Most people who move into retirement living want one thing: they want to stay put. That means familiar neighbours, a familiar routine and control over their own health decisions.
That gets harder when health needs change. Care can mean working out who to call, which forms to fill in and which service fits. For many older Australians, that’s a lot to take on alone.
Two of Australia’s most trusted names in retirement living and care services, Keyton and Silverchain, say they want to change that. They’ve announced a collaboration to make wellbeing, care and support services easier for Keyton residents to find and use.
Keyton brings its retirement living communities, while Silverchain brings its experience delivering care in the home. Together they’re building a program to support residents as their needs change, with trusted information, guidance and services that promote independence and ageing in place.
Information and care navigation through Silverchain are available to Keyton residents now. A formal launch of the full program follows in the new year.
Choice stays with the resident
Residents decide if, when and how they access support. They remain free to choose the provider that suits them.
Keyton Chief Executive Paul Martin says the aim is confidence. “People want the confidence to remain living independently in the communities they love, even as their needs evolve,” Martin says.
He says the collaboration will give residents trusted wellbeing and support services when they need them, while preserving independence, choice and control in accessing in-home care. He describes a connected, supportive experience that combines Keyton’s retirement living expertise with Silverchain’s experience in navigating the care system.
What residents can expect
Silverchain will offer Keyton residents trusted information, care navigation and wellbeing activities. Residents can also liaise directly with Silverchain to access services including personal care, nursing and allied health. Silverchain’s experts will be on hand to help residents work out what they need and where to get it.
Silverchain Chief Executive Dale Fisher AM says the care system is hard to find your way through. The goal is for residents to get advice and support earlier, instead of working it out alone.
“We know the care system can be difficult to navigate, so Silverchain’s experts will be available to support Keyton residents to find and access services to help maintain their health and wellbeing,” Fisher says.
Fisher ties the collaboration to a wider goal.
“Our ambition is to create a better home care system for all Australians,” Fisher says. “Collaborations like this help us realise that ambition by connecting more people with the care they need to remain healthy and independent at home.”
What operators should watch
Both organisations put resident choice at the centre. For operators, the open question is how that choice stays visible once a navigation partner sits inside the village relationship. Any provider watching how retirement living and home care connect will want to see the answer.
Residents and families will want to know where information ends and a referral begins. The challenge here is how the program will make that line clear to everyone involved.
What comes next
The program is designed to grow with residents over time. Navigation is live now, and the formal launch is due in the new year.
For residents, the practical test is simple: can they get a clear answer, quickly, from someone they trust?
The partnership doesn’t give a launch date, program name, cost or the number of residents who can access it. Those details will shape how the collaboration works day to day and it’s one we’ll be keeping a close eye on as it unfolds.
