Ozanam Retirement Village to put SSVP on the map
After having served the needs of the poor for decades in Malaysia, the Society of St Vincent DePaul (SSVP) has embarked on an ambitious project to build a retirement home.
Apr 26, 2019
TAIPING: After having served the needs of the poor for decades in Malaysia, the Society of St Vincent DePaul (SSVP) has embarked on an ambitious project to build a retirement home.
The home, officially called Ozanam Retirement Village, would follow the model of other established homes that are run by various organisations under the auspices of the Catholic Church in various dioceses.
“The Catholic Church has been involved in care for the elderly, senior citizens for umpteen years.
“We have so many institutions, such as those run by the Little Sisters of the Poor in Penang and Kuala Lumpur as well as Graceville at the Majodi Centre in Johore which already serve this purpose,” Penang Diocese Bishop Sebastian Francis said at an event held at the Catholic Diocesan Centre in Macalister Road, George Town, Penang, recently.
The event was to mark the signing of an official 30-year lease issued by the Penang Diocese to the National SSVP for the use of church land in Taiping, Perak, that will be the site of the Ozanam Retirement Village.
The home will be built on the grounds of the Church of Our Lady of Sacred Heart (OLSH) in Klian Pauh, Taiping, which is the oldest Catholic church in Perak.
The leasing of the land by the Diocese is also significant in that it is the first time that church land has been authorised for the sole purpose of building such a facility.
The idea of building the Ozanam Retirement Village has been in the making for a few years with a soft launch held on September 22, 2017 on the site, which was presided by Bishop Sebastian, in conjunction with the SSVP’s 400th anniversary.
However, the project could not take off sooner due to the land being classified as a “rumah ibadat”, or place of worship, which meant that it could not be used for any other purpose under local government laws.
With all the necessary official and legal obstacles overcome, the signing of the lease between Bishop Sebastian and the National SSVP trustees for the project, Andrew Yong and Philip Packium, could proceed.
Construction of the Ozanam Retirement Village is expected to start in January next year, after the plans for the home are finalised and approved by the National SSVP, which will oversee the entire project, and manage its operations thereafter.
According to National SSVP vice-president Angela Francis, although the Ozanam Retirement Village is to be built on church grounds, SSVP will accept applications from anyone, regardless of 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,” she said.
The National SSVP is also planning to hold a Town Hall meeting with parishioners of Taiping Catholic Church (TCC), which comprises the Church of St Louis and OLSH, next month to discuss the project and receive feedback.
Meanwhile, the Ozanam Retirement Village is already generating some interest following the publication of a news report in The Star recently.
National SSVP Treasurer Dunstan Dominic Augustine said that he had received a number of enquiries from the daily’s readers.
About Ozanam Retirement Village
The site for the Ozanam Retirement Village covers about 1,000 square metres. The structure will also incorporate an existing building, which was part of the original church built in 1871, as an office area. The building will be restored to its original state, for the sake of keeping the heritage of the site intact.
The Ozanam Retirement Village is expected to have 118 rooms, with an in-house clinic, dining, and various activity rooms for the residents.
Similar to how many other retirement homes are operated, the Ozanam Retirement Village will be self-sustaining with the rooms made available to those who wish to settle to a comfortable retirement at a reasonable cost. The cost has not been finalised as yet.
However, the National SSVP will open up the rooms for those interested at a ratio of 70 per cent for those who can afford to pay the full amount and 30 per cent for the poor aged, whose cost will be fully subsidised.
“All residents will be able to take sharing or single rooms, depending on their preference, and this will be managed on a case-by-case basis,” Francis said.
The National SSVP also noted that it is not a nursing home for those in need of palliative care.
“Every one of our residents is expected to be well enough to walk in on their own.
“However, a resident can continue to stay if they become sick or bed-ridden, as per the practice of other homes run under the auspices of the church, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor,” Francis said.
The Ozanam Retirement Village is expected to be completed by June 2021.--By K. Anand
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