Reflections from Helen Hall & Jonathan Chew, Bickerton Masters
We recently had the opportunity to attend the insightful webinar, “Every Aged Care Bed is Gold. Are You Leaving Value Behind?”, hosted by the DCM Group in partnership with Coverite.
It was a conversation that reinforced something we have been seeing across the aged care sector for many years. The challenge facing providers is no longer simply building more beds. It is about unlocking greater value from the assets already in their portfolio while ensuring they remain capable of supporting the next generation of care.
A challenge unlike anything we’ve seen before
One statistic stood out above all others.
Australia will need to deliver approximately 10,000 additional aged care beds every year for the next two decades to meet projected demand.
Against a backdrop of escalating construction costs, workforce shortages and increasing resident acuity, that is an extraordinary challenge.
The discussion quickly shifted from asking “How do we build more?” to the far more important question:“How do we make better use of what we already have?”
Tomorrow’s residents won’t have today’s needs
One of the strongest messages was the importance of planning for the cohort that is still to come.
Future residents will present with:
- higher rates of dementia
- increasingly complex clinical care requirements
- greater expectations of technology-enabled care
- changing workforce models
- higher expectations around independence, dignity and person-centred living.
These changing demands require providers to ask difficult questions today.
- Does our existing built form still support the model of care we want to deliver?
- Can our buildings adapt?
- Are they helping or hindering workforce efficiency?
- Are we making commercial decisions that will continue to deliver sustainable returns while improving resident outcomes?
These are strategic questions – not simply design questions.
Hidden value often already exists
One of the most compelling discussions centred around finding value that already exists within an organisation’s property portfolio.
Whether it’s underutilised land, inefficient layouts or ageing infrastructure, many facilities have untapped potential.
The panel shared examples of projects where thoughtful planning identified opportunities to create additional beds within existing sites. In one example, the addition of just 13 extra beds generated sufficient revenue to fund a broader redevelopment.
That is a powerful reminder that every additional bed has the potential to strengthen long-term financial sustainability.
The conversation also reinforced that successful redevelopment is about much more than construction. Communication with residents, staff and families, careful staging of works and maintaining operational continuity throughout the project are all critical to achieving successful outcomes.
Every project should begin with strategy
Masterplanning is not about producing drawings.
It is about assembling all the available information to create clarity, evaluate options and build confidence in difficult decisions. At BM_ we make this a project priority, to dive deeply into our Client’s purpose and gain a deep understanding of the company strategy.
Often, organisations already know change is needed but often seek some creativity in providing a new perspective on how the end goal may be best achieved.
What is often required is a robust business case that helps Boards understand why those decisions need to be made and how they can be delivered. That strategic roadmap becomes invaluable when balancing operational realities, commercial viability and future growth.
Data is telling us more than we think
One theme echoed throughout the discussion was the importance of looking beyond the obvious.
Operational data can reveal workforce inefficiencies, circulation challenges and opportunities to introduce technology that significantly improves care delivery.
Equally important is understanding the hidden constraints within ageing buildings.
Items such as:
- in-slab hydraulic services
- ageing ventilation systems
- ceiling space limitations
- fire upgrade requirements
- corridor widths
- infrastructure capacity
can all significantly influence redevelopment feasibility and project costs. A helpful tip shared was to maintain a rolling three-to-five-year asset management plan to provide invaluable intelligence that strengthens future business cases and helps organisations make informed capital investment decisions.
The strongest business cases look beyond funding
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the webinar was that successful projects should never rely solely on external funding.
Funding should strengthen a project – not determine whether it proceeds.
The consensus from the panel was clear.
A robust business case, supported by a well-considered masterplan and informed by operational data, provides organisations with the confidence to invest strategically.
Delivering new beds early in a staged redevelopment can generate revenue that supports later project stages, reducing reliance on grants while improving long-term financial sustainability. The discussion also highlighted the increasing relevance of the small household model, not only for enhancing resident outcomes but as an effective way to unlock higher-value use of existing spaces.
Our reflection
At Bickerton Masters, these conversations reinforce why we believe architecture should always begin with strategy.
Before design comes understanding.
Understanding the organisation. Understanding the operation. Understanding the financial drivers. Understanding the people who live and work there.
Only then can we create environments that remain adaptable, financially sustainable and capable of delivering exceptional care for decades to come.
The future of aged care will not be shaped solely by new developments. It will also be shaped by how intelligently we reimagine the places we already have.
If you would like access to the full webinar, follow this link.