Glenview Community Services to open new specialised dementia clinic at Glenorchy

In a first for Tasmania, a new specialised dementia clinic aimed at tackling the most severe cases will open at Glenorchy, freeing up eight long-stay beds in the state’s public hospitals.

Aged care generic seniors elderly.

In a first for Tasmania, a new specialised dementia clinic aimed at tackling the most severe cases will open at Glenorchy, freeing up eight long-stay beds in the state’s public hospitals.

Glenview Community Services will open a new cottage-like unit of nine rooms in October this year under the Specialised Dementia Care Program (SDCP) pilot through the Australian Department of Health.

The program has been operating in mainland states for more than five years.

“We’re excited to be at the forefront of this program, especially when we see such a need for services that expand on our existing offerings in this space,” Glenview Community Services’ Rene Wise said.

The program addresses a small percentage of dementia cases where people exhibit severe behavioural and psychological symptoms, which would normally result in hospitalisation.

Glenview Community Services’ current 'Waratah' cottage at Windsor Street, Glenorchy will be renovated in line with dementia care design principles for the state-first program.

“The people in this program are traditionally hospitalised in long-term beds,” Ms Wise said.

“Often these people can’t be cared for at home and cannot live in an aged care facility. “Specialised programs like this help people transition back to regular care environments, rather than hospital beds.”

While the program is not an “end destination”, the SDCP at Glenview will be providing therapeutic interventions that are considered best practice.

The unit at Glenview’s current Windsor Street site is designed specifically with the care of people living with dementia in mind.

“It’s a more relaxed atmosphere – we took visibility and the ability to have clear wayfinding inside the unit in mind when approaching the design,” Ms Wise said.

“We created a home-like feel so residents can be at ease, providing opportunity for people living with dementia to complete tasks they would normally – like making a cup of tea or cooking dinner.”