The Port Broughton-based village is now an accredited provider for the internationally-recognised Butterfly Household Model of Care which has been proven to reduce common behaviours in residents with dementia, including aggression, agitation, wandering and confusion.
Created in the UK by Dementia Care Matters, the program has since expanded to more than 50 Butterfly Homes around the world.
So how does it differ from traditional dementia care?
The nurses wear casual clothes in bright colours while medication trolleys are hidden away. Household items such as vintage cups and saucers and kitchen cabinets are also used to create a homely, familiar feel for residents.
No more ‘us and them’
At Barunga, program coordinator Louise DeWolf says the program is aimed at removing the sense of “us and them” in the village. “It is now more ‘go with the flow’ and more relaxed,” she told the local paper.
Its 16 residents are encouraged to help in the running of the facility, including feeding the pet chickens and preparing meals.
And it’s making a difference – Miss DeWolf says they have already seen a fall in the number of falls and anti-psychotic medications prescribed to residents as well as an increase weight gain – virtually unheard of in traditional residential care.
But they’re not the only Australian provider now offering this program either. Salvation Army Aged Care Plus is currently trialling the model at two of its aged care home in the ACT and Queensland with plans to roll it out to their other homes.
Following our story here last week about Australia’s first ‘dementia village,’ it’s great to see providers – big and small – being innovative when it comes to caring for those with dementia.
