Opening of aged care facilities in Spearwood

15/9/96

Health Minister Kevin Prince today officially opened one of the State's newest and fully integrated aged care facilities in Spearwood.

Mr Prince said the Villa Dalmacia facility, which provided a nursing home, hostel and day care centre, was the perfect model of a State Government program designed to deliver a better balance of residential aged care services to both metropolitan and rural Western Australia.

"The vast majority of aged people live in the community and wish to remain living in their community for as long and as independently as possible," the Minister said.

"Nursing homes, hostels and day care centres such as Villa Dalmacia, which are designed to provide a homely, caring environment, are excellent examples for other nursing homes and hostels to emulate."

The day care project was jointly funded by both the State and Federal Governments, Lotteries Commission of Western Australia, the City of Cockburn, Watsons Foods (WA), many other businesses and the Spearwood community.

Villa Dalmacia, which caters for aged persons of Southern European descent, first opened as a nursing home in 1989.

"All those involved in the planning, development and construction particularly of the latest addition, the day care centre, should be congratulated for their dedicated efforts," Mr Prince said.

He said WA - like all other Australian States - was facing a major population shift.

By 2025, one in five Western Australians would be aged 60 years and over.

Projected growth in the 75 years and over age group was more pronounced - the population would increase from 3.7 per cent in 1988 to 5.2 per cent in 2016.

That shift, coupled with a rapid increase in disability with advancing age, had placed increased demands on the State's health services, particularly those required by frail aged and chronically disabled persons.

Mr Prince said the State Government was committed to ensuring the physical, social and psychological needs of aged people were provided in a community setting.

Media contact: Kirsten Stoney 366 0300