2020 LASA Awards honour innovations in aged care 

Churches of Christ in Queensland have been recognised in the Excellence in Age Service Awards 2020, as part of the Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) Ten Days of Congress – held from 12 to 23 October.

Clinical Support Officer John Sison and Physiotherapist Taranjot Minhas were among those recognised for demonstrating exceptional talent, innovation and compassion towards improving the lives of senior Australians. 

John was the national recipient of LASA’s 2020 Rising Star award for his outstanding contribution to the aged services sector for his development of a data analysis tool that helps track and improve the wellbeing of aged care residents. 

The tool allows Churches of Christ in Queensland to monitor the trends and analysis of resident care, including tracking medications, antimicrobial management and clinical data.

Honoured at a virtual awards ceremony, John said it was very humbling and an honour to receive the award in recognition of his work at Churches of Christ in Queensland.

John started with the organisation as part of a graduate nursing program in 2016. The program saw him working across multiple clinical streams in Residential Aged Care and Home Care services, in both metropolitan and rural areas. 

"As the youngest member of our team, John leads by example and shows respect and integrity beyond his years," Sheelagh Henson, General Manager Clinical and Care Governance said.

This experience, combined with his advanced IT knowledge and a passion for making a difference, inspired him to design and implement clinical governance tools that collect and present data in a more meaningful way.
Building on his earlier ideas, he developed a dynamic in-house tool that spans the clinical governance fields to analyse and map together with a variety of clinical areas. This includes incident analysis and recommendations to assist services in developing strategies and care planning for older people.

“I think the clinical care governance component of the organisation changed into a much more modern way of thinking for us [and it] definitely has increased reporting and visibility,” John said.

John is working on a second and improved version of the tool.

The information from these tools is provided to both the aged care services and senior management to drive change in practice. This enables us to deliver best practice care and support that achieves improved outcomes for residents and clients.

 “John’s interactions with both residents and families are sensitive and empathetic. His 'can-do' attitude and calm demeanour reassure the most anxious of residents and staff," Sheelagh said.  
“Residents enjoy his company and feel safe and valued by him. We frequently receive requests for John to attend services to assist with clinical support.”

Taranjot’s passion for using innovation in her workplace earnt her a well-deserved finalist place in LASA’s inaugural Next Gen Young Leader Award.

Taranjot is a physiotherapist who has been with us since graduating from university after a student placement with the organisation attracted her to the aged care industry.

In what is understood to be a first in Queensland, Taranjot is introducing the Therabubble medical device into our residential aged care services to support people with chronic respiratory conditions and reduce hospitalisation rates. When a person blows air into the water-filled device to create bubbles, it improves ventilation and clears their lungs. This breathing exercise can prevent re-hospitalisation and can help people recover faster from acute infections and illnesses. 

“TJ [Taranjot] is passionate about making a difference in the lives of people in our care and achieving the best possible outcomes for them. She brings a fresh vibe, and is constantly thinking of new ways to improve service delivery - she looks at residents’ overall wellbeing and not just physiotherapist intervention,” Kane Singh, Regional Support Manager said.

Chief Executive Officer Gary Edwards said he was delighted the innovative initiatives to improve aged care by team members were being recognised by the industry as a whole. 

“I am appreciative of our aged care team for their dedication to making a difference in the lives of senior Australians,” Gary said.

Read more stories in the latest edition of Networking. 
  Posted 16 December, 2020 in Networking blog