BaptistCare rolls out in-village care across all retirement communities

The Not For Profit is rethinking how best to support older people in their retirement villages before they reach a crisis point, with aged care facilities near capacity.

BaptistCare, which became a national operator when Baptcare and Baptist Care SA formally merged with BaptistCare in March 2025, has implemented a care-in-village model across all 43 of its retirement villages in Australia.

This approach has involved embedding wellness coordinators and village care facilitators within its retirement villages, where they work alongside on-site managers as a team to support residents throughout their village journey.

The cost is paid for from the villages' budgets.

Michael Burke, General Manager of Retirement Living, said it is about meeting residents where they are and walking alongside them as their needs change.

He said the wraparound support spans everything from helping residents navigate My Aged Care and monitoring their needs week to week, coordinating morning teas and dining services, to facilitating tailored events, outings and activities for the community.

“Australia is confronting a demographic tsunami. The aged care system is already stretched, and the reality is that it’s only going to get even harder for older people to transition into aged care at the moment they need it,” Michael said.

“Here, residents can access seamless, scalable support in a place they already call home. It empowers older Australians to remain connected with their community and supports them to live independently in their village homes for as long as possible.”

Michael said the model responds to the pressures facing Governments and health systems globally: rising demand, workforce shortages, and the escalating cost of hospital and residential care.

“This primary care approach delivers significant health, economic and societal benefits, promoting early intervention, and reducing the need for hospitalisations and delaying entry into high needs care,” he said.

“Equally important, it tackles the scourge of loneliness and isolation felt by many older Australians. Embedded carers help foster social connections. They knit the village community together, deepening trust and building relationships.

“The benefit is that there’s an entire community looking out for each resident, creating a safety net that residents and their families deeply value. It creates a continuity of care that isn’t always possible in more reactive aged care settings.

“It is a model built on connection, continuity, and proactive care. As the sector braces for a critical shortage of aged care beds just as the population of older Australians reaches record levels, this is the kind of novel approach we need to meet these long-term challenges.”