Dianne Russell,

Facility Manager at the new RSL Lifecare Centre, Bill Newton VC Gardens

I specialise in regional residential aged care and I am very much quality focused.

I started with accountancy then went to university for the registered nurse course, then went straight into management with a management diploma, then progressed through all the stages of nursing. When you go right through the system it gives you a true reflection of workloads and allows you to know exactly what all the roles do.

I’ve always been regionally based; I was in Narrabri and Tamworth and I’ve had a lot to do with Dubbo. I did a lot of injury management specialist work for injured workers in workplaces and I was involved in the Dubbo region for about 15 years in that area. I managed three different facilities in Narrabri. When this home became available, I thought the chance to commission and start it up would be great – to start a culture right from the beginning.

Bill Newton is a Victoria Cross awardee – RSL name their homes after

VC awardees. There is a local gentleman who was an awardee but there is another home that has already been named after him.

We have a special connection with veterans.

Everybody is able to

access the home, but veterans take precedence.

I think all the recent publicity (surrounding the ‘Inquiry into the Quality of Care in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Australia’) is the best thing that has ever happened in aged care. These cases are very rare, but it puts a blanket cover on everybody. I’m really pleased that they name the places involved because there are also some very good providers. It’s good to see the Commissioner looking at staffing levels, the same as we have looked at staffing levels, and the new model of care has much more staffing available.

Sensor flooring has just been installed in the dementia specific unit.

It’s an electronic system (the staff) track without having to actually go into a resident’s room and be invasive of their privacy. Staff can see that ‘Mr 12’ is walking around in his room and can watch what sort of movement there is, if he is settling at night, things like that. If someone is on the floor after a fall, our staff can go in straight away to assist instead of just checking on an hourly round. It will be good to see how it all progresses.

The demand for aged care is rising.

The forecast is in 10 to 15 years there will be more people over 65 than there will be under 65. We are living longer because of all the technology and lifestyles. (Aged care facilities) also take the pressure off the hospitals – even though residential homes are not medical facilities, we are staffed 24/7 with registered nurses.

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z Bill Newton VC Gardens is a new Residential Aged Care Home which opened in Dubbo this week. It is located next door to the independent living units at Horizons Village. The new facility is aimed at providing the next progression of care, once the independent living units at Horizons are no longer suitable.