Aged care to take centre stage at new WA health precinct
A new site at Vasse Newtown in WA, featuring a new 75 bed Busselton Hospital, will also provide room for the development of a medical centre, hospice and retirement complex as part of a multi-million dollar health and aged care precinct.
Private aged care operator, St Ives, has received provisional approval for 95 aged care beds, including 40 high-care places, and will allocate specific numbers of beds for veterans, respite care and patients affected by dementia.
St Ives director, Russell Halpern, said the group’s plans for the Vasse Newtown site were groundbreaking in the aged care sector with construction of a rehabilitation unit and community-friendly facilities, such as coffee shops, also being considered as part of a wider wellness-centre environment.
The St Ives Group has also offered to build 20 intermediate care beds, which will be used to support the new hospital as supplementary, flexible care beds. It is envisaged these beds could be used for ‘assessment’ and as ‘step-down’ or ‘restorative’ beds for patients who no longer require hospitalisation but need in-patient care before returning home or in some cases, finding appropriate residential care places.
The presence of a range of community and allied health facilities including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacies, expanded medical imaging services and pathology services in the immediate precinct will make it easier for elderly patients to receive quality medical care at the one location, avoiding the need for travel to multiple destinations for treatment.
