Comfort living for the elderly

Rev Sebastian (left) exchanging documents with Angela after the lease agreement signing ceremony at the Catholic Diocesan Centre in Macalister Road, Penang.

A RM5mil retirement village will soon be built in Taiping, Perak, following the signing of a lease agreement between the Titular Roman Catholic Bishop of Penang and the National Society of St Vincent de Paul.

The Ozanam Retirement Village will be built by the society on the grounds of the Church of Our Lady of Sacred Heart in Klian Pauh, Taiping, and construction will begin next January.

Penang Catholic Diocese bishop Rev Datuk Sebastian Francis said the project is expected to be completed by June 2021.

“The lease agreement will be for 30 years,” he said after signing it on behalf of the diocese with National Society of St Vincent de Paul trustees Andrew Yong and Philip Packium at the Catholic Diocesan Centre in Macalister Road, George Town, Penang, recently.

National Society of St Vincent de Paul vice-president Angela Francis said although the retirement village is to be built on church grounds, they will not hesitate to accept residents of any race, religion or background.

“Our intention is to provide the elderly with a place to retire, especially for those whose children are unable to care for them.

“The village will be built with 118 rooms and it will be open to anyone who wants to retire there as it provides a holistic environment, especially for those who are spiritually inclined,” she said.

“The entire retirement village spans over 1,003sq m.

“It should be able to take in about 150 independent and able-bodied residents depending on their preferences for sharing or single rooms, which we will manage on a case-by-case basis,” she added.

 – The Star 17-Apr-2019