How did Calvary Aged Care save $250,000 on Kalingo Lodge?

One of the most significant challenges an aged care provider faces is undertaking a complete facility overhaul while staying within the allotted time frame and budget.

One of the most significant challenges an aged care provider faces is undertaking a complete facility overhaul while staying within the allotted time frame and budget.
 
In this story, we spoke with Paul Crane, who was in charge of a project for Calvary Care at their Kalingo Lodge home in Cessnock.
 
The project was an exceptional success and managed to save over $250,000. We asked Paul Crane a series of questions to learn about how this was achieved.

Why was this project so successful in saving Calvary Aged Care $250,000?

"Yes, the success of this project is largely attributed to Skope Constructions," said Paul.
"They were appointed to complete works for us at our Cessnock facility after they were successful in the tender process.
 
"This facility was a large, operating aged care home, making it difficult to carry out construction while preserving the comfort and convenience of our residents.
 
"However, Skope did a fantastic job, and we were very pleased with the results," Paul explained.

One of the main challenges of this project was to work within a limited time frame and budget, but Skope was able to save $100,000 by reutilizing the existing ventilation system.
 
"Skope believed that the existing system could be continued, and as it turned out, this was the case, saving Calvary significant funds during the construction phase," Paul added.

Paul, who was the Asset Manager at Calvary during this project, has worked with many builders over
the years.
 
When asked why he found Skope Constructions particularly easy to work with, Paul said, "John and Brent, along with Guy Smith, their on-site manager, have a deep understanding of the needs in aged care.
 
"They know the importance of maintaining a controlled, organized, and peaceful environment for our residents.
 
"They worked closely with us, and communication lines were always open, which allowed for any issues to be raised, communicated, and resolved quickly.
 
"This type of effort to take care of our residents during the construction phase was much appreciated."

Skope Constructions also helped save Calvary an additional $150,000 by suggesting various cost-saving alternatives for flooring and equipment.
 
Paul mentioned that it is not common to work with builders who look for ways to save the client money, but having worked with many builders, Paul believes that Skope Constructions are always focused on delivering value back to their clients.

This project was carried out on a live site, which posed some challenges.
 
"The key to executing a project like this in a live site is to have a good plan and a good understanding of the client and resident needs," said Paul.
 
Did Skope keep you appraised of what was happening on site?

"During the construction phase, it's important to keep communication lines open," Paul said.
 
"The part of the home being refurbished was vacant, but there were still residents nearby, so careful consideration was taken to minimize any risk of noise or hazard to those residents.

"We must look after our residents' safety at all times."
 
Paul explained that Skope Constructions were very good at understanding these risks and putting in place effective mitigation strategies.

When asked why he would recommend Skope Constructions to someone in a similar role, Paul commented.
 
"Skope has a great understanding of aged care, which is not an easy environment to work in," Paul said.
"They have a strong focus on planning and are always open to listening and responding to their client's needs and priorities.
 
"They also made sure that their subcontractors were aware of the processes necessary to operate safely and effectively in this environment."

Are you looking at refurbishing your Aged Care centre, then talk to John Carolan from Skope Constructions on 02 9659 8461.