St Basil's Home. History.
From, The KYTHERIAN
The Newsletter of the
Kytherian Association of Australia
P0 Box A203,
South Sydney, NSW 2000
Join the Kytherian Association of Australia
March 2001
pp. 1, 9 & 10
Con Malanos has kindly written an article on the St Basil’s Homes for The Kytherian. Many of us do not ever stop to think about the enormous effort and costs involved in the privilege of caring for people, a duty that has been compounded by the growing incidence of dementia. Con tells us that over half the clients cared for by the St Basil’s Homes suffer from dementia, and the safety and security issues for these people are of the utmost importance.
- Editor, Ann Coward, (nee) Mavromatis.
(Turn to page 9 for Con’s article.)
[*A powerful impetus for the inception and rapid growth of St Basils was provided by eminent Kytherian benefactor Sir Nicholas Laurantus.
**Biographers spell Sir Nicholas's name Laurantus.
St Basil's Homes spell it Lourantos.]
Sir Nicholas Laurantus, Australian Dictionary of Biography
The following article was provided by Constantine Malanos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of St Basil’s Homes since 1985.
Constantine Malanos, Notable Kytherian
More information about Constantine Malanos
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
ST. BASIL’S HOMES
www.stbasilshomes.org.au
A Dynamic History
St Basil’s Homes was constituted as a Public Charity under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia on 14 May, 1969. Since its inception the Charity has endeavored to provide care of the highest quality to aged persons residing in its nursing homes, hostels, units and more recently in their own homes.
Our achievements can be traced back to 1973 when the Charity opened the first stage of our Aegean Apartments at Dulwich Hill. The 12 self-contained bed-sitting units then constructed, provide independent living accommodation for aged persons.
In 1976 Laurantus Village was constructed at Lakemba, at a cost of $1,574,000 to provide hostel-type accommodation for 84 residents. Hostel residents do not require frill nursing care but the residents do need assistance with daily activities such as bathing, showering and dressing. These days hostels are known as Low Care facilities. Lourantos Village now accommodates 80 residents.
Our second retirement village, Sister Dorothea Village at Annandale was completed in 1980 at a cost of $1,835,000. This hostel operates under the same principles as Lourantos Village and now provides hostel accommodation for 84 persons (originally 87 residents).
The Charity subsequently expended $525,000 to construct the second stage of our Aegean Apartments which were completed in 1988. Ten units were constructed, each with 1 bedroom and a separate loungeroom, bathroom and laundry. Their construction brought the total number of units at our Dulwich Hill site to 22.
In 1989 we saw the completion of our 60 bed nursing home, at our Lakemba site, at a cost of $4,500,000. St Basil’s Nursing Home provides specialist nursing care exclusively for aged Greek Australians. Nursing homes are now known as High Care facilities, meaning that residents require more assistance than those residing in hostels. The nursing home complex also accommodates a chapel and the Charity’s head office.
To provide a further level of care, St Basil’s Homes Greek Day Care Centre commenced operation in 1991 at our Lakemba site. This service for aged and frail Greeks provides social interaction for our clients and in some cases much needed respite for their carers.
St Basil’s Homes also operates 50 Community Aged Care Packages which is a programme funded by the Government whereby the clients are assisted to stay in their own homes for longer periods before they need to seek hostel or nursing home level of care. Under this programme assistance is given with daily living, medications, meal preparation, cleaning, lawn mowing, doctors’ appointments, etcv In 1994 St Basil’s Homes received its first 30 Greek-specific packages, with a further 5 Greek-specific packages being obtained in 1997. In 2000 St Basil’s Homes was successful in obtaining 15 mainstream packages for caring for clients other than those of Greek origin.
Because the need was evident, as early as 1989 we commenced purchasing the four houses adjacent to the existing nursing home on which to build an extension to St Basil’s Nursing Home at a cost of $861,008. We were then required to buy 42 bed licenses on the open market at a cost of $1,126,259, to which we added 7 beds by transferring them from our hostels (4 beds from Lourantos Village and 3 beds from Sister Dorothea Village). On 10 April 2000 we commissioned the 49 bed extension to St Basil’s Nursing Home. The total cost for this project was some $7,5000,000 and, as there is now no lumpsum capital funding from the Australian Government, that cost was borne by the Charity.
Number of Clients
St Basil’s Homes provide quality care, residential accommodation, and community care,- for some 380 aged persons and employs approximately 200 suitably qualified staff to ensure that our residents receive an excellent standard of care.
Admission
Admission to any of the facilities of St Basil’s Homes is by an assessment carried out by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) which is under the control of the Federal Government and can be readily arranged through carers, doctors, social workers, etc.
Administration
Behind all these achievements, stands the President of St Basil’s Homes, His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, and our Board of Directors who have been steadfast and dedicated in their hopes and aspirations for the Charity.
However, without the help of the Federal and State Governments, our Ladies Auxiliary and the generous response from members of the community our vision of providing every level of quality care to aged persons could not have been realised.
How You May Help
It is our goal to ensure that every aged member of our community is able to enter secure, long-term accommodation as and when the need arises. Your donations and practical support to allow us to maintain and expand our work can assist St Basil’s Homes to achieve this goal. That support can be extended by making a general donation to the Charity, by making a specific gift to cover the costs of fitting or equipping a facility, or by making a bequest to the Charity in your will. Donations in memory of a loved one would be a particularly appropriate way of perpetuating that person’s memory Please note that donations to our charity of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Enquiries
Enquiries concerning prospective residents, donations or membership of the Ladies Auxiliary may all be directed to our Head Office.
GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA
ST BASIL’S HOMES
HEAD OFFICE:
130 Croydon St, Lakemba NSW 2195
POBox126,Lakemba NSW 2195
Ph (02) 9740 6711
Fax (02) 9740 6636
Email Admin St Basils
www.stbasilshomes.org.au
ST BASIL’S NURSING HOME:
130 Croydon St, Lakemba 2195
Ph (02) 9759 8077
Fax (02) 9758 0366
Email St Basils Nursing Home
LOURANTOS VILLAGE:
300 Haldon St, Lakemba 2195
Ph (02) 9750 7077
Fax (02) 9758 0166
Email Lourantos Village
SISTER DOROTHEA VILLAGE:
252 Johnston St, Atmandale 2038
Ph (02) 9818 2744
Fax (02) 9810 6653
Email Sister Dorothea Village
ST BASIL’S HOMES
DAY CARE CENTRE:
126 Croydon St,
Lakemba 2195
Ph (02) 9750 7244
Fax (02) 9740 6636
Email Day Care Centre
COMMUNITY AGED CARE
PACKAGES:
126 Croydon St,
Lakemba 2195
Ph (02) 9740 3488
Fax (02) 9740 6636
HELLENIC VILLAGE:
29H Wandella Rd, Miranda
(P0 Box 126,
Lakemba NSW 2195)
Ph (02) 9740 6711
Fax (02) 9740 6636
Email Admin St Basils
