SwanCare’s newest residential aged care facility has been designed as a flexible living space to cater for the next generation of aged care residents.

SwanCare CEO Graham Francis says the facility, SwanCare Ningana, will “set a new benchmark in aged care”.

“The design is unique and will incorporate the latest design principles in aged and clinical care to cater for the future West Australians.”

As part of the design, future residents will have a choice of three room types as standard – the Swan Room, the Flexi-Room and the Super Suite. The latter option offers a retirement-style home with separate living and bedroom spaces, with the added benefit of round-the-clock care. 

Taking a whole-of-building approach to dementia care, rooms are clustered into groups of eight to ten, sharing dining, living and kitchenette areas and a protected winter garden allowing access to the outdoors. 

Decorative screens allow staff to maintain visual connection with the residents without compromising the home-like quality and privacy of the spaces.

The space overall has been designed to present “more like a resort or a residential building than an aged care facility”, says lead architect Dominic Snellgrove of Cameron Chrisholm Nicol.

“The most important thing when designing an aged care facility is to make sure that it’s easy to navigate around the building, that it’s not confusing, that there’s ample light and natural ventilation and the ability for the space to feel as comfortable and home-like as possible.”

The 124-room building is expected to be completed in late 2019.

 

Image credit: Cameron Chrisholm Nicol