Seniors Housing & Healthcare Trends

LOS ANGELES: A state of the art multigenerational hospice is being created within a forest setting.

A recruitment campaign has ramped up for people to work at Manly’s Adolescent & Young Adult Hospice.

The facility — the first of its kind in Australia — is still under construction on the former Manly Public Hospital site near North Head and is set to open later this year.

But health authorities are still looking for people to fill positions ranging from managers, nurses and admin staff through to tradies, laundry workers and cleaners.

The $19.5 million hospice will provide end of life and short-term respite care for 15- 24-year-olds.

It will be surrounded by bushland, with sweeping views of Sydney Harbour and have accommodation for eight young people at a time.

The facility, scheduled to open in late November, will work closely with the nearby Bear Cottage, a renowned hospice and respite care centre for children.

It will feature eight bedrooms for patients, each with an ensuite and outdoor balcony; family accommodation units with two bedrooms each; a kitchen, dining room and laundry facilities; a lounge room with an outdoor balcony and harbour views, games room, media room, multi-sensory room and quiet rooms.

It will be built alongside the so-called “health and wellness sanctuary” proposed for the rest of the old hospital grounds that is expected to include seniors housing, a dementia care centre, and a child care centre as well as studios for yoga and pilates.

And as part of the plans, much of the five-hecatre site would become public open space with picnic areas and eateries as well as easy access to the neighbouring Sydney Harbour National Park and Collins Flat Beach.

State Liberal MP for Manly, James Griffin, who has championed the hospice being located in Manly, said it would provide age-appropriate care, specific to the needs of adolescents and young adults.

He said the facility would have a “home away from home feel” and it services would ill be available to all NSW residents.

“After years of advocacy and hard work, I am delighted to see this vision become a realitym’’ he said.

“As the first of its kind in Australia, the AYAH will provide respite care for young people with life-limiting illness from every corner of NSW, right here in the northern beaches.

“This project has been driven by our wonderful community, with the AYAH made possible by generous donations from the people of Manly.”

Manly philanthropist Kay Van Norton Poche boosted the coffers by donating $5 million towards the project.