Retirement Campus-Style Reaps Rewards
As nominations for the National Retirement Living Awards open, we check back with last year’s innovation winner, Bethanie Gwelup, on the lessons we can learn from this unique approach to ageing.
The Bethanie Gwelup aged care facility and retirement village took home the inaugural innovation accolade at the Property Council of Australia National Retirement Living Awards in November.
Designed by KPA Architects, Bethanie Gwelup was recognised for applying technology to integrate traditionally separate independent living and aged care operations into one smooth-running site.
Consisting of 62 independent living apartments and a 112-bed aged care facility, Bethanie has adopted a unique ‘campus style’ model of care.
According to Ben Myers, the Property Council’s executive director of retirement living, Bethanie Gwelup allows residents to access varying levels of care while remaining on the same site – and even in the same home.
“For example, if a husband has higher care needs but his wife remains largely independent, they can be in the same campus, even if they’re not in the same unit,” Myers explains.
“The independent living units are also adaptable, so a higher level of care can be brought in while people remain in their home, ensuring minimal disruption to people in their retirement years,” Myers adds.
“The project was also recognised for its innovative use of technology that responds quickly to individual needs and makes operations more efficient.”
Rohan Taylor, Bethanie’s executive of property and brand, says his team was “honoured and humbled” to receive national recognition.
“Our absolute focus is to build communities and not just bricks and mortar,” Taylor says, adding that this takes attention to detail, as well as “willingness to challenge convention when anticipating the needs of our current and future customers”.
Taylor says receiving the award has given residents an “even greater sense of pride” in their community, “although they like to think of Bethanie Gwelup as a best kept secret, the publicity from the award has let the cat out of the bag”.
“We encourage other providers to really listen to their customers’ needs when designing their new offerings,” he adds.
Myers says new villages are incorporating elements of this campus model into their designs.
“We’re seeing an increase in high and medium-rise developments that incorporate the entire continuum of care, as well as other uses such as retail and respite accommodation.
“However, it’s difficult to retrofit existing facilities, and planning provisions can make it difficult to modify older villages to include these features.”
Last year, the Property Council released a guide, produced by Ansell Strategic, exploring how village operators can deliver care within their communities. Myers says ongoing changes to aged care delivery and the increasing availability of home care packages give village residents new opportunities to provide direct care.
“The number of retirement village residents requiring some level of formal care and support will continue to increase,” Myers adds.
“This means it’s important for every village operator to have a defined strategy to facilitate access to care for their residents.
“The retirement living industry is set for a shake-up, but there are innovative examples that are changing the way we think about ageing,” Myers concludes.
Nominations for the National Retirement Living Awards are now open.