Media Centre

First Concrete Pours Mark Start of Nursing Home Re-development

Publish Date: 17/08/2007
Author: Marketing and Communications Department

The re-build of Baptcare’s St Hilary’s Community in Morwell will commence next week as the first concrete pours take place. The re-development of the nursing home will see an extra 21 beds available to the local community.

Baptcare’s Chief Executive, Jeff Davey, said “I am thrilled with the progress of this project that will transform St Hilary’s into a state of the art facility, and will allow us to care for more aged Victorians in need.”

“St Hilary’s is the only high care facility in Morwell at present, and Baptcare is committed to getting the extra beds on line for the Latrobe Valley community as soon as possible to alleviate the pressure on waiting lists,” he said.

The previous 30 bed facility was demolished in April to make way for the new 51-bed high and low care facility on the existing site.

St Hilary’s residents have been transferred temporarily to the former St Lawrence Private Nursing Home in Morwell to allow the builders to complete the project in one stage, whilst giving residents some peace and quiet while the building takes place.

Located on Elgin St in Morwell, the new facility will be perfectly situated to ensure residents have easy access to community activities such as shopping, the RSL, the local rose garden, and the art gallery.

“Staff, residents, and the local community are extremely excited about the project which is scheduled to be complete by mid 2008,” Mr Davey said.

The additional beds available in the new facility will have positive flow on effects for the local community, such as offering a greater number of jobs. It will be a priority to employ local people in these positions.

The former St Hilary’s building was originally a private hospital run by two sisters who cared for 12 patients. Since then the building has been transformed several times to be used as housing for patients, nursing centres, and hospitals. In 1989, the building was converted into a nursing home, and Baptcare aquired the facility in 1997.

The St Hilary’s building project is the final stage of a re-development process initiated nearly a decade ago to create residential ‘facilities of excellence’. During this time, Baptcare’s six residential aged care facilities have undergone, or are currently undergoing, major upgrades.