From the CEO

Resthaven CEO, Darren Birbeck, announced today, ‘Due to the forthcoming retirement of Resthaven Executive, Sue McKechnie at the end of March, I am pleased to advise that Melanie (Mel) Ottaway has been appointed to the role of Executive Manager Community Services.’ ‘Mel comes to Resthaven from Uniting Communities, where she is the Executive Manager, Services … Continued

The announcement that a celebrity has dementia can make headlines around the world. It is sad when anyone has a diagnosis of dementia, but when a celebrity has this cruel condition, it is brought to the attention of a much broader audience. This must be challenging, not only for the individual, but for their loved … Continued

There is something special about working in aged care. Many join the sector because of a personal association or experience, or previous responsibility for the informal care of a loved one. Whatever the reason, the compassion and care that exists in the hearts and minds of the staff is quite palpable. Indeed, it is not … Continued

After almost two decades in the role, Resthaven Executive Manager Community Services, Sue McKechnie, has announced that she will retire in March 2023. CEO, Darren Birbeck, says, ‘I would like to thank and acknowledge Sue for the significant contribution that she has made over the past 18 years and the wonderful legacy that she has … Continued

Resthaven CEO, Darren Birbeck, is pleased to announce that Resthaven has acquired a portfolio of retirement living villages from ACH Group, another well-regarded not for profit organisation. ACH Group CEO, Frank Weits, and Resthaven CEO, Darren Birbeck. ‘The acquisition of the 123 units across twelve sites will increase Resthaven’s retirement living portfolio by 40%, adding … Continued

As the end of the year approaches, it is hard not to reflect on the hardships experienced by older South Australians in 2022. Following the opening of the South Australian border, most aged care homes across the state were experiencing COVID outbreaks by January 2022. Early this year, we were still coming to grips with … Continued

Today, more and more people are living to celebrate their 100th birthday. At Resthaven we recognise a new group of centenarians in each of our quarterly publications. Our staff explain how privileged they feel to hear about the experiences that have shaped these individuals, speaking about their history, their story, their life. A 25-year-old staff … Continued

On 1 October, we celebrated the International Day of Older Persons, recognising the vital contributions that older people make. There are many benefits that come with ageing. Retirement from full time work gives people the freedom to spend time on the things that they love most. It can be a liberating time; a time to … Continued

As this year’s men’s Australian rules finals series comes to a close, we look forward to continuing our ‘footy fix’ with the women’s leagues. The game has changed significantly over the past thirty years, since the Crows and then the Power joined the national competition. An entire generation of supporters never had the privilege of … Continued

Sir Paul McCartney, who celebrated his 80th birthday this year, was only 14 years old when he penned the line, “will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 64”. In the mid-1960s, life expectancy was 68 years for men and 74 for women. Today, this has increased to 81 and 85 … Continued

For many staff working in health and aged care, COVID-19 has meant a daily ritual of rapid antigen tests, personal protective equipment, infection prevention control, outbreak management and detailed reporting to government. There has been little respite in COVID-19 cases in South Australia since the Omicron outbreak in late December. Residential care homes have continued … Continued

 
Click to listen: Leisure Link (90 min) 09 Jul 2022 – Leisure Link – Omny.fm
At 60 minutes in, Darren Birbeck, CEO for Resthaven, talks with Peter Greco on Leisure Link about changes to aged care funding; living with COVID-19; and the sustainability of the sector.

The sensitive question about who should pay for aged care continues to perplex governments, providers and consumers alike. A recent discussion paper by the University of Technology Sydney Ageing Research Collaborative (UARC), reopened the debate. One approach put forward by UARC is to require consumers who have the capacity to pay to make fair contributions … Continued

Last week, we celebrated National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to thank the people who make our community stronger, especially in times of need. Volunteering brings people together, creating a better society for everyone. The selfless contributions of around 900,000 volunteers in South Australia are an essential part of the fabric of our community. They play … Continued

On ANZAC Day, we have the opportunity to show our respect for the many sacrifices and contributions made by veterans and their families to our country and our way of life. As the veteran community ages, a proportion have complex care needs that require additional, more intensive support. When a veteran has a need, support … Continued

This week, the second Aged Care Royal Commission Response Bill is again before the Senate. It includes a new case-mix funding model for residential aged care, called AN-ACC, planned to be introduced on 1 October 2022. This model requires additional funding to support an increase in care minutes and incorporates the $10 per resident per … Continued

The dedicated and committed people who work in the aged care sector inspire me every day. We began to see the first Omicron cases in aged care just before Christmas, following the opening of the South Australian border in late November. As the number of cases in the community increased, so did the cases in … Continued

It is almost a year since the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety released its final report, which was the culmination of 28 months of work, with over 10,500 submissions. In May 2021, the Australian Government announced a $17.7 billion aged care reform package over five years. The aged care reform was built … Continued

Resthaven prides itself on providing outstanding care and support for older people and their carers. Recent misleading and biased reporting in the mainstream media is most disappointing. I’d like to provide some background and correct any misconceptions that may have been caused by an article that implied that Resthaven’s senior leaders are profiting from the … Continued

Many older people would prefer to stay in their own homes as they age. To do this, some may require the support of their spouse, family or friends. Even though they may not recognise the term themselves, these support people are known as ‘informal carers’ by government bodies and service providers, to distinguish them from … Continued