YDHS Annual Report 2006 (2.4Mb pdf) - GHA Central

Report on Operations
Clinical Services
The Clinical Services Division comprises all patient care
departments including direct care, postnatal and medical
services, accident and emergency and residential activities.
Clinical Services Division is also responsible for Quality
Improvement and staff training and development activities.
Highlights during 2005/6 include:
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Participation in the Pressure Ulcer Point Prevalence Survey
(PUPPS) 3. This was undertaken by staff trained to assess
patients at risk of developing pressure ulcers. The survey
was a follow up to last year’s PUPPS2 and as a result
strategies have been put in place to assess patients’ skin
integrity more closely on admission.
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The Nursing Home welcomed new staff and continues to
enjoy the support and assistance from a great band of
volunteers who regularly visit residents and help with
activities. St Elmo’s also participates in the Friends for Older
People program facilitated by the St John Ambulance.
Excellent support has come from the Waratah Hospital
Auxiliary and the local RSL branch with donations for
equipment such as the tilt wheelchair.
Staff continue to update and increase their skills and
knowledge base by attending education sessions both
internally and externally.
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The Falls Risk Prevention Program was implemented. The
focus of this program for Clinical Services is to reduce the
number of falls for inpatients and residents.
Implementation of the National Inpatient Medication Charts
in June. Following education for Medical Officers and
Division 1 Nurses, the medication chart was introduced for
use at Yarram and District Health Service. This is a
Government initiative to standardise medication charts in
Victorian Public hospitals with the aim of reducing the
number of medication errors.
Jo-Anne Rash, Quality
Co-ordinator, pictured
with the third annual
Quality of Care
brochure
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Setting up of a Palliative Care Room. This project has been
funded by the Palliative Care Fundraisers, a room has been
furnished to be used by palliative care patients and their
families.
Highlights at St Elmo’s Nursing Home during 2005/6 include:
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Accreditation visit in May 2006, which was rewarded with
success in all 44 standards, thanks to the hard work and
ongoing commitment by all staff to providing quality care
for residents.
Activities staff have offered residents a wide range of
activities incorporating many special events such as the
Commonwealth Games, ANZAC Day, the Tarra Festival and
Australia Day, to name but a few. The use of the bus at the
weekends has also added to the variety of outings in which
residents can participate.
Quality Improvement
Yarram and District Health Service is preparing for
organisation wide accreditation with the Australian Council on
Healthcare Standards (ACHS), with assessment to take place in
August 2006, following successful accreditation of St. Elmo’s
Nursing Home in May 2006.
The nursing home was compliant in all 44 standards and
subsequently awarded the maximum three year accreditation.
This demonstrates to residents, their loved ones and the wider
community, the commitment to providing high quality care and
a safe and happy home environment.
Representatives from the Aged Care Standards and
Accreditation Agency will visit St. Elmo’s regularly over the next
three years to ensure the same high standards demonstrated
at site audit are maintained and practices continuously
improved.
Preparation for organisation wide survey began during the
reporting period. This event will determine if Yarram and
District Health Service has met all the standards as laid down
by Australian Council on Healthcare Standards and determines
the period of accreditation. The last organisation wide survey
was in 2002 and the maximum four year accreditation
awarded.
While accreditation for St. Elmo’s is necessary to comply with
the Aged Care Act, health service accreditation with the ACHS
is a voluntary process. Many hospitals participate to instil a
sense of confidence in their consumers that their health
service is a quality and safety focussed organisation.
Health Promotions officer, Clare McHugh (centre), combines
fitness with self defence with the help of Tae Kwon Do
Academy techers Heather Naylor (left)
and Pam Summers (right)
Yarram and District Health Service Annual Report 2006
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