The best residential aged care services in Canberra

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a woman in a wheelchair smiling at a woman kneeling next to her outside

Goodwin, one of Canberra’s most recommended residential aged care services. Photo: Goodwin.

Aging and indeed aged care, are subjects that most of us probably prefer not discussing at length. This may be the case while we remain healthy and independent, with years of comfortable home life ahead of us. Sadly, many of us tend to leave it until an unplanned event forces an emergency discussion upon ourselves, and families.

As experienced participants in the marathon of life, one of the best things we can do is have this conversation early. This means meeting with our loved ones and openly discussing our wishes should more care is required.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options for seniors who require some assistance with managing each day. From in-home services to low or high residential aged care there are many ways to deliver assistance.

Indeed, the latter years of our lives deserve to be enjoyed to the fullest. And, for many residential aged care services are the best pathway to achieve this. As the name suggests, residential aged care provides residency to senior Canberrans who can no longer live at home. It typically includes accommodation, personal care, and access to range of clinical and allied health services.

While there are many wonderful options in the local region, selecting the right one is important. To assist with this process, we’ve suggested some assessment criteria along with a list of the best in residential aged care facilities in Canberra.

What makes a great residential aged care service?

The best residential aged care facilities provide their residents with the freedom, dignity, and respect that they deserve. They cater to every possible need and go over and above to ensure their clients latter years are well lived. The following criteria may help assess your options:

  • Exceptional personal care. First, and foremost is the level of care offered to clients. Great residential aged care facilities provide exceptional standards of personal care, nurturing the health and wellbeing of clients. They adopt a resident-centric approach, prioritising their full set of needs around the clock. This translates to fundamentals like assistance with every-day tasks from eating, to washing, and dressing. It also includes a focus on diet and nutrition with meals cooked and prepared on site. Moreover, it extends to the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of clients with recreational activities, social interaction, and entertainment.
  • Comprehensive clinical care. The leading residential aged care homes offer comprehensive clinical care. Clinical care often focusses on the management of age-related health issues, pain management, and greater independence. This includes a high client-to staff ratio of doctors, registered nurses, and nurse assistants who are always available. Moreover, many of the best facilities offer layers of specialist care, particularly for conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s disease. It also includes regular access to a range of allied health services that optimise mobility and independence. Think along the lines of occupational therapists, audiologists, optometrists, speech pathologists and podiatrists. Further services could also include dietitians, physiotherapists, and psychologists to aid broader wellbeing.
  • Considered surrounds. When it comes to residential aged care, calm and considered surrounds are so important. Residents should feel comfortable and at ease in their new environment and should expect nothing less than they would at home. From beautifully designed private rooms full of quality furnishing and fixtures; through to vibrant communal spaces for both solitude and social activity. Look for well maintained grounds, full of natural light; offering a selection of tranquil outdoor spaces to visit. Remember, great surrounds add so much and should never be underestimated.
  • Qualified & skilful carers. One of the attributes that separates the best from the rest is people. The best residential aged care facilities recruit only highly qualified and skilful staff who love what they do. From the cooks through to the carers each layer of service should deliver safe, respectful, and quality services to their clients. The best carers go beyond simply helping with tasks; they foster social inclusion and the overall wellbeing of residents. Perhaps most importantly is the manner in which carers operate, with dignity and respect for residents being front and centre.
  • Reputation & accreditation history. When it comes to aged care services, a good reputation is hard to earn and even more challenging to keep. You will find that the best residential aged care providers have a reputation that precedes them. Consult family, friends, and colleagues and combine with some robust research and you will soon have a list of the most reputable options in Canberra. Another important factor to consider is the providers current accreditation standing, and history. Great residential aged care providers successfully achieve accreditation status year after year.

The best residential aged care services in Canberra

Riotact’s editorial team has combed through 20 years of on-site comments to compile a list of the most recommended businesses according to you.

To be listed in our Best of Canberra series, each business needs to have consistently received positive feedback on Riotact and Facebook as well as maintaining a minimum average of 4/5 stars on Google.

Goodwin

With more than 65 years’ experience providing aged care services, Goodwin offers the highest standard of aged care for individuals in their later years.

Goodwin’s residential care facilities are industry-leading in quality of care, comfort, and attention to detail, which has seen Goodwin receive multiple awards for architectural and clinical excellence.

Goodwin has also received national praise as the first aged care provider to employ a full-time on-site pharmacist. This initiative is part of Goodwin’s commitment to innovation and continual improvement, resulting in higher quality of care and peace-of-mind for residents and families.

Through open and honest communication, Goodwin ensures services are specifically tailored to each individual. Understanding resident’s preferences and interests influences activities and entertainment, dining menus, and of course, clinical care plans.

Meals are prepared fresh, on-site by professional chefs using quality ingredients, with menus reviewed by residents and Goodwin’s dietician to ensure they are balanced as well as delicious.

Most importantly, Goodwin’s staff are warm, caring, and qualified with a strong commitment to ongoing training. Residents have access to high-quality nursing support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents also have access to a skilled team of doctors, physiotherapists, dietitians, and other allied health professionals.

The friendly, experienced team at Goodwin attend to their residents’ needs so they can enjoy their lives to the fullest.

As Sean O'Donnell wrote on Google, "Great aged care services in Canberra. Very modern and innovative in service delivery."

Canberra Aged Care

Canberra Aged Care is a fully accredited purpose built 114 bed facility offering permanent and respite care in the leafy Canberra suburb of Lyneham. Their safe and caring environment caters to the needs of wide range of elderly residents and their fully qualified staff specialises in dementia care.

Canberra Aged Care boasts an extensive team of registered nurses and certified nursing assistants offering round the clock care. They also provide a range of allied health services with everything from speech pathologists to dieticians available. Moreover, residents benefit from an ever-evolving activities program.

Jackie McLoughlin shared her experience with Canberra Aged Care on Google, “A calm, relaxing place, beautiful gardens, happy residents and FANTASTIC staff who care.”

RSL Life Care Fred Ward Gardens

RSL LifeCare is a charitable organisation caring for over 7,500 residents across numerous retirement villages and aged care homes throughout NSW and the ACT. They pride themselves on their ability to create connected, supportive, and vibrant communities that offer personalised care for residents.

If you or a loved one needs medical, rehabilitative, or restorative care, Fred Ward Gardens in Curtin could be for you. As a community for 115 residents, they cater to both high and low care needs with specialist dementia care available.

Renata Davidson shared this feedback on Google, “Mum has just moved in and after a couple of days of adjustment to her new surroundings, is enjoying her new life. Very helpful staff, kind and friendly….”

Southern Cross Care Ozanam

Conveniently located in a quiet Garran cul-de-sac, Southern Cross Care Ozanam is a premium residential aged care facility. With a local legacy that spans over 50 years Southern Cross Care have built a reputation for supporting the physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual wellbeing of its residents.

Boasting private suites with hillside, city, or garden views the ambiance is but one component that makes Southern Cross Care Ozanam special. Offering round the clock care and an extensive range of health and support services Southern Care Ozanam makes for an excellent choice.

Debbie Thomas shared this wonderful sentiment on Google, “I just wish my mum had longer at Ozanam. The staff and care were faultless. Thank you for the dignity and respect you showed our lovely mum. You can't know how much it meant to us.”

Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre

Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre provides short-term care as a break for both the carer and the person being cared for. Conveniently located in Rivett, residents enjoy a change of scenery in a restorative environment that offers social and recreational activities with like-minded people.

With on-site catering, beautiful gardens, friendly staff, and access to a range of extensive services, Burrangiri’s small community is perfect for carer respite, emergency respite and post-hospitalisation care. For flexible short-term respite care that allows residents to remain independent look to Burrangiri Aged Care Respite Centre.

Mark MC shared this wonderful feedback on Google, “My Dad has been at Burrangiri for a couple of weeks. This is his second visit there and as it is respite care; he is sad to leave. We visited there today and everything he stated about the place was correct. What a sense of relief that is. He is in great caring hands. He raves about the food, the care, the warmth, both physically and emotionally. Yes, it is a good place, and I would recommend it to anyone.”

To explore other aged care alternatives, look at our article on the best retirement villages in the region. For extra assistance while still at home be sure to read our article on the best home aged care services. And, if you’d like to expand your social circle perhaps our article on the best seniors programs and activities in Canberra may be of interest.

Your experience with residential aged care services in Canberra

Thanks to our commenters who have provided insightful feedback. If you believe we have got it wrong, please let us know.

Have you had experience with any of the residential aged care facilities listed above? If so, share your feedback in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What services do residential aged care homes provide?

Residential aged care homes provide all the care and services needed to meet their clients needs. This includes accommodation, hotel-type services like meals, laundry, cleaning, along with social activities and personal and clinical care. Services offered will vary depending on the nature of the residence, and if it offers low or high-level care. Importantly, residential aged care provides help with everyday tasks to meet day-to-day needs of clients.

What does residential aged care typically cost?

As each facility determines their own prices within a prescribed limit; costs for residential aged care do vary. Costs generally depend on the facility selected along with an estimate of your income and assets. Typically, costs are broken down into three components:

- Basic daily fee, which is currently set at 85% of the single person rate of the basic aged pension.
- Means-tested care fee which can vary from between $0 and $259.26 per day.
- Accommodation cost, a negotiated rate determined with the aged care facility.

In Canberra you can expect to pay upwards of $500,000 for a private room; the payment of which can be managed in a combination of ways including a refundable accommodation deposit. While the Australian Government subsidises aged care home costs; those with an income above $71,781.32 or assets above $175,239.20 generally pay the full accommodation cost. To understand this further visit My Aged Care and consider seeking professional financial advice.

What is an aged care assessment and how does it work?

To access government subsidised aged care services you need to be assessed to determine what kind of care best meets your needs. This assessment is generally requested on behalf of your doctor and is conducted by the Aged Care Assessment Team, or ACAT. The ACAT is staffed by doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health professionals who meet with you to assess the nature of assistance you require. An ACAT assessment can approve your eligibility for Residential Aged Care (both permanent and respite) as well as alternative home care packages.

What is the difference between a retirement village and residential aged care?

A retirement village is primarily self-care in nature, designed for residents who are generally independent and require little assistance. They are often comprised of a group of private homes and offer a range of shared facilities for recreation along with spaces for ‘come to you’ services such as doctors, physiotherapists, or hairdressers.

Unlike retirement villages, residential aged care provides accommodation, health care and support services to residents requiring round-the-clock supervision and assistance. In this way residential aged care tends to be more needs driven, with potential residents requiring an ACAT assessment along with some level of either personal or nursing care.

What are the steps to accessing care in a residential aged care home?

A great starting point is a bit of research to understand the sector, how the aged care system works, and available options. Next is to contact My Aged Care, a government portal that is that starting point for everything age care related, and the only way to access government funded services. From there they will conduct an initial assessment and provide you with an Aged Care account and ID. Once registered the Aged Care Assessment Team will contact you to organise and conduct an aged care assessment. Following this assessment, you will be notified of your eligibility for aged care services along with what you can access. The last step is to start looking for a residential aged care provider that meets your needs.

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bev hutchinson8:32 am 24 Oct 20

Canberra aged care facility in Lyneham is fantastic. Registered nurses on duty all the time. The clinical manager is great. They do high care and have been specialising in dementia management for 30 years. They do high care, low care and respite. When we looked around we found this gem, always clean and friendly.
I was most impressed with the meals, I was welcomed to visit and I was free to help which really helped. These people just made it easy and took the stress out of the decision.

I wouldn’t recommend IRT Belconnen. I have relative there, staff friendly but not all trained well, meals awful, cook chilled food from Woolongong and one relative had to wait 3 days after the son complained to get a doctor out for diagnosis and script. They would not call a CALMs doctor in and finally got a doctor from Sydney would you believe. So they must have a contract with them.
Also wouldn’t recommend Villagio Sant Antonio Northside as they are lax with infection control measures

AllAboutCareCaraHade1:08 pm 07 Oct 14

care1
11:53 pm, 03 Sep 14

My advice is that their are a few providers in Canberra who offer all choices, I would advise you to Google providers as some are not listed on aged funded sites mainly because they offer a range of services across the board. A good service provider will offer many choices before trying to offers there’s alone.

Have narrowed the search down to a few homes which I haven’t heard anything bad about: Calvary, Morshead and Goodwin in Ainslie (mostly due to it’s closeness to family homes). I’m surprised at the lack of choice once you need high care for a relative. Most homes won’t accept a high care placement.

I’m hearing stories of understaffing quite a lot. Medical care is a primary concern. I’d like to be able to not have to visit twice a day to make sure food is eaten, personal care and washing happens, medicines are administered and any emergencies are dealt with on the same day. It’s not looking very positive so far.

Goodwin looks very nice in Ainslie – mostly because it has a great entrance foyer area and larger new rooms. They don’t have a nurse on site over night which is worrying cause that means non-medical carer staff are the only ones there after dinner till the morning.

absolutehomecare said :

Absolute Home Care is a community nursing agency providing support for the aged person in their own homes. We visit many people in Independent Aged Care Units and the one that we have all been impressed with is Goodwin at both Monash and Ainslie. Dont hesitate to call us if you need any
direction in this area.

Thanks – my relative is not able to stand or feed themselves and so in-home care is no longer an option as the house isn’t built to allow access to toilet or bath and the other partner in the home is frail and cannot cope with overnight care (which is not available via home nursing options under the EACH package). An ACAT has occurred and it’s a high care rating.

We wouldn’t be looking at nursing homes if we had any other option. And the search has been very depressing so far. Any information about how medical oversight happens at Goodwin overnight if the nurse is not onsite?

kakosi said :

Goodwin Ainslie

Can’t say I’ve lived in one but have had to visit there before. Looks pretty neat. Staff are friendly, and nothing screams class like a freakin’ baby grand piano in the lobby!

When my grandmother ended in a high care unit in a Canberra facility, we found the staff were wonderful and supportive and worked so very hard to make sure the residents had a full and rich day to day life. Residents had podiatrist appointments and hairdressing appointments and activities etc and the ward didn’t have that nasty smell of unwashed and/or unchanged adults. No matter how impaired, if a resident wanted to attend the weekly church service, they were escorted to the chapel and volunteers were always welcome to help ensure they got there safely. (Trust me, when there are eight dementia patients going up one level in a lift, you would be amazed at how quickly they will try to scatter when the doors open to let them out.)
Where it all fell down for us was around health care. As swallowing becomes harder, and dementia sufferers become more likely to reflexively bite down on things in their mouths including fingers, we had a number of instances where staff, who are not nurses or health care professionals, would crush tablets in order to administer them as a paste or in a drink. Many of these medications were not suited for crushing, for example where there was a protective coating that was destroyed, and in some cases crushing was dangerous because it turned a slow release medication into an instant release medication. So the insufficiently trained staff were genuinely trying to do the right thing and administer the required meds, but it was a nightmare. We were eventually able to get many of the medications in liquid or other form. So my tip would be that if your relative needs health care stay very involved in making sure everything is as it should be.
Most distressingly for my grandmother’s care was when we were told there would be a registered nurse on duty overnight, but when my grandmother was passing away (related to a necrotising pressure sore) there was a delay in getting her palliative care medications administered as there was nobody authorised to administer them in the facility over night. When a palliative care nurse did arrive, a decision was made to administer a larger evening dose of medication because of the trouble with overnight administration of top up doses. Should never have happened.

I guess my point is that even in facilities who generally do a great job and are staffed by dedicated people, systemic problems mean that things can go distressingly awry. Be ready to fight for things to be done properly, but in the context of underpaid, undertrained, under resourced carers, remember that it’s rarely malicious when things go off the rails.

Thanks so much with the recommendations so far. Has anyone had any good experiences with Goodwin Ainslie or Morshead in Lyneham? I know that Goodwin don’t have a registered nurse on duty overnight while some other homes do.

Hi I have recently volunteered at IRT Kangara Waters and would recommend it IF your relative would be going into the secure dementia unit as I think the dementia unit does a wonderful job. Otherwise I would not send my own relative there, particularly if he/she is especially vulnerable. I would recommend somewhere smaller with fewer residents. However, many residents there enjoy it and are settled in, so it comes down in the end to individual temperament and preferences.
Another thing I would say is please please understand the importance of you and your family’s role in providing support to your relative – many families think that since their relative is in residential care they are being taken care of completely however residential care facilities only provide the basics and the true support is provided by family.
With accreditation you are able to see online ratings showing the different areas of accreditation and their score on each on. DO NOT send anyone to Ginninderra Gardens as it has failed miserably.
Finally, there are no mandatory ratios for care staff in residential aged care. The 1:8 is an ideal but not necessarily upheld. Take it with a grain of salt.

Both my Grandparents are at Brindabella Gardens in Curtin. There was a fair bit of looking involved and in the end the parents decided between Brindabella gardens and one other. We had time so it was then a matter of waiting for a vacancy. They both started off in the regular section and have since been moved to higher care as they get less mobile. It all seems pretty good from what I’ve seen. Staff are very helpful and available and the meals and facilities seem pretty.
Mum and Auntie occasionally have a little whine about small things but I think that’s more them being overprotective and focus minded rather than any real running issues. Concerns and issues are always addressed promptly and Grandma and Grandpa are usually pretty happy when they’re health is good.

Mirinjani Weston, my father was there for 3months,the care was wonderful, always staff and carers around, the staff were amazing in his final days, couldn’t ask for better care.

Bad Seed said :

The issue is recommendations matching up with vacancies. You might get a recommendation for a place that is positive but if they don’t have a vacancy and you need a place NOW then that’s not much good to you. Often, you meed to take the first place that is available if your need is urgent and then consider moving to a place you are happier with later and decide if the trauma of a second move is worth it. I have had a bit to do with Goodwin Monash and have heard positives about it and also hear good things about Calvary Bruce but not from personal experience, only reports.

Thank you for providing some names. I too have only heard good things about Calvary – they tell me their waiting list is very long.

We did accept a “first vacancy” on the idea that if it didn’t work out we’d look for another home but that experience was incredibly confronting and now we’re desperately trying to find somewhere else.

As there aren’t many high care facilities in Canberra and only one in Queanbeyan there isn’t much of a choice or many spots available – and some of these nine never seem to have vacancies listed. However, any positive reviews or experiences will certainly help us to work out which places on the list people would recommend.

The list includes (in order of listing on the aged care guide website): Jindalee; Adria Villiage; BCS Morling Lodge; Bupa Aranda; Calvary Bruce; Brindabella Gardens; Goodwin Ainslie; IRT Kangara Waters Belconnen; Kankinya Lyneham (but this is only dementia specific); RSL Morshead Lyneham; Uniting Care Mirinjani Weston; Villaggio Sant Antonio.

The issue is recommendations matching up with vacancies. You might get a recommendation for a place that is positive but if they don’t have a vacancy and you need a place NOW then that’s not much good to you. Often, you meed to take the first place that is available if your need is urgent and then consider moving to a place you are happier with later and decide if the trauma of a second move is worth it. I have had a bit to do with Goodwin Monash and have heard positives about it and also hear good things about Calvary Bruce but not from personal experience, only reports.

kakosi said :

I’ve visited but the homes ask you come at a time they can show you around (they are private institutions). I have visited just before lunch times so I could see what the meals looked like. I ask about staffing levels but they all say they comply with the ratio: 1 carer to 8 people (although this will change next year I’m told).

No one in the industry will say a word about who’s doing it well or who isn’t and the certification process doesn’t say much other than they’ve been certified to practice.

It’s not easy. We must have had different needs because we had only two options in Canberra (one in Lyneham and one in Belconnen), and one didn’t pass the “smell test”. So that left one, and it was pretty good. It met all the requirements you have listed. If you have nothing else to differentiate, pick one close to where you live.

If you are paying full fees, you will be charged tens of thousands of dollars a year, plus doctor and medical fees. I think that gives you some grounds for sticking to your guns and having another visit around meal time.

Thank you for your advice, this is truly a crappy time for us. Yes I have a short list, after visiting every high care home in Canberra, and apart from three homes which I had doubts about due to what I saw, it includes every other high care home in the ACT and the one in Queanbeyan.

I’ve visited but the homes ask you come at a time they can show you around (they are private institutions). I have visited just before lunch times so I could see what the meals looked like. I ask about staffing levels but they all say they comply with the ratio: 1 carer to 8 people (although this will change next year I’m told).

The point about it is that unless you’ve actually had someone inside the homes you really don’t know what the real situation will be like.

I’m not looking for negatives just anyone who’s had a positive and can recommend a place that’s basically decent (people are washed more than once or twice a week, they are fed if they can’t do it themselves, they are taken to the toilet or have their nappy changed more than three times a day, their medications are given on time and they are checked daily by the nurse on duty and a doctor is called when necessary).

No one in the industry will say a word about who’s doing it well or who isn’t and the certification process doesn’t say much other than they’ve been certified to practice.

It’s not a fun time. I am sorry you have to do this at Christmas. We went through it a few years ago, and it wasn’t fun in so many different ways.

One thing though, everywhere we looked, the staff seemed to genuinely care and do the best they can for their patients. But the sector in general has issues of resourcing, and there is only so much a human can do.

I can’t really recommend one place over another, but I assume you have a short list by now. Have you tried paying a second visit to those on your short list? if so, you might want to consider the following.

If you can, try to visit on later on a Friday afternoon/evening. In some of the places, the residents are all strangely docile and calm, sleepy even, and there are fewer staff on hand. Some aggressive/violent patients need medication to be happy (or at least manageable – remember, they are there for a reason), but not all. Try to visit around a meal time and see whether people who need assistance with eating are getting it. we never had problems in that area, but it is good to be sure about that level of attention.

Depending on your relative’s needs, ask about the homes’ programs, and ask if you can visit (inspect) around the time they claim to run them (music is a good one). Look at participation rates and engagement.

We were very happy with where our relative ended up, and due to their high needs, there was little choice anyway. So we are speaking from a positive experience. But if you are worried about reality meeting the sales pitch, then this is one way you can verify these things for yourself.

yellowredme said :

Whilst at Uni I worked many Assistant in Nursing (Agency) shifts at Ginninderra Gardens in Page, it was a shocking place, understaffed, under managed, some very dedicated overworked staff and other staff that karma will one day hunt down for sitting on their bottoms whilst old people needed care and attention. I cared, so I ran and ran most shifts to try to get everyone cared for but to no avail due to lack of support, I went home crying some shifts and after 6 months told my agency I would not go back there. Hope that answers your question about the place. I also did shifts next door at Villagio and it was wonderful.

Goodwin, Villagio and Ginninderra have all been issued with non-compliance notices in the last year so that says alot about the care provided in these places – I feel for what you are saying; they are all understaffed and its a problem from the management and higher not the staff who have to make do with minimal help.

If your parents dont need to be in low level care – you should first consider some alternate options for them as it is quite sad to see how these people go down hill fast in a home. Yes, there are great activities and like but most homes are grossely understaffed and in desperate need of government reform which implements staff to resident ratios. Providers dont make nearly enough money to keep these places solvent and the first thing to suffer is resident care…..do you want your parents waiting for over an hour to go to the toilet or risk having meals late or under/over cooked?
From my experience, I would speak with your parents and see if they really are in fact requiring assisted care and if so consider a weeks respite at a few places that they like – the respiste box should be ticked on your ACAT assesment – so they can get a feel for it themselves and see how the care is provided, what the staff are like and if there is enough.
Just because a place looks great and new with all the new equipment, like Goodwin Homes, does not mean the care is appropriate for your parents or the people in a nursing home.

absolutehomecare1:46 pm 11 Jan 13

Absolute Home Care is a community nursing agency providing support for the aged person in their own homes. We visit many people in Independent Aged Care Units and the one that we have all been impressed with is Goodwin at both Monash and Ainslie. Dont hesitate to call us if you need any
direction in this area.

jss said :

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I will go and have a look at Goodwin and the Anglicare in Downer.

Cheers

Have you spoken to the ACAT Liaison Nurse? Also, the cost structures can be very diverse so some decumulation financial planning can be useful.

Residential Aged Care Liaison Nurse (RACLN)
The Residential Aged Care Liaison Nurse (RACLN) supports clients and their families through the process of application to Residential Care Facilities by providing advice and information on Aged Care Facilities across the ACT Region.
Contact:

Phone: 02 6207 9977
Other phone: 02 6205 2103
Fax: 02 6205 1360
Opening Times:*

Weekday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM – open now as at 4:28 PM EST
Email: RACLN@act.gov.au

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I will go and have a look at Goodwin and the Anglicare in Downer.

Cheers

My Mum (84) has just celebrated her first anniversary in an ILU at Goodwin Monash and I have been very impressed with Goodwin. She chose a one-bedroom unit which has no garage because she no longer drives – its actually a one bedroom and study but it is small however that was her choice as she no longer wanted to do housework and its a lovely little place. From memory, it was $350 000 and it goes up roughly $100 000 for every extra bedroom you add so a 2 bedder (and garage was $450 000) and so one (remembering this was a year ago). Now, these were brand new units, you can get re-furbed older ones for less than this. Goodwin has a new section and an older section.

Then there is the weekly levy you pay, in my Mums case, around $100, but this covers all maintenance, gardening, emergency button, house (not contents) insurance, rates and the use of amenities like the bus to take her shopping etc. And there are stacks of activities. When we give up the unit, they pay us back the market value less a percentage for every year she has been there. You will never make money on them that’s the reality but you shouldn’t lose money either. And the reality is, it was the best thing my Mum ever did. She no longer has any worries about maintenance. If anything goes wrong (which it doesn’t in a new place), she just makes a call and its fixed promptly. My Mum is not the most sociable of people but she has become so much more so since living there- she attends heaps of activities and I swear, the place has added years to her life.

I have been very impressed with Goodwin as well, I think they look after the place and the residents well. Can’t speak for the nursing home but I know have a very new schmick one and I did have a bit to do with the older one in my previous job and was generally impressed with the care given to residents. Its never perfect because they are always understaffed but overall, I felt it was good.

Caravaggio said :

If they ever need to go to hospital, admission to Geriatric Ward 11A Canberra Hospital not recommended.

I heard that Golden Staph is currently on the rampage at TCH so no wards there should be recommended.

If they ever need to go to hospital, admission to Geriatric Ward 11A Canberra Hospital not recommended.

P.S. There are other lovely aged care accommation providers in Canberra, my rant was due to outrage at what I witnessed. My Dad at 82 is still OK, but I do understand your dillema, you will find them a lovely place, just always keep your eyes open, question staff and see managers if you have any concerns at all.

Whilst at Uni I worked many Assistant in Nursing (Agency) shifts at Ginninderra Gardens in Page, it was a shocking place, understaffed, under managed, some very dedicated overworked staff and other staff that karma will one day hunt down for sitting on their bottoms whilst old people needed care and attention. I cared, so I ran and ran most shifts to try to get everyone cared for but to no avail due to lack of support, I went home crying some shifts and after 6 months told my agency I would not go back there. Hope that answers your question about the place. I also did shifts next door at Villagio and it was wonderful.

Devil_n_Disquiz5:16 pm 08 Jan 13

aevans said :

Devil_n_Disquiz said :

My wife, who works in aged care, has this to say. Hope it helps.

Tell them to try St Andrews or Goodwin villages have good stage based aged care properties in north and south Canberra. Stay away from Salvos and Anglicare. They can check the DOHA website for sanctions and issues regarding care in any Home throughout the country.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-age-page-canberra.htm

this link should help.

*NOTE. My wife has no affiliation with any of the aged care providers mentioned in this post.

Just curious about why to avoid Salvos and Anglicare … other than religious affiliation

From the horses mouth….

“Nothing to do with religious affiliation, as I too, work for a religious organisation. Simply based on industry knowledge of past and present departmental sanctions to do with breach of accreditation standards”

Devil_n_Disquiz said :

My wife, who works in aged care, has this to say. Hope it helps.

Tell them to try St Andrews or Goodwin villages have good stage based aged care properties in north and south Canberra. Stay away from Salvos and Anglicare. They can check the DOHA website for sanctions and issues regarding care in any Home throughout the country.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-age-page-canberra.htm

this link should help.

*NOTE. My wife has no affiliation with any of the aged care providers mentioned in this post.

Just curious about why to avoid Salvos and Anglicare … other than religious affiliation

Gungahlin Al1:47 pm 08 Jan 13

My Dad is in an independent living cottage at the Anglicare village on Melba St Downer and it is lovely. Well kept and managed, and far more affordable than Goodwin’s. It seems to have sidestepped the issues they had at the Anglicare hostel in Page.

I’ve arranged activities for him through the separate Anglicare activites/trips coordinator, plus the CT Govt’s Still Ticking trips get him out and about a couple of days each week.

And the Anglicare in-home care team are wonderful with their visits every other day.
All keeps him busy and occupied and he’s probably seen more of Canberra sights than I have (even if he doesn’t remember them).

Devil_n_Disquiz11:57 am 08 Jan 13

My wife, who works in aged care, has this to say. Hope it helps.

Tell them to try St Andrews or Goodwin villages have good stage based aged care properties in north and south Canberra. Stay away from Salvos and Anglicare. They can check the DOHA website for sanctions and issues regarding care in any Home throughout the country.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ageing-age-page-canberra.htm

this link should help.

*NOTE. My wife has no affiliation with any of the aged care providers mentioned in this post.

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