How to provide the best frail care – Should you outsource frail care?

An extensive frail care offering can do wonders for your retirement estate, attracting an influx of residents and setting your estate apart from other senior living communities.

Ensuring that you have the right amenities is key. Outsourcing frail care to a reputable company can be costly, but bringing the services in-house may mean that your residents lose out on specialist care. Estate Living weighs up some of the pros and cons for each option.

In-house frail care allows for flexibility

Our health needs become more demanding as we get older. As the last two pandemic years have shown, it is imperative that healthcare providers can quickly adapt to the everchanging needs of their patients.

‘The resident always comes first, and their needs must be accommodated with excellence,’ says Mariné van As, marketing manager at Faircape Group, a luxury retirement village provider in the Western Cape.

By keeping your frail care service in-house, an estate manager can hire and build the team of their choosing, including retaining experts who can come in to treat specific individuals on an ad-hoc basis, depending on the changing needs of the residents.

In-house frail care creates a sense of familiarity

Moving into a healthcare facility can be a frightening experience for most, as it is often a reminder of their mortality. Having an onsite facility that is integrated with the rest of the estate can be reassuring for residents who are likely to find comfort knowing that the same level of care and excellence across the estate will be available in the frail care centre.

‘All six of our Faircape life retirement villages have in-house healthcare centres and clinic services, which fosters an environment of familiarity with residents, the staff and facilities. Because they are already staying in an estate which has become a familiar environment for them, the in-house frail care facility feels more like a home away from home for residents,’ explains Van As.

An in-house facility like those at Faircape can streamline the process of moving from a home into a frail care facility, with many estates offering residents access to healthcare without leaving their home.

Outsourcing frail care gives residents world-class facilities

The practice of outsourcing essentially helps businesses and brands operate successfully by bringing in expert professionals to offer the best care and services to clients. In the case of a retirement estate, it means that residents often have access to some of the best services money can buy.

Faircape Health, for example, follows a comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach, incorporating medical doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, 24-hour nurses and carers.

‘This all-inclusive team empowers residents to participate in education, work, recreation, and meaningful life roles by addressing underlying conditions, such as pain and improving the way an individual functions in everyday life. The team works hard to offer support, comfort, safety and wellness in a stress-free environment,’ says Van As.

Outsourcing frees you from one less worry

Losing control to an external service provider is often a valid concern for estate managers, but in the context of healthcare, it could be an advantage.

By subcontracting healthcare to a specialist service provider, an estate manager can concentrate on other areas of the business, as it absolves them of the responsibility of recruiting, training and retaining healthcare staff.