Phone 4342 2070 Fax 4342 2071 Email us

2002 (c) Peninsula Community Access Newspaper Inc

 

Minister visits retirement village

 

Federal Minister for Aging, Mr Kevin Andrews, and Member for Robertson Mr Jim Lloyd visited the Peninsula Village Retirement Centre on Friday, September 20.

The Liberal MPs toured the facility talking with staff members and residents, joining in exercises with residents and singing "happy birthday" to one resident as she blew out candles on her birthday cake.

"I had quite a fun time, doing exercises with the residents," Mr Andrews said.

"I spoke with the providers about extra beds for the facility.

"This year's round will add 140 hostel beds to the Central Coast, which will add to 738 that we've made available over the past three years," he said.

In 2001, an extra 50 hostel beds were approved for Peninsula Village.

The centre has taken up 10 so far, with the other 40 beds to be part of a new wing due to open in January 2004.

The Village currently has 96 nursing home beds, 106 hostel beds and 62 home care units.

Mr Andrews said that the Peninsula Village Retirement centre was part of the future of aged care with various levels of care available in the one centre.

"Beyond that we have the aged being cared for in their own homes," he said.

Mr Andrews said that he felt that reducing paperwork for nurses and promoting nursing for the aged were the biggest issues facing aged care.

"It's something that we've been addressing," he said.

Alison Branley, September 20.