First look at Mercy Place Ballarat

The local community is invited to tour Mercy Place Ballarat — Mercy Health’s first aged care home designed and built around the small household living approach.

Small household living promotes independence, choice and relationships. Research has shown the small household living approach improves quality of life and reduces hospitalisation for aged care residents, particularly those living with dementia.[1]

“Our fundamental goal is to create a place where residents and their families feel at home,” Mercy Health Group Chief Executive Officer Adjunct Professor Stephen Cornelissen says.

“Eight people will live in each household with their own kitchen and lounge area. Residents will be able to help prepare meals if they wish, help choose their weekly menu and then go shopping at the grocer on site. Residents can even ask family and friends to join them for meals.”

During the Mercy Place Ballarat open days, people will be able to tour the small households and explore the village square which includes a grocer, café, wellness centre and chapel.

The open days will include entertainment from a local school choir, face painting, a sausage sizzle and the opportunity to enjoy a drink at the bar.

“Our innovative small household living approach and the building itself has been designed with dementia in mind and for people living with restricted mobility,” Adj Prof Cornelissen says.

“Residents can find all they need in the village square — meaning they can safely and independently ‘go out within the home’.

“Mercy Health is excited about the small household living approach and we believe the community will be too once they have had a look inside Mercy Place Ballarat.”

[1] The Medical Journal of Australia 2018 https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2018/208/10/clustered-domestic-residential-aged-care-australia-fewer-hospitalisations-and