A Victorian town has found a unique solution to prevent its older members from having to move away as regional Australian communities struggle to house their elderly as they lose independence.
Key Points:
- Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Center purchased property
- It is planned to build nine units for the elderly and one for emergency accommodation
- There is a lack of aged care services in the area
Rural nursing group Bush Nursing Center has bought a property in East Gippsland to build independent living accommodation for the elderly community.
The two-acre property northwest of Swifts Creek was sold at auction on Saturday after the owner of the property died.
The center purchased the property with money raised through community fundraising, bequests and donations over the past 10 years.
It plans to build 10 units on the land: nine units for seniors and one for short-term crisis housing.
Desperately out of options
Swifts Creek Bush Nursing Center manager Sue Carroll said a lack of accommodation for the elderly sparked the idea.
“[Some are] They’re not nursing home ready, but they can’t manage their properties or their older homes and then they have to sell and leave the community,” Ms Carroll said.
The farm is located 300 meters north-west of Swifts Creek town centre.
The nearest aged care center is in Omeo, about 26 kilometers north of Swifts Creek.
A community meeting garnered unanimous support for the project, with 34 attendees voting in favor.
Return to the elderly
The proposed two-bedroom units have a kitchen, dining room, living room, laundry room and a bathroom with shower with chair and handrails.
Ms Carroll said the homes would return to the seniors community.
“People feel devalued as they get older and they’re the ones who have done all the work in the community,” he said.
“They’re the ones who have grown the community and supported the community, so we feel we need to give back.”
Swifts Creek resident Janne Smith said the accommodation would be great for seniors looking to downsize.
He said his 84-year-old mother lived alone in a large house in Swifts Creek.
“It would be great if they had the option to go to something small but still be self-sufficient or at home but with extra care,” Ms Smith said.
Privileged location
He said the project, which would be built about 300 meters from the city, would increase accessibility for elderly people living on farms by reducing travel time.
Janne Smith says the units will give seniors the option to downsize.
“It would give them that option of being within walking distance of a store instead of driving,” Smith said.
“It’s a great gateway and once you get to the stage where you don’t have to drive anymore, it would be great to still be independent, to still be able to go and do your shopping.”
Cluster communities
La Trobe University president and director of research at the John Richards Center for Rural Ageing, Irene Blackberry, said it was important for communities to step in when the government failed to provide housing.
“It’s actually a good thing to see that the community is really coming together to help solve the problems themselves,” Professor Blackberry said.
Professor Blackberry says rural communities have a shortage of aged care services.
Professor Blackberry said “cluster communities”, where people of a similar age lived close to each other, provided independence along with accessible care.
“It’s about options for people to continue to live in this community because as people age, they need to have some support,” he said.
The Bush Nurse Center has started applying for various grants from the Australian government to fund the construction of the units.
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