Adelaide’s north gets new lifeline for dementia care
“This program is vital for ensuring that older people with challenging behaviours have a place where they can receive the care they need.”
Last Friday (21 November), Italian aged care specialist Bene Aged Care opened a nine-bed, Federally funded Specialist Dementia Care Unit (SDCU) adjacent to The Italian Village in St Agnes, 15km north of the Adelaide CBD.
The SDCU is only Adelaide’s third, and the first in the city’s northern suburbs. It is the 28th facility built under the Federal Government’s SDCU program, which aims to establish 35 units nationally.
The new unit will care for people living with severe dementia – including those experiencing challenging behaviours and psychological symptoms – in a secure and supportive environment. The first residents have begun to move in this week.
A specialist team of Bene staff will work with local health services, Dementia Support Australia and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to deliver care, at a time when nearly 100 patients in South Australian hospitals are waiting on SDCU accommodation.
For many, the unit will offer an opportunity for their symptoms to stabilise, potentially reducing the need for acute care services in future.
“This program is vital for ensuring that older people with challenging behaviours have a place where they can receive the care they need,” said Bene Aged Care CEO Andrew McFarlane.
Not For Profit Bene Aged Care is owned by the Italian Benevolent Foundation SA and operates four aged care facilities across South Australia:
- Hahndorf, in the Adelaide Hills
- Woodville, 8km northwest of the Adelaide city centre
- Campbelltown, 8km northeast of the city centre
- St Agnes, 15km northeast of the CBD, where the new SDCU is located
A complete list of the Federal Government’s SDCUs is available here.
