Award for specialist dementia team

We recently held our Best Care Awards to honour our staff who consistently make an outstanding contribution, while delivering our values of care, community, integrity and excellence. 

Silverchain’s dedication to palliative care services was recognised at the recent 2021 Palliative Care WA Awards, with the organisation’s specialist dementia team winning an award for delivering exemplary holistic care.

The organisation’s Advanced Dementia Specialist Team runs the Palliative Dementia Service, which is a unique service in WA launched last year by nurse practitioners Claire Doyle and Giuliana Duffy, under the direction of Silverchain’s Director of Clinical Operations for Palliative Care in WA, Andrew Allsop.

This small but hard-working team was acknowledged for its outstanding work at the awards night on November 4, winning Outstanding Metropolitan Team Delivering Holistic Palliative Care in any Setting.

The Palliative Dementia Service was established to complement Silverchain’s WA Palliative Care services in order to link in and support dementia and memory impairment clients at home. 

Working closely with GPs and geriatricians, Ms Duffy and Ms Doyle bring a holistic approach to their clients, with the main purpose of hospital avoidance. As nurse practitioners, they have the highest nurse qualifications, allowing them to administer medication, undertake tests and see clients in their own homes. 

Silverchain WA Executive Director, Ms Renae Lavell, said the achievement of the Palliative Dementia Service also reflected the overall commitment of the entire palliative care team of 240 staff who delivered outstanding services to more than 3,000 Western Australians in 2020.   

“This award not only gives recognition to Claire, Giuliana and Andrew, but also reflects how diligently Silverchain’s entire palliative care team has worked to deliver outstanding care,” Ms Lavell said.

Silverchain’s Palliative Care team delivers services across the Perth metropolitan area for people with a life-limiting illness or condition. The extensive team of professionals consists of nurses, doctors, care aides, social workers, counsellors and spiritual care workers. 

The focus of this year’s categories of the Palliative Care in WA Awards was broadened to reflect Compassionate Communities, an international movement where communities have an active role in supporting those experiencing death, dying, care giving, grief and loss.

In addition, Mr Allsop was one of four finalists for the Outstanding Palliative Care Professional Working in any Setting, and our Silverchain Specialist Community Palliative Service was also acknowledged at the awards night.