By KATH GANNAWAY
AN ANNOUNCEMENT on Wednesday 3 August that the aged-care facility in Warburton will close, has shocked employees, residents and their families, and the Warburton Seventh-day Adventist Church community.
The closure of Advent Care Yarra Ranges means relocation of 28 residents and the loss of more than 50 local jobs.
While AdventCare Victoria has set a final closing date of October/November, staff and SDA Church members say they are not giving up hope that a way will be found to keep the facility open.
A series of three meetings was held for staff, residents and relatives, and then the Warburton SDA Church board in what became an increasingly bleak Wednesday.
Staff members emerging from the first meeting at 3.30pm told the Mail they were shocked and devastated, not only for themselves, but for the residents.
Graeme Christian, President of the Victorian SDA Church and Chair of the AdventCare Board, along with AdventCare CEO, David Reece, delivered what they said was an inevitable decision after every option had been considered.
Mr Christian said a combination of factors had led to decreasing viability of the facility, from non-compliant room sizes to the recent Federal Government cuts to the aged care sector, an oversupply of 40 aged-care beds in the region, not expected to change until 2025, and rejection this year of AdventCare’s application for additional bed licences.
“We have done absolutely everything that we can think of, and that the local church community has suggested; followed through every option to find a way to develop a business plan that was viable.
“We weren’t setting out to close (the facility) and it’s very sad that it’s come to this,” Mr Christian said.
In a statement handed to staff, AdventCare said the facility will close after all residents have been relocated, and that the 10 independent living units on the site would continue to be supported.
All staff will be eligible for a redundancy package, providing they don’t leave prior to being released from their role.
Kerry, a daughter of one of the residents, said the closure was terrifying for the large number of family members who attended the second meeting.
“There are some very anxious families. The residents may not be fully understanding of it all, but their families are terrified and it’s just a very sad time.
She said she believed it when told they had explored all options, and that government funding cuts had had an impact, but refuted the claim that there is an oversupply of aged care places in the Yarra Valley.
She posed the question also … “You have to wonder, can they (Advent Care) not carry the loss to the local community after all these years,” she questioned.
“I would love to think that something can happen to change all this, but I don’t think it’s very likely,” she said.
A staff member who also asked that their name not be used, said staff would not let the facility close without a fight.
“Hearing that announcement was just horrendous … everybody is in shock,” she said.
She also said she could see that funding cuts had had an effect, but said the closure would have a huge detrimental effect on the community, and would be devastating for residents and their families.
She said most employees, although deemed ‘part time’, worked around 60 hours a fortnight and some up to 70 hours.
“Many are the breadwinners in their families,” she said.
With no prior indication of what the meetings were to deliver, the local church community was also surprised by the announcement.
Warburton SDA Church Leading Elder, Brian Way, said their meeting went for five hours and, as with the previous meetings, people were devastated.
“As a church committee, we have worked hard on this and we expected more consultation, given the recommendations we had made,” he said.
“If we couldn’t find a solution from within, then we would have looked at taking it more broadly to the community.”
“We were expecting further consultation, and that didn’t happen.”
In response to Mr Way’s comments on consultation, Mr Christian said it was a concern that was raised and addressed at the meeting.
“We’re sorry to hear they feel that way, and particularly as this has gone for eight years.” He said.
He said members of the church board were on the committee and had looked at all the reports.
“If there was a solution we would have found it by now,” he said.
Mr Way said the Warburton SDA Church wanted to pay tribute to the staff.
“The church is most grateful for the kindness and care shown by staff to the residents; they are a wonderful group of people,” he said.
Staff are meeting with the union and say they will continue to lobby and fight to keep AdventCare Yarra Ranges operating.
