BIRCH Team Strathalbyn are the winners of the Excellence in Aged Care category for the 2024 Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Awards, presented on May 4.
30 individual finalists and seven teams nominated for the awards, which were celebrated with a gala ceremony at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
The awards recognise nurses and midwives across South Australia and celebrate them for the significant contribution the professions make to the health system.
The BIRCH Team, based in Strathalbyn, is a 24-bed unit, which offers specialist support for residents living with advanced dementia.
The team itself represents a partnership between Strathalbyn Aged Care and Dementia Australia, where a model of care has been set up within the aged care facility’s memory support unit.
The unit has worked to achieve three key goals, devised in consultation with residents and their families.
These goals are: Improvement of the environment at the aged care facility, a better dining experience for residents and provision of activities that are meaningful and engaging for residents.
Elisa Gardiner, director of nursing, Strathalbyn and District Aged Care said since the project was implemented, residents have been notably more relaxed in their environment.
“Residents are more at ease, more relaxed – they smile all the time,” Ms Gardiner said.
“The staff are more engaged as well and I think overall, everyone feels like they’re with family.”
Ms Gardiner said to her and the team, excellence in aged care practice means looking to do things the best way they can, to make things better for residents.
Joint winners of the prestigious Excellence in Practice award were Michael Fitzgerald of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network and Mary Young of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network.
