SUM - Summerset Group

[couta1]

Couta, just out of interest, have you a feel for relative staffing, how much additional staffing is required for a dementia unit relative to a regular unit, inc direct, medical, support and overhead staff, based on your observation above. Is it 2:1, 3:2, 3:1, more ?

Mac the staff ratios for dementia units are the same as rest homes its only the hospital sections that are required to have greater staff to resident ratios and round the clock nursing care, remember dementia sufferers are mobile as opposed to hospital residents and don't require double handling and hoisting etc. The ratio at Resthome and dementia level care is around 1:7( 1 staff to 7 residents) compared to hospital at around a 1:5 ratio. Resthome and dementia are only required to provide 40 hrs of nursing care a week where as hospital sections must have round the clock cover. Given this and previous points already mentioned i cant understand why Sum aren't building dementia units on their new sites, just plain crazy and shortsighted IMHO. I'm shutting up now on the dementia unit thing before I get accused of being a dog with a bone.

[iceman]

Mac the staff ratios for dementia units are the same as rest homes its only the hospital sections that are required to have greater staff to resident ratios and round the clock nursing care, remember dementia sufferers are mobile as opposed to hospital residents and don't require double handling and hoisting etc. The ratio at Resthome and dementia level care is around 1:7( 1 staff to 7 residents) compared to hospital at around a 1:5 ratio. Resthome and dementia are only required to provide 40 hrs of nursing care a week where as hospital sections must have round the clock cover. Given this and previous points already mentioned i cant understand why Sum aren't building dementia units on their new sites, just plain crazy and shortsighted IMHO. I'm shutting up now on the dementia unit thing before I get accused of being a dog with a bone.

Quite to the contrary couta1. Thanks for this info and for you bringing this issue to our increased attention. It has certainly added to our "warehouse of knowledge" about this industry and SUM in particular and pointed to a difference in strategy between RYM and SUM on this point.

[Joshuatree]

Actually and as my final post for the day some of you may be interested to know that due to the rise of dementia in all villages with apartment/serviced apartment living there are a good number of dementia sufferers present at any one time mixed in with all the other residents, they are only moved on upon assessment which in some cases can take months or even years depending on the tempermant of a given individual and how much disruption they may or may not cause. Even some rest homes have a large number of dementia cases now but are not easily assessed for dementia care after all where are you going to put them with such a shortage of specific units?

Spot on . Extra cost for care can have an influence on peoples decisions too , re assessing for dementia .

[percy]

I read SUM have opened their Katikati village with an official function.
What a lovely location.

[BlackPeter]

Mac the staff ratios for dementia units are the same as rest homes its only the hospital sections that are required to have greater staff to resident ratios and round the clock nursing care, remember dementia sufferers are mobile as opposed to hospital residents and don't require double handling and hoisting etc. The ratio at Resthome and dementia level care is around 1:7( 1 staff to 7 residents) compared to hospital at around a 1:5 ratio. Resthome and dementia are only required to provide 40 hrs of nursing care a week where as hospital sections must have round the clock cover. Given this and previous points already mentioned i cant understand why Sum aren't building dementia units on their new sites, just plain crazy and shortsighted IMHO. I'm shutting up now on the dementia unit thing before I get accused of being a dog with a bone.

Hi Couta, just found this information on the alzheimers website (http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_diseas..._figures.asp): Every third senior dies either with Alzheimer or another form of dementia. If we look at this numbers - and even if we discount them somewhat, given that they are US numbers and given that retirement village inhabitants are not necessarily representative of the general (not just US) population (people with better education, more language skills and a mentally and physically active lifestyle have a lower risk of developing dementia) - it certainly looks like there is a case for providing dementia care in every retirement village.

Just wondering - anybody seen yet a business case for or against dementia units? I could imagine that the poor state funding plays a role in making them economically unattractive. SUM might just see the costs of running them as another drain for the profits they make in building and selling retirement villas.

Another question ... lets assume the economical framework might change at some stage - how hard would it be to add dementia units to existing retirement villages?

[couta1]

Hi Couta, just found this information on the alzheimers website (http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_diseas..._figures.asp): Every third senior dies either with Alzheimer or another form of dementia. If we look at this numbers - and even if we discount them somewhat, given that they are US numbers and given that retirement village inhabitants are not necessarily representative of the general (not just US) population (people with better education, more language skills and a mentally and physically active lifestyle have a lower risk of developing dementia) - it certainly looks like therare s a case for providing dementia care in every retirement village.

Just wondering - anybody seen yet a business case for or against dementia units? I could imagine that the poor state funding plays a role in making them economically unattractive. SUM might just see the costs of running them as another drain for the profits they make in building and selling retirement villas.

Another question ... lets assume the economical framework might change at some stage - how hard would it be to add dementia units to existing retirement villages?

Some NZ stats for you BP In 2008 there were 40746 people suffering from dementia, by 2026 these figures will almost double to 74831 people and by 2050 an estimated 146699 people will live with the condition. Furthermore the number of beds provided at dementia level will increase by 150% by 2026 and a minimum of an extra 250 beds will be needed each year. Re adding dementia units at a later date it can be done at great cost assuming it is possible space wise and rest home or hospital care beds would otherwise have to be sacrificed to allow it to happen, so why not build them from the start when your competition are and the need is so great?

[forest]

Some NZ stats for you BP In 2008 there were 40746 people suffering from dementia, by 2026 these figures will almost double to 74831 people and by 2050 an estimated 146699 people will live with the condition. Furthermore the number of beds provided at dementia level will increase by 150% by 2026 and a minimum of an extra 250 beds will be needed each year. Re adding dementia units at a later date it can be done at great cost assuming it is possible space wise and rest home or hospital care beds would otherwise have to be sacrificed to allow it to happen, so why not build them from the start when your competition are and the need is so great?

Maybe early stages of dementia are starting to show in SUM management?

[Beagle]

Maybe early stages of dementia are starting to show in SUM management?

[MAC]

Thanks Couta, appreciated, Mac

[Deej5]

¡sn ɟo ʇsǝɹ ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ʇuıod ʍǝıʌ ʇuǝɹǝɟɟıp ɐ ǝʌɐɥ ʇsnɾ ʇuǝɯǝƃɐuɐɯ