Grace Villa: Aged Care at its Best

A family run Ageing in Place facility located in the heart of Greensborough, a leafy suburb of Melbourne, Grace Villa provides best-in-class facilities for its residents. In operation since 1988, this 91 bed establishment has an impeccable track record for the highest quality care and facilities coupled with an attitude of genuine care and compassion.

Shoba Samuel, General Manager, explains how Grace Villa started, “The inception of Grace Villa was in 1988 and the founders were Sam and Kay Samuel. Sam has a background of management and Kay has a nursing background. In the last 10 years their children of which I am one have come on board to continue their legacy. We pride ourselves on ensuring that we have a connection with all our residents and families and they aren’t considered as just a number.”

A complete range of options

The care needs of older persons vary with age and the specific requirements of each individual. It is not assumed that all the residents share the same interests and necessities. With this in mind, it is ensured that personalised care is provided which considers every individual is not the same and does not share the same social interests.

Employee satisfaction is taken very seriously and this is reflected through the retention of long standing staff, some of which have been with the organisation for 26 years.  Staff are well experienced professionals and their caring and passionate nature is conveyed through their work ethics. All employees and contractor’s staff are subject to police and background checks and are required to undergo continuous ongoing training and professional development. The Management team comprises of the Director- Sam Samuel, Director of Nursing – Kay Samuel, Nurse Unit Manger- Dawn Gopal, Occupational Health and Safety Representative- Daryl Honey, Chief Financial Officer- Roshan Varughese.

The Australian Aged Care Quality Agency has certified the facility in all of its 44 standards and this has been an ongoing record since the standards were introduced. In fact, the recent re-accreditation assessors recommended the facility apply for the Better Practice awards due to the impeccable record maintained in infection control.

Best-in-class practices are followed in every aspect of running each of the different areas of operation. This achievement is a result of discipline and methods honed over the decades by the experienced owners of this family-run establishment.

Commenting on the high quality standards and single-minded dedication with which Grace Villa is managed, Shoba reveals one of the methods used to continuously improve and provide care of the highest order to the residents, “We constantly try and improve our facility. This is a home for our residents and we want to make sure that they are comfortable in their environment. Residents and their families can fill forms to give comments and suggestions. These are reviewed weekly and implemented where practical. We also have a general services survey that we conduct on an annual basis for residents and their families and staff to provide feedback.

The way we try to differentiate ourselves is that as a family run aged care facility we try to foster a family environment with our residents, staff and families. A lot of our residents come to us through word of mouth. In fact, we encourage our families to bring their loved ones in for respite care in order to assess the facility as to whether they enjoy the amenities and services being provided. We have found that almost all of our residents convert their respite care stay to permanent accommodation.

Being a family run organisation, we are compassionate towards the needs of our residents. As an example, a resident of our facility was in a position where he could not afford to buy clothing for himself. He had no family and no loved ones except us to look after his needs. We co-ordinated with staff to ensure that his wardrobe was checked and any of his needs met in relation to getting the clothing he required. We are not a corporate organisation where every resident is considered a dollar amount. We cherish our residents at an individual level and they admire us for that.”

The different categories of care available at Grace Villa are:

Ageing in Place

A residential facility for those requiring basic and complex care. Individuals are encouraged to be as independent as they can. All the facilities required for assistance in daily living are provided. Recreational and entertainment facilities are also provided to ensure a high quality of life. Programs are structured based on individual needs and residents enjoy the care of trained and competent staff.

Additionally, 24-hour nursing, continence aids, pharmaceutical requirements and therapy are provided. The level of care is based on the individual’s physical, psychological, medical, cultural and social needs.

Memory Care

While dementia does not strike all older people, the likelihood of being diagnosed with this condition increases with age. At the time of onset of the condition, the symptoms are mild and do not interfere with leading a normal life. However, with the passage of time the disease has a greater impact and there is a requirement for constant care.

Grace Villa is well equipped to provide special care to those living with dementia and has a specific dementia wing. All the rooms in our Memory Care wing have technology built in which allows our care staff to be alerted if our residents’ movements stray away from their normal actions while they are in their rooms during the night. This is useful to allow staff to be able to assist our residents and prevent a fall from occurring.

Shoba explains that memory care is on the top of the list of priorities for Grace Villa especially in view of the increasing demand for care in this area. “We are building a brand new purpose built 130 bed facility in Diamond Creek that will be operational by the end of the year which includes a secure wing for memory care.”

Respite care

Temporary facilities for a couple of weeks stay are provided to older people so that those providing care for them on a regular basis can take a break. With its experience in the field, Grace Villa has the infrastructure and personnel to provide respite care in a competent fashion.

A wide range of facilities for the residents

Grace Villa prides itself on the warmth and affection that it shows for its residents. It focuses all its energies on making their stay as comfortable as possible and goes to great lengths to ensure that there are a number of activities to get involved in and keep them entertained. A “Lifestyle Coordinator” holds discussions with residents to find out about their preferences and arranges visits by musicians, performance artists, school children, church services etc.

Regular sessions are also held where residents may participate in activities like floor games, gardening, singing and bingo. There is a well-stocked library which has a wide range of books and also subscribes to a variety of publications. Visits by a mobile library are also organised. The lifestyle co-ordinator also organises regular resident outings to bistros, parks, boathouses and other locations. These events bring great joy to our residents and families are also invited to join in the fun.

The dietary requirements of residents are catered to by providing wholesome and nutritious food which is freshly cooked on the premises. The in-house chefs take inputs from the nursing staff, dieticians, residents and their families and devise a four week rotating summer and winter menu. Requests for special items and food which is in compliance with the religious requirements of residents are also accommodated.

The residents are provided with well-appointed rooms with ensuites. Facilities include individual air-conditioning units, sensor activated lighting and an emergency nurse call system. Every care is taken to ensure the well-being and safety of residents.

Technology plays a very important part in providing residents with unmatched care. Shoba explains the role that technology plays at Grace Villa, “Technology is growing in the aged care industry. For us the technology that we use is mainly around our critical software programs and background services that is to ensure that there is less room for human error. At the moment we are using an award winning program that enables staff, doctors and allied services to be aware of what is going on with the residents”. Staff have tablets to allow them to look up and update resident’s details while they are with our residents. This ensures that no information is lost in the process. In the move to adopt technology at a faster rate, Wi-Fi services have been rolled out in the facility. This is available for the organisation as well as the residents.

Grace Villa ensures that residents have access to the entire range of medical services by arranging visits by specialists. Qualified practitioners in the fields of physiotherapy, podiatry, speech pathology and therapeutic massage regularly visit the premises. Additionally, facilities for pathology tests, dialysis and X-rays are also available through local tie-ups.

Partnerships with suppliers

Grace Villa has the unique distinction of being associated with several suppliers for decades. Shoba describes the management’s philosophy regarding suppliers, “In order to provide the services that we need for our residents and staff it is important that we have a good relationship with our suppliers. We have used many over the years. Our suppliers for us are more than just suppliers. They form an integral part of our business and we treat them more as our partners.

It’s important that we have a sustainable relationship with our suppliers. We have used many over the last 20 years and they are still with us. In particular we have consultants for training and development. Our software program and clinical training providers have been with us for more than 28 years. We have been using the same pharmacists for 26 years and they also conduct ongoing training for our staff.”

Grace Villa has been providing aged care services of the highest standard for over a quarter century. Its forte is the ability to personalise the care program it develops for each of its residents. The staff is specially trained to treat residents with care and warmth. The fact that the facility is family managed, gives it an edge over others in the field because of the tradition of excellence that has been built up over the years and is now being carried forward by the next generation. Grace Villa prides itself on how residents are treated and it treats residents’ families and staff as their own family and they give the facility credit and appreciate their efforts for this.