Independence is at the heart of healthy ageing

Anglicare’s Aged Care services are underpinned by a policy called Wellness and Reablement.

“It’s a model that we are training our team members to understand and use in their day-to-day work with the older Tasmanians we support,” explained General Manager Ellen Nicholson.

“At its core, it directs us to do tasks with our clients, rather than for them. It builds their capacity to do things themselves and with our support.  It recognises that people live better – and longer – if they perform daily tasks independently for as long as they are safely able to do so.”

Maria Montessori is best known for her pioneering work in children’s education, but a comment attributed to her sums up the intent of this approach in the aged care sector:  “Everything you do for me; you take from me.”

“Some clients who have stopped doing things for themselves are encouraged to build their confidence, regain their skills and put them into practice,” said Ellen.

She said other clients were encouraged to do things they hadn’t tried before, which was very positive for cognitive health.

“Each person is unique, and we capture their circumstances and aspirations in their personal care plan. This plan is a living document that changes as the person’s needs and goals change,” she said.

An activity that at first glance appears simple and mundane – such as cooking an evening meal – provides all of the physical, cognitive, emotional and social benefits that are at the heart of healthy ageing.

These include fine motor skills, balance, strength and agility; organising and planning; satisfaction and a sense of control; and connecting with others.

Stepping back from stepping in

Anglicare’s team members are asked to ‘step back from stepping in’ as part of a training program that is coordinated by Intake and Training Lead Renae Fleming.

Previously a support worker, Renae recalls using the concept of wellness and reablement when working with a gentleman with dementia, Errol.*

“Errol’s wife would put the washing on prior to me arriving at their home,” she said. “Errol and I would go out to the washing line together. He had difficulty stretching his arms, so he would pass the pegs to me and I would hang out the washing. We’d be chatting all the while so it became an enjoyable task for us to do together.

“Other tasks that we encouraged Errol to do included peeling carrots, emptying the dishwasher and polishing the cutlery,” Renae added.

Contributing to the household in this way enabled Errol to stay active and feel included and in charge of his care. And it meant he could stay at home for longer, which as we know is a very important goal for most older Tasmanians.

More information

Anglicare’s Aged Care Services

Anglicare encourages all TAS HACC and aged care clients to set strength-based goals, and our workers are trained to support their participation and independence.  The wellness and reablement approach is described in our Service Agreements with clients.

Some of the content in this article came from keepable.com.au

*We have changed our client’s name to protect their privacy