SIXTY new transition care beds in Bentley are reducing pressure on public hospitals, according to WA Health Minister Roger Cook.
He said the new Juniper Charles Jenkins transition care service gave older people more time to recuperate after hospital and to plan for their long-term living arrangements.
The 60 additional places at the Juniper facility take the state’s transition care program tally from 346 to 406 beds and is expected to reduce pressure on hospital beds, particularly in the East Metropolitan Health Service area which includes Bentley, Royal Perth, Armadale-Kelmscott and Midland hospitals.
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READ NOW“These places, which are already being utilised, will have |a positive impact on the |public health system and the provision of care to older West Australians,” Mr Cook said.
The $5 million project involved a refurbishment of a former care facility on the grounds of Juniper Rowethorpe in Bentley, with the Commonwealth Government providing 66 per cent of the funding for the beds.
Juniper was awarded the 60-bed contract in May 2017 and the refurbishment took 14 weeks, with doors opening to residents on July 31.
The project’s capital cost of $4.52 million was paid for by Juniper and the WA Health Department provided a $480,000 grant.
Separate to the capital cost, operational costs are supported by WA Health and the Australian Government Department of Health, which provides recurrent daily funding to the service based on the number of residents at the facility.
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