You’ll need to update your browser so you can continue to log on to your online banking from 28th February. Update now.

Close

Article

Bethanie Group

Bethanie Group case study

26 April 2018

A pragmatic approach to innovation can be pivotal to the success of a Not-For-Profit organisation, as shown by this case study.

Aged care provider Bethanie Group has come a long way since it was founded in 1954 as Churches of Christ, with just seven residents. Today the organisation provides care for 4500 customers and has a workforce of 1800 staff, 600 volunteers and 250 student placements. Its services include retirement villages, care facilities, social centres and affordable housing.

A pragmatic approach to innovation has been pivotal to Bethanie Group’s success. CEO Chris How explains: “The challenges facing aged care are the same as any other organisation in the services industry. We need to understand what our customers want and deliver a cost-effective service.

"The question we need to continually ask ourselves is why would someone choose Bethanie over another provider?”

Peace of mind

The recently launched Bethanie Wellness Hub is one example of how the organisation is innovating to attract new residents.

The Hub, accessed via a supplied tablet device, provides residents with social connections, entertainment, concierge services, health monitoring and education and emergency assistance. One vital function is its ability to monitor them via infra-red sensors. If the sensors detect any noticeable change in a resident’s daily routine the system will send a notification to a nominated contact.

"The Hub’s functionality allows residents to be more independent and remain connected to the world, while at the same time providing family and friends with peace of mind that their loved one is healthy and safe," says Chris.

This article is intended to provide general information of an educational nature only. It does not have regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. The March 2018 CommBank Not-for-Profit Insights Report is based on a sub-set of a wide-ranging quantitative survey of 2,473 business owners, decision makers and managers. This sub-set comprises responses from 413 organisations within Not-for-Profit sectors (including charities, social/advocacy organisations, professional/trade associations, community services and sporting/recreational clubs). The survey was conducted on behalf of the Commonwealth Bank by DBM Consultants between August and October 2017, with further analysis by ACA Research on behalf of the Commonwealth Bank. Participants were drawn from businesses across Australia with an annual turnover of over $500,000 and at least two employees. The survey was designed to benchmark the innovation performance of each business, identifying the key motivations and drivers influencing their performance, and highlighting best practice. Commonwealth Bank of Australia ABN 48 123 123 124 AFSL and Australian credit licence 234945.