An internationally recognised leader in dementia care will collaborate with an emerging leader in dementia research as it delivers a groundbreaking best-practice residential dementia care village in Canberra’s south.
The University of Canberra’s Centre for Ageing Research and Translation (CARAT) is HammondCare’s research partner in the delivery of the small household model at the HammondCare Curtin dementia care village.
The two organisations recently signed a new, updated Memorandum of Understanding incorporating the Curtin Village collaboration.
HammondCare, a worldwide leader in the small household model of dementia care, won the ACT Government tender to develop a residential dementia care village in Canberra’s inner south, on the site of the old Curtin Primary School on Carruthers Street. Construction is expected to commence in 2027, with completion in 2030.
The village, the first of its kind in Canberra, will be designed around small, homelike households, informed by HammondCare’s experience over 30 years in small household design at similar villages in NSW, Victoria and South Australia. It will form part of an integrated care site and include a café, hairdressing salon and Supported Seniors Living apartments.
CARAT co-director Distinguished Professor Diane Gibson said the collaboration is an important one for the people of Canberra.
“There is an undersupply of residential aged care in Canberra and a shortage of high-quality dementia care, so to have this innovative development providing small-scale care will not only address the needs of the community, but also provide key opportunities to advance research in the field,” Professor Gibson said.
“CARAT began exploring small-scale models of care in 2021, and we have been developing our work program on this topic ever since.”
“There are guidelines now recommending small-scale models, but there's not yet a strong evidence base and we have been working towards building that foundation. The Curtin Village collaboration with HammondCare provides a great opportunity to expand our research in this area, including investigating benefits to the people, their families, staff, and the broader region from day one.”
HammondCare Director Dementia Research Program and Data Analytics Dr Tom Morris said the collaboration will provide an important opportunity to turn shared expertise into evidence and evidence into practice.
“Through this collaboration, our shared ambition is to ensure the benefits of this work extend well beyond the village to people living with dementia, families and care providers across Australia,” Dr Morris said.
Associate Professor Nathan D’Cunha, CARAT’s dementia and cognition theme lead, said the collaboration presents a prime opportunity to further the Centre’s research.
“Working with HammondCare is an excellent opportunity to undertake high-quality research on the ways in which small-scale models of care can provide more person- and relationship-centred care, enabling people with dementia to have choice in their daily lives and supporting dignity and quality of life,” he said.
Associate Professor D’Cunha noted HammondCare also has excellent education for staff in dementia care, helping them to implement the small-scale household model.
“By coming to the ACT and bringing that expertise, we think it's going to have a lot of benefits for people with dementia in the region.”
CARAT developed the award-winning Clinical Placements with Older People (CPOP) program, funded by the Commonwealth Government, which builds gerontological nursing expertise for a range of health and aged care settings, as well as co-developing – with Canberra Health Services – the sector-leading SPICE program for people with dementia and their care partners.
The ACT Minister for Health, Dr Marisa Paterson MLA, welcomed the partnership.
“With increasing numbers of older Canberrans living with dementia symptoms, there is a growing need for purpose-built residential care options in our community.
“The ACT Government provided land to the successful tenderer, HammondCare, specifically to develop a world-class dementia village to provide care to Canberrans with dementia.
“We welcome the partnership between HammondCare and the University of Canberra Centre for Ageing Research and Translation (CARAT) to provide research and evaluation in support of Canberra’s first dementia care village. This partnership will capture and demonstrate the impact of the small-scale cottage model and contribute to the broader evidence base for dementia care innovation.”
HammondCare Curtin dementia care village will provide 90 beds in single rooms with ensuites in small households. Each household will feature domestic-style kitchens as the centre of activity where meals are prepared fresh. Generous living areas include safe access to outdoor areas.
Clinical parts of the village, such as staff areas, storage areas and equipment, are designed to be out of sight.