As a global business, we’re fortunate to have so many experts contribute to our wealth of knowledge. Our residents and customers can benefit from both local and international experience.
Dr. Maree Todd
Dr. Maree Todd is our Consultant Geriatrician here in New Zealand. She also works as a specialist geriatrician consultant for the Auckland District Health Board. After graduating in Medicine and Surgery in 1982, she undertook a further two years' training in geriatric medicine in the UK and has a special interest in medical ethics, elder abuse, dementia, Parkinson’s and falls. In 2009, she found evidence to support improved care for people living with dementia by reducing the incidence of treatment with antipsychotic drugs and we have been steadily decreasing their use in our care homes ever since.
Dr. Paul Bates
Dr. Paul Bates is our Chief Medical Officer for both Australia and New Zealand. Since graduating in Medicine with Honours in 1985, he has worked in paediatrics, obstetrics, accident and emergency, occupational medicine, surgery, sports medicine and was the National Medical Director for Innovations at OptumHealth, one of the USA’s largest health and wellness companies. As a passionate healthcare advocate, Dr. Bates has led many programmes to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare and to increase patients' knowledge about their condition in order to enable them to make informed healthcare decisions.
Our Staff
We strive to bring all our people up to expert level through our thorough training programmes. Every year, we hold regional registered nurse training days all over the country, which cover a range of relevant clinical education topics.
The Professional Development Recognition Programme (PDRP) enables New Zealand nurses to take responsibility for their own development and to advance their professional skill set by keeping a portfolio of their experience. We are the first aged care provider in New Zealand to have a PDRP approved by the Nursing Council of New Zealand and, since we implemented the programme in 2012, a growing number of our nurses have signed up.
Each month, we also hold a number of training and refresher courses at each of our care homes on a variety of topics. These all help to maintain a high level of skill and knowledge amongst our registered nurses, carers and other personnel. Covering everything from communication and incident reporting, to first aid and care management, we strive to ensure the best care for our residents.
Antipsychotic Reduction - the Bupa Way
Our goal is to be an international leader in dementia care and we are committed to improving care for all those with dementia in our residential aged care facilities. Our strategy embraces a philosophy of person-centred care, increased staff training, improved and more meaningful activities, and, providing appropriate environments. One of our most important quality improvement initiatives is reducing the inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs in people with dementia. With acknowledgement, we are happy to share our results and tools with you.
Refer to the documents below for more information.
