Refurbished Southland dementia unit opens

Within a week of Enliven Southland’s refurbished Iona dementia facility opening, three of the six beds in the new D6 wing had been reserved.

“It is evident already the expansion of our dementia unit was needed to meet the increasing demand for dementia care and address the lack of D6 beds in the region,” Presbyterian Support Southland (PSS) chief executive Matt Russell said.

The unit was officially opened on Friday (March 7), attended by funders and supporters.

“We are thrilled to report, thanks to the generosity of a significant number of contributors, the project has been fully funded,” Mr Russell said.

The $400,000 project involved establishing six additional psychogeriatric beds and other improvements to the dementia unit at Peacehaven Village for the most vulnerable of Southland’s elderly population.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the community for recognising the need and lending their support to this vital project.”

Contributions from funders include ILT Foundation ($120,483), Hugo Charitable Trust ($50,000), Stewart Family Charitable Trust ($26,300), PH Vickery Trust ($26,300), Guy Anson Waddel Charitable Trust ($26,300), Aotearoa Gaming Trust ($29,900) and several smaller trusts and individuals.