reimagining what aged care can be, allowing residents to live with independence and dignity. Chadwick’s journey began with an all-too-familiar realization: standard aged care facilities didn’t align with the life she envisioned for her mother. “I just couldn’t think of anywhere that I would be happy for her to live out the rest of her life,” she shares. This led Chadwick to question why she, as a leader in the industry, would continue offering a model she wouldn’t endorse for her loved ones. Thus began a personal and professional quest to create an environment where seniors could maintain a sense of home and autonomy. BUILDING A MICRO TOWN® Unlike the typical institutional model, NewDirection Care’s MICRO TOWN® in Bellmere, Queensland, feels like a neighborhood.“When you walk in, there are six streets, each lined with houses that look, feel and function just like a real home,” Chadwick explains. Each house accommodates seven residents, with dedicated staff trained to provide personalized, holistic care. This “small house” model, one of the smallest globally, ensures an intimate, home-like environment where residents can live with dignity and choice. Every aspect of the MICRO TOWN®’s design focuses on normalcy and community. Residents choose when to wake up, when and what they eat, and how they spend their day—mirroring the freedoms of independent living. “If someone wakes up at six, their day starts. It’s up to them what they want to do, whether it’s breakfast, a shower, or even a workout,” Chadwick says. For some, that may mean heading to the gym, stopping by the cafe, or picking up a few items from the corner store. This flexibility allows seniors to engage in life on their terms, a privilege seldom found in traditional aged care facilities. NEW WORKFORCE, HOUSE COMPANION™ SUPPORT WORKER Integral to this approach is a new role created by NewDirection Care: the “House Companion™ Support Worker” (house companion). In Chadwick’s words, these house companions “do everything the residents need, but with them, not for them.” Highly trained in personal care, nursing, dementia 11 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 06, ISSUE 11 NEWDIRECTION CARE
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