Sundale proposes $2.5m expansion

SUNDALE will invest up to $2.5 million in Palmwoods during the next 18 months as it almost doubles the size of its hostel for the aged.

General Manager Glen Bunney said the Federal Government had awarded licences for 30 low care beds in the recent round of allocations. The Sundale Palmwoods Hostel currently has 40 beds.

"We are extremely pleased with the outcome," he said. "We now have a basis to start work on planning extensions to the existing premises with a view to developing these beds towards high care. This will reflect the changing needs of our residents."

Mr Bunney said 10 of the 30 beds would be used for special care for residents suffering dementia.

Sundale Palmwoods appealed for community support in September last year in its push to win Federal Government support for beds in Palmwoods.

Residents of the Sundale Palmwoods hostel currently have to move to Nambour if they require a higher level of care. Sundale had applied for 40 high care beds to establish a nursing home in Palmwoods, however changes to the Aged Care Act have satisfied the requirements.

This, combined with the allocation of the additional 30 beds, means Palmwoods residents will soon be able to remain in the local community.

Mr Bunney said it was hoped to have the additional rooms up and running within 18 months. They will be built at an estimated cost of $2.1 to $2.5 million, funded entirely by Sundale.

"The government does not contribute a cent to this construction," Mr Bunney said.

He said the result would not have been possible without the support of a great number of people in the Palmwoods community and solid support from carer organisations around the Sunshine Coast.

"Everyone brought the weight of opinion behind our application and to those people we send a heartfelt thank you," he said. "Community support won the day. This will go a long way to satisfying the needs of the community."

THE Palmwoods Hostel Auxiliary annual general meeting will be held at 2pm on August 25, at the hostel, Jubilee Drive, Palmwoods.

The auxiliary would like to invite residents, who are concerned about the elderly, to attend this meeting and offer their help.

Everyone is invited to come along and see how this small band of workers are helping to make residents comfortable.