A new state-of-the-art Residential Care Village is only days away from opening the doors to its new residents.
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The Royal Freemasons’ Benevolent Institute’s village will welcome its first residents on May 31.
While only five people will move in during the first week, it will continue to grow until it reaches a capacity of 70.
At its full capacity the village will also have 70 staff members, which general manager Danny Okenfull said were all local people.
The village has been designed with dignity and respect at the forefront, from the plates to the quiet room, Mr Okenfull said.
The extensive village will include playground equipment, a croquet and a bowling green, but there two rooms that Mr Okenfull has named as his favourite- the quiet room and the spa.
“The quiet room is specifically built for people going through palliative care who have a lot of family and need a bit more space. But it’s also useful for people who are travelling from overseas who find it hard to find somewhere to stay,” he said.
Meanwhile the spa, which can be used for a bit of pampering, will also help residents who are bed-bound or have had a stroke.
“A lot of experience, a lot of trial and error has all accumulated into making specialised rooms that we know were needed but didn’t have elsewhere,” he said.
The Residential Care Village will also feature Care Vision, which allows loved ones to send text messages, videos or photos straight to the residents’ televisions through a phone app.
It was an exciting time, Mr Okenfull said. While commissioning a building was a new experience, the general manager said he was excited for day one when he would be back in his element.