It was apt that Mr Michael Malakonas, Fronditha Care’s new CEO, chose the organisation’s new facilities at Mulgrave to meet with community members.
Amid the faint smell of fresh paint, Mr Malakonas unravelled his vision for the group – one of transparency and a no-nonsense approach to aged care in the wake of the Royal Commission into Aged Care.
As Greek Australian care groups, sponsors and the media shared hopes of pooling resources and working together, Mr Malakonas cut to the chase by candidly bringing up the term “frenemies” to describe the relationships between different services. It soon became clear that the new chief of Fronditha Care is above all a realist. Then again, one would expect nothing less of a man who loves facts, figures and finances.
A strategic executive, he brings with him 30 years of accounting strategy, operations, governance and general management experience – predominantly in the financial services industry.
Why did he get the job? “I would say the biggest reason is my strategic focus and my ability to transform organisations, basically – in laymen’s terms – to grow them,” he told Neos Kosmos. “The second thing, my networks and history in the community of being able to bring thought leadership and a different lens to the organisation and a different group of stakeholders. And the third thing is the external focus.”
He also adds another reason. “I’m a Greek boy, Greek educated, passionate about the Greek community,” he said.
Before this post, Mr Malakonas had an uncle who volunteered for Fronditha Care. “My mother’s brother, I loved him dearly and he taught me how to play soccer,” he said. “He volunteered for 15 years and he told me all the things they were doing.”
From a business standpoint, Mr Malakonas is intrigued by the multi-faceted organisation and what it stands for.
“First thing, I’m extremely proud the organisation has significant economic stability,” he said, pointing to $50 million revenue, $60 million in retained earnings and well over $12 million in cash.
The funds are huge, but so are the needs. Some of the centres have long waiting lists of around 50 people. “There are beds available for these people now and they need to be assessed appropriately,” Mr Malakonas said. “All those 50 people aren’t ready now. Less than five may have emergency needs.”
What Mr Malakonas can’t deny however is the huge demand for the organisation’s services.
The robust finances “allow us the opportunity to make decisions,” he explains.
“We look at the community need, we look at the sustainability of it – we ask ‘is it a one-off and is there going to be a huge demand?’ – and then we sit down with internal and external stakeholders getting empirical data around social economic modelling to make the appropriate decisions.”
He points to assessment of needs and placing the money where it best serves the community. “As a collective, the executive group, the board of directors and experts in the field make informed decisions – collaborative and inclusive,” he says.
“Can we do all things to all people? In our case we are able to open up a new facility, finish one in Clayton and open up a training centre,” he says of plans to create an educational facility to ensure that aged care has a high calibre of service providers.
“Now I can’t do 10 different things like that because it opens enterprise risk, so it might not be just an economic thing, you also have to manage the enterprise risk. So how many people can I have building facilities, building new training centres or trying to hire new people?”
“Ultimately, we are responsible to the members.”
Aged care at Fronditha – How can I get in?
If you’re an elderly Greek Australian in need of aged care, but you don’t have much in the way of income or assets, you can still get into Fronditha Care.
“Part of our values and vision is to help people who are financially and socially disadvantaged and the government also assists in this area by subsidising their care,” Mr Jim Scantsonihas told Neos Kosmos.
The Australian government sets the cost of care which is means and assets tested via an independent process in absentia of any aged care provider. “The statistics show that more than 50 per cent of our current residents are from a disadvantaged background, whereas the government looks to 40 per cent,” Mr Scantsonihas said. “In essence, all they payis part of their pension to be in the home.”
There are four homes in Melbourne and one in Newcastle, servicing the needs of almost 400 people. Demand is huge.
“Once we have the relevant paperwork, we look at the care needs of those on the waiting list and will take them in provided we have a vacancy that is suitable to their needs<” Mr Scantsonihas said. “Someone with dementia needs to be at a specific part of the building. If there is no vacant bed in that section, we can’t place them somewhere else if they are at risk of wandering out of the building.”
Mr Scantsonihas said that lately people have greater needs. “We’re finding that they are staying longer at home. By the time they come to us, their needs are greater because they are at the end stage,” he said.
“The average amount of years people used to stay with us was 10 years, but now its roughly five years or less because they are staying at home longer.”
The demand of services provided at people’s homes has grown. “We offer home care packages for people at the lower or medium end of the spectrum and they need people to help them for an hour, a couple of hours, a day, a week,” Mr Scantsonihas says.
Then there are the community centres where people can go. Mr Malakonas also points to the importance of these.
“We are investing into the community, even if it is providing a place for them to come and meet and have a social gathering, which is just as important as providing the other facilities,” he says.
