Inside the new carer’s suite and inpatient rooms at the Nepean Adolescent Mental Health Unit

The new purpose-built unit at Nepean Hospital will offer short stay care for those aged 12 to 17 experiencing significant mental health issues. 

For Sarah Gilmore, 24, and her mother Susan Dunham, who have both been involved in the project from the beginning, the development of the unit is deeply personal. 

Sarah and Susan first got involved in the project when Sarah was 18 and had recently had experience being cared for in the Child Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) in Penrith. Her younger brother Benjamin was also being treated at CYMHS at the time. 

Sarah said they were interested in getting involved with co-designing the new unit as they knew how hard it was to get treatment for Benjamin who required a higher level of care.

 "We thought why not get involved if we can make it better for other kids in the future,” Sarah said.

The Nepean Adolescent Mental Health Unit will feature 10 inpatient rooms with ensuites, with two of the rooms being specifically designed for consumers with accessibility requirements.

 Each room is thoughtfully crafted to feel welcoming and non-clinical including desks, a whiteboard and shelving for personal displays and objects from home. 

The rooms will also feature wooden style beds instead of the traditional hospital beds to make the rooms more homely. 

The single patient rooms all have ensuites and large glass windows with inbuilt blinds allowing plenty of natural sunlight and privacy. Susan and Sarah said having ensuites in each bedroom was a “major” requirement for them to ensure young people felt safe when using the facilities.

“I think it's important to have a bathroom to yourself, especially as a teen, and more so if you're gender diverse. It can be frightening to use a toilet in the public area,” Sarah said.

In addition, a dedicated carers suite is located downstairs on Level 1 which is an area for carers and family members to stay close to a young person who is admitted to the unit. 

The carer’s suite includes one bedroom with ensuite, and a separate communal lounge room with comfortable seating and a beverage bay for tea and coffee.

Susan said a carer’s suite would have been helpful when she previously had to bring her son to another facility for treatment. “Benjamin was quite unwell, and I was not helping the situation by being there. I was asked to walk out while they treated him and all I could do was wait and stand in the hallway,” Susan said.

She said a carer’s zone would have allowed her to get some respite nearby and “refill her cup” so that she could return when he was settled.

The carer’s suite is also designed with rural families in mind—those who often have to travel long distances to get treatment for their child. 

“The carer’s suite is so important because I’m thinking about rural families whose child is suffering with mental health,” Susan said.

“To leave your kid so far away and just go home can be hard. So just having that option is so important.”

Looking ahead, both Sarah and Susan are hopeful about the future of the Nepean Adolescent Mental Health Unit.

“I’m excited to see how it goes and all the good it can do. Just seeing how many families they would’ve helped in a few months after opening will be amazing,” Sarah said. 

The new unit will also feature shared living areas, therapeutic programs, recreation areas and a space for learning with access to teachers, creating a supportive environment that prioritises recovery for consumers. 

The NSW Government is delivering the Adolescent Mental Health unit at Nepean Hospital as part of the $700 million Statewide Mental Health Infrastructure Program to support the delivery of mental health care reform in NSW.

Construction of the new unit is on track for completion in late 2025 and the service will open following an operational commissioning period in early 2026. 

A public open day will be held early next year prior to opening to give the public an opportunity to preview the new facility.