Over the past six months, our Consumer Advisory Body (CAB) has provided invaluable feedback on our services. These thoughtful insights from client and resident members have allowed us to have an authentic voice of customer experience, instrumental in making meaningful improvements. We are immensely grateful for our members' contributions, which have enabled us to address key issues and take significant steps to enhance the experience for all our residents and clients.
Feedback on Residential Aged Care
During the August session for residential aged care, our CAB members provided invaluable feedback on several crucial areas, including employee consistency, creating a homely atmosphere, integrating the outdoors, enhancing food quality, and diversifying leisure activities. The members also highlighted the importance of improved communication and offering stimulating options tailored to various levels of cognitive ability.
While we are already addressing many of the members' suggestions, we are pleased to announce further improvements. Over the past five months, our residential aged care leadership team has successfully recruited ten additional lifestyle coordinators, ensuring that almost all our homes will now have dedicated coordinators.
This initiative will enhance the variety of creative and mentally stimulating activities, learning opportunities, and social interactions available to residents. We have also listened to feedback on the need for diverse activity spaces and will incorporate these into our lifestyle programs within our homes.
Additionally, we have established a case management system that enables residents and their families to have a designated contact person. This initiative will facilitate proactive communication and consultation regarding residents’ health and needs, commencing in November 2024. We will also provide further training for our administrative staff on call handling procedures. Beginning next year, we will enhance our commitment to deep listening by facilitating more meaningful conversations. We aim to obtain valuable insights through direct interactions with residents and their loved ones, rather than depending on complaints and surveys.
Feedback on Home Care Services
During the August Home Care Services session for Home Care Services, the feedback highlighted issues such as delays in service or equipment approvals, problems with timely resolution, and a lack of awareness about available services. Our CAB members also expressed the need for clearer communication regarding the roles of Community Workers during visits. Catholic Healthcare understands how these concerns can impact the quality of care you receive, and we are committed to addressing them promptly and effectively.
We are delighted to hear the positive feedback regarding your interactions with our frontline service team. It is encouraging to know that you have noticed improvements in the responsiveness to your requests and needs.
We are also pleased to hear that the Catholic Healthcare App is proving to be an effective tool for managing your services.
Looking ahead, we plan to enhance the app with new features such as service notifications, request confirmations, access to your care plan, and service feedback options. These updates will be available in the first half of next year, providing easier access to information and more convenient ways to manage your services.
To enhance the accessibility of information on service and equipment approvals, we are focusing on several areas for improvement. This includes updating our website with relevant information and introducing a new 'find a service' navigation and search feature. We will provide extra training for our care advisors to better support you with accurate information.
Also, we are revising the client handbook to include more details about service inclusions and exclusions. The team remains committed to helping clients understand what services can and cannot be included in a home care package, especially as Government regulations become more stringent.
We recognise the vital role that social interaction plays in the services provided by our Community Workers. As reflected in the feedback, Community Workers can socialise with clients as needed or desired during their service. To further support this, we will implement a new care management system in April 2025. This system will enhance our ability to capture and respect client preferences, ensuring that socialisation is seamlessly integrated into our services.
We appreciate our members' ongoing involvement in CAB and are continually inspired by their feedback to improve how we support all our residents and clients living their best lives.