Residential Aged Care

15 ensuited rooms and 8 non-ensuited rooms are private, with carpet flooring and a single bed. 1 room is shared, and provides an apportunity for transition to a private room. Large windows looks out onto beautifully kept gardens and rural spaces. Ample storage and display shelving is available. Private telephones are available for each room on request, for a one off setup fee and flat monthly rate of $25. Free to air television points are installed, and an 8 channel Foxtel connection is available free of charge.

The open plan dining area with natural lighting seats 24 residents and comfortably caters for up to seventy persons for special events such as concerts, dances and other celebratory gatherings. A lounge area sits adjacent to the dining space, with a Foxtel connection provided. A second spacious lounge is furnished with comfortable and stylish seating, and provides Foxtel and media entertainment. Expansive windows and coloured glass make this a warm and inviting area, with a water feature and close access to a kitchenette for visitors. Private sitting areas are also provided, including a secluded lounge and a dedicated care planning room for family care meetings.

Expansive windows overlook tranquil, established gardens, with an outlook towards a small man-made lake and windmill that provide water for the gardens and farm animals. Pagolas adjacent to the windows have been designed to maximise the sun in the winter months, while providing shade and protection in the summer. The elevated ceiling pitch and roof turrets cast a display of changing light streams across the floor. Coloured and textured glass has been incorporated within the facilitys common areas. Local artwork is displayed throughout the facility with usability enhanced through purposeful design. A circular driveway enables easy access for visiting family and friends to assist residents to vehicles.

Meals are cooked on site and served fresh from the oven. Bookings for visiting family members who may wish to join a resident for a meal may be arranged. Located just a short walk from the post office, supermarket, bank, and cafes, the facility is ideally situated for both assisted and independent access to community facilities. The Winchelsea Primary School is directly opposite, and the picturesque Barwon River also nearby.

The co-located Winchelsea Hospital and Werruna, an internationally acclaimed dementia facility, facilitate ageing in place by providing access to the appropriate care and environment required. Weekly outings are arranged by dedicated activities personnel using the facility’s own bus transport for picnics, concerts, shopping, dining and visiting attractions such as galleries and shows. Other recreational activities planned within the facility include performances from the local school children, singing and piano recitals, guest speakers, church services, art and crafts, a book club, and access to iPads.

On site services include physiotherapy, speech therapy, podiatry, hearing tests, eye care, hairdressing, occupational therapy, diabetes education and a dietician providing advice on nutrition. Hesse Lodge is also supported by a thriving local GP practice.

If you would like more information, or wish to book a tour of the facility, our office is available between 9am – 5pm on (03) 5267 1200.

Innovative in its design, Werruna is Hesse Rural Health’s ten bed rural dementia facility. Werruna’s care environment is personal, interactive and ensures residents’ needs are paramount. The facility has successfully integrated regional rural art, culture, outdoor gardens and hands on farm precincts designed to maintain connections with rural upbringings.

Located in Winchelsea, a country town by the Barwon River just 25 minutes from both Geelong and Colac on the Princes Highway, and 1 hour 20 minutes from Melbourne, Werruna covers 500 square metres within two hectares of garden and farmland space and out buildings, creating a secure dementia care area. The open plan spacious indoor and outdoor environment is unique in providing for resident freedom and autonomy. A high ratio of care staff to residents provides for increased individualised care. The co-located Winchelsea Hospital facilitates ageing in place by providing access to the appropriate care and environment required.

Each private, carpeted, spacious room has a single bed and an ensuite. A large window looks out onto beautifully kept gardens and rural spaces. Bedrooms with small private entries sit adjacent to lounge and dining spaces, ensuring ready resident access to social activity. Open communal space is divided into recognisable, functional dining and living zones. A double sided open fire place forms an attractive feature. Cedar panelling and solid blackwood cabinetry complement the internal tumbled brickwork. Alternative private spaces include a small formal glass conservatory, a kitchen and an artist’s studio.

The outdoor area has pathways logically meandering into extensive gardens and a traditional farming area with a machinery shed, a stockyard with animals. Architecturally designed as part of the overall dementia environment, the safe outdoor farm space is freely accessible to residents, supported by the nurse call safety alert system. The vista overlooks a water harvesting lake featuring a windmill and community recreational spaces.

Meals are cooked on site and served fresh from the oven. Bookings for visiting family members who may wish to join a resident for a meal may be arranged.

Located just a short walk from the post office, supermarket, bank, and cafes, the facility is ideally situated for resident and family access to community facilities.

Weekly outings are arranged by dedicated activities personnel using the facility’s own bus transport for picnics, concerts, shopping, dining and visiting attractions such as galleries and shows. Other recreational activities planned within the facility include performances from the local school children, singing and piano recitals, guest speakers, church services, art and crafts, a book club, and access to iPads. Activity programs are tailored for resident needs and preferences, and are supported by a partnership with the local university.

On site services include physiotherapy, speech therapy, podiatry, hearing tests, eye care, hairdressing, occupational therapy, diabetes education and a dietician providing advice on nutrition. Hesse Lodge is also supported by a thriving local GP practice.

If you would like more information, or wish to book a tour of the facility, our office is available between 9am – 5pm on (03) 5267 1200.

Respite care is available for people with an ACAT assessment enabling families to have a break from caring for their relatives at home. The service is available for residents with high care, low care and dementia needs and is available for long term or daytime respite. Bookings can be made by contacting the Director of Nursing.

We know that understanding the fees and charges applicable to entry into residential aged care can be daunting for first time users. If you would like to make an appointment to discuss these with us, please call our Administration team on (03) 5267 1200, available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Fees payable following entry into Hesse Rural Health’s aged care service are set as per guidelines from the Commonwealth Department of Health. There are three types of residential aged care fees. One or more may apply, depending on wealth. Capacity to contribute towards these fees is determined by the Department of Human Services through completion of an ‘Assets and Income Assessment’.

A short summary of aged care fees and charges is provided below.

(1) The Basic Daily Care Fee
This standard fee, payable by all residents, represents 85% of the single rate of the aged pension, and increases incrementally in March and September each year. The current standard fee is $58.98 per day.

(2) Means Tested Fee
This fee is determined by the Department of Human Services following the completion by the resident of an Assets and Income Assessment. This represents an additional contribution towards the cost of care, payable by residents with assets and annual income above thresholds set by the Commonwealth. If payable, the fee is subject to an annual and a lifetime cap.

(3) Accommodation Payment
If your assets and income are low, the Commonwealth may subsidise some or all of this fee. However, if it is determined that you have the means to cover your accommodation costs, there is a flexible range of payment options available. Hesse has an accommodation room price that is set on a sliding scale, up to a maximum of $495,000. This is a maximum only, and the room price that is offered will be dependent on a person’s means. Nine of our 56 aged care rooms do not have ensuites, and are priced separately at $300,000.

Option 1: Refundable Accommodation Deposit
A Refundable Accommodation Deposit is a lump sum amount equal to the agreed room price (for example, $495,000). This has the nature of an ‘interest free loan’ to the health service. If you choose to leave, or in the eventuality of the Estate, it is refunded in full.

Option 2: Daily Accommodation Payment
A Daily Accommodation Payment is a daily charge calculated from the agreed room price using the interest rate advised by the Commonwealth. The daily charge is set on a sliding scale up to a maximum of $65.49 per day.

Option 3: Combination of Option 1 and Option 2
A combination of a lump sum Refundable Accommodation Deposit and a Daily Accommodation Payment may be arranged. A partial lump sum payment reduces the daily accommodation fee payable. You may also request that this daily fee be deducted from the lump sum that is held by the Health Service.