Lithgow Aged Care Ltd
38 Maple Crescent Lithgow NSW 2790 Ph: 6352 3313 Fax: 6352 1270
email:
LITHGOW AGED CARE LTD
Resident Handbook
“Working with Residents and the Community as Partners in Care”
OUR MISSION
Working with Resident and the Community as Partners in Care.
OUR VISION
To be a leading provider of quality aged care services
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Dignity, Comfort, Respect and Trust.
ORGANSATION STRUCTURE
Accommodation
“Cooinda”
Our Cooinda facility is situated opposite Lithgow parklands and is a short distance (approximately 2 kilometres) from the Shopping Centre at the heart of Lithgow. The facility is in close access to Community Centres, churches, leisure centres, clubs, theatre and library.
Access by Public Transport is available via train to Lithgow and a bus can then take you straight to the facility. Alternatively a taxi service (including wheelchair taxi) is available from the station.
Size and Amenity of Rooms
Single Rooms
The single rooms are approximately 15 m2 and are kept clean and tidy by the friendly staff of Lithgow Aged Care Ltd. Residents are encouraged to bring in some of their favourite furniture pieces and mementos of earlier years. All other furniture is in keeping with the style of the building to provide a welcoming and homelike environment. All beds are fully electronic to enable care to be delivered with safety and the least disruption to the resident. Each room has the availability for residents to provide their own television.
Persons in each Room
Cooinda has 45 single rooms and 2 rooms put aside for married couples. All residents in Cooinda have their own private accommodation.
Shared Bathroom or En-suite Facilities
All residents’ rooms have their own en-suite facilities.
Common Areas
Our Cooinda facility consists of three interconnected buildings, Coates House which accommodates 25 residents, Madden House which accommodates 12 residents and Gillard House our dementia specific unit, which also accommodates 12. The main lounge room and dining room are approximately 56 m2 and 52 m2 respectively. Each House has its own satellite kitchen and smaller dining area as well as quiet sitting areas which all residents may access. All are clean and well maintained. Furniture in the room is in keeping with the style of the building to provide a welcoming and homelike environment. There is a large multi-purpose room of 95 m2 which is used for group activities but is available for families to use for private functions should they wish.
Residents have access to pay television in the main lounge room.
“Tanderra”
Our Tanderra facility is situated adjacent to Cooinda Aged Care Facility and is a short distance (approximately 2 kilometres) from the Shopping Centre at the heart of Lithgow. The facility is in close access to Community Centres, churches, leisure centres, clubs, theatre and library.
Most services are brought into the facility as per the care needs of each individual resident.
Access by Public Transport via to Lithgow and a bus can then take you straight to the facility. Alternatively a taxi service (including wheelchair taxi) is available from the station.
Size of Rooms
Single Rooms
The single rooms are approximately 15 m2 and are kept clean and tidy by the friendly staff of Lithgow Aged Care Ltd. Residents are encouraged to bring in some their favourite furniture piece and mementos of earlier years. All other furniture is in keeping with the style of the building to provide a welcoming and homelike environment. Ceiling fans are included in each room. All beds are fully electronic to enable care to be delivered with safety and the least disruption to the resident. Each room has the availability for residents to provide their own television.
Double Rooms
The double rooms are approximately 18 m2 and are kept clean and tidy by the friendly staff of Lithgow Aged Care Ltd. Residents are encouraged to bring in their favourite furniture piece and mementos of earlier years. All other furniture is in keeping with the style of the building to provide a welcoming and homelike environment. Ceiling fans are included in each room. All beds are electronic to enable care to be delivered with safety and the least disruption to the resident. Each room has the availability for residents to provide their own television.
4 Bed Rooms
The four bed rooms are approximately 36 m2 and are kept clean and tidy by the friendly staff of Lithgow Aged Care Ltd. Residents are encouraged to bring in their favourite furniture piece and mementos of earlier years. All other furniture is in keeping with the style of the building. Ceiling fans are included in each room. All beds are electronic to enable care to be delivered with safety and the least disruption to the resident.
Persons in each Room
Tanderra has 6 single rooms, 5 double rooms and 8 rooms containing 4 beds. The maximum bed capacity of Tanderra Aged Care is 46 places.
Shared Bathroom or En-suite Facilities
Single Rooms
These rooms have shared en-suite facilities (with one other resident) and also have immediate access to bathrooms across the corridor.
Double Rooms
All of the shared rooms have immediate access to bathrooms just across the corridor.
4 Bed Rooms
All of the shared rooms have immediate access to bathrooms just across the corridor.
Common Areas
The lounge room and dining room are approximately 80 m2 and 96 m2 respectively. Both are clean and well maintained. Furniture in the room is in keeping with the style of the building to provide a welcoming and homelike environment. There is a smaller Federation room of 32 m2 which is available for families to use for private functions should they wish. Residents have access to pay television in the main lounge room.
Admission
The CEOwill contact you to arrange a suitable time to meet with you and discuss your admission when a vacancy becomes available. You can then complete the paperwork and decide on the admission date. It is required that prior to admission, residents have any electrical goods that are being brought into either facility, checked for safety and tagged by a qualified electrician. This cost is borne by the resident. Annual checking of electrical appliances owned by residents is required, and is at the resident’s expense.
The CEO will discuss payment options in regard to the fees, accommodation charges and billing. It is recommended that you seek advice from an independent financial planner to see which payment option best suits your financial arrangements.
Legal Documents and Valuables
No responsibility will be taken for valuables or monies retained by the resident. It is advisable that residents use their bank for safe custody of valuables. A lockable drawer is provided in each room, with resident control of the key, however residents are discouraged from keeping money in theses lockers. Any personal documents or valuables held in safe custody by the CEO will only be surrendered to the resident, or in the event of their passing away, to the nominated Executor of the resident’s Estate.
Our staff are not permitted to sign or witness any legal documents (such as wills, stat decs etc) for you. We recommend you see your legal advisor/solicitor for these.
Residency and Security of Tenure
To be considered for residential care at a Lithgow Aged Care Ltd facility, it is necessary to apply for your name to be put on the waiting list and submit a copy of current ACAR Assessment Form. You are welcome to make a time to visit Cooinda and/or Tanderra to talk to our management staff and they will conduct a tour and answer any questions you may have.
The CEO will contact you if a vacancy is available, after consulting with the Aged Care Assessment Team. Priority is given to residents on waiting list requiring urgent placements by ACAT.
In keeping with our philosophy we endeavour to create a secure homelike environment. However there may be some circumstances that result in a resident being asked to relocate within or to leave Lithgow Aged Care Ltd, for example:
- Where the relocation within the facilities is in the interest of resident care.
- Where there is a continual deficiency in payment of fees and accommodation charges
- Where the condition of the resident is such that accommodation at the facility may prove injurious to the resident, other residents or to staff.
(Note: Such action will only be taken subsequent to communication with the resident and/or representative, their health practitioner and other parties involved in determining a satisfactory resolution.
All assistance will be given to find more appropriate accommodation befitting the resident’s medical needs. Where possible at least two weeks’ notice will be given.
This action will not be taken without thorough investigation into the cause and should you feel that you have been unfairly treated, your avenues of appeal are through The Department of Health & Ageing and Aged Care Advocacy Service).
Furniture and WH&S
Rooms are furnished by Lithgow Aged Care Ltd. Large personal furniture items are not permitted in residents rooms without prior risk assessment by the WH&S representative. Please consider the personal space of others if you share a room, clutter must be kept to a minimum to ensure safety for all. No refrigerators aloud in resident’s rooms.
Lithgow Aged Care Ltd requests that all visitors abide by our WH&S policies and procedures and follow advice and instruction whilst on the premises of either facility.
Visiting and Outings
Residents are encouraged to maintain close contact with friends and relatives as well aspeople they know in the wider community.
Relatives and friends are welcome to visit between the hours of 8.00am and 8.00pm, however we would like to point out that between 6am and 10am resident care and organisation of the daily activities are at a maximum. We do ask that at this time you give due consideration to all residents privacy and allow the nursing staff to carry out their duties.Quiet lounge rooms are available if required in each facility.
Visitors must check at the front desk of the facility they are visiting, and sign in and out of the premises. Prior to leaving the premises, residents must notify staff that they intend to be out, collect medication if required from the registered nurse, and sign the outing book (time out and time in).
Medical Services
Residents are encouraged to make their own choice of doctor and we will endeavour to ensure you maintain your local doctor if they agree to visit the facility.
Emergency medical needs are dealt with at the local hospital or ambulance, depending upon need.
Medication at each facility is coordinated and monitored by the Registered Nurse on each shift who is assisted by appropriately trained staff, using the Webster Single Dose System. All medications must be prescribed and documented on the medication charts by your doctor. Self-medicating is not encouraged at either facility, however it is permissible for a resident to self-medicate providing they have been assessed as competent to do so by their doctor and the Clinical Care Manager.
Both facilities engage Blooms Pharmacy at the Lithgow Valley Plaza for the supply of medications for our residents. We are able to contact them every day for all pharmaceutical needs, and these are delivered to either facility, usually on the same day. An external Contracted Pharmacist reviews resident medications regularly, to ensure medications are managed safely and appropriately.
Registered Nurses are engaged 24 hours daily in both facilities, including weekends.
All Resident Care Plans are reviewed by our Registered Nurses quarterly or as needed, such as when your care needs may change.Please ensure you direct all your enquiries about the health and care of residents to the Registered Nurse in Charge or the Care Manager or the Clinical Care Manager.
Resident’s families are responsible for assisting their family member to medical appointments, the staff of Lithgow Aged Care Ltd will assist with arrangements for the provision of transport for residents travelling to external appointments. The cost of such transport is incurred by the resident. Family members are required to provide escort for these appointment.
Hospital and Social Leave
Prospective residents may take up to 7 days social leave prior to admission if they are coming from home.
Permanent residents are permitted 52 days overnight leave per financial year. Residents’ daily fees still apply while on social leave. If this leave is exceeded, Lithgow Aged Care Ltd may charge a resident the amount of subsidy in addition to daily care fee for each night exceeding allowance. Hospital leave is unlimitedand is available to all permanent residents.
Palliative Care
All residents have the right to access palliative care services. Assistance will be given to residents and relatives in determining terminal wishes and you may fill out an Advance Health Care Directive if you wish. Support Groups within the community will be contacted as required and requested by residents/relatives.
Funeral Arrangements
Lithgow Aged Care Ltd requires that funeral arrangements be recorded on admission to either of our facilities.
Please advise the Registered Nurse of the preferred funeral director and the preference for burial or cremation. It is not necessary for you to pay any money to the funeral director at this time and the choice can be changed at any time.
Emergency Calls
A nurse call button is provided for each resident for use in emergency situations. Each facility has 24 hour supervision by Registered Nurses and appropriately trained care staff. Common areas have nurse call facilities.
Meals
Main meals, such as breakfast lunch and dinner (tea) are served in the dining rooms:
Breakfast:from 7:45 am
Lunchfrom 12noon
Teafrom 5:00pm
Morning and afternoon teas are also served by care staff mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Tea and Coffee available 24 hrs per day with biscuits/cake, supper is also available;
just ask our friendly staff for assistance.
All residents are encouraged to attend the dining rooms for meals, however those who may wish to do so or who may be experiencing a short term illness which renders them incapable of attending the dining room may have a tray bought to their room. Early or late meals may be supplied if residents are going out. Residents who have special dietary requirements are catered for, and these needs will be discussed with you upon admission. The menu is reviewed regularly by a qualified dietician. All food is cooked fresh on the premises. Fridges, electric kettles, microwaves and toasters are not permitted in residents’ rooms.
Please see the information leaflet included with this handbook which provides guidelines when bringing in food items and treats for residents. This forms part of our policies and procedures and Lithgow Aged Care Ltd ask that you follow the advice therein.
Recreational Activities
The Recreational Activities Officers are on duty Monday to Friday. A programme of recreational activities is developed in consultation with an on-siteLeisure and Lifestyle Certified staff member. Recreational activities aim to assist residents to engage in activities suited to personal interests and abilities. We have a personal computer in the reading lounge for residents’ use. Training is given to any resident wishing to avail themselves of this service.
Community outings are available at Day Care, Regency Lodge and Gorrie Ban. Each facility has its own bus which is used for group outings to places of interest generally at leastweeklyto twice weekly basis. These outings include local shopping trips and residents take turns about for seats on this outing.
Mass is celebrated first Wednesday afternoon of the month, and monthly Sunday Services are held by various denominations in each facility.Uniting Church hold Communion the fourth Sunday of each month. There are regular visits by others who provide pastoral care to our residents.
Entertainers regularly visit our facilities to provide a variety of music and sing-a-long sessions. Our RAO staff will keep you posted on these events.
An hourly bus (low step type) to Lithgow town stops in Maple Crescent just outside the front of Cooinda if you wish to or are able to go shopping on your own.
Ancillary Staff and Other Services
Ancillary staff provide support in areas of administration, catering, laundry, cleaning, gardening, maintenance and general management.
Lithgow aged Care Ltd participates in the local Community Visitors Scheme. Please ask our RAO staff if you have any queries in regard to our visitors.
Lithgow Aged Care Ltd has an active Auxiliary who volunteer their services in a fund raising capacity. The Auxiliary also holds monthly bingo and craft mornings at each facility.
‘HandsOn’ Volunteers visit fortnightly to do residents nails.Appointments can be arranged for those residents who need a podiatrist. An on-site podiatrist attends to the needs of our high care and palliative care residents.
A contracted hairdresser calls weekly for each facility, please see our care staff if you wish to book in. Your own private hairdressermay attend each facility for appointments, however a registration number and a police check certificate from them will be required.
Dental, hearing and optical services arranged with local providers by appointment, and some services can be arranged on-site.
We have engaged the services of a local physiotherapistto assesseachresident’s mobility and develop exercise programs to assist with mobility. A personal carer/mobility nurseconducts individual exercise programs with residents.