Sundale’s $247m investment to transform Sunshine Coast aged care homes after Royal Commission

A Sunshine Coast aged care provider has revealed the reasons behind a massive overhaul of their service set to span 10 years. Find out what it means for your family.

A major Sunshine Coast aged care provider is about to embark on a $247m overhaul sparked in part by the outcomes of a recent Royal Commission probe of the sector.

Sundale has announced a new 10-year plan to transform the organisation.

Five Sundale sites including Nambour and Tewantin will be revamped as part of the plan.

Chairman Troy Wainwright said the changes would be underpinned by an increased focus on in-home care.

“What our research has shown is more people want to remain in their home longer and with in-home care that can be provided directly to their homes,” he said.

Mr Wainwright said the increased focus was also motivated by the organisation's ongoing financial sustainability.

“Large amounts of the care industry is under severe financial stress, it’s been talked about that at least two thirds of the operators aren't presently making a profit and we are no different to a lot of those,” he said.

“Through this change and transition we will be able to provide more of what our customers want, but also for us to be more sustainable as an organisation in the long term.”

It comes after the results of the Royal Commission sparked an increase of federal government funding for an additional 80,000 in-home care spaces across Australia.

The project will see the construction of in-home care hubs, servicing the immediate and surrounding areas, independent living units, short term independent living apartments, small cluster housing and care cottages that can be used by visiting relatives or for intimate respite care.

Cluster housing are defined as 10-room, 10-bathroom homely spaces with small care settings by the Royal Commission and will see the end of traditional aged care settings at Sundale.

“It’s a care setting that isn't your big, dominate industrialised hospitalised style building it's a lot more intimate a lot more friendly and the aim of that is for the residents to feel like it is their home rather than a hospital setting,” Mr Wainwright said.

“There will still be a need for traditional care in that style of setting, but Sundale’s plan going forward isn’t to build 60 to 70 bed hospital-style aged care homes.

“We will build more of these cluster houses as well as providing in-home care into the future.”

Sundale has announced a new strategic plan to completely transform the organisation over the coming decade. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Wainwright said the in-home care would range from helping with maintenance of the client's house to assisting with social and mental wellbeing.

“A key element of Sundale as it always will be is care (and) the important thing with these changes and our increased focus on in-home care will mean our customers can stay in our homes for longer … it actually gives them more choice,” Mr Wainwright said.

Construction of the 10-year project will begin at Nambour Garden Village next year.

The massive overhaul is expected to ensure the organisation's ongoing financial sustainability. Picture: Supplied.

There are plans for a vacant block of land next door to the existing Nambour site to be home to the organisation’s long term headquarters as well as some of the new buildings.

Cluster houses will be built as a priority in at the Nambour village so residents of the existing buildings can be moved into the new cluster homes.

A new aged care facility will begin construction on McKinnon Drive, Tewantin in 2023.