The Uniting Church Homes Story - 1949-2009
The history of what is today Uniting Church Homes is as unique as it is interesting.
In 1949 Hardey Lodge was opened in Mount Lawley. This was described as a ‘home for aged women’ and had been converted from a property originally provided by Miss Sarah Hardey, which first opened its doors as a home for ‘wayward women’ in the early 1900s.
This, in effect, was the very first UCH aged care facility. During the 1950s and 60s, many of the residential centres that are now part of UCH commenced as parish-based or church-wide initiatives. Individual church members saw a need in their communities for aged care services, and had the vision and dedication to respond to those needs.
During the 1980s, it became increasingly difficult for small ‘stand alone’ facilities to keep pace with the changes to rules and regulations laid down by the federal government for the aged care sector. As a consequence, in 1992, the WA Synod of the Uniting Church created a single agency called ‘Uniting Church Homes’.
In December 1999, Uniting Church Homes became a body corporate.The rest, as they say, is history and now, 60 years after Sarah Hardey Lodge opened its doors, UCH is one of Perth’s largest aged care service providers.
Today UCH remains a charitable organisation and continues to deliver high quality services in residential facilities and in peoples’ homes across the state. These services enable people to remain living full and, in many cases, independent lives, by optimising good health.
Currently, UCH provides services to over 3,500 people, employs more than 1400 staff and receives support from 500 volunteers. The organisation offers aged care and support services in the following areas:
Community Care – including Community Aged Care Packages (CACPs), Extended Aged Care in – Homes (EACH), Therapy Services and Home and Community Care (HACC) services.
Residential Care – Dementia specific, high care, low care and respite care.
Independent Living and Serviced units
Respite Care - Dedicated respite services.