Aberlea Timboon only has one independent living unit to build to fulfil the community’s initial vision for the venture, but moves are already afoot to grow the plans even further.
Advisory Committee chair Martin Van de Wouw said the focus at the moment though was finding a resident or couple for Unit 4 which was recently vacated after the former tenant moved into residential care.
“That’s a bit of a milestone for Aberlea Timboon as well – having the first of our original tenants move out and into assisted living,” he said.
“So, we would really like to find a new tenant as soon as possible for Unit Four as occupancy of the facility is the key to funding any future plans.
“Unit Five was completed last year and is occupied and work is almost complete on a major upgrade of the common room which is a wonderful addition that will provide a great space for our residents to come together after COVID-19 restrictions end.
“Once Unit 4 is occupied again, we will be exploring what demand there is and hopefully, if there is enough, we’ll begin construction of Unit 6 which will complete the initial vision.”
Mr Van de Wouw is also a director of Aberlea Inc. in Mortlake and said the Timboon committee was working closely with chief executive officer David Knight.
“We’ve just done some strategic planning with regard to what the future might look like and we’re beginning discussions with other stakeholders about that process,” he said.
“It’s a bit early to preempt where that will take us, but it’s fair to say we’re looking at expansion plans – possibly for assisted living units as well.”
Mr Knight said there was a lot of work to do before moving into a second phase, but the organisation was committed to grow Aberlea Timboon to continue to deliver on the aged care needs of the local community.
“It’s a wonderful project, which has been made possible by a lot of hard work and fundraising by the Timboon and district community.
“By the time the original vision for Aberlea Timboon is completed, more than $2 million will have been spent to create this wonderful asset for members of the local community.
“It’s a pretty special project and we’ll be diligent as we move forward to assess what options are available to further add to the aged care offering in the region.”
Mr Van de Wouw thanked the late Peter Murphy for his tireless work on the Timboon committee and urged anyone interested in Unit 4 or Unit 6 to contact Mr Knight or his team in Mortlake on 5599 2901 or admin@aberlea.com.au
“That’s the best option for anyone interested in talking through the process of joining the Aberlea Timboon community. I’m more than happy, once that conversation happens, to meet people and show them through the facilities,” he said.
“Alternatively, interested parties may know one of our Timboon committee members and be more comfortable talking with them first. Our committee includes Peter Pope, Owen Wallace, Gerard Vogels, Terry O’Connor, Enid O’Connor, Cath Brown, Darcy Howard and new member Trevor Bullen.”
More information and a photo gallery is available at https://aberlea.com.au/independent-living-units/
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