IT’S SAID home is where the heart is. Which is why when aged care provider Uniting Care chose to give its Wontama facility in Orange a $25 million makeover, it turned to residents and staff for their input.
Residents are now just months away from moving into their new digs at the multi million-dollar accommodation centre.
But for the 72 residents who have been living in ward-type accommodation in the two-storey 1960s building next door for years, there won’t be any surprises in store when they settle in.
“Our residents and staff have all been involved in the design, from the room layouts and colour schemes to choosing the names for the different households,” said Wontama’s service manager Helen Mobbs of the transformation.
“One lady is so excited about moving in she’s been busy knitting new blankets and wraps for her new room.”
She described the existing nursing home, which will be demolished once the new building opens, as “very institutional” compared to the household-style design of the new centre.
“It will be a totally different world. The existing brick two-storey building was built around the 1960s and is a bit like an old hospital with long corridors and communal wards.”
She said staff were consulted right from the start of the design process. “We looked at what was needed and how we can make it less institutional and more home-driven.”
The result, which is expected to be unveiled in November, is a facility with four multi-roomed households, each with its own kitchen and lounge area. It will also include a cafe, chapel and hairdresser.
“At the moment, residents have to share bathrooms. In the new facility every bedroom has its own ensuite and in each home there are separate areas for residents to relax and have some quiet time,” Mrs Mobbs said.
“The kitchens will be functional, where residents and staff can bake a cake, make morning tea, or grab a cup of tea and a biscuit when they want. It’s as close to being at home as we can get.”
During the planning stage, staff laid out tape on floors to replicate the rooms. “We then got residents to come in with their wheelchairs and equipment to test that everything would fit and that there was enough of a turning circle for wheelchairs,” Mrs Mobbs said.
Residents and staff also worked closely with the design team when choosing the colour scheme and fabrics.
“They wanted warm, bright colours that reflected the colours of Orange,” she said.
“Identity was also very important to our residents, who wanted to name their new home. Instead of being on ‘ward B’ they wanted to have a real address.”
So the four houses are all named after trees – Jacaranda Place, Wisteria Cottage, Camellia Court and Wattle Homestead.
Mrs Mobbs said she strongly believes the space should be for all 148 residents – those in the nursing home and those living in neighbouring Clancy Weston Lodge, which will also be refurbished – so that all can get together for special functions.
Uniting Wontama Orange, 27 Summer Street, 6362-1211, www.uniting.org
