By Kath Gannaway
“YES, the decision is to stay open … no bones about that.”
That was essentially the message residents, family members and staff at AdventCare Yarra Ranges aged care facility, and the wider Warburton community, were hanging on last week after four months of lobbying and negotiations to keep the home open.
And, ultimately, it was the decision they got.
AdventCare Victoria’s CEO David Reece moved quickly on Thursday, 15 December, to allay confusion over the long-awaited announcement by Chairman of AdventCare Victoria, pastor Graeme Christian, that “the board was still meeting” on ‘conditions’ around the future of the home and its residents.
The announcement in August by AdventCare Victoria that the aged-care home would close within three months sent shockwaves through the community.
The implications painted a bleak picture for the 28 residents who would have to find new homes away from the township, for the 50 staff, many of them breadwinners for their families, and for businesses who stood to suffer a massive commercial impact.
Local businesswoman and chair of Warburton Valley CEDA (Community Economic Development Association) Peta Godenzi spearheaded the campaign, along with Warburton Adventist Church, to have the decision reversed.
In a snapshot of the plan for the future, AdventCare said the facility would be renovated to a fully compliant, 42-bed, updated aged-care centre.
The redevelopment will be done in two stages, adding 32 compliant rooms to the existing 10.
The lounge and reception area will also be updated providing a modern home.
Mr Reece said a number of factors had influenced the change of direction including a change of policy by the Federal Government which would equate to $100,000 a year for the facility.
The issue of an oversupply of beds in the region was looked at using a different model of 45 beds, rather than 75 and Mr Reece said they now believe with community support and people in the Warburton Valley choosing AdventCare Yarra Ranges as their prime option, the demand is sufficient to operate a viable home.
He said the project renovations would be funded entirely from AdventCare funds with support from the Warburton Bendigo Community Bank for equipment.
“We have found out of this much wider engagement with the community.
“We think people used to see this ad the Adventist place, and now see it as a community place that provides a place for local people, employs local people and buys from local services.
“It’s a good new story all round,” he said.
Ms Godenzi welcomed the decision, which came out of the community’s determination not to accept the closure.
She said it is sad that only 15 residents of the 32 who were at the home in August, remained and said it was a tribute to them that they persevered.
Ms Godenzi said the support for the campaign, and for her role in it, had been heartening.
“People do care … you don’t always know that they care until something like this happens in a community and you realise they do.
“We had great support from the time of the initial rally and with businesses showing their support with purple ribbons on their shops and people inquiring about it regularly.”
She said it was a just outcome, particularly for the Seventh-day Adventist members who had worked for Adventist organisations in the town such as Signs Publishing, the hospital and the Sanitarium Weetbix factory, and who contributed to the building and financing of the aged care facility.
Mr Christian said he was pleased that the matter had been resolved to produce a positive outcome.
“For the first time in more than eight years, we now see a viable path forward for this important community facility – and it is an exciting future which will provide residents and staff with refurbished, more modern and, importantly, fully 9C compliant facilities and excellent care.”
Works are expected to begin early next year, with the facility staying open during the refurbishment works.
