Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Councillor Jodie Harrison and the Anglican Bishop of Newcastle, The Right Reverend Greg Thompson undertook an official “turning of the first sod” earlier this week, to get stage one of re-development underway at Anglican Care’s Residential Aged Care Toronto facility.
Joining Bishop Greg and Mayor Harrison was John Kilpatrick and members of the Anglican Care Board, CEO Colin Osborne, staff and residents, as well as neighbours and invited guests.
Stage one of the re-development will be a state of the art contemporary facility that will offer 147 bed places in a variety of care levels. Construction will commence in the coming weeks and will be completed in November 2015, with residents expected to be moving in to the facility in December 2015.
Appointed to deliver stage one of the $39 million project on behalf of Anglican Care will be project managers APP Corporation, along with well-known local architects Jackson Teece and national building firm Hansen Yuncken.
The building itself will consist of five levels, with the lowest two levels offering administrative services and basement car parking while residents will occupy the upper three floors.
The first floor provides accommodation for residents living with dementia, while the second floor offers high care and palliative care accommodation and the top floor will provide additional high care beds with the option of operating a transitional care wing in coordination with another health care facility.
The introduction of a palliative care wing is unique to a care facility of this type and is symbolic of Anglican Care’s desire to pursue potential synergies with nearby hospitals.
The building will be completed with beautiful landscaped grounds inclusive of a dementia care courtyard and perimeter gardens. Both Brighton Avenue and Cary Street will also be enhanced with new street tree plantings; a visual aspect that will no doubt be appreciated from the new café and outdoor terrace on the ground floor.
Anglican Care CEO, Colin Osborne, said they believe the re-development will go a long way towards contributing to the “Lake Macquarie City Council Ageing Population Plan 2008-2017” and reaffirms their commitment to the Westlake Macquarie area.
“We are aware of the demand for aged care services that is about to hit the sector as our population ages and requiremnets for care places and independent living increases,” Colin said.
“For the Lake Macquarie area it is particularly of concern as we will move from the 53rd oldest LGA in NSW to the 44th in only ten years.”
“Approximately 17 per cent of Lake Macquarie residents are aged 65 and over; but by 2022, 25 per cent of the population will be over 65. This means organisations such as Anglican Care need to plan and move now to ensure we can meet that demand in the decades to come.”
The location of the site is ideal for seniors, being situated close to Lake Macquarie, Toronto Private Hospital, retail and other community facilities, and will provide enhanced choices for people seeking aged care services.
“It is Anglican Care’s goal to provide excellent care and a quality lifestyle to the aged people of Lake Macquarie, Newcastle and the Central Coast, and this development is another way of fulfilling that goal,” he said.
