Working together to improve quality and safety in the Bay's aged care facilities is the focus of a new service showing encouraging early signs of success.

The Aged Residential Care (ARC) sector is growing rapidly and Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) Registered Nurses Claire Cherrill and Louise Fowler are helping it maintain high standards as it does.

Claire Cherrill and Louise Fowle, encouraging early signs of success. Photo: Supplied.

Improving residents' care, reducing the number of hospitalisations from rest homes, and helping compliance with audit standards, were the three key triggers behind the establishment of Claire and Louise's roles - Clinical Quality Facilitator and Clinical Nurse Specialist ARC respectively.

'It's about continuously improving the level of care people receive in the ARC facilities,” said Louise. 'We've been doing that in a number of ways including helping with audit compliance issues, discussing how systems can be strengthened by working together, hosting workshops, assisting with staff education and providing other professional support where necessary.”

The story of one elderly man shows what impact Louise and Claire's work can have on an individual level.

'I was asked to help staff of one care home manage a patient with hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) better and in particular they had a case of a man in his 80s who had issues,” said Louise.

'So the first question was why did this person have low blood sugar. Investigations revealed that the mix of medications he was on meant his kidneys weren't functioning correctly which was causing his low blood sugar. Reducing these improved his kidney function and two weeks after being bedridden, he was walking his visitors outside.

'By helping raise the level of care in the rest homes we are reducing the number of patients who have to suffer the inconvenience and distress of requiring hospital care,” added Louise.

Any of the 32 Aged Related Residential Care facilities the BOPDHB works with - stretching from Athenree to Opotiki and down to Kawerau – can call on Claire and Louise's expertise.

Claire began her role 15 months ago and Louise 12 months ago.

'We are on a journey and this first year has been an exciting one,” said Louise. 'We're excited about the possibilities and ultimately it's about achieving a consistently high standard of care for our patients which is what everyone wants.

'We are learning in partnership with the ARC sector and with the support of key DHB and PHO (Primary Health Organisation) professionals. We know we still have so much more to explore and achieve.”