Housing

More than 40 residents of the St Basil’s Annandale aged care home in Sydney’s Inner West will have to move, with the home to shut down in September.

A new aged care home designed hand-in-hand with Yolngu leaders – the first of its kind in Australia...

Australia’s first 5 Star Green Star rated aged care home has opened in Carseldine, Brisbane.

A shuttered aged care home in South Australia will receive a new lease on life, with its owners repurposing it to provide temporary accommodation for NDIS participants transitioning out of hospital.

Based on the calculation the government uses to predict demand for aged care services, we will need 69,000 aged care beds in 10 years. However, as things are, it’s just not going to happen.

Catholic not-for-profit provider St. Vincent’s Care Services has taken over control of the Jabiru Aged Care and Jabiru Villas at Arundel in Queensland. The site was previously owned by the Board of Benevolence and of Aged Masons, Widows and Orphans’ Fund, which traded as Masonic Care Queensland.

A northern Queensland council is seeking funding to upgrade Monash Lodge, a 20-bed aged care home in Clermont, 274km southwest of Mackay. Isaac Regional Council is teaming up with Belyando Enterprise Network to push for $2.993 million in Federal Government funding for stage one refurbishments, including 12 independent living units and a 24/7 caretaker’s apartment. According to Mayor Anne Baker, Monash provides important services for Clermont locals, as the closest non-hospital aged care services are 100km away in Emerald or almost three times as far in Mackay.

An aged care facility in Maylands, Perth, will have a $40 million upgrade after receiving the thumbs-up from state planners. The CraigCare home on Guildford Rd and Third Avenue East will be transformed from a 92-room facility to a six-storey building with 138 rooms following unanimous approval from the WA Government’s Metro Inner North Joint Development Assessment Panel.

ACH Group, a leading Not For Profit aged care provider in South Australia, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Founded by Sir Keith Wilson as Aged Cottage Homes in 1952, ACH was an early champion of affordable housing for seniors in South Australia, with Sir Keith’s philanthropic work inspiring the Aged Persons Homes Act 1954; the provider now has eight residential aged care homes and 700 retirement living units, with 2000 staff serving more than 20,000 clients across Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula.

Gaynes Park, a residential aged care and assisted living home in Joslin, Adelaide, has won the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s national Seniors Living Award. Operated by LifeCare, Gaynes Park – comprising the Gaynes Park Manor aged care home and Gaynes Park Suites assisted living apartments – was designed alongside Stirling University Dementia Services Development Centre in Scotland. Opening Gaynes Park Suites last year, LifeCare CEO Allen Candy said the apartments are an alternative to residential aged care.

A new 118-bed aged care facility looks to be on the way for the ACT’s historic Gold Creek Homestead, with Lendlease lodging a development application for the site. 45 independent living units will accompany the three-storey aged care facility, which will also include specialised dementia and respite care beds. Nathan Cockerill, Managing Director of Lendlease Retirement Living, told the Canberra Times that part of the original Homestead will need to be demolished for the development, though the rest of the building along with the stone kitchen and slab hut will be restored and repurposed.

Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has said a Labor Government would boost skills training and bring in overseas doctors and nurses to fill the shortfall in aged care workers. The Labor leader has promised 465,000 fee-free TAFE places and 20,000 new university places for areas of workforce need, including caring roles such as aged care and child care, if elected next month. Writing in The Australian, Mr Albanese said foreign workers may have to be brought in to meet short-term needs while new workers are trained.

Alino Living, the largest Not For Profit aged care provider on the NSW Central Coast, has developed a new staff training and recruitment program to improve its care. With the help of Employment and Training Australia (ET Australia), Alino’s new program aims to address employee recruitment and retention issues, as well as giving young people a start in aged care, says Melinda De Luca, Executive Care Manager of Alino Living.

A new aged care home is coming to the eastern Melbourne suburb of Kilsyth in November, with Australian Unity set to open its Walmsley Aged Care facility. The 120-bed home will include 84 standard rooms, 18 memory support rooms and 18 deluxe queen rooms, each with its own ensuite, arranged into seven “households” of 13 to 19 rooms over two levels. In a job listing for the new home, Australian Unity said it would be run according to the company’s “Better Together” model. “Our Better Together model focuses on providing the best care to our residents and work life balance for our staff.

A new respite care cottage has opened on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula for older people who need a rest with a “seachange”. Aldinga House, located in Aldinga Beach, is run by SA-based Not For Profit aged care provider Resthaven. Located a short drive from the beach, the cottage offers day and overnight respite care, with two bedrooms available for stays of up to a fortnight. Mrs Patricia Griffin, the first client to view the house, said she was excited to come whenever she could. “The neighbourhood is quiet, and friendly.

Not For Profit aged care provider Benetas is looking for more staff and volunteers as it picks up home care services from local councils across Victoria’s Gippsland and Rural North West. As of this month, Benetas has taken over Commonwealth Home Support Packages (CHSPs) from Latrobe, Baw Baw and Hepburn Shires, which pulled out due to upcoming changes in the Federal Government’s new Support at Home Program.

The Queensland Government has partnered with Blue Care in a $55 million tender to deliver palliative care services in rural and regional areas of the state. Working alongside Queensland Health, Blue Care will provide palliative care in the Wide Bay, Cairns and Hinterland, North West, Townsville, Mackay, Central West, Central Queensland, Darling Downs, and South West regions through the Hospital at Home program starting in October.

Blue Care is set to kick off construction of its new Sunrise Beach aged care home at Noosa, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, next month. The 102-bed facility will come with a co-located retirement village, giving it a combined total capacity of 260 residents. Local company BADGE will build the project, which will feature eight- and nine-bed households in a “small house” model surrounding a central community area.

Not For Profit aged care provider mecwacare will take over the aged care services of City of Boroondara Council in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Council will transfer its services to mecwacare on 1 August, saying that the Federal Government’s Support at Home program has made it unfeasible to continue providing them, but that it will work to support staff and clients during the transition. “The needs and care of our community is our top priority.

Greater Shepparton City Council in northern Victoria is handing over its aged care services to Calvary Community Care from 1 July. Calvary will take over Shepparton Council’s home modifications, access and support at home, and social connection programs, while Community Accessability will deliver meals from 18 July. Greater Shepparton City Council’s Director Community, Louise Mitchell, says Council will work to make sure services continue unabated during the transition period.

Two Catholic Healthcare aged care homes have been nominated as finalists in the prestigious 2022 Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Awards for Excellence.

WA-based Not For Profit aged care provider Bethanie will purchase the Bert England Lodge residential home from City of Rockingham Council, having managed it for around 10 months. The home in Cooloongup, in Perth’s outer southern suburbs, can house 44 residents and has belonged to Council since 2006; however, in 2019, the City started the process to sell it to an approved aged care provider, citing the increased complexity of providing aged care services.

CPSM Care is preparing to open its fifth aged care home in Brisbane, which incorporates learnings from COVID-19. The new $44 million, 141-bed home at Camp Hill has done away completely with hotel-style centralised air conditioning and temperature control, which business manager Shane Winterton told the Courier-Mail would not have happened without the pandemic. “All the rooms are now independently air-conditioned, which added some cost to the project overall, but protects from hotel-style cross contamination we saw during the pandemic in closed environments.

Not For Profit aged care provider Carinity has won a Queensland Master Builders Housing and Construction Award for its $32 million home, The Residences at Brownesholme.

Esperance Aged Care Facility in WA is seeking funding from Esperance Shire Council to reopen one of its wings for low-needs residents. The home has 20 of its 94 aged care beds empty, despite several older people who should be there instead taking up beds in the town’s hospital; it is now asking for $27,000 out of a $150,000 donation Council received from mining company IGO in 2020 in order to restart services. In a letter to Council, Esperance Aged Care Facility CEO Dr Ed Rhode said the funding would go to new mattresses and renovation works.

Far North Queensland residents may soon have less chance of needing to leave for aged care services, with three local councils banding together to identify a site for a new 40-bed home.

Christian Not For Profit aged care provider HammondCare will advocate for better palliative care for all Australians under a new five-year strategy. With 75 per cent of Australians missing out on palliative care – and only six per cent of aged care residents able to access end-of-life care – HammondCare CEO Mike Baird (pictured speaking) has described a “postcode lottery”, with rural and remote areas receiving only a quarter of the services available in cities. “It’s time for this to change, and HammondCare is ready to be part of the answer.

A new lease on life could be in the cards for the shuttered Heathmont Lodge aged care home in Melbourne’s outer east.

Heritage Care is opening its newly-renovated Northcote home in Melbourne next month, with tours available from 25 June. Located six kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD, Heritage Northcote will be a 75-bed home that Heritage Care says is designed with person-centred principles and wellness in mind. “Heritage Northcote will offer a premium choice for aged care services in the inner north community and foster strong relationships with its neighbours including TimeOut Educare Westgarth child care centre and nearby Westgarth Primary School.

The beachside Perth suburb of Cottesloe will have a new aged care home, with a historic deaf school to be redeveloped.

Mildura Rural City Council will no longer provide aged care services as of next June, citing the Federal Government’s new Support at Home program as the reason for its decision. The program – which will combine existing services such as Home Care Packages and the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) into one streamlined system – has led many local councils, especially in Victoria, to pull out of aged care services; Mildura Council says it is “not in its best interests” to stay on as a provider.

A new aged care home and childcare facility in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges is a step closer, with family-owned provider Embracia starting work on redeveloping the old Kyneton Hospital. Kyneton, 87km northwest of Melbourne, is in need of additional aged care facilities, and Embracia intends to turn the gold rush-era hospital site into a 120-bed aged care home plus function rooms, mixed-use offices, café and restaurant; additionally, a 120-place childcare facility will be built on the site.

Aged care provider Homestyle has opened up a new residential aged care home at Tarneit, in Melbourne’s growing outer west. Dubbed Sunset Views Manor, the 120-bed home comprises seven small houses with up to 18 residents each, one of which is set aside specifically for those living with dementia. Amenities including a physiotherapy and occupational therapy gym run by Concentric Healthcare Services, which is open to the public, as well as wi-fi, Foxtel, a complimentary café, a library, and a hair and beauty salon.

Weston in the ACT will soon have a new $143 million aged care village, with provider LDK receiving the thumbs-up from the National Capital Authority. The Yarralumla Views village will contain 55 two- or three- bedroom single-storey villas and townhouses as well as 261 one- and two-bedroom units in four buildings of up to five storeys each, alongside a “care hub” and clubhouse. LDK CEO Byron Cannon told Riotact that he hopes to begin construction soon with permission from the ACT Government to buy adjoining land for fire remediation. “It was a really important step to turn that approval.

A new aged care home by Allity is on its way for Parramatta in Sydney’s west, after receiving unanimous approval from a local planning panel.

A new $43 million, 150-bed aged care home, advertised as Australia's first five-star Green Star rated residential facility, is set to open at Carseldine in Brisbane this July. The six-storey home by Rockpool will form part of the Carseldine Village masterplanned development, and will offer aged care, respite care, and specialist memory support care.

new-estia-aged-care-home-coming-sydneys-north-shore

Sydney’s west will gain a new multi-million-dollar health and education precinct, including residential aged care, under a Blacktown City Council masterplan. Up to 22 homes, as well as a bowling club, will be demolished to make way for a private hospital adjacent to the existing Blacktown Hospital; plans for the precinct also include assisted living and aged care, residential and commercial buildings, cafés, car parks, and an education and health hub. According to a planner, the precinct will be a key transformation project for Blacktown City.

NSW-based Not For Profit aged care provider Fresh Hope Care has rebranded to Fresh Hope Communities. The rebranding – which will be rolled out over the next six to 12 months – will emphasise Fresh Hope’s focus on building communities. In an email to customers and their families and caregivers, CEO Dan Dwyer said the new brand would bring a more unified identity to the provider, which is known by a number of names including Fresh Hope Care, Churches of Christ Community Care, Fresh Hope, and Fresh Hope Venues.

Silver Chain Group, the largest provider of complex in-home health and aged care in Australia, has rebranded to Silverchain and unveiled a new slogan. Silverchain, which has been established as a Not For Profit organisation for almost 130 years, says its “Health. Human. Home” slogan was chosen to “better reflect the complex community care that we deliver every day”. “The new brand also represents our national expansion and growth, and our investment in research and innovation to find unique solutions to the challenges in the health and aged care system across Australia.

Sundale’s James Grimes Care Centre on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has taken in new residents from the shuttered McGowan Care Centre in Nambour. James Grimes, which is going through a million-dollar internal refit, has provided the former McGowan residents with new refurbished spaces, with every resident able to stay in their own private room if they so choose. According to Sundale CEO Helen Sharpley, the new residents are now in a home with upgraded floors, lights, paint, and joinery.

HammondCare’s new multi-storey aged care home at Miranda, NSW, which features a “stacked cottage” model, is set to open later this year.

Opal Healthcare’s latest West Australian “care community”, Applecross Shore, is set to open on the banks of the Swan River in Perth this month. The home will offer 136 single or companion aged care places with ensuite rooms; there will also be a central social hub with amenities such as café, day spa, hair salon, and entertainment lounge, and a dedicated dementia support neighbourhood. Alongside this, a Wellness Centre will help with reablement and restorative care.

Regis Aged Care is looking to upgrade its home in Hurstville, Sydney, with a planning proposal now before Georges River Council. The current Regis Hurstville home has 96 beds along with facilities for palliative and respite care; Regis is hoping to redevelop it to house 110 beds across three to four storeys. According to planning advisory firm Mecone, Regis is proposing to build “an aged care facility that meets contemporary standards, is of high-quality design and provides an array of ancillary uses that will improve the quality of life and care for occupants.

Australian Regional and Remote Community Services (ARRCS) is rebuilding the Tjilpi Pampaku Ngura Flexible Aged Care home in the remote Indigenous community of Kaltukatjara, NT.

A new aged care home is on the way for Rutherglen, in northeastern Victoria near the NSW border, with plans unveiled by the Victorian Government for a modern $57.1 million facility. The new 50-bed home, which will replace the existing 40-bed Glenview Community Care Nursing Home, will have private ensuite rooms for every resident, a dementia-friendly design, and communal areas including a community room and sacred space for residents.

Uniting NSW.ACT is looking to take over Crookwell Taralga Aged Care (CTAC)’s 23-bed Sunset Lodge aged care home in the NSW Southern Tablelands. CTAC approached Uniting to take over the home, telling locals that Sunset Lodge would otherwise fold within the year due to increased compliance and regulations. Saviour Buhagiar, Uniting NSW.ACT’s Director Ageing, said that should the merger be approved, Uniting would work to ensure continuity of care for residents.

Family-owned aged care provider Arcare is planning its first two aged care homes in the ACT, with two sites proposed for Aranda and Wright.

A community-owned aged care provider in Armidale, NSW, will be able to continue operating thanks to a merger with Uniting NSW.ACT.

Grant Lodge, a public aged care home in Bacchus Marsh northwest of Melbourne, is receiving an extra $3.75 million in funding to add private bedrooms and bathrooms for all residents. The Victorian Government has granted the additional funding for modernisation and upgrades, which will also include making the building more dementia-friendly and better able to handle mental health needs, on top of $5.5 million from the state’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund in 2021.

As more Victorian local governments pull out of aged care, Not For Profit Benetas is taking over services in both Baw Baw Shire and Latrobe City council areas. Benetas will run the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) services for over-65s previously offered through Council starting on 1 July, while home and community care for younger people will go to Uniting Vic.Tas, following their respective appointments by the Federal Government.

80-year-old Judith Mackenzie has hung up her sneakers after 21 years teaching ChiBall and fitness classes to residents at Resthaven Paradise and Eastern Community Services in South Australia.

Reader’s Digest has named Anglicare Southern Queensland as Australia’s most trusted brand in aged care and retirement villages for the fourth year running. Anglicare took out the top honour in Trusted Brands for the category, while Australian Unity and Uniting NSW.ACT were highly commended. Anglicare SQ Executive Director Sue Cooke thanked those who supported residents and clients over the last twelve months, and said the award was well-deserved. “For a provider of essential health care services to older Queenslanders, the power of trust cannot be understated.

Up to 800 retirement units planned for western Sydney sports club The proposed village at the Blacktown Workers Sport Club on Reservoir Rd would also include a 160-bed aged care home. While the development is still in the planning stages, Blacktown Council has approved the Club’s decision to move its sports fields to Arndell Park to pave the way for the project. The site will also undergoes a separate Council assessment and report. A forum on the village and retirement living in general will be held at the Club on September 14.

800-unit residential development proposed for one of Adelaide’s most expensive suburbs The 20-storey building proposed by MichaelKris Real Estate features a three-storey retirement village with a private hospital and penthouse apartments in Thorngate, north of the CBD. The company is understood to have signed “option agreements” with about 20 residents, giving them first rights to buy their houses before November next year.

Have you found the aged care facility (nursing home) to suit your needs but not sure if you can afford it? It’s a common concern for those considering their options and Affinity Aged Care Senior Adviser Don Swanborough says people often overlook their preferred aged care facility (nursing home) because they don’t think they can afford it. “The good news is that people now have for more flexibility in how they make their Residential Accommodation Deposit (RAD) for their preferred facility,” Don said.

The 51 staff at Melbourne’s Park Lane Residential Aged Care in Melbourne’s Croydon North will each pocket over $37,000 after the division one win in the draw last week. The group which included cooks, cleaners and managers put in $2 each towards the ticket, with a member of the syndicate saying many people planned to buy a new car, put the money towards their mortgages or go on holiday.

Anglicare is a reliable and highly reputable Tasmanian not for profit organisation. Founded in 1983 Anglicare, in response to the Christian faith, is committed to achieving social justice for all Tasmanians and to provide the opportunity for people in need to reach fullness of life. Our values guide the work that we do and are based on the rights of citizenship, dignity, individual autonomy and other fundamental freedoms, which enable full participation and inclusion in society.

Astley Care Inc, formerly known as Gosnells Community Support Service, began operating early in 1985 with the support of the City of Gosnells and a dedicated group of volunteers. The initial funding was a seeding grant from Lotteries West and over the years the organisation has attracted funding from HACC, CHSP & Home Care Package Program to support over 1,000 people living in the Gosnells and Armadale areas to remain living in their own homes.

The mutual fund group beat Lend Lease and Trinity Health’s joint venture and Singapore’s Frasers Property to gain the rights to the high-profile health precinct. In 2015, Stockland had to withdraw its bid for the site too. Plans for the five-hectare site, which sits to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, include retirement living and aged care accommodation as well as a range of health and hospital services.

With 89 villages and 10,968 retirement living units in its portfolio, the private operator’s earnings have leapt a huge 62 per cent to $79.9 million over the last financial year to post the result. The reason? CEO Geoff Brady has cited its sale of 799 units, and the group’s increased focus on ‘care’, namely their buy-out of Freedom Aged Care and its 16 villages. They are also expecting a raft of new village and aged care developments to fuel growth, with 301 village units due to be completed in the next year, plus 100 aged care beds annually for the next decade from July 2017.

Blue Mountains Villages was established in 1968. Our Mission is to provide our residents – and their families – with an affordable, safe, secure, supportive self-care village that respects individual privacy, promotes choice and wellbeing and encourages community involvement. Our values are of affordability, community, transparency, Freedom and Respect As secure, good quality, affordable housing is a basic human right. As a not-for-profit, the Blue Mountains Villages’ original philosophy was to provide affordable housing. As we grow, we aim to maintain that value.

The Gold Coast-based private provider has announced its first purchase for the 2016-17 financial year, buying out the Albert Gardens retirement village in NSW’s Orange. In FY15, they added 13 villages to their portfolio, part of an aggressive “buy and build” strategy for the group which has seen their share price jump 47% in the past year. They now have 22 villages in total (1,234 units) with 33 villages (1,993 units) under their management.

Meet Judy Clarkson, 77, and Jodie Mitchell, a mother and daughter team who have committed to building great villages – and communities – for their residents. The pair operate two villages – the 220-unit Blue Hills Residences and Blue Hills Rise – in Cranbourne, a town about 45 kilometres outside of Melbourne. I first encountered them in 2006, when they were building a large aged care facility (nursing home) at the Residences, a contrast to the thinking at the time that said retirement villages and aged care homes (nursing homes) shouldn’t mix.

RAAFA WA launches innovative resident-directed aged care home (nursing home) worth $30 million The leading Not For Profit has opened the 102-bed Alice Ross-King Care Centre at Bull Creek, which operates under a new resident-directed care model that lets residents decide on their daily routine before they move in.

Animal rights group lobbies Mayor to re-name Tasmania’s Eggs and Bacon Bay – to vegan-friendly option People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Australia has made a bid to the Huon Valley Council to change the name of the beach south of Hobart to Apple and Cherry Bay. So what’s their crazy reasoning? The activities are arguing the move would promote the local apple and cherry industry while encouraging residents to eat healthier.

Regional NSW nursing home given lifeline by not-for-profit provider RSL LifeCare has saved the 20-bed ADA Cottage in Kandos, which is about 230km northwest of Sydney, from shutting its doors. The Cottage is operated by the Rylstone Kandos Aged and Disabled Association and its board chairperson Johanna Marr reveals the home had agreed to the merger so they can keep it running for local residents. “Each management committee since early 2000 understood that an aged care facility with less than 40 beds was not a viable option. This figure is now 60 beds,” she said.

RetireAustralia joins up with another sports club for new retirement village The Brisbane-based provider is planning 154 village units at the Ashgrove Golf Club in The Gap, 8km from the CBD. The joint venture, which would also include meeting areas, function space, a café and restaurant and an underground carpark, has given the club a financial lifeline. “Sporting clubs across Australia are doing it tough financially and the Ashgrove Golf Club is no exception,” Club president John Shaw said.

Well-known retirement village family open their first land lease community in Victoria The Gannon family, led by Tom and Michael Gannon, have unveiled 226 homes at the Lucas Lifestyle Estate in Ballarat. One of the industry’s biggest success stories, their villages in NSW, VIC and SA were bought out by RetireAustralia in 2006. Launching again in 2009, the brothers now have four traditional retirement villages in their portfolio.

A reverse mortgage can be a great option to assist with paying a Residential Accommodation Deposit (RAD), but can be overlooked because of some persistent myths. Affinity Aged Care Senior Adviser Don Swanborough says confusion around reverse mortgages means some people are reluctant to consider them when it comes to paying a RAD. “I’ve had many clients who assume that the principal and interest can accumulate to such an extent that the home will have negative equity – that is, owing more than the value of the property,” Don said.

NZ provider Ryman sets sights on fifth retirement village and nursing home in Melbourne. New Zealand’s largest retirement village operator has bought a 1.2 hectare site at Coburg, 10km north of the Melbourne CBD, where it plans to build a NZ$200 million retirement village. The site, which was formerly a school, will also feature independent living and serviced apartments plus an aged care centre and dementia care. While the price hasn’t been disclosed, Ryman recently splashed out over $30M to purchase the historic Moondah Estate at Mt Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula.

In an innovative new pilot program, nurses at the General Hospital in Singapore can now “bid” to care for a discharged patient at home, in their own time, using a new mobile app. The Match-A-Nurse programs pairs up patients with a nurse living nearby, who can offer the services required, such as wound dressing. Like calling a taxi It works just like a taxi booking – a patient’s call is logged in the app, and nurses who successfully “bid” for a job receive a text message to let them know. After the visit, the nurse can update the patient’s information in the app.

Southcare is a multi-award winning not-for-profit organisation that’s been offering quality aged and community care services since 1982. Our focus is on helping people to remain living independently, socially connected, healthy and fulfilling lives for as long as possible. Southcare takes a fresh approach to aged care, providing our customers with local, reliable, flexible, and innovative solutions designed to meet individual needs. Our mission is to ‘Empower People and Enrich Lives’. We support people to live vibrant, healthy, independent and connected lives.

Theme park developer takes on new challenge: creating luxury retirement villages The St. Elizabeth village at Hamilton Mountain in Ontario, Canada, is undergoing a re-development by Forrec, the company that famously built Legoland Deutschland, Universal Studios Florida and Canada’s Wonderland among other project. The bill for the development? A massive $800 million. The 114-acre site is set to be turned into a pastoral mill town, including a spinning water wheel and old-time windmill. The population, currently around 900 residents will jump to 3,000.

New UK co-housing development offers community and friendship for older women The Older Women’s Co-Housing (OWCH) is set to open its own purpose-built block of flats in London this November – 18 years after the group first came up with the idea. The £7 million project – which is the first in the UK designed for and by older people – is in High Barnet and was originally the idea of Shirley Meredeen, who co-founded the Growing Old Disgracefully networkwith Madeleine Levius.

The site at University of the Sunshine Coast’s Novus Innovation Park is 7715sqm and was one of three sites on the market through Colliers International. Selling agent Baydn Dodds says interest for the block was substantial and it went under contract soon after being put up for sale. “The deal was set in December. It needed someone with a bit of vision as work hadn't started on the site yet,” he said. The provider plans to forge a strong relationship with the University, training them at the aged care home (nursing homes).

This average American street is not what it seems – rather it’s a nursing home in Ohio that has been created to provide specialist care for residents with dementia. The intriguing design is the brainchild of Lantern Assisted Living CEO and founder Jean Makesh, who came up with the idea while working as an occupational therapist for a major nursing home chain. When some of his patients began to exhibit signs of dementia, he was unsure what to do. When some of his patients began showing signs of dementia, he didn’t know what to do.

WA Property Council promises development, villages and new seniors accommodation to boost the local economy With the state election set to take place in March, the Property Council has unveiled its election platform which it says will allow the $31.8 billion industry pick up where the mining boom left off. It outlines 16 policy priorities including setting targets for retirement living housing; stamp duty discounts for older people downsizing from a family home; and re-zoning existing retirement villages to provide additional housing options for seniors in Perth’s middle ring suburbs.

Aged care providers Wesley Mission Victoria and UnitingCare in VIC and TAS announce their merger With consumer-directed care set to be introduced in just a few months, leading not-for-profit providers Wesley Mission Victoria and 21 UnitingCare services in VIC and TAS have joined forces. To be known as Uniting, the merger will make the group one of the largest providers of aged care and other community services in Victoria and Tasmania. The new organisation will have a budget of around $250M and employ 3,500 staff with another 3,500 volunteers.

New operator Yarrum Living enters the retirement village market The Newcastle-based home builder has launched Yarrum Living as part of its plan to create a portfolio of retirement villages. They are proposing to construct a new village every two years for the next decade across Australia’s east coast. The first will be its 154-unit ‘Catalina’ development at Cooranbong on the border of Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast. They are currently seeking a partner to run an adjoining 132-bed aged care facility. Find out more here. http://yarrumliving.com.au/catalina/

Retirement living is attractive, with many villages at full or near-full occupancy. However, the one question we often receive about entering a retirement village is for help to understand the financial details.

Uniting NSW.ACT is aware of the criticism that is often levelled at the food served in residential aged care homes.

Barwon Health, a health care provider in Geelong, Victoria, has launched a specialist dementia care program, offering support to people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

People living with dementia and their loved ones often find themselves lacking the crucial support required to navigate life after a dementia diagnosis.