On 3 November, a group of Freemasons gathered at Nagambie HealthCare to present a cheque for $17,600, enabling the purchase of five special care, hi-lift beds for new rooms being built at the local residential Aged Care Home.
The FloorLine beds and mattresses, which are already in use, are robust and designed to assist the health care staff to reduce the physical demands of their jobs, while improving patient outcomes. They can be lowered to the floor and raised almost to chest level and they feature electronic controls and a myriad of positioning options. Two of the beds will be used in the existing Aged Care Home and three for a new build at the site that will include three Acute Care Rooms.
At $3,551.33 each, the beds are a welcome contribution for the community owned and operated not-for-profit organisation. The 42 bed integrated health and aged care service has been a part of the Nagambie community since 1929, originally as a Bush Nursing Hospital. It has evolved and expanded over almost a century to meet the demands of the community. Nagambie HealthCare now offers Aged Care, Hospital Care, Community Home Support Programs and supported Living Services.
With the projected population growth of Nagambie and surrounding areas and forecast increase in demand for hospital services, the organisation is undertaking construction of three new Acute Care Rooms.
Sharni Lloyd, Business Development Manager, said that these large single rooms with ensuites will accommodate growth and provision of services at a high standard.
“The design and amenities of the rooms, including our new beds, will greatly enhance the patient experience and facilitate best practice in slow stream rehabilitation and palliative care. We’re very grateful for the Freemasons Foundation funding.”
Amicus Lodge Worshipful Master, Geoff Patton, got wind of Nagambie HealthCare’s expansion project and gave them a call to see how Amicus Lodge members, who regularly fundraise for not-for-profits, could assist.
“Most of us have someone ageing in our lives, and it’s important that their advancing years are spent in comfort. Places like Nagambie HealthCare have been around for such a long time because they really care and the people who work there work really hard.
“Sharni Lloyd, Business Development Manager, nominated the special care beds as something Amicus Lodge could help with that would really make a difference. We are delighted to be able to contribute to a project that improves care for the patients and makes the staff’s lives easier too,” Geoff said.
The contribution of these beds will benefit the hospital and community for the next 10 years.
Freemasons Foundation Victoria gifted a total of $2,621,373 into the Victorian community in the FY21-22. Of this, $811,609 went into the area of Health Projects and Medical Research.
Pictured L- R: WBro George Charalambidis, RWBro Peter Henshall DGM Elect, John Palmer, Sharni Lloyd, Shiela Brandie CEO, Bro Neil Cripps
