Half those approved for aged care received no services in this region
- Service gap: Half approved seniors receive no care
- Bed shortage: Region lacks 1,000 aged care beds
- Innovative model: Retirement villages could provide aged care
- Long-term plan: Report proposes 10-year regional strategy
Community Industry Group’s (CIG) draft Second Year Report paints a stark picture of health and aged care service shortages in the Illawarra Shoalhaven.
CIG, the peak body for community service providers in the Illawarra Shoalhaven, 100km south of Sydney, has been examining the interface between the health and aged care systems in the region for the past two years.
Their new draft report, seen by The Weekly SOURCE this week, reveals a “growing mismatch” between demand for aged care services and the supply of services and workforce capacity.
Paul Sadler, former CEO of Presbyterian Aged Care NSW & ACT and Aged & Community Services Australia, and Professor Kathy Eagar of Wollongong University, found nearly half of all people assessed and approved for aged care in the region received no services at all.
Their research identified the region is short approximately 1,000 residential aged care beds following years of bed closures.
Though 600 aged care beds have planning approvals, new developments can take three to five years just to get off the ground, the report states.
Retirement villages the answer?
Against this backdrop, CIG has recommended converting retirement living accommodation to aged care as among the quickest ways to increase bed supply.
CIG CEO Nicky Sloan told The SOURCE that the group is encouraging the Government to look at being able to “flex” independent living units “up to a RAC (residential aged care) standard of care and back down again”.
“We see that that’s the future. It keeps people where they want to be,” she said.
The proposal for a pilot was discussed at a meeting on 2 June, attended by operators including IRT and Warrigal.
The draft report makes 10 recommendations, addressing both supply and demand of aged care services in the region:
- Address key drivers of hospitalisation through healthy ageing initiatives targeting frailty prevention, falls prevention, and urinary tract health.
- Increase hospital avoidance initiatives with rapid clinical response services and aged care outreach services.
- Trial community-based aged care models that integrate clinical, social and practical supports.
- Increase availability of in-home care through both Support at Home and the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP).
- Adopt the WHO Age Friendly Cities framework across the Illawarra Shoalhaven.
- The Department of Health Disability and Ageing should adopt a stewardship role in areas of critical residential aged care shortages with capital assistance.
- Explore innovative approaches to aged care infrastructure financing such as social impact bonds, specialised infrastructure financing, public private partnerships, community investment bonds, and long term care investment trusts.
- Pilot retirement village ageing-in-place initiatives to test alternative supply solutions.
- Implement expanded geriatric long stay hospital wards.
- Develop a Regional Health and Age Care 10 year Plan which includes land analysis, affordable construction methods, and targeted support for providers to expand.
CIG’s Federal Government funding runs out this year. Further development of their recommendations will depend on the funding being renewed.
