It is over 12 months since the DCM Group was invited to the launch of what was then seen as Australia’s first genuine alternative to aged care in the retirement village setting.
RetireAustralia has been operating the nation’s first 10 care suites at The Verge at Burleigh on the Gold Coast and will launch a new 10-room Care Hub when it opens Arcadia Retirement Living, in Yeronga, Brisbane, next year.
The Hub at The Verge offers 24/7 nurses and chef prepared meals. The operator says they have the highest staff to resident ratio of care in the country – and it is delivering real results.
The model is not only stopping residents having to go into residential aged care, or joining the thousands of residents languishing in hospital, it is seeing residents recover sufficiently to rejoin the retirement village.
The ingoing contribution for RetireAustralia’s Care Hub has recently been adjusted from $600,000 to $650,000, reflecting updated benchmarking and strong demand. The daily care fee has also increased from $300 to $315, while the daily accommodation fee has risen from $54 to $92. The residents can use Packages to offset the daily care fee.
When Support at Home finally begins, the top level will provide funding of up to $78,000 annually (compared to $63,440 on a Home Care Package Level 4), which will make it even cheaper for residents.
Aged care? No thank you!
The Care Hub will be in every new RetireAustralia village going forward, so why has the sector been so reluctant to follow?
Baby Boomers will pay; they are wanting these types of services.
Stephen Scotchmer’s new concept village Esprit de Vie in nearby Mermaid Waters has opened Suite House, with 16 private suites and 24/7 onsite support. When we attended the launch in June, we were deeply impressed by the setting. Their marketing pulls no punches.
Aside from Stephen, the sector has remained silent. Care hubs will be a magnet for residents, who hate the thought of aged care or entering hospital.
The shift is coming. Retirement villages will evolve into private aged care in as little as three years – are you ready?
Prepare your business now at our upcoming ‘Ask The Visionaries Anything’ breakfasts, presented in partnership with Eevi and Leecare, and featuring leaders from Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities, LDK Seniors’ Living, and Anglicare – coming to Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
