Updated June 24, 2022: ECH’s Care Hotel Care Hotel will celebrate its first birthday on July 5. Updated below is the inclusion of a video that shares feedback from those using this important proof-of-concept respite service.
South Australian home care provider ECH (Enabling Confidence at Home) has today announced the launch of a new proof-of-concept Care Hotel, aimed at providing a range of innovative solutions for short-term care and respite needs.
The new Care Hotel named ‘Dandelion’ is the first of its kind in Australia and is designed to provide a similar experience to a hotel, whereby guests have a range of choices and the independence to access services as they need them.
ECH Chief Executive Dr David Panter said ‘Dandelion’ is a proof of concept specifically designed to challenge the current limitations in existing care models, minimise hospital visits and to empower and treat people as individuals.
“There is a great need to move away from the current ‘one size fits all’ thinking in relation to caregiving and allow people to have the power to make their own choices in relation to their overall health and wellbeing,” Dr Panter said.
“This proof-of-concept will help determine the long-term viability of this model of care and allow ECH to make any necessary adjustments before offering this service to a much larger cross-section of the community.”
Located at ECH College Grove in Walkerville close to the centre of Adelaide, Dandelion currently features sixteen suites, with eight short-stay suites designed for people transitioning from hospital who may need more frequent care than they can get at home plus an additional eight suites for people experiencing dementia to provide a greatly needed respite for carers.
A range of services and ECH health professionals are available to both guests and visitors. These include access to general practitioners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and dieticians plus group fitness activities and access to the on-site gym.
ECH Dandelion Manager Mandy Ross said the goal was to provide a tailored experience in a ‘home away from home’ setting for guests and to challenge traditional models of care and service delivery.
“No stone has been unturned through the modelling and design of this important proof of concept. From hotel-like services such as being greeted and taken to their suite by the hotel concierge, to room service and state-of-art voice-activated technology, guests will truly have a positive experience at Dandelion our new ECH Care Hotel.”
The Proof of Concept will run until the end of 2021.
