AAA January-February 2020 Cover Story

JAN-FEB 2020

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TLC Healthcare – Australia’s first intergenerational care provider

AN ADVERTISING

FEATURE

SPONSORED FEATURE

From infancy through to end of life TLC Healthcare is set to become Australia’s first intergenerational care provider.

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ince undergoing an organisational transformation in 2014, TLC Healthcare (TLC) has grown to become one of the most innovative providers of aged care services in Australia. During this time, TLC also expanded its business model to include primary care and a registered training organisation, positioning it as an integrated healthcare provider with aged care at its core.

TLC will again be expanding its service offering to become an intergenerational care provider with the launch of TLC Early Learning child care centres. This latest venture will see TLC providing care for people from infancy through to end of life at one location.

TLC’s next greenfield project is located opposite Woodlands Golf Course in the Melbourne suburb of Mordialloc, and will incorporate a child care centre alongside a residential aged care home, community medical centre, commercial health club, swimming pool and café. TLC’s bold new development is the first time this wide range of intergenerational care services has been offered by a single provider in one location.

Child care is a new endeavour for TLC, one that CEO Lou Pascuzzi believes is a natural progression for the organisation. “I am delighted to announce that TLC will be entering a new era of child care with the 2022 opening of our 28 | JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2020

“Our development at Mordialloc will be the first time in Australia that aged care, primary care and child care have come together in one location with a single provider.”

development in Mordialloc. Given the synergies between aged care, primary care and child care, it is a logical progression for our organisation to enter this field.

“The concept of integrating child care into aged care has been around for some time, but our development at Mordialloc will be the first time in Australia that aged care, primary care and child care have come together in one location with a single provider.

“TLC Early Learning’s first centre will be state-of-the-art and located right next door to a community medical centre, giving peace of mind to parents. Parents will also be able to join our on-site TLC Health Club, making it easier to fit in a workout or swim knowing their child is safe and cared for.

“Our current program of child care and school visits to our aged care homes benefits everyone by bringing people of all ages together. This new project will make that valuable program an everyday part of what we do.

“We have been granted a planning permit for the project at Mordialloc and local council was very supportive of our innovative plans. They appreciate that an integrated development of this kind is the way of the future, and a huge benefit to their local community,” says Pascuzzi.

As reported by Australian Ageing Agenda in August 2019, the evaluation of a two-year project

SPONSORED FEATURE found that intergenerational care can help older people form special bonds with children, improve their moods and reconnect with the past.

AAA journalist Sandy Cheu reported:

Griffith University’s Intergenerational Care Project evaluated the effectiveness of two intergenerational models, one involving a shared campus and the other a visiting approach.

The project, which assessed the models over 16 weeks, involved approximately 40 children aged 3 to 5 and 40 aged care recipients at three day respite centres and one aged care facility in Queensland and New South Wales.

Intergenerational Care Project chief investigator and program evaluation lead Professor Anneke Fitzgerald said aged care recipients formed special bonds with the children over the course of the study.

“What we saw over time is that people grew much more comfortable with each other, that there is quite a bit more bonding especially through physical contact,” Professor Fitzgerald told the public forum.

The researchers also measured the mood of the older participants.

“We found that over the 16 weeks, the mood score at the beginning of the session increased, which we translated as people started to look forward to coming,” Professor Fitzgerald said.

She said that the younger and older participants formed better personal connections with each other when they participated in low energy activities, such as reading compared to high energy activities like dancing.

Through the interactions with children, the older participants were also able to reaffirm their feelings of importance, reflect on their achievements, re-learn things they already knew or had forgotten and have a positive sense of wellbeing, Professor Fitzgerald said.

Project manager Dr Xanthe Golenko said there was reciprocity in learning among the senior and children.

“Both the older people and the younger people could learn together and exchange knowledge and information,” Dr Golenko told AAA following the forum.

“They really enjoyed those bonding moments with the children,” Dr Golenko said.

See the full report at: www. australianageingagenda.com.au/residentshappier-with-kids-around-study-finds In addition to TLC’s entry into the child care sector, it continues to redevelop its existing sites including a 125-room expansion of their

Intergenerational care benefits children by: • providing an opportunity to learn from and connect with the older generation • improving children’s pro-social behaviours of sharing, helping and co-operating.

Intergenerational care benefits older people by: • providing a sense of purpose and enhancing their dignity • improving social outcomes and encouraging older people to remain active for longer.

The Homestead Estate cafe

The lounge area at Homestead Estate

“There is no substitute for having onsite general practitioners in aged care homes and TLC has been providing this level of care since 2014.”

Wallington site on the Bellarine Peninsula, and a 90-room addition to the site at Whittlesea, north of Melbourne.

“TLC has completed stage 1 of the redevelopment of our existing aged care home at Wallington on the Bellarine Highway between Geelong and Queenscliff. We have opened 84 of our additional 125 rooms at Homestead Estate, with an additional 41 rooms set to be completed in stage 2 this year, growing the home to a total 260 rooms. Stages 3 and 4 will see the renovation of the original buildings at Homestead Estate, which after 25 years, are due for a transformation,” says Pascuzzi.

“The new-build area of Homestead Estate, which connects the original two buildings, features a reception and administration offices, a state-of-the-art gymnasium and hydrotherapy pool, fully-equipped café, virtual reality centre and a TLC Primary Care medical centre to provide quality health care to the residents and the wider community.

“There is no substitute for having on-site general practitioners in aged care homes and > australianageingagenda.com.au

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SPONSORED FEATURE An artist’s impression of TLC’s new Mordialloc development

TLC has been providing this level of care since 2014. There has been a lot of talk about the need for integrated care at the Aged Care Royal Commission; but it has been a reality at TLC for almost six years.

“Sunlight, located in Whittlesea on the northern outskirts of Melbourne, is also undergoing a major redevelopment. In 2019, we opened our TLC Primary Care medical centre at this location along with a gymnasium and hydrotherapy pool. This year we will complete our renovation of the exiting areas of the home, and the 90-bed extension at the rear of the building, growing the site to 180 rooms. The Whittlesea area has seen huge population growth over the last 10 years. Once our redevelopment is completed, Sunlight will be able to offer this growing community the best available aged care” Pascuzzi says.

In addition to these projects, TLC is in the process of developing a plan for an additional greenfield site at Ivanhoe in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs that will reflect the integrated care model at Mordialloc.

TLC is also in the process of installing emergency, full service power generators at all of its homes. Pascuzzi believes that having full continuity of power supply in a clinical setting is essential.

“With changing weather patterns across Victoria, it is essential that TLC adapts to ensure the safety and comfort of our residents.

With power outages becoming more frequent, particularly during the summer months, we can now ensure that our power supply remains uninterrupted and at full capacity. This continuity of power is essential for the safety of people who are vulnerable to heat exhaustion and require specialised medical equipment.”

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TLC’s projects currently under planning and development include: • new-build integrated healthcare facilities in the Melbourne suburbs of Mordialloc and Ivanhoe • an additional 125-rooms and renovation of the existing buildings at Homestead Estate on the Bellarine Peninsula • an additional 90 rooms and renovation of the existing buildings at Sunlight in Whittlesea north of Melbourne • hydrotherapy pools and gymnasiums to be added to their existing homes at Frankston North and Noble Park in Melbourne • installation of full service emergency generators at all TLC homes.

TLC Healthcare CEO Lou Pascuzzi

SPONSORED FEATURE In 2019, TLC launched its TLC Wellbeing physical health program, designed by elitelevel sporting personnel in collaboration with its primary care network, to keep its residents moving on a regular basis and tracking their physical activity.

For several years, TLC has been incorporating a range of state-of-the-art gymnasiums and hydrotherapy pools into its residential aged care homes. Their new physical health program utilises those facilities, and their existing fitness classes, to build tailored activity programs for its residents.

The goal of the program is to document the physical activity that the residents are undertaking, to show evidence of how they are improving their overall strength, agility and balance. Pascuzzi is passionate about making sure that TLC’s residents are provided with the facilities and programs to improve their physical health and quality of life.

“At TLC we are constantly looking for new ways to improve the wellbeing of our residents.

Our in-house allied health professionals and physiotherapists, in conjunction with our TLC Wellbeing team, have achieved significant success in engaging our residents to be as active as possible.

“One of the areas that offered an opportunity for greater physical benefits was our virtual reality technology. Our residents now have the option to experience virtual reality in a comfortable recliner, or to get up and move in synch with TLC’s interactive wall technology, SeeWall, improving their mobility, balance and dexterity.

We have had virtual reality in our homes for the last four years, but this new technology provides our residents with tailored physical activities, which are also fun to do.”

Homestead Estate’s state-of-the-art gym

“Our in-house allied health professionals and physiotherapists, in conjunction with our TLC wellbeing team, have achieved significant success in engaging our residents to be as active as possible.”

The hydrotherapy pool at Homestead Estate

TLC continues to be acknowledged for its innovative approach, winning several awards including Employer of Choice and Marketing Excellence at the 2019 Australian Business Awards.

“TLC Healthcare has been recognised as a Winner for Employer of Choice at the Australian Business Awards in 2016, 2017, 2018, and now again in 2019. This award represents the opportunity for TLC to test our employee experience strategy against some of the most forward thinking employers in Australia,” says Pascuzzi.

“The launch of Clifton Views onto the Australian aged care market represents two years of hard work by TLC’s marketing team. This iconic home is the first 10-level development in Australia solely dedicated to residential aged care, so we had an interesting story to tell. The level of excitement around the opening of Clifton Views was a testament to the success of our marketing campaign and the skills of my team, hence the awarding of the Marketing Excellence Award in 2019 was well-deserved.

“I am as proud of this marketing campaign as I am of the entire Clifton Views development.

The planning and execution of the campaign was impeccable, and winning this prestigious award is confirmation of that. Some of the most innovative and successful marketing campaigns in Australia have been past winners of this award, and I am delighted to say that TLC is now amongst them.”

TLC has also been certified by the Global Centre for Healthy Workplaces for a second year running. As a Global Healthy Workplace, TLC has been recognised for its commitment to providing employees with comprehensive support in health and wellbeing across a broad range of factors including health and safety, mental wellbeing, commitment from leadership, and the ability of employees to be involved in program design. n Contact TLC Healthcare T: 123 TLC W: tlchealthcare.com.au

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