2021 Community Snapshot

Welcome to our newsletter. So much has happened in 2021 we decided to give you a snapshot!

Our Facebook page @HeathcoteDementiaAlliance now has almost 700 very supportive followers and this is expected to grow further as the various projects take off. Expect to see us on Instagram in 2022, and our pre-launch website https://heathcotedementia.org/, currently under construction, provides a valuable link for people to understand the exciting things happening in Heathcote and district.

Gilbruk Place

Advance Heathcote is in negotiations with the preferred operator for the proposed dementia village adjacent to Heathcote Health, and an agreement is expected to be signed in January 2022. This is a huge step forward seven years in the making, thanks to the hard work of many people.

Carer Support Strategy

Part of HDA’s planning includes supporting carers of those with dementia. Due to COVID 19 our Carer Support Strategy has been delayed. Our aim is to have it completed early in the new year.

Carer consultations and planned – listening to carers on what is important to them and what they require. We will also form a dementia specific advisory group to ensure we stay connected with the express needs of carers.

We will create ‘Dementia Mates’, a group of informed volunteers who will help deliver appropriate assistance to carers and those living with dementia. The Carer Support Strategy also includes developing a pool of both online and physical resources.

On Line Carer Peer Support

La Trobe University has invited HDA to partner with them in their recently trialled Verily Connect program. This project is an online peer support program for those caring for people living with dementia. HDA intends to further enhance the program and roll it out throughout Australia during 2022. The program will be incorporated into our bush-inspired model of care.

Gilbruk Way (Memory Walk)

HDA have presented a proposal to the City of Greater Bendigo to link the proposed Gilbruk Place Dementia Village to the Heathcote township. The easy walking trail (shown below as the dotted lines on right hand side of the map) will feature several shade areas, and reflective spaces where people can stop, sit and relax.

These will be planted with local indigenous and native plants provided by two local businesses, Ironstone Nursery and A&B Trees.

The O’Keefe Challenge has donated $6,500 from last year’s event towards this project and has committed to ongoing donations from their events. Next May, the 5km Walk against Dementia route will include Gilbruk Way. Each participant will be presented with a tree to be planted along the trail.

Learnings from the Experts

The Hogeweyk founders Jannette Spiering and Eloy Van Hal from BE Advice have delivered four, four-hour workshops and five follow up sessions to the HDA team in 2021. Those who participated found the sessions to be informative and the lessons learnt invaluable.

Jannette and Eloy congratulated HDA and acknowledged the importance of HDA’s bush-inspired, groundbreaking community solution and its potential to be replicated in many communities (and countries) with similar social structures to Heathcote.

Innovation on Site

AIBuild, creators of CaptureLiveAI, have formed a partnership with Heathcote Dementia Alliance.

Some members of CaptureLiveAI’s innovation team, all honorary graduates of the University of Melbourne and Monash University, are relocating Heathcote in 2022 to continue their work and assist Heathcote Health and HDA with our work on best practice dementia care.

CaptureLiveAI is a real-time monitoring and analysis system designed to prevent accidents and assist nursing staff to respond better and quicker towards the elderly and those who have disabilities, especially those with high fall risk and low mobility. It would also help in households.