Staff, residents and families were called to an “important” meeting yesterday afternoon, where they were told Murchison Community Care, which operates DP Jones Aged Care, was facing serious financial problems.
Chairman of the committee of management Neil Lowe said the centre's financial position had been deteriorating for “some time”.
“The committee had been concerned for some time about the deteriorating financial position of the nursing home and recently initiated discussions with a number of parties, including other aged care operators in the region, to secure its long-term future,” Mr Lowe said.
“The care of residents has always been the highest priority of the committee, and their wellbeing is of paramount concern to us.”
However residents, many of whom have lived in the area their entire lives, are faced with an uncertain future, as administrators search for a buyer.
“The committee has been working closely with the Member for Nicholls, Damian Drum, and the Department of Health to pursue options but unfortunately it has not been possible to reach agreement with another operator to date,” Mr Lowe said.
SV Partners has taken over the management of the company and chief administrator Richard Cauchi told the News the facility would continue to operate as normal for now.
A woman leaving the centre, who wished to remain anonymous, said she had added stress, as both her mum and dad lived at the nursing home.
“It's just uncertainty, I guess,” she said.
“There’s going to be more questions before there’s answers.
“How it got to this position in the first place would be one question that I’d like to know.”
Mooroopna resident Arthur Duke said his family specifically choose the Murchison nursing home over other places in the region for his mother in law because the facility was “really impressive”.
“We want to keep it going and all the staff do too, I think, and they will fight until the end,” Mr Duke said.
“Well, they’ve quelled our concerns so to speak. I think it is going to keep on.
“They have assured us that things will continue as before.”
With Murchison’s population just shy of 1000, the nursing home understands its significant role in the town and importance to local businesses.
“The committee has been doing everything within its power to retain the home as a vital part of the town and surrounding districts,” the committee said in a media release on Wednesday afternoon.
