Spotlight on healthcare for older people

Tim Nayton believes that aged care services must rapidly evolve and adapt in the face of a ‘perfect storm’: an ageing population, a rapid increase in the prevalence of dementia, a shift away from long term family care, higher expectations of support from the community, and increased pressure on the health care dollar.

“The new position of general manager health care demonstrates that Amana Living is committed to continually improving the care and services it delivers – and even to investigate whole new paradigms in health care,” Mr Nayton says.

In recent years, Amana Living has grown its team of highly skilled clinicians and experts in dementia, restorative care, clinical services and lifestyle. They were brought together under the direction of Mr Nayton this month.

The new portfolio provides greater opportunities for the organisation to develop innovative approaches that support Western Australia's older people.

Mr Nayton has wide experience of leading large scale operations within or connected to the health care environment and a real passion for clinical governance.

He began his career as a clinical physiotherapist in a range of contexts, including acute hospital, mental health and aged care. A journey through occupational health, risk management and an MBA took him into the executive management of multidisciplinary health care service delivery in disability, home care and telehealth.

Most recently, Mr Nayton was employed as the general manager of clinical governance and quality with Medibank. This role included the development, implementation and management of a system of clinical governance within a diverse organisation.

Mr Nayton’s vision for the new Amana Living health care portfolio includes:

• a focus on training and upskilling of all staff delivering health care;
• application of the four pillared ‘clinical governance’ model for health care: the right person delivering the right service in a safe way that is regularly monitored and evaluated, with residents and clients fully engaged in the process;
• a person centred approach, which means providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual preferences, needs and values; and
• maintaining Amana Living’s high standards of risk management and safety.

Suzi Cowcher, Amana Living chief operating officer, claims there are 32,000 people living with dementia in Western Australia, with the number set to increase by 14% over the next five years and double by 2050.

“At the same time, the oldest of the large baby boomer population is now approaching their 70s. The result is an increasing pressure on clinical services,” Ms Cowcher says. 

“Amana Living has anticipated this trend by growing our clinical team and investing heavily in vital, innovative programs that better support older people and help to prevent deterioration of their physical and mental health,” she says.

This growth has included the introduction of:

• transition care, creating a platform to develop restorative care across the organisation and to be more proactive in the space between hospital and home;
• ‘dementia hubs’, with more services for those living with dementia and their carers; and
• a new ‘lifestyle program’ in residential care facilities, which looks more closely at the activities that will help each individual to be more fulfilled.

“With clear synergies across these areas, we saw great benefit in bringing them together under a single health care portfolio,” Ms Cowcher says. “Amana Living anticipates this portfolio growing further as it develops new service approaches and build a strong research base.”