The Hunter Valley Sector of Hunter New England Local Health District comprises three district hospitals (Singleton, Muswellbrook and Scone), one community hospital (Wilson Memorial – Murrurundi) and two multi-purpose services (Denman and Merriwa). The Sector strongly supports the Caring for Cognitive Impairment campaign.
The Hunter Valley Sector General Manager is a key supporter of working to improve cognitive impairment care. With support and guidance from each of the Health Service Managers, specific initiatives to improve care have been implemented. These include:
Clinicians in the Sector are multi-skilled and care for a wide variety of conditions. The Commission’s A Better Way to Care document allows for a targeted education campaign to raise awareness of the specific needs older people with a cognitive impairment have as well as implement standardised tools.
The resources available from a Better Way to Care and the recently released Delirium Clinical Care Standard are boosting engagement and recognition of these initiatives. Based on outcomes of the audits, check-list, survey and meetings, the next phase of work will focus on providing education to the nursing and health support staff at each site.
Learn more about other hospitals that have signed up to the campaign here.