The Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) provides high-level, tailored care for people living with dementia who exhibit severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and are unable to be effectively cared for by mainstream aged care services. To be eligible for the program, a person is referred to Dementia Support Australia and undergoes a tailored assessment.
The program helps people living with dementia by:
The Bendigo Health Specialist Dementia Care Program is a nine-bed unit located within Simpkin House Nursing Home. As of March 2025, Simpkin House will consist of a 30-bed Older Person Mental Health Residential Service and a nine-bed SDCP Unit. The SDCP Unit is a single-level home, located in the leafy suburb of North Bendigo.
Accommodation consists of nine single ensuite bedrooms and a communal area designed to foster a small, cottage-like, dementia-friendly living environment. This area includes a living room, dining room, and a small sitting room.
Clinical staff have been specifically recruited and trained in the delivery of a person-centred, multidisciplinary approach. There will be an overarching emphasis on recreational activities, based on understanding the person and their life story, with a focus on maintaining independence and promoting purpose. The team will consist of a mix of Registered Nurses (RN), Enrolled Nurses (EN), and recreation-focused Health Care Workers (HCW), all of whom will have specialised training in dementia behaviour management, including person-centred care - “do with” rather than “do for.”
Bendigo Health will utilise a multidisciplinary Clinical Review Team (CRT), including a psychiatrist and geriatrician, to review and update resident care plans. A range of Bendigo Health Residential Services allied health support will also be available to assist with the timeliness of external transitions.
The program provides transitional, temporary support. It is expected the average length of stay will be approximately 12 months. When behavioural and psychological symptoms stabilise, the team will support residents to transition into a less intensive care setting.
As a condition of entry into the SDCP unit, potential residents and their families need to agree to accept a mainstream placement in an aged care home, whether that be at Bendigo Health or another aged care facility, when the resident no longer needs the level of care the program provides. Bendigo Health’s Clinical Advisory Committee will determine when a resident is ready to transition out of the program. The SDCP team will then work with the resident and their family to ensure a smooth transition to a traditional aged care service.
The fee structure is the same as mainstream residential aged care and includes a basic daily care fee, accommodation payment/contribution, and a means-tested care fee. The program will accept residents who are assessed as non-support, partially or fully supported for the accommodation component of their care costs. For further information on fees, please visit: My Aged Care.
Dementia Support Australia will assess potential residents for eligibility for the program. To refer someone to be assessed for the program, please contact Dementia Support Australia:
Phone: 1800 699 799
Website: dementia.com.au
For further details about the SDCP Unit, contact the Bendigo Health Residential Care team:
Phone: 1300 545 643
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bendigohealth.org.au
