WHAT IS A RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE FACILITY?

A residential care facility (RCF) provides care within a supported accommodation setting for older people whose needs can no longer be met within their own homes.

When a resident is considering moving into a RCF they first must undertake an assessment by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). The ACAT Assessment prevents active, mobile and independent seniors from being admitted into residential aged care. The average age of a Pathways resident is 88 years and our residents are not able to own a car.

Each Pathways RCF is referred to as a Residence as it is designed to provide a caring, comfortable and enjoyable ‘home-like’ environment. Fundamental to the design of each Pathways Residence is:

• Landscaped terraces and courtyards that offer garden, district or bushland views and morning and afternoon solar access.

• Daily meals prepared by an onsite chef. Pathways understand that dining is as much about the social interaction as it is about the food and dining rooms are designed to reflect restaurant style environments.

• A facility that accommodates daily lifestyle and wellbeing programs that assist residents to socialise so they can find happiness and comfort each day through visits to on site cafes, day spas and beauty salons, outdoor walks, in house cinema and relaxation programs.

It is important to understand that each Pathways Residence must be built to a size that will support the high level of care and service delivery. The optimum size of a Pathways Residence is between 130-150 rooms. Pathways Leura Village has 137 rooms.

When Pathways Residences acquired the Ritz Estate in 2019, it was in a state of significant deterioration. The existing facility was closed in November 2017 after the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency revoked the former owner’s accreditation. It had been vacant since that time.

The Pathways Residences care model encompasses the findings arising from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. It provides for:

• A mix of nursing home style accommodation, a dedicated area for residents who are living with the symptoms of dementia and an area set aside for short stay respite care.

• Compliance with the accessibility standards for Class 9C residential aged care buildings that require level and unobstructed access to be provided for wheelchairs and walkers throughout internal and external spaces.

• A design that encompasses the ‘small home model’ that groups 6-10 resident rooms around a central living and dining area.

• Well-designed outdoor spaces that provide visual interest and accessible spaces where residents can wander safely, enjoying the sights and smells of the garden areas where they can sit and enjoy fresh air and sunlight.

The integration of social, wellness and allied health services including an onsite café, beauty and hairdressing, physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech and occupational health services, a gym and rooms for visiting doctors.