Cooinda is a not for profit, community owned aged care service. Established in 1969 by community volunteers, Cooinda Village was built as a place to care for Benalla’s older people.
Today, we are Benalla’s aged care facility of choice, employing over 123 local people. We also support the Benalla economy and businesses by buying local when possible.
We partner with Benalla Health and Northeast Health Wangaratta by offering practical nursing placements. We also support The Centre in Wangaratta’s Personal Care Attendants training.
Woven into the fabric of Benalla, Cooinda in the past has connected on many levels through events that include:
Prior to covid restrictions our residents and Year 7 students from Benalla’s FCJ college each year would spend 6 weeks rehearsing for a choir concert. The final concert of collective voices drew the local community together. Each year it filled the auditorium at the Benalla Performing Arts Centre to capacity.
Furthermore, we have promoted healthy ageing messages, raising awareness and understanding to conditions such as dementia.We are a member of the local safety committee and work to host local fundraising events that have included Light the Night for the Leukaemia Foundation and Walk and Wake Up To Dementia with Dementia Australia.
In addition, we work closely with the Benalla Rural City on providing aged care education. We also act as adviser to council on aged care employment matters.
Our staff take people who live in Cooinda with other local aged care facilities, local groups and the Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre so they remain connected to their community.
We also engage with Probus and open days in our effort to stay on top of the needs and desires of our community fundamental to our philosophy.