Aged Care

With One Voice & AGED CARE – A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP

Our With One Voice social inclusion program is a unique vehicle to bring your whole ‘centre family’ together to create powerful community goodwill and offer unique forms of resident and staff health benefits, positive inclusion and entertainment.

This is a fantastic way to connect your residents, staff and general community to improve workplace cohesiveness and support community wellbeing and happiness. Through the neuroscientific benefits of singing we empower people to find their voice.

Our specifically designed program for AGED CARE PROVIDERS has been tested and trialed in many settings and has proven to be a popular and highly attended program for all partners. A With One Voice choir will not only improve the health and wellbeing of the participants, but also will create strong connections throughout your facility to improve workplace cohesiveness. Further, the choir will provide opportunities to engage with your wider community in a new and accessible way.

Having a With One Voice choir sends a positive message about what you value and how important your community is to you and will be a powerful community and commercial driver.

AIMS OF With One Voice

The With One Voice choir program removes barriers of age, race, language, religion, disability and disadvantage to make everyone welcome, aiming to:

 Inspire people to find their voice literally and metaphorically, enhancing participant’s self-esteem, health and well-being
 Connect people for collective community benefit, planting a garden of opportunity for all individuals to grow and thrive
 Engage people in a program of tangible value, making a genuine difference to people’s lives, where individual and community benefits can be measured
 Include people, particularly those disadvantaged or involved with at-risk groups
 Develop people creatively, personally and professionally helping them access mentors, learn skills, build career pathways and contribute positively to the community
 Extend people introducing them to new ideas, new friends, connections, possibilities and opportunities

We like to sing, we like to learn. We are all united as a family, as a small community. One hour of singing in the choir creates long lasting happiness in our small community. I can strongly say that Choir has huge physical and mental benefits for all of us, especially for our residents. The happiness, joy and feelings expressed by all residents during our choir practices are priceless. – Jadranka Maksic – Lifestyle Coordinator – Royal Freemasons Centennial Lodge

HOW IT WORKS

Each week a professional, creative and dynamic conductor will lead a group made up of residents, staff, family members staff and anyone wishing to join in; through warm ups, entertainment exercises and of course 60 minutes of singing! We choose well known and positive songs that everyone can connect to and create a fun, energetic and memorable experience. Following singing, the group will share a meal to create a deeper connection between all attending.

ORGANISATIONAL BENEFITS

 Great exposure and goodwill and name recognition in the community
 Improved profile through an association with the award-winning With One Voice program
 Increased publicity enhancing community connection
 Better engagement between clients, staff and families/ local community
 Improved wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem for all participants
 Singing produces physiological responses that boost the immune system, improves blood flow, breathing and posture, expands neural pathways and leads to greater brain plasticity improving memory, language and concentration
 A regular activity that staff look forward to
 No auditions and no singing experience needed

IMPACT ON STAFF

“It [the Choir] has become a marker point in the week for all members. It takes only an hour, but that hour is a respite from our demanding and stressful jobs when we immerse ourselves in an activity that is different, energising, a team endeavour, mentally stimulating and just downright fun.” – Imelda Dodds, Protective Commissioner and Public Growth

RESEARCH

The 2014 external evaluation of the With One Voice program by Swinburne University, supported by beyond blue, showed participation contributes to enhanced wellbeing and reduced stress, depression and anxiety, with 81% of people experiencing improved wellbeing, 95% of people “always feeling better after choir” and 98% of people saying it is a great way to de-stress. Furthermore:

 84% say they have made new friends/relationships
 79% have learned new things
 71% have improved community involvement
 60% have gained improved understanding of other cultures and people
 52% say granting wishes & helping other people has enriched their life

IMPACT ON RESIDENTS

“It’s far more than just a choir. With One Voice truly provides the residents and members with the opportunity to belong, connect, engage and express who they are”. – Justin McCarthy, Residential Manager – Benetas St Georges

MEETING THE NEW AGED CARE QUALITY STANDARDS

A With One Voice Choir program in your centre will assist with meeting Criteria 4 of the standards: Services and supports for daily living, especially concerning “services to encourage and support consumers to take part in social and other activities they are interested in, including community life”.

• Engaging your workforce in doing something with the residents and not ‘for’ them is revolutionary in how it brings people together and creates trust enjoyment and understanding Standard 4, Req (3)(b)
• Because our choir comes to you, experiencing decline does not mean missing out. Standard 4, Req (3)(c)
• Reports from previous partners have told us that our choirs quickly become a high point of the week for residents and staff. It provides purpose. Standard 4, Req (3)(c)

For information and a chat about how a With One Voice Choir can be tailored to your needs, please call Nathan on (03) 8679 6088 or email withonevoice@creativityaustralia.org.au