WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT LEO’S PLACE?

If you want to know something that isn’t covered here, please contact us, or arrange an in-person visit.

By booking into Leo’s Place you can focus on your health and wellbeing by resting, reflecting a little, and recharging your spirits. There is a booking process, but we can help you through it.

Warm and welcoming

Leo’s Place is situated nearby but not too close to the bustling café and restaurant strip in Braddon and the house is set on a large block in a leafy suburban setting. Spacious inside and with established gardens, it is the perfect setting to take a break and re-energise. Our staff and volunteers will ensure guests are comfortable and content.

All meals are provided and prepared by our caterer who use locally sourced ingredients and cater for a range of tastes.

Individual care

Each guest is individually assessed before they come to stay. This ensures we understand your unique needs. Our team want to make sure we do everything we can to make your stay extra special.

Our People

Trained and qualified staff from Palliative Care ACT will be your host. Our staff are the key to the success of the service. They are all experienced and qualified in providing individualised care and will always value a guest’s right to respect and dignity.

Our staff and volunteers want all guests to feel at home and they will work diligently to create a welcoming and relaxed environment.

Leo’s Place is a new innovation in supportive care – caring for people with a life-limiting illness and their carers – established by Palliative Care ACT and supported by the ACT Government and the Canberra community.

Guests at Leo’s Place can be:

  • living with a medically diagnosed, life-limiting illness
  • A carer of someone living with a life-limiting illness
  • able to attend most daily living activities with stand by assistance
  • if required, able to self-administer their own medications or have medications in a webster pack
  • living in the ACT or nearby regional areas of NSW.
  • Guests can stay individually, as a couple or as a family. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome.

There is an assessment process to discuss individual or family needs and how best Leo’s Place can provide support.

There is no personal charge or fees during the proof of concept stage although donations are always welcome.

Leo’s Place has four comfortable bedrooms:

  • the master with a king bed, sofa bed and ensuite bathroom
  • two rooms with double beds, and
  • one room with a double bed and a king single.

Leo’s Place has a support worker ratio of one worker to four guests with an illness Our accommodation allows for family members to stay too if they wish, or a carer can stay while their loved one is looked after at home.

There are three bathrooms – an ensuite in the master bedroom, a shared bathroom and a third for staff and other visitors.

Leo’s Place is a beautifully decorated home, with three living areas and an extensive garden. It has:

  • a library of books, games and puzzles
  • smart TVs with access to Netflix
  • iPads available for all clients to use
  • activities such as yoga, mindfulness, nutritional advice and massage can be arranged
  • a table tennis table and boules set for outdoor activities.

Leo’s place prides itself on offering a delicious and varied menu professionally catered by local business Eat Your Words Catering. Just like at home there are no set meal times or schedules. We talk with you about your preferences before you arrive and if you want coffee at 5 am and dinner at 10pm – or sauce on everything – we will happily accommodate you.

All meals are provided and prepared by our caterer who use locally sourced ingredients and cater for a range of tastes. Carers can eat with their loved one too, for a low cost.

If you enjoy a BBQ that is also an option – weather permitting!

Guests are also welcome to use the kitchen facilities themselves, or even order in a pizza or Uber eats as they would at home.

As much or as little as you desire. Some guests:

  • relax in their PJ’s and watch Netflix in their room.
  • enjoy socialising and making friends.
  • make use of the large reading library, puzzles and games
  • wander in the gorgeous garden to find a place to sit and breathe in the peace and tranquillity
  • potter in our vegetable garden
  • bring their own hobbies, such as writing, painting or needle point
  • take part in yoga, mindfulness or arrange a massage
  • explore the parks that are close by, or stroll down to the cafés on Lonsdale Street
  • make use of the table tennis and boules sets for some outdoor activities.

When you book in, let us know if you have any special requests or suggestions and we’ll see what we can do to meet your wishes.

Bring along anything you would normally take on a short trip away, such as clothes, toiletries, medications and hobbies.

Leo’s place offers day respite each day and overnight guests can stay for up to seven (7) nights.

We understand that there may be some situations where a longer stay would be beneficial. Call us if this is the case and we can work with you on a plan.

All staff are fully vaccinated and all guests and visitors above12 years of age also need to be vaccinated, unless they have a documented medical exemption.

Leo’s Place follows a COVID-19 Plan which includes policies and procedures to minimize risk of transmission, in accordance with ACT government health standards.

There is a check-in QR code, or sign in book, and we do take visitor’s temperature. Our staff also take a rapid antigen test prior to commencing their shifts.

As we all have experienced, guidelines in this space change quite quickly, so if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

We would like you to treat Leo’s Place as your home away from home – even to the extent of having visitors and other supports (carers, community nurses, GPs, etc.) come to see you here, as they would at your place. Just remember to give them the address…as we don’t publicise the address to ensure privacy and safety.

Our team of friendly, capable staff are the key to the success of our service. We want all guests to feel at home and will work diligently to create a welcoming and relaxing environment.

A guest’s right to respect and dignity will always be the priority. Staff are trained and qualified in providing individualised care for people with a wide range of medical issues.

Our team work three shifts over each 24 hour period 7am to 3pm, 3pm to 11pm and 11pm to 7am, with a 15 minute handover and operate on a best practice ratio of one staff member to four guests

There is a manager on site weekdays from 9am-5pm to undertake individual needs assessments, support staff, provide guests with information, and oversight the running of Leo’s Place.

We also have Palliative Care ACT’s well renowned volunteers to assist with supporting guests while they are at staying at Leo’s place.

There is a trained staff member at Leo’s Place 24/7 who in case of an accident or emergency event will call the appropriate emergency services to attend as well as the manager if outside business hours.

All guests staying at Leo’s are asked to provide an emergency contact who will be notified of any event or issue of concern when the primary carer cannot be reached.

If applicable, copies of advanced care plans are held at Leo’s Place to be given to ambulance or emergency services so guests wishes are communicated and respected.

Absolutely, our guests are encouraged to treat Leo’s Place as their home. You are welcome to come and go as desired. Many guests enjoy a stroll through the neighbourhood and local parks, or go with a friend down to Lonsdale Street for a coffee.

Leo Sutton is the late husband of Palliative Care ACT’s patron, Shirley Sutton, AM PSM.

Leo was a very generous man who supported many charities. Together he and Shirley made a formidable team and their fundraising gained momentum over time. They fundraised to provide much needed equipment to the:

  • Home Based Palliative Care service
  • Volunteer Program
  • first hospice in the ACT on the Acton Peninsular
  • current hospice – Clare Holland House
  • Palliative Care Association of the ACT

Leo’s support for quality palliative care continued until his death in 2017. The Board of Palliative Care ACT chose to acknowledge his contribution by naming the first non-clinical respite facility in the ACT ‘Leo’s Place’.

Guests and carers are invited to take part in a research study being conducted in partnership with the University of NSW. The research is overseen by Associate Professor James Connor from the School of Business at UNSW Canberra.

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and benefits of Leo’s Place in providing respite services.

Financial and performance reports are also provided biannually to the ACT Government.