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Queensland-based non profit Blue Care has announced it will close its Millbank facility in Bundaberg due to expensive refurbishment costs and ongoing pressures from Covid-19.
The facility, located 364km north of Brisbane, began gradually moving out residents in March but said it would not shut entirely until they are safely relocated.
In a statement, a Blue Care spokesperson said residents would be moved on a "case-by-case basis" and arrangements would be made for its 48 staff members.
"While disappointing for Blue Care, our people, residents and their families, we acknowledge the impact of COVID-19 on the aged care workforce as a whole and many regional towns in particular," they said.
“Our facility at Millbank is old and requires significant investment in refurbishment to bring it up to the standard required to accommodate the increasing acuity in residents entering residential aged care."
Blue Care, which is owned by Uniting Care, has two other facilities in Bundaberg including one across the road from the Millbank facility.
Australian Workers Union Central Queensland District Secretary Tony Beers said staff have expressed concerns about not being redeployed in the local region.
"In a time when local aged care workers’ workloads are already stretched to the limits, it makes no sense for Blue Care to not step in now and commit to protecting local aged care jobs and their existing hours," he said.
“This will be a stressful time for both our members working in the industry and for the Bundaberg community more broadly."
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Why not Queensland,s Union buyout this facility and asked government to get involved and run the facility as per thier nurse patient ratio and build the new facility without putting hand out to any tax payer dollars.
You have no idea what you are talking about, the impending implementation of ridiculous reforms by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and the already established staffing shortages. The Aged Care Commission sits under the Department of Health The Minister is telling us we do not have enough Nurses, and the Commission is setting providers to fail, failing Elderly Australians more than giving them solutions. Jeanet Anderson was clear; she is not a friend of providers who is working extremely hard to make things right.
Why not Queensland,s Union buyout this facility and asked government to get involved and run the facility as per their nurse patient ratio and build the new facility without putting hand out to any tax payer dollars.