Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt last week stopped by Kilmore’s Dianella Village Aged Care Hostel for a brief tour and a chat with residents and staff.
With Kilmore the first in a series of aged care visits last Wednesday, Ms Stitt had the opportunity to view the impacts of the State Government’s $632 million investment since 2014 to deliver new and upgraded facilities, which includes more than $443 million in rural and regional Victoria.
Ms Stitt said she was proud of the work that aged care facilities provided the state’s older residents.
“It’s really important that older Victorians have lots of different options, particularly in regional Victoria so that they can age in place and not have to move away from their community and family networks when they get older,” she said.
“We’re really proud to continue our investment in aged facilities right across the state, and today is a really great opportunity for me as the relatively new minister to get out and have a look at some of our regional facilities.”
The investment has been designed to ensure aged care facilities are up to scratch and include capacity for specialised care, with around 5,500 aged care beds currently funded by the State Government across Victoria.
Ms Stitt praised Dianella’s efforts in providing a homely atmosphere and maintaining a high level of service – currently rated four out of five stars in the Federal Government’s Aged Care Star Ratings.
“It’s a wonderful service and the staff are incredible. This is obviously a very well-run and very popular service here in Kilmore and it’s also got an incredibly high star rating,” she said.
“It’s a really great example of the kind of care that want to provide older Victorians right across the state.”
Kilmore District Hospital director of nursing Beck van de Paverd said she was happy to welcome Ms Stitt to the Dianella Hostel.
“It’s great to have [ministers] come out and actually see what we’re doing in rural settings, especially with the different challenges we have. We definitely welcome all visits,” she said.
“The aged care reform that came in last year for the increased staffing has been really beneficial, so we’re certainly seeing the improvements in our staff staffing levels which results in better, safer care and a better consumer experience.”
