“Our home is your home away from home.”

Elderly Chinese Home is a humble not-for-profit organization founded by Mr. Gim Wah Yeo and Mr. Chew Chee Kin in 1985 and thrives to achieve the highest standard of services ever since. Being the first Chinese-specific nursing home in Victoria, we aim to provide a ‘Home away from Home’ for our residents being immigrants from overseas in an once ‘foreign country’ as they assimilated into an once ‘foreign culture’ in Australia. Our vision is to support our residents to embrace the beautiful Australian multiculturalism and keep their ‘roots’ in the Chinese culture, customs, and heritage.

Home is very important in Chinese culture. It is a place where you can be trusted and be supported by people around you. Our welcoming staff will tailor our care model based on your needs and take care of your personal preference to ensure you feel comfortable and have what you need to make you feel like home. Elderly Chinese Home commits to continuously improving to make our home to be your home away from home.

Since the 1850s, we start to have a bigger Chinese community as such there is a need to have a Chinese-specific nursing home. Elderly Chinese Home has completed several extension projects, expanding the horizon in fulfilling the increasing demand as the ethnic Chinese population in Australia grows especially in the State of Victoria. From having 11 beds in 1985, our facility is currently capable to accommodate 47 beds supported by the Commonwealth Government.

Oct 1953

Obtained Land Title

Aug 1984

Research on the Needs & Welfare of Elderly Chinese in Victoria

We started Elderly Chinese Home as supported by research. Several thousands of Chinese came to Australia and worked in the sheep stations and gold mines during the gold rushes of the 1850s. There were needs and problems of the aged Chinese in Victoria that were not yet been addressed. In 1984, Mr. Gim Wah Yeo AM, JP, the late Mr. Chew Chee Kin OAM, Mr. Baptista Lai, Mr. Wong Shui Nam, Mrs, Shirley Ma, and Mrs. Wai-lin Galbraith had done and submitted research to address the needs of the aged Chinese in Victoria and find out how inadequately have these needs been met by existing services provided, including welfare developments within the Chinese community.

Mar 1986

Official Opening

ECH is supported by the Commonwealth Government and officially opened on 26 March 1986 by the Governor of Victoria, His Excellency, Dr. Davis McCaughey. There were 11 beds at that time.

Feb 1992

Signed Enterprise Bargaining Agreements

ECH is always a humble nursing home. We do not only do good for elderly, but we also contribute to the Asian community as an employer. We started having enterprise bargaining agreements from 1992 to protect our employees and ensure they receive fair remuneration.

Apr 1996

First Extension Project

The Commonwealth Government provided a grant to expand ECH from 11 to 17 beds to accommodate the demand as the ethnic Chinese population in Australia increased. The foundation stone was laid by the Victorian Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Richard E. McGarvie on 13 April 1996.

Apr 2006

Second Extension Project

The next project was to develop the facility to 32 beds which was made possible by a further grant from the Commonwealth Government. The project was completed successfully and officially declared opened by the 3rd Governor of Victoria, His Excellency, Professor David de Kretser, AO on 22 April 2006. A record Elderly Chinese Home is proud of. Mr. Gim Wah Yeo continues to chair Elderly Chinese Home from 1985 till 2008.

Apr 2013

Third Extension Project

Under the leadership and determination of the Chairman, Mr. Albert Lee and the Board of Management, ECH is embarking on another extension project to build up a new wing and extended to 47 beds, commenced work in April which was again made possible by a generous grant from the Commonwealth Government.

Mar 2022

Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund

With the 500k grant from the Commonwealth Government, ECH was intended to start a new round of refurbishment in 2019 and was delayed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic that impacts globally. ECH has refreshed the living area by renewing the paint in residents’ bedrooms, interior and external areas and introduced digital innovations in all areas of the facility. It greatly improved the quality of life of residents, particularly those who are presenting symptoms of Dementia, behaviors of concern, social isolation, depression, and other mental wellbeing issues which are associated with their CALD background.
With the support and blessings from the Department of Social Services then known as the Department of Health and Ageing – Commonwealth Government, the local Community especially our Chinese Ethnic Group, ECH will endeavor to ensure that the refurbishment will continue to serve the growing ethnic Chinese elders.

Current

Ahead and Forward

With the rejuvenated Board of Management composed of experts and professionals in their industry, Elderly Chinese Home continues to thrive. Looking forward, Elderly Chinese Home continues to contribute to the Australian government and community embracing multi-culturalism as of our precedence – prioritizing service delivery and research. We believe in sharing knowledge and experiences to make the Australian Aged care services more client-centered to meet the individualized needs of a diversified population. We all have one life, we all deserve to live in the ways we like.