A NEW nursing home at Glenroy with 90 beds is expected to reach full capacity within six months.
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The $15 million home is now into its second week of operation after residents were moved from the Albury District Nursing Home in David Street, which had 59 places.
Melbourne-based aged care-provider Japara Healthcare operates the facility in Logan Road, built by contractor Zauner Construction on part of the former Hume Country Golf Club.
All residents have single rooms with an ensuite.
Japara chief executive Andrew Sudholz said residents were all moved over in the one morning.
“That was an outstanding effort when you think about having to move more than 50 people from one location to another location,” he said.
“We had them ready for their lunch at 12.30pm — it went very smoothly.”
Mr Sudholz said all residents had settled well into the new facility.
“The rooms are larger and we are very much focused on having a really nice amenity,” he said.
“We have three different styles of rooms, with rooms of different sizes and proportions that suit individual residents’ needs.”
There was a lot of natural light throughout the high quality accommodation.
Mr Sudholz said Japara was now working with the area’s referral network to ensure the remaining rooms were filled.
“Part of the facility is specifically designed to cater for dementia residents,” he said.
Mr Sudholz said that was especially important given that the number of Australians with dementia was expected to double within the next 10 to 12 years.
The nursing home has its own kitchen for all food preparation and its own laundry.
The facility will be officially opened next month.
Japara first announced the project in 2008 and bought 1.7 hectares from the Fendyk family and Coral Rain company in 2009.
Japara continues to own the David Street site, dated from 1977, and has planning consent to demolish the buildings, the work expected in four to six weeks.
Mr Sudholz said it was only then Japara would look at its options.
“We will either sell the site as a residential development site or we may actually develop it ourselves,” he said.
“We haven’t made a decision on which way we’re going on it.”
