Our Values in Aged Care - Dignity, Respect, Choice, Fairness
St Louis is a family owned business that began back in 1946. We’ve been caring for older South Australians for more than 70 years, through many changes in aged care. Understandably and because of the nature of our work, providers like us have regularly been required to refine our practise of care to meet changing customer expectations and industry standards.
Like any business that consciously chooses a value system to form the foundation of its service, we’ve been tested over the years to adhere to ours. When experiencing challenges, we were always able to rely on our core values, knowing they were the solid backbone of our business. These value are: dignity, respect, choice and fairness.
Our service to the community is about loving and caring for humanity and these four values are our pillars, holding us accountable. They’re the reason we’ve grown through the many changes in aged care over the decades, and why we continue to be a leading and trusted aged care provider in Adelaide today.
A community’s health and wellbeing is sustained when all people are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of age
Studies have shown the oldest and healthiest people in the world are those living in communities where young and old are embraced. When the elderly remain an active and integral part of the community, spending time and socialising with people of all ages, balanced social structures remain intact.
Our social programs for residents and home care clients are about staying connected to our community. We regularly have visitors of all ages involved in activities, on site and off site, that encourage multi-generational social connection.
The more we embrace all ages and integrate all members of our community, the better off we all are. We can then look forward to getting older.
St Louis Aged Care – Our Values
Dignity
“Treat me the way you want to be treated.”
Treating people with dignity is about being in touch with a most basic human need, that we matter. Everyone in our world matters as importantly as anyone else, whatever their condition, age, ability or background. This includes residents and staff. In aged care, this becomes even more important as we are supporting older people who may be vulnerable elders in our society, who are relying on us for our quality care and responsiveness.
“It can be nerve wrecking welcoming strangers into your home. St Louis provide me regular care workers and service times that helps maintain my dignity. Regular staff means they know my daily routine which makes it so much more comfortable.
St Louis respects my wishes, the staff are efficient, very thorough and they never rush. The office advises me of any roster changes and are always polite. I am very happy with the help I receive. They are very focussed on me and I feel like I am their only client.
Hiroko is a sweetheart. She checks the dates on everything in my fridge, she does my shopping and knows all the brands I like. She even puts the food away for me which is such a help.” Susan.
Respect
“We all come with experience, history and knowledge.”
We acknowledge that everyone has a story and a life that we don’t know much about when they become a client or resident. Whatever it is they present to us today, they have already lived a full life with many experiences. They’ve had their own issues and challenges they’ve overcome to be here today and this is honoured in our world. We recognise this and we respect it without question. Our job is to help people to continue living the life they would like to live as much as they possibly can.
We also respect the fact that nobody likes to be seen as needy or vulnerable. Handling this in a respectful way makes our residents and clients at ease with us. They’re at a stage in life where they’re more vulnerable, which is even more reason for us to be respectful.
“The care workers and the office respect my opinion. During my visits the care workers respect my choice to wait in the foyer at Leabrook place and my agreed meeting place at the Hydrotherapy pool. My carers truly listen to me, I see it through their actions.
I feel comfortable enough to speak with St Louis if I have any concerns and I know they are comfortable enough to do the same with me if the need arises.” Freda.
Fairness
“Maintain fairness in all my conversations with you.”
We include fairness as one of our values because working with people in aged care is about developing relationships that are close and intimate. Fairness has to work both ways – between the client and the carer as both parties have an important role to play, one provides the care and the other receives it. Fairness is needed to maintain a respectful exchange and healthy balance of this relationship. There is no superior or inferior, both are equal in this dynamic.
Fairness is also part of the contract we negotiate with our residents and clients. Respecting the needs of both parties – the client and their need to have quality services delivered at reasonable costs and St Louis providing the services as they need so that our organisation remains viable. We regularly review our service delivery to make sure that we individually assess people and their situation so that we continue meeting their needs.
“I believe our relationship with St Louis is very fair. We asked for an extra cleaning service with Megan ongoing. Rostering called and gave us some day/time options of when Megan was available. Being presented options made us feel included and allowed us to take some time to decide which time worked best for us.
We also had an appointment at the hospital last week, St Louis called to say Sue would be late as she was stuck in Tour Down Under traffic/road closures. It gave us peace of mind we were advised and still made the appointment in time. It was fair to us that we were advised as early as possible even though it was out of everyone’s control. The appointment ended up running hours overtime and Sue was able to support and stay with us. That peace of mind is precious.” Christine
Choice
“Actions speak louder than words.”
Our clients and residents have the final say in the way their care is delivered. We listen to their needs and we put their requests into practice. During our initial consultation, we spend as much time as necessary to find out as much as we can about what they need to support them to live the life they want.
We create care plans in partnership, with services that will carry them forward. We do whatever we can to accommodate their requests and have often made dreams come true for our clients and residents. Our customers always know they have a choice, right from the start and as the services change with their needs.
“When I found out my medication needed to be collected from the pharmacy daily, I was in shock and worried how I would manage to get it.
St Louis now start every visit at 9am at my pharmacy, collect my medication and come to my house to begin personal care/cleaning. Knowing this is sorted provides me with such relief, I don't need to stress about this anymore.” Michael
St Louis Aged Care – caring for people for more than 70 years
If you’d like to know more about the way we deliver our services, please call us on 08 8332 0950. We hold regular information evenings or we can discuss your care on the phone or visit you at home. We have a boutique 45 bed nursing home in Parkside, a retirement village right next door and we also offer home care services to help you stay in the comfort of your home as you grow comfortably older.
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