UCWPA Aged Care Conference Focuses on a Meaningful Life

Staff from across UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide gathered at Regency Green Multicultural Aged Care home last month for their annual Aged Care Conference.

Themed Living a Meaningful Life: Connecting Mind, Body & Spirit, Australian Paralympian Dylan Alcott OAM was the keynote speaker at the event, sharing his experiences in overcoming extreme adversity after an operation in his first weeks of life left him paraplegic.

Dylan has gone on to become a gold medallist in both wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis and was this year named Australian Paralympian of the Year.

During the conference, UCWPA's new Wellness Model of Care – A Meaningful Life – was launched, providing the values and framework around the way care will be provided to enhance people’s lives into the future.

The new model of care states that a “meaningful Life is based on the recognition that everything a person does, feels, thinks and believes has a direct impact on their health. A Meaningful Life means being well, being happy, being independent and being involved.”

Each of UCWPA's six aged care homes, along with the Home Care team and Ethnic Link Services, also presented on a range of topics throughout the day including breaking down language barriers, meaningful and spiritual ageing and animals in aged care.

UCPWA Senior Manager Aged Care Deborah Burton says the annual conference is one of the ways we invest in our staff’s development and ensure we continue to provide optimal care for residents.

“Being able to come together to share our experiences and learn from each other is such a crucial part of our work supporting people in their older years,” Ms Burton says.

“Launching ‘A Meaningful Life’, our new Wellness Model of Care, made this year’s conference particularly important, as it sets out the way in which we will deliver support to people from now into the future.”

Click here to find out more about UCWPA's aged care services.