Southport is set to welcome a new $28 million aged care home, with aged care provider Estia Health officially commencing construction at its development site on Stevens Street.
Estia Health CEO and Managing Director Norah Barlow said the milestone had come after months of careful planning, and she was delighted to see 110-bed home being brought to life.
“The home will span across two floors, with the first floor accommodating 64 beds and the ground floor incorporating a further 46 beds – 17 of which will form a dedicated Memory Support Unit,” Mrs Barlow said.
“All of the rooms feature a private ensuite and have been purpose-designed to maximise natural light.”
Mrs Barlow said the new state-of-the-art building would replace the older, recently demolished aged care home that was constructed on the site back in the 1970s.
“As part of our commitment to delivering first-rate, quality care, Estia Health is currently building a number of new homes across Australia, as well as upgrading some of our existing homes, and in this case, redeveloping an existing site,” she said.
“The new building will expand our previous home on Stevens Street by 50 beds, allowing us to better service the growing demand for aged care in this area.”
“We have another home, Estia Health Gold Coast, already operating in the Southport community and look forward to strengthening our presence locally.”
According to the latest census data, more than 17 per cent of Southport’s population is aged 65 or over – a figure almost two per cent higher than the state average.
It is anticipated that construction will be completed in May 2019, with the first residents able to move in shortly after.
“It’s exciting to be commencing construction now that demolition of the previous building is complete,” Mrs Barlow said.
“We expect to have an average of 100 local tradespeople on-site each day throughout the construction period, so this is great news for the Gold Coast economy.”
Estia Health Southport will offer a range of amenities and activities for residents, with some of the key features including an in-house hairdressing salon, café and cinema, a library, computer hub with internet access and private dining room for small gatherings.
The aged care home will also have registered nurses on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and consultation rooms allocated for visiting medical professionals and allied health services.
Estia Health is one of the largest residential aged care providers in Australia with 68 homes nationwide. The company operates six homes in Queensland, including one on Scarborough Street, Southport, and another in Mudgeeraba.
To find out more about Estia Health’s residential and respite aged care offerings, please visit www.estiahealth.com.au or call 1800 986 818.
