The news was released by Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley earlier this week.
Ms Ley said Navorina was one of two aged care providers in the Farrer electorate to benefit from the Australian Government's Aged Care Capital Assistance Program.
The other was Murray House at Wentworth, which was awarded $8.5 million.
The program is specifically designed to support infrastructure projects to maintain or increase access to quality aged care services.
Board and staff at Navorina Aged Care are not yet able to comment on the announcement.
As such, specifics of how and when the funding will be spent are unknown.
However, the Pastoral Times understands it will allow Navorina to continue with its long-running plans to upgrade and modernise the facilities in Macauley St, Deniliquin.
The upgrades started with a realignment of the main entrance in 2016, and the new Hunter Landale Wing — named after one of the nursing home’s original benefactors — was started in 2017 and opened in July 2018.
Stages three and four included the creation of the Inala Mirradong memory care wing, with a capacity of 16 beds for residents with dementia and similar conditions which affect memory and cognitive function, the new Gordon McCann wing and relocation and upgrade of the kitchen and an upgrade of the laundry.
The works have also included improvements to communal areas, such as lounges, kitchenettes for each wing, small garden spaces, a cafe, improved nursing facilities, specialist rooms, and a multimedia hub will give residents access to a place that ‘‘feels like home’’.
The ultimate aim of all the upgrades is to have a modern facility with single occupancy rooms for all residents.
While grant funding and Navorina reserves paid for the upgrades, Navorina did call on the community to help fund furnishings and ‘home’ pieces for the residents.
The giant task of raising $1 million for this purpose was launched in June 2021 and the magic million mark was reached in June 2023.
At the time, Navorina fundraising co-ordinator Justine Keech said planning would start on the final stage of the renovations, with the Chamberlain wing the last section to get a makeover.
Navorina originally opened in 1986 as a 40 bed facility, but the first recorded suggestion to build a nursing home in Deniliquin was from Presbyterian minister A.W. E. (Ted) Seal before 1958.
The facility was built by the community for the community and takes pride in its ability to provide modern, evidence based, responsive care within a rural and regional setting.
Today, Navorina is a 60 bed high care facility with a dedicated memory care (dementia) wing.
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