Illawarra Shoalhaven pilots retirement village model to address aged care shortage

Stakeholders in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region are developing an innovative model to address the critical shortage of residential aged care beds by utilizing retirement villages. Following a workshop convened by the Community Industry Group, providers, architects, and planners are working to create a system where independent retirement living units can be converted into residential care units with appropriate support.

This approach aims to allow residents to ‘age in place’ while offering a more financially sustainable alternative to traditional residential aged care facilities, which often require massive capital investments. Community Industry Group CEO Nicky Sloan noted that the current funding for residential aged care is extremely tight, making it difficult for organizations to see a return on large-scale facility investments.

The initiative plans to pilot a site within the Illawarra to demonstrate that this model is viable both financially and within existing regulations. Proponents suggest the model could provide peace of mind for families and potentially free up hospital beds by providing appropriate care in a residential setting.