Improving accommodation in residential aged care

Professor Belinda Goodenough

Professor Belinda Goodenough is the former DTA Executive Director.

Darcy Morris

Darcy Morris is a Research Fellow in AHSRI.

The Aged Care Royal Commission found that new design principles and guidelines are needed to focus attention on creating a more accessible and dementia- friendly living environment in residential aged care. Designing for dementia is a key consideration, given it is estimated that half of people living in aged care will have a diagnosis of dementia.

National consultation

The Department of Health and Aged Care has commenced consultation on what should be included in the new design principles and guidelines, connecting with a range of stakeholders including:

• Older Australians, their families and carers
• The aged care sector, including providers, peak bodies and stakeholders
• Technical experts, such as architects, dementia advisors, accessibility experts and health professionals

The aim is to create a new residential aged care accommodation framework, to be introduced from July 2024, which focuses on:

• Safer, more innovative accommodation options, accessibility and enablement
• Creating dementia-friendly services
• Demonstrating application of the new design principles and guidelines
• Empowering older Australians and their families with information to guide them when choosing a facility

Benefits of the new design standards

A ‘place to live’ is essential for quality of life for all older Australians, including those in residential aged care. It is especially important for those living with cognitive impairment or dementia. Having a national approach to better quality accommodation design is an important step in giving people entering residential aged care greater confidence that the facility they choose will be better able to meet their needs.

Key considerations in developing the design principles and guidelines include:

• Consumer preferences
• The role of ‘small-home’ models of residential care
• Dementia-friendly design
• Accessible design
• Suitability for diverse populations
• Location
• Appropriate safety features, including infection control
• Encouraging innovation

A national approach is required to guide capital works – for refurbishing existing accommodation as well as new builds – to help create accessible, safe, user-friendly environments that support high-quality care for residents.

Progress update

Consultations to date have included two discussion papers:¹

• Overview discussion paper
• Design and Innovation discussion paper

A range of activities have also engaged older Australians, their families and carers, including a feedback survey. Information about the findings of these consultations is available on the Australian Government’s Department of Health Ageing and Aged Care Engagement hub blog² (see link 2 in References at the end of the article).

The University of Wollongong (UOW) has been engaged to provide assistance with progressing the consultations and developing the first draft of the accommodation framework. There will be further opportunities for stakeholders to contribute to this important project.

Contact

Information about the residential aged care accommodation design project is available on the Department of Health’s Improving Accommodation In Residential Aged Care page on its website (see link 3 in References at the end of the article).³

To receive notifications of future consultations, please sign up on the Department of Health’s Ageing and Aged Care Engagement Hub’s registration page (https://agedcareengagement.health. gov.au/).

The UOW-led consortium for this project includes Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI), Dementia Training Australia (DTA), Sustainable Building Research Centre (SBRC), and Dementia Australia (national peak body). Professor Belinda Goodenough is the former DTA Executive Director and Darcy Morris is a Research Fellow in AHSRI.