Rising Costs May Delay New Home For Aged

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30739, 1 May 1965, Page 17

Rising Costs May Delay New Home For Aged

The Christchurch Methodist Central Mission’s planned 36bed home for the elderly in Harewood road, Papanui, could not be proceeded with at present because rising prices had brought the estimated cost to about £25,000 above the maximum subsidy, the mission treasurer (Mr A. A. Dingwall) told the mission board of management. The feasibility of modifications to reduce the cost was being considered, he said. The home has been approved in principle by the Health Department. The superintendent (the Rev. W. E. Falkingham) read a letter from the department saying that no increase in the maximum subsidy of £2400 oer bed was being considered. The subsidy had been set

about six years ago as 100 per cent of the then costs but had not been raised since in spite of steep price rises, Mr Falkingham added. It was extremely disappointing that the project might be held up through lack of finance, when it was so badly needed, he said. Goodwill Store. — The mission’s goodwill store would move from Kilmore street to the corner of Manchester and Armagh streets, Mr Dingwall announced.

The store provides clothing and other household goods at low cost for persons on small incomes. Mr Dingwall said the new site would be much more in the public eye. The premises were larger than the old, and this would enable the store to expand its range of goods. Wesley Lodge.—The nursing staff of Wesley Lodge Hospital had asked the controlling committee to be left on the old system of payment, without overtime or penal rates, and the committee had gratefully accepted. Mr Dingwall told the meeting.

“The waiting-list for the Wesley Hospital has more than 100 names,” said Mr Falkingham. “Almost every day people make urgent representations to me to find room for some old person desperately needing a bed. but I can only tell them there is no real hope of admittance in the foreseeable future.” The bed fees for Wesley Lodge Hospital have been raised from £7 7s a week to £8 8s for long-term patients, and to £9 9s a week for shortterm patients. Women’s Auxiliary. The North Canterbury district of the Methodist Women’s Fellowship will be approached by the board to discuss the possibility of forming a women’s social service auxiliary to help in the mission’s social service work.

Life-line Calls.— Since the life-line emergency personal and service started 10 months ago, 588 calls had been attended to, said the Life-line secretary (Mrs G. H. Fleming). Calls to the daily prayer and message service since April 1, 1964, totalled 103,371.