Calvary Kooyong precinct’s connected care enhanced by new GP clinic 

A GP clinic at Calvary’s landmark Calvary Kooyong retirement living, health and aged care precinct is the latest step to delivering integrated living for residents and patients. 

Family Clinics Australia’s clinic provides services to precinct residents and the surrounding Caulfield South and Glen Eira community. The ground-floor clinic will offer GP, pathology and geriatrician services, as well as a mix of allied health services, commencing with physiotherapy.  

Calvary Kooyong General Manager Shannon Thompson said having a primary health clinic located within the precinct was always part of the plan and aligns with the needs of the local community and an ageing population. 

“The aim of Calvary Kooyong has always been to support our residents and patients to live well and in place as they age, or as their care needs change,” Ms Thompson said.  

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, supporting the health and wellbeing of Australia’s ageing population is becoming even more important. Australia’s older generations continue to grow in number and as a share of the population.

By 2066, an estimated 4.5 million people will be aged 65-74, and people aged 75-84 will account for one-third (3.5 million) of our older population.  

“Having the clinic in place is our next step to providing holistic, integrated health and wellbeing services on site for the precinct community. We also hope to have a community pharmacy in the future.” 

Calvary Kooyong opened last year at the corner of Kooyong Road and Saturn Street, and incorporates the Hyson retirement apartments, Calvary Huntly Suites aged care home, and Calvary Bethlehem specialist sub-acute hospital for people needing palliative care or living with progressive neurological conditions.  

While builders fitted out the clinic space, practice lead Dr Bimsara Gurusinghe was already making house calls to some of his new precinct patients. 

He says the ease of access and ability to offer appointments at short notice are among the many benefits of the co-located health precinct. 

“We aim to provide a multidisciplinary health service while removing any barriers to care, especially for our elderly patients,” Dr Gurusinghe said.  

“I think the more connected Calvary Kooyong becomes, the more potential there is for enhanced health care. By making patients feel more welcome, we hope this will encourage them to be more proactive in managing their health needs. And, because we are on-site, we can always go to them if need be, which is a great additional service we provide.”  

Dr Gurusinghe has also seen retirement residents benefit from the respite services available through the on-site residential care home (Huntly Suites) when needed. 

“We had one resident of the Hyson Apartments who came out of hospital after a fall and required a period of respite and rehabilitation. Due to the co-location with Huntly Suites, we were able to deliver the level of care and support needed onsite during his recuperation. 

“This meant his wife could visit regularly and with ease during this period, and he is now back home. Because his rehabilitation was managed by the team at Calvary and supported by his regular GP, we were able to better adapt his home services to suit his care needs once he was back at Hyson. It has been great for his continuity of care and enabled a safer return to independent living.” 

Family Clinics also operates at Armadale and Prahran, and has delivered medical care to those communities for more than 20 years. 

“We are very excited to be working closely with Calvary and providing care to the residents of Hyson and Huntly. Our goal also is for our new Caulfield South practice to be a clinic that can serve the whole community,” Dr Gurusinghe said, who will be joined at the practice by fellow experienced GP, Dr Yael  Gold.  

People can make an appointment by phone on 03 9967 2662, online at www.familyclinics.com.au, or pop into the clinic at 478 Kooyong Rd, Caulfield South.