Construction has officially begun on Brightwater Care Group’s new 128-bed residential aged care facility in Inglewood, with the facility expected to open next year.
Construction has officially begun on Brightwater Care Group’s new 128-bed residential aged care facility in Inglewood, a 15-month process that is expected to see the facility open in mid 2022.
The configuration of the new aged care home is a first for Western Australia, with the facility to be integrated with the aged care provider’s corporate head office and a dedicated research centre.
The facility has been designed based on Harvard-trained geriatrician William Thomas’s 'small house' care model, which moves away from the traditional distributed care model in favour of smaller, more domestic homes that enable residents to maintain their independence.
The facility, opposite the organisation’s existing dementia-specific home on Walter Road, will feature a series of small homes housing up to 16 residents each, with open kitchens, dining settings and central living areas reminiscent of a family home.
The building’s design also focuses on memory and wellbeing, providing spaces for engagement with family and fellow residents, while ensuring all operational areas are discrete.
The small house model of care, often referred to as the 'greenhouse model', was one reviewed by Brightwater’s own research centre, which has conducted research into a number of key areas, including resilience and ageing, depression, client wellbeing and nutrition, palliative care, and quality of life after brain injury.
The centre’s research is designed to help inform and improve practices and policies for the aged care sector.
During a ceremonial sod-turning this morning, Health Minister Roger Cook said he was pleased with the investment and research going into the development of aged care services, given demand for facilities was projected to grow significantly over the next decade.
“We know that the number of older adult Western Australians is projected to grow by 50 per cent in the next 10 years,” he said.
“Without the adequate planning, we will see increased pressure on the state’s health system.
“That’s why it is great to see real investment and research going into projects like Brightwater Inglewood, with small homes that prioritise and respect the independence of the individuals living there.”
Brightwater chief executive officer Jennifer Lawrence said the building had been designed with clients at the heart, catering to those of all abilities while focusing on being dementia friendly and facilitating independence and wellbeing.
Construction of the project, which will be led by civil construction company Georgiou Group, is expected to be completed by April 2022 and provide jobs for as many as 180 tradespeople.
