Retirement living leaders ready to adapt as modern demands evolve

Australia is at a crossroads as the retirement living and aged care sectors converge at an intersection that’s about to be bumper-to-bumper with a record number of older people.

At times, both sectors have run parallel, but with an ageing population on the horizon, some argue they cannot afford to follow entirely separate paths anymore. 

This will no doubt be a top talking point at the National Retirement Living Summit which officially gets underway today on the Gold Coast.

Legislative changes have challenged many across the care economy, with retirement living providers – whether aligned with aged care services or otherwise – not immune to the additional pressures of compliance and reform.

“As a home care and retirement living provider, we’ve been surrounded by legislative reforms in recent years,” Claire Scapinello, Chief Executive, ECH, told Hello Leaders.

“From the revised Aged Care Act, which prioritises kindness and respect for wellbeing, tailoring care to personal needs and providing a single entry point for home care, to new South Australian retirement living changes that will introduce a new model of ‘shared care’ in a village setting, and the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Standards.

“Together, these have all underpinned our transition to a new strategy that places the older person and their individual needs front and centre.”

Ms Scapinello is one of the experienced leaders taking to the stage at the Retirement Living Summit, featuring as part of a concurrent session looking at how retirement villages can evolve with governance best practices. 

She said alongside adapting to state and federal legislative reform, providers need to redefine service offerings to meet modern demands.

“We’ve been seeing the growing preference to age in place for many years, so our approach is based around building a trusted partnership with our clients and their families, listening to their individual needs and concerns and tailoring a suite of multidisciplinary services so they can safely and confidently stay in their own homes,” she added.

“It’s about meeting older people where they are in their ageing journey to support them through their stage of life.”

Among the many conversations surrounding retirement living at the moment is its potential to help with housing affordability. Retirement Living Council Executive Director, Daniel Gannon, has previously highlighted how retirement communities can support older Australians by providing age-friendly, affordable housing. 

By building an additional 67,000 retirement units by 2030, the sector would halve the expected housing shortfall, while also costing 48% less than the median house price in the same suburb. 

With 109 villages and roughly 5,000 clients living independently or in an ECH village, Ms Scapinello said housing affordability and security are challenges for many clients.

“It’s evident from the numerous calls we receive each week, that access to affordable housing is a growing concern, especially for women who have been long-term partners and carers,” she said.

“Providing affordable retirement living options is a collective responsibility across multiple sectors, so policymakers, industry and community need to broaden the current housing debate to also consider how we accommodate our growing cohort of over-65s. 

“We need affordable, accessible and varied forms of housing to develop communities and enable older people to rightsize in their existing neighbourhood. More apartments, single-bedroom homes and long-term rentals will provide much-needed choice while supporting long-term financial security and a sense of belonging.”

Ms Scapinello expanded on this, sharing that her focus is on developing more community programs, lifestyle services and home support to help clients proactively manage their health and well-being all while staying connected to their communities in the comfort of their own homes. 

But she acknowledges this requires increased Government funding, which is something most within the retirement and aged care sectors can agree on.