Eldercare Chief Executive Jane Pickering said this award was validation that the organisation’s Palliative Care program, and the team who developed it, is ‘a cut above the rest’.

“In recent years our palliative care team has grown and with their help we have been able to build Eldercare’s clinical expertise and capability in delivering specialist palliative and end-of-life care,” said Jane.

“The work of our highly skilled and compassionate palliative care professionals has led to improved palliative care outcomes for our residents, and we are truly thankful to count them as part of the Eldercare team.”

As of April 2023, 93% of Eldercare residents had an Advance Care Plan in place, versus 37.7% of aged care residents across Australia. Advance Care Plans improve end-of-life care by ensuring that a person’s preferences are known even if they are unable to make decisions.

During the same period, 93% of Eldercare residents died in a familiar environment, versus 85.9% of aged care residents across Australia. Dying in an acute hospital environment is often a traumatic experience for residents and their loved ones. Eldercare’s significant investment in palliative care practice reduced the need for hospital transfers at end-of-life.

Eldercare is one of only two aged care providers in South Australia that employs a dedicated palliative care team, which offers faster and more accessible specialist support for staff, residents, and their families, leading to an improved resident experience during the palliative and end-of-life stages.

Three of the nine qualified palliative care nurse practitioners in the state are part of Eldercare’s specialist team, which allows additional palliative services to be offered to residents and their families.

Image: (L to R) Carolyn Bell, Executive Director NSW, Silverchain; Camilla Rowland, CEO, Palliative Care Australia; Prof Meera Agar, Chair, Palliative Care Australia; Jane Pickering, Chief Executive, Eldercare; and Anne-Marie Gillard, Operational Services Executive, Eldercare.