The Challenge
Hygiene supplies and maintenance are a critical but sometimes overlooked component of any aged care facility. As Mariola from Alexander Aged Care knows, if hygiene supply is interrupted or maintenance fails, her residents and staff face the risk of quality being undermined.
In times of crisis, reliability and security is the key to operational excellence. However, the procurement process can be cumbersome and timely, involving liaison between multiple providers, compliance checks and constant stock takes.
“We were constantly scouring the market, to keep abreast of new developments and products, as well as filling any gaps in supply with alternatives. It took a significant amount of time from our day.”
This meant that the procurement process for the hygiene category took valuable time from Alexander Aged Care’s Director of Nursing.
The Solution
Alexander Aged Care needed a hygiene partner that could remove the burden of procurement from their task list, whilst giving peace of mind that all quality and compliance requirements were met.
Veridia partnered with Mariola to provide a replenishment management solution in the hygiene category through the service and supply of key equipment and hygiene supplies including cleaning chemicals, washroom suppliers, hand care and clinical consumables.
This mean that Veridia took on entire procurement process, from monthly stock takes and replenishment, proactive maintenance programs, through to tailored last mile delivery, regulatory compliance support and education programs for the staff at Alexander Aged Care.
“Veridia took on the entire procurement process, from stock management through to order fulfillment and compliance support.”
Veridia has also provided transparency on quality standards in the home, providing evidence resources for utilizing in self-assessments on the government’s new Aged Care Quality Standards.
The Impact
Mariola and her team have reaped the benefits of moving to a full hygiene service package with Veridia. Aside from the time benefits of not needing to complete orders or stock take, they also have the peace of mind that their compliance obligations are met, due to the close partnership between Veridia staff and the facility staff, which ensures timely communication and remediation of any quality concerns.
They also know their team is supported in education needs, with Veridia providing best practice coaching and on-the-job training.
“Our partnership with Veridia means we don’t have to worry about hygiene procurement anymore. Our time can be focused on more important outcomes for our residents.”
Most importantly, Mariola and her team have the assurance of a strong supply chain for a category critical to operational continuity.
“Their service levels are excellent, and we rarely see DIFOT below 99%.”
COVID-19 Strategic Partnership
The strong partnership between Veridia and Alexander Aged Care meant that Veridia was able to move quickly to support the nursing facility in its needs during the ongoing COVID19 crisis.
“We were able to ensure that the needed measures against infection control were implemented speedily through the partnership we have with Veridia.”
