The Not For Profit owner and operator of residential aged care homes, retirement villages and home care in NSW and the ACT has appointed Planix Projects and Hines Constructions to build a modern home for residents in the Hunter Valley city, 154km north of Sydney's CBD.
RFBI Cessnock Masonic Village was built over 40 years ago and has a residential aged care village, retirement village and a local Care at Home team who service those living within the village and the wider community.
In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began, RFBI had plans to refurbish the existing aged care village. The Weekly SOURCE reported in September 2023 that RFBI would spend $18.6 million on a new residential care village as the existing site was no longer fit for purpose.
Construction is now expected to start within weeks.
RFBI has also begun work on a $50 million redevelopment of its Hawkins Masonic Retirement Village in Edgeworth, 14km west of the Newcastle CBD, which is RFBI's first aged care community and also its largest. The village currently has a 131-bed residential care service and over 160 retirement units.
The aged care home will be redeveloped into a village of small households with 15 residents, with each household having its own lounge room and dining area. Connecting the households will be a community hub which will provide indoor and outdoor entertainment areas as well as a variety of services such as a fitness centre, coffee shop, hairdresser and more.
