More than 250 people gathered at Singleton Diggers last Sunday to protest against the closure of Mercy Services' 44-bed Singleton aged care home, which has been in operation for more than 40 years.

Expressing their anger at the decision by the Not For Profit, announced last week, to close the facility, meaning 37 residents would have to find homes elsewhere. Attendees demanded answers to their questions within 21 days, and a committee was established to help find a solution for the aged care home, 202km north-northwest of Sydney's CBD.

Federal Labor Member for the Hunter Dan Repacholi attended, saying he was "hopeful" another operator could be found to take on the aged care home and that a new facility could be built in the area.

Mercy Services said the decision to close was due to "financial difficulties due to the home's small scale, the changes in regulations that have made it increasingly difficult for small charity-based operators to remain viable, and the ever-increasing cost of maintaining and upgrading a building that was built for a different era." It also announced it is seeking another operator for its home care and community transport operations, and will transfer its Alcohol and Other Drug services to MacKillop Family Services.

This is another example of small, regional aged care homes being forced to close due to the increased cost of building and refurbishments, greater regulatory burdens, and staff shortages. The situation is unlikely to change in the near future. In February, we published a list of 23 aged care homes that had closed in only seven months. 

Earlier this year, we also reported after a community appeal for an aged care home in Byron Bay slated for closure found a new operator with St Andrew's. Feros Byron Bay was renamed George's Cottages.