The History of Bankstown City Aged Care
In the early 1970s, the people who operated Meals on Wheels in Bankstown observed that in some cases the provision of Meals on Wheels five days a week was not enough, that in many instances the people they serviced were lonely and that some also needed more help.
They approached the then Mayor and chartered Member of Greenacre Lions Club, Ron Lockwood for assistance. It was proposed that the answer appeared to be a hostel – something between a full self-care facility and a nursing home. It was envisaged that this facility would cater to people who could basically care for themselves yet still needed some support, provision of meals and social contact.
At the time this was considered to be a relatively new and ground breaking concept, as private developers had only just started to enter into providing comprehensive aged care developments covering the three stages of self care, assisted or hostel care and nursing homes.
Mayor Lockwood realised that the only way it would be possible to provide such a facility was with the support of the Service and Licensed Clubs in the Bankstown Municipality, together with any available Government Subsidy. So, he approached Greenacre Lions Club and asked if they would support him if he put the proposition to Council.
This was agreed, and in 1972 a meeting of all the local Clubs accepted the proposal in principle.
Council agreed that the parcel of land in Greenacre that had been purchased by Council to prevent a sub-division and set aside for use by Senior Citizens land would be made available. The history of Bankstown City Aged Care
Bankstown City Aged Care Today
Bankstown City Aged Care has continued to expand over the past 45 years.
A community initiative, we have grown to become Bankstown’s leading charitable aged care provider, with more than three hundred and eighty live-in residents and two hundred and eighty In-Home Support recipients and Wellness Centre visitors.
Our modern approach and technologically-advanced facilities offer unrivalled care for residents in Bankstown and beyond…
Bankstown City Aged Care comprises four highly regarded Villages, the largest being Gillawarna Village at Rex Road, Georges Hall, which has one hundred and fifty rooms, fifty of which are available for dementia specific care.
Our state of the art Yallambee Village offers one hundred and forty three rooms of varying layouts to the ageing residents of Bankstown. Included in this village is the recently completed forty-eight bed, architecturally designed unit called ‘Bill’s Place’, which provides the latest in dementia specific care in a modern homely and friendly environment.
Ern Vine and Chester Villages offer low care hostel type accommodation, friendly staff and comprehensive diversional therapy programs.
Home Based Services have also become a vital service to many hundreds of people throughout the Bankstown area, offering individually tailored services to our clients to assist in maintaining independence and to enable them to remain living in the familiar comfort of their home for as long as possible.
The Betty Sussman Centre offers social support programs for older members of the community living with dementia to maintain wellbeing and independence while enjoying a day away from home.
We were thrilled to recently partner with Western Sydney University to open our ground breaking, brand-new seniors focused Wellness Centre.
Equipped with state-of-the-art equipment by HUR, world leaders in seniors’ fitness, the Bankstown City Aged Care Wellness Centre gives our senior community the opportunity to improve and maintain their physical health within a safe and friendly environment.
At Bankstown City Aged Care we strive to go above and beyond in everything we do. Our constant goal is to exceed expectations in every way; to provide an environment for our residents that’s not just safe and comfortable, but a thoroughly enjoyable place to be.
We believe that community is central to a happy and healthy lifestyle…that it makes and shapes us all…that it’s our extended family…and that everyone in it contributes to it in some way.
Bankstown City Aged Care was started by our community to care for our community, and that’s what we’ve being doing since 1973.