Business View Oceania | March 2020

39 40 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA MARCH 2020 TE HOPA I HOME AND HOSP I TAL of Te Hopai Home was started. This saw the opening of a new two storey wing, followed by a staged rebuilding of the old home. The outcome was a modern multipurpose building with each room having an ensuite bathroom. Dave Stewart, Te Hopai Managing Director, reports, “Through the years, we’ve gone from being a very old-style facility where we had rations and all sorts of rules and regulations to being a whole new residential care facility now. At this point we have 151 beds – a mixture of rest home, hospital care and dementia care. Most recently, in 2017 we opened a new 46-bed hospital. Prior to that in 2011/12 we opened up a brand new dementia unit, and we’re constantly looking to see what we should be doing to meet the market. Of course, we have an aging population with a different level of acuity and much difference needs. So as each year progresses, we have to look at what’s happening worldwide, what are best practices, and what we can do to continually improve our services.” The Te Hopai Trust Board keeps well informed on political changes in the aged care market as well as the increasing needs of residents and their families. With that in mind, last year they implemented a new patient management system – a major investment for a private facility. They are now looking at having tablets available outside of rooms, so families have accessibility, and patients can access the internet and Skype with family members to keep that engagement with their own community. Stewart admits there are challenges: “It’s little things; it’s large things like buildings; it’s technology – it’s a constant juggling exercise to keep ahead of the game. But our occupancy is typically running at 96 to 98 percent, whereas other facilities in the area are in the low 80s. Because we’re a very popular facility, we do have a waiting list and when rooms come available they get snapped up pretty quickly.” Mukesh Patel of Quantum Computers Ltd supplies computing support services to Te Hopai Managing Director, Dave Stewart MOA Benchmarking Ahead of the curve: Improving quality of care in uncertain times Those at greatest risk through the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis are the elderly, those with comorbidities and weakened immune systems. The risk increases dramatically for those aged over 60. Naturally, aged care services have been among the most impacted by the spread of the virus. Fortunately, the New Zealand Government and aged care sector have been particularly proactive and decisive in protecting the health and well-being of residents and staff as the global pandemic has escalated. COVID-19 is a fluid situation that creates challenge for providers to adapt to new measures almost daily. Particularly while ensuring that they don’t lose sight of building on their resident’s experience within their care. MOA Benchmarking enjoys long term relationships with many New Zealand Aged Care providers. Fortunately, through our collaborative work in designing quality and risk management programs with them, we know that our partners are well-equipped to not only maintain care standards, but to continue to improve quality through these uncertain times. Our longest-standing partnership exists with Te Hopai Trust. We have enjoyed seeing them build a record of achievement in continuously improving outcomes for their residents and staff. Through our work together, we know that their approach to continuous quality improvement is underpinned by a commitment to innovation and a data-driven system that provides them with the real-time insights required to make timely and informed decisions. Importantly, their quality and risk management system is agile and evolves with changing needs within their services and the wider sector. To highlight this, as the Coronavirus approached our shores, MOA authored a preparedness self-assessment tool for Te Hopai and our partners to evaluate the rigour of their infection control policies and practices. While completion of this tool took precedence, through April, they will also continue on self-assessing their regulatory compliance and effectiveness of their leisure interest and activities programs. This is part of an ongoing, annual quality program aligned with the Health and Disability Services Standards. Completing tools empowers partner providers with benchmarked reporting, where potential risk and opportunities to improve are flagged and pushed through for collaborative action in an improvement planning software. Most importantly, all MOA tools, reporting and software provided is continuously updated. The COVID-19 readiness tool is immediately updated as Prime Minister Jacinda Arden announces each new control measure and as bodies such as the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation change their infection control guidelines. Te Hopai and MOA partner providers are always prepared to help flatten the curve, but to also stay ahead of it. Their commitment and efficient investment in continuous improvement won’t cease and they will be best positioned to emerge better than ever when the uncertainty ends. MOA Benchmarking is now offering all New Zealand Aged Care providers the opportunity to join a free pilot program, including access to the COVID-19 readiness tools, through to June 30, 2020. ...... For more information, please visit our website www.moabenchmarking.co.nz Self-assess your home’s alignment with the New Zealand Health and Disability Services Standards. Confidentially benchmark your performance against other like providers. COVID-19 Ensure your home and staff are following the latest guidelines and advice. Access our fr e COVID-19 qu lity tools. A complete continuous quality improvement platform for New Zealand rest homes. We invite all homes to participate in our free pilot program through to 30th June 2020. Join free at moabenchmarking.co.nz Audits Surveys Quality indicators admin@moabenchmarking.co.nz 0800 112 231 Compatible with InterRAI data