Facility for the aged inaugurated at Winneba

A $1.2 million 12-room facility for the aged has been inaugurated at Winneba in the Central Region.

It will afford persons with ageing parents or relatives a decent accommodation with professional care and an opportunity to socialise at a fee.
Services at the facility include self-care and pampering services: hairdressing, barbering, manicure, pedicure and therapeutic massage.

The Vibrant Aging Community Centre (VACC), the first in the region, is owned by Victoria Aba Colecraft while the vision was conceived by her daughters, Dr Francesca Dwamena and Dr Catherine Sarbah with support from the family.

The centre has fully furnished air-conditioned wheelchair-accessible bedrooms with private washrooms in a homey setting.

It also has a fully equipped and staffed kitchen to provide meals, including special diets and snacks as well as rooms for group and individual exercises, a standby generator, water tanks and access to wi-fi.

Medication management and personal care services would also be offered onsite.

The centre’s aim is to provide customised care in a supportive home environment that affords residents companionship. The facility was built in honour of an uncle, Joseph Assandoh, for his kind heart towards humanity, especially the aged.

New learning, discovery

In a recorded message at the inauguration, Dr Dwamena said the facility would focus its activities on fostering interpersonal connections and building a community that would also provide for new learning, discovery and exploration that would keep clients physically, mentally and socially active and engaged.

He said the facility would care for the client's body, mind and soul and would organise exercises and wellness programmes, special outings and community events for clients.

Mrs Colecraft said hopefully, the faculty would be extended to Accra and other regions.

For her part, Dr Sarbah stated that the family dared to challenge the notion that the elderly should be in family homes to be taken care of by family.

"We no longer live in intergenerational compound houses where we were each other's keeper. Old age is a journey everyone would travel,” she said.
Emma Frances Wonkyima Aryee, 88, said it was time to provide the aged with decent living conditions.

"Association is important for old age. This facility will sure lengthen our lives. Loneliness kills,” she said.

Another aged person, Rose Botchey of the Klimovic Memorial Hospital said the facility was refreshing for elderly people, adding that it had come at an opportune time.

Kojo Ayetey, 89, said it was a beautiful initiative for the aged and that it would give children an opportunity to honour their parents with a decent living.

"I am so happy about this. If I am bored, I can just spend a week here myself, get refreshed and go back," he stated.

The Bishop of the Lighthouse Chapel International at Winneba, Francis Hammond, called on children to honour their aged parents and relatives with decent living conditions to receive blessings from God.