Holmwood Aged Care officially opened its new 38 residential room extension with the assistance of Mayor of Yarra Ranges, Cr Tony Stevenson.
The celebrations took place on Thursday, 4th April that included guest speakers Cr Tony Stevenson and Rob Wylie. There was an official ‘cutting of the ribbon’ by resident David Fulton, ‘cutting of the cake’ by resident June Cooper and live entertainment. It was attended by staff, residents and their family members, volunteers and special guests.
The extension offers a new level of comfort and style, whilst maintaining the warmth of home. The new building has been architecturally crafted to encompass an indoor-outdoor lifestyle so that residents can continue enjoying the surrounding leafy green trees and country town setting that Healesville is known for.
New facilities include a new entrance, administration and work areas, residential rooms with ensuites, a coffee hub, activities room, private dining room, lounge and dining area, hairdressing salon, a grand outdoor terrace and a landscaped courtyard.
The new extension is named ‘Townsend’ after Nurse Melina Townsend who came to Healesville in the 1920’s and established a small hospital on the corner of Ryrie Street and Lilydale Road. She was a well-respected midwife and a great friend and advisor to the local community.
Holmwood Aged Care has a proud history of providing nearly 40 years of care to the local community.
The new extension has seen the home double in size, not just in area but also the number of residents and staff members.
Many staff are locals and long-term team members – up to 20 years of service. The things that make Holmwood Aged Care so special is its dedicated staff and connection to family.
Facility Manager, Rachael Beever said “one of Holmwood Aged Care’s values has and always will be ‘family’. The residents we care for become extended members of our family. Many of our residents are staff are related. We have staff whose grandparents are residents, staff whose parents are residents and staff who are mothers and daughters. It’s an honour to care of our valued residents and give back”.
The future is bright for Holmwood Aged Care with plans for a further dementia wing extension.