Aged Care Accommodation Project
Project Overview
Providing high quality aged care accommodation for residents from the Shire of Boddington and surrounding areas has been identified as a critical issue by the community.
The closest current care options to Boddington include Narrogin, Brookton and Pinjarra – all approximately 1 hour drive. The availability of beds is extremely limited however, with residents that require urgent care being offered places as far away as Albany and Rockingham.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-29/boddington-residents-forced-to-leave-town-for-aged-care/101107242
Why is this project taking place?
In 2020, the Shire established an Aged Accommodation Committee to progress this initiative. The Committee determined the initial need to ascertain demand, viability and a suitable site.
In 2021, the Shire commissioned Verso Consulting to develop an Aged Care Services and Accommodation Strategy, with the aim being to:
- determine the current and future demand
- undertake a review of residential aged care models to determine their suitability for Boddington
- analyse the financial and licence implications
- provide a recommendation for suitable model, its expected viability, and implementation pathway
- scan the marketplace to determine possibilities for partnerships with approved providers
This Strategy was finalised in late 2021, with the report being formally endorsed by Council in April 2022. Read the full report here. The Strategy noted the following key conclusions:
- Boddington’s aged 70+ population is experiencing significant growth.
- Boddington’s aged 80+ population is experiencing even higher growth.
- The unmet demand for residential aged care is 37 places by 2026 across Boddington, Wandering and Williams, and 47 places by 2031 (of which 21 and 27 places are Boddington alone).
- This supports the feeling in the community that a solution to the current (and projected) gap in residential aged care is needed.
Following the report finalisation, a number of potential service providers were approached to determine the likelihood for a private or not-for-profit organisation to deliver the project, based on the demand outlined in the Report. This process resulted in three service providers expressing their in-principle interest, subject to various factors such as site identification and provision.
An assessment of various sites in the Boddington townsite took place in June 2022. The Aged Accommodation Committee had previously noted the preferred option as the hospital precinct, with the site assessment seeking primarily to confirm that a 40+ bed facility would fit on the available land area. The resulting report confirmed both the suitability of the land, and that multiple layout options would be possible on the site.
In August 2022, Council endorsed the recommendation from the Aged Accommodation Committee that the Hospital Precinct be noted as the preferred option for the establishment of an Aged Care Facility, and be the basis for future planning for the project.
The Shire has purchased two blocks of land within the preferred Precinct, to enable significant flexibility in relation to masterplanning of the site, and in order to maximise the potential of attracting a suitable provider to operate the facility.
What’s Happening Currently?
- Engagement with the Western Australian Country Health Service (WACHS) to gain formal support and endorsement for the project.
- Determine options for land tenure, including a partnership with WACHS and utilising Shire owned land.
What’s Next?
- Establishment of a Project Steering Committee to guide the next stage of the project.
- Seek formal expressions of interest from service providers to develop and operate the facility. Expected commencement date February 2024.