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In this wrap: launch of Australia’s first Retirement Census; snapshot of aged care use in final years; Goodwin partners with local GP; and TLC healthcare hub approved.

In this story:
  • Launch of Australia’s first Retirement Census
  • Snapshot of aged care use in final years
  • Goodwin partners with local GP
  • TLC healthcare hub approved
Launch of Australia’s first Retirement Census

Retirement Village operators are being invited to participate in Australia’s first ever Retirement Census to build the most accurate national picture of the industry.

The census, which is a partnership between the Property Council of Australia and large professional services firm PwC, will collect a range of information on the retirement living sector to inform both industry and governments.

Mary Wood, executive director of the Retirement Living Council, said the census will fill a critical information gap and improve transparency in the industry.

“The census will provide industry with a tool to not only benchmark performance across the sector but also identify the best investment opportunities and target supply to emerging demand,” she said.

“It will also provide us with an incredibly useful tool when engaging with government on policies impacting the retirement living industry.”

The information collected from operators includes data on occupancy rates, unit sale prices, average resident ages and unit selling period among other things.

An analysis report by PwC is due in July.

To participate in the census email LPirts@propertycouncil.com.au

Snapshot of aged care use in final years

Seventy five per cent of Australians who died in 2010-11 aged 65 and over had used an aged care service in the 12 months before their death, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Almost half began using aged care more than four years before their death.

In all age groups, there was increased take up of care in the last six months of life.

Just over 10 per cent of all program clients stopped using aged care in the last three months before death. This was possibly due to admission into hospital or specialist palliative care, said AIHW spokesperson Justine Boland.

Most people entered the aged care system through the Home and Community Care (HACC) Program, and then moved on to higher levels of service.

Permanent residential care was the first aged care service used by 1 in 10.

“Permanent residential aged care was the final program used by over half (54 per cent) of the people who used aged care, and a further 36 per cent finished their care as a HACC client,” Ms Boland said.

Goodwin partners with local GP

ACT aged care services provider Goodwin has announced its first regular on-site GP clinic will be established at its retirement living village in Monash through a partnership with Isabella Plains Medical Centre.

Housed at the Goodwin Wellness Centre, the clinic integrates on-site geriatric assessments with mainstream community services such as GP and other health professionals.

Goodwin CEO Sue Levy said this collaborative initiative aimed to benefit residents and their GPs and would form part of the foundations to be able to continually improve options in retirement living.

There can be complex, inter-related health issues that come with age, or a long medical history, which various practitioners need to communicate about and that is easier if you’re working from a central, coordinated point, she said.

All services are bulk-billed and open to all Goodwin residents and clients. The clinic operates three days per week, with a view to increasing as demand grows.

TLC healthcare hub approved

Victorian provider TLC Aged Care has received approval from Frankston City Council to include a community healthcare hub at its aged care facility.

The new hub will have permanent general practitioners, pharmacy dispensary, physiotherapy, pathology, telehealth and other allied health services to provide care to residents of TLC Forest Lodge and people from the local community.

TLC CEO Lou Pascuzzi said integrating community healthcare hubs into residential aged care homes would improve the quality of life for residents and people in the local community.

GPs are finding it more difficult to visit residential aged care homes as Medicare benefits do not compensate them for travel but residents have the same right to good quality health care as everybody in the community and mobility should not be a barrier, he said.

Mr Pascuzzi said they planned to have community healthcare hubs in all of their homes by 2016.

Tags: aihw, Goodwin Wellness Centre, Isabella Plains Medical Centre, Lou Pascuzzi, mary-wood, retirement census, retirement-living, tlc-aged-care,

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