SATURDAY Issue 75 Despite the cost: “Build it and people will come”, says Raad Richards Construction prices are increasing, causing many operators to place projects on hold. Carrington Care Chief Executive, Raad Richards, is undaunted, adding over 300 ILUs plus residential aged care to his already significant one location outside... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 75 Raising the bar on dementia training in aged care With a new national framework on dementia training and education set to launch in July, a new online tool is making it simpler for aged care providers to upskill their staff. With over 400,000 Australians living with dementia – and this figure... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 75 Does this pass the pub test? Retirement villages priced at 65% of the median house price With construction costs up 30 to 40% and retirement villages at a planning disadvantage, is it time for village operators to give up being the ‘affordable option’, especially if they want a future. In recent years, the average two-bedroom... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 75 $575K to build an aged care bed - if you can find a builder, as big players say ‘no’ to sub $50M developments Established retirement and aged care sector builders are contacting clients to inform them they are no longer able to do their projects. Boards and banks are increasingly having to face up to going big on construction programs if they want to have... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 75 Has Labor delivered on its pre-election five-point plan for aged care? After two years in power, Anthony Albanese’s Labor Government has made headway on its aged care election promises – but you can check out the list below and rate a pass or fail. The report card on the Government’s aged care performance is... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 75 Executive spotlight Over 2,000 operators provide retirement living, support and care to 1.3 million Australians. 360,000 staff and 100,000 suppliers are engaged every day. It’s a $30 billion a year sector delivering vital services for our older citizens. At SATURDAY... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 75 Regional RAC construction case study: bed cost doubles in two years to $708K This operator wanted 72 new beds to replace 61 beds dating back to 1973, but the $24 million construction cost jumped to $53 million while locals can only afford a $300,000 RAD. Stand-alone Not For Profit Wongaburra Society, based in Beaudesert... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 75 “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”, so build $75M-plus RACs Building new aged care beds has doubled in cost in the past four years, jumping from $250,000 to $500,000-plus, while revenue has moved just a little and profit per bed ranges from negative to sub 10% positive return for the most efficient... Lauren Broomham 10 May 2024
Government Policy Only in SATURDAY: why a dedicated Aged Care Minister should be top of Budget wish list After two years in power, Anthony Albanese’s Labor Government has made headway on its aged care election promises – but the ‘aged care crisis’ is still far from over. “Labor will deliver new funding, more staff and better support to the... Lauren Broomham 07 May 2024
Opinion Three big questions the Budget must answer for aged care sector executives to move forward. Time for bravery? With the Federal Budget now just 12 days away, there remains several unanswered questions that are weighing on boards and executives across the aged care sector. Despite the Aged Care Taskforce, chaired by the Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, handing... Lauren Broomham 02 May 2024
SATURDAY Issue 74 Editorial: the gnarly problem of housing an ageing Australia Like many countries around the world, Australia is currently facing down a triple threat – insufficient aged care bed numbers, not enough retirement village homes and not enough hospital beds – it’s happening right now. Without suitable... Lauren Broomham 26 Apr 2024