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2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc

 

Peninsula Village gets 50 more beds

 

Peninsula Village has received 50 extra aged care licences, subject to project completion within two years.

General manager Ms Terri Parker estimates the $5 million project will allow the Village to employ 30 more staff and spend $500,000 more a year on supplies.

The facility is expected to reduce the current waiting list by more than a third.

Ms Parker said that the Village had no plans to build a hospital, as described in Gosford Council minutes and reported in the last issue of Peninsula News.

She said the minutes were incorrect and she had not been told how the mistake was made.

Ms Parker said the design of the facility to house the 50 beds was still in the concept stages and was dependent upon negotiations with the council.

The Village management met on site with its architect last week.

It was planned to build the facility across eight lots facing Lone Pine and Neptune Aves, and a rear laneway, which would be purchased from the council.

The Village was also hoping to purchase and close Arras Ave to provide access between the new building and existing facilities.

The acquisition of the road and laneway would allow amalgamation of the site.

It was also a matter of safety, said Ms Parker.

Peninsula Village was a community-owned non-profit charitable institution, said Ms Parker.

With assets of $35 million and an annual turnover of $8 million, the Village was home to 300 residents and was the largest employer on the Peninsula, she said.

The staff of 200 generated a wages bill of around $5 million a year.

Ms Parker said the Village served the needs of the disadvantaged.

Only eight of the residents had a "totally independent" residential status.

Almost one fifth had gained concessional admission, with 15 being assisted and 38 not providing any capital.

The Village currently had a waiting list of 53 for hostel places, 20 for dementia places and 64 for nursing home places.

Ms Parker said that, on average, only 22 hostel places. eight dementia places and 25 nursing home places became available each year.

Many on the waiting list passed away before places became available.

She said the extra licences were badly needed.

"This is an under-bedded area," she said

The Village had applied twice previously but was unsuccessful.

Despite the high proportion of the Peninsula population over 70, well above the State average, this was not taken into consideration when allocating bed licences.

Ms Parker said the Vilage was competing against a "tough field" to win the licences.

Peninsula Village was estabished 25 years ago at Arras Av, firstly with independent living units then with a hostel.

in 1985, a 40-bed nursing home was added, which has since been expanded to 92 beds.

It has since grown to 110 hostel places and 85 independent living units.

Peninsula Village Ltd also operated Cooinda Village with 62 independent living units.

The Village also provided a dementia day care centre for community use.

"It's going very well," said Ms Parker.

"If it was bigger, it would be able to take more people."

Ms Parker said the Village was "not about us making money, but about us providing a service" being charitable and not-for-profit.

Ms Parker said she started at the Village as a casual registered nurse 14 years ago.

"I love aged care. That's why I'm here, involved in the cause."

She said dollars were needed to keep the services going.

One mechanised lifter for the nursing home cost $8000 alone, she said.

"We are very grateful for any donation we get. It's such a nice thing to do."

A fete was held each year for fund-raising.

All money raised or donated went directly to purchase equipment and was not spent in administration, she said.

Mark Snell, April 17