Ballarat Hospice Care welcomes the $6.2 million state government funding announcement for its new palliative care hub in Lucas.
Ballarat Hospice Care is a 30-year community organisation renowned for “going the extra mile” for patients, carers and their families as they progress through end of life choices.
This has been reflected in the overwhelming community support shown so far in its bid to create a brand, new home that reflects Ballarat Hospice Care’s values of loyalty, honesty, kindness, respect, trust, skill and willingness.
The new hub will allow Ballarat Hospice Care to take its service to a whole new dimension, including:
• A welcoming place for families and carers
• Create a space where people can feel safe and supported – a “safe landing spot” for people dealing with end of life issues; and
• A supportive environment to family members of all ages post-death; and
• Equip our partners to help provide a fully supportive palliative care service.
• Further develop volunteers to become part of our Compassionate Communities focus, which will include assisting patients with end of life care;
• Provide the latest in palliative care information and receive assistance with the interpretation of that information;
• The building will be a haven for all who use it, including staff, volunteers, patients, carers and families.
This building will allow us to continue the quality of service we currently provide but allow to grow and meet emerging needs.
Ballarat Hospice Care staff often travel around remote parts of our large catchment, in all weather conditions, to provide care, with an emergency service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Having dedicated rooms where they can debrief with colleagues and get support to help them provide top quality, end of life care is vital for their ongoing physical and mental health wellbeing.
Ballarat Hospice Care executive officer Carita Clancy said service demand rose 18 per cent last year.
“This new facility will allow us to continue to provide quality care but will enable us to provide it in new and diverse ways and to implement the government’s end of life framework,” Ms Clancy said.
“Our new home will be inviting and have a positive impact on the quality of services for all. It will allow us to show how palliative care can really improve the quality of both living and dying.
“This building will take Ballarat Hospice Care into a bright new future as a leading western Victorian palliative care hub.
“We are grateful for this recognition and support from government and grateful to our friends and community for believing in us.
“This building will increase our capacity to meet the need of our services. We will have a much better working environment for staff, we will have dedicated space for our volunteers, clinical care and counselling, there will also be dedicated space for education for our volunteers, staff, patients and carers, partners and our community.
There will also be an increase in capacity for diversity in our approach to care and greater capacity for supporting carers in their bereavement.
“In our application to the Regional Health Infrastructure Fund, we identified the need, we showed our willingness to respond through our Service Plan and now we have the means to continue the important work of Ballarat Hospice Care. This is fantastic.”
Ballarat Hospice Care board chairman Geoff Russell thanked the State Government, and said the overwhelming community support had played a large role in receiving the funding.
“Ballarat Hospice Care receives enormous support from our community and this was a major factor in the government’s decision to help fund this project,” Mr Russell said.
“A Ballarat Hospice Care palliative care hub will make a significant difference to our ability to deliver enhanced palliative care services, provide health care improvements and enable informed palliative care choices,” Mr Russell said.
