Fern Haven has been specifically designed for older people living with Dementia, requiring secure dementia level 3 care.  The design of our Home is based on the Household model of care, creating a small intentional community for a group of people requiring care , incorporating families and staff. It is a place that focuses on life, and its heart is found in the relationships that flourish here. A radical departure from traditional dementia units, this Home alters facility size, interior design, staffing patterns, and methods of delivering skilled professional services. Its primary purpose is to serve as a place where older people can receive assistance and support with activities of daily living and clinical care, without the assistance and care becoming the focus of their existence.

A Green House residence is ideally designed to be a home for no more than 16 elders. It blends architecturally with larger neighboring homes as opposed to a large facility, includes vibrant outdoor space, and utilizes aesthetically appealing interior features. Each elder has a private room with a private bathroom which they decorate with their own belongings. Their rooms receive high levels of sunlight and are situated around the hearth ( fireplace) , an open kitchen, lounge and dining area. While adhering to all codes required by regulations, Fern haven looks and feels like a large surburban home, and contains few medical signposts.

There is easy access to all areas of the house including the kitchen and laundry, outdoor gardens and patio. Safety features are built into the house to minimize injury. The small size of the home promotes less use of observation equipment, wheelchairs or mobility equipment. Our elders are free from the limitations of an institutional schedule and live a comfortable daily life - sleeping, eating, and engaging in activities largely as they choose. Meals can be prepared in the open kitchen and served at a large dining table where staff, elders and visitors enjoy pleasant dining. This is characterized by good fresh food, a well set table often with music and flowers, and good conversation with people who care about one another. Meal times can be over an hour and appetites are good. Residents can assist with the daily running of the home and are encouraged to give care to other residents, staff, pets and families- as well as engage in a range of planned and spontaneous activites.

Significant numbers of "Greenhouses" for aged care purposes are now popping up throughout the United States and Europe, however Fern Haven is the first of its kind in Australasia!

To find out more about Fern haven or to discuss the care needs of your loved one - please come and visit us at anytime or telephone Juliette or  Barbara on  07 885 1040

For more information on the Eden Alternatives Greenhouse Project, click here.