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Lauren
Broomham

Dementia crisis in retirement villages: no clear process, resident safety at risk, no answers

“Dementia is galloping.” That was a blunt assessment from one Queensland retirement village resident at a recent meeting of the Association of Residents of Queensland Retirement Villages (ARQRV). “Even younger people in their 70s are...

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Lauren Broomham

5 hours ago

Opinion

The gnarly problem of dementia in retirement villages

Dementia is no longer hidden in retirement villages. It is in plain sight for residents and Village Managers alike and the question now is: will operators open their eyes, or continue to bury their heads in the sand? The latest edition of SATURDAY laid out the scale of the challenge.

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Executive spotlight

Over 3,000 operators provide retirement living, aged care and support in the home to more than 1.5 million older Australians. 360,000 staff and 100,000 suppliers are engaged every day. It’s a $30 billion a year sector delivering vital services for...

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Opinion: Too hard to care? Dementia is becoming aged care’s impossible business

If purpose-built dementia units are closing and mainstream providers are turning residents away, the problem isn’t the people – it’s the business model. The sector must decide: walk away or change the rules. Around 60% of aged care residents...

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Dementia is “galloping” in retirement villages – and operators aren’t ready

Across the country, residents themselves are raising the alarm about a surge in dementia in retirement villages – and with aged care beds full and Home Care Packages scarce, the challenge for operators is no longer theoretical. “With the average...

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From hospital bed to nowhere: dementia care’s bottleneck

One in three Australians over 85 lives with dementia. That’s not an emerging challenge – it’s here now. And for aged care providers, the funding model isn’t keeping up. Across the country, hospitals are holding older Australians with...

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The dementia village changing the face of aged care in Port Macquarie

In a region with the second-highest rate of dementia in NSW, an aged care experiment is quietly rewriting the rulebook. Open just 12 months, Emmaus Village in Port Macquarie already has a wait list of 80 – proof that small-house dementia care is...

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From grand finals to the frontline: Royce Simmons’ toughest fight yet

The Panthers legend opens up about his dementia diagnosis, retirement village life, and why awareness – not just research – is key to tackling the disease. When the Penrith Panthers announced their new retirement living and aged care development...

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The frontline without training armour: dementia care’s weakest link

Home care workers are the first line of defence for people living with dementia, but without proper training, the whole system is at risk. In living rooms and kitchens across Australia, the nation’s home care workforce is on the frontline of the...

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Issue 105: Dementia innovator’s new direction

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The complex village problem: dementia is real and escalating

Videri Australia’s small home dementia care is emerging as a solution for village operators facing one of the biggest challenges for village residents and management. Formerly known as Group Homes Australia, Videri Australia is the dementia care...

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Lauren Broomham

15 Aug 2025

Home Care

Hall & Prior’s White Oak home care expands Perth footprint with Care Net acquisition

Hall & Prior-owned White Oak Home Care Services has boosted its Perth presence, acquiring fellow family-owned provider Care Net in a deal that will see the combined operation support around 1,300 clients across the metropolitan area. White Oak...

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Lauren Broomham

14 Aug 2025

Opinion

Sink or swim: aged care can’t wait for productivity reform

Hospitals are already flooded with elderly Australians lying in beds when they should be in aged care. The tide is rising. In 2022, then-Aged Care Minister Anika Wells warned the system was not ready for the incoming wave of Baby Boomers. The reality? She may have been five years too late.

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Lauren Broomham

14 Aug 2025