St Andrew’s Community Aged Care Ltd is a long established not for profit organisation that has been supporting older people in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.
The organisation was founded during the 1970s through a partnership between parishioners of the Presbyterian and Anglican Churches in Ballina, with a shared vision of creating quality accommodation and care services for older people within the local community. At the time, there was a growing recognition that older people in the region should be able to age with dignity, connection and support close to family and community, rather than needing to relocate away from the area to access care.
From those early beginnings, St Andrew’s has grown steadily alongside the Ballina and Byron Bay communities. Construction of the original residential aged care facility commenced in the early 1980s, with the the official opening on 4 June 1983. Over the decades that followed, the organisation expanded its services to include retirement living, dementia specific accommodation, community care programs and broader support services for older people across the region.
Throughout its history, St Andrew’s has remained strongly community focused. The organisation has been shaped not only by its staff and leadership, but also by generations of volunteers, families, local churches, donors and community members who have contributed to its growth and development over many years. That connection to community continues to remain an important part of the organisation’s identity today.
As a regional provider, St Andrew’s understands the importance of helping older people remain connected to their local community, familiar surroundings and existing support networks. This philosophy continues to influence both the organisation’s approach to care and the way its environments are designed and operated.
Today, St Andrew’s operates residential aged care communities and retirement living villages in Ballina and Byron Bay, supporting older people across a broad range of care needs and stages of ageing. The organisation continues to evolve in line with changing community expectations and the future direction of aged care in Australia.
A strong focus has been placed on creating environments that feel welcoming, home like and connected to the surrounding natural environment of the Northern Rivers. This includes an emphasis on smaller household style living, dementia friendly design principles, access to gardens and outdoor spaces, natural light, social connection and spaces that support independence, choice and meaningful daily living.
St Andrew’s also continues to invest in the long term sustainability of its services, workforce and infrastructure to ensure high quality aged care and retirement living options remain available within the region for future generations.
At the centre of St Andrew’s is a commitment to:
- Comfort
- Care
- Community
