Bequests - the process of leaving money in your will to an organisation or cause. Such a loaded topic because it combines ‘death’ with ‘asking for money’. That said, bequests are vital for community-based organisations like Kerikeri Retirement Village, that are charitable in purpose.
You’ll be hearing a bit from us about bequests over the next three months. It’s no secret that care beds are like hens’ teeth here in the Mid North. Hard to find. Existing and looming demand means that we need to upgrade our existing but aging care unit, and expand it to accommodate an additional 34 beds for the elderly of our community who can no longer live independently.
The latest thinking around aged-care accommodation involves care suites; en suite rooms with access to the outdoors and large enough to accommodate an increasing level of care as the patient ages. These allow the appropriate level of care to come to the patient’s bedside, rather than constantly shifting the patient.
This is so much better for the patient’s comfort, peace of mind and, importantly, dignity. But it’s not cheap. Sadly, our income from selling the rights to occupy our retirement accommodation cannot cover all the costs of building these new care facilities. For this we will have to rely once again on the generosity of our community.
I hope you won’t mind us being so up-front with our appeal for bequests. As with many ‘difficult’ topics, I believe that being candid and direct is probably the most respectful way forward.
