From left: Olympic gold medallist Shane Gould with Hon Josh Wilson MP, Member for Fremantle. Photo: Supplied.
Southern Cross Care (SCC WA) has officially launch its Southern Plus Health and Wellness Centre in East Fremantle on 19 November.
The centre was opened by the Hon Steve Irons MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, and attended by Olympic gold medallist Shane Gould.
Co-located with the recently opened Southern Plus East Fremantle residential aged care home, the centre is designed to help seniors to remain healthy, fit, and independent.
The vision of Southern Plus is to help seniors to get better or stabilise their condition so they can return to independent living, recognising that aged care does not have to be the end of the line after a loved one suffers an illness or fall.
Driven by the strong preference of older people to stay living at home, the focus is on seniors in their third age, keeping them fit and healthy with the right professional and medical support.
From left: Southern Cross Care WA Chief Executive Errol Turner with Olympic gold medallist Shane Gould. Photo: Supplied.
Southern Cross Care WA Chief Executive Errol Turner said the Southern Plus Health and Wellness Centre would set a new standard in health care dedicated to seniors.
“Too often as a nation, we see seniors spending unnecessarily long periods in hospital or prematurely entering into residential care,” Mr Turner said.
“Often there are not the health and wellness services available following surgery, illness or serious injury that caters specifically for seniors to rebuild strength and minimise falls.”
Mr Turner asserted SCC WA believes that the “entry into residential aged care should be an end-of-life care service, supporting those in their final few months of life”.
The health and wellness services offered have been developed with Edith Cowan University’s Vario Health Clinic and Kaleeya Health to support seniors achieve a better way to age.
Services include GP’s with experience in treating seniors’ health issues and exercise programs designed by exercise physiologists and allied health professionals.
All exercise programmes are designed to support the rehabilitation of seniors’ illnesses, injuries or joint replacement surgery following a stay in the hospital.
“With our partners ECU Vario Health Clinic and Kaleeya Health, the Southern Plus Health and Wellness Centre responds to the need in the community in providing state of the art facilities and highly trained and experienced allied health and medical professionals,” Mr Turner said.
Clients enjoying a water aerobics class in the hydrotherapy pool. Photo: Supplied.
“Our teams are committed to helping seniors remain independent for as long as possible, so they may stay out of residential care and achieve the best possible quality of life.”
Associate Dean of Medical and Exercise Sciences at Edith Cowan University Professor Rob Newton is excited about the partnership that will help more seniors to access health and wellness services.
“Research shows that exercise as a therapy in conjunction with medical programmes advised by medical professionals helps improve rehabilitation and overall health and wellness of individuals,” Prof Newton said.
“Coupled with the therapeutic benefits of improved social contact, the outcomes for seniors is a much better quality of life.”
The centre’s facilities include an onsite hydrotherapy pool, exercise clinic with gym equipment and outdoor exercise area.