14 years after the idea was first conceived, a new Memory Support Village for people living with dementia is underway in Port Macquarie, 390km north of Sydney’s CBD.
The construction of St Agnes’ Care and Lifestyle’s 12 communal homes for 94 people with a retail village and offices was first proposed in 2008.
“This is a big day for St Agnes’ Care and Lifestyle, but more importantly for our community. Not just Port Macquarie, or even the Mid-North Coast, but what we’re doing here is something that is going to be significant in regional NSW,” said St Agnes' Catholic Parish CEO Adam Spencer.
“With Port Macquarie’s increasing aged population and third highest prevalence rate of dementia in NSW, we focused on developing the concept of a residential village based on a proven, innovative model of care specific to the needs of people with dementia.”
Caption: Pat Conaghan, Federal Member for Cowper (2nd from left) flanked by representatives of St Agnes’ Catholic Parish – to the left Adam Spencer (CEO), right Bronwyn Chalker (General Manager St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle) and far right, Fr Paul Gooley (Parish Priest).
The Memory Support Village is inspired by the Hogeweyk dementia village concept pioneered in the Netherlands.
Glenview Community Services’ Korongee Dementia Village at Glenorchy, a suburb of Hobart, TAS, it provides a small house model. It opened in July 2020.
St Agnes’ Care and Lifestyle’s project was made possible by $5 million in funding from the NSW Government in October 2020 and $6.5 million from the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund last year.
It is due for completion in mid-2023.
