SGHC Foundation helps build new rooms at PCAC

SOUTH Gippsland Hospital Community Foundation is helping to build three new rooms for residents at Prom Country Aged Care’s (PCAC) Prom Country House in Foster.

The Foundation responded to a request for funding for the new rooms project from the PCAC Board of Management with a cheque for $175,000.

Foundation Chair Graeme Baxter and Treasurer Neil Roussac presented PCAC Chair Jackie Dargaville and Care Manager Carina Ross with an oversize version of the cheque, with all due and carefully-spaced ceremony, on Monday March 1, 2021.

At the same time the Foundation’s actual cheque, the bankable one, was also officially handed over to Mrs Dargaville and Ms Ross outside the main entrance to Prom Country House.

Mrs Dargaville said further funding for the project is coming through a grant PCAC has received from the Australian Department of Health’s Business Improvement Fund, which is aimed mainly at residential care providers in rural and remote places.

The three new higher care rooms will be created within the facility’s most recent addition known as the yellow wing that was completed in 2018.

The yellow wing already contains seven residents’ rooms as well as a large open space under the existing roofline which has been used as a multipurpose area.

Mrs Dargaville said extra services such as plumbing and electricity were installed at the time of the yellow wing’s construction that would allow the multipurpose area to be turned into more rooms if the need ever arose.

“The yellow wing was designed in such a way so that if it was decided in the future that extra rooms were required to service the needs of the community it would be a relatively simple and economical undertaking to partition the space and complete the fit-out of three new rooms,” she said.

“The PCAC Board took the decision last year in consultation with management to start planning for this project.

“We are currently obtaining final drawings and quotations for the work, which is expected to be completed within the next six to 12 months, depending on the availability of builders. 

“We are applying to the Australian Government for additional licences to operate these beds, and once they are granted and the project is completed PCAC will have a total of 71 rooms for residents,” Mrs Dargaville said.

“The new ensuite rooms will have a similar fit-out to the existing rooms in the yellow wing and will provide new residents with a choice of room sizes.

“The three new rooms will have access to either a courtyard or garden area, too, in the same way as the other rooms do. 

“I would like to add that PCAC is tremendously grateful to the South Gippsland Hospital Community Foundation for their generosity in enabling this project to proceed,” she said.

“The three extra rooms for residents will improve the financial sustainability of our organisation and PCAC’s capacity to ensure we can service the residential care needs of our community into the future.

“It is also very rewarding to be partnering with the Foundation in building on the resources available for aged residents in our community,” Mrs Dargaville said.

“The vision of the Foundation as it broadens its reach to assist our aged population and PCAC’s ability to better service their needs really is inspiring.”

Foundation Chair Mr Baxter said the SGH Community Foundation manages donations and bequests and legacies of money or property or other realisable assets that are left to the organisation via generous patrons.

“The Foundation is really proud and honoured to make this contribution towards Prom Country House,” he said.

“The whole purpose of the Foundation is to improve health outcomes for the Corner Inlet community.

“One way we can help the community to achieve this goal is to work in partnership with other organisations like the South Gippsland Hospital and Banksia Lodge,” Mr Baxter said.

“The Foundation is really grateful to the local people and groups who have made and continue to make donations and bequests, and thankful to those other organisations such as the Victorian and Australian Governments and other health-related foundations.”

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