The Rise Of Lifestyle In Aged Care

By sometime around 2040, Australia’s population aged over 65 years will account for 25% of the total population. At the same time, average life expectancy is increasing – from around 68 years old in the 1960s, to an expected 83 years old in the 2040s. So it stands to reason that the way we care of our ageing population will be growing, changing, and innovating, too.

Residential aged care services throughout the country are a great example of this – you might be more familiar with calling them nursing homes. But that’s a term that is changing, as the industry and the services change to better serve the growing number of Australians aged over 65 who do, and will, require different levels of care as they age.

The old model of aged care was primarily a medical one – those who required care were seen as ‘patients’ and were administered to accordingly. But school of thought has been moving away from this model. Time, and experience, has taught providers that aged care services need to take a ‘whole of life’ approach, using what is now commonly referred to as a ‘relationship centred care’ model.

“Relationship centred care is care that not only focuses on the client, but also those closely connected to that person, like their family, friends and the staff, who facilitate the care they need each day,” says Fran Larkey, Relationship and Innovation Manager at Wesley Mission Queensland.

“In all of the services Wesley Mission Queensland provides, we strive to empower and support the decisions clients make, even those with an element of risk. This is an important part of honouring the individuality of each person we support and acknowledging how they wish to live their life. And this approach cannot succeed without a network of relationships that interact every day, so we place an emphasis on nurturing these relationships.”

In 2001, Wesley Mission Queensland adopted the Eden Alternative philosophy of care, after Residential Aged Care Director Annie Gibney attended a conference with Dr Bill Thomas, the founder of the Eden Alternative. She was blown away by the insights that Dr Thomas spoke about – particularly the culture change that, he said, had to happen in order to improve the lives of older people living in residential aged care.

“It was the first time that I’d heard someone talk about the essential care of a human being needing to go beyond a medical model. Dr Thomas spoke about what he called the ‘three plagues’ that he was witnessing in aged care – loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. It wasn’t enough to care for their physical ailments – how can we address these further issues? How can we improve life for residents?”

Dr Thomas suggested a new model of care, one that stopped viewing aging as an inevitable decline, and encouraged the continuation of growth, regardless of abilities. It was a model that championed spontaneity, celebrated individuality, and promoted close and continuing contact with plants, animals and children in the residential aged care space.

“All of a sudden, here was someone saying – it’s okay to have fun in aged care!” says Ms Gibney. “It’s okay to celebrate life, play with children, hug pets, continue hobbies or learn new ones. I was so impacted by that first conference; I couldn’t even put it into words. But I knew it was going to change life for residents at Wesley Mission Queensland.”

It’s with the creation of things like the Eden Alternative that the term ‘nursing home’ has started to become outdated.  It’s not just about nursing anymore, although health care still plays an important part in looking after residents. It’s about creating a home life where residents, their families, and the care staff can build relationships and work together. Decisions have shifted to residents as much as possible, and both carers and residents have become active participants in daily residential life.

It was Annie Gibney who coined the phrase ‘it’s not just about the human body – it’s about the human being’.

“We celebrate residents for the individuals that they are,” she says. “We want to get to know residents personally. Who are you? What is your history? What are your hobbies and interests? These are the things that make life important. It’s about celebrating that.”

Find out more about Wesley Mission Queensland.