to apply:

The application package, including details on the criteria for each category, is available on the ACS NSW & ACT website at http://www.agedservices.asn.au and ACAA-NSW website at http://www.acaansw.com.au .

All applications for awards for 2008 must be received at ACS by close of business 30th June 2008.

Awards:

In both 2008 and 2009 three awards of $10,000 each will be presented to the winning facilities that demonstrate strategies which fulfil the evaluation criteria for each category. A runner up award of $5,000 will also be awarded for each category. All entries will be judged by a panel of experts and the first round of awards will be presented in August 2008.

Further information:

For further information please refer to the application package or contact Mary Pillars - 02 8754 0400 or by email maryp@agedservices.asn.au