Residential aged care provider Harbison is due to begin construction on a new 72-bed aged care home in Burradoo next month.
Funding for the home has been provided through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program and will incorporate technology to eliminate undetected falls. It is expected that the new site will create more than 50 full-time skilled jobs by 2028 – with completion expected in early 2027.
In Moss Vale, the not-for-profit’s new co-located retirement village has been granted approval. The village will offer 35 independent living villas and will be a first for the Southern Highlands region. Construction of the retirement village is expected to begin later this year and be completed by the end of 2027.
Harbison is also partnering with the University of Canberra and Sydney’s University of Technology to develop a post-diagnostic dementia care clinic for the Southern Highlands – which will be referred to as a Sustainable Personalised Interventions for Cognition, Care and Engagement Clinic, or SPICE Clinic. The SPICE Clinic will be the first regional SPICE Clinic project in the country.
Harbison chief executive officer David Cochran told Australian Ageing Australia the SPICE Clinic aims to reduce barriers to post-diagnostic dementia care and ensure people living with dementia and their carers receive support.
“The SPICE Clinic provides a one-stop-shop approach immediately after diagnosis, and we hope to extend the program to include early and timely diagnosis in the future,” he said.
The project was made possible through a $100,000 grant provided by Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia and will be led by Samantha Evison, who is also the first person to graduate with a Bachelor of Dementia Care (Honours) under Harbison’s tertiary education support policy.
The tertiary education support policy was introduced in 2020 to support employees gain relevant tertiary qualifications, particularly dementia care. The program is flexible but usually covers university fees and includes paid time for study.
Collaboration key for Harbison
The first half of the year was equally as busy for the community-owned provider, with members of the Harbison executive team taking part in the inaugural National SAGE Study Tour program to Victoria and South Australia in May. This followed the provider’s participation in the international SAGE programs in New Zealand and France.
“For Harbison, supporting participation in initiatives like SAGE is a sensible strategic investment in leadership development and organisational resilience. The tours encourage critical thinking, expose our team to diverse approaches and deepen understanding of best practice care models. Just as importantly, they strengthen internal cohesion, giving our leaders the shared experience of learning, reflecting, and problem solving together. These experiences ultimately feed back into stronger leadership, more aligned decision making and a culture of continuous improvement across our organisation.” Mr Cochran said to AAA.
“CEO-level collaboration is essential for innovation. SAGE tours bring together like-minded, experienced CEOs and senior executives to share real insights into what works (and what doesn’t). The connections I’ve made through SAGE are invaluable,” he added.
While attending the SAGE tour in Melbourne and Adelaide, Harbison hosted two targeted industry dinners where representatives presented outcomes from the Motiview program – a virtual cycling program originally developed in Norway under the name Motitech. Harbison is the official Motiview partner for Australia and New Zealand.
The Motiview by Harbison cycling program won Operator of the Year – Active Ageing, Facility of the Year – Active Ageing (Residential) and Innovation of the Year – Dementia Empowerment at the 13th Eldercare Innovation Awards in Singapore.
Harbison has also converted a hall in Burradoo into a dedicated Motiview Clubhouse to improve access for the Motiview School program – which connects local students with aged care residents to engage in intergenerational racing.
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