Is there a difference between a nursing home and an aged care home?
Every sector has its own jargon and aged care is no different.
Once upon a time, the aged sector was differentiated by the level of care a facility provided, that is there were nursing home facilities that provided care to people with high care needs and hostel-type facilities that provided care for people with low care needs.
This changed in the 1990s, a period of reflection and refinement for the aged care sector with changes put in place by the government to ensure that all services accessed by the older person were accessible and affordable. The Aged Care Act 1997 resulted in major changes for the sector bringing nursing home and hostel and support services together under the overarching name of aged care services.
In the Act, Aged Care is deemed the preferred term to encompass all aspects of services for the older person and includes ‘.. residential care, home care, flexible care’. (Aged Care Act 1997, Schedule 1, Dictionary).
Nowadays, residential care is the new term for ‘nursing home’. This encompasses a holistic model of care where residents with differing clinical needs live together with appropriate support and supervision in suitable facilities. The sector no longer uses the term ‘nursing home’, which traditionally relates to a facility that only looked after residents with high clinical care needs.
As the name suggests, home services is a service that is provided at home to help people live at home longer, be more independent in the community and in conducting their day to day activities.
Flexible care is a service accessed predominately by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may require a flexible mix of residential, day care, respite care, and community-based aged care as per their cultural needs.
Maroba’s aged care services include residential care, retirement living, community and wellness programs.
Our full range of residential aged care and additional services includes:
- 24/7 personal care from qualified nursing staff
- 24/7 registered nurse on duty
- Nutritional meals
- Gymnasium
- Library and Internet
- Resident (daily) and community events
- Accommodation options – single and double rooms
- Cleaning and laundry services
- Wellness Programs
- Beauty and hairdressing
- Relaxation and spa treatments
- Pain management programs
- Respite care
- Specialised dementia care
- Chaplaincy, pastoral care and spiritual care
- Allied health e.g physio.
Our retirement living villas are known as Maroba Terrace, and the mix of 2 and 3 bedroom villas offer lifestyle and independence, along with comfort and security that comes with living in a community.
Our community and wellness programs are open to the older person who remains at home yet still likes to be active and connected to the community within a safe and comforting environment.
More information on the aged care system can be found at the Australian Government My Aged Care website, which is the starting point on the aged care journey outlining the process for applying for funding, getting assessed, finding a provider and much more.
Or, are you ready to take the next step and move into your new home?
We welcome enquiries – get in touch today to find out more or complete the application form on-line.
Maroba Caring Communities has been caring for the elderly in the Hunter since 1954.
By Sarah Gamble, Communications Co-ordinator, Maroba Caring Communities.
Ref: https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/aged-care/about-aged-care/aged-care-laws-in-australia#: