Korongee dementia village in Glenorchy to be open by January 2020 as first sod turned on site
Final plans for Australia’s first village for people living with dementia will be unveiled today, with the first sod to be turned.
Tasmania
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THE first sod will be turned today at Australia’s first village for people living with dementia, with hopes the $25 million Glenorchy complex will help to de-stigmatise the illness.
The Korongee village site will boast the state’s first purpose-built safe place for people with dementia — a small town complete with streets, a supermarket, cinema, cafe, beauty salon and gardens.
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It will be built as a typical Tasmanian cul-de-sac and feature 12 houses, each with eight bedrooms to be staffed by healthcare professionals.
A Tasmanian building company has been hired to construct the village with hopes it will open in January 2020.
“We have finalised the design of the village and now that it has gone through the council process we’re delighted to put a fork in the ground and start the works to create this amazing village,” Glenview chief executive Lucy O’Flaherty said.
The village will be built next to Cosgrove High School and behind the old Telstra Business Centre on Main Rd.
Ms O’Flaherty said each of the houses would cater to the lifestyles of the individuals who lived there with residents within each house to be matched by their similar experiences, interests and skills.
“There will be key staff for each house so there will always be continuity for the people living there,” she said.
Ms O’Flaherty said Korongee’s design would make it possible for residents living with dementia to walk around the village and participate in everyday life decisions with the commercial aspects of the village open to the community.
“Hopefully that can help de-stigmatise dementia and ageing as well,” she said
“So we want to invite the community to have a coffee at the cafe, use the hairdresser and hire the community hall.”
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