General News
9 March, 2026
New care partnership launched
A NEW approach to helping older rural resident stay in their homes longer has been launched in Wedderburn.
The community house and Homemade last Thursday unveiled a partnership for residents and making a pitch for district residents to step up as service providers.
“The partnership will see services run by the community for the community,” said centre manager Louise Cook.
She said the community house first became aware of the partnership potential for services including gardening and home care when Homemade gave a presentation at last year’s Neighbourhood Houses Victoria conference.
Louise said that was the start of lengthy discussions with the company now rolling out its model across Australia.
“The partnership is about linking elderly people with the right person to deliver the service,” she said.
“We have had a community session and people putting up their hanbds to join the local workforce.”
Potential service providers and elderly residents attended last week’s launch in Wedderburn. for what Louise says is a collaborative community support and engagement model to deliver meaningful benefits to residents and strengthen the local community network.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to acting responsibly and strategically on behalf of our community,” said community house chair Juanita Halden.
“By completing a rigorous review process, we can confidently move forward knowing that Homemade and Mabel share our vision for sustainable, community-driven outcomes in the My Aged Care space.
“HomeMade Community Partnerships is a sustainable solution designed to help older people in rural and regional Australia stay in their homes for longer.
“HomeMade Community Partnerships takes a hands-on approach to providing more support options for older people in the communities they know and love, building local pride and contributing to economic development.
“The collaboration will see joint initiatives focused on community support, local co-ordinator information events, and skills development programs, strengthening ties and creating opportunities for engagement across Wedderburn and surrounding areas,” Juanita said.
Juanita said Wedderburn Community House continued to prioritise transparency, community benefit, and proactive engagement as it expands partnerships that support local wellbeing and growth.
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