By KATH GANNAWAY
THE sale of AdventCare’s Yarra Junction aged-care facility has raised concern about local jobs losses.
Estia Health Residential Services, which operates 10 aged-care homes in Melbourne, recently bought the facility which has 84 residents, mostly from around the Yarra Valley.
The Mail was told last week that there had been job losses as a result of the change over and that nursing staff were meeting with Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation representatives last week amid claims the cuts would mean a lower standard of care.
ANMF Victorian secretary Paul Gilbert confirmed that five registered nurses, three enrolled nurses and nine personal care workers (PCW) had been made redundant but said there was no information to suggest that qualified nurses were being replaced by PCWs.
The part-owner and CEO of Estia Health Peter Arvanitis has hit back at the suggestion that that the changes made would have a detrimental outcome for staff or residents.
“I cannot comment on staff who were never employees of our company, but what I can say is that our complete focus is on our residents and our staff and that we have an impeccable compliance and accreditation record that speaks for itself,” Mr Arvanitis told the Mail on Monday.
He said Estia had increased its level of registered division one nurses at the facility.
“Our rosters have been provided to the Department of Health and Ageing and they are more than satisfied that we comply with the requirements under the Act.”
Mr Arvanitis said Estia Yarra Valley welcomed scrutiny and said he and his staff are very keen to work more closely with the local community.
Mr Gilbert said the ANMF would continue to provide support to members who had been made redundant and to ensure that all of their entitlements were correctly paid by AdventCare.
AdventCare operated the Yarra Junction facility for almost three years and in December last year received planning approval to increase the number of beds from 92 to 130.
AdventCare also operates the AdventCare Yarra Ranges aged care in Warburton.
The Mail made a number of attempts to contact AdventCare to establish what the future of the Warburton facility would be but as of Monday had no response.
