By mid-2023 aged care residents at Kyogle Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) will be enjoying better shared activity and entertainment spaces thanks to upgrades now under way.
One focus is a purpose-built residents’ lounge that will provide both indoor and outdoor spaces to allow residents and their families and carers to exercise, relax or share a quiet moment away from the busy dining room.
Executive Officer/ Director of Nursing for the MPS Network, Nancy Martin, said the upgrades would provide residents with a safe area in which to connect with loved ones, or sit peacefully in reflection.
‘Best practice care for older people, including those who may be living with dementia, involves having a variety of spaces which are suited to specific activities, such as eating and drinking, relaxing and resting,’ Ms Martin said.
She added that the new lounge area extension will enable residents to move more freely between the different living spaces such as the Chapel, dining room and garden courtyard. The upgrade will also make the most of the views of the Kyogle countryside which residents will be able to appreciate from the covered verandah.
Projects at three other local MPSs are also helping to improve the amenities for aged care residents in communal spaces, and provide a more homelike and comfortable environment. Bonalbo MPS will receive a new garden, complete with mobility pathways, secure fences and shared spaces, while at Nimbin MPS a new access ramp connecting the courtyard and garden to the dining room deck will create a better connection between existing spaces.
At Urbenville MPS, a new backyard space with tool shed, raised garden beds and BBQ area will provide residents with a more homely environment. The projects are jointly funded by the Australian Government’s MPS Minor Capital Works program and Northern NSW Local Health District.
