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My Story Matters Wins Better Practice Award
30 September 2011
The innovative IRT program ‘My Story Matters’, conducted at IRT Dalmeny, has won a Better Practice Award from the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency Ltd.
The winners were announced on September 30 and the annual Better Practice Awards promote and recognise improvement and better practice in aged care facilities that succeed in going above and beyond.
There were five award categories including: health and personal care; resident lifestyle; staff development and retention; environmental management/living environment and innovation. The ‘My Story Matters’ program won an award in the ‘resident lifestyle’ category.
IRT Welfare Officer Kate O’Leary, who developed the program, said it was great the benefits of the program were being recognised.
In the program, a volunteer partners with a resident in an IRT Community, to write his or her story. Ms O’Leary has worked with seniors most of her life, and recognised a need for people to spend time with seniors so they could talk and share their life story.
As part of the program, the resident and trained volunteer meet regularly and are involved in making a meaningful record of their lives. Ms O’Leary helps to turn these stories into a five-minute video story with photos, music, songs and voice-overs. The program captures glimpses of seniors’ lives, past and present. These glimpses are shared with staff, family, friends and the wider community.
“Life review, digital storytelling and volunteers are not new concepts on their own, however by bringing them together in a succinct program like ‘My Story Matters’ is an initiative that any residential aged care facility can easily replicate,” Ms O’Leary said.
‘My Story Matters’ was introduced to prevent and manage depression and anxiety among seniors who live at IRT Dalmeny and the program has just recently been added to other IRT sites. The opportunity to be involved with the program has been taken up by schools, the local ABC radio, community health, pastoral carers and more.
‘My Story Matters’ brings young and old together and both benefit from the experience. “Volunteers really enjoy the inspiration they get from the older generation,” Ms O’Leary said. “They learn that getting old is not a bad thing. It is a revelation when a volunteer realises that ‘My Story Matters’ is a highlight of a resident’s week.”
IRT Chief Executive Nieves Murray said the award was a great honour for such a successful program. “The program has gone from strength to strength and is a great benefit to all involved,” she said. “It helps to improve the residents’ wellbeing and gives volunteers an insight into a person’s life.”
A facilitator’s handbook on the ‘My Story Matters’ program will available in the future for people outside of IRT to purchase and use as the foundation for setting up the program.
For further information please contact:
Melissa Michie
Communications Coordinator
Phone: 4221 6653 or 0419 789 841
