Acknowledging that maintaining wellness and having access to rehabilitation resulted in improved quality of life for those living in the community, Resthaven embraced the concept of 'Day Therapy'. In 1980, plans were prepared for a centre to be co-located with the Resthaven Marion residential aged care home, with building underway later that year.
The Resthaven Marion Day Therapy Centre, located at 43 Finniss Street, Marion, was built over 12 months at a cost of approximately $500,000. The centre was officially opened on 15 November 1981 by Hon Grant Chapman, Member for Kingston. Supported by government funding, eligible community members were able to access a wide range of therapies and programs to maintain independence in daily living, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry, as well as hairdressing services and social group activities. The centre quickly became a valued local service.
The Marion Rotary Club volunteered time and resources to establish a ‘Men’s Shed’ for the site community. A room was allocated close to the main reception area of the Resthaven Marion Day Therapy Centre, with several working bees held to complete the workshop. Club members donated and installed benches, shelving, and woodworking machinery, including saws and drills. Upon completion, a blue-and-white plaque was placed on the door to acknowledge the Rotary Club’s contribution.
With additional space required, construction of a garden room was underway in 1993 and completed/furnished within the following year. An inviting space for group activities, the room could be used year-round, with a heater and ceiling fan installed. Upon its completion, the garden area between the Day Therapy Centre and co-located residential aged care home was reconfigured to provide a large, open, secure area for either group to use.
On 17 March 1994, a fete was jointly held across the Resthaven Marion Day Therapy Centre and residential aged care home. A team effort between staff, clients, residents, families and volunteers — the day raised a grand total of $4,700. A highlight was the magnificent display and buffet lunch.
With continued development in home care services, Resthaven participated in the newly introduced Community Aged Care Packages program, which officially commenced in July 1995. Resthaven’s Northern and Southern programs delivered individualised, coordinated personal care for older people living in the community in areas of high need. The Southern program was based at Marion and initially supported 20 clients, with funding reflecting Commonwealth and State Government recognition that the area had a severe lack of services for older people and their carers.
A commissioned Management Review recommended aligning Resthaven's Day Therapy Centres with the Community Programs Department, rather than Residential Services as had previously been the case. From 1995, both Day Therapy Centres and Community Programs were brought together under the collective term 'Community Services', with the Resthaven Marion Day Therapy Centre renamed 'Resthaven Marion Therapy Services'.
A successful partnership with the Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) resulted in the co-location of an RDNS clinic within the Resthaven Marion Therapy Services building. Clients benefited from cross-referrals across a broad range of supports, including Parkinson’s support, continence clinics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry, speech pathology, arthritis and stroke groups, and balance classes.
As part of the Community Aged Care Packages program and in partnership with the Acute Transition Alliance Project, Resthaven Marion Therapy Services provided support for people returning home from hospital. The combination of in-home care and rehabilitation services helped older people return safely to their own homes, reducing the risk of premature or inappropriate placement in residential care.
A new community program, ‘Living Alone with Memory Loss’, was launched, offering support to older people with memory problems who were living at home without a primary carer.
A national first at Resthaven Marion Therapy Services was the establishment of a Parkinson’s Clinic, held for half a day each month. Physicians from the Repatriation General Hospital treated clients who also benefited from Parkinson’s self-management groups and other therapies. This approach enabled integrated medical and allied health management of Parkinson’s disease in a community setting.
Dr Andrew Southcott MP, Member for Boothby, visited the site to tour the facilities.
Key priorities of the Resthaven Strategic Plan were aligned with initiatives across Community Services, resulting in a consistent approach to branding and presentation of information and consolidation of management activities. As part of this process, a new naming convention was adopted across Resthaven’s home care services, and the service was renamed 'Resthaven Marion Community Services'.
In conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association, an early intervention memory loss clinic was established.
Two new programs were introduced to support the wellbeing of community members. The Thinking Skills and Memory Disorders program aimed to maximise the quality of life and functioning of people living with early-stage dementia or other memory disorders. In addition, a Stress Management program was launched to help individuals identify key stressors and explore strategies to manage them.
With ongoing growth and increasing demand for services, additional office space was created within the Resthaven Marion Community Services building. At the same time, the service area was expanded to provide greater support to people in the community.
As demand for community services continued to grow, Resthaven’s team of Continence Nurse Advisors expanded to meet the need. A Continence Clinic was re-established in July 2009 to support clients across the Marion and Onkaparinga areas, providing expert continence advice to residents and community clients, along with education and guidance for staff.
Resthaven Marion Community Services participated in a two-year research project led by Flinders University’s Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. Focusing on self-management of chronic conditions, the project aimed to demonstrate that older people could improve their health through coaching, goal-setting, and lifestyle support. Participants received support through Resthaven services, with outcome information submitted to the research database. This work strengthened Resthaven’s overall approach to self-managing chronic conditions, supporting staff training and reinforcing practical strategies to help clients take greater control of their health and wellbeing.
Clients of Resthaven Marion Community Services, along with local community members, took part in the 'Out & About' project, run by two Occupational Therapy students from the University of South Australia. Running for 12 weeks, the project aimed to increase social participation in the Marion local government area. A trial social group session was held at the site on 14 April 2010, giving participants the opportunity to meet new people, socialise, learn new skills, and engage in fun activities.
On 8 September 2010, Resthaven Marion Community Services joined with Resthaven Marion and Resthaven Community Respite Services to hold the 75th anniversary celebration ‘On the Wings of Success ... 75 years and counting’. It was an exciting afternoon, with 75 homing pigeons (representing doves) released by residents. Marion City Council Mayor, Felicity Ann Lewis, officiated the celebratory cake cutting and afternoon tea.
Resthaven Marion Community Services participated as a trial site in a project funded by Health Workforce Australia – Building Workforce Capacity: Promoting Safe Medication Use in the Community – which commenced in August 2012. Also involving several other Resthaven Community Services sites, the project aimed to develop a workforce model to support older people living in the community to safely self-manage, or be assisted with, their medication. The project concluded in January 2014, with a guide published to support best practice.
With long-term planning in mind, Resthaven acquired properties adjacent to Resthaven Marion Residential and Community Services to support future growth and development at the site.
On 26 October 2013, Resthaven Marion Community Services joined with Resthaven Marion and Resthaven Community Respite Services to host a community event to celebrate the 'Every Generation Festival'. The day featured stalls and displays, health information, entertainment, cooking demonstrations, a sausage sizzle and tours of the residential facility, attracting visitors from across the region.
On 20 June 2014, Resthaven Marion Community Services participated in the 'International Aged Care Open Day', with the office well-attended by clients and their families. The inaugural global event was organised by Aged & Community Services Australia (later known as ACCPA) to celebrate the positive work within the aged care sector.
The land purchased adjacent to Resthaven Marion Residential and Community Services was cleared of derelict buildings, supporting long-term planning for future use.
On 22 July 2015, a wonderful community artwork display was launched, developed by 30 residents, clients, staff and volunteers of Resthaven Marion Residential and Community Services and Resthaven Community Respite Services. Titled ‘Seasons of Life’, the work was funded through Resthaven’s first-ever ‘Artist in Residence’ program. The theme was chosen to represent cross-generational sharing and celebrating varied life experiences. For the preceding few months, Artist in Residence Connie Giacoumis guided participants through the creative process, resulting in four painted, grouted, and glazed ceramic panels depicting the four seasons.
On 27 November 2015, the 'Celebrating Centenarians' project was officially launched. Formed in collaboration with UniSA students and funded through an Office of the Ageing grant, the project involved creating ‘essence of life’ short films about Resthaven residents or clients aged over 100 years old. The project featured Mrs Jean Linehan, client of Resthaven Marion Community Services.
On 23 February 2017, Resthaven was allocated 17 of the 32 new Short Term Restorative Care (STRC) packages announced by the government. Resthaven Marion Community Services was selected to manage this new service, providing rehabilitation and wellness support to help older people retain their independence. Following the success of the program, Resthaven received a 2018 Better Practice Commendation Award for ‘Restoring Older People’s Lives’ at the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency Better Practice Awards reception in Sydney on 23 August 2018.
The office underwent a fitout to maintain a modern environment, creating a more comfortable and streamlined space for staff and visitors.
On 30 October 2019, Resthaven Marion Community Services hosted an open day, supported by Resthaven Marion and Resthaven Community Respite Services, to showcase the wide range of services available to the community. More than 70 people attended, enjoying hand and shoulder massages, Tai Chi demonstrations, physiotherapy sessions, gym tours highlighting reablement options, a sausage sizzle, information displays, giveaways, live music, and a visit from the Australian Lions Hearing Dogs.
In early 2020, Resthaven Marion Community Services staff and clients adapted to the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, with services rearranged and programs modified to ensure continuity of care. Most services continued uninterrupted, supported by physical distancing and infection control measures, with alternative support provided in clients’ homes where centre-based services were impacted. Unfortunately, the site's planned event to celebrate Resthaven’s 85th anniversary was cancelled.
With programs adapted to ensure clients could continue accessing wellness and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic, Resthaven Marion Community Services staff went 'on the road' to deliver activities in clients’ homes, including 'Brain Games' and 'Falls and Balance' programs.
As demand for services continued to grow, an additional outreach office was established to support Resthaven Marion Community Services. Located at 131 Goodwood Road, Goodwood, the new premises underwent fitout works in late 2020, with signage installed in November 2020. The outreach office opened several months later, providing large open areas for client activities, office space for staff, and convenient rear parking.
In May 2023, Resthaven Marion Community Services collaborated with other Resthaven Community Services sites to hold a client and carer wellbeing event. The three-day event, held at the McCracken Country Club in Victor Harbor, involved a range of wellness activities for clients and their carers. The group also enjoyed informative guest speakers from organisations such as Carers SA and Aged Rights Advocacy Service.
In mid-2023, development began on a masterplan to guide the future redevelopment of the Resthaven Marion campus, with a focus on better co-locating services across the precinct and utilising land that had been cleared several years earlier for future use. In August 2023, a survey was issued to staff, clients and residents to gather feedback on what the precinct should include, with responses helping to inform outcomes.
Planning for the Resthaven Marion campus continued, with a scheme developed in consultation with all services on site and a planning meeting held in March 2024. Several months later, a masterplan was presented to the Board, following detailed concept and design development by an engaged consultant team, including proposed new community services and residential buildings. A development application was lodged in September 2024.
In July 2024, Arna Dinham, Registered Nurse at Resthaven Marion Community Services, was named a finalist in the inaugural ACCPA (Aged and Community Care Providers Association) Excellence Awards. Part of the ‘You are ACE!’ industry recognition program, the awards celebrate excellence across residential aged care, home and community care, and retirement living. Arna was nominated in the 'Individual – Consumer Focus and Care' category for her dedication to community service nursing.
The concept for the major overhaul of the Resthaven Marion campus was agreed upon. The plan includes construction of a new multipurpose Community Services building on vacant land within the site, enabling a new 150-place residential aged care home to be built where the current Community Services building is located.
The two new buildings will be connected by a dedicated linkway, along with a central communal square and café. The redevelopment will also target high sustainability outcomes, including carbon neutral operations and a Green Star rating.
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