A Carnarvon education centre that aims to improve the care and support of older people in remote Western Australia has been opened by Federal Senator for Western Australia Fatima Payman.

"We are excited for the opportunity that this education centre represents, the opportunity to improve training in a remote setting for those working with and caring for older people, and the wonderful learning opportunity for students on rural placements with us in Carnarvon."

Professor Sandra Thompson, WACRH Director

The University of Western Australia’s WA Centre for Rural Health (WACRH) has been funded to refurbish the Bundillgoo Mia Education Centre through the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care’s Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Program Expansion Grants in Aged Care Services.

WACRH partnered with WA Country Health Services (WACHS), which provided an existing facility within the grounds of Carnarvon Health Campus.

WACHS’ Kumar Deep said the establishment of WACRH’s multidisciplinary health aged-care education demonstration site in Carnarvon was a positive step forward.

“We expect the education centre will be widely used by our staff and other health professionals to support ongoing opportunities for professional development, learning and peer-support,” Mr Deep said.

WACRH Director Professor Sandra Thompson said the centre presented specialist training opportunities.

Image: Senator Fatima Payman with WA Centre for Rural Health allied health rural placement students at the official opening of the Bundillgoo Mia Education Centre in Carnarvon.

“We are excited for the opportunity that this education centre represents, the opportunity to improve training in a remote setting for those working with and caring for older people, and the wonderful learning opportunity for students on rural placements with us in Carnarvon,” Professor Thompson said.

“I want to particularly acknowledge the work of everyone involved in bringing this proposal to fruition."

The refurbished facility houses a training room and meeting space, telehealth room, office space for WACRH staff and study stations for students on rural placement with WACRH in Carnarvon.

The RHMT grant also assisted WACRH with purchasing student accommodation facilities for its allied health, nursing and dental students undertaking clinical placements in Carnarvon.