Mercy Health and Aged Care unveil new plans to replace Bethany building
Plans have been revealed for a new 91-bed, two-storey building at Rockhampton aged care facility. The Federal Government has kicked in $9m towards the project. Check out a video of the renders here.
Rockhampton
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Plans for a new 91-bed residential aged care facility at Mercy Health and Aged Care in The Range were ceremoniously unveiled this month.
The two-storey building, with a 34-space basement car park, includes independent rooms, activities and living areas, patios, servery and nurses station.
The $30 million project also includes a new stand-alone kitchen building, garden area and additional car parking.
The development will take place on the Mercy site, on the vacant land on the corner of Agnes and Spencer streets.
The new building would be a replacement for the Bethany building, which is “very tired”.
The current building has a lot of shared facilities, with two or three people to a room, while the new facility is all individual with ensuite rooms.
“The Bethany Building has served us very, very well but for almost 50 years,” executive officer and director of nursing Mercy Health and Aged Care Rockhampton Lesley Schneider said.
“It has had numerous renovations over the years but it won’t meet standards anymore.
“So we are excited for this funding and to be able to go ahead, for the residents and the staff who perform a wonderful job in very difficult circumstances.”
The Federal Government has supported the project with a $9 million capital grant towards the project.
“The plans look absolutely fantastic,” Capricornia MP Michelle Landry said.
“Aged care is something where we need more beds.
“The aged care is a growing industry; we are finding that people are living longer, they are in their homes a lot longer.
“Towards their later years people need to be in care and I think it’s really important that we have really good facilities here in Rockhampton.”
The ageing population in Australia has been rising for some time.
In 2016, 15 per cent of people were 65 years or older and it is estimated this proportion will increase to 22.9 per cent, increasing the demand for services and care.
In 2017, it was reported the Rockhampton Regional Council area had 12 aged care facilities with more than 825 beds.
As of September 30, 2020, there were 797 people in Rockhampton, Gladstone and Central Highlands on the waiting list for Federal Government aged care, including 570 who needed the two highest levels of care.
“It is difficult for people to get into facilities, there are waiting lists everywhere that you go,” Ms Landry said.
“I have been going that for myself for my parents and it does take a while for people to get into good care.”
The plans will be lodged with council next month and it is hoped the project will be approved mid next year with a construction period of 12 months.
Residents in the Bethany building will be moved over to the new site.
It’s not known at this stage what will happen to the Bethany building as the focus of the project has been on the new building, but it is hoped it will be redeveloped and not demolished.
Also in aged care, work began earlier this year at Benevolent Living in West Rockhampton, for the $47m Rhythms of Life redevelopment.
The first stage, expected to take 12 months, is for the construction of a new resident care building with one-bedroom apartments and the complete refurbishment of the reception area and coffee shop.
The second stage includes a five-storey building with 40 independent living apartments and is expected to take 18 months.
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