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2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc
Village is Peninsula's largest employer
Peninsula Village Limited, the Peninsula's largest employer, is celebrating its growth and service to the community since its inception in 1975 and opening in 1980.
Peninsula Village is a charitable organisation, community owned and operated and has net assets valued at $35,000,000.
Its prime objective is to provide high quality, affordable retirement living.
It was developed totally without any capital support from either the State or Federal governments under the direction of a voluntary board of management.
The village accommodates 420 patients with an additional 50 beds due in the near future.
Annual turnover is in excess of $7 million with the current staff of 200, but it will increase further as more staff are employed once the extra beds are in place and additional staff are employed to cater for the extra patients.
The village provides accommodation in varying forms including one and two bed self-care rooms, hostel care, dementia care, nursing home care, palliative care, dementia respite day care and respite care.
Respite care is offered free of charge as a gesture by the village in a day care cottage supervised by qualified staff.
Resident amenities include resident-only buses, an entertainment centre with dance floor, a hair dressing salon, kiosk, full-sized snooker table, a heated undercover pool complete with hydraulic chair lift and spa, day and night three rink full length bowling greens, an interdenominational chapel, newsletter, a large screen TV and video and all units have access to free in-house movies.
All units are equipped with a 24-hour emergency call bell system and professional nursing staff are available 24 hours per day.
Laundry facilities are available throughout the village.
The village also has a "tea house" surrounded by a fish pond, fountains and water lilies to provide an ideal setting for residents to enjoy time with visitors, have a game of cards or just relax with a good book.
The village has a detached section, Cooinda, with 62 self-care units that it also manages.
Village policy is determined by an honorary board of directors which meets monthly.
Current board members are: chairman Mrs Pam Palmer, vice chairman Mr Ian Radford, secretary Mr Kevin Carmichael, treasurer Mr Garry Chapman,; special projects director Mr Don Leggett, Dr Ken Low, Mr Graham McGuinness, Mr Jim Drysdale and Mr P Fairley.
The village came about because in 1975 the Peninsula had in excess of 8000 residents aged over 60, with no nursing home and nothing planned for the future.
A select committee of the Umina branch of the Combined Pensioners Association was formed to investigate the establishment of an aged care centre and nursing home.
The committee was structured around some voluntary community workers chaired by the late Mr Stan Roy who co-opted Mr Don Leggett and the late Mr Jack Aldous, the late Mr Jim Maher, Mrs Ailsa Aldous and the late Mr Len Stokes.
A great initial effort was put into fund raising with many organisations playing a big part.
Council owned land in Arras Ave, Umina, was acquired and the first building opened in 1980.
The committee then commenced planning for the second stage of development and a 40 bed nursing home.
The relocation of high tension electricity wires caused a two-year delay and work on the new section began in 1983 and was completed in 1986.
Four adjoining private homes were purchased, three of which were relocated, allowing for another 40 self contained units to be built.
From those first formative meetings, the concept was, and still is, to provide an asset which will always belong to the people of the Woy Woy Peninsula which will provide first class aged accommodation and care at the lowest possible entry fee with the staff and committee always recognising that resident well being was their main priority.
Cec Bucello, May 3