Noticeboard: SummitCare opens new flagship facility
Also in this wrap: New facility features a farm for residents’ wellbeing; facility upgrade supports Grafton’s seniors; and Benetas and Macedon Ranges Health join forces.
In this story:
- SummitCare opens new flagship facility
- New facility features a farm for residents’ wellbeing
- Facility upgrade supports Grafton’s seniors
- Benetas and Macedon Ranges Health join forces
SummitCare opens new flagship facility
SummitCare has officially opened its state-of-the-art $60 million 186-bed residential aged care home in Baulkham Hills in Sydney’s north-west, which has been designed to provide residents with homelike warmth and the luxurious elements of a five-star hotel.
The facility, which is the 10th in the provider’s portfolio, features smaller hubs within the home, each for a maximum of 20 people sharing a dining and lounge room and a dedicated care team.
The accommodation ranges from single suites with an ensuite to superior suites with kitchenettes and living areas that allow couples to reside together. Guest and family rooms are also available for overnight stays.
Other features include a beauty salon, hairdresser, café, private dining rooms for residents to host guests, wellness spaces and a media room. Outside there are gardens and terraces, a children’s play area, putt-putt golf facilities, aviary, rooftop terrace, vegetable garden and men’s shed.
The local community was consulted throughout the project to ensure the perfect home and community for them, said SummitCare director Peter Wohl.
New facility features a farm for residents’ wellbeing
Australia’s first aged care community incorporating a horse and cattle farm has recently opened on the Gold Coast.
The $30-million Carinity Cedarbrook community at Mudgeeraba includes hotel-style accommodation in a state-of-the-art 96-suite aged care facility with sustainable building features including 280 solar panels to generate power for the site.
The facility also includes hands-on farming and animal encounters through a partnership with The Southport School, a local boys’ school using Carinity’s 31-hectare site for its science agriculture department.
Carinity CEO Jon Campbell said its vision with Cedarbrook was to engage the local community and utilise its vacant land for creating social value and enterprise.
“Over time we see the farm evolving to engage residents in beekeeping and honey production and other activities such as an organic community garden,” Mr Campbell said.
Carinity plans to expand the site in the coming years to include a $25-million retirement community of 88 two and three-bedroom retirement villas and 20 assisted-living units.
Facility upgrade supports Grafton’s seniors
The Whiddon Group has formally opened the $25 million expansion to its Grafton aged care facility, which more than doubles the size of the home from 54 to 110 places.
Residents will have access to Whiddon’s multi-award winning HenPower creative ageing program, which involves residents coming together as a community to care for hens.
As part of the official launch, Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt said innovation was a hallmark of the Grafton expansion especially in the care of people living with dementia.
“Safe, quality care for dementia patients is highlighted in the Grafton home’s creative ageing programs, activities that provide wellbeing benefits including the potential to improve physical capability and cognition,” Minsiter Wyatt said.
“Residents are also encouraged to invite their family and friends into their home, too, just as they would in their previous homes, allowing them to live more fulfilling lives, while staying close to the people they know and love.”
Benetas and Macedon Ranges Health join forces
Not-for-profit Victorian providers Benetas and Macedon Ranges Health have announced the two organisations will amalgamate following a vote this month by Macedon Ranges Health members.
Macedon Ranges Health is an independent organisation providing primary, welfare, disability, home and residential aged care services in the Giborne region north-east of Melbourne.
As part of the deal Benetas will invest $60 million over the next eight years to upgrade, expand and redevelop the facilities and services that Macedon Ranges Health offers.
An initial investment of $1.2 million will be spent on its existing facilities and infrastructure for its aged care residents and community care clients.
Macedon Ranges Health CEO Don Tidbury welcomed the decision and the benefits to the local community after two years of working to source and secure the right industry partner for the organisation.
Benetas CEO Sandra Hills said Benetas was committed to maintaining the heritage and identity of Macedon Ranges Health and looked forward to proving the community’s trust as they worked through the amalgamation process over the next six months.
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