Nursing home push for Sundale

THE Palmwoods community is being called to support a bid for a nursing home to be established at Palmwoods Sundale in Jubilee Drive.

Elderly residents requiring nursing home care now have to leave Palmwoods and move to Nambour.

Nursing home beds are allocated by the Federal Government’s Aged Care Advisory committee each year.

"For several years, the Palmwoods Retirement Village, through Sundale, has been applying to the federal government for nursing home bed licences, but without success," Sundale General Manager Glenn Bunney said.

"It appears that the Department of Health and Family Services does not share our view that the Palmwoods Community should have a nursing home to cater for the needs of its aged community."

A public meeting has been called for Monday, August 11, from 7.30pm at the Palmwoods Memorial Hall to seek input to ensure that the community agrees with the need, and to gain active support for Sundale’s application.

Once a licence for an allocation of beds is received from the Federal Government, Sundale would proceed with construction of a nursing home which would allow residents to proceed from Independent Living Units to the hostel and ultimately the nursing home as their needs required.

"We believe there is a need in Palmwoods for a modern nursing home facility which enables residents to remain in their local area, rather than having to move away at a time in their lives when this should not be forced upon them," Mr Bunney said.

Last year, 36 nursing home beds were allocated to the region which extends from Caboolture to Gympie.

Mr Bunney and Sundale Administrator John Baird will outline the situation regarding nursing homes beds, future plans for Palmwoods Sundale and seek input on what the local community would like to see occur.

"We want to meet the needs of the district," Mr Baird said. "If there are people in Palmwoods who want to be able to stay here then we want to be able to look after them."

The project would not receive any federal government funding but would be a part of Sundale’s ongoing commitment to Palmwoods.

Since becoming an active part of the Palmwoods community, Sundale has built 80 independent living units and a hostel housing 40 residents. A majority of the Palmwoods staff are from the local district and priority is given to local suppliers of goods and services.

"We invite representatives from the community, service clubs and sporting clubs to come to the public meeting and give us their ideas," Mr Baird said. "The more input to the meeting the better."