Aged care workers the focus of celebration

Paul Mark, an aged care worker from Wimmera Health Care Group was able to bring together a resident with her husband as part of her last wishes. His story is just one of the many examples of the care and significance aged care workers bring to our communities. As the 2017 Celebrating Aged Care Leadership Award winner, he will be invited to attend the official 2018 Celebrating Aged Care Week event on 6 September in Melbourne as a special guest alongside Aged Care Volunteer award winner, Raymond Miller, from The Kilmore & District Hospital and Passion for Aged Care winner, Susan Ritchie, from Gippsland Southern Health Service.

The event is part of Celebrating Aged Care Week, held 10 - 15 September. It recognises the contributions that Victoria’s public aged care workers provide to our communities, and serves as a celebration of appreciation for the work they do.

More than 150 Victorian public residential aged care facilities will participate in celebrations to honour its aged care workers and volunteers.

This year’s Celebrating Aged Care award winners will be announced at an event, organised by the Public Sector Residential Aged Care committee and the Victorian Healthcare Association.

Nominations are currently being taken for this year’s awards in the categories of:

• Aged Care Volunteering

• Aged Care Leadership

• Passion for Aged Care

To nominate a team member, carer or volunteer for an award, submit a 100-200 word letter in support of your nominee, including a cover sheet to PSRACsecretariat@vha.org.au. Applications close on Monday 2 July.

The Celebrating Aged Care Week campaign has been running since 2012 and is an initiative of the PSRAC committee: a network of public sector aged care directors of nursing committed to the improvement of the public residential aged care sector.