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Respite Centre on the way

A respite day care centre for dementia patients will be built at Woodend North after Macedon Ranges Council approved the project last week.  MacGregors Farm proposes short-term, day respite care for up to 15 early-stage dementia patients living at home. 

It's a project that has been years in the making for Woodend Lifestyle Carers Group and would fill a void in the region for this type of care. It is also said to be the very first of its kind in the region.

Development is earmarked for 3.940 hectares of Woodend farmland at Old Lancefield Road that was gifted for the cause.  The facility will include a respite day care activities cottage, caretaker’s house, on-site farm animals and maintenance shed. Planning staff recommended the project's approval with an extensive list of conditions.

The report recognised a net community benefit from the project. It gained unanimous support of councillors at their meeting last Wednesday. Councillor Janet Pearce said the project would provide much-needed support to dementia patients and their carers.

"We know this project is helping the future as our population increases and more and more people are expected to be diagnosed with dementia," she said. Cr Jennifer Anderson said there were “alarming statistics” about the number of people living with dementia in the Macedon Ranges and thanked WLCG for their tireless work.

"It's great to support something that has community benefit but can also be applied with the planning scheme to this site," she said.

 

Special thanks to Midland Express              10-Tuesday, February 28, 2023                                                                        MIDLAND EXPRESS