Yackandandah Care Sanctuary

The Yackandandah Care Sanctuary at Yackandandah Health Residential Aged Care Service will serve the senior residents & also be open to the whole community. It will provide a therapeutic space including a barn, paddocks & productive garden. Visitors can spend time with a range of animals including goats, chickens & guinea pigs. Activities will include patting, brushing & feeding animals, cleaning the barn and working in the garden with the help of an experienced staff member. This centre serves the wellbeing of the community as numerous studies have shown that human-animal contact can improve physical, social and mental health.

Many of the residents at Yackadandah Health are from farming backgrounds. Leaving farms & animals behind to move to residential facilities is associated with trauma, loss and grief. High rates of depression are reported in aged care facilities (up to 52% compared with 10-15% of older people living in the community). This project aims to restore purpose in the resident's lives with meaningful activities promoting activity and outdoor engagement with flow on effects for the whole community. The new Childcare Centre at Yackandandah Health and any other community members at need, can also utilise & benefit from the Sanctuary activities.