First GP opens in aged care community

Queensland aged care facility, Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities opened an on-site GP office to help residents get immediate access to medical care.

Hailed as a pioneering initiative by staff and residents, the on-site clinic hosts a team of two attending doctors, six physiotherapists, and one occupational therapist.

Odyssey founder and CEO Phil Usher said the impact of having a fully operational GP office is significant in delivering holistic aged care services.

"By incorporating a doctor’s office directly within our community, we are providing an
unprecedented level of convenience and personalised care to those living at Odyssey," said Mr Usher.

"Our residents can now receive prompt medical attention without needing external appointments or transportation."

"This allows them to enjoy a higher quality of life while ensuring their health and well-being remains a top priority."

Business development manager Rebecca Moraitis said bringing care to the residents was always at the forefront of Odyssey’s mind.

"We recognised that there was a difficulty, especially in this day and age with the shortage of GPs and the changes from COVID," Ms Moraitis said.

"Getting a GP appointment and then getting there was hard, and sometimes the appointment was weeks away. With the age group of residents being generally mid-80s, it made so much sense to bring the care to them."

For residents, it has become convenient to be able to get check-ups quickly and efficiently by the same group of medical professionals allowing a safe relationship to prosper.

"Residents love going to the doctor. It’s become a social thing where they sit, chat, and relax in the waiting room," Ms Moraitis said.

Odyssey’s general manager Sam Procter said having a GP within the community allowed residents to go for check-ups frequently.

"The more we can provide on-site means they’ll actually visit the GP more rather than just putting up with the symptoms that could be quite serious," Mr Procter said.

Odyssey’s clinic also allowed for a much more seamless and confident discharge process due to the clinic’s emphasis on holistic services and continued care.

"Hospitals are super excited and much more confident to discharge people home to Odyssey because of that continued care," Mr Procter said.

"It makes it a fully holistic service to provide everything from the initial GP to physios that retain as much mobility and help with falls prevention."

"It just means that we can provide the best level of care and service to these residents as possible."

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