An overnight respite cottage at Terrey Hills, the first of its kind on Sydney's Northern Beaches, will be a home-away-from-home available for eligible older people who are frail or living with dementia.

Bugari Cottage will offer specialised care to guests in comfortable surroundings – including an inground saltwater swimming pool – while their carers take a much-needed break.

The overnight respite service, operated by HammondCare, is located on a quiet residential street with trained staff who can provide tailored daily lifestyle activities and entertainment.

Bugari Cottage operates and feels more like a Bed & Breakfast than a traditional aged care home. The kitchen is the hub of the house and nutritious meals are freshly cooked on-site to suit each person’s individual needs.

Respite care is available at the cottage for periods of up to 10 consecutive nights for older people in Northern Sydney eligible under existing Government-subsidised home care or are self-funded.

HammondCare Chief Executive Mike Baird was joined by Federal Member for Mackellar Dr Sophie Scamps and Northern Beaches Deputy Mayor Sue Heins at the official opening today of Bugari Cottage. Mr Baird said guests would benefit from HammondCare’s unique model of care developed over the organisation’s 90 years of supporting people with complex needs.

“HammondCare’s relationship-based model of care seeks to understand the needs of every individual and ensure they are met,” Mr Baird said. “Carers can take a well-deserved break, knowing that their loved ones will be given compassionate, individualised care at Bugari Cottage, supported by a homely environment and personalised engagement activities.”

Bugari Manager Elaine Collins said two staff were always on-site to care for a maximum four guests. The staff are dedicated to meeting the engagement needs of every guest and will seek to schedule stays with other guests with similar interests.

“It’s not just about the respite needs of the carer, it’s a wonderful enablement opportunity for each guest,” Ms Collins said. “If guests want to join in with making a cake in the kitchen, they can. Or if sport is their interest, we can put on a sporting event on the big screen. We can even engage other guests with a sausage sizzle if that’s what they want to do.”

Kazu Murai and her husband Seiji of West Pymble also attended the opening of Bugari. Seiji has been a regular guest at HammondCare’s Lucinda Cottage overnight respite service at Wahroonga since 2020.

Kazu said her husband, diagnosed with dementia in 2019, has his needs catered to by staff who can involve him with games, jigsaw puzzles, specialised exercise routines and outings. As he likes to help others, he can also help in the kitchen and gardening “Every time I pick Seiji up from Lucinda Cottage he is happy,” Kazu said. “When he is at Lucinda I have time to myself to relax at home because I feel confident that Seiji is in a safe place. I can take a break from my daily carer’s role, meet friends, go shopping, enjoy my hobbies or spend time with my family and grandchildren,” Kazu said.

Bugari, the local Aboriginal word for ring-tailed possum, is the sixth HammondCare overnight respite cottage, including cottages opened this year at Dubbo and Goulburn. HammondCare provided 70,000 hours of care through its cottages in 2021.