Episode 1:
Enhancing Aged Care Excellence:
Expert Strategies with Elizabeth Lear – Part 1
About our guest:
Elizabeth Lear
Elizabeth Lear is the Clinical Support Specialist at VCare Software and a registered nurse with deep experience in residential aged care. She has worked across clinical leadership, quality improvement and auditing, helping services lift standards in documentation, communication and resident outcomes.
At VCare, Elizabeth partners with providers to translate best practice into everyday workflows. She supports implementations and training, strengthens care planning and mobility pathways, and advises on audit readiness and team development.
Elizabeth also creates clinical resources and training guides for the VCare community.
Most services want happier residents and calmer shifts – but turning good intent into daily practice takes method. Elizabeth Lear (RN, auditor, and Clinical Support Specialist at VCare) shares practical ways to lift wellbeing, handle difficult conversations, and run clinical handovers that keep teams aligned.
Key takeaways:
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Put the resident at the centre by using person-centred language; see the person beyond diagnoses and frame conditions as experiences, not identities.
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Make care holistic—use names, eye contact, warmth and dignity; prompt independence whenever it’s safe to do so.
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Design lifestyle programs that matter with a mix of group activities and meaningful 1:1s; invite participation rather than assume it.
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Be fully present in short interactions; intentional moments (a hand held, a genuine chat) have outsized impact.
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Engagement lifts outcomes and morale—better mood, less loneliness and falls risk, improved sleep and resilience, and higher staff morale.
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Support staff wellbeing with simple health checks, recognition and debriefs; connect everyone to the service’s purpose.
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Care plans must reflect the person—interests and goals documented, with evidence of progress auditors can see.
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Prepare for difficult conversations with SPIKES: correct Setting, check Perception, Invite preferences, share Knowledge in small chunks, respond to Emotion, then Summarise and agree next steps.
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Slow down and allow silence; check understanding and avoid “I know how you feel.” Ask a more experienced RN to lead if needed.
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Run better handovers—prepare a concise sheet and priorities; allow questions at the end to confirm understanding.
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Use a standard like SBAR/ISBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) to keep information clear and consistent.
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Keep the RN informed via quick huddles and alerts; if paper-based, use a visible flag system for residents needing follow-up.
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Match work to acuity and scope—allocate the team, stagger breaks, escalate concerns early, and hand over keys appropriately.
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Document the handover so records clearly show assessment → action → outcome, enabling the next shift to act with confidence.