TLC Healthcare Confronts Aged Care Crisis in New Integrated Media Campaign

TLC Healthcare (TLC) has launched a significant integrated media campaign across TV, radio, out-of-home, press, digital and social media. This proceeds the Federal Government’s recent Elder Abuse media campaign.

The campaign sheds light on harrowing statistics from the industry, referencing the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, and how TLC’s “Life Changing Care” is a beacon of hope and light in an often-dark category.

CEO & Managing Director, Lou Pascuzzi says “It is widely acknowledged that there are significant challenges in aged care. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified that the system's current state, marked by inadequacies, calls for substantial reform. Many providers are struggling due to insufficient funding, overwhelming demands, or lack of expertise. And that highlighting these problems is crucial for understanding how to improve and transform the future of aged care.

“However, while there’s been much talk about how to improve the situation, in reality there has been very little action from all stakeholders since the Royal Commission. Which is why TLC has refused to sit on our hands and do nothing, waiting for someone else to provide the solution, or using the excuse of the absence of any action from the “Aged Care Taskforce Report recommendations."

“Our approach has been not to wait, to ignore all the industry noise, and to drive our vision, known for delivering innovative healthcare solutions to the communities in which we operate.

“We’ve fully delivered our Integrated Care Vision since I became CEO in 2013, with highlights including bringing Doctors back to aged care by opening community medical centres co-located with every one of our 12 residential aged care homes, which has halved resident hospitalisations. We’ve eliminated the use of agency staff, by training our own people via our Registered Training Organisation providing a more robust continuum of care and avoiding workforce shortages. We’ve introduced Early Learning Centres co-located with our residential aged care homes promoting a truly intergenerational environment and co-located large commercial gymnasiums to complete the deinstitutionalisation of aged care.

“And we’re now commencing our next ten-year development pipeline which will deliver the final element of our 2013 vision, being the co-location of Day Surgeries on our intergenerational sites.

“The pipeline encompasses 3 brownfield and 3 greenfield developments which equates to a circa $400m investment.”

TLC partnered with creative agency Howatson + Co and media agency Jaywing for the campaign’s development and media buy.

Chief Marketing Officer, Matthew Mellor says “we wanted to partner with agencies that believed in what we wanted to say. People who understood that healthcare, with aged care at its heart, didn’t have to reflect the negative and disturbing issues exposed by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety and current federal government reports.

“And that the facts speak loudly to anyone who cares enough to acknowledge them. The difference is that TLC has taken a proactive approach, resulting in the delivery of a unique integrated model of care that’s been driven by changes in consumer expectations, now referred to as ‘Life Changing Care’.”

Mr Pascuzzi added this is a significant milestone for TLC. “I’ve watched the category and providers vacillate over funding, wait for bail outs, and witnessed the inertia of effective decision making at all levels. Having developed a unique, integrated care platform for TLC’s services, it was time to proactively demonstrate to the market that there are some providers who don’t wait around for others to fix their problems. Or, as our commercial says, “It’s time for life changing care”, which is exactly what TLC is delivering across our TLC Aged Care, TLC Medical Centres (incorporating allied health services), TLC Early Learning and TLC Health Clubs brands.”

TLC’s new integrated campaign kicks off on Sunday, 8 September 2024, with television advertising as the catalyst to the broad campaign program.

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