With the population rapidly ageing and few hospital beds available, Australia needs to shift to a focus on preventative care – three operators in South Australia have already identified the opportunity to deliver better outcomes for their customers and increase their footprint.

With the country desperately needing to reduce hospital admissions and pressure on the aged care system, in Adelaide Southern Cross Care (SA, NT & VIC), ECH and ACH Group are already focused on delivering preventative health and wellbeing programs that could help to relieve the strain. They have 14 wellness studios compared to the Adelaide population of 1.4 million.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety had emphasised the need for reablement and allied health services to help older people regain and maintain physical function – but in South Australia, retirement village and aged care operators have been developing gymnasium-based village and community outreach programs for some years.

Under CEO David Moran’s (main picture) leadership, Southern Cross Care (SA,