Rockhampton Bishop Michael McCarthy yesterday blessed the start of construction on Mercy Haven, a $42 million aged care home facility in Rockhampton. Source: Mercy Connect.
The new facility will replace the existing Bethany Nursing Home in Rockhampton’s The Range medical precinct.
Representatives from the Mercy community board and senior leadership team, Mercy Partners, building contractors Paynters and local politicians, joined team members and residents from the existing Bethany facility at the ground-breaking ceremony yesterday.
The new facility has been designed to provide the highest level of care for the elderly, including those with complex needs. The 90-bed nursing home will feature state-of-the-art facilities including private rooms with ensuites, community spaces and gardens.
Mercy Community chief executive Fritha Radyk said the replacement of Bethany with Mercy Haven was well overdue.
“The name for the new facility, Mercy Haven, has been chosen by the local Sisters of Mercy who have always been committed to ensuring that regional areas have the beds they need for people to remain in their communities as they age,” Ms Radyk said.
“While we’re very pleased construction is underway, in the interim, our team is continuing to provide high-quality and caring services to our residents.
Ms Radyk said Bethany was “built on a medical model more than 45 years ago and is one of the oldest unrenovated residential aged care facilities remaining in Rockhampton”.
She said Mercy Haven was “designed to provide the privacy, space and dignity needed to invigorate the lives of current and future residents.”
“We’d also like to thank the federal Government for committing $17.8 million in funding which has allowed us to move forward with this project at this time despite the headwinds of recent increased building costs.”
The new facility is expected to be operational in 2024.
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Mercy Haven ground breaking ceremony (Mercy Connect)
