The Not For Profit has opened the doors on a nine-bed Specialist Dementia Unit at its 70-bed St Martin’s aged care home in Taigum, 16km north of the Brisbane CBD.

The unit is one of three Queensland locations – along with Brisbane South and Mackay – being funded under the first round of funding for the Federal Government’s Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) for people with very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Kate Hawkins, SDCP Manager at Anglicare Southern Queensland, said the first residents will move in this month.

“The objective is that residents would only reside in the unit for short period of time until the specialist support and care they receive will enable them to transition into a general aged care setting after that period, whether that be at St Martin’s or another nearby home,” she said.

Watch a video about the unit here.