For homely comfort in a welcoming community
Baptcare Karana Community is a friendly and lively residential aged care community, nestled in the quiet, leafy streets of Kew. Providing all levels of care, Karana Community offers a relaxed and supportive environment staffed by expert nurses and carers. The community features beautifully appointed private rooms with ensuite bathrooms and shared spaces that overlook gardens, courtyards and tree-lined streets. Our exciting lifestyle program offers residents a diverse range of activities, so there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Talk to us today about how we can support your loved one whether you are considering respite or permanent care.
Baptcare Karana Community
A thriving community
Since 1959, Karana has been home to a strong and supportive community. From the moment you walk through the door, you’ll notice the warm and homely atmosphere. We pride ourselves on our community spirit and we encourage our residents to get involved in group activities. Our impressive lifestyle program has been curated to ensure a varied and exciting range of activities for all residents to enjoy.
Thoughtful design
We strengthen the community spirit at Karana with our beautiful communal areas and recreational spaces, creating a variety of lovely settings to spend time with other residents, or friends and family when they visit. There have been extensions and refurbishments over the years to ensure the facilities remain in fantastic condition, but the sense of comfort has always prevailed.
Staying connected
We recognise the benefit technology can offer our residents. To help support our residents living with dementia, we use specialised interactive apps on touchscreen tablet devices. Our residents and their visitors can also access WiFi throughout our facility.
A place where you can feel at home
Karana is a spacious, two-storey building with 93 rooms, catering to all levels of care. Both floors are divided into four wings, each with a kitchenette, dining room and sitting room, so that residents can easily access communal areas near their room. Residents can dine together in the main ground floor dining room, spend time in the sun room, or host visitors in one of the many outdoor areas set within leafy, landscaped gardens. Karana also has a lounge, gymnasium and craft room for residents to enjoy.
Room types
At Karana, we offer two room types – private, sole-occupied rooms and shared rooms for two residents. See pricing snapshot for details. Residents are invited to decorate their room to their own taste, so that it feels like home. All rooms are bright and spacious, featuring:
- Ensuite bathroom (either shared or private, all with nurse call button)
- High-quality fixtures, furniture and fittings
- Central heating
- Built-in wardrobes with lockable storage
- Picture rails
- Light above the bed
- Nurse alarm system
- Lovely street or courtyard views.
Couples accommodation
We try our very best to accommodate couples. We have four shared rooms which are suited to couples. If a shared room is not available, or if individual rooms are preferred, we will try to allocate rooms opposite or beside each other.
Pets
Although we cannot accommodate residents’ pets on a permanent basis, animals are welcome to visit and we do have our very own Community cat, Mona.
Care tailored to your specific needs
Karana is a residential aged care community that excels in providing support to those requiring a higher level of care. With registered nurses on-site at all times, Karana is accredited to provide all levels of residential aged care including permanent, respite and palliative care. Each resident will have a personalised care plan, which will be developed together with the resident and their family.
Nursing care
Our qualified and experienced staff provide exceptional care and support. All our staff are carefully selected and trained to ensure that our residents receive the best possible care.
Medical care
Beyond 24/7 nursing care, other health services available on-site at Karana include:
- Foot care and podiatry
- Physiotherapy
- Speech therapy
- Diversional therapy
- GP home visits.
Nutritional care
You will be offered a varied choice of tasty, healthy meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. All food is prepared fresh every day by chefs on-site. Meal options come at no additional cost to our residents. A dietitian helps to plan the menu and takes into consideration all cultural, religious and dietary requirements. Relatives and friends are welcome to join you for meals with advance booking.
Keep up with your favourite pastimes
Our team of lifestyle staff have created a stimulating program of activities and experiences to choose from. Activities can be tailored to meet your individual interests, cultural background, and social, emotional and physical abilities. You can maintain your hobbies and interests by joining in with any of our diverse social events, church services, library visits and films. Along with a range of cultural celebrations and special guests, we celebrate significant birthdays and dates
Stay involved with the local community
Karana has strong ties to the Kew community and many of our residents were referred by friends from the area. Our residents continue to engage with the local community through our lifestyle program, and students from several schools in the Kew/Hawthorn area regularly visit and perform for residents. We are also very lucky to have a committed group of local volunteers who provide additional companionship for our residents. They are a valued part of our community.
Room to host family and friends
Above all, Karana is your home, so your friends and family are always welcome here. You can choose to spend time with them in our beautiful shared areas, or we also have private function rooms that you can book for special occasions.
Pastoral care
Pastoral care is an important part of life at all Baptcare communities, including Karana. Our chaplains are available to listen to residents and their families and journey alongside them, whatever their background or situation. We offer emotional and spiritual support, honouring each person’s unique spirituality and how they find meaning and purpose. Our chaplains also assist with prayer, worship, sacraments and other spiritual practices, including regular devotional and church services where appropriate.
Your payment options
The costs of residential aged care are made up of different parts for the costs of day-to-day living, the care you receive and the accommodation you choose (including your room and shared spaces). Read more about the costs of residential aged care
Our location
Enquiries call:
13 22 78
Direct number: 03 9854 9200
Residential aged care
55 Walpole Street
Kew VIC 3101
Baptcare Karana Retirement Living
Co-located retirement living residences
Our retirement living residences sit alongside Baptcare’s highly sought-after Karana Aged Care Community. a small, boutique community, Karana warmly welcomes new neighbours. It’s a caring, safe and supportive environment and help is only a moment away. With preferential consideration for available spaces in the residential aged care if your health needs change in future years, Karana allows couples with different care and support needs the opportunity to live within the same community.
READ MORE ABOUT BAPTCARE RETIREMENT LIVING AT KARANAFrequently asked questions
What are the visiting hours?
As part of providing a warm and homely environment to residents, visitors are welcome at any time of the day. We invite family and friends to be part of activities and mealtimes, and to enjoy time with their loved one in our gardens and shared spaces.
How do I know if residential aged care is right for my family member?
A change in health, or increasing concern about your family member’s frailty, safety or isolation at home can mean that aged care accommodation is the next step.
Carers at aged care homes can help residents with day-to-day tasks (such as cleaning, cooking, laundry); personal care (such as dressing, grooming, going to the toilet); or 24-hour nursing care (such as wound care or catheter care).
Residential aged care can also help people to stay connected with interests and with others.
Baptcare draws on over 70 years’ experience in aged care as well as the skills and commitment of our trained, understanding staff. We’re here to support families during a transition that can be challenging.
Do you have any vacancies? How do you manage waiting lists?
We invite you to contact us to discuss current or potential future accommodation and if it matches your needs.
If you are interested but there isn’t a vacancy we’ll record your details on our waiting list and keep in touch about potential vacancies.
Potential residents, families and healthcare professionals are welcome to contact us to get an update on vacancies at any time.
We consider a number of factors to manage our waiting lists. People in urgent need are the highest priority. Other factors include someone’s readiness to enter an aged care home, and if the accommodation that becomes available suits their individual care needs.
If you are offered a room and are not ready at that time you can decline the room without it affecting your position on the waiting list.
Can I bring my furniture and possessions?
Yes you can! Your suite is your own and you can personalise the room as much or as little as you wish.
For example you can hang pictures on the wall, use your own quilt from home, and bring in your favourite easy chair.
We do request that rooms are kept un-cluttered, with enough space for care staff to move freely about. For this reason, we don’t recommend bringing in large pieces of furniture.
Can I become a volunteer?
Yes it is possible to volunteer with Baptcare. Volunteers enhance the lives of our residents every day by visiting them one-on-one and contributing to activities in both our lifestyle program and residential aged care communities. As a volunteer you can use your energy, skills and life experience to make a difference in the lives of people in your community.
What level of care can I expect at Karana?
Our highly experienced, nursing-led team at Karana provide all levels of residential aged care, ranging from lower-level care through to more complex, high-level care requirements, including respite care.
Our residents and visitors enjoy bright, light and attractive shared spaces, with lots of great places to share a cup of coffee and a chat.
To help you or your loved one to maintain interests and enjoy time with others, we provide a rich and varied lifestyle and activities program, with options ranging from individual hobbies through to group activities and popular bus outings.
Our community is run by Baptcare, a not-for-profit organisation with more than 75 years of experience in caring for older people.
Who is eligible for a place at Karana?
Baptcare Karana is a residential aged care community. This means that it is for older people who need a higher level of care than what can be provided in their own home. Most rooms at Karana are concessional. Preference is given to DHHS Public and Community Housing clients and other government funded clients.
How can I apply for a place at Karana?
1. Apply for residential aged care through the My Aged Care website. Call 13 BAPTCARE (13 22 78) and we can guide you through the process.
2. My Aged Care will arrange an ACAS assessment visit to determine your care needs.
3. Appoint an authorised representative (Power of Attorney) if necessary.
4. Get an income and asset assessment. This will determine your aged care fees and whether you qualify for government funding.
5. Choose the Baptcare residential aged care community that’s right for you. You may wish to consider a respite stay to see if the community meets your needs.
6. Call 13 BAPTCARE (13 22 78) to arrange a tour of your chosen community and fill out an application form.
What’s in the local area of Karana?
Baptcare Karana is located in Kew, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, 5km east of the CBD, located within the City of Boroondara local government area. Kew, along with the cities of Hawthorn and Camberwell were amalgamated to form the City of Boroondara.
Kew is cited as one of the most prestigious suburbs in Melbourne.
Kew has convenient access to public facilities and transport. The 109, 16 and 72 along with tram route 48 (North Balwyn – Victoria Harbour Docklands) tram routes pass through the suburb and the City/Lilydale/Belgrave train line is easily accessed at Hawthorn and Glenferrie Stations. Kew Station and the associated railway branch was last served by passenger trains in 1952, with the station site now the headquarters of VicRoads.
Kew Junction is a vibrant busy shopping strip in Kew's main village.
St Vincent’s offers private and public hospital services in and around Kew.
The suburb borders the Yarra River to the west and northwest, with Kew East to the northeast, Hawthorn and Hawthorn East to its south, and with Balwyn, Balwyn North and Deepdene to the east.
What are the costs of Residential Aged Care?
The costs of residential aged care are made up of different parts for the costs of day-to-day living, the care you receive and the accommodation you choose (including your room and shared spaces). Read more about the costs of residential aged care.
Is Karana a social community?
Residents at Karana enjoy time with others through our social and therapeutic activities program. We offer a broad range of social activities, including music, art, entertainment and regular bus outings.
As part of providing a homely environment for residents, we welcome visitors at any time of the day. We invite family and friends to use our shared spaces and be part of activities and mealtimes.
