PHOTO GALLERY: New cafe big win for vulnerable residents

“The idea behind this is to uplift the quality of life”

(From left) Residents May Bennett, Joan Sanster, Ruth Hoeter, Lynn Robertson, and Marjorie Large enjoying their first coffee and cake at the new cafe.

FOR most people a coffee and a slice of cake doesn't mean too much.

But for the resident of Parklands Aged Care and Lifestyle Village it was reason for celebration.

Yesterday residents cheered as the ribbon was cut to officially open the centre's new cafe.

Open five days a week, the new cafe will allow nursing home and lifestyle village residents to mingle and guests to enjoy a coffee nearby.

Residents said the coffee was delicious and very reasonably priced.

Residents Ruth Hoeter and Lynn Robertson said it was nice to have a place to gather after recent difficult months.

Mrs Robertson said during the pandemic her husband would visit her and they would sit out the front of the facility and talk, now she was looking forward to be able to sit at the cafe and enjoy some food together.

Mrs Hoeter said although it had been hard not having guests into the home she said she was more fortunate than others who lived alone.

"We were lucky to have each other, We can just go down the hall to talk to a friend," she said.

She added that it helped that everyone was going through the same thing and could relate to how they were feeling.

Lifestyle residents Mary Collings, Pat Collings, Helen Hood and Muriel Dyer said the cafe opening had been much anticipated.

They said they liked the fact that the new facility could be used to unite and connect residents from different parts of Parklands.

(From left) Mary Collings, Pat Collings, Helen Hood and Muriel Dyer.

Mrs Dyer said since the coronavirus outbreak she had been limiting her trips out and about so was looking forward to getting a nice coffee close to home.

Business manager Sam Jayatilake said the coffee shop had been in the works since Western Australian company Roshana acquired the village in March but a lot of plans were put on hold due to the pandemic.

He said staff have been working hard to keep morale high in the centre by planing COVID-safe activities and events and investing in communal technology to help residents connect with family.

He said it had been a joy to watch the residents get dressed up and enjoy the first coffees from the new store this morning.

"We had been advertising the grand opening to our residents for 10am but we had residents down here waiting from 8am quite excited" he said.

"The idea behind this is to uplift the quality of life for our residents."

Due to COVID-19 the cafe is not open to the public but will be in the future.

Invite into their nest

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