Official Opening of New Aged Care Residence in Box Hill

BlueCross Box Hill, the newest aged care residence in Box Hill, held its official opening on Tuesday 6 August 2019 to mark the completion of the residence’s second and final stage of development.

Stage one was completed in September 2018 and BlueCross welcomed its first resident the following month. With the completion of the final stage, the residence now boasts 216 rooms comprising both single rooms and apartments, all with private ensuites. 

Combining modern aged care with contemporary living, BlueCross Box Hill is in a class of its own. The state-of-the-art residence recently won the Innovation Award at the City of Whitehorse Built Environment Awards 2019 for best design, architecture and landscape.

BlueCross Interim Chief Executive, Robert Putamorsi, says every aspect of the residence has been purpose built with residents’ comfort and wellbeing in mind.

“From the outdoor courtyards and landscaped gardens to the functional spaces such as multiple dining and sitting rooms, BlueCross Box Hill has been designed to provide a tranquil homelike environment for residents,” says Mr Putamorsi. “It is our aim to help a resident’s transition into residential aged care as easy as possible.”

Comprising a basement and three levels, the award-winning residence also boasts a host of specialised facilities including a memory support environment for people living with dementia, activity areas, consultation and treatment rooms, library, hairdressing salon, men’s shed, as well as a cinema and gymnasium.

To assist the residents to feel ‘at home’, BlueCross Box Hill includes open plan kitchens where residents can prepare light meals with staff supervision, and ‘nostalgia’ kitchens within the memory support households.

These nostalgia kitchens were designed to reference the bygone era of the 1950s and provide a space to participate in familiar domestic tasks like cooking and washing up that residents often continue to enjoy.

Dining options include large communal dining areas and more intimate spaces, as well as one private dining room where residents can enjoy a quiet family meal or a dinner party with friends. 

“BlueCross has a long and proud history of providing quality aged care to older Victorians since 1993. We are delighted with the opportunity to support the needs of the ageing community in Box Hill,” says Mr Putamorsi.  

A leading aged care provider, BlueCross owns and operates 34 aged care residences across Victoria. Following the opening BlueCross Box Hill, the company will be opening another residence in Malvern East in September.