A family member of one of the nursing home’s residents came up to him and said: ‘Who ever would have thought we would have a building like this in Rutherglen?’.
“At the open day, we had nearly 300 community members through the doors,” Mr Kirk said.
“It was my first realisation of what a fantastic job all of the Glenview staff had done, with the architects (Clarke Hopkins Clarke), our builders (Zauner Construction) and the Victorian Health Building Authority to construct this state-of-the-art facility.
“The response from the community has been overwhelming and we as the local providers are proud to serve the Rutherglen and surrounding districts.”
Mr Kirk said the new facility was the culmination of years of advocacy and persistence to ensure the people of Rutherglen and surrounding districts could be provided with the best possible care, in an environment that would see Glenview Health as the provider of choice for years to come.
“While the original and new buildings are polar opposites, one thing they do have in common is the sense of community,” he said.
“This to me is vital in ensuring that our residents get to maintain their relationships with their families, their friends and the wider community,”
Apart from the obvious advantages of single bedrooms and ensuites, a huge amount of space will enable all residents to live in a comfortable environment, to participate in a wide range of activities and to access acres of gardens.
“For our staff, and everyone who works in Rutherglen, we have the best equipment and resources, which will enable us to achieve our goal to provide a comprehensive range of services, from residential aged care to our community clients who access physiotherapy, podiatry and home care packages.”
The brand-new aged care facility was designed on the premise that residents, on a daily basis, get organised in their ‘house’ and then go down the ‘main street’.
The main activity area is the ‘main street’, which houses a reflective space, a private dining room, cinema, spa room, art and craft room, a family suite for families to stay over if they choose to, and Kirky's Korner, the local pub with a juke box and pinball machine.
This is all complemented by multiple small sitting areas, outdoor alfresco areas with barbecues and a wood fired pizza oven, and a bowling green in the garden.
“I’m sure it will provide a lot of entertainment when the weather warms up,” Mr Kirk said.
It was January 2011 when Mr Kirk started at Indigo North Health following a short term secondment as the director of nursing in 2010.
Glenview Health combines the roles of CEO and DOM.
Shane Kirk Grad Dip Nursing Science, Grad Cert ACSM, BN, RN, MCN, AMICDA, is extremely well qualified for the job.
“I know that every single staff member comes to work every day to ensure all of our clients and residents receive the best possible care,” he said.
“It makes me very proud to be working at Glenview and to be associated with the 150 fantastic staff employed there.”
