The Morrison Government is boosting support for specialist dementia care in the NSW city of Lake Macquarie, through an investment of more than $5 Million in an eight-bed unit at Cardiff.
Construction of a dementia village with nine cottages and apartments for 99 residents is underway at Macquarie Road, and is due for completion in May.
It will be run by HammondCare, and at least one of the small cottages will serve as an eight-bed specialist dementia care unit, catering for people with very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Funding of $1.1 million per annum, up until 30 June 2024, will be provided by the Morrison Government for the operation of the unit.
It is intended the unit will be one of 35 specialist care dementia units being rolled out across Australia for people who are unable to be appropriately cared for by mainstream residential aged care services.
This forms part of an annual $70 million investment to ensure people who experience behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia receive appropriate care.
Staff will focus on reducing or stabilising symptoms over time, with the aim of helping people move to less intensive care settings.
The program that has been developed through extensive consultation with dementia experts, clinicians, state and territory governments, dementia peak groups and carers of people living with dementia.
It is estimated 1 per cent of the 436,000 Australians living with dementia have very severe behavioural and psychological symptoms.
