Do we need to rethink our approach to building aged care homes?

It’s a topic of discussion here this week after a Flinders University study found smaller more home-like facilities provide a better quality of life for residents, particularly for people with dementia. 

The researchers compared the health outcomes and costs for over 500 residents in 17 facilities across Australia – one-quarter of whom were living in a home-like model. 

They concluded these residents had lower hospital admissions and emergency department visits – and after weighing up differences between people needing high- and low-care, the running costs were around the same too. 

But most of the aged care homes we have here in Australia have more than 60 beds. 

So should we be doing things differently? 

It’s not an easy question to answer. These type of facilities do take more capital to set up than traditional facilities – which is why most are backed by private investors or by not-for-profits who can re-direct profits. 

Government funding is also based on resident needs, not the care model, so there are no incentives for providers to invest in these new models of care. 

Workforce and staffing critical to new models 

Providers still need to find enough workers too – a recently released report by super fund HESTA has revealed 80,000 aged care workers plan to leave the sector within the five years. That’s 23 per cent of the workforce – before you even factor in the need for additional workers as our population ages. 

Staff mix is also critical as workers require more skills. At NewDirection Care’s Bellmere community in Queensland, residents are supported by ‘House Companions’ who are trained in complex care and dementia care needs, medication administration, cleaning, laundry and personal care, nutrition and meal preparation.  

All of this training takes time and money – NewDirection has a five-week induction program – and residents still need care from registered nurses and other health professionals. 

The Government is now moving towards a consumer-directed system for aged care which will offer residents and their families more flexibility and choice and Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt says these models do have an important role.  

Some facilities – both not-for-profit and private – are already creating more home-like facilities for residents – for example not-for-profit Mercy Health is currently moving all its homes to the smaller household model. 

Many are also now focusing on person-centred care – allowing residents to be more involved in when they get up and go to bed, eat meals and do household activities such as washing and gardening just like you would at home.  

But it needs to be backed up by the funding – and the staff. 

We also think it’s important to remember that everyone is different – and the same home will not suit everyone.  

On agedcare101, we recommend families visit a range of facilities to work out the best one for their family member. For more information, click here. 

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A special thanks to our contributors

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Caroline Egan

DCM Media, agedcare101

Caroline has a wealth of experience writing within the retirement and aged care sector and is a contributing journalist for the Villages.com.au and agedcare101 blog and accompanying newsletters.

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Ian Horswill

Journalist

Ian is a journalist, writer and sub-editor for the aged care sector, working at The DCM Group. He writes for The Weekly Source, agedcare101, villages.com.au and the DCM Institute fortnightly newsletter Friday. Ian is in daily contact with CEOs of retirement living, land lease and the aged care operations and makes a new contact every week. He investigates media releases, LinkedIn and Facebook for a good source for ideas for stories.

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Lauren Broomham

Retirement and Aged Care Journalist

Lauren is a journalist for villages.com.au, agedcare101 and The Donaldson Sisters. Growing up in a big family in small town communities, she has always had a love for the written word, joining her local library at the age of six months. With over eight years' experience in writing and editing, she is a keen follower of news and current affairs with a nose for a good story.

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Jill Donaldson

Physiotherapist

Jill has been practicing as a clinical physiotherapist for 30 years. For the last 13 years she has worked solely in the Aged Care sector in more than 50 metropolitan and regional facilities. Jill has also toured care facilities in the US and Africa and is a passionate advocate for both the residents in aged care and the staff who care for them. She researches and writes for DCM Media.

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Chris Baynes

DCM Media, agedcare101

Chris has been a journalist and publisher in the retirement village and aged care sectors for 11 years. He has visited over 250 retirement villages and 50 aged care facilities both within Australia and internationally. Chris is a regular speaker at industry conferences plus is a frequent radio commentator.

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Annie Donaldson

Nurse and Carer

Annie has a long career in both nursing and the media. She has planned and co-ordinated the medical support from both international TV productions and major stadium events. In recent years she has been a primary family carer plus involved in structured carer support.