It is difficult to imagine a time when independence, mobility and good health are in decline and, unfortunately, people often fail to take this reality into consideration when choosing to invest in a retirement estate.
However, the importance of onsite healthcare facilities within a retirement village cannot be underestimated. Direct access to well-run care facilities provides vital physical support as well as mental assurance to inhabitants – and their loved ones – through the knowledge that quality medical assistance is on-hand if necessary.
“A care centre provides all the necessary functions to ensure residents’ health is prioritised through comprehensive service delivery,” explained Cornel Nieuwenhuizen, Director of TotalCare, a leading authority on integrated older person preventative care. “This includes holistic, multi-disciplinary care, medication administration, acts of daily living, security, nutritious meals, housekeeping, social interaction and general peace of mind.”
TotalCare will be bringing more than 50 years’ experience to the Mount Edgecombe Retirement Village Care Centre, set to open in August 2018. The largest care centre of its kind provincially, residents will have access to 24-hour, on-call nursing staff, frail care and assisted living, specialised Alzheimer and Dementia care as well as holistic medical assistance, all within the village.
“The Care Centre will become the estate’s heartbeat and source of care provision,” he continued. “We will have more than 100 employees ready to assist the villages’ 500 residents with emergency response or home-based care. Without the Care Centre, quality care and services would not be readily available or deliverable.”
According to the World Health Organisation, long-term care should ensure that an individual who is not fully capable of long-term self-care can maintain the best possible quality of life, with the greatest possible degree of independence, autonomy, participation, personal fulfilment and human dignity.
Nieuwenhuizen said these were driving factors in TotalCare’s provision of service, and underscored the necessity of care centres, as well as specialised and supervised healthcare depending on the needs of the physically and mentally frail.
“We also incorporate the latest technological advancements while keeping abreast of the latest studies and research available,” he explained. “Another priority is communicating any necessary information with families promptly so as to determine the best possible care for residents.”