Taking ‘institutionalised look’ out of aged care

The not for profit provider recently finalised a deal with the Victorian government to build the aged care home in North Williamstown, a suburb located just 9km south-west of Melbourne’s central business district.

Situated in a prime location close to public transport, amenities and thriving shops, the 4,500 square metre block of land will see the development of a 90-place aged care home.

Planning for the $22 million home will commence soon, with the home expected to be completed in 2018.

“We are delighted with the opportunity to provide quality aged care accommodation to support Williamstown’s ageing population,” says Jan Horsnell, SCCV chief executive.

“The new home will be developed based on a ‘smaller is better’ concept, featuring a range of innovative and visionary services that will blend state of the art technologies with all the comforts of practical accommodation,” Ms Horsnell says.

This marks a departure from the traditional model of aged care which often has an institutionalised look and feel, she adds.

A key feature of the development will be the series of houses within the home, each accommodating up to fifteen residents and featuring its own kitchen, dining and lounge area to create a home like environment for residents. Other notable features will include a chapel and space for multi-faith worship to cater for all religions.

“The design philosophy of the Williamstown home will be similar to our homes in Keon Park, Lynbrook and Dandenong, which were created to be as close as possible to a person’s real home,” Ms Horsnell says.

“Our new home will offer all levels of support, including specialised support for people who are living with dementia, so that residents can continue to receive care at the home as their needs change.

“We originally planned to acquire the land to replace our aged care home in Newport which was built in 1980. To meet with the growing demands for aged care accommodation and support in this area, we will now maintain the Newport home but will refurbish it based on our ‘smaller is better’ approach.”

The design process for the Williamstown home will commence soon, and will receive feedback and suggestions from the local community to ensure a better fit between the new home and needs of the community.