Figtree age care facility

FAQs

What activities do you offer residents?

When residents first join us their interests and lifestyle choices form part of their overall care plan, and the monthly activities program that is put together by our two activities officers. This program offers a range of recreational activities that encourage mental stimulation, physical independence, friendship and a role in the wider community. The program includes:

  • craft
  • concerts
  • pet therapy
  • bingo
  • board games
  • card groups.
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What outings do you organise?

We offer extra service residents a bus trip 3 out of 4 Wednesdays a month, and hostel and nursing home residents a trip 1 Wednesday a month. We might take residents for a picnic or BBQ or visit a local tourist attraction.

What fees do we have to pay?

Aged care facilities charge two main types of fees: a daily care fee and an accommodation bond. Both are determined by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA) and a full list of government fees and charges is available on its website.

Care fees cover items such as nursing and personal care, meals and recreation activities. As at 20 September 2006, the basic daily care fee at Fig Tree Point is $37.38. The accommodation bond is based on your assets and you have to pay this when you become a resident.

If you want to take advantage of the extra service provided at Fig Tree Point, you will be charged an extra service fee each month. As at 20 September 2006, this fee is $45 a day. It will be added to your daily care fee on your monthly statement.

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Is Fig Tree Point safe?

Residents can feel physically safe and secure at Fig Tree Point as we have video surveillance and lock the door at 7pm. Any residents returning home after this time can ring the outside night bell to be let in.

What tourism sites and activities are nearby?

Fig Tree is 45 minutes from the beautiful Pokolbin Valley, one of Australia’s premier wine districts and home to such estates as Tyrell’s and Lindemans. Wineries offer tastings at the cellar door, and the bigger ones offer picnic or BBQ areas. If you want to sit down to a meal, there is a wide range of styles on offer from café and brasserie to fine dining.

Closer to home residents can enjoy the Lake Macquarie foreshore at Warners Bay. This popular tourist spot offers recreational and BBQ facilities. And of course there are always Newcastle’s pristine beaches, restaurants and history to explore! No longer a city of steel, Newcastle is redefining itself as a city of style, with plenty to offer travelers.

Visit the Civic Cultural Precinct that features the city’s most prestigious venues including City Hall and the Art Deco Civic Theatre, which were both built in the 1920s. Or enjoy the glorious views from the Honeysuckle redevelopment of Newcastle’s waterfront. What were working wharves are now foreshore promenades and open squares that offer waterfront cafes and restaurants. The Promenade along the foreshore is an easy walk suitable for all the family.

For more ideas on what to do, visit Newcastle Tourism at http://www.visitnewcastle.com.au/visitnewcastle.asp.

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How far are you from Newcastle’s city centre?

We are a 30-minute drive south west of Newcastle’s city centre.

Figtree map

What is the local public transport like?

Toronto offers only a limited bus service and most residents hire a taxi or car to drive them the 5 minutes into town. The Fig Tree ‘shopping bus’ takes extra service residents into town every Friday for 3 hours.

The regional transport network provides good coverage and resident’s can reach Central Station in Sydney by taking a bus from Toronto to Fassifern and then catching a CityRail train. The trip takes roughly 2.5 hours. For timetable details go to http://www.cityrail.info/index.jsp and see the Newcastle and Central Coast timetable.

To plan a regional trip on public transport you can phone the Transport Infoline on 131 500 or visit their website at http://www.131500.info/realtime/default.asp

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What are the meals like?

We have a monthly rotating menu plan that is overseen by a dietitian to ensure nutrition and hydration. We can cater to diabetic and other diet choices and residents can make suggestions for meals they’d like included.

Residents have 24-hour access to food and drink with our staff happy to prepare a light snack in between meals. Residents can also choose to have their meals served to them in bed or have lunch on the verandah or in the dining room.

Does your facility smell nice and fresh?

Yes it does. We don't want our home to smell like a hospital or institution - we want it to be like home for our residents. To make sure of this we have a professional cleaning firm here every day of the week.

Do you help residents shower?

Personal hygiene is incredibly important not only to the health of our residents, but to their general sense of well being. To make sure everybody gets the attention they need, Bethel is staffed 24 hours a day. Our staff help residents shower and provide massage and physiotherapy.

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