For families in Manly and across Brisbane’s bayside who have been searching for appropriate care for a loved one living with severe dementia, help is now much closer to home. Anglicare Southern Queensland has officially opened its third Specialist Dementia Care Program (SDCP) unit at the E.M. Tooth Residential Aged Care Home in Manly.
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The new unit is the first of its kind for the area, filling a gap in specialist dementia care for the region. It is also the 27th unit under the federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s Specialist Dementia Care Program, a national initiative that provides care for those who cannot be supported in mainstream aged care settings.
The unit will provide highly tailored care for eight residents who experience severe behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia and are unable to be effectively supported in mainstream aged care settings.
Anglicare SQ chief executive officer Sue Cooke welcomed the opening, describing it as a vital development for the region. She said the E.M. Tooth facility was now equipped to offer a program that was a first for south Brisbane — one that would provide a supportive, safe environment where residents could be treated with dignity and respect.
The numbers underpinning that need are significant. In 2025, an estimated 85,200 Australians were living with all forms of dementia, a figure projected to rise to 168,300 by 2054.
The design of the unit has been carefully considered. The purpose-built facility features a small, cottage-style living environment with open-plan layouts, homely furnishings, secure outdoor areas and calming colour schemes, all designed to promote comfort, safety and independence.
Anglicare SQ is not starting from scratch here. The organisation already runs SDCP units at Abri Residential Aged Care Home on the Gold Coast and St Martin’s Residential Aged Care Home in North Brisbane, the latter of which has been recognised by external stakeholders as the gold standard for SDCP delivery.
That track record has directly shaped what’s been built at Manly. Ms Cooke said the experience of running two established SDCP units had given the organisation critical insight into what works, and that those learnings had shaped every aspect of the new facility.
The program’s clinical model is built around stabilisation and transition. Ms Cooke said the goal was to reduce or stabilise each resident’s dementia symptoms through individual behaviour support and care plans, with an average expected length of stay of six to 12 months, after which residents may be able to move to a less intensive care setting. She emphasised, however, that the program takes a personalised approach, with the duration of each resident’s stay tailored to their unique needs.
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The unit employs specialist nurses and works with geriatricians and other practitioners to deliver best-practice care. Ms Cooke also noted that the accommodation plays a broader role in helping to free up acute hospital beds for those who need them.
For the Manly community, the message is a reassuring one. When dementia becomes severe and complex, residents and their families now have access to specialist care, right here in the neighbourhood.
Published14-March-2026
