Turning first sod of creswick aged care upgrades

Creswick Nursing Home residents are set to benefit from a major upgrade thanks to $3.2 million in grants from the Victorian Government.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas today visited Creswick Nursing Home to turn the first sod of upgrade works funded through two Victorian Government Regional Health Infrastructure Fund grants totalling $3.2 million.

Hepburn Health Service will build a new 12-bed unit based on best-practice dementia-friendly design and layout with the funding, combined with the existing 18 beds, would make up the 30-bed aged care facility at Creswick.

The new unit will feature private rooms with ensuites built around a central courtyard with better access to support spaces, creating a homelike environment to suit the specialist needs of people living with dementia.

The funding will enable Hepburn Health Service to consolidate activity spaces and common areas at its existing facility and upgrade the heating and cooling systems. The health service has plans to rebuild its remaining double rooms into private rooms to improve the amenities and quality of life for residents in the future.

The project will support the creation of three new jobs and is expected to be completed in 2020.

The Victorian Government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund provides funding to improve health services and agencies in rural and regional Victoria.

Victoria has the largest public residential aged care sector in the country. These services play a vital role providing care in many regional and rural communities where there are no other services, and for Victoria’s most vulnerable older people with complex physical or mental health needs.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"The Andrews Labor Government is committed to improving public aged care across Victoria and I’m pleased to support these fantastic upgrades for Creswick Nursing Home."

"Victorians in aged care deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and this $3.2milion upgrade will deliver the privacy and the state of the art facilities they need."