Cressy House Opened By Minister.

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32383, 24 August 1970, Page 14

Cressy House Opened By Minister.

Cressy House served as a reminder that, collectively and individually, the community should help the elderly to make a useful contribution to society through their experience, knowledge and skills, said the Minister of Tourism (Mr Walker) at Lyttelton on Saturday morning.

Opening the aged people’s home, which has been in use since late June, Mr Walker said that the Government’s contribution towards its conversion—it was the former Lyttelton Maternity Hospital —was $56,000. The total cost was about $67,000. Cressy House came into being through the initial efforts of the Lyttelton Rotary Club four years ago. It offers accommodation at present to 15 persons although it is hoped this will be increased to 19. Mr Walker said that almost 7000 elderly persons were now housed in local body flats and that about 600 such flats were

built annually. The Government had provided about sl6m in subsidies for buildings and had promised $7.5m for suitable projects in the next three years. He said that the initiative for providing suitable accommodation and care for the elderly should come from the community and that the Government should assist with advice and finance where necessary.

“I suggest that we as members of the community should see that our senior citizens live in an environment which is best suited to their needs,” he said. “Those who can still fend for themselves ought to, and usually prefer to, live in their own homes or flats.” Guests were welcomed to the opening by Mr F. I. Sutton, the chairman of the Cressy House Trust Board. He paid tribute to the assistance given by the Lyttelton Rotary Club, the North Canterbury Hospital Board, the Red Cross, the Nurse Maude Society and the churches which had played a part in the establishment of Cressy House. Other speakers included the president of the Lyttelton Rotary Club (Mr L. M. Andrews) and the Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr J. B. Collett).