2010

The exceptional community information service, Agedcare Alternatives, was established and opened on 3 December 2010.

Agedcare Alternatives was a shopfront information and enquiry centre to offer the general public a first point of reference for information about aged care services and options. This free service to the public was assisted by a very capable team of volunteer ‘Options Guides’.

For anyone who had tried to access the complexities of Government assessment and registered aged care providers, this was a truly magnificent gesture that provided advice on how best to proceed. In its first six months of operation, the need of such a service was apparent: There were over four hundred enquiries, as well as public presentations to community groups, the training of volunteer advisors and the provision of services from public libraries.

After a three-year trial, sponsorship of the Aged Care Alternatives information centre was reviewed and found to still be a beneficial service to the community. However, being completely independent to Resthaven was not viable in the long term and it was resolved to make it more clearly a Resthaven service for the community.