Meagan Lee, Karen Parsell, Miranda Ferguson, Glenview Community Services

Abstract

Glenview provides support for the elderly community in their residential facility, day centres and through their home
care packages. This presentation is about bringing the community to Glenview and taking Glenview to the
community.

Glenview staff identified that despite actively seeking participation and engagement with the wider community and
genuinely trying to meet the expressed needs of their clients, programs remained separate; Glenview’s clients were
not an integral part of the wider community and vice versa. The goal of Glenview’s Engagement Team was to
showcase how good life could be if the existing barriers between individual programs and the broader community
were identified and addressed and a new program was developed that built and maintained strong community
connections.

A new Engagement Team was formed providing greater choice and opportunities for clients and a new and exciting
atmosphere at Glenview; it has demystified aged care and changed client and community expectations, attitudes
and perceptions. Glenview’s Engagement Team, alongside Glenview clients, has forged strong partnerships and has
transformed the activities calendar into a vibrant, engaging and ever changing program of activities and events that
is inclusive of all Glenview clients as well as the wider community.

This presentation will address the good, the bad and the ugly of breaking down departmental silos and building a
strong and united Engagement Team. It will showcase some of Glenview’s community engagement events,
highlighting key strategies, useful tips and the benefits that occur for everyone when clients and residents remain
connected with their community.