Groundwork starts for aged care facility

Hospital chief executive Bernadette Loughnane said $50 million of capital works were under way at the hospital, delivering major benefits to the town.

Coupled with $6.9 million upgrades to the hospital’s operating theatre, Ms Loughnane said the facility will be an asset to the local economy and residents’ wellbeing.

“We feel great about getting the new facility, and a $50 million investment in the local community is really, really high, and it’s really, really good,” she said.

“A modern, fit for purpose, state-of-the-art building allows us to give contemporary care.”

“It sustains jobs locally, which is really important, and (brings) care closer to home for our community,” she said.

“We’ll have theatre, we’ll have aged care, we still have urgent care, renal dialysis, acute care, community-based settings, and our renowned gold star midwifery model of care.”

Reducing the need to travel for care will also lower the hospital’s carbon footprint, and eco-friendly building and landscaping practices will be used on the new facility.

Groundwork on the facility started late last year, and Health Infrastructure Minister Melissa Horne visited the facility’s site on Wednesday, March 12, to check on its progress.

“We’re continuing to deliver high-quality public aged care facilities and services right across the state, like here in Cohuna — giving older Victorians safer, tailored facilities to suit their needs,” she said.

The facility will have 16 aged care beds and follow the concept of ‘small households’, which promotes dignity, privacy, and independence.

Eight acute care hospital beds will also provide residents with access to integrated medical care.

Ms Loughnane said the facility has been co-designed with aged care experts to have a residential, home-like feeling.

It will incorporate dementia friendly features, be surrounded by green space, and the colour scheme has been chosen to match colours along Gunbower Creek.

Blueprints for the facility were outlined in the hospital’s master plan in 2020, and Ms Loughnane said she was happy with its development so far.

“It’s really been progressed in a very reasonable timeframe,” she said.

“By the time it’s built, it’ll still be quite modern.”

The facility is expected to be completed in early 2027, and is part of the Victorian Government’s Regional and Rural PSRAC Revitalisation Strategy.

Ms Loughnane acknowledged all donors, the hospital’s board and executive team, the Victorian Health Building Authority, and the Department of Health.