Health & Aged Care

HEALTH AND RETIREMENT OPTIONS

Young's new acute care hospital opened in March 2004 and is part of the Young Health Service incorporating Young District Hospital, Mercy Care Centre and Young Community Health Service.

The new acute hospital has a 24 bed medical, surgical, paediatric and maternity service, a two bed high dependency service, three bed Oncology Unit, state of the art digital radiology equipment and a new ultrasound, emergency department with two bays, a resuscitation bay, two consultation rooms, treatment room, operating suite with two operating theatres, a pre-operation room, recovery and an overnight stay room along with necessary staff and storage areas.

The new hospital project also involved the Young Mercy Care Centre in the development of the new site. The new Mercy Care facility is a Schedule 3 Hospital (sub-acute) comprising of 26 beds and supported by a multi-disciplined team providing rehabilitation, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, domiciliary, palliative care and medical assessment to both in and out patients.

Senior residents of the community are exceptionally well catered for with Mount St Joseph's Nursing Home; a 65 bed high care nursing home sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Additional facilities for senior members of the community are 28 self care villas at Catherine View Gardens and Council has recently given approval to replace the existing retirement village in the town with a 85 bed low care residential facility and 43 independent living units worth approximately $18 million. This project is expected to be completed in three years.

Council has also received a development application for a 94 bed Senior Living Development valued at $10 million.

Caring for the community there a 10 medical practitioners supported by a number of visiting specialists, several dentists, optometrists and other health practitioners.

The Southern Slopes Community Health Centre provides a range of primary health care to Young and district including early intervention and prevention of health problems, community based treatment of chronic illness e.g. dietician/diabetes educator.

Overall their main focus is on children and families and early intervention and prevention through the developmental years of children, they also conduct screening programs as a way of identifying the early onset of illness e.g. women's health screening programs.

Their broader role in the community is to work in partnership with other agencies and services to improve the health of specific groups.