Together EML and Boandik Lodge are improving employee workplace health and safety, and helping to reduce claims costs.
Aged care organisation Boandik Lodge (Boandik) provides a range of residential and community care services to over 600 elderly clients within the south east of South Australia.
With the incidence of dementia and other age-related cognitive conditions increasing and resulting in more challenging behaviours from clients, Boandik sought to find strategies to better manage the WHS risks associated with the care of residential clients.
Commitment to training
Working together with Mutual Benefits, Boandik accessed external specialists Maybo Safer Healthcare to train all care staff in the Maybo Assault Reduction and Disengagement Program in Aged Care.
The training program plan focused on educating carers on managing high risk patients and potentially physically threatening situations. The program was supported by a Maybo’s Train The Trainer initiative, with eight Boandik employees becoming dedicated internal Training Officers.
Since implementing the program, over 200 Boandik residential care employees have completed the training, with updates and refresher programs conducted periodically.
Reduction in challenging behaviour
Over 97% of Boandik employees who completed the course stated that the training was easily transferred to the workplace and would be used to address challenging behaviours.
“Our employees welcomed the additional training – especially when it assists in managing potentially distressing and physically threatening situations,” said Boandik Lodge Chief Executive Officer Gillian McGinty, “The number of behaviour related incidents experienced dropped by half within the first six months of the training. We are now well on the way to achieving our goal of just two incidents per month.”