The aged care provider has been selected to lead the transformation of the former Curtin Primary School, 8km southwest of Canberra's CBD, into a best-practice dementia care village following a competitive tender process.
A first for Canberra, the dementia care village will be designed around small, home-like cottages of eight to nine people living with dementia, following an agreement between the ACT Suburban Land Agency and HammondCare, which earlier this week announced a $300 million redevelopment of Greenwich Hospital in Sydney.
HammondCare has paid $18 million for the 22,448m² site with the capital cost of the project to be around $150 million.
The Curtin Dementia Village, which will provide 11 cottages offering 90 beds in single rooms with ensuites, will be part of an integrated care site, including a café, shop, hairdressing salon and 48 Supported Seniors Living apartments. In addition, there will be integrated shared spaces, including gardens, walking paths, and a wellness and community hub.
“The home-like cottages, combined with a relationship-based philosophy of care, will improve quality of life, reduce confusion and promote independence for people living with dementia,” said HammondCare CEO Andrew Thorburn, who joined with ACT Suburban Land Agency Chief Executive Officer Adam Davey to announce the exchange of contracts.
The project will be informed by HammondCare’s experience over 30 years in small household design at similar villages in NSW, Victoria and more recently at Daw Park, South Australia, as part of the Repat Health Precinct.
“This marks a major milestone in delivering a landmark project that will provide best practice care and support for Canberrans living with dementia,” Adam said.
Once in operation, HammondCare Curtin will provide employment for up to 300 Canberrans.
