Thursday, 4 May 2023

Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home

Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (17:13): (153) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers in the other place, and the action I seek is urgent. I ask that the minister ensure funding continues to be provided to Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home up until the agreed date of 31 October 2023, and I greatly appreciate the support of the Minister for Health today. The Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home chairman has been informed by the Department of Health that there is no further funding available for the nursing home. This is despite the department previously confirming in writing on 10 August 2022 that financial support would be provided until 31 October 2023. It was on this basis that Darlingford were able to continue operations. The guarantee formed the basis for Darlingford to sign off on their annual audited accounts. Darlingford feel that for the Department of Health to walk away from that commitment five months prior to its expiry would be both ethically and morally wrong.

Without this financial support the nursing home will be declared insolvent and forced to cease operations. Residents will have to be relocated and the staff will lose their jobs. The closure of Darlingford would be a disaster for the residents, staff members and surrounding community, leaving them without this crucial service. It is a not-for-profit nursing home and is one of four in the Murrindindi shire, with two in Yea and one in Alexandra. There are currently 34 residents living at the aged care facility and 80 staff members, including nurses, personal care attendants, food and domestic services and administrative staff members.

The Eildon community is a low socio-economic area with a predominantly ageing demographic. It is so important for the Eildon township to provide an aged care facility to accommodate elderly community members. Darlingford have notified me that they will run out of funds completely by the end of May. Darlingford need urgent short-term financial support to keep the aged care facility operational. They feel the health department is trying to fob off the funding responsibility for nursing homes to the Commonwealth government and back out of its written commitment. The department have suggested the option of an amalgamation with a public hospital. I am not sure that this is something that is feasible or on the cards. Particularly, residents would still have to relocate away from their home and families and the local employment rate would still decrease.

They have found that Commonwealth grants have continued to trend below budget expectations, driven by low occupancy, which has declined from 77 per cent in March 2022 to 64 per cent in April. The closing of the nursing home would have a negative effect on the Eildon township. It would limit employment opportunities. Families are more likely to leave the area to accommodate their elders, and it would be less enticing for new people to move to the area. And it would certainly be one less care facility in Eildon and the Murrindindi shire.

I do hope the minister can see the significance and urgency in this matter, because it would be a very sad day if closure is the only outcome. As I said earlier, I do thank the Minister for Health for her assistance today.