An aged-care facility in Bexley is set to unroll a new model of care for its dementia residents – following a two-year pilot program in Tasmania.
Synovum Care has been piloting what it calls small-scale living for the past two years in Tasmania. Synovum Care now plans to introduce the model at its Sydney facility, Bexley Care Centre.
The centre will be redeveloped from a traditional aged-care facility into seven apartments inside the existing building on Connemarra St.
Seven or eight residents will live in an apartment which includes a kitchen, laundry, an open-plan lounge, bedrooms and a dining room.
Residents can help plan and prepare meals, help with the laundry and a house companion will be on hand to assist the residents.
Synovum Care managing director Natasha Chadwick said a lot of research had gone into the project and, as far as she knew, this was the first of its kind in NSW.
“All the research both here in Australia and overseas, particularly for people living with dementia, says that a smaller environment allows the residents to live a more independent life.”
She said having less people around, and more familiarity with your surroundings, was very helpful for people suffering from dementia. She added a less clinical environment where people get involved in normal daily routines can also provide a better quality of life.
“We have been running this model for the past two years in Tasmania,” Mrs Chadwick said.
“We are also building 17 houses in Queensland at the moment working off the same model.”
She said redevelopments will begin in the coming months at the existing building in Bexley, and they hope to have the first apartment complete and ready for use by August. The rest of the apartments at the centre will be developed over the next couple of years.
The centre will cater for about 60 residents when it is redeveloped.