April 2026
(2-minute read)
Hi everyone,
Since 2018 and under the stewardship of our Group CEO Emma Hocking, we have proudly built and managed one of Queensland’s leading Specialist Disability Accommodation portfolios — 120 High Physical Support homes, supported by 65 dedicated SIL providers delivering 24/7 care to well over 200 high-care residents.
Our team remains 100% committed to delivering class-leading housing and support for vulnerable NDIS participants and will continue to do so as strongly as ever.
Today we are excited to announce the official launch of Szabo Health Care Group — the new parent entity that will oversee our growing ecosystem of supported living brands. You can visit the new group website here: www.szabohealthcare.com.au
From late April 2026 we are also launching a major new chapter under this umbrella.
Australia needs 10,000 new aged care beds every year — yet staggeringly only around 500 are being built.
178,600 Australians are already living with advanced Level 6–7 dementia requiring 24/7 specialist care. In Queensland alone, there are 85,200 people with dementia, with 34,080 at Level 6–7 high-needs, but only 1,200–1,500 specialist dementia beds available — leaving a shortfall of 3,100–3,400 beds annually. Approximately 54% of all people living in residential aged care have dementia.
Aged care accommodation supply is still dominated by large institutional facilities averaging 85 beds (many 100–150 beds), or dementia wings of 20–40 beds inside bigger facilities. During our dementia focus groups and from Donna and my own personal experiences, it’s clear that institutions are not the right fit for many loved ones looking for appropriate aged care accommodation.
Following 12 months of in-depth dementia sector focus groups, support from Dementia Australia and family consultations, we are now releasing what we believe is the first new generation of purpose-designed Memory Care SDA Smart Homes — specifically built for Level 6–7 dementia respite and long-term care.
We will be one of the very few organisations in Australia delivering true specialist small-cottage dementia accommodation in a gender-specific residential setting with care available under both the NDIS and aged care frameworks.
Becoming a registered Aged Care Provider in addition to our established role as an NDIS SDA Housing Provider is not a diversion from our NDIS work — it is a natural extension of it. Our existing landlords and those with high physical support NDIS homes currently under construction will benefit significantly as we grow our ecosystem, increase tenant matching capability, and create new high-care placement opportunities across both disability and dementia.
Leaders lead.
We are proud to be at the forefront of both the NDIS high-care housing sector and now the critically under-served Specialist Dementia Accommodation (SDA) space.
You can visit our website for Dementia Care and Accommodation Australia here: www.dcaa.com.au
More details on the official SDA Smart Homes Memory Care launch will be shared very soon.
To my team and to you, thank you for your continued support and trust.
Dave Beard
Managing Director
Szabo Health Care Group
Property Direct SDA Smart Homes Dementia Care and Accommodation
The Disability Housing Centre Ariel Care
#SDA #MemoryCare #DementiaCare #LeadersLead
Sources: Queensland Health & AIHW State Dementia Statistics 2026, AIHW Aged Care Data 2025–26, Dementia Australia National Dementia Prevalence Report 2025