Twelve years ago, Group Homes Australia Founder and Executive Director Tamar Krebs, had been working in dementia care for about 15 years, when she had an epiphany.
"It was in a hallway and I could hear the call bells and trolleys and smells and I thought, I don't want to age in a place like this and I don't want to put someone I love in a place like this, but what else is out there?" Tamar told delegates at LEADERS SUMMIT 2024 on Wednesday, 20 March.
The revelation started Tamar on a journey. She had just completed a Master's Degree and had her fourth child - and she was ready to disrupt the industry.
"People don't like to talk about dementia, people don't like to think about it" - it's "non-sexy" - so she set out to "redefine and reframe how we support people to live well with dementia in the community".
The result is Group Homes Australia, which opened its first home in the leafy Upper North Shore Sydney suburb of St Ives in 2012. On a 1,000sqm block, the home looks like other homes on the street, and the focus is on creating a home-like environment with six-10 residents in each home.
"People thrive in a home environment, particularly for those living with dementia," Tamar told delegates.
Staff are called 'homemakers' and are trained to do the cooking, cleaning, rostering, and budget. Each home has about 10 full time homemakers, and there are also part time and casual staff. Registered nurses oversee the operations but are not on site.
Funding is a combination of NDIS funding for people younger than 65, which covers about 80% of the cost. For those over the age of 65, the $230,000 cost per annum can be funded in part through a Home Care Package and there is the option of paying a lump sum or fees, according to how the consumer wishes to structure it. Families usually sell the family home to move in - with the stay usually about two to three years.
Residents stay connected to their community with regular outings, and homemakers learn the residents' story so they can replicate their rituals and routines.
Group Homes Australia now has 26 homes across Sydney.
"There is a big need to think differently about dementia care," she said - and it's important to keep innovating as needs keep changing as the different generations come though.
