Seven new beds for disabled

SEVEN new beds will be created for Wanganui residents suffering from physical disability but not covered by ACC, the Ministry of Health has announced.
At a public meeting yesterday, ministry national operations manager for disability services, Trish Davis, said the argument in favour of new facilities was a strong one.
Public demand for the beds has been growing since last year, when community members first approached the ministry about establishing community-based care services in Wanganui.
Some patients eligible for the new service are living in rest homes, while others have had to relocate to Palmerston North for care.
"The rest are living at home with parents who are perhaps ageing and looking at a time when they are not being able to cope any longer and never getting a break," Lincoln Paul, of the Wanganui Disabled Advisory Group, said.
Mr Paul's group was established last year to conduct an investigation into the situation and make recommendations to the ministry.
Its report recommended the creation of a new Wanganui-based service with beds for eight patients.
But despite the ministry only approving seven beds, Mr Paul was still "thrilled" with the progress.
"Everyone was pretty chuffed at the outcome and that [the ministry] were looking to be so prompt."
The eight-bed recommendation was based on community needs, and the evaluation of similar services in New Zealand and overseas.
"We canvassed people about their needs and then came up with the dream that we had for a service in our community."
"While this is not quite the ideal vision that we had, no one expects to get their vision, and this will go a long way to making a difference," he told the meeting.
"We recognise that we have to be realistic.
"We had to put forward a report that was viable, met the needs of the community and was realistic, and we're delighted to have it accepted."
Five of the beds will be for permanent residents, with the remaining two reserved for respite care, Ms Davis said.
"The respite care will be a place for people to go so they have some respite and their carers have some relief."
"Meaningful day activities" will also be provided for patients living away from the building but still requiring assistance, she said.
Ms Davis said the ministry would have liked to approve an eight-bed unit, but funding realities made it difficult.
"In the end, what appeared to us was that the group worked hard for the three things that the ministry is set to fund [permanent beds, respite beds and day activities] & We have approved seven beds but have the option to expand at a later time once we see how things are running."
The service is likely to be based in one or more existing houses rather than custom-built buildings, but all options will be considered during the tender process.
The tender process will begin about May, with the service set to be up and running by the end of the year.