Funding for dementia green care respite project
A new innovative program in Victoria’s Loddon-Mallee region aimed at using escapes in nature to improve the quality of life for people living with early-stage dementia (PLWD) and their carers has received $1.7 million funding from the federal government.
The three-year GreenCare Respite project — by a consortium involving Heathcote Health; Heathcote Dementia Alliance; John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research, La Trobe University; Princes Court Aged Care in Mildura; and Rural Care Australia — hopes to boost relief and wellbeing for PLWD through an immersion in a variety of natural environments and green spaces.
The program will be rolled out across the Loddon Mallee Region from Bendigo and Heathcote to Mildura and Merbein.
According to Dan Douglass, CEO of Heathcote Health, “There is evidence that for a person diagnosed with dementia, spending time in nature increases self-worth and autonomy, which are often lost following a dementia diagnosis.”
“GreenCare Respite could also help delay a decision to place a person living with dementia into a full-time care facility, enabling them to be cared for in their home and community for longer,” said Darren Midgley, CEO of Rural Care Australia.
The initiative will coordinate therapeutic, dementia-inclusive activities, day programs and overnight eco stays to assist in improving the quality of life of PLWD, while reducing care burden and improving carer wellbeing through ‘time off’. The project will also seek to educate and train business operators, community organisations, accommodation providers and participating respite providers, leading to accreditation and certification as dementia-inclusive operators.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of Princes Court Aged Care in Mildura Carrie Chappell, said, “Under the GreenCare Respite project, people with dementia could undertake a range of activities including walks in parks, or the bush, do hands-on work in gardens, wineries or orchards. There will be opportunities to stay overnight in nature-based accommodation, while their carers would also enjoy time away to switch off and recharge.”
Tshepo Rasekaba from the John Richards Centre for Rural Ageing Research at La Trobe University will lead the co-design and the project’s evaluation, while Heathcote Dementia Alliance (HDA), a community volunteer organisation, is the project manager for the GreenCare Respite project.
HDA President Sandra Slatter said, “This exciting and promising new project reaffirms the consortium’s commitment and leadership in providing quality of life which underpins our belief that all aged people, no matter what their circumstances, deserve to feel happy, safe, valued and respected.”
The project will run until June 2026.
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