Lake Macquarie Specialist Dementia Care Program a boost for people with severe symptoms
HammondCare Chief Executive Dr Stephen Judd has described the delivery of a Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) at Cardiff in the City of Lake Macquarie as a welcome implementation of better targeted support for people with severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care, Ken Wyatt, today announced funding of $5 million over the next five years to assist HammondCare operate a new SDCP at Cardiff in the Hunter region of NSW as part of its soon-to-be-opened dementia care village.
This complements an earlier announcement of an SDCP operated within Brightwater's The Village in Perth.
Dr Judd said HammondCare's 12-year experience in operating a specialist dementia care unit and program in its Southwood dementia care home in Sydney's south west and the imminent completion of new dementia specific, cottage-style care homes in Cardiff created a unique opportunity to move ahead with the SDCP roll-out.
"This really is very important because a network of specialist dementia care units has been the missing link in dementia care in Australia," Dr Judd said.
"Our experience has shown that SDCPs can provide care for people with severe symptoms of dementia who otherwise cannot be well supported in mainstream residential care."
HammondCare Cardiff is a new $30 million dementia village with nine cottages and apartments for 99 residents with dementia – including three nine bed cottages, two 11 bed cottages, as well as two 10 bed apartments and two 15 bed apartments in a multilevel building. At least one small cottage will be used for the SDCP and will be available for residents around the middle of 2019.
The Cardiff village features a streetscape with shops, hairdresser, workshop, studio and/or art gallery, chapel/community hall and other amenities for residents and families.
"The Cardiff service will be part of a national network of 31 Specialist Dementia Care Programs which will ensure that specialist residential dementia services are available for all Australians," Dr Judd said.
"We are motivated by seeing first-hand the benefit this targeted support provides to people with severe symptoms of dementia and their families."
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