Home for the homeless: $32,000 taxpayer savings per resident

Key points:

• HammondCare’s Darlinghurst aged care home for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness has assisted the quality of life for many aged care residents

• An overview of 35 residents during their first year (March 2020 – April 2021) shows that taxpayers saved $32,000 per resident, compared to the previous period for 13 residents with comparable data

• The most prominent source of savings was a reduction in in-patient admissions

Following its launch in 2020, HammondCare Darlinghurst continues to provide a permanent home for up to 42 residents over four floors, with one floor specifically for older women at risk of homelessness. The specialised care model offering support for older people with high care needs makes it unique in New South Wales.

There are multiple reasons why a person could become homeless – because of a housing crisis, domestic and family violence, or financial issues, just to name a few. Homeless people can age much quicker, sometimes showing ageing symptoms similar to that of a person 20 years older.

While noting there were limitations to the study on public savings, researcher Professor Christopher Poulos says, “These preliminary positive outcomes add to the growing body of evidence that supports the need for dedicated services to care for the growing numbers of older people subject to homelessness.”

HammondCare Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mike Baird says HammondCare Darlinghurst is making a profound difference to the lives of many people with complex physical, psychological and social needs.

“This research is a great endorsement of the commitment of HammondCare staff at Darlinghurst to supporting these vulnerable residents,” Mr Baird says.

“With a growing ageing population, there is an obvious need for more places like our Darlinghurst home that can provide dedicated services tailored to support the needs of older homeless people — who have complex care needs.”

The residents in the study had an average age of 76 years and were most likely referred from hospital with the primary referral reason being high health care needs. More than a third had been homeless at some point with the remainder considered at risk of homelessness.

As well as improvements in well-being and quality of life, the evaluation — An Australian aged care home for people subject to homelessness: health, well-being and cost benefit — also found clinically significant improvements in scores for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the study period.

Researchers say the supportive environment of the new aged care home, with its trauma-informed approach, is leading to a positive impact on resident well-being, despite the compounding influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While levels of physical functional independence, frailty and global cognition were stable across the year of the study, residents did experience some decline in cognitive functional ability.

Professor Poulos notes that “achieving savings while maintaining quality of life (measured as QALYs, or quality adjusted life years) suggests that this type of care home which is targeted at older people subject to homelessness is cost effective.”

A multi-skilled, carer-led staffing model, supported by Registered Nurses and other health care professionals, fosters a relationship of trust with residents. Don’t believe it? The full report and all of its findings can be found online through the Springer academic portal. For more information about at-risk groups in the world of aged care, check out the guide to vulnerable people.