VALE Dr Richard Geeves : 1924 – 2020 Instrumental in setting up the aged care rehabilitation services at Hornsby Hospital, Dr Richard Banks Geeves (Dick) passed away on July 18. general practice and became a full time physician at the hospital. He went on to
develop a larger community team, and developed a 26- bed rehabilitation ward, day hospital, and outpatient unit in the Palmerston Building. He also designed and built a 60-bed transitional care and respite nursing home on the hospital grounds. These were all opened in 1975. His ability to network and raise money was legendary, and he was instrumental in raising funds for the nursing home, ward, day hospital and clinic. Dick spent his career tirelessly advocating for older people and striving for the best care to be provided to them. In 1986 Dick was asked to pilot a Geriatric Assessment Team for the Commonwealth Department of Health, using his well-developed model of multidisciplinary community assessment and care. This model became the basis for all future Aged Care Assessment Teams across Australia, and the Hornsby team continues to this day as one of the busiest in NSW. After his retirement from
Dick had a long career in medicine, following time serving in the army which saw him sent to Papua New Guinea during WWII. After joining his father in general practice, Dick recognised there was a significant gap in the care of older people and people with a disability living in the community. At that time he was appointed as honorary community physician at Hornsby District Hospital and with support from his specialist and general practitioner colleagues, he developed a multidisciplinary team providing geriatric and rehabilitation services in the community. This team was allocated a hospital cottage which became a day rehabilitation centre, one of the earliest such medical rehabilitation centres in Sydney. In 1974 a Community Geriatric and Rehabilitation Service
Dr Richard Geeves
Hornsby Hospital in 1989, he and his wife Barbara moved to Geeveston in Tasmania. Never one to slow down, Dick was involved in developing a new role for the Geeveston area after the closure of the large paper. Together with locals, he worked on creating a woodworking hub for Geeveston, and the famous Tahune Airwalk was part of that development, showcasing the Huon River. Dick continued living in his home after the death of his wife in 2002 and remained an integral part of the community even having a street named after him. He is survived by his five sons.
was set up at Hornsby Hospital, and Dick left
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6 NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 16| 27 AUGUST 2020
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