Minister Kicks off Construction at $100 Million Aged Care Facility
The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot was joined by Member for Throsby, Ms Jennie George to turn the first sod of the $100 million UnitingCare’s Shellharbour aged care facility on the NSW South Coast.
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8 May 2009
The Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot was today joined by Member for Throsby, Ms Jennie George to turn the first sod of the $100 million UnitingCare’s Shellharbour aged care facility on the NSW South Coast.
The new facility will provide an extra 100 aged care places to older people.
Construction is due to commence this month and it is estimated that up to 300 people would be employed to construct the aged care facility.
The facility is part of a larger complex that, when completed, will also include 88 self-care units and a community/day care centre.
Up to 20 of the high-care places will be allocated for secure dementia care and up to 40 places of these places will be made available to people with Italian heritage.
This builds on the 441 residential aged care places in Shellharbour, provided by five aged care homes. It is in addition to the 124 community care packages helping older people in Shellharbour to remain independent and in their own homes.
Mrs Elliot said: “This is an exciting project. It will provide more local jobs and additional aged care beds.”
“Australians now have the longest life expectancy in the English-speaking world. This is about preparing for our nation’s ageing population. We want to ensure that we have the aged care places ready when people want to leave their homes and enter aged care.
“It is reassuring to see organisations like UnitingCare continuing to invest and support construction in aged care during the current global financial recession,” Mrs Elliot said.
Ms George said: “Shellharbour, like many parts of Australia, is facing the challenges of an ageing population.”
“The Rudd Government is planning for the future by expanding existing services in both residential and community aged care.
“In addition to the jobs provided in the construction of the facility it will also provide valuable local jobs in the aged care sector once completed,” Ms George said.
UnitingCare is one of the largest providers of aged and community care in Australia with almost 5,500 residential aged care places. In addition UnitingCare operates over 1900 Community Aged Care Packages, about 200 Extended Aged Care at Home places, and 126 Extended Aged Care at Home Dementia places.
For more information, contact Mrs Elliot's office on 02 6277 7280
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