Aged care home on university campus for work integrated learning

The agreement between the aged care provider and University, will see Moran design, construct, own and operate the 150-bed facility, while offering work-integrated learning opportunities for University students.

Scheduled to open in January 2018, the facility will also house a 120-place child care centre to meet the needs of staff and students working and studying in the University’s growing health precinct.

“The aged care facility will provide seamless work-integrated learning opportunities for our health care students as we help prepare the future health workforce for an ageing population,” says University of Canberra (UC) Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker.

“The development will allow for a range of research opportunities for the University’s Health Research Institute, and will provide students with on-site training and paid employment in areas including health, aged care, child care, management, design, communication and marketing.

“It will also provide the Belconnen and greater Canberra community with additional access to high quality aged care,” Professor Parker says.

Peter Moran, Managing Director of the Moran Health Care Group says: “The UC Moran Health Cluster represents an exciting progression of health care, aged care, child care, education and innovation in Australia. The Moran Health Care Group is committed to establishing a network of resources within the ACT servicing the local and broader community.

“We are delighted to have the great opportunity to become involved with the University of Canberra in establishing facilities that are at the forefront of care, research and learning. I believe that these endeavours are significant, not just to Australia, but by any measure these are initiatives that may well have an international impact.”

The aged care facility is the next stage of the University’s developing health precinct, which includes the forthcoming University of Canberra Public Hospital and the Health Hub.

The Health Hub opened in 2014 and includes a GP Super Clinic as well as University’s student-led clinics in physiotherapy, dietetics, exercise physiology and clinical psychology.

The UC Moran Health Cluster is also expected to incorporate a small-scale private hospital, a radiological oncology service, a large-scale diagnostic and imaging service, pathology services and laboratory-based research facilities.

In addition to the health precinct, the University’s planned development will include a cutting-edge residential development, an innovation precinct, sporting facilities, a hotel and a Great Hall, which will attract new jobs and investment to the area.

Professor Parker says “the University is re-inventing itself as a university of the future, based around work-integrated learning opportunities for its students and applied research projects for its staff. 

“These developments will greatly add to the campus community and to Canberra itself, further cementing the University of Canberra as a vital component of the nation’s capital.”