Storytelling campaign transforms care model

Skype, pizza making and even a wedding have featured in the lives of Wesley Mission Brisbane residents over the past year.

In 2011, the organisation initiated Treasure Our Seniors, a deliberate strategy to hear, listen to and share the stories of their residents.

The campaign has now kick started a wider culture of storytelling that has extended across their entire suite of care.

Staff, residents and family members work together to build new stories, reflect on old ones and reach as many people as possible with the news.

Wesley Mission Brisbane director of residential aged care Annie Gibney said there is a common misconception that once you enter an aged care home, life ends.

“We are very passionate to point out that is not the case,” Ms Gibney said.

“It is not unusual to walk into one of our homes and find yourself in some sort of celebration,” she said.

Ms Gibney said Treasure Our Seniors started as a way to capture people’s stories from an aged care perspective.

This could mean sharing online, posting an old photograph or simply gathering around and talking face to face.

Reflecting a person-centred model of care, Treasure Our Seniors has inspired a culture of spontaneity and storytelling, with residents living different experiences every day.

At Knowles Court, staff and residents got together to cook pizzas. At Parkview, the men are brewing their own beer. At Emmaus, residents are sewing their own Christmas presents to donate to emergency relief.

“At our residential aged care committee meetings, it has almost become a competition of who had the best good news story in their home,” Ms Gibney said.

Taking their philosophy of care from a medical to a social model, Treasure our Seniors has inspired a culture of change that the organisation has embraced across the board.

“We have over 1000 staff who are all committed to doing better for our seniors,” Ms Gibney said.

“Change is a journey. We’ve come a long way,” she said.

“It is not about reaching perfection, but continuing to improve.”