Media Centre

Benetas welcomes technology and social isolation research

Important research to understand how emerging technologies could help reduce social isolation among older adults has been granted much-needed funding, not-for-profit aged care provider Benetas said today.

The Australian Research Council has approved a Linkage Grant worth $195,000 to fund the ‘Growing Older and Staying Connected Project’.

The joint three-year project between University of Melbourne and aged care provider Benetas will investigate novel technologies to prevent and ameliorate social isolation in older adults.

At the start of Anti-Poverty Week, Anglicare Australia launched its 11th State of the Family Report, Staying Power.

Benetas has been recognised at the 2011 Anglicare Australia Awards in the ‘Innovation’ category for the ‘Happy Eating’ project.

Last week at the Anglicare Australia conference in Western Australia, Benetas CEO Sandra Hills had the great pleasure of accepting the award for The "Buon Appetito" "Kali Orexi" "Prijatno Jadenje" - Happy Eating Pilot Project.

The project was specifically created to improve the lives of older people from Italian, Greek and Macedonian speaking backgrounds who receive care services from Benetas. These clients have moderate dementia and live at home with their families.

The Great Housing Debate has today been announced as a major public event at this year’s Victorian Senior’s Festival.

The FREE public event, hosted by not-for-profit aged care provider Benetas and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation will be held at BMW Edge on Thursday 6 October.

Not-for-profit aged care provider Benetas has today announced it will close its residential aged care facility in Brighton East.

Not-for-profit aged care provider Benetas today announced its full support for a single industry aged care association in Australia.

Benetas endorsed the findings of the report, Is the sum greater than the part? The value of a single industry aged care association which was commissioned by Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV) and Aged Care Queensland Incorporated (ACQI) and released today.

The Federal Government’s Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) has recognised Benetas as an Employer of Choice for Women.

It is the sixth year that Benetas has received the EOWA citation which is an endorsement of the organisation’s female-friendly work practices.

Benetas welcomes the Coroner’s interim ruling presented today (14 February) into the deaths of four residents at Broughton Hall in April 2007 during an outbreak of gastroenteritis.

Benetas has celebrated the outstanding achievement and dedication of more than 1,300 staff members at the organisation’s annual Team Member Awards ceremony.

Benetas and Alzheimer's Australia Vic are working together again to facilitate monthly carer suport groups in Orbost. Following the success of a similar program in Lakes Entrance, the two organisations look forward to reaching out to people living in the region who care for someone with dementia.

Benetas is urgently seeking the assistance of volunteers to visit clients at home for one or two hours per week as part of our new Community Volunteering pilot program.

Seniors MUST earn respect. This was the decision made at the GREAT RESPECT DEBATE held at the Melbourne Town Hall when senior and young Victorians went to head-to-head in the debate which tackled the tricky topic of whether ‘Seniors must earn respect.’

Sandra Hills responds to an article about care hours and wages of aged care nurses in a letter to the editor. Published in the Herald Sun on 19 September 2010.

Benetas has responded to an article published by the Sunday Herald Sun about the quality of food served in residential aged care homes. Follow the link below to read a copy. A very condensed version appeared in the 29 August issue. To read a response from our peak body, Aged and Community Care Victoria click here.

Benetas is proud to be voted the 'Number One' leading aged care organisation, as voted by INsite magazine and website. The magazine has reported, "Now under the direction of CEO Sandra Hills, Benetas has embarked on an ambitious advocacy and research agenda. Most recently it launched a research paper into ageism in Australia, the first of its kind. As a result, it has raised the issue of ageing generally in the public domain." To view the article, and the nine other leading organisations please click the following link. 

Benetas and Alzheimer's Australia VIC have continued their partnership in the Gippsland region by starting a second support group for carers of people living with dementia. The Orbost Carers Support Group will meet for the first time on 2 September.