SDCP investment underpins Anglicare Southern Queensland’s success

Anglicare Southern Queensland’s dementia care success is quickly gaining traction as one of the Nation’s leading specialists in the field, with a recent allocation of $12 million from the Government set to underpin its next phase of growth.

The organisation currently delivers one Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) at its St Martin’s Residential Aged Care Home in Taigum, one of 15 SDCPs in operation across Australia.

An additional $12 million in funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care will enable them to implement two new SDCPs at its Abri Residential Aged Care Home on the Gold Coast and EM Tooth Residential Aged Care Home in Brisbane South. These SDCPs are expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Victoria Cain has been appointed as the Clinical Lead of Anglicare’s SDCP units, to oversee the development of the new and existing programs, as well as provide clinical oversight to ensure best practice dementia care principles and the highest quality of care is delivered to all residents.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Anglicare so far and my goal once all SDCP units are up and running, will be to coordinate our homes to support evidence-based practice,” Ms Cain said.

“Regardless of whether a person is living with dementia, quality care is a right for all residents. It’s important to see each person as an individual and tailor our approach to their unique needs.

“I like to focus on the person being at the heart of care as this is the key to ensuring quality outcomes for residents. Evidence-based practice may not always work for the individual person and we need to be open to changing how we do things.” 

Ms Cain holds a Bachelor of Nursing and a postgraduate degree in Gerontology from Griffith University and brings a wealth of aged care experience, with previous roles including Dementia Consultant, Residence Manager, National Consumer Dignity & Risk Advocate and Registered Nurse. 

Ms Cain’s passion is hard to miss as it translates into the positive outcomes achieved by SDCPs under her watch. In a recent webinar, she said residents who entered St Martin’s with higher needs have successfully transitioned back into mainstream dementia care and even into more open communities within their residential aged care cohort.

“What the SDCP has demonstrated is that we have a far reduced use of psychotropic medication which is quite phenomenal. We have incredibly positive feedback from relatives and in our St Martin’s home we have very few SIRS reports. It is because of the setup, the staff ratios and the health services we provide,” she said.

“St Martins is recognised as an excellent example of a successful SDCP with the Department and that is because of our recruitment and staffing. The mix of staff we have in there, we recruited people who had the passion and desire [for this environment].”

Ms Cain said the organisation has also found the sweet spot for resident numbers in SDCPs with the small cottage-style model of care allowing them to support no more than nine residents. Paired with a one-to-four staffing ratio, plus full-time support from a Registered Nurse, there’s a foundation for positive relationships and resident outcomes.

Anglicare Southern Queensland’s Group Manager for Residential Aged Care and Retirement Living, Kate Hawkins, shared her delight at Ms Cain’s appointment and contribution. 

“In the last five months since Victoria commenced at Anglicare, she has made progress with overseeing the design and construction of the SDCP units in both our Abri and EM Tooth residential aged care homes,” Ms Hawkins said. 

“It’s great to have her skillset, knowledge and expertise in dementia care as part of the Anglicare Southern Queensland team and I look forward to seeing her achieving great outcomes in the future.”       

The SDCP at St Martin’s was also awarded an additional $4.4m to extend operational costs until June 2028.