• Charles Sturt’s Three Rivers DRH to host two events in Deniliquin that are focused on boosting the aged care workforce
• Two new education spaces will open on Monday 5 May at Southern Cross Care NSW, ACT Orana Residential Home and Navorina Nursing Home
• Three Rivers DRH will cohost the Murrumbidgee Aged Care Forum on Tuesday 6 May with Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network

The aged care sector in Deniliquin and surrounding areas is receiving a boost through capital works projects and an industry forum, as a focus is placed on rural and regional healthcare.

Charles Sturt University’s Three Rivers Department of Rural Health (DRH) was awarded $2.25 million in funding in November 2022 under the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Aged Care Expansion Grant to complete works in the Deniliquin region.

This funding has allowed for the expansion of student placement programs in Deniliquin, Finley and surrounding areas, capital works projects with two partner aged care facilities and extensive professional development programs for the local aged care workforce.

The two new projects in Deniliquin and surrounding areas are aimed at providing quality education for students on placement and to showcase collaborative work happening in the aged care sector.

New education spaces will open at Orana Residential Home and Navorina Nursing Home on Monday 5 May at 10.30am and 3.00pm, respectively, which will enhance the student placement program in these facilities.

A refurbished indoor area at Orana Residential Home will provide an educational hub for living skills training and intergenerational knowledge exchange, supporting student-led programs, didactic lectures and workforce preparation experiences.

An intergenerational meeting space and functional mobility garden for residents will be revealed at Navorina Nursing Home, where students can learn clinical assessment, communication skills and participate in social activities with residents. An allied health chair has also been installed and can be used by visiting health professionals.

Deniliquin-based Clinical Educator and Lecturer in Rural Health with Three Rivers DRH Ms Cassie Biggs said these changes will positively affect residents’ lives and student learning opportunities.

“The capital works funding has enabled both sites to undertake work to enhance the residential spaces while providing an opportunity to increase student learning activities,” she said.

“During their placement, students live and work in the local community, embracing country life.

“These placements showcase the rewards of working in aged care within rural communities.”

Three Rivers DRH has also partnered with Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network to host the free 2025 Murrumbidgee Aged Care Forum on Tuesday 6 May from 9am to 3pm.

This forum is for aged care workers, including residential aged care, home care, education and training, assessment and referral services, health practitioners and advocacy services.

The purpose of the forum is to celebrate the resilience of the sector, showcase collaborative work and new initiatives, provide an opportunity for rural professional development and to demonstrate innovative ways to meet the new standards and function in the current aged care landscape.

Ms Biggs said the student placement programs contribute to the growth of a compassionate and empathetic clinical workforce that understands the challenges of the industry.

“Our residents enjoy the social interaction and find a sense of value in contributing to student learning, and they are, by far, the best teachers,” she said.

“Students gain insight into the benefits of rural living, the sense of community and the work-life balance that it offers and hopefully will consider a career in the country when they graduate.”

Ms Biggs said the forum further highlights the scope and complexity of aged care as a viable and desirable area of practice and acknowledges the impressive body of work already being done by our local agencies.