Overview

Ballarat Hospice Care - Palliative care hub

1836 Sturt Street, Alfredton, Victoria, 3350, Australia

Communities in the Ballarat region and surrounds now have a purpose-built palliative care hub to meet the increasing demand for specialist, community-based palliative care and bereavement support.

The facility was made possible via $6.2 million contribution from the Victorian Government’s Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, giving patients, families and carers improved access to the support and resources needed to make decisions around living, dying and grieving well.

The project delivered a contemporary facility with modern clinical and family counselling rooms, a multipurpose education suite, e-health technology, secure reception, equipment storage and amenities for families and visitors.

This project was funded through the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund. The $490 million fund is the largest grant program of its kind in Victorian history. It provides vital government funding to rural and regional public health and residential aged care services across Victoria. This funding enables these services to continue to provide safe and efficient care to local communities.

$6.2M

INVESTMENT

IMPROVED

ACCESS TO PALLIATIVE CARE SERVICES

COUNSELLING ROOMS

TRAINING SUITE

FOR VOLUNTEERS + STAFF

Scope

This project was funded through the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund and delivered a purpose-built palliative care hub in the new Ballarat Health precinct.

Operated by Ballarat Hospice Care, the new hub includes:

clinical and family counselling rooms
a multi-purpose education suite for volunteers and staff
a dedicated secure reception area
equipment storage areas
e-health capabilities
amenities for families and visitors.

Benefits

The palliative care hub aims to deliver the following benefits:

Expanding access to high-quality end-of-life services

The purpose-built hub means staff and volunteers can meet the increasing demand for compassionate home-based palliative care services.

Previously, community palliative care services were delivered from a heritage-listed church in Ballarat with limited space for staff to meet with clients and families, and for training staff and volunteers. The new expanded facilities mean more patients and their families can access end-of-life care and counselling.

Supporting client choice

Ballarat Hospice Care is focused on providing terminally ill people with the information and support needed to make informed decisions about their end of life options in a caring and non-judgemental space. It also provides families with ongoing bereavement support.

E-health

The new hub has e-health capabilities, so clients’ health information can be stored electronically and shared securely across health services.

Design excellence

Ballarat Hospice Care's values of loyalty, kindness, honesty, respect, trust, skill and willingness have been integral to the design of their new hub. The design is welcoming, user-friendly and well considered.

Environmental sustainability has been a focus of the project, with 45 solar PV panels installed to generate up to 14kW of electricity.

The garden areas surrounding the building provide multiple opportunities for rest, peace and quiet reflection and pleasant views from inside the building.

Largest program of its kind

The $490 million Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, which includes the Aged Care Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, is the largest grant program of its kind in Victorian history. It enables rural and regional public health and residential aged care services to invest in modern infrastructure and equipment. This supports the services to continue to provide safe and efficient care to local communities.