After weeks of discussion and deliberation, the board and management of Rylstone Kandos Aged and Disabled association, operating as the aged care facility ADA Cottage in Kandos, has resolved to amalgamate services with RSL LifeCare, one of the largest senior living services in Australia.
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The decision was announced at two information meetings on Monday – one for staff and the other for residents and family members.
Board chairperson Johanna Marr said a number of options were considered.
“Each management committee since early 2000 understood that an aged care facility with less than 40 beds was not a viable option. This figure is now 60 beds,” Mrs Marr said.
With just 20 beds, ADA faced a dilemma. Merging with regional facilities in Mudgee was considered and attempted in June 2013, but later withdrawn.
Mrs Marr said the committee was conscious of the warm and friendly culture in the facility and the staff’s dedication to ADA and had sought an organisation with similar philosophy, a strong commitment to aged care and a sound corporate and clinical governance, as well as more than adequate financial resources to support ADA.
After meeting with RSL LifeCare CEO Ron Thompson and clinical governance manager Anne Kauffmann, ADA’s management committee was presented with two options: To access the infrastructure of RSL LifeCare for a period of time, without costs, or to amalgamate with RSL LifeCare, retain ADA’s name and its financial assets and secure its staff positions.
At a full committee meeting, the majority of members voted for the second option.
Mrs Marr said she was expecting some negativity from staff and residents but the reaction was positive.
“It’s something we always resisted, but to be honest the paperwork was drowning us and there have been more cuts to funding and more legislative changes, making it impossible for small facilities,” she said.
“When we looked at it realistically, the positives outweighed trying to stay independent. The decision and the reaction has taken a huge weight of the board’s shoulders.”
The 27 staff positions will be retained – a huge plus for the community with a wage bill of over $1 million a year, and all money raised by ADA will be quarantined, allowing it to be used by ADA Cottage.
Staff will have access to improved education and training opportunities and will be able to transfer to other facilities easily if they move from the area.
Mr Thompson said everyone wanted to ADA Cottage to remain a community facility for local people.
RSL LifeCare would cherish the local community focus, preserve the ADA name and ensure the homelike environment with a family focus continues, he said.
The current ADA management board will hand over to an advisory committee from October 18. It will then be there for the transition to amalgamation.
