Collaborative dialogue to drive meaningful reform.

It was a privilege to welcome representatives from the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Team to our Mitchelton Home this week.

We had a productive session showcasing our small-scale model of care and discussing how this approach significantly improves outcomes. Beyond the tour, we engaged in valuable conversations about some of the hot topics facing our sector today:

1. Funding: High-quality care has a real cost. We discussed the friction between capped fees in traditional settings and a growing market of consumers willing to invest in premium care. We also spoke about the vital need for continued NDIS funding for those living with early-onset dementia.

2. 24/7 Nursing: Whilst this sounds great in theory, is it the best practical approach? At Honey Bee Homes, we have 24/7 Registered Nurses on call but they don’t stay overnight. This allows us to offer 10 hours of care per resident per day (versus the industry of 3.5 hours of care).

3. Hospital presentations: we shared key insights into how our small-scale model minimises avoidable hospital admissions. We also highlighted real examples of good and not so good hospital discharges to offer valuable learning opportunities.

Thank you to the team for their genuine interest in how we are evolving the traditional aged care landscape. Collaborative dialogue like this is how we drive meaningful reform.