Pearl aged care in Fannie Bay, Darwin, to build new dementia-friendly facility

A Top End aged care home has unveiled plans to build a 26-bed facility that will be purpose-built for residents with dementia. Here’s how it is poised to help.

A Darwin aged care facility has revealed plans to build a new 26-bed facility, purpose built for residents with dementia.

The $18m project, to be built at Pearl Supported Care in Fannie Bay, will result in the Top End facility being able to care for almost a third more residents.

The specialist dementia care and wellness centre will also mark the first of its kind in the Territory.

The announcement comes at a crucial time for the healthcare system, with a string of code yellows partly driven by extra patient demand due to a lack of aged care beds.

Set to open in late 2025, the project has been propelled by a commonwealth capital works grant while the NT government has also supported Southern Cross Care’s purchase of a 5400sq m block of crown land, south of the existing facility.

Southern Cross Care is set to expand Pearl Supported Care in Fannie Bay with a new purpose-built dementia-friendly facility and health and wellness centre. Picture: Supplied

Southern Cross Care’s chief executive officer David Moran said it would be a “transformational” dementia care facility offering social activities, physiotherapy, podiatry and other wellness services.

“Our new residential care unit will include the latest in dementia-friendly design, while our new health and wellness centre will provide greater access to high-quality health, wellness and rehabilitation services,” he said.

“It will support the delivery of our ‘better for life’ vision for residents, while delivering an enhanced working environment for valued staff.”

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said it would be one of several projects that aimed to increase access to aged care support and improve Territorians’ quality of life.

“The number of Territorians aged over 65 is set to increase from around 20,000 in 2021 to 35,000 in 2041 – we need to make sure our seniors are taken care of in their later years,” she said.

Kathleen Hall, a resident at Pearl Supported Care, said the facility was like a “home away fro home”. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“The Northern Territory government is working closely with key stakeholders to improve our capacity to care for Territorians as they age in their homes as well as in community residential settings.”

Land acquisition was finalised in July, paving the way for project planning.

Construction is expected to commence mid-next year.

The announcement comes as Royal Darwin and Palmerston hospitals battle through their sixth code yellow in six months.

Australian Medical Association NT president Dr Robert Parker said on Wednesday about 20 per cent of hospital beds were occupied by patients who should be in an aged care setting.

The Territory government announced in April it would build a new 60-bed aged care facility, also poised to provide specialist dementia care.

Originally published as Pearl aged care in Fannie Bay, Darwin, to build new dementia-friendly facility