ACH Group

For over 70 years, ACH Group has enriched the lives of older South Australians through the delivery of aged care services, and today we employ over 2,000 people.   Our size, diverse range of aged care services, and the variety of roles available mean there are always exciting career opportunities waiting for you. Whether you’re a Registered Nurse, Cleaner, Catering Supervisor, Exercise Physiologist, IT Manager, or Care Worker, we offer rewarding and impactful careers with clear pathways for advancement. But don’t just take our word for it. Ready to turn a job, into your career? Join us: https://bit.ly/3L7fCwn #TurnAJobIntoYourCareer #ACHGroupCareers

We want to thank our brilliant ACH Group workforce and volunteers for the incredible work they do every day in delivering our purpose of Good Lives for Older People.    Their passion supports residents and customers to remain connected to their community, stay as healthy as they can be, and age well.    Whether you work on the frontline or in supporting roles, thank you for making a difference to the lives of older people, every day.    Wishing everyone a happy Festive Season! Here are some photos of ACH Group workforce and volunteer teams celebrating the festive season in style. 

What an extraordinary year for ACH Group! Together we:  - Launched our new ACH Group strategy Shaping Tomorrow, Together.  - Welcomed new leaders to the ACH Group Board and Executive Team.  - Won a national award for our new model of care at Healthia Residential Care Home.  - Opened a new Health Studio in Rostrevor – investing in the health and wellbeing of older South Australians.  - Embraced digital innovation with Ecliptix, our advanced end-to-end home care delivery platform.  - Launched the ACH Group Way Awards, recognising teams and individuals across our workforce for living our purpose of Good Lives for Older People.   - Introduced a fresh new brand look to shape our future. These are just a small part of what we’ve accomplished. None of this could happen without our incredible and dedicated workforce – we can’t thank them enough. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re ready to make an even bigger impact on the lives of older South Australians.  

Following the ‘Rhythm of the Day’ engagement project, designed and rolled out by Teresa Moran - Service Design Manager, and the Milpara Home leader team last year, we are proud to celebrate the graduation of our new Engagement and Individual Support Care Workers across all of our Care Homes.   The newly trained workforce will support residents experiencing advanced dementia or significant social isolation, helping them stay socially and cognitively engaged, and physically active, by maximising person centred tailored engagement and social connections in their care home.   Rebecca Burns, Head of Workforce at ACH Group shared, “This training provides the Engagement & Individual Support Care Workers with the skills and tools needed to deliver meaningful, person-centred experiences for residents.”   Congratulations to all involved!   Read more on our website https://bit.ly/3ZQoRuj  

At ACH Group, we lead research to shape how we reimagine tomorrow, including developing new models, technologies, and innovations to meet the changing needs of our customers.   Teresa Moran, Service Design Manager at ACH Group, and Dr Lily Xiao from Flinders University shared their insights from the ‘Engagement Matters’ ARIIA funded research project at the AAG conference in Hobart last month.   If you missed the chance to see their presentation, a webinar has been rescheduled for March 2025. Below is more information about the project’s outcomes aimed at embedding sustainable training for frontline aged care workers to engage effectively with residents living with dementia by embedding codesigned tools to foster a team approach between clinical and care, and to create, implement and evaluate behaviour support implementation.   This training has already been rolled out at ACH Group’s Highercombe Residential Care Home and Kapara Residential Care Home this year, with plans for it to be rolled out in 2025 to all of ACH Group’s Residential Care Homes.   See more information on our website: https://bit.ly/49uIBaW

The AAG Conference, held in Hobart this November, brought together a dynamic group of researchers, educators, policymakers, health professionals, service providers, and advocates, who all a share a commitment to shaping the future for older adults.   ACH Group’s Teresa Moran and Flinders University’s Professor Lily Xiao were among the inspiring contributors at the event, presenting their insightful findings from the ARIIA Grant Funded Project, ‘Engagement Matters.’   A huge thank you to Teresa and Lily for joining industry thought leaders to share ideas, foster connections, and champion innovation in aged care.   Stay tuned for more details about the project, including an overview of the presentation and a link to the implementation guide.

International Volunteer Day (5 December) celebrates the power of volunteering to strengthen communities and create positive change. We would like to acknowledge the significant contributions of volunteers at ACH Group and thank them for dedicating their time, skills, and life experience to making a difference in the community. Looking back at the year that was, there is so much to celebrate! From highlighting volunteer stories during the National Volunteer Week campaign https://bit.ly/417BG5m, to acknowledging long-term volunteers and welcoming those who recently joined, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you. A special mention to the volunteers who retired from their roles this year, including: Wendy and Kees, who after 12 years of volunteering with the Sing for Joy Choir at Glenelg, returned to WA earlier this year. Phil, who over the past 24 years has become a volunteering legend in the southern region community. To all volunteers: thank you for your invaluable acts of selflessness, which create lifelong connections and leave a lasting impact.

Yesterday’s tour of Healthia, with Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) CEO, Tom Symondson was a valuable opportunity to reflect on and discuss the success of Healthia and how the model of care is informing the future of residential care at ACH Group. ACH Group CEO, Linda Feldt, together with other ACH Group leaders discussed what has contributed to the success of the model, including important partnerships with the University of South Australia, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) and the City of Playford. The partnership with UniSA offers a co-located student-led GP and allied health clinic, that not only provides students with exposure to a career in aged care, it also provides community connected health services for residents, right next door to their home. Linda Feldt highlighted the collaborative approach that was taken with our design and building partners, Brown Falconer and Sarah Constructions to achieve a built form that meets the needs of residents, their families and workforce at Healthia. Together with Brown Falconer and Sarah, ACH Group have co-funded UniSA-led research to learn from our experience and inform the future of small home models in Australia. Importantly, the model of care is designed to deliver person-directed care and living where it is often the small things we do that have the greatest impact. Thank you, Tom Symondson, Daniela Ciccarello and Bev Malone, for joining us at Healthia and giving us another opportunity to share the success of Healthia’s small home model.

Today, we welcomed Tom Symondson, CEO of the Aged & Community Care Providers Association, ACCPA to ACH Group’s newest residential care home, Healthia. ACH Group’s, Healthia is the first Green House Project (Center for Innovation: The Green House Project and Pioneer Network), trademarked home in Australia. Tom joined ACH Group, CEO Linda Feldt for a comprehensive tour of Healthia and met with residents and staff to experience first-hand, the award-winning home and small home model of care being delivered at Healthia. Accompanied by Daniela Ciccarello, Bev Malone ACCPA, and ACH Group leaders, Ivy, Marie and Chloe. Residents from Pine House, invited Linda, Tom and the team into their home to experience small home living. The group also visited Healthia’s, state-of-the-art gym where residents work toward their brain health and physical fitness goals. They also experienced the vibrant social atmosphere as residents came together to decorate their home’s Christmas tree. The tour was a great opportunity to highlight how ACH Group’s small home model is working successfully to support people to live good lives.

International Day of People with Disability is an opportunity to challenge perceptions and attitudes toward people with disabilities. More than 5.5 million people in Australia live with disabilities, and we all have a role to play in building a more inclusive society. Explore how to use inclusive language and listen to people’s perspectives as they share their unique experiences of living with disabilities. The #IDPwD website features links to resources to help communities and workplaces take action: https://bit.ly/3AYoJAu