The Not For Profit will close its Petrie Gardens Residential Aged Care home, the only facility in the town of Tiaro, 227km north of Brisbane, due to the Federal Government’s 24/7 RN requirement and the incoming minimum care minutes.
Petrie Gardens is a small, low-care 10-bed residential aged care home with a staff of four PCWs and one RN. Tiaro has a population of about 2,300.
Staff and residents have been offered positions at Churches of Christ’s 86-bed Fair Haven Maryborough facility, which is a 25-minute drive from Tiaro.
“We support the new compliance rules and understand that they are necessary as they follow on from recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety,” Churches of Christ said in a statement.
“We know that this a loss to the community, but we’ll be exploring long-term opportunities for the future use of the building which will align with community need.”
Last week, The SOURCE wrote that Churches of Christ closed Amaroo Aged Care, one of the only aged care facilities in Gatton in Lockyer Valley about 100km west of Brisbane, due to erosion from recent floods.
This latest decision comes as another Queensland home – Carinity Summit Cottages – has also announced this week it will close.
Both Petrie Gardens and Summit Cottages homes are the only aged care facilities in their small country towns.
Churches of Christ has 28 homes across Queensland and Victoria.
The SOURCE: With another larger facility 25 minutes away, keeping a 10-bed facility open – even one with a strong connection to the community – is a big ask.
