Part 1

Care Services  2000-2001

Mark Caldwell
General Manager - Care Services

The 'beachhead' of baby boomers will soon impact on our community with a diverse range of service delivery demands and preferences.

	overview
	mission centres
	volunteering
	superintendent's report
	care services
	community services
	pastoral services
	corporate services
	triple bottom line reporting
	financial summaries
	major donors

Care Services

LifeForce Program

Hospitals

Residential Aged Care Services

Wesley Home Care

Counselling Services

Wesley Mission Central Coast

Trends

The aged care industry is recognised as the second largest growth sector in Australia.

Ninety percent of older Australians live and remain in their own homes while the remainder live in either retirement villages or residential aged care facilities.

The 'beachhead' of baby boomers will soon impact on our community with a diverse range of service delivery demands and preferences.

Nearly 45 percent of Australians are now covered by private health insurance.

The complexity of needs for persons requiring a wide range of counselling support, continues to grow at an alarming rate.

Future Challenges

Rethinking and planning the refurbishment and rebuilding of our existing buildings and facilities for our Health, Hospital and Aged Care Services.

Growing our Community Aged Care Services to reflect the growing demands for services by older Australians.

Maintaining innovative approaches and system delivery mechanisms to ensure our services are financially viable.

Ensuring that our planning and thinking is client, customer and resident focused.

Attracting and utilising the commitment, experience and professionalism of our team of staff.

Performance Indicators

All facilities and services in the Care Service Group have met the Quality Standards required including ISO 9000 Series Accreditation, Australian Council of Health Care Standards and the National Accreditation Aged Care Agency.

Our organisation has proactively supported all staff to enhance their skills and development.

Key Result Areas

Christian Faith

The opportunity to express our Christian faith has been and always will be a constant focus of our ministry. Our Care Services staff met to celebrate our Christian ministry across all areas of our work.

Quality of Life

At Lottie Stewart Hospital, Dundas, our Huntington's Unit continues to be recognised as a unique and specialised service to people experiencing Huntington's disease.

The results of our resident and client satisfaction surveys demonstrate the high level of confidence and appreciation for the services that we provide to enhance their quality of life.

Service Delivery

The Commonwealth Government funded Wesley Mission to manage a further 92 Community Aged Care Packages located across three regions of metropolitan Sydney - Inner-West, Holroyd/Baulkham Hills and Sylvania.

Care Services also won tenders to operate three Commonwealth Carelink Centres (Aged and Disability Service Advice Program) in three locations - Sydney (Inner-West), Central Coast region and Hunter region.

Wesley Health Services had an excellent year including growth in its outreach work with Wesley Mayo Hospital at Taree and a new Consulting Room and Therapy Centre at Carlingford.

The Eating Disorders Program conducted at Wesley Private Hospital was acclaimed as being world's best practice at the 5th International Eating Disorders Conference held in London, April 2001.

A comprehensive review of the outsourcing of our Food Services within our Aged Care facilities indicated a high level of resident satisfaction.

Measurement, Analysis and Improvement

Our Residential Aged Care facilities located in Pagewood, Dundas, Sylvania, Glebe, Narrabeen and Smithfield all received three year accreditation from the National Aged Care Accreditation Agency.

Our Lifeline, Financial and Gambling Counselling Services were certified under the ISO Quality system during the year.

Wesley Health Post Traumatic Stress Disorder program (PTSP) was re-accredited through the Veterans' Mental Health Centre in Melbourne for the delivery of its services.

Aged Care Services opened 24 new units at Alan Walker Village at Carlingford and 36 units at Frank Vickery Village, Sylvania.

Resource Management and Management Responsibility

The reporting relationship for our School for Seniors program was moved from Residential to Community Aged Care Services in June this year.

Wesley Dalmar Child and Family Services were transferred from Care Services to our Community Services Division in May 2001.

A productivity review of our financial efficiencies has commenced and new initiatives will be implemented throughout next year.

Environmental Assessment

The Care Services Group continues to move towards best practice in its contribution to environmental management and waste issues.

Frank Vickery Village

Chaplaincy grew dramatically following an increase in available hours. Residents and staff greatly appreciated and valued the committed contribution of the Rev. Veneeta Singh-Lucas. Our challenge over the next year is to identify and develop additional funding sources to further extend this vital core activity.

The new auditorium, bowling green, and training rooms were opened and have made a very positive contribution to Village life. We provided extensive education and training programs in falls prevention, medication management, grief and loss for both self-care residents and staff.

The Village undertook a major review of its capacities (and limitations) in caring for an increasing number of frail residents in a self-care setting. The extensive range of supported care services we had developed clearly enabled many residents to remain 'at home' for much longer.

Residents from Frank Vickery Village enjoying a chat and a cup of tea.

The 36 new self-care units were all allocated within weeks of being available, and are now fully occupied. Extensive resident surveys and meetings have monitored the effect of changing to cook-chill food suppliers. A number of other targeted resident survey instruments have also been deployed. ISO accreditation will be achieved in 2001.

Meeting the extensive new requirements of the Retirement Villages Act 1999 was a challenge. The International Year of Volunteers provided an opportunity to recognise the vital contribution of volunteers to residents' quality of life. One of our goals for next year, is to double the number of Village volunteers.

W G Taylor Village

The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the ministry of word and deed at W G Taylor Village were central to the centre's work. Our chaplain, Syd Taito, is a valuable member of our team and provided immeasurable support to staff, residents and their families.

Residents had the opportunity to participate in various activities provided at the centre. The centre's bus also enabled our residents to gain access to the wider community by the provision of regular outings with the invaluable support of our volunteers.

There was a change in key positions at the centre during the year. Times of change are always unsettling but with the support from Management and the centre's team, quality care service to residents was maintained and continued to improve.

As part of the Aged Care Accreditation process we continually examined our ways of improving our practices. This was achieved in many operational areas with validation of that achievement resulting in a support visit from the Aged Care Standards Agency.

Managing enormous change during the year was challenging. A reward from this process was a move towards a cohesive and stable environment. We now have a dedicated team approach that will result in a best practice model of care for our residents.

Alan Walker Village

By their enthusiasm and commitment the pastoral care team provided valuable support to residents who required acute care hospitalisation. They have also provided spiritual guidance and fellowship for all personnel and residents through a weekly church service held at the village.

The introduction of the Retirement Villages Act (1999) on 1 July 2000 constituted an important reform of the laws regulating the retirement village industry in New South Wales. This legislation provided significant personal and financial safeguards and allowed residents the autonomy to enjoy their life in this Christian community environment.

A resident from Alan Walker Village learns computer skills.

The addition and occupancy of a further 24 units completed the development of the village site with a total of 207 self-care units and an extremely active community of residents. This has also enabled an increase in the provision of the Community Aged-Care Packages for residents who required additional assistance and support.

The Retirement Villages Act has provided a point of convergence on accountability and responsibility. As a consequence, we have enhanced and strengthened existing processes of supply control, contained costs, provided sound economic management, combined the commitment and co-operation of all personnel and produced a working surplus.

The past 12 months has seen movement of key personnel, with the appointment of a new manager while some areas of responsibility were delineated. This empowered supervisors and provided an opportunity for them to develop their skills and participate in suitable and relevant training.

R J Williams Lodge

Several theology students attended the facility and gained experience working with the aged. Members from other congregations visited and worshipped with residents.

Our many activities were made possible by a team of dedicated volunteers. A number of residents have participated in a reading program at the local primary school.

Staff development was the major focus during the year. Staff attended a wide range of training courses relating to the changing care needs of residents and new legislation.

Auditing, both internal and external, assisted the development of a plan for continuous improvement. This plan will ensure the facility is able to meet the requirements of the Aged Care Standards.

The kitchen was refurbished and planning commenced in relation to building certification requirements. The majority of these requirements related to fire safety and improvements to disabled access.

Hoban House

Chaplaincy services, including hospital visits, increased, with both residents and staff appreciating the spiritual support available.

As part of the wider community, residents were encouraged to access and attend activities outside the centre. Activity staff utilised all available resources and networked and worked with other centres to provide variety in the activity program.

Hoban House is a 47-bed low-level care facility. However, our residents became frailer and often required higher levels of care. Staff training and development has been a major focus in order to meet the changing needs of residents.

All staff contributed to the centre's operational plan. This was a new initiative and one designed to generate new ideas and allow the staff to have ownership of the plan.

Management and staff kept abreast of legislative changes, in particular those relating to building certification and Occupational Health and Safety. Significant improvements were planned to ensure the facility met building certification.

R E Tebbutt Lodge

God has had his hand upon R E Tebbutt Lodge during its 25-year history. From its foundation and by continuing to follow God's direction, Tebbutt provided quality care in a loving, caring, Christian environment. Throughout the year we conducted regular church services for our residents.

A new perimeter fence provided a safer and more secure environment for our higher care dementia residents. Our dedicated and enthusiastic volunteer, John Connell, has greatly improved our gardens. John's efforts were recognised with the presentation of an official certificate from the Prime Minister, John Howard, and Federal Member for Parramatta, Ross Cameron.

Our staff balanced the care of residents with the fulfilment of documentation brought about by legislative changes. During the year they received training to increase their skill and knowledge level. Attracting and maintaining suitable staff was difficult at times.

Tebbutt worked within its Operational Plan and achieved its outcomes. Occupancy averaged 98 percent and a higher than expected surplus was achieved. Introduction of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems saw a reduction in injuries and claims.

The Rotary Club of Rydalmere continued to provide much-valued volunteer and financial support. The contribution of such organisations was an encouragement for our residents while building their esteem.

H C Foreman Lodge

The Lodge provided a strong Christian environment where the spiritual needs of residents, employees and visitors were touched by the love of God. Regular visits from Salvation Army members, the local Catholic priest and Anglican minister supplemented eight hours of official chaplaincy services.

We cared for increasingly fragile and vulnerable elderly residents who shared their joys and sorrows and celebrated many wonderful occasions. Two married couples continued to share their lives together, one couple celebrating 71 years of marriage. Refurbishment of the lounge room with attractive fabrics and colour was made possible by the fundraising efforts of our auxiliary.

Residents admitted to the home were more dependent and frail compared with previous years. Increased physical frailty and acute needs of people suffering the distress of dementia demanded a high level of commitment and effort from staff at a time when staffing shortages prevailed across aged care services.

In August 2000 we received three year accreditation with satisfactory rating across all standards, and a commendable rating in Occupational Health and Safety. We now seek continuous improvement to maintain these industry standards. Occupancy levels were 99.4 percent during the year.

The most demanding aspect of management included financial viability and staffing needs for our 44-bed high care facility. Replacement of ageing equipment, refurbishments and maintenance of the buildings and grounds has been achieved as we prepare for the next building certification under the Aged Care Accreditation Standards.

Wesley Home Care

The Wesley Home Care pastoral team continued to be an intricate part of the overall management of Wesley Home Care, providing essential daily support to clients and staff. Events arranged by our pastoral team have included a staff celebration worship service, Easter services across Sydney and training titled 'What is Pastoral Care?'

Wesley Home Care, with the assistance of the Aged Persons' Welfare Foundation, arranged outings for clients in an attempt to reduce social isolation, these included a Valentines Day dance, a tribute to Sir Donald Bradman, various mystery outings and trips to galleries, museums, musicals and gardens.

Rev Dr Moyes and Minister for Aged Care, Bronwyn Bishop with Wesley Mission's Commonwealth Carelink team

Our assistance with care and housing for the Aged Program helped 92 clients from homeless backgrounds to find permanent housing. Charlie Woodward Lodge, our 20-bed hostel for aged people from homeless backgrounds achieved its three-year accreditation from the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency.

Wesley Home Care achieved its three year ISO 9000 Series Accreditation re-certification with the Quality Assurance auditor commenting that the service showed a high commitment to quality and ongoing improvement. Charlie Woodward Lodge became the first Wesley Mission aged care facility to achieve its ISO Certification.

Wesley Home Care was successful with applications for a further 92 Community Aged Care Packages across Sydney and a Commonwealth Carelink centre in Sydney's Inner-West. This has resulted in annual growth of more then 30 percent.

School for Seniors

The School for Seniors provided a versatile environment where people can enjoy themselves and participate in a weekly praise and worship session. Due to the close proximity of the pastoral care office we always had someone available for spiritual guidance or counselling on a 'needs' basis.

Wesley School for Seniors offered a warm and caring environment for people over the age of 50 years. The activities offered were so varied that they allowed every senior person to take part in activities that stimulated the mind, provided exercise as well as entertainment and fun. People had the opportunity to socialise with their peers and were able to participate in new activities. 

School for Seniors showing their skills in a KFC commercial

Wesley School for Seniors offered a diverse range of services to people aged over 50. It offered 13 language courses. Dancing classes, such as Scottish dancing, Old English, Ballroom, Jive, Jazz, Tap and Line Dancing were also popular.

Other activities included painting, quilting, writing, sewing, acting, literature, travel, art appreciation, film appreciation and sporting activities such as indoor bowls, shuffle board and exercises.

The school averaged more than 1,000 students per term. More than 100 work as class tutors, manage stalls, work in the school office and conduct other duties.

Credit Line

Weekly devotions were conducted and more recently we began a monthly communion service. Staff also addressed various Bible studies and fellowship groups.

The situation of many clients was greatly improved, evidenced by comments on client appraisal sheets.

"Being in debt can make a person feel like a leper at times so it was a relief to be in such a caring organisation".

"I found it helped me in a time of great need".

"The service was delivered in an extremely professional manner".

"I would highly recommend this service - there should be more".

Our services were in very high demand and covered face-to-face financial counselling, telephone information and referral, legal services and consumer education conducted at centres in the city (near Central), Fairfield, Sutherland and Penrith, with outreaches to Quakers Hill, Emu Plains and Richmond.

Telephone calls to Credit Helpline reached record levels in some months with calls from as far away as New Zealand and Thursday Island. E-mail inquiries were also received from a variety of locations. Clients presented with a range of problems - unemployment, relationship breakdown, addictions and illness - as the cause behind their financial problems.

Our Sutherland and Penrith services had to find new premises and were eventually located in well-established community service accommodation, which will cater for their future needs.

Betty Weule our Manager for 21 years, retired in April 2001. Betty and her assistant established and built the service into a modern and professional unit.

LifeForce

Love forms the basis of effective care giving. This is the foundation of the intervention strategies LifeForce taught throughout the year - helping people to develop relationships of love and respect, through which those in need feel cared for, safe, accepted and worthwhile. Participants often identified these values as being at the heart of the Christian message.

LifeForce impacted on many lives through its training programs. Evaluation of LifeForce training suggested that participants left training feeling more confident to deal with those in crisis.

Professor Ian Webster gives the address at the LifeForce Suicide Memorial Service.

Annual demand for LifeForce training and support increased again. Suicide Prevention workshops, Suicide Awareness seminars and presentations were conducted across Australia, while limited counselling for those in crisis was conducted in Sydney and Geelong (Vic). A focus remained on training people from rural and remote areas, where higher rates of suicide exist.

LifeForce increased the number of training sessions being offered despite the limitations of funds and staff. Two staff left mid-way through the financial year, however, due to effective strategies already in place, and with the support of Corporate Development we trained more community members than we had planned.

Lifeline

Lifeline Sydney staff met weekly with staff from the other services at Chippendale for devotions, to share, support and help each other grow in faith.

Each week of the training Rev Dr Gordon Moyes spoke with the trainees, providing a forum for discussing Christian insights into counselling. This is an important component of the training and valued by the trainees.

Staff were given 166 hours of training along with fortnightly management and clinical supervision, which ensured continued growth, personal and professional development.

At Lifeline Sydney telephone counsellors took 19,538 calls. Face-to-face counsellors conducted 700 appointments. Some 114 trainees began the telephone counselling course and 108 were accredited for phases one, two or three. Sixty-two advanced training courses were provided for volunteers. Twelve new face-to-face counsellors joined the program and completed introductory training. Lifeline Sydney was accredited under ISO 9000 Series Accreditation. A continuous improvement program was established and our first review was completed. Calls taken by volunteers for Lifeline increased by 7 percent while hours of telephone counselling remained constant.

Policy and procedures for the telephone counsellors were revised and implemented, and site procedures developed. A Bookfair volunteer was employed to assist with the ongoing management and development of the Bookfair. We raised more than $48,000 through the Lifeline Sydney Bookfair and the Lifeline Sydney Ball. A new agreement on the leasing of new premises for Lifeline and Wesley Health was signed.

Wesley Private Hospital and Wandene Private Hospital

The spirituality group is a key program, and is conducted within both hospitals. In a supportive environment, patients had the opportunity to discuss issues of significance in their spiritual lives.

The hospitals' pastoral program provided substantial support to patients who reported a high level of service satisfaction. Much time was spent assisting World War II, Korean and Vietnam War Veterans overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) syndrome, which in some cases, had afflicted veterans (and their families) for over 50 years. Veterans achieved a reduction of their symptoms enabling them to do things which most of us take for granted like going to the shops or cinema.

Wesley Private Hospital received international recognition for its treatment of Eating Disorders and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Modern psychiatry encourages brief inpatient admissions with follow up day programs, looking to a continuum of care. We have day programs associated with all of our inpatient services.

PTSD programs are conducted at Taree and Wauchope. The Carlingford Rooms and Therapy Centre offered a range of day programs in addition to the well-established Eating Disorders Day Service.

Our hospitals operated at over 82 percent occupancy, which is far in excess of the State average for private psychiatric services. Wesley Mission was at the forefront of day program provision, increasing our service provision by 62.5 percent for Wesley Private and 35 percent for Wandene Hospital.

Our human resources are our most valuable resource. The success of our service is a testament to the dedication, diligence, pride and stewardship of every staff member, psychiatrist and general practitioner. Each person offered the highest quality care and service to each patient.

Providing advice for clients in need..... Wesley Counselling Services

Wesley Gambling Counselling Service

Wesley Gambling Counselling Service provided an important service in an area of need where clients were faced with a range of behavioural problems. Counselling practice reflected a Christian and caring attitude to clients. We enjoyed the prayerful support of Wesley Gambling Counselling Service (WGCS) supporters and staff.

Our holistic approach to service delivery has meant that the quality of life for individuals and families improved and the social cost to the community reduced.

Effective counselling has meant that marriages and relationships have been saved and individuals rescued from the guilt and stigma of bankruptcy and isolation.

WGCS provided a range of services for problem gamblers and their families including personal counselling, group therapy, family counselling and financial counselling. Services were also provided in Mandarin and Korean languages. During the year 751 clients attended counselling and 3004 interviews were conducted.

The services operated from offices in Chippendale and Penrith with outreach services to the Blue Mountains. In January a new program commenced in Sutherland serving the St. George and Sutherland areas. This program has experienced consistently high demand since it began. Some 60 percent of clients attending the new service had thought about or contemplated suicide.

Official opening of the Wesley Gambling Counselling Service in Sutherland

WGCS continued to provide a counsellor training and resourcing program for more than 40 other gambling counselling services throughout New South Wales. It also provided training and consultation services to the gambling industry as well as a growing number of other community organisations including G-Line.

Wesley Palmdale

The new Wesley Palmdale Funeral Service provided Wesley Mission with a wonderful opportunity for Christian ministry and care. The funeral service worked closely with local churches and pastoral services.

The service provided a quality of care and Christian compassion during a family's time of need. It is a unique service that has made a difference because of its Christian values and service delivery.

Rev Dr Moyes and Ray Johnson at the opening of Wesley Palmdale Funeral Services

In May 2001 we moved into a magnificent office and chapel complex in Gladesville. Other highlights of this year have been the employment of a full time manager, and the introduction of a pre-paid funeral product.

Peaceful surrounds ..... Palmdale's Garden of Tranquility

Wesley Palmdale has been called upon to provide funeral services for a number of people who have made significant contributions to Wesley Mission - it has been a privilege to offer this service to people who have supported Wesley Mission in its work.

Wesley Mission Central Coast

All program and administration staff attended and participated in our weekly devotions and prayer time. This provided us with an opportunity to begin the working week together in the Spirit and share the highs and lows of our work and ministries.

Our program staff and volunteers worked closely with our clients and their carers to minimise the impact of their life challenges and employ strategies that maximised opportunities to move towards a healthier lifestyle.

Services were delivered through Dalmar Foster Care, Independent Living Program, How to Drug Proof Your Kids, Friends and Relations of Gamblers Service, StreetSmart Youth Services, School for Seniors and Commonwealth Carelink Centre.

The number of Central Coast welfare services and staff have doubled in the past year as needs have increased. Service gaps were identified for future development of new programs such as Supported Accommodation and Employment for people with disabilities, Homeless Persons Services, Drug and Alcohol early intervention and rehabilitation, Community Aged Care and Mental Health Services.

All available resources were managed to maximise effectiveness and minimise duplication and waste.

The regional manager provided ongoing support to program co-ordinators in the preparation and monitoring of operational plans and budgets throughout the year. All staff networked with funding bodies, other service providers, local politicians, corporates and the Christian and general communities.

Lottie Stewart Hospital

Lottie Stewart Hospital is a 136-bed Third Schedule Hospital, which provides specialised residential and subacute services in the areas of Palliative Care, Huntington's Disease, Spinal, Aged Care, Transit, Respite, Geriatric Rehabilitation, CADE and Psychiatric units. Since the signing of a Huntington's Rural Outreach Support Agreement in July 1999 the total number of people recorded on a Rural Outreach Patient Master List totals 125.

Occupancy remained at 95 percent throughout the year. The number of occupied bed days increased from 47,000 in 1999-2000 to 47,500 in 2000-2001. Admissions for 2000-2001 were 8.5 percent higher than the target set.

In October 2000 the Aged Care Standards Agency advised that the hospital's application for accreditation had been successful with a three-year accreditation being granted. The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards surveyed the hospital in November, 2000, with the hospital successful in gaining four years accreditation status. In May Lottie Stewart Hospital held a Huntington Education Day, which was a huge success. People travelled from many different regions of NSW to participate.

Ms Janice Redford resigned as Executive Officer in September 2000. Ms Jan Tweedie temporarily filled this position until January 2001. Ms Jenny Coutts was appointed to the position of Executive Officer and began full-time work in February, 2001. A major fire upgrade project was completed. This work was essential to ensure compliance with Commonwealth Accreditation standards. A no-lift policy was introduced. This has already proved to have benefits for both staff and residents, resulting in a drop in the number of manual handling incidents. Anne Buxton (Nursing Unit Manager) had her paper accepted for presentation at the International Huntington's Association Conference which was held in Copenhagen in August, 2001.

Lottie Stewart Hospital providing specialist care for clients

The Lottie Stewart Hospital appreciated the Christian heritage and values of Wesley Mission.

A new bus was purchased for the transportation of residents and clients. Alex Valich (Transport) received a Pride of Workmanship Award from the Rotary Club of Rydalmere. The award was presented by Ross Cameron MP in March 2001. The award was recognition of the contribution Alex had made to the quality of life of our residents and patients at Lottie.

Stories

Wesley Private Hospital

Eating Disorders Program

Emma

For 16 year-old Emma, years of teasing from her peers and siblings had left her with low self-esteem and a poor body image. By the age of 13, Emma had become depressed and bulimic. Life began to change when Emma attended Wesley Hospital's Eating Disorders day program.

"I got to see how other girls in the same situation coped," she said. "I learnt how to eat properly. I knew I wasn't on my own. If I hadn't gone to the day program I probably would have ended up in hospital."

Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Michael

After attending six drug rehabilitation programs over four years, Michael 25, was able to finally find a program that was able to help him.

"The difference with Wesley Private Hospital is that staff are very encouraging and don't judge me," said Michael.

"Their programs are practical and tailored towards my needs. I don't feel like I have to impress anyone, I was doing this for myself."

Wesley Gambling and Counselling Services

Frogs

Diane Dunning, coordinator of Wesley Mission's Friends and Relations of Gamblers Service (FROGS) said, "Ninety percent of people who come to our service have an addiction to poker machines. It affects all age groups from grandmothers to teenagers."

Leticia, a mother of two, hit rock bottom when her electricity was disconnected.

"FROGS has helped me compile a budget and look at strategies to stop gambling and replace it with positive things.

Diane has been so supportive and understanding."

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