Community-Based Action Plan

Community-Based Action Plan

Part a)

Mercy health is a religious organisation with a 2000-year history of having to care for others at all stages of life by delivering the best care possible in their hospitals, clinics, nurseries, nursing homes, and communities. Mercy Health is a not-for- profit community benefit organisation, which was formed in 1986 by the Mercy sisters and employs approximately over 6,000 people annually(Mercy Health, 2022). Mercy Health offers a wide choice of flexible and customised care alternatives in homes, catering for all types of care, including dementia care. They have 30 properties spread across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia. The aim of Mercy Health is to provide the care and support that needs to be provided to the elderly who need help with everyday living. It takes a similarly comprehensive approach, addressing the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Mercy Health can help residents overcome boredom, idleness, and loneliness by offering care that is tailored to their specific interests and requirements. Mercy Health is a principled organisation devoted to aiding underserved areas. Mercy Health is guided by the values of compassion, hospitality, respect, innovation, stewardship, and cooperation. The organization's motto is "Care First, everything we do is driven by the needs of people. (Mercy Health, 2022), as its clearly recognising that each resident is a unique and complex individual. It values their preferences and needs as well as the understanding by introducing about their health and healthcare requirements.

The organisation provides medical services to citizens of Victoria and New South Wales. Mercy Hospitals offers palliative care, mental health services, specialised treatment for pregnant women and new mothers, early parenting education and support, and acute and sub-acute inpatient care in Victoria (Mercy Health, 2022). Mercy Hospital for Women in Heidelberg, Werribee Mercy Hospital, Mercy Health O'Connell Family Centre in Canterbury, Mercy Mental Health in Melbourne Southwest, and Mercy Palliative Care all provide services to the community. (Mercy Health, 2022),

Mercy Health gives each resident the opportunity to enjoy social trips as it allows the resident to communicate with individuals within their community and participate in other activities or hobbies which may include taking residents going to the movies or going out for lunch.

Within Mercy Health there are 7 behaviours which underpin their values which include having a compassionate heart at all times, taking actions to welcome everyone, treating everyone the way individuals would like to be treated, developing better ways how they care for people. (Code of Conduct Policy, n.d.)

My time at Mercy Health in Shepparton I noticed they had an active living program with an exercise group six days a week. This provided opportunities for the residents to participate in bowling, swimming, and participation in community groups including Senior Citizens in the local community.

In my 15 hours of volunteering at Mercy Health, I will be doing some learning activities which will be suited to the residents according to their capability. Some of the activities may include reading a book to them, having conversations, teaching them how to use a phone and teaching some new games.). By working with dementia and disability residents The progress of the disease can last up to ten years. (Harris & White, 2018), it will allow me to gain a better understanding of myself when I am in a classroom setting (Cipolle, 2010)

Part b)

The Employees and Residents at Mercy Health come from many backgrounds and cultures, but they all share a common goal which is to ensure residents in need are given caring and prompt care. Mercy Health has all four interconnected social justice principles which include equity, accessibility, engagement, and rights which are essential for efficient health promotion. One of their main policies regarding equity and inclusion is acknowledging the first people of our nation and their main aim is to engage with them in a way that they promote Reconciliation.

On my first visit at Mercy Health, I was introduced to the manager Raman Ottal and talked about the organisation. Raman Ottal mentioned the activities that will be implemented which included having a trip to the local shopping centre a self-care day for the residents and going for a walk around the local lake. Mercy health is such a diverse organisation as they allow everyone to come and join them. At Mercy Health no one is left disadvantaged as they cater for all people may it be low socio-economic status, disabled, suffering from a mental disability, or living in a rural or remote areas. In Mercy Health, residents who have low vision are well catered for, the Mercy Health staff mentions their name when they approach them, and they use a clear natural voice when speaking. Mercy Health also provide the daily program sheet in A3, for all residents which helps them visualise better. To support the residents with language barriers, the staff provide flip cards for them to be able to understand them, and they also have the basic words/sentences in their preferred language and displayed in the residents rooms.

The learning activities observed while I was doing my volunteer work was when it would be a sunny weather most residents would go for a walk-in group, this allowed them to socialise with one another and be able to stretch their legs. Mercy Health also had a pet cat as this provides the residents with companionship and emotional support. It is important to find activities for residents that interest them and provide them with a sense of belonging.

The daily routines I had for myself was when I entered Mercy health, was to complete a Rapid Covid Test and await the results before I could begin my placement for the day. When I received the negative result, I was allowed to begin my day. I also needed to ensure I was wearing a mask throughout my whole placement duration and frequently clean and sanitise my hands.

Staff at Mercy health are required to dress professionally, which may include scrubs or tunics, and others may choose to wear polo shirts. The staff there always show the best interests in their career. They always treat individuals with respect and compassion, prioritising their needs, objectives, and aspirations while empowering those who utilise health and care services to make decisions about the support, treatment, and medical care they receive.

While all Mercy Health employees speak clearly and naturally, they attempt to concentrate on using open body language while interacting with patients of nursing homes. For instance, they sit down or shift so that you are level with the individual rather than standing above them. Try to make eye contact while keeping your arms uncrossed. In order to reassure dementia patients that they are secure and not atthreat, care members may often just touch their arm or grasp their hand. Residents of Mercy Health come from all over the world, bringing with them frequently new languages, various cultural beliefs, and various sets of values. In order to properly communicate with each resident fairly, aged care facilities must therefore create an environment where people not only feel they may express themselves but also feel comfortable speaking up. Staff guarantee the patients are being heard. For instance, in order to make those residents feel comfortable and understood, staff has been provided with the means to learn some fundamental words like "painful," "bathroom," and "sick," as well as the chance to get familiar with some significant cultural distinctions.

During my time at Mercy Health, I was able to gradually being able to know the residents a bit more about them such as their cultural background or about their life before coming into care at Mercy Health. I am comfortable contributing to creating some activities for residents which will be according to their ability and circumstances. For example, playing word games and puzzles with dementia residents allows them to help keep their brains active and healthy.

Mercy Health gave opportunities to residents to set goals, implement plans, and persist in the efforts increase their feelings of competency. (Cipolle, 2010), by having conversations with them and discuss what they would like to achieve and whats important for them whilst in care.

The elements that were mentioned in critical consciousness development. (Cipolle ,2010), did relate in my time as there was a resident who had a hard time controlling her emotions due to her past, as in this case being self-aware could help her understand her emotions better.

Part c)

I worked with numerous workers including Registered nurses, enrolled nurses a lifestyle coordinator, as while I am their it will expand my knowledge of the organisation while I am at Mercy Health. I will be working on planning activities for the residents which included reading and storytelling, painting, drawing as by this it allowed the residents to be creative and express themselves in a way thats unique to them. To improve their balance and coordination I organised some dancing competition as it is helping them stay active and healthy. I also encouraged residents to do activities such as footy tipping at the end of week.

I have to dress professional and was required to wear appropriate clothing. If I was unable to come or was running late, I would notify Raman Kaur who was my supervisor, when I entered the organisation one of their commitments was to do a rapid covid test and enter once the results were negative. The organisation expected me to follow company policy and OH&S which included how to safely lift patients out of bed, transferring them to and from wheelchairs, pushing them on trolleys, and occasionally carrying them for long distances can be difficult. However, I was not required to complete this during my placement time. All manual work may be hard on the body. Working with seniors might result in back and neck injuries that can cause chronic pain and other issues.To reduce this threat, ensure that there is always adequate staff to handle patient transfer. Workplace violence is also another possible risk for staff at an elderly care home. Working with the elderly brings exclusive obstacles; issues with mental health physical issues, or dementia can all lead individuals to behave unpredictably, if not violently. Slips on wet surfaces), exposure to hazardous substances, or poor cleaning procedures can all lead to workplace injury. To reduce slips and falls, the team walks through the facility each day to ensure the safety procedure is followed and to capture any possible risks before injuring a worker or resident.

Mercy Health focuses on fair practices to redress the injustices in health status. The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. (Banyule Community Health, Strategic plan 2015-20, 2015, p.2.). This is demonstrated by inviting frequent visitors to the establishment and encouraging residents to participate in activities both on and off site because they as they are able to establish social bonds with other residents and the staff. Fairness must be applied to all parties involved, including the residents and the staff, in order to maintain polite communication and a pleasant connection.

The majority of the residents are facing towards dementia, which is displayed in many behaviours including wondering around, aggressive, asking the same question. To work with this behaviour the staff are fully trained to cope and engage with them by using different strategies according to their care plan such as doll therapy and colouring to keep their mind busy. We are also faced with an increasing call to respond to health and behavioural health in our community(Bent-Goodley, 2022).

Mercy Health works to support people with their Safety needs "Safety, protection, security" (Duchesne and McMaugh, 2016, p. 265) as they are ensuring their organisation is inclusive, equitable and accessible for everyone.

The lifestyle coordinator, Jan, arranges a variety of group visits, including schoolchildren and visitors from various backgrounds who can check out various activities for the seniors and learn from the residents in accordance with their capacities. " The majority of middle- and upper-class white students spend their time with people from similar racial and socioeconomic backgrounds" (Cipolle, 2010).

Doing my 15 hours of volunteer work at Mercy Health impressed me, seeing how varied the organisation is and being able to understand each resident's requirements, as well as witnessing how they treat people with decency and respect, cherish their identity, culture, and ethnicity. It is critical that residents develop their own identities, which should be recognised and not criticized. Recognising residents requirements and preferences requires understanding their identity and culture people negotiate and inhabit identities that encompass more than just sex, gender and sexuality (Knipe, 2007). We must learn how these identities connect with other identity categories, ethnicity, aboriginality, social class.

Organisations are required to offer services and care that addresses the social, cultural, linguistic, religious, spiritual, psychological, and medical requirements of their customers.

References

Cipolle, S. B. (2010).Service-learning and social justice: Engaging students in social change. Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group Education.

Lagan, T. (n.d.).Links to related documents. Com.au. Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.mercyhealth.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2020/12/Code-of-Conduct-Policy.pdfKnipe, S. (Ed.). (2007).Middle years schooling: Reframing adolescence. Pearson Education.

Harris, J., & White, V. (2018).A dictionary of social work and social care(2nd ed). Oxford University Press.

Duchesne, S., & McMaugh, A. (2016).Educational psychology for learning and teaching. Melbourne: Cengage Learning.

Health, M. (n.d.).Our Mission. Mercy Health. Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.mercyhealth.com.au/our-mission/

Mercy health. (2017, March 2).About our services. Home care services. https://home-care.mercyhealth.com.au/how-we-help-you/about-our-services/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh9K_w67X-QIVjwByCh0DtQPfEAAYASAAEgKhi_D_BwE

editorial: Social Work Practice: Innovation and Social Justice for a Changing World Tricia B. Bent-Goodley. (n.d.).