Dementia unit push for Whangamatā

A dementia unit is being planned for Whangamatā, New Zealand, but it could cost up to $25 million to construct. The Moana House and Village Charitable Trust is leading the effort to create 20 beds for dementia patients in the town. The Trust believes there is a significant need for such a facility in the town and the wider Coromandel area.

Currently, there is no dementia care available at Moana House, and the community’s need for such care is becoming critical, says Acting Manager Garth Blake. He mentions that there is no dementia care facility on the eastern Coromandel Peninsula. The Trust is now seeking funding to build a purpose-built dementia unit as part of the Moana House facility.

However, fundraising in the current financial climate is challenging. Despite this, the Trust has initiated several fundraising activities such as an annual Gala Dinner and Celebrity Golf Tournament. They hope that community support for these activities will continue.

Blake estimates that the project will cost between $20 and $25 million and acknowledges that the fundraising team at Moana House faces a significant challenge. Once they can demonstrate significant community funding support, they can apply to the government for more substantial funding assistance.

According to Blake, one in three people in the Whangamatā community will need the support of aged residential care services at some point. There are also increasing cases of dementia diagnoses among them. The addition of a dementia unit at Moana House would complete the continuum of care that the community needs now and secure a future for generations to come.

The facility currently employs 80 staff and has 47 residents. Many residents have had to move to other locations outside of the Coromandel for treatment, which puts pressure on their families. The new unit will be part of a new facility focused on aged care, with a total of 80 beds, 20 of which will be for dementia patients.

Moana House was established in 1984 to provide accommodation and care for the older population. The facility was officially opened in 1987 with 36 rest home beds. It has since grown to include a hospital wing and expanded rest home that accommodates independent and assisted-living services for primary care and convalescent residents.