Not For Profit Wesley Mission has announced it will close its three Sydney aged care homes: Wesley Rayward Carlingford, Wesley Taylor Narrabeen, and Wesley Vickery Sylvania.
The homes are expected to close at the end of May but will remain open until all nearly 200 residents have found a new home.
Wesley Mission CEO and superintendent Reverend Stu Cameron said the "difficult decision" was made for several factors, including staff shortages and ongoing reforms to the aged care sector.
With 24/7 RN requirements coming in from 1 July 2023, and staff care minutes mandated from October 2023, meeting the new requirements is proving challenging for many providers.
"The aged care sector is experiencing challenges to workforce and flow-on impacts from the national reforms to Aged Care. Wesley Mission supports these once-in-a-generation reforms, improving quality for all care users," Rev Cameron said.
"It is, however, a challenging environment to be a smaller provider. With just three aged care locations, our offering in this area is small compared to the large and diverse range of community services we provide around NSW and across Australia."
The government has conceded the sector is still thousands short of the staff required to meet the 24/7 RN requirement, and says only 5% are likely to qualify for exemptions.
However, at the recent LEADERS SUMMIT, Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said the government won’t close homes and will work with providers who are doing their best to comply but have been unable to meet the target.
“Wesley Mission’s support for older people in NSW continues, focusing on providing in-home care and retirement living to help people stay in their homes for longer," said Rev. Cameron.
Wesley Mission closed its Wesley Tebbutt Dundas home in Ermington, 21km north-west of Sydney's CBD in 2022.
Wesley Mission has appointed MyCarePath, which specialises in aged care placements, to help residents find a new home. Staff will also be supported to find new roles, either within Wesley Mission or with another aged care provider.
The Wesley Mission religion-affiliated charity provides practical care and support for more than 130,000 people in NSW and across Australia every year. It has more than 120 programs including home care, respite care, help for people experiencing homelessness, and gambling and financial counselling.
