With light-filled rooms, modern furniture, beautiful gardens and the latest technology, it is safe to say the participants of the Kemira Day Program are loving their new home.
Nestled within the larger IRT Williams Beach Gardens complex in Kanahooka, Kemira was designed to be a community for people with disability and their ageing carers. It has 12 one and two-bedroom villas, a community centre and a respite care facility from which the program is now operating.
Team Leader, Margie Cassell said the new name ‘Kemira Day Program’ was reflective of not only a change in venue but also a change in direction for the program which was formerly called Greenacres Retirement Options (GRO).
GRO was originally created to support Greenacres Supported Employees as they transitioned into retirement from the work environment, Margie said.
With the new centre we are opening the service to any participant who wants to remain active, social and engaged as they age.
Margie said Kemira being part of the IRT community was an added bonus with the residents and staff being very welcoming and forming friendships with the participants.
We are really looking forward to utilising Josie’s Place the community centre used by residents so that we can further integrate within our new community, Margie said.
We are looking forward to expanding our participant numbers and welcome any new participants to our group.
What the participants have to say about their new centre:
I love coming to Kemira because I like that it has more space and my friend from work lives here with his mother so I like seeing him.Leanne Sweeney
The centre is fantastic it has great facilities and lots of space. At first I was worried about catching public transport to Kanahooka but Greenacres trainers Bruce Marshall and Lisa Korhonen supported me to work it out. I never thought I would be able to do it and now I feel really proud of myself. Everyone at Greenacres has helped me so much.David Jacobs.
It is really nice, very comfortable with good air-conditioning and I like the people. Cheryl Jennison
I like to come here I like cooking in the kitchen and I like helping all the ladies and I like making friends. Peter Mannix
