Housing for people with severe disabilities: Herzogsägmühle is planning a new building in Weilheim

Created: 01/25/2022, 10:00 am

By: Christopher Peters

The new building on Oblandstrasse in Herzogsägmühle is still being worked on.

The 24 residential spaces for people with multiple disabilities are expected to be ready for occupancy from April.

© Christopher Peters

It's a project worth millions: The Diakonie Herzogsägmühle wants to build a new building in Weilheim with 24 living spaces for people with severe multiple disabilities.

The project is intended to supplement the offer in Herzogsägmühle, where a similar construction project is about to be completed.

Herzogsägmühle/Weilheim – 39 people with severe multiple disabilities are currently living in the support center in Herzogsägmühle, but soon it will be time for 24 of them to say goodbye to their previous domicile. Because not far from the support center, a new building is currently being built on Oblandstraße, which is intended to partially replace the previous facility. After water damage slowed down the construction work last summer and the originally targeted opening date in autumn could therefore no longer be met, completion is now targeted for April, says the responsible department head Ruth Connolly.

The fact that Herzogsägmühle is breaking new ground in accommodating the residents of the support center is related to the Nursing Housing Quality Act.

Accordingly, the existing facility no longer meets the associated requirements, which stipulate, among other things, that each room must have its own wet cell.

When it was built a good 20 years ago, the concept of the support center was designed for residential groups that all have a shared bathroom, says Connolly, describing the problem.

Those responsible tried to get an exemption, but this was rejected.

Another solution therefore had to be found.

Small-scale offer instead of a large support center

In discussions with the district, home supervisor and government, it was finally agreed to build a new one.

However, not at one location, because a facility of the previous size is no longer desired these days, says Connolly.

The path set by the district is moving away from large facilities towards smaller-scale forms of living.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building in Herzogsägmühle in 2019, it was already clear that another one with 24 spaces should follow in Weilheim (we reported).

While the move to the new domicile is already foreseeable in the Diakoniedorf, the district town is still in the planning phase. One property is already in sight, says Connolly. According to the head of department, this is on Geistbühelstraße, where the city is known to be pushing ahead with the development of a new residential area. Connolly emphasizes that the location is ideal in terms of the inclusion and participation of residents. The district of Upper Bavaria shares this view. According to a press release from the district, which is subsidizing the project with around 615,000 euros, the property offers "due to its attractive location optimal conditions for inclusion and participation in the immediate living environment". The government of Upper Bavaria is contributing a further 3.7 million euros, and the diaconal company is contributing around 1.8 million euros from its own funds.In Herzogsägmühle, the new building is also seen as an opportunity to create housing outside of the village for people with multiple disabilities.

Location not yet in dry cloths

The planned building should offer better care options for residents who, due to their disabilities, cannot visit the support center or the workshops.

Connolly is certain that their number will increase in the future.

"Our residents are getting older too." Thanks to foldable walls, living and common rooms can be easily combined in the future - a significant improvement compared to the current support center, which is very nested and crooked, according to the department head.

Of course, the location in Weilheim is not yet set in stone.

One hopes that the project can be realized there, there is already an investor, says Connolly.

However, there is currently still a problem with the development plan.

If, contrary to expectations, it doesn't work out in the end, one would have to look for another piece of land, or – if all else fails – consider converting the current facility.

"Economically," the head of department fears, "that probably wouldn't be a good solution."