Eastcliffe Retirement Village, located in the heart of Orakei, overlooking Bastion Point, is home to residents who choose to spend their golden years in a picturesque and supportive environment.
For a long time, Eastcliffe Retirement Village experienced challenges with its continence care supplies, including unreliable, substandard products, overstocking issues, and poor service. To address these challenges, they partnered with OfficeMax, who introduced them to TENA Solutions, a globally recognised leader in continence care.
The Challenge
Due to inconsistent service and support from their previous continence care supplier, Eastcliffe grappled with a series of interconnected challenges. These began to undermine the high standard of care its nursing staff had provided to its residents in the village and aged care home.
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Ineffective order management: A complex recurring order function, flawed automation process, and poor communication led to several operational challenges:
- On multiple occasions, the supplier delivered pallets of bulk orders covered in dust to their front office, blocking the reception area and causing disruption to residents, staff, and visitors
- Carrying excessive stock and inefficient inventory management
- Nursing staff spent valuable time searching for the appropriate products, which took away from the time they could spend caring for residents.
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Disposal issues: Increased continence pad usage and the need for frequent changes resulted in a significant increase in waste, leading to unsustainable disposal practices, which had both cost and environmental implications.
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Compromising resident dignity: Inferior-quality products led to frequent leaks, requiring nursing staff to change pads and clean the room frequently. This not only increased the workload but also adversely affected residents’ dignity and comfort.
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Lack of accountability Due to poor service and support, Eastcliffe had to endure increasing administrative work, which further worsened their existing challenges.
"We wanted the best quality product so that both the staff and the residents are confident and comfortable using it. Continence care products are highly personal; to be respectful, we keep them discreet."
Merrin Gemmell,
Village Manager, Eastcliffe Retirement Village
The Solution
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TENA’s premium products: TENA’s wide range of high-quality continence care products helped enhance individualised care for the residents by reducing excessive pad changes.
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Streamlined inventory management: The clinical manager at Eastcliffe worked with OfficeMax and TENA to streamline the transition and implement an efficient ordering and storage system. This enabled Eastcliffe to tailor orders to residents' evolving needs, optimise storage and closely manage inventory to prevent overstocking.
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Discreet product management: TENA offers pad bags that can be hung inside wardrobes. These bags keep residents’ daily allocations neat and out of sight, preventing awkward encounters with visitors or family and maintaining privacy.
“Working with OfficeMax and TENA has been a transformative partnership, and our accounts team love them. We've seen a substantial reduction in our continence care product costs, which has significantly boosted our budget.”
Merrin Gemmell,
Village Manager, Eastcliffe Retirement Village
The Results
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Reliable delivery and ongoing service: All orders are tracked, and there are no unexpected deliveries. Plus, orders are now efficiently delivered only through the loading zone instead of the reception, which previously disrupted the staff’s daily operations.
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Enhanced efficiency and cost savings: Premium-quality products offered better longevity, minimal leaks, and reduced wastage, which reduced the frequency of changes.
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Improved residents’ experience: TENA’s pads significantly improved residents’ daily experiences. The residents and their families reported no leaks. TENA’s reliable and quality products have helped maintain residents’ skin health and dignity.
“After switching, no issues have been raised by residents or their families about comfort, leakage or smell.”
Merrin Gemmell,
Village Manager, Eastcliffe Retirement Village
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Achieving sustainability goals: Eastcliffe has significantly reduced waste disposal and achieved its sustainability goals. Moreover, TENA’s bank of online resources promoted sustainability, providing answers to questions frequently asked by residents and nurses.
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Boosted nurses' and admin efficiency: Transparency in the ordering process and invoicing has significantly improved supply visibility and reduced the accounts team's workload. Less frequent clean-ups and changes freed up valuable time for nursing staff, adding precious minutes to their daily operations.
These productivity gains enabled nurses and Health Care Assistants (HCAs) to focus more on resident care and other critical tasks, substantially improving overall operational efficiency.
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