Next steps taken to provide high level care in Cooma
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Snowy Monaro Regional Council is progressing with the development of an additional unit to cater for community members that require a high level of care at Yallambee Lodge.
There is a high need in the community for this level of care and the unit has been identified as an urgent requirement and as such, funding was secured from the Federal Government under the Aged Care Approvals Round (ACAR). The unit will be able to support those with a diagnosis of dementia, ensuring a high level of aged care is delivered throughout the region.
The project has continued to progress with Ignite Architects being commissioned to design and develop the unit. The Development Application will be lodged in March and plans are expected to be available for public comment in early April as part of the DA process.
The first stage of physical work on the site will be the commencement of demolition and remediation of the former service station later in 2021. The unit itself will house sixteen patient rooms with accessible bathrooms, a new accessible ramp, a communal building with significant landscaping. There has been considerable preparatory work undertaken on the site including; Planning, Geotechnical Survey and Hazmat, Building Code Assessments, Engineering and Landscape Planning.
Yallambee Lodge in Cooma cannot currently cater for individuals with advanced dementia and due to the age of the houses can only provide high-level care to 16 residents. While the government is funding more Home Care packages to encourage those with lower supports needs to remain at home for longer, Council as a smaller provider of these services is seeing the impact of this in a large way. Community members are requesting care and cannot remain at home even with the highest level of support. This highlights the need for a facility that can support individuals who require a high level of support.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council currently operates two residential aged care services – Yallambee Lodge and Snowy River Hostel. Yallambee Lodge (Cooma) has 40 beds in a configuration of five 8 eight-bed houses with 16 additional places being built via a Department of Health grant on the same site – due for completion in 2022. Yallambee Lodge was built in 1995. Snowy River Hostel (Berridale) has 14 beds and was built in 1993.