Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last year there were 312,000 Australians aged 85 and over. Over the next 20 years the number of Australians aged 70 and over will grow at a rate 3.3 times faster than the growth of the total population. Our population of people aged over 80 will double over the next 20 years and triple over the next 50. Importantly, the type of accommodation available to those of us who will require supported accommodation is a huge concern to those drawing close to that age.

I am extremely fortunate to have in my electorate of Tangney the Regent’s Garden Group. They operate two facilities: one in Bateman, which has 17 single suites with private ensuites for low-care residents and 45 high-care beds in single or double bed units, and a second in Melville, which caters for a further 100 people with accommodation ranging from low to high care. The philosophy behind Regent’s Garden is that we should approach old age with joy.

Mr Salim Lee, CEO of the group, started designing nursing homes as a young architecture student in 1973. At the time, he was designing nursing home accommodation along hospital class C design. He was troubled by the idea that old people were destined to spend their remaining days in often stark facilities designed for the ill, whilst these people were simply growing old. His strong belief is that aged care is different to hospital care in that the people are not sick; they are just needing assistance. This led to a change in not only design but focus.

Lakeside Nursing Home was the group’s first foray into this concept. Five years ago Salim started concentrating on changing not only the types of facilities available but the mindset as well. Services were no longer seen as treatment; instead they became activities. The focus shifted from physiotherapy rooms to well-appointed gymnasiums, which today include weight training, treadmills and fit balls. There is a wellness centre which includes a spa suite, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy and a beautician.

Maintaining connectedness with the family is very important. This is achieved simply: having a cafe equal to those found in the local community so that grandparents can take their children and grandchildren for lattes and babycinos, banquet halls for the entire family to dine together and movie theatres equal to the best theatres with big comfortable chairs so that families can enjoy home movies and movies together. Residents can enjoy themselves with a glass of sherry in hand whilst having a singalong or merely listening to someone tickling the ivories on the baby grand piano.

The accommodation areas are so well designed that you are left feeling that you are walking along a European avenue, with each residence clearly marked with a large brass number and a big letterbox. There are park benches and plants within these areas. It is hard to believe that you are actually under a main roof. Water features, artworks and quiet sitting places leave you with the impression that you are at an expensive private hotel. But this is far from the reality.

Salim Lee’s belief that we should look forward to old age with joy fits with the idea that you should not have to pay an arm and a leg for this type of accommodation and service. We all know how carefully we watch our money as we grow older. Regent’s Garden have managed to build and operate their facilities in such a way that they are creating competitiveness within the market. I am pleased to see other nursing home operators taking up the challenge as the standard of new facilities is improving. I believe that the ethos behind the Regent’s Garden Group has been the driving force to improve accommodation and provide better care. I would like to see their benchmark set as the industry standard.

I have raised with the Minister for Ageing the positive influence that this impressive facility has on the aged population. He has indicated his willingness to visit the facilities and I am hopeful that he can officiate at the opening. My electorate was also fortunate to be granted extra service approvals—32 high-care places at Howard Solomon Aged Care Facility in Ferndale and six high- and 18 low-care places at Regent’s Garden.