Featuring a new dynamic layout and enhanced user-friendly experience, Business iQ allows you to easily customise the interface to reflect your Village / Community’s unique personality and offerings. Business iQ is your all-in-one resident engagement platform and will soon receive it’s next complimentary upgrade, adding convenient new features and a vibrant, easy-to-use layout. We’re thrilled to unveil the new user interface and information sharing features designed to always keep your residents in the picture. Provide Australia’s most premium and well-known TV content for Seniors, delivered on the world’s most user-friendly information sharing platform.
Leaders isn’t a jou of discover you are, it’s of discover you are
eadership journey covering who it’s a journey covering
who are not.
Jason Binder
Unlocking Consumer Value
by Maximising revenue through Extra Services
By Alex Jacobs, Journalist, hello leaders
Industry data shows that aged care is not closing the gap on revenue losses. Financial viability remains just out of reach for many providers, although some are achieving profits in direct care.
Providers will be working toward higher care minute totals from October, though, and notable direct care profits will likely balance out sooner or later.
Elsewhere, indirect care and accommodation revenue isn’t strong enough to turn a positive result due to a range of costs. The stock-standard approach to providing care is not enough for many providers.
This is why the sector is seeing a renewed push toward additional services. The ability for a provider to take control over what they provide to consumers, at the cost of an additional fee, means there is much-needed income flowing through.
But the process isn’t simply offering a service and charging consumers more. Consumers are bringing value and they must lead the way, explained James Saunders, Partner, Pride Aged Living.
“This is consumer-directed care. We have already seen this model in the home care space where a provider comes in and asks a client ‘What do you need?’ rather than ‘Here’s what we can offer’,” he said.
His personal experience with his mother, who’s on a Level Four Home Care Package, helps to explain how additional services should work. She wanted to receive ready meals from her provider throughout the week, which they could provide from a specific supplier at no cost.
However, she wanted to continue eating meals from a company she already used and loved. Each meal cost roughly $10. The provider said this was fine, they could cover the $7 production and delivery costs, but she would just have to pay an additional $3 for the superior ingredients.
Providing additional services like this in residential care involves a broader approach, however.
“Bus trips, superior meals, happy hour, Wi-Fi, flat screen TVs, Foxtel, private telephones; all these services are not funded under the Aged Care Act and they are considered to be superior to the basic offering,” Mr Saunders added.
“But you can’t just install something like Foxtel in one room. It will need to be installed across the whole facility, and then you need to expect that people want to pay for that. That’s why additional services need to be a condition of living in the home.”
Key considerations
As per the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, “Providers may only charge residents an additional fee for an enhanced version of a specified care or service where they can clearly demonstrate that it is substantially better than what must already be provided.”
Providers can only charge the additional fee with the resident’s agreement, and they must ensure that residents are actually accessing the additional service.
“There is protection. The Government requires an assessment of capacity to benefit from any services. You can’t charge someone for bus trips if they’re in bed and unwell, or in hospital, and can’t use that,” Mr Saunders said.
And as he touched on earlier, avoiding disparity is a top priority. One resident should not miss out on additional services purely because it was not offered when they first arrived or because they cannot afford them.
Mr Saunders said to never charge new fees to existing residents, as it’s a different offer to the one they signed upon entry. But with the average residential care site seeing one-third of their resident cohort changing each year, it won’t take long for additional services to become established.
“It’s going to take you a bit over three years before the whole home benefits from the revenue, but you’re going to see new revenue in the first year. For a typical-sized facility, you’re looking at $50,000 extra in the first year,” he said.
As for overcoming any disparity, cross-subsidisation is an effective method to ensure additional services are accessible and affordable to all who need it.
“What we never want to see is an aged care facility where a resident is denied access because there’s a prohibitive additional services fee. It’s very important that if the Government has determined that a resident is a fully supported resident, a low-means person, we charge a subsidised fee to those people.”
As for those exact costs, it varies. Consumer needs will drive what is or is not included, with fees often ranging from $8 to $25 per day. Some flexibility is required for those who are not able to access certain services. In this case, a substitution or reduced fee is necessary.
In likening additional services to a buffet, where people pick and choose what they want, Mr Saunders hits the nail on the head: residents are paying for choice. They are calling out for quality in aged care beyond the basics. And providers are ready to respond.
“Providers want to provide more services. They want to be innovative. They don’t want aged care to be the poor relative of the healthcare sector,” Mr Saunders said.
Pride Aged Living’s James Saunders says providers are responding to resident needs by introducing additional services.
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To find and save dementia training options that are relevant to you, visit learningpathways.dta.com.au
transformative care model +innovative education
Creating Community
Changing lives for over twenty years, The Eden Alternative® is a philosophy of person directed care in Aged, Disability and Community Care.
The Eden Philosophy revolves around the implementation and application of the 10 Eden Principles which aim to eliminate the three plagues of loneliness, helplessness and boredom.
As the most widely practiced, comprehensive approach to person-directed care, Certified Eden Associate Training has been proven to offer practical tools, resources, and inspiration that empower individuals and teams to initiate and maintain effective change in long-term care.
We offer a range of inhouse, group half day, full day and three day Eden education opportunities including Dementia Education.
Workshops include:
Domains of Wellbeing and Dementia
Introduction to the Eden Alternative [OHOM]
Implementing the Eden Alternative in Aged Care [CEAT]
Advanced Eden Associate Leadership training
Dementia Beyond Drugs
Reframing Dementia - an Eden Alternative Perspective
Neighbourhood Guides
Services include:
Eden Consulting Services
Eden Registry Membership
I would like to convey my gratitude to you and the team for recent Eden training of ninety of our staff....your team’s commitment to the principles of Eden was clearly demonstrated through the energy, enthusiasm and focus of the training and by personalising it to our organisation a powerful message to staff was conveyed that left them hungry for more.
Michael Parker | CEO | Presbyterian Support | New Zealand
Jason Binder
Finding peace and happiness in life after losing himself
Jason Binder has evolved into one of the industry’s top leaders at Respect; they have 26 homes across three states, with a heavy presence in regional Australia, welcoming five homes in 2024.
Yet Status isn’t his goal. Status, as Jason told hello leaders, “is the worst drug a human can get addicted to.” While that may be a strong statement for some, understanding Jason’s personal history reveals why he’s happiest with no status.
By Alex Jacobs, Journalist, hello leaders
Despite making a name for himself in Tasmania, Jason’s roots are in Renmark, a South Australian town near the Victorian border. Like most country towns, hard work was the norm. In fact, Jason said it would have been like “an alien had taken over their body” if anyone in the family favoured the weekend over a day’s work.
While Jason has never shied away from working hard, school was another story. He found it too slow-paced and irrelevant to life outside its walls. He got in a lot of trouble. He also thought something was wrong with him because he “wasn’t like the other kids” and didn’t get good grades.
“I had a lot of internal stories that led me to going off the rails and one of them was I thought being bad at school meant I was dumb. I dropped out in year 10, got mixed up with the wrong people, and eventually ended up on meth injecting it every day,” Jason said.
“I was 66kg at my worst, 20kg underweight, with malnutrition and scabs like the meth addicts you see on the internet. I didn’t drop my work ethic through that period though and I think for that reason I flew under the radar.”
But there’s only so long you can fly under the radar. Jason experienced a psychotic episode at 18 after taking too many drugs and not sleeping for days. He went to rehab, which didn’t last, but the experience was the wake-up call he needed.
“Getting out and looking in my wallet I saw three $50 notes, but instead of seeing it as money, I was counting how many hits I had. I remember feeling torn that either I kick this and change or I’m going to keep hurting my loved ones, and probably end up dead.
“I’m lucky to be alive because, on top of the addiction, I did some stupid and reckless things.”
A change of scenery
In the aftermath, there was guilt and pain. Jason sought out a fresh start to begin making amends, and it was in the Apple Isle where Jason cleaned up and entered the IT sector. He co-founded a company, aged 23, and at 27 joined Eliza Purton - Respect’s first aged care home - as their IT manager.
This was when Jason’s desire to excel at management took control: he wanted to become a Chief Executive Officer. When you understand how strong his work ethic is, that comes as no surprise.
But after dropping out of high school, the idea of attending university filled the pit of his stomach with dread. Yet as Jason said, “I had to face it to get to the life I wanted on the other side.”
At first, he studied three times harder than anyone else to retain information. Jason would re-read pages to combat a wandering mind. Practice makes perfect, though, and gradually he retained information better than many of his peers.
When you have to work hard for every success you realise how valuable life’s lessons are. Jason brought his work ethic to Eliza Purton where he became a jack-of-all-trades, working across IT, accounting and industrial relations.
Then, aged just 31, there was a senior management exodus. Eliza Purton faced bankruptcy and merging with a larger provider seemed the only option. However, the Board put their faith in Jason and his fellow middle managers to turn things around. The rest is history.
“I love solving problems and there’s a lot of those when you’re a CEO in aged care, particularly the CEO of Respect because the growth in regional areas adds another layer of complexity.”
This complexity is reminiscent of a rollercoaster. Every high comes a low. After experiencing plenty of personal lows growing up, Jason didn’t need that during his career. That’s why he uses Eastern philosophy methods to help reduce the mental burden of stress and self-doubt.
“My wife, Belle, has a company, we have five kids and I don’t feel stress or pressure often - not because my external circumstances have changed, but because my internal circumstances have changed,” he said.
“Often people assume you need pressure to perform, but I perform way better than I ever have without the ups and downs because I can think rationally and clearly all the time.
“It’s better for the world if we have emotionally healthy leaders. Whether it’s for the sake of themselves and their family, they create something great for humanity, or they’re just a better leader to the people they’re leading, I think it’s important that leaders can enjoy what they’re doing without the downside.”
Being happy with himself
When Jason thought he was “dumb”, there was self-doubt. Those feelings lingered. Over time he grew to realise it was in his head, illusions that prevented him from being his true self.
He believes we don’t need proof to be “good enough”, that it’s fine just “being”. Lessons like this are not easy, though, and it takes time for us to work on ourselves. Yet after finding himself on a life path that could have ended in disaster, Jason’s now at his happiest. And it’s not because of the career success or the industry recognition, it’s because he’s happy with just being himself.
That hasn’t slowed his approach to learning. Jason continues to learn new skills to solve real-life problems and by updating his toolkit, he can adapt to whatever life throws at him.
“I think the advice that stuck with me most is that I’m already whole. We all are, and if we think we need to be a better leader, or a better this or that, what you’re saying is ‘I’m not good enough now’,” he added.
“My advice to rising leaders is to keep adding skills to your toolkit but never mix up the toolkit with who you are. There’s nothing wrong with you, and for me, leadership isn’t a journey of discovering who you are, it’s a journey of discovering who you are not.
“The false beliefs you have about yourself hold you back, and when you remove them what is left is a natural and true self which shows as authentic confidence – and that’s half of what leadership is. False confidence shows as either timidness or forcefulness, but authentic confidence is none of those things – it just “is”.”
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One of Kelvin Neave’s most precious childhood memories is swimming with his friends in a therapy pool for the disabled.
The CEO of Dougherty Apartments grew up in a New Zealand country town, where his mother was the Domestic Supervisor and his father was the Foreman of Works at the local hospital and at a home for the disabled called Pukeora.
By Sophia Russell, Freelance writer, hello leaders
“In town, there was a home for people living with disabilities where dad would need to do jobs, even on weekends,” Kelvin said. “I’d tag along and swim in the therapy pool with some of the residents, who became my friends. Making that connection left a huge impression on me, along with the goodwill gestures of my parents in their roles within the hospital setting”.
The impact of that connection would follow Kelvin throughout his career: when he left New Zealand in 1988 to be the Retail Manager for the New Zealand Pavilion, before moving on to Queensland’s healthcare industry as an Information Systems Manager based in various Brisbane hospitals. Later in 2021, he became the CEO of Dougherty Apartments, an innovative housing project located on Sydney’s affluent north shore.
Dougherty Apartments was constructed in 1989, and celebrates 35 years this year as a joint venture between Willoughby City Council, the NSW Department of Housing and Uniting Care, with a mission to look after the vulnerable. It is an eight-story unique complex with 70 residential aged care single rooms with ensuites, that includes a 14-bed secure memory support unit (MSU), 44 independent living units (1 and 2 bedrooms) and 37 public social housing units (1 bedroom), all equipped with a 24-hour emergency nurse call system when completed. Residents from all walks of life live side-by-side and integrated throughout in a single complex where common areas are shared. According to Kelvin, this was an unusual arrangement in the 1980s, and is still unique today.
“Back then, residential aged care, independent living and social housing were separate entities. Occasionally you’d have co-located retirement living and residential care sites but separate from each other. Dougherty Apartments was unique in the industry,” Kelvin said.
Changing the mindset
Managing a mixed site brings complex challenges given regulatory and legislative compliances. When Kelvin began his tenure at Dougherty Apartments, the most notable thing was the perceived thought that lounges belonged to specific groups of residents, thus creating separate communities.
“Soon after I arrived, I realised that everyone was thinking in silos, and there was an element of discrimination, of ‘us’ and ‘them’. For example, one group felt that the ground floor lounge belonged to them only,” Kelvin said.
To commence a change to this mindset, when Kelvin was invited to attend an Independent Living Residents Committee Meeting, where he saw the opportunity to set a vision for one community, not three separate ones.
“I clearly expressed my concept for Dougherty Apartments – that everyone is free to mix and mingle and that all communal spaces throughout the complex were for all to enjoy. It was met with positivity. After the meeting, the chair of the board said, ‘I don’t know how you’ve done it, but you got them all on side. We’ve been trying to change this thinking for nine years.”
Kelvin backed his speech with action, introducing the CEO Happy Hour for the Dougherty community, and ensuring that all common areas were available to every resident. In his first four months of leadership, he managed to achieve a 360-degree cultural turnaround. Residents started participating in activities together as a community, sitting side by side and learning of others’ benefits or misfortunes in life, and alerting staff if someone hadn’t been seen for a while.
Dougherty Apartments has consistent high occupancy rates, with a long waiting list for residential aged care services and Independent Living units of people keen to join this community. This has been achieved through the activities of the business, with the majority of referrals being word of mouth through residents. “The silos don’t exist now,” Kelvin said. “We have social housing and independent living residents who come together for my CEO Happy Hours, resident activities, weekly exercise programs and the afternoon teas, to mention a few. They sit beside another person from a different life situation from them and have a conversation. It really is heartwarming to witness. Now they genuinely look out for each other.”
Do the simple things well
Building a successful mixed community is no easy task. For Kelvin, though, effective leadership begins with “doing the simple stuff, and doing it well”. Genuinely listen to people, be proactive, value clinical and non-clinical staff members, take care of the little things, and be authentic in all your daily interactions.
Kelvin also believes that every layer of leadership should have on-the-ground experience in their organisation. To facilitate this, he introduced ‘A Day in the Life’ events where each year board members spend a day working alongside various staff members at Dougherty Apartments, be it in the laundry room, kitchen, or in residential care. The Board considers this to be very successful and are appreciative of the learning opportunities that have been presented to them. They really understand things when Kelvin speaks with them at board meetings.
“I can’t ask my staff to do anything if I don’t know what their pain points are,” Kelvin said. “When board members and management have experienced a staff member’s daily work, they have a better outlook, and a greater appreciation for our team and the contribution that everyone across all departments makes, every day. I cannot do any of this without my amazing staff.”
Kelvin practices what he preaches, as a recent recipient of a nomination in the National 2024 “Leadership CategoryYou Are Ace” Awards presented by the Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), Australia’s Peak Body.
Ultimately, Kelvin hopes that like his experience in the therapy pool back home, the connectedness that makes Dougherty Apartments so special would have an impact throughout Australia’s social housing system and in the aged care industry. “I am seeing some of our concepts beginning to emerge out there more now, and this is an absolutely positive move for our nation, and I am proud to be playing a small part in these sectors” he said.
“Whatever life has dealt our residents, these are their stories, experiences and life’s memories, and they get to hear it from each other. It really does resonate with everyone and builds real tolerance, inclusiveness and acceptance across our community.”
Eye of the storm
Navigating the pandemic’s darkest days
By Nicole Smith, Gerontologist, Chief Operating Officer
It was April 2020, and I was balancing motherhood, a master’s degree, and running a community café for people with dementia and four-year-olds. Initial whispers of an infectious disease had escalated into widespread fear and lockdowns.
With aged care residents being among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, even window therapy, which involves interacting with elders through a closed window from outside the facility, was no longer allowed. Reports from the US spoke of carers fleeing from their duties and abandoning nursing homes with corpses stacked in storage cupboards. The fear was palpable.
As panic turned to chaos here in Australia, I was asked to join a task force and write reports for the Commonwealth as part of the national response to the pandemic. I said yes without hesitation.
Initially, I was sent to a facility in the Blue Mountains, where their response to what was unfolding was admirable. As I familiarised myself with the new reporting tool, I received word that I was being sent to Newmarch House, the nation’s epicentre for aged care outbreaks during the height of the pandemic.
Upon arrival, it was evident that they lacked manpower, so I requested a surge workforce. As we engaged with agencies across Sydney, waves of staff began to arrive at Newmarch House. Some of them fled, and many of the brave souls who decided to stay and offer support unintentionally brought the virus into the home with them. It was a nightmare.
Eventually, the Commonwealth contacted me and asked if I would manage Newmarch House. Despite feelings of trepidation, I agreed. However, two days before I was due to assume the Manager role, I was declared a close contact of someone who had tested positive. I was out before I even started.
For the next few weeks, I was stuck supporting our teams from the confines of my hotel. Working 16 hours a day, I coordinated the arrival of 50 staff members to Newmarch House and wrote evacuation plans for the Commonwealth that appeared in the hands of the DHHS months later. I was discovering how State and Federal governments worked together in real time.
Well into my role, we were deciphering government legislation across all states, each with its own variations. Twelve clinical first responders were now positioned across Australia, ready to respond. We were the only ones crossing borders, travelling on empty planes.
At this point, Victoria was in a state of chaos, battling 227 active outbreaks in aged care facilities and not enough of anything to go around. My colleagues were fearless, providing support for six weeks at a time while I coordinated rosters, mud maps, and ever-changing memos for multiple teams via WhatsApp.
I did my best to ease the pressure on them. They were superheroes to me. My team members had up to 12 homes on their caseloads, all of which required OPS meetings, rostering, constant cohorting, and leading teams full of fresh faces that had been quickly thrown together.
Nicole Smith is an advocate for empathetic, relationshipcentered care models in aged care. With a background in nursing and a focus on dementia care, she co-founded Community Home Australia (CHA) and its inclusive Indonesian resort (CHAIR) with Dr. Rodney Jilek to innovate elder accommodation.
Her experience as a Clinical First Responder for Aspen Medical, during the pandemic, gave her critical insights into the challenges faced by nursing homes. Nicole is committed to improving the lives of those with dementia through her expertise in nursing, gerontology, and community engagement.
Our debriefs offered the staff a moment to pause and reflect, and I witnessed changes in their demeanour akin to soldiers at war. The respect I have for them is indescribable. As I marvelled at their efforts on the ground, I received word that it was my turn to enter the facilities amid their outbreaks—and it felt like I had entered a war zone.
By the third day of my contract, I was managing seven outbreaks during 16-hour shifts. I didn’t sleep for the first five days due to a mix of anxiety and adrenaline. My face was also thinning. Visibly exhausted, a nurse handed me some Valium and told me to rest. At night, the sounds of family members crying and unrelenting phone calls permeated my dreams.
The ongoing isolation and cohorting of elders left them feeling confused, and some of those who didn’t die as a result of COVID-19 were dying of delirium. Life-or-death decisions were being made to keep various agencies happy, which were deeply affecting those who resided in those homes.
As the death toll continued to climb, so did infection rates among my colleagues. Whole teams were being furloughed, and people were breaking mentally while the media continued to level blame at those of us on the ground. Meanwhile, nurses on the ground were trying to stop their hands from trembling as they held up iPads for distraught family members who waved their final goodbyes to dying loved ones. My heart was breaking for Victoria.
As the pressure continued to mount, I actually considered leaving. Instead, I took one day off, which was spent sobbing into my pillow, before deciding to continue for another five weeks.
The support from both the Commonwealth and State pandemic teams was like a lifeline to me and my colleagues. Working in unison, we were problem-solving at a level that I had never seen before.
This shared experience forged our friendships in stone. The sight of families dropping off food to their loved ones and watching them eat through the windows, and the sounds of ‘60s music blaring down the hallway while we drew love hearts on those same windows, will stay with me forever.
In retrospect, I’m still not quite sure how we managed, but I know that there were a lot of people involved who rarely got the credit they deserved. The Clinical First Responders and our aged care teams were unbelievable.
Nurses with CALD backgrounds from foreign countries and those on student visas were also pivotal in saving the lives of so many elders. People working in government roles, private contractors, and every person working in aged care throughout the pandemic showed immense courage in the face of adversity.
To be honest, it has taken me years to emotionally recover from a contract that went on for less than two years. Most of us haven’t spoken about our time in the pandemic, and to this day, I can name at least 5 colleagues that I worked with who remain completely broken from these events. Some of them are currently battling long-COVID, and others still suffer from PTSD and may never work again.
Their sacrifices for the elders of our country deserve to be remembered and recognised.
And despite all we went through, if you asked me today if I would do it all again, I would say yes in a heartbeat.
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By Jakob Neeland, Digital Content & Creative, HelloCare
The Australian aged care sector is facing significant challenges as it grapples with the implementation of new funding models and quality indicators.
Central to these changes is the Australian National Aged Care Classification (AN-ACC) funding model, which aims to ensure that residents receive a minimum of 200 minutes of care per day.
While the intent behind this requirement is to enhance the quality of care, it has inadvertently led to a crisis in the provision of lifestyle services—those vital activities that bring joy, social interaction, and mental stimulation to residents.
Historically, lifestyle and leisure programs have played a crucial role in aged care. They are designed to keep residents engaged, active, and socially connected, addressing both their mental and physical health needs.
These programs include a wide range of activities, from art and music therapy to exercise classes and social outings.
However, the focus on meeting the 200-minute care mandate has resulted in a troubling shift: lifestyle services are being cut, staff are being asked to take on dual roles, and in some cases, entire lifestyle teams are being replaced by personal care assistants (PCAs).
The impact of this shift cannot be understated. Residents who once looked forward to engaging, tailored activities now face a reduced quality of life, with fewer opportunities for social interaction and mental stimulation.
How 200-Minute Care Rules Are Dismantling Lifestyle
Services Care to Chaos
The staff who provide these essential services are being stretched thin and forced to cover additional duties without adequate training or support. This situation has far-reaching implications for the overall well-being of residents and the sustainability of the aged care workforce.
Kayla Garside, a Board Director for the Australian Recreational Therapy Association (ARTA) and a recreational therapist with over 15 years of experience in aged care, provides a detailed account of how these changes are affecting the sector.
According to a survey conducted by ARTA in December 2022, encompassing 139 recreational therapists and lifestyle staff, 36% of respondents reported being asked to diversify their roles or acquire additional qualifications, including personal care (PCA) certifications.
This change aims to reclassify them as care workers, making their time claimable under the 200 care minutes mandate. Furthermore, 14% of respondents cited proposed changes within their teams due to this requirement, and 15% observed a reduction in staff hours dedicated to leisure and recreation, with some reporting a decrease of up to five hours per week and others stating that they had been made redundant altogether.
Garside explains the crux of the issue: “Lifestyle isn’t simply finding people something to do. Aged care residents need engaging activities, not just something to fill in time. Your activities need to come from the assessment, from what the residents like to do.”
The shift towards having PCAs conduct lifestyle activities undermines this personalised approach. PCAs, although essential for personal care, are not trained to deliver the kind of specialised, engaging activities that lifestyle staff are trained to provide.
The ripple effects of this shift are profound. Many lifestyle staff, now required to obtain PCA qualifications, find themselves covering PCA shifts when personal carers call in sick.
This dual responsibility often means that lifestyle staff are spending their time on personal care tasks like showers and medication administration, leaving little time for their primary role of conducting multiple, meaningful activities throughout the day.
Garside voices her concern: “When lifestyle staff are taken away from their shifts to fill in PCA roles, it directly impacts the residents. There is less one-on-one time, leading to increased social isolation and the health issues that come with it, such as anxiety and depression.”
The quality and availability of lifestyle programs are further compromised by the economic pressures on aged care facilities.
Garside notes that with AN-ACC funding and new quality indicators, the sector seems to be trending towards offering lifestyle activities as additional services that residents must pay for.
“It feels like we’re moving towards aged care residents needing to pay extra to receive comprehensive lifestyle and recreation care. Which would create a scenario where only the rich can afford to have hobbies or a social life and integration with the community, while those who can’t afford it get just the bare minimum,” she laments.
The impact on residents is stark. Lifestyle activities are crucial for the physical and mental well-being of aged care residents. These activities encourage movement, social interaction, and overall happiness. Without them, residents are more likely to stay in their rooms, leading to decreased mobility and increased rates of depression.
“Lifestyle activities are what get people up and walking, what get people leaving their rooms, and they are the main thing to stop depression,” Garside emphasises.
Despite these concerns, ARTA has struggled to get a response from government, with Aged Care Minister,
Anika Wells, proving to be particularly elusive. In fact, ARTA had to resort to voicing issues publicly under the Aged Care Minister’s social media posts to get a response as previous letters and emails fell on deaf ears.
Eventually, Garside was granted an opportunity to speak with Anika Wells assistant but the meeting was not as fruitful as ARTA hoped it would be.
“They have said there is no identified issue with the current AN-ACC system,” Garside states, expressing frustration with the lack of acknowledgment from the authorities.
With the government taking a headin-the-sand approach to the issue, the long-term effects of things continuing as they are in residential aged care could be dire.
Garside predicts high staff turnover due to job dissatisfaction among PCAs being forced to conduct lifestyle activities they are not trained for or interested in.
The dual roles and increased workload also contribute to burnout, leading to more sick leave and staff leaving the industry altogether. Additionally, customer dissatisfaction is likely to rise as residents’ true leisure and recreation needs go unmet, and the quality of care declines.
The future of aged care, if these trends continue, looks bleak. Garside concludes, “You’ll find that the residents won’t be access to services that meet their true leisure and recreation needs. When programs fall apart, residents are forced to mould themselves to try and enjoy what’s being provided, rather than feeling fulfilled in who they are by being able to do the things that they enjoy.”
Stephen Becsi OAM, Chief Executive Officer, Apollo Care.
“Bring on the reform”
Stephen Becsi is up for the challenge
By Alex Jacobs, Journalist, hello leaders
Change is never easy. It can be hardest for providers with the least resources.
Stephen Becsi OAM, Chief Executive Officer at Apollo Care, knows exactly what it’s like to navigate change and come out the other side stronger than ever. Apollo Care was formed just as the COVID-19 pandemic swept through Australia, meaning it’s been dealing with change since day one.
Its operating model also allows not-for-profit providers to remain independent while operating under one ownership banner for management and governance purposes. Most of the homes that have joined Apollo Care are struggling and need support that can be provided at scale.
So you would think he’s not a fan of change, given the amount of pressure it’s putting providers under - many of those in regional and rural Australia. Think again.
“It’s not the sanctions anymore; the Commission’s done a great job and weeded out providers not doing the right thing. But you have financial viability issues for standalones that don’t have scale. You have this huge raft of governance reform coming through and not everyone is on top of it,” he explained.
“Am I comfortable that Apollo Care is in good shape with all the reforms? Yes, I am. I don’t know whether others are, but from an aged care perspective, bring on the reform because it is sorting out the sector.
‘We’re seeing the number of providers reduce. We’re seeing scale happen. We’re getting efficiency and frankly, at the end of the day, it’s the customer that wins. Bring on the change.”
Overcoming challenges
Of course, change is easier said than done. It takes time and money. The latter of those two requirements is undeniably one of the biggest challenges for regional aged care.
The AN-ACC funding system is one of three key revenue streams for aged care providers, funding direct care. Mr Becsi thinks it is working for most providers and that additional funding for regional and rural providers shows the Government recognises where help is needed.
But even with that extra funding, AN-ACC can only go so far.
“Where it comes unhinged is the moment you can’t fill a roster and have to fill it up with agency staff. Here lies the real problem and the biggest problem for regional Australia,” he said.
“AN-ACC doesn’t cover the additional on-costs of agency, so you are behind the ball. That needs to be dealt with.”
According to StewartBrown’s Financial Performance data from September 2023, the average agency direct care cost per resident per day in major cities is $11.31. For inner regional locations that expense grows to $27.50 per day with rural and remote providers paying an average of $32.62.
Those costs might be manageable as occasional expenses, but providers with a larger reliance on agency staff will quickly find themselves in trouble.
“We acquired one organisation recently in New South Wales where agency made up 62% of the staff. You look at that figure and you’re up against it from the word go,” Mr Becsi added.
AN-ACC has also come under fire for its design that financially rewards providers for taking on residents with higher needs rather than promoting reablement. Despite having his misgivings over AN-ACC’s poor coverage for regional direct care costs, Mr Becsi said its design is better suited for an evolving residential care landscape where residents are more likely to have higher needs.
“Does it support reablement? Probably not, no. AN-ACC is geared toward people at the end-of-life with co-morbidity issues. It’s a much frailer, older resident population now. At the highest of levels, it’s supporting the people with those greater issues.”
Calling on telehealth
The Federal Government is heavily invested in digital transformation in aged care and technology could provide a solution to one of the top challenges: meeting care minute totals.
Regional and rural providers are among those struggling the most to fill rosters with Registered Nurses to meet care minute obligations. More often than not, nurses are reluctant to relocate outside of metropolitan areas.
Mr Becsi said the 10% Enrolled Nurse contribution will help but, “Whether or not it’s enough is another question”.
“In digitising aged care, we should be able to use telehealth. An effective telehealth system, operated by onsite personal care workers should be able to fill night shift rosters with a Registered Nurse who doesn’t want to go to the bush but is happy to work from home while their kids are asleep,” he added.
“The moment a telehealth Registered Nurse is counted towards care minutes you solve a significant problem for
regional residential aged care.”
Even if a specific quota of care minutes was allocated to telehealth, it could be a solution that relieves plenty of pressure. In essence, Apollo Care’s goal is to relieve pressure on independent providers.
Mr Becsi shared that he’s proud to have saved several residential care communities across Australia, acknowledging that providers who can provide support at scale are making meaningful contributions to regions where it counts.
“I guarantee a bunch of facilities would not be in towns if it weren’t for organisations like Apollo Care in there actively working on solutions. We reopened one facility that was shut down, aged care removed,” he added.
“Not only did residents have to move far away but jobs were lost and the heart and soul of that town was locked up. We wanted to rebirth something that had passed away and we did.”
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The silver tsunami
Why age-friendly housing is the key to solving Australia’s affordability crisis
By Daniel Gannon, Executive Director, Retirement Living Council
You’d need to be living under a rock to not have heard about the housing supply and affordability crisis around the country.
But there is good news amongst this constant barrage of negativity and challenges – and it relates to age-friendly accommodation.
The Retirement Living Council, together with PwC and the Property Council, released the latest Retirement Census earlier this year.
This important document underscores the affordability of independent living units (ILUs) in retirement villages while house prices around Australia continue to soar, locking many younger aspiring homeowners out of the market.
We now know the average price for a two-bedroom ILU around the country is $559,000, while the median house price in the same postcodes as these villages is $968,000.
This means that ILUs in retirement communities are on average 43 per cent cheaper than the median house price in the same suburb.
So, at a time when national housing affordability is eroding, the value proposition of retirement communities is strengthening – but there are some warning bells starting to sound.
The PwC-Property Council Retirement Census also reveals that on-market vacancy rates have crunched year-on-year, dropping from 11 per cent to just five per cent this year. This effectively represents full capacity.
Given the number of Australians aged over 75 will increase from 2 million to 3.4 million by 2040, such a tight vacancy rate is concerning.
When you consider that 710,000 Australians are planning to retire in the next five years – whether governments wish to acknowledge it or not – the ‘silver tsunami’ is on our doorstep. This is why governments at all levels need to get their skates on and start planning for ageing populations, starting with age-friendly housing that is proven to keep people healthier and happier for longer.
We know that in order to meet existing market demand, the retirement living industry requires 67,000 units to be built by 2030; however, only 18,000 of these dwellings are currently planned.
This is a significant gap that requires an equally significant government response.
Operators across the country are reporting rapidly growing waiting lists, but their efforts to inject new supply is often hampered by local and state government-imposed red tape.
This comes at a time when labour is hard to access, material costs remain stubbornly high, and supply chains are suffering their way through a housing crisis.
There are also currently anti-competitive national foreign investment fees as well as foreign investor surcharge duties in different jurisdictions that add unnecessary cost onto acquisitions, which are either slowing down the onset of new supply or preventing it entirely.
And so for these reasons, we are asking governments to think about the competing challenges on the horizon, from an ageing population through to the World Health Organisation’s declaration of loneliness as a global public health concern.
Age-friendly accommodation can help address this spectrum of challenges.
This is why the RLC is calling on state and territory governments to put in place minimum land allocations for retirement villages in master planned and greenfield settings and targets similar to those already in place for social and affordable housing.
Research now shows that the health benefits are compelling. Compared to older Australians not living in a retirement community, residents are 41 per cent happier, 15 per cent more physically active, five times more socially active, twice as likely to catch up with family or friends and have reduced levels of loneliness and depression.
At the same time that various governments are confronting ambulance ramping, we also know that residents are 20 per cent less likely to require hospitalisation after only nine months living in a retirement community.
All of this reduced interaction with doctors and hospitals releases capacity back into health systems while delaying entry into aged care facilities, leading to $945 million in annual financial efficiencies for the Australian Government.
While the inclusion of retirement villages in the Prime Minister’s 1.2 million new homes target was important recognition, more needs to be done to unleash supply of an affordable housing type that is keeping older Australians healthier and happier for longer.
Frankly, this is an area of public policy that is too important to get wrong.
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Eye of the storm Page 20
“People like me want to live with our dementia, not die from it.”
Balancing Sexual Autonomy with Dementia Care in
Residential Care
By Jakob Neeland, Digital Content & Creative, HelloCare
The delicate balance between respecting individuals’ autonomy and managing the complexities of dementia care is an ongoing challenge for aged care providers. Particularly, when the topic of discussion is sex.
Gwenda Darling, a member of the Aged Care Council of Elders who was diagnosed with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia has firsthand experience of just how difficult it can be for residents to have their sexual needs and rights acknowledged and respected. Her extensive knowledge and advocacy highlight the prevailing discomfort and lack of open dialogue around these issues in aged care settings.
This reluctance to engage meaningfully with the sexual aspects of residents’ lives often leads to practices that disregard a fundamental part of human identity, which according to Gwenda, are most prevalent in faith-based aged care organisations.
“I’ve seen this prejudice firsthand in a faith-based home,” Gwenda recounts. “In this particular facility, somebody was watching porn in the privacy of his own room, yet his iPad was confiscated. It wasn’t loud, and it was his personal space. When I spoke about getting the iPad back, they said he was watching pornography, and we can’t have that here.”
This incident underscores a broader problem: the denial of residents’ rights to engage in consensual sexual activities or even possess items like sex toys. “They also said that there’s no way I could have sex toys, and I said, well, it’s a human right. If that’s what I choose to do, how is that any different from me bringing in my own cutlery?” Gwenda asks, emphasising the importance of recognising residents’ rights and autonomy.
The consequences of such practices extends beyond mere confiscation of personal items. Gwenda shares stories of shaming and isolation tactics employed by some facilities to discourage sexual relationships. “Relationships between consenting parties in residential care are frowned upon, particularly when a resident has a partner or a recently deceased partner. They resort to tactics like moving these people to opposite sides of the facility so that they don’t share the same dining areas or common areas anymore,” she explains.
Same-sex relationships, according to Gwenda, face even harsher scrutiny. “Let’s not even go there,” she remarks, highlighting the additional barriers faced by LGBTQI+ residents.
A significant issue in aged care is the tendency to prioritise the medical model over personal care. “If you have dementia, you’re deemed as not having capacity. Yes. And you lose that respect,” Gwenda notes. This approach reduces residents to numbers, ignoring their individual needs and desires. “We have to understand that there are over 150 types of dementia variants, instead of looking at dementia as one thing that removes an individual’s right to make their own choices when it comes to sex.”
One of the most concerning practices in aged care is the use of chemical restraints to manage sexual behaviour. Gwenda asserts, “Absolutely. If I’ve got an unmet need, I can become abusive, violent, or aggressive. Frustrated. These natural emotions then get labelled as negative behaviour which requires medical intervention. Even things like walking—which is a common way to vent frustration—is labeled wandering. Sex really could help address some of these so-called behaviours that we see in aged care.”
Gwenda advocates for a more nuanced understanding of sexuality in aged care, recognising that intimacy is not limited to sexual intercourse. “Intimacy is not always sexual intercourse. If I want intimacy in my room, in a residential aged care community, I have a right to have the door shut and not have workers walk in,” she states. This fundamental right to privacy and respect is often overlooked, leading to unnecessary intrusions and a lack of dignity for residents.
A critical aspect of addressing these issues is providing proper training and support for staff. Gwenda highlights the need for sensitivity and respect in handling intimate care tasks, particularly for post-op transgender individuals. “We have a generation of post-op transgender people coming in. And they need to be dilated, particularly females. If you don’t dilate, the urethra closes. Finding workers who are prepared to do it is another issue,” she explains. Proper training can ensure that all residents receive the care they need without compromising their dignity or autonomy.
To better accommodate the diverse needs of residents, Gwenda supports the establishment of LGBTQI+-specific aged care homes, which she calls “Rainbow Homes.” “I don’t think it’s segregation. I think that we should have an opportunity by choice,” she says. These specialised facilities can provide a safe and supportive environment where residents can express their sexuality without fear of judgment or discrimination.
By embracing a more personalised model of care, respecting residents’ rights, and providing proper training and support for staff, aged care providers can create environments where all residents can live with dignity and fulfilment. As Gwenda aptly puts it, “We need to look at the benefits of sex in aged care because people like me want to live with our dementia, not die from it.”
Time well spent
The program helping older adults
recover
By Alex Jacobs, Journalist, hello leaders
One of the most underappreciated aspects of aged care is the Transitional Care Program (TCP), which provides essential support for older adults discharged from the hospital who require short-term restorative care before moving into permanent care or back to previous living arrangements.
Brightwater, a leading provider in Western Australia, offers two transitional care services: the residential-based Transition Care Program (TCP) and the in-home Transition Community Care (TCC) program. These services complement each other and streamline the transition into long-term residential care or back into the community without or with supports such as Home Care Packages (HCP).
A distinctive model
Brightwater operates 71 TCP beds across two sites, Birralee and Kingsley, and offers 80 TCC spaces. This dual approach allows them to cater to a wide range of client needs.
Transitional care clients can access up to 12 weeks of services. Most only need 7-8 weeks to regain the skills necessary to move back home or into residential care as independent as possible.
“We have our own, newly developed TCP model of care that speaks to the TCP guidelines and that’s important that we deliberately differentiate TCP from our residential aged care operations, which is also part of our core business,” Curtis Reddell, General Manager, Residential, told hello leaders
“The key difference at the heart of TCP is it has a strong enablement focus and is goal-directed.”
Mr Reddell notes the financial challenges and benefits
“Unfortunately, AN-ACC funding financially incentivises residential aged care providers to prioritise taking residents who require more support as they get a higher AN-ACC classification. I think the enablement approach should be incentivised even in residential aged care,” he added.
Transitional care also offers unique challenges to the staff involved, although there are plenty of positives for Kate Purslowe, Brightwater’s Allied Health Coordinator. She describes the program as a wonderful opportunity for aged care staff to see tangible improvements in clients’ conditions.
Yet it’s not always easy work, given the program is designed to help older people with reablement following a hospital stay.
“It presents a big challenge for staff, whether it is functional impairments clients are struggling to accept or they’re not wanting to acknowledge their life is going to change significantly. It’s a lot to tease out which makes the 12-week timeframe difficult but it’s also something that keeps people engaged in the program and keeps staff interested,” she said.
Home care comforts and challenges
The TCC program offers up to 12 weeks of in-home support to help clients and their families adjust to new living conditions, again with a focus on reablement.
“Clients often leave the hospital needing comprehensive support. They seek reassurance that a multidisciplinary team is available to assist them,” Jenni Gamble, General Manager Brightwater at Home explained.
By offering this support and transitioning through an intensive reablement program, we can effectively facilitate their recovery and speed up hospital discharge. Both their and our goals include reconditioning and helping individuals return to their pre-hospital status.”
Another benefit of the program is to assist older people to leave hospital settings as quickly as possible. Chloe Jones, Service Leader Transitional Community Care, said “Wraparound care with allied health professionals, nurses and social workers delivers positive outcomes for safe and early hospital discharge”.
“Being responsive and adaptable is crucial in our work, especially when clients are suddenly readmitted to the hospital, necessitating last-minute rostering changes,” said Ms Jones.
“One of the challenges we face is making the necessary staffing changes in line with the Awards. Changes can happen rapidly.”
To address these challenges, Brightwater TCC is developing a larger workforce that works across all of its programs. This supports the reallocation of staff when required. For TCP, staff begin with residential care foundational knowledge before taking on additional training specific to TCP outcomes.
Achieving targets
Federal and state governments jointly fund the transitional care program. Therefore, providers have to meet three key performance indicators (KPIs): 80% of clients must leave the TCP within 12 weeks; resident improvement must be in line with the Modified Barthel Index (MBI); and a minimum of one hour of therapy per person per day is required.
“They’re key metrics for us because they drive good service delivery,” Mr Reddell added.
He said there was little difficulty in meeting KPIs as effective multidisciplinary teams, quality systems and a clear dashboard that monitors performance ensure there’s no chance of falling short.
However, factors such as guardianship or external assessments can slow progress, and it’s essential to identify and respond to potential challenges early on.
Looking to the future
The Federal Government’s $190 million 2024 Budget investment to extend and redesign transitional care underscores its importance in delaying residential aged care entry and reducing healthcare system pressures.
Mr Reddell anticipates significant growth in this area with Brightwater expanding its TCC program after divesting three residential aged care sites in 2023.
“It feels like residential aged care is going to change and be more suited for people who need intensive bed-based care at the end of their lives,” he said.
“We can see the writing on the wall with that trend away from residential care. We would love to grow our TCP services to support the moving preferences of the population.”
But like all things aged care, he said additional Government funding is critical to growth.
The regression of reablement
Unravelling the decline of allied health in aged care
By Jakob Neeland, Digital Content & Creative, HelloCare
The Australian aged care sector is currently grappling with a notable decline in the provision of allied health services, despite their undeniable importance in enhancing the health and quality of life for residents. Chris Atmore, Policy & Advocacy Senior Advisor for Allied Health Professionals Australia (AHPA), sheds light on the multifaceted challenges contributing to this decline.
AHPA, the national peak body for allied health, represents approximately 200,000 professionals through its 40 member organisations. This diverse group includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and social workers—each playing an indispensable role in supporting the health and well-being of aged care residents.
Regrettably, the availability of these critical services is on a concerning downward trajectory. Prior to the Royal Commission’s 2021 report, the average time an aged care resident received allied health care was around eight minutes per day. This has now diminished to just over four minutes per day.
The decline can be primarily attributed to the absence of mandatory targets for allied health services, unlike the care minutes allocated for nursing and personal care. As Atmore points out,
“The AN-ACC model funds allied health services, but without specific targets, providers have little incentive to allocate funds to these services.” Moreover, there are concerns that some providers are diverting AN-ACC funding intended for direct care to cover other expenses, such as accommodation and daily living costs.
A further issue involves the diminishing quality and safety in allied health service delivery. AHPA’s 2023 survey highlights that some providers are employing allied health assistants to perform tasks that should be reserved for qualified allied health professionals. “Assistants are a valuable part of the workforce, but substituting them for professionals, particularly without adequate supervision, is both inappropriate and potentially hazardous.”
Implications for the Sector
The reduction in allied health services and the associated quality risks have severe implications. Allied health professionals are integral to reablement—helping older individuals preserve their functionality and quality of life. The current decline means that many residents are missing out on essential preventive and rehabilitative care. As Atmore asserts, “Allied health is about reablement—helping older people maintain their function and quality of life. The Royal Commission recommended that aged care consumers should receive allied health services based on their individual needs.”
The absence of a universally consistent needs assessment process exacerbates disparities in care. The lack of comprehensive data means that while some residents may receive appropriate support, many others do not. At present, the Department of Health and Aged Care only publishes median care minutes for a limited range of allied health services across all residential aged care facilities, with some disciplines, such as occupational therapy, being too small to report separately.
Should the current trends persist, the quality of life for aged care residents will continue to deteriorate. Atmore observes, “Many allied health professionals are either leaving the sector or considering departure due to concerns about declining service quality.” This attrition exacerbates the problem, resulting in fewer professionals available to deliver essential services.
Moreover, there are reports of providers “gaming the system” to reduce the incidence of falls, which are a quality indicator for aged care facilities. Atmore highlights that this practice compromises residents’ quality of life, as they are often left inactive to avoid falls rather than being supported to move safely.
Atmore underscores the critical need for allied health services within high-quality aged care. To reverse the decline, it is imperative to implement the Royal Commission’s recommendations, establish a comprehensive allied health needs assessment framework, and make meeting these needs a mandatory requirement.
The sector must also enhance data collection, transparency, and accountability to identify and promote best practices. This can be achieved through dedicated government funding and a robust national allied health workforce strategy. Atmore emphasises, “Without a national strategy, we cannot ensure that an adequate number and variety of allied health professionals are available to meet the needs of aged care residents.”
Slow and steady wins the race
Perfecting consumer advisory bodies
By Alex Jacobs, Journalist, hello leaders
The Government introduced a new requirement for providers to have a consumer advisory body in place from December 1, 2023. This is an entirely new feature for some organisations, while for others it’s a continuation of existing consumer groups with a different name and format. So, how successful have they been during the first year?
Hello leaders sat down with two leading operators to find out the trials and tribulations involved when setting up the consumer advisory bodies.
Finding their rhythm
Regis Aged Care is one of the largest Australian aged care providers with representation across the country. They established consumer advisory bodies (CAB) several years before the new requirement came into effect, showcasing foresight in regards to the need to elevate consumer voices.
Filomena Ciavarella, Executive General Manager, Strategy, Quality and Improvement, explained that their first CAB was established in Queensland in 2021 as Regis already recognised the need and value that comes from effective stakeholder engagement.
“What we realised is that it takes time for the CABs to gain momentum and like anything at Regis we are focussed on continuous improvement and we apply this same lens to these forums,” she said.
“Key to our CABs success to date has been working with members to codesign the purpose of the CAB, working through the organisational support that is needed, agreeing on areas of advocacy and improvement, and even defining positions so individuals can effectively take up their role.”
Medical & Aged Care Group (MACG) operates on a smaller scale with nine homes in its portfolio. Samantha Freeman, Marketing & Communications Manager, Aged Care, chairs their advisory body.
Similar to Regis, they had consumer forums in place offering opportunities for consumer feedback before establishing their CAB in December, 2023. One of these ongoing groups is ‘Family Matters’. It was formed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a virtual opportunity for families and residents to connect and provide feedback.
Ms Freeman believes that CAB has formalised many of the existing consumer feedback groups and pathways, and while it provides another chance to talk to consumers, it’s still a work in progress.
“We’re only six months down the track. If our existing work was labelled as a consumer advisory body it would be an instant success, but this is a different set-up and that takes time,” she explained.
“This has been put into place to make a significant difference in the lives of our consumers. It is going to take a good 12 months for us to get the desired outcomes. Are we getting small wins now? Yes. The small wins and development over time will lead to the significant outcomes we need for the advisory body.”
The challenge: consumer buy‑in
Despite their size differences, MACG and Regis Aged Care have experienced challenges in attracting participants. Yet even with resident and relative meetings in place at each home, engaging residents in CABs and providing assurance that their input will make a valuable difference has been a journey.
“I thought when we initially sent out communication seeking expressions of interest we would be overwhelmed with responses, but we weren’t to the degree we expected. This made us reflect on the best way to promote the CABs and engage with residents.”
Ms Ciavarella said.
“In some states, we had to promote the purpose and value of the CAB several times before gaining resident interest. We also tapped residents on the shoulder and gave them plenty of time to ask questions and understand more about the CAB before they joined.”
Family interest was also different across each state. In one state there was significant interest by family members, but no resident interest, so that delayed the first meeting until enough residents could be included for a meaningful outcome.
Ms Freeman also thought the family interest would be greater at MACG. Multiple emails and personal phone calls were required to help them understand why this is an important opportunity to contribute to how a provider operates.
“It’s not just set it up and run with it. It needs constant nurturing so consumers and families understand the significance and the difference they can make within the organisation,” she added.
Early success is possible
As Ms Freeman stated, “The groundswell needs to occur. Twelve months down the track we will be having a completely different conversation. We need time to develop our CABs to see how they grow.”
Likewise, Ms Ciavarella said, “The real value is going to be realised once our CABs have been embedded for a little longer. However, we are still seeing good progress.”
Regis has adopted quite a structured approach to its quarterly meetings. Each has an agenda and a key theme, based on previous resident input on organisational strengths, weaknesses and opportunities.
Topics chosen by consumers for exploring at the CAB meetings include communication, staff education and training, food, nutrition and dining, volunteer services and support for higher-needs residents.
Having a key theme enables a more focused and in-depth discussion on a single topic. However, time is still allocated to cover other issues at each meeting. Ms Ciavarella said they have already received recommendations from their CABs on how to improve communication with residents, and these have been shared with the Board who were very supportive and engaged in ensuring the recommendations transpire into action.
As a result, Regis is now strengthening its approach to the content, structure and format of resident and relative communication and is working collaboratively with the CABs to update its family handbook.
Importantly, both organisations are transparent with their consumers. Executives and/or Board members attend each meeting and consumers are encouraged to ask questions on any topic. It is important that consumers can drive and guide the conversation.
“Our CEO has been asked some tough questions from our CABs. And we welcome this as it indicates that our consumers are comfortable to ask tough questions in these forums, it highlights to us what is concerning consumers and we then take accountability to address what has been raised,” Ms Ciavarella added.
As for those struggling to attract consumers, capturing and sharing the CABs’ impact on improvements could be the key to unlocking success.
“We need to constantly bring residents in and have the discussion about what the advisory body looks like and how they are going to add value,” Ms Freeman added, “Once they see that value starting to occur, absolutely they will want to be part of this.”
Million Dollar Rooms
By Jakob Neeland, Digital Content & Creative, HelloCare
When families face the difficult decision of placing a loved one in an aged care facility, the search for the best possible environment often leads them to explore premium options.
High-end rooms, with their luxurious features, can command fees reaching into the millions, driven by the belief that a higher price equates to superior care. However, this assumption does not always hold true, and managing these expectations is critical for aged care providers, especially in a competitive real estate market where perceptions of value are deeply intertwined with both cost and aesthetics.
Jayne Maini, an aged care consultant, underscores a crucial point: “The quality of care should precede the aesthetics or cost of accommodation.” As aged care facilities invest heavily in upscale environments, it is important to communicate clearly that the cost of accommodation does not directly influence the standard of care.
Maini emphasises, “What you pay for your accommodation does not affect your care. There seems to be an expectation, ‘Look, I’m paying a million dollars, therefore there should be higher staff ratios.’ But that’s not the case.”
Real estate trends reveal that as demand for luxurious aged care accommodation rises, pricing often reflects broader property market dynamics.
Facilities leveraging their upscale environments in marketing campaigns may inadvertently set unrealistic expectations about the care provided. Families might assume that a higher cost guarantees enhanced services or higher staff-to-resident ratios, which is not necessarily the case.
To address this disconnect, aged care providers should focus on transparency and clear communication. It is crucial to articulate that “the walls don’t give the care; the staff give the care.”
Marketing strategies should highlight the consistency of care across all accommodation levels, ensuring that potential clients understand that while premium rooms offer additional comfort, the core services — medical care, social activities, and communal amenities — are uniformly provided to all residents.
Property data and market insights can help frame this conversation. By emphasising factors such as location, proximity to hospitals, and access to community services, providers can offer a more holistic view of the facility’s value. This approach helps shift the focus from luxury alone to the broader benefits of the facility.
Moreover, it is important to address scenarios where family expectations may not align with the resident’s actual needs. For instance, Maini recounts a situation where a family member insisted on a room with a kitchenette, only for the resident to express no interest in using it. Such examples highlight the importance of prioritising the resident’s preferences and needs over mere luxury features.
To further align expectations with reality, providers should offer comprehensive facility tours. These tours should include opportunities to observe staff interactions and the overall environment, reinforcing the commitment to high-quality care across all levels of accommodation.
Ultimately, while high-end rooms may offer added comfort and aesthetic appeal, the essential factor in ensuring a positive resident experience is the quality of care provided. By managing client expectations with clarity and emphasising exceptional care tailored to each resident’s needs, aged care providers can enhance satisfaction and maintain their competitive edge in a market where luxury and care must be balanced.
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