Taigum aged care residents move into brand new facility

This article was originally published by Elyse Heyn for Quest Newspapers on Tuesday 16 October 2018.

Symes Grove residents Myra Crossan and Peg Pradella at a community event to farewell the old residential home at Handford Rd, Taigum.

Residents at Symes Grove Aged Care in Taigum are moving to new homes this week, but they don’t have far to go.

The facility at Handford Rd, which has been in use since 1962, has been decommissioned and all residents are moving to a new facility around the corner on Church Rd.

Facility manager Sharon Marsden said the current building was outdated in terms of their residents’ needs.

“The current one is 56 years old and was initially built for people who were able to look after themselves but needed social contact,” she said.

“It has had lots of modifications and adjustments to meet the growing care needs of the residents, however it is no longer possible to accommodate the current needs of our residents.”

Symes Grove Manager Sharon Marsden, former manager Royce Voss and his wife Marjorie and Anglicare Executive Director Karen Crouch

Ms Marsden said the residents were nervous about the move at first as some of them had lived there for 20 years.

“We have provided regular communications through meetings and photos of the new building as it was being built, and recently we took them all on a tour of the new building and they are now excited about the move,” she said.

The new building will have safer features for residents including a level ground with no ramps, and all rooms will be air-conditioned with private en suites.

It will also feature 24-hour nursing services, landscaped gardens, a cafe, gym, chapel, media room and gathering spaces.

Residents will have access to a hairdressing salon and allied health services including a geriatrician, physiotherapist, podiatrist, dentist, optometrist, audiologist, speech therapist and a dietitian.

The residents began their move on Monday, with 20 residents being moved each day. All residents are expected to be settled in to their new homes by this Friday, October 19.