Record Help for the Regions: Whiddon’s Landmark $13 Million Investment Secures Quality Aged Care for The Future
The upgrades will continue Whiddon’s more than 75-year legacy of delivering award-winning care across regional, rural, and remote NSW communities.
16 April 2024
Not-for-profit (NFP) aged care provider Whiddon has reaffirmed its commitment and passion to delivering quality residential aged care (RAC) services to regional and rural Australia with the completion of a multi-million-dollar upgrade.
Over the past 24 months, Whiddon has delivered $13 million of much-needed development and upgrade work across numerous homes and locations, including the Wingham Residential Care home on the NSW Mid-North Coast.
The newly finished Whiddon Wingham redevelopment will greatly enhance the lives of 69 residents, after a $3 million investment from Whiddon was matched by the Australian Government, to total almost $6 million in vital upgrades.
More than half of the $13 million investment has been directed to homes located in regional and remote parts of NSW classified as medium rural towns (MM4) and very remote communities (MM7) under the Modified Monash Model (MMM).
Whiddon’s regional redevelopments over the past 24 months include:
- Fifty resident rooms and common areas renewed in homes across Narrabri (MM4), Wingham (MM3) and Bourke (MM7).
- Up to 300 residents & staff positively impacted by these upgrades across Bourke, Narrabri and Wingham.
- Narrabri received brand-new common areas, a dedicated palliative care space, an interactive home-style kitchen, refurbished dining areas, and new ensuite bathrooms.
- Employment creation and opportunities for local contractors and extra economic activity boosting regional and remote communities.
Whiddon CEO, Chris Mamarelis believes the recent works will enrich the lives of its residents.
“This landmark investment underpins Whiddon's commitment to regional and remote communities. Our residents deserve the best care possible and we’re so glad we’re able to deliver these new and vibrant environments”.
The upgraded residential aged care services are welcome news for prospective residents, who often face challenges accessing quality care in these regional locations.
Chris continues, “These upgrades to our homes will help keep the people of Wingham, Narrabri and Bourke connected to their families and loved ones and this in turn enhances quality of life.
Aged care statistics underpinning the need for continued regional investment include:
- Approximately 188,000 people are using Residential Aged Care (June 2022).
- Up to 20,000 use Residential Aged Care in regional, rural, and remote NSW (June 2022).
- In two years, nearly a quarter of Australians will be aged over 65 (Oct 2023).
- More than one in three (34%) Australians aged 65 and over live in rural and remote areas of Australia (June 2022).
- 21% of Residential Aged Care and 25% of homecare are located in rural, remote or very remote areas (MM4-7) (June 2022).
- Prof. Blackberry (Centre for Rural Ageing Research) estimated Australia would need another 3,500 aged care beds and another 2,500 home care support packages over the next 10 years to support people to age in remote areas. (Feb 2023).
Whiddon’s $13M regional upgrades come off the back of a major announcement by the NSW Government and its exciting step to invest $80 million in a redevelopment of Temora Hospital.
It is hoped that the NSW Government's announcement provides an opportunity for an integrated health approach, which considers the full spectrum of health services for the people of Temora, as Whiddon also works to secure more funding to create more services in the region.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to exploring all the avenues available to secure further grant funding alongside our own investment into Whiddon’s Temora Residential Aged Care home, so that we too can actively strive to meet the needs of the Riverina community into the future,” said Mr Mamarelis.
“We have a unqiue opportunity at Temora to truly pilot a joint State and Federal approach to serving the health needs of our communities as a whole and not in silos.”
“Whiddon are committed to delivering award-winning aged care that connects, inspires and enriches the lives of those living in the local community, but we are acutely aware that we will need a solid pipeline of funding to meet increasing demand for aged care services in regions.”
This announcement is set against the backdrop of a pending Federal Budget which Chris hopes will inject future funding for regional communities. The Aged Care Taskforce recently delivered recommendations including Principle 4: 'The residential sector should have access to sufficient capital to develop and upgrade accommodation, including in rural and remote areas.'
About Whiddon
Whiddon is an award-winning care provider that aims to inspire every day in its 23 RAC homes across NSW & SE QLD. Its purpose is to support a rich and valued life’s journey for people with care needs.
Whiddon has been providing exceptional care to older Australians and people with disabilities across regional, rural, and remote NSW and QLD for more than 75 years.
Whiddon proudly partners with academics and universities to remain at the forefront of innovation as it leads the latest thinking, programs, and training around quality of life and ageing.
