Frequently Asked Questions

Who are Knowles Group and Arcare?

Established in 1976, the Knowles Group is a privately-owned group of companies with interests in aged care, retirement living and property. The Group has proven development expertise to source and execute property opportunities and in-house construction ability to enable cost effective building.

The Knowles Group have expanded into several different industries and have created successful companies such as Arcare Aged Care, Sencia Retirement Villages , and BodeWell Community Care.

Arcare Aged Care is a leading residential aged care provider dedicated to the highest standards of services. Garnering a deep and rich history for over 40 years, today we have grown to over 48 unique residences in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. Arcare has a wealth of understanding and expertise to provide the care you need and want.

How many residential aged care facilities does Arcare have?

Arcare currently has 49 residential aged care homes across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Search all Arcare residences across Australia noww.

What is aged care?

Aged care encompasses a range of support for seniors who require assistance with everyday living, personal care and clinical care. It can be provided in the person’s own home (Home Care), or in a residential aged care home (also known as nursing homes).

What is aged care?

What is Residential Aged Care?

Residential aged care is for senior Australians who can no longer live independently at home. Residential aged care provides accommodation and personalised care 24 hours a day, supporting residents in their health and wellbeing needs. Alongside enabling residents to maintain their independence as much as possible, residential aged care aids with continence management, mobility, medication administration and more.

Costs vary depending on the level of care required, the location of the home, and the resident’s financial circumstances. This includes a Basic Daily Care Fee, Means Tested Fee and an Accommodation Payment or Contribution. Each of our residential care homes range in cost depending on location and services available. The Basic Daily Care Fee, which is set by government, is paid by every resident and contributes to their care and living expenses.

Depending on individual circumstances there may also be other charges such as a Means Tested Care Fee and Accommodation payment.

Aged Care Financial Information
Concessional Residents
My Aged Care Costs (This link will take you to an external website)

What’s the difference between Retirement Villages and nursing homes?

Retirement Villages focus on your independence and provide opportunities to enjoy and active and social lifestyle. Residential aged care provide round-the-clock care and support while also encouraging independence and personal choice.

What is aged care?
Sencia Retirement Village (This link will take you an external website)

What services do you provide in Residential Aged Care?

The range of care and services vary according to the needs of the resident. For all residents however, the following are provided:

Staff to always provide help including in emergency situations
Assistance with daily living activities such as bathing, showering, dressing and mobility
Assistance with medications
Meals and refreshments, considering special dietary needs
Basic furnishings including curtains, chairs, beds, bed linen, bath towels, soap and toilet paper
Laundry service, cleaning service and maintenance of buildings and grounds
Social activities

Learn more about Life at Arcare.

Staffing levels are dictated on the number of residents and their care needs. A Registered Nurse (RN) is always on duty with trained team members assisting with medication, care needs, lifestyle activities, catering, cleaning and maintenance.

What type of medical staff will be onsite?

As per above question, an RN is rostered on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, alongside qualified care team members.

Visiting doctors, physiotherapists, speech pathologists and allied health professionals are also part of the team and visit as required.

Talk to your Arcare Residence reception about the visiting hours for medical staff.

Do you accommodate for couples?

Yes, depending on the Arcare residence. Couples in one room can be catered for within either adjoining rooms or in a larger room (suite), although numbers of these options are limited.

Please discuss with the Client Service Manager on your tour.

What are the visiting hours?

Arcare is home to our residents and therefore we do not have visiting hours. However, if the site has an outbreak (eg. COVID) visiting hours are changed as required.

Please contact your Arcare residence reception.

How do you ensure the residents have a “community’ within and outside the residence?

We maintain our Arcare communities by offering a variety of lifestyle options for our residents. To learn about life at Arcare toda.

How do you deal with residents whose health declines and need to move to a facility providing a high level of care but not a hospital? What capacity of assistance will the residents receive from Arcare?

Arcare offers ageing in place which means that as people’s needs increase they can remain living where they are, even when the impacts of ageing affect their mobility and mental ability.

Yes. Please see more about our Dementia Sensitive Care Unit.

Do you need a government assessment to get a placement?

Yes. A government assessment is required to get a placement.

Get started on a placement with a government assessment today.

Our Arcare residences respond swiftly to manage COVID outbreaks and provide timely communications to the Arcare community. We have provided a number of Australian State Based COVID 19 Resources for you and your family.

Whilst Arcare doesn’t allow personal pets to live at residences, Arcare does welcome trained, friendly and clean pets to visit.

What opportunities are there for community partnerships and sponsorships?

Arcare is always looking for ways to ensure our residents remain part of the community. We look to partnerships with local community groups and see how we can support them whilst also supporting our residents. This has included local sporting clubs, museums, one day community events etc. Our residents will participate in these partnerships, for example, watching a football game, going to the museum or having local artists come to the residence to showcase their skills.

To get in touch with our team, please select ‘Community Sponsorships’ on our contact form.

Does Arcare build environmentally sustainable buildings?

New builds incorporate sustainable design initiatives such as (but not limited to):

Use of high efficient LED lighting throughout
Internal lighting control incorporating individual zone control / preset settings based on time of day, dimming, motion detectors and local light switches
Motion sensors to offices and storerooms minimising unnecessary lighting power usage
External lighting control incorporating timer circuit and PE cell control
Roof mount solar Photovoltaic panels to offset electricity usage (nominally 3.2kw option per Villa & 70kW for the Communal Building)
Battery System to offset peak electricity usage and supplement the Photovoltaic panels (nominally 6kWh option per Villa)
Energy meters configured and interlinked via communications system to individually monitor the energy consumption of mechanical plant, lighting, power and other ancillary plant
Highly efficient variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning systems used throughout community building
Natural ventilation provided to all spaces where available. i.e. mechanical ventilation only provided to internal spaces with no external walls (where doors/windows are installed)
A/C conditioning system provided with multiple zones and temperature sensors to ensure optimal control of A/C units and ability to turn off A/C units when spaces not occupied.
Demand control of individual exhaust fans to each amenity
Use of water efficient fixtures and fittings
Centrally located, gas fired hot water unit complete with thermally insulated hot water flow and return pipework system to minimise hot water draw off times and minimise resultant energy and water wastage
Solar hot water system complete with electric boost to all living units
Connection to site wide reclaimed water network delivering reclaimed water to toilets, washing machines, external taps and site wide irrigation
Use of best practice green star certified PVC pipework and fittings
EV Charging stations will be provisioned for future installation at opening. Arcare is currently investigating EV charging across the Country at existing residences to confirm best design practice.

How do I visit an Arcare Residence?

To visit an Arcare residence for the first time, we recommend you complete our Book a tour form here or call our Relationship Centre on 1300 294 391.

Our team will ask you a few questions about your needs and then book a tour at one of our residences.

How do I work for Arcare?

For all student placement, current jobs, and volunteer queries, please visit our dedicated careers site (this link will take you to an external website): https://careers.arcare.com.au/home

Where do I find the contact information for an Arcare residence?

Our Arcare Google profiles contain the relevant reception numbers for our Arcare Residences.

Learn more about our Arcare residences today.

To learn more about new upcoming residences, speak to a team member at our Relationship Centre by calling 1300 294 391 or use our Contact Form.

Where do I find resources?

You can find resources at our dedicated landing page.