Seamless continuum of care in Sydney’s southwest
A proposed integrated seniors living community in Oran Park has been given the green light.
Anglicare Sydney’s Chesalon Living division has been given the green light to commence work on its seniors living community within the new Oran Park township.
The group’s application to develop 240 apartments and villas and a 129-bed aged care facility in the southwest growth centre has been approved and earth works on the site will begin in September.
The development will include a standalone day care centre which will house offices for the organisation’s community care operations.
Chesalon’s director, Rob Evers said the group plans to deliver an integrated continuum of care at the new site.
“What a lot of people don’t do is they don’t make the journey seamless,” he said.
“They start by looking after people in terms of independent living but if they then have to go into aged care, they have to sign a new contract and make new arrangements. We will be looking at ways to make it truly seamless.
“The legislation creates a divide at the moment but we want to remove that divide for our consumers.”
The Oran Park development is an important milestone in the implementation of Chesalon’s new vision and diversification plan which was launched in 2008.
Mr Evers said the group will make a submission to the Productivity Commission’s aged care inquiry, proposing better transitions for older people whose care needs change.
“We will actually be doing what we recommend becomes the norm,” he said.
The Oran Park development will be linked to the broader community through a community hub which will include offices for Anglicare’s welfare agencies, a chemist, a newsagency and a medical centre.
It will also be located within walking distance of a new Anglican school which has commenced discussions with Chesalon about intergenerational ideas.
“We plan to have a lot of interactivity with the school and they are talking to us about planning activities such as classes through the University of the Third Age,” Mr Evers said.
“One of the [other] activities we are going to have is a pennant sized bowling green with the idea that the residents can form a club and compete. They will then have visitors coming into the centre, playing on the green and enjoying our facilities.”
The development will be built in stages with a clubhouse, the aged care facility and the first apartments and villas due to be completed midway through 2012.