The Foundation was happy to have representation at the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) Conference this month. The Foundation and our Model of Continence Care had a booth at the conference, and we were able to meet literally hundreds of people working in the sector.

Over the course of a very busy few days, the Model of Continence Care team developed positive relationships and had many people subscribe to email updates on the Model of Continence Care - we now have around 150 people (including you!) signed up to stay informed!

In addition to sharing details about the Model of Continence Care, the team were able to highlight the work of the National Continence Helpline and a range of other resources offered by the Foundation.

At the ACCPA Conference, Education Manager Bronwyn Robinson and Project Manager, Aged Care Reform, Matt Clear were joined by new Board Director Liz Compton (pictured, middle), discussing all things about the Model of Continence Care with aged care workers who stopped by the booth, and most importantly, listening to them.

What we heard from so many people was that a system for providing safe, high-quality continence care is something that the aged care sector has been lacking for too long. It’s a story we hear frequently.

So, it was no surprise, but still a great boost to the program development, when one of Australia’s most respected providers of residential aged care enthusiastically put their hand up to pilot the Model of Continence Care with us.

We are working with the provider to roll out the program across multiple sites and it has already been received enthusiastically by workers. For us, the number of workers participating in the pilot program means that we will receive a high volume of feedback from professionals working in different areas and with a diversity of consumers.

What this means for aged care workers who participate in the Model of Continence Care when it comes online next year is they will be receiving the most stringently tried and tested (co-designed) program possible.

Tell us what you think

The pilot program isn’t the only way the Model of Continence Care is collecting information and feedback that will ultimately feed into the design of the program.

Have you got two minutes? Jump onto the Model of Cntinence Care Your Voice consultation and engagement platform and answer a quick poll question about what you see as currently being the biggest barrier to delivering great continence care.

Perhaps you’ve got a more specific issue, challenge, or idea you’d like to share with the Continence SMART Care team – get in touch with the team via the Model of Continence Care Your Voice Page. Maybe you’d like to join in a discussion with other sector workers? Check our discussion boards on the same page. You can also order resources via Your Voice.

In the news

As the momentum around the Model of Continence Care grows, so is the interest from the media, and in September two major sector publications ran stories about the Model of Continence Care – amazing, given we’re just at the piloting stage!

Australian Ageing Agenda spoke to Continence Foundation CEO Rowan Cockerell about the scope of the pilot program.

“We’re providing resources for personal carers,” she said. “We’re providing resources to the middle management and the RNs. But also providing information to support governance so that Boards of organisations know what their responsibilities are.”

A few weeks after the story went to print, the Model of Continence Care was featured in the inaugural issue of Aged Care Today, the magazine of ACCPA.

The magazine came out right before the ACCPA Conference and was widely distributed. The story detailed the Model of Continence Care program and how it’s addressing a serious need in the provision of quality aged care and generated a lot of interest from conference participants.

What's happening next

With the project development well under way, our focus is now squarely on our pilot program. We’re working closely with our partners and collating feedback and suggestions.

In the meantime, work continues developing the Model of Continence Care Educational Delivery Framework and developing a range of resources, such as our Consumer Guide.

It’s going to be a busy few months but as always, we’ll keep you posted every step of the way, and you can follow the timeline of activities on Your Voice.

We appreciate your involvement and look forward to keeping you informed as we keep moving forward with this critically important work.